cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimation of Demand Systems Using Informative Priors

Why aren't all agricultural economists Bayesians? We all speculate, using probabilistic statements, about such things as whether the President will propose a particular policy, whether the A's will win their division, or whether corn prices will rise by 10% or more following this summer's flooding. We all update our assessments when information is received, and likely obey all of the basic rules from probability theory, including Bayes' Theorem. If we are unwilling to speculate about one of these events, it is more likely from concerns about being wrong than from any aversion to using subjective definitions of probability. It is also not the case that we are averse to
An evaluation of the efficiencies of several ergosterol extraction techniques

Axenic cultures representing ten species of filamentous higher marine fungi were analyzed for ergosterol content to determine the relative efficiencies of five extraction protocols. Methanol refluxing resulted in consistently higher yields than did ethanol treatment. In every case treatment of mycelia with alcoholic KOH solution substantially enhanced ergosterol recovery. Experimental results relative to fungal biomass quantification in vascular plant detritus are discussed.
Radical civic virtue: women in 19th‐century civil society

This article contests the conservative revisionism that emphasizes the importance of traditional families, pietistic religion, individual moral virtue, and small government for undergirding democratic self‐government. The first part exposes the conservative misreading of American history and political theory. The second part uses the civic engagement of middle‐ and upper‐class women in 19th‐century America to construct a progressive alternative to conservative narratives. It shows that women did not stay home and focus on the family during the 19th century but instead entered civil society to address the problems created by industrialization, formed social reform movements, built institutions to pursue a social justice agenda, and demanded that the government take an active role in solving public problems. Their civic engagement built on and created social capital, grew out of and produced a sense of civic virtue (defined as public‐spiritedness), and resulted in the demand for progressive government.
Inflammatory biomarkers and coronary heart disease: from bench to bedside and back

Inflammation plays a pivotal role in all stages of atherosclerosis from endothelial dysfunction and plaque formation to plaque destabilization and disruption. Inflammatory biomarkers, originally studied to better understand the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis, have generated increasing interest among clinicians, because of their utility in the challenging problems of diagnosis and risk assessment of patients with suspected or proved coronary heart disease. Moreover, in fascinating perspective, they could be used as therapeutic target, counteracting initiation, progression, and development of complications of atherosclerosis. In this review, we will provide an overview of the more promising inflammatory biomarkers, focusing on their utility and limitations in the clinical setting.
Methotrexate analogs. 7. Synthesis of two higher homologs and a positional isomer of methotrexate diethyl ester as potential antitumor agents

Analogs of methotrexate diethyl ester (1) were prepared, in which the distances separating the ester functions from each other and from the carboxamide function of the p-aminobenzoate moiety were varied via the use of methylene groups as “spacers”. The diethyl esters 3 and 4, with D,L-α-aminoadipate and D,L-α-aminopimelate side chains in place of L-glutamate, displayed approximately the same order of activity as compound 1 against bacterial and mammalian cells in culture, and were inhibitors of the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase. When given intraperitoneally to L1210 1eukemic mice at a dose of 120 mg./kg. q3d 1,4,7, compound 4 produced a 67% increase in survival and no evidence of toxicity, whereas methotrexate diethyl ester (1) gave a 44% increase in survival at a dose of 45 mg./kg. q3d 1,4,7 but was toxic at higher doses. The positional isomer 2 was inactive.
The tails of survival curves

This article focuses on the occasional individuals of many species that live longer than is usual for their populations – here called longevity outliers. They appear to be exceptions to the usual patterns of mortality rates that increase with age. There is no model of survivorship that accommodates all of these individuals. They are less vulnerable to the usual causes of death than most in their populations. There are hints of genetically based mechanisms in the form of life-prolonging genes in invertebrates and genetic resistance to fatal diseases in higher organisms. The reasons why longevity outliers ultimately die are not known. Based on well-established trends, I predict that there will be many more humans reaching very old ages in the next century.
Effect of Pioglitazone on Survival and Renal Function in a Mouse Model of Polycystic Kidney Disease

Background/Aims: Cystic epithelia in polycystic kidney disease display features similar to malignant cells. Thiazolidinediones have been shown to have anti-neoplastic properties, th
Subprime Lending Foreclosures, Crime, and Neighborhood Disorganization: Beyond Internal Dynamics

Research and theorizing about communities and crime has largely focused on internal neighborhood dynamics, to the neglect of factors external to the community that may be important processes in shaping community crime rates. We argue that subprime lending practices and the foreclosures that result may result in higher crime rates. We utilize data from the Summit County Lending Study, the Akron Police Department, and the 2000 U.S. Census to test the hypothesis that subprime lending foreclosures increase crime in urban neighborhoods. We find that subprime lending foreclosures have substantial impact on crime counts, net of controls. We conclude that additional research and theorizing about the role of external factors in the disorganization model is required.
Positron differential quasielastic scattering by molecules

Abstract An overview of relative differential cross section (DCS) measurements in the range 30–135° for quasielastic scattering (elastic scattering plus rotational and vibrational excitations) of 4–200 eV positrons by N 2 , O 2 , CO, CO 2 , N 2 O and CH 4 , along with recent measurements for C 2 H 2 and S 6 is reported. For N 2 , O 2 , CO and CH 4 well-defined structure is found in the DCSs below the positronium (Ps) formation thresholds, which becomes washed out as the energy is increased above the Ps formation threshold. N 2 O and CO 2 show the least evidence of structure below (and above) the Ps threshold, while SF 6 exhibits noticeable structure not only below, but also above the Ps threshold. These observations indicate that the Ps formation channel may have an effect on the elastic scattering channel, as does the degree of symmetry of the target system, which is consistent with earlier elastic DCS measurements for the inert gas atoms.
Dynamic-scale model construction from range imagery

The construction of a surface model from range data may be undertaken at any point in a continuum of scales that reflects the level of detail of the resulting model. This continuum relates the construction parameters to the scale of the model. We propose methods to dynamically reprocess range data at different scales. The construction result from a single scale is automatically evaluated, causing reconstruction at a different scale when user-defined criteria are not met. We demonstrate our methods in constructing a planar b-rep space envelope (a scene representation) for over 400 range images. The experiments demonstrate the ability to construct 100 percent valid models, with the scale of detail within specified requirements.
Effects of chlordane and heptachlor on the marine dinoflagellate, Exuviella baltica, Lohmann.

Chlordane and heptachlor at 50 gmg/1 reduced cell density, chlorophylla per unit volume of culture,14C uptake per cell and carbon fixation per unit of chlorophylla in the marine dinoflagellateExuviella baltica Lohmann. The concentration of chlorophylla per cell was not reduced, however, by treatment with either compound. Chlordane was more toxic than heptachlor at this concentration, and caused the disintegration of many cells, thus affecting particle size distribution in the cultures. In nature, such an inhibition and shift in size class distribution could affect the availability of food for particle-feeding herbivores.
Barcodes Are a Useful Tool for Labeling and Tracking Ecological Samples

Barcodes are used to label and track just about everything these days. Look around your office, in your medicine cabinet, at the package you just received in the mail, or on the shelves of any shop in town, and you will immediately grasp the ubiquity of their use. Interestingly, railroads and supermarkets were the early pioneers of barcode development: the former needing a way to track railway car location and ownership on a national scale, the latter needing a way to track a diverse array of products and to decrease checkout times (Nelson 1997). Barcodes first came to use in the sciences via the field of medicine, and the medical literature contains hundreds of publications describing how this technology has reduced errors in patient specimen identification and handling, where error mitigation is crucial. In short, barcodes have been adopted by many industries, and in many fields they are now synonymous with asset tracking.
Salient antecedents of mobile shopping intentions: Media dependency, fashion/brand interest and peer influence

Ubiquitous usages of mobile devices among young adult consumers have been well recognized. The mobile retail industry has been estimated to have 70 billion subscribers by 2016. There has been much trade report regarding the statistics and estimates of the significance of the industry. However, there is little empirical research explaining the dynamics behind what motivates young adult consumers to use mobile devices for various commerce related activities. This study, therefore, aims to unveil a few key antecedents influencing Gen Y consumers' behavioral intentions toward the use of mobile devices for communication as well as commerce purposes. We developed a conceptual model based on the Media Dependency Theory (Ball-Rokeach & Defluer, 1976) and conspicuous consumption (Veblen, 1899) literature. Five hundred and four college students in two large US universities provided usable responses to our pencil-and-paper survey. Causal modeling analysis results demonstrated that females exhibited higher fashion/br...
RIGIDITY OF PROJECTIVE CONJUGACY FOR QUASIPERIODIC FLOWS OF KOCH TYPE

For quasiperiodic flows of Koch type, we exploit an algebraic rigidity of an equivalence relation on flows, called projective conjugacy, to algebraically characterize the deviations from completeness of an absolute invariant of projective conjugacy, called the multiplier group, which describes the generalized symmetries of the flow. We then describe three ways by which two quasiperiodic flows with the same Koch field are pro- jectively conjugate when their multiplier groups are identical. The first way involves a quantity introduced here, called the G-paragon class number of the multiplier group. The second involves the generalized Bowen-Franks groups and the class number of an order. The third involves conjugacy of the actions of the multiplier group by commuting toral automorphisms, for which one of these actions is irreducible, and a condition introduced here, called PCF, on the common real eigenvectors of the irreducible action. Addition- ally, we describe two ways by which similiar actions of the multiplier group can fail to be conjugate.
The modern Weberian thesis: a short review of the literature

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of conceptions and misconceptions relating to Weberian thought after 100 years of synthesis.Design/methodology/approach – Extensions of the theories espoused are discussed and a brief review of several relevant empirical research projects is highlighted. Weberian theory is taken as the basis for the discussion of the paper. Its fundamental assertions are discussed and current discussions elucidated. Modern (post‐1980) research directions and findings are summarized for helping the scholar understand the current state of Weberian research and the potential for future paths.Findings – There are numerous areas for future theoretical and empirical exploration discussed. Such areas as the effects of the Protestant work ethic on social networks across multi‐cultural (of which religion and religiousity play a role) boundaries and the dynamics of cultural change within, and between cultural dimensions will provide ever‐changing opportunities for at lea...
God, where are you?: Evaluating a spiritually-integrated intervention for sexual abuse

This study evaluated the effectiveness of an 8-session, spiritually-integrated intervention for female survivors of sexual abuse with spiritual struggles. Two clients (ages 39 and 49) participated in manualized sessions from the intervention, Solace for the Soul: A Journey Towards Wholeness©, with an individual therapist. An interrupted time-series design included daily measurements of positive and negative religious coping, spiritual distress, and spiritual self-worth, as well as comprehensive measures of spiritual well-being, religious coping, and images of God pre and post-intervention, and 1–2 months later. Both clients increased in positive religious coping, spiritual well-being, and positive images of God. In addition, ARIMA intervention analyses revealed significant changes during the course of the intervention (e.g., increased daily use of positive religious coping). Spiritually-integrated programs, such as Solace for the Soul, show promise in enhancing spiritual recovery from childhood sexual abuse.
Protein synthesis catalyzed by thiol blocked ribosome preparations

Abstract Ribosome preparations respond heterogeneously to thiol blocking agents such as N -ethylmaleimide. About 55% of the particles rapidly lose the ability to catalyze peptide bond formation. The remaining 45% are immune. The only function related to peptide bond formation that appears abnormal in inactivated ribosomes is messenger RNA-directed transfer RNA binding. The change, however, is small relative to the alteration in activity observed. Thus it appears that thiol blocking, which selectively damages 30 S subunits, renders about half the 30 S subunits unable to co-ordinate properly with 50 S subunits in peptide bond formation. The implications of these results with regard to ribosome heterogeneity are discussed.
Transition‐state regulators: sentinels of Bacillus subtilis post‐exponential gene expression

When Bacillus subtilis encounters a nutrient-depleted environment, it expresses a wide variety of genes that encode functions in alternative pathways of metabolism and energy production. Expression of these genes first occurs during the transition from active growth into stationary phase and is controlled by a class of proteins termed transition-state regulators. In several instances, a given gene is redundantly controlled by two or more of these regulators and many of these regulators control genes in numerous different pathways. The AbrB, Hpr and Sin proteins are the best-studied examples of these regulatory molecules. Their role is to prevent inappropriate and possibly detrimental functions from being expressed during exponential growth when they are not needed. They serve as elements integrating sporulation with ancillary stationary-phase phenomena and appear to participate in the timing of early sporulation events and in fine-tuning the magnitude of gene expression in response to specific environmental conditions.
Human T-cell receptor (TCR) α/β+ CD4-CD8- T cells express oligoclonal TCRs, share junctional motifs across TCR Vβ-gene families, and phenotypically resemble memory T cells

Most human T cells express the TCR alpha/beta and either CD4 or CD8 molecules (single positive, SP); however, small numbers lack CD4 and CD8. In inbred mice, alpha/beta CD4-CD8- (double negative, DN) T cells preferentially express certain beta variable region (V beta) families and may arise via unique developmental pathways. Increased percentages of alpha/beta DN T cells have been identified in some human and murine autoimmune and immunodeficiency diseases. However, their contribution to disease pathology or normal immunity is unknown. To study the cell surface phenotype and TCR diversity of human alpha/beta DN T cells, these cells were isolated from the peripheral blood of healthy adults. The proportion of alpha/beta DN T cells expressing molecules associated with activation (HLA-DR), previous exposure to antigen (CD45RO), and cytotoxic function (CD56, CD57, and CD11b) was increased relative to SP T cells. The TCR V beta repertoire of alpha/beta DN T cells was different from that of alpha/beta SP T cells, although most major gene families were present. For example, higher proportions of V beta 11, a minor gene family in peripheral blood leukocytes, were found in most alpha/beta DN T-cell samples. In contrast to mice, no dominant V beta family was used consistently in different human individuals. Within an individual alpha/beta DN T cells possessed an oligoclonal TCR beta repertoire with conservation of several distinct junctional amino acid motifs with one joined to three different V beta genes in two individuals, suggesting that these cells have undergone a selection process driven by a limited set of ligands. The possibility that they may represent, at least in part, originally SP T cells anergized by down-modulation of CD4 or CD8 must also be entertained. Overall, this study demonstrates that human peripheral blood alpha/beta DN T cells possess unique phenotypic and TCR beta repertoire characteristics when compared with the major alpha/beta SP T cell populations and thus may serve specialized immunologic functions and/or have an unusual origin.
Najczęstsze powikłania pooperacyjne w otolaryngologii w pediatrycznym szpitalnym oddziale ratunkowym

Abstract Postoperative complications in pediatric otolaryngology often present to the emergency department. Posttonsillectomy hemorrhage is a feared complication due to its lethal potential and should be managed in conjunction with an otolaryngologist. Physicians should possess and awareness of procedures that have been used in an emergent setting. Postoperative pain management options are discussed including acetaminophen, acetaminophen with codeine, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Rare postadenoidectomy complications such as nasopharyngeal stenosis and Grisel syndrome are discussed. Tympanostomy tubes are the most common surgery in children, and the proper treatment of posttympanostomy tube otorrhea is discussed.
High-Throughput Assays Using a Luciferase-Expressing Replicon, Virus-Like Particles, and Full-Length Virus for West Nile Virus Drug Discovery

Many flaviviruses cause significant human disease worldwide. The development of flavivirus chemotherapy requires reliable high-throughput screening (HTS) assays. Although genetic systems have been developed for many flaviviruses, their usage in antiviral HTS assays has not been well explored. Here we compare three cell-based HTS assays for West Nile virus (WNV) drug discovery: (i) an assay that uses a cell line harboring a persistently replicating subgenomic replicon (containing a deletion of viral structural genes), (ii) an assay that uses packaged virus-like particles containing replicon RNA, and (iii) an assay that uses a full-length reporting virus. A Renilla luciferase gene was engineered into the replicon or into the full-length viral genome to monitor viral replication. Potential inhibitors could be identified through suppression of luciferase signals upon compound incubation. The antiviral assays were optimized in a 96-well format, validated with known WNV inhibitors, and proved useful in identifying a new inhibitor(s) through HTS of a compound library. In addition, because each assay encompasses multiple but discrete steps of the viral life cycle, the three systems could potentially be used to discriminate the mode of action of any inhibitor among viral entry (detected by assays ii and iii but not by assay i), replication (including viral translation and RNA synthesis; detected by assays i to iii), and virion assembly (detected by assay iii but not by assays i and ii). The approaches described in this study should be applicable to the development of cell-based assays for other flaviviruses.
“I won't leave you although you disappoint me”: The interplay between satisfaction, investment, and alternatives in determining consumer–brand relationship commitment

While commitment is among the key constructs of consumer–brand relationships, past research has regarded the impact of predictors of brand commitment as being linear and has ignored potential interactive effects among the different antecedents. Applying the investment model of interpersonal relationship, the present research examines the dynamic interplay among the key determinants of consumers' commitment to their relationship with brands (satisfaction, alternatives, and investment) and substantiates the roles of the antecedents in consumer–brand relationship contexts. Results of two studies demonstrate that greater consumer satisfaction and investment and less attractive alternatives lead to a higher level of consumers' commitment to their relationship with a brand. Most important, the results suggest that the perceived size of investment exerts a stronger impact on brand relationship commitment when satisfaction is low while making no significant difference in the commitment level when satisfaction is high. Conversely, the influence of alternative attractiveness on brand relationship commitment appeared to be largely monotonic. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mutation of Rubie, a Novel Long Non-Coding RNA Located Upstream of Bmp4, Causes Vestibular Malformation in Mice

Background The vestibular apparatus of the vertebrate inner ear uses three fluid-filled semicircular canals to sense angular acceleration of the head. Malformation of these canals disrupts the sense of balance and frequently causes circling behavior in mice. The Epistatic circler (Ecl) is a complex mutant derived from wildtype SWR/J and C57L/J mice. Ecl circling has been shown to result from the epistatic interaction of an SWR-derived locus on chromosome 14 and a C57L-derived locus on chromosome 4, but the causative genes have not been previously identified.
The prenyl-binding protein PrBP/δ: a chaperone participating in intracellular trafficking.

Expressed ubiquitously, PrBP/δ functions as chaperone/co-factor in the transport of a subset of prenylated proteins. PrBP/δ features an immunoglobulin-like β-sandwich fold for lipid binding, and interacts with diverse partners. PrBP/δ binds both C-terminal C15 and C20 prenyl side chains of phototransduction polypeptides and small GTP-binding (G) proteins of the Ras superfamily. PrBP/δ also interacts with the small GTPases, ARL2 and ARL3, which act as release factors (GDFs) for prenylated cargo. Targeted deletion of the mouse Pde6d gene encoding PrBP/δ resulted in impeded trafficking to the outer segments of GRK1 and cone PDE6 which are predicted to be farnesylated and geranylgeranylated, respectively. Rod and cone transducin trafficking was largely unaffected. These trafficking defects produce progressive cone-rod dystrophy in the Pde6d−/− mouse.
Situational Awareness as a Measure of Performance in Cyber Security Collaborative Work

Cyber defense competitions arising from U.S. service academy exercises offer a platform for collecting data that can inform research that ranges from characterizing the ideal cyber warrior to describing behaviors during certain challenging cyber defense situations. This knowledge in turn could lead to better preparation of cyber defenders in both military and civilian settings. We conducted proof-of-concept experimentation to collect data during the Pacific-rim Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (PRCCDC) and analyzed it to study the behavior of cyber defenders. We propose that situational awareness predicts performance of cyber security professionals, and in this paper we focus on our collection and analysis of competition data to determine whether it supports our hypothesis. In addition to normal cyber data, we collected situational awareness and workload data and compared it against the performance of cyber defenders as indicated by their competition score. We conclude that there is a weak correlation between our measure of situational awareness and performance. We hope to refine and exploit this correlation in further studies.
Homogeneous Systems with a Quiescent Phase

Recently the effect of a quiescent phase (or dormant/resting phase in applications) on the dynamics of a system of differential equations has been investigated, in particular with respect to stability properties of stationary points. It has been shown that there is a general phenomenon of stabilization against oscillations which can be cast in rigorous form. Here we investigate, for homogeneous systems, the effect of a quiescent phase, and more generally, a phase with slower dynamics. We show that each exponential solution of the original system produces two exponential solutions of the extended system whereby the stability properties can be controlled.
Inhibition of T-lymphocyte stimulation by a trophoblast non-coding RNA suppressing MHC class II expression in murine B-cells

to activate T lymphocytes. IL-10, a pleiotropic, mainly immunosuppressive cytokine, is known to inhibit antigen uptake and presentation. Its effects on EC have not yet been investigated in detail. We have previously demonstrated IL-10 receptor expression and effective signaling via STAT-3 in human umbilical vein EC (HUVEC). In a novel T cell proliferation assay utilizing HUVEC transgenic for Fc receptor type II (CD32) the effects of IL-10 on EC-dependent T cell activation were investigated. This system allows the study of endothelial costimulation independent of alloantigen uptake and presentation after binding of mitogenic anti-CD3 antibody CD32 on EC. Pretreatment of HUVEC with IL-10 resulted in a dosedependent inhibition of CD4 or CD8 T cell proliferation which reached 70% inhibition with 10ng/ml of IL-10. If IL-10 was removed after pre-treatment similar levels of inhibition were reached, however a significantly smaller inhibition could be shown for addition of IL-10 at the beginning of T cell costimulation. Altered binding of the comitogenic CD3 antibody, changes in the expression of costimulatory molecules, changes in eNOS expression/NO production and altered IL-12 secretion could be excluded as potential causes of costimulation inhibition. However, we were able to show significant upregulation of SOCS3 (4-fold), a potent negative regulator of cytokine secretion, and de-novo expression of ILT-3, a surface receptor implicated to mediate the suppressive effect of regulatory CD4 CD25 T cells and CD8 CD28-alloantigen-specific T suppressor cells, by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. In conclusion, the T cell-stimulatory potential of human EC is suppressed by IL-10 independently of antigen presentation. Regarding kinetics of inhibition as well as upregulation of SOCS-3 and de-novo expression of ILT-3, altered cytokine secretion and cell contact-dependent modulation of costimulation seem to be most likely the underlying mechanisms of this observation.
OSCAR on Debian: the EDF experience

Linux clusters are now an interesting solution to execute numerical simulations. But cluster use implies problems of deployment, because of their distributed architecture. In the past, each company developed its own solution based on various tools. Today, software suites like OSCAR are available and can be freely used. But such solutions may not be adapted to the current computing architecture of companies. For example, the current solution deployed inside a company may be based on a Linux distribution not supported by a software suite like OSCAR. Nevertheless, the use of a software suite like OSCAR is very interesting for companies that are not specialized in cluster management. This paper presents the OSCAR port to the Debian distribution in the context of the numerical simulation platform deployed at Electricite de France (Electricity of France).
Requirement Engineering Techniques Selection and Modeling An Expert System Based Approach

Choosing suitable Requirement Engineering (RE) techniques for a particular project is a challenging and time-consuming task, requiring substantial expertise and efforts. In this paper, an expert system based approach is proposed to help solving this problem. This expert system is capable of modeling and selecting suitable RE techniques for a software project. An on-line questionnaire is created in the first place to collect the expertise available in the community. A new algorithm is proposed to convert the raw data to a training data set suitable for building a complete Bayesian Belief Network (BBN). The resulting BBN is used to build sub-BBNs for RE techniques in six RE phases. The sub-BBNs integrated with a user interface form the expert system. Empirical study shows that the expert system outperforms other predictors in selecting suitable RE techniques. A case study is conducted to show the application of the expert system in the real world.
A more sensitive radioimmunoassay for neuron-specific enolase suitable for cerebrospinal fluid determinations.

: Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and non-neuronal enolase (NNE) have been shown to be highly specific neuronal and glial products respectively and are therefore useful as biochemical markers of the two major cell types in the vertebrate central nervous system. An iodinated radioimmunoassay (RIA) procedure for human NSE (NSE-H) with approximately 50-fold greater sensitivity than the previously available tritiated assay is described. This assay is capable of detecting 100 pg of NSE-H per assay. NSE levels in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) which were previously undetectable with the tritiated RIA are now easily measured and have been shown to be approximately 2 ng/ml of CSF. Furthermore, results obtained with the newly described assay procedure on more concentrated brain tissue extracts are comparable to the tritiated RIA. The iodinated NSE RIA is also shown to be capable of accurately detecting added amounts of NSE in human CSF, indicating the potential clinical usefulness of this assay in determining elevated levels of NSE in CSF.
The women left Behind: Transformation of the Southern Belle, 1840–1880

(2000). The Women Left Behind: Transformation of the Southern Belle, 1840–1880. The Historian: Vol. 62, No. 4, pp. 759-778.
The Pivotal Role of Insulin-Like Growth Factor I in Normal Mammary Development

Mammary development begins in puberty in response to an estrogen (E(2)) surge. E(2) does not act alone. It relies on pituitary growth hormone (GH) to induce insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) production in the mammary stromal compartment. In turn, IGF-I permits E(2) (and progesterone) action. During puberty, E(2) and IGF-I synergize for ductal morphogenesis. During pregnancy, progesterone joins IGF-I and E(2) to stimulate secretory differentiation necessary to produce milk. Prolactin stimulates milk production, while transforming growth factor-β inhibits proliferation. The orchestrated action of hormones, growth factors, and receptors necessary for mammary development and function are also critical in breast cancer.
Too‐low magnetic inclinations in central Asia: an indication of a long‐term Tertiary non‐dipole field?

Observed Tertiary palaeolatitudes in central Asia are more southerly (by about 1600 km on average) than those predicted from the Eurasian reference palaeopoles. Subsequent northward displacements of the central Asian terranes are unlikely to have been this large. In this study we analyse to what extent non-dipole fields, especially octupole fields, can explain this phenomenon. A global (zonal) octupole field manifests itself in two ways. (1) Because the reference APWP is based mostly on results from the UK and North America, its palaeopoles will be far-sided as seen from the North Atlantic, but near-sided as seen from eastern Asia, giving predicted palaeolatitudes that are too high. (2) An octupole field contribution produces observed palaeolatitudes, as calculated with the dipole formula for central Asia, that are too low. Both effects therefore increase the palaeolatitude anomalies in Asia. We find that an octupole/dipole field ratio (G3) of 0.06 or greater will reduce the palaeolatitude discrepancies significantly and is of the same magnitude as the G3 estimate of a recent analysis of Early Tertiary European and North American data.
EnRICH: Extraction and Ranking using Integration and Criteria Heuristics

Background High throughput screening technologies enable biologists to generate candidate genes at a rate that, due to time and cost constraints, cannot be studied by experimental approaches in the laboratory. Thus, it has become increasingly important to prioritize candidate genes for experiments. To accomplish this, researchers need to apply selection requirements based on their knowledge, which necessitates qualitative integration of heterogeneous data sources and filtration using multiple criteria. A similar approach can also be applied to putative candidate gene relationships. While automation can assist in this routine and imperative procedure, flexibility of data sources and criteria must not be sacrificed. A tool that can optimize the trade-off between automation and flexibility to simultaneously filter and qualitatively integrate data is needed to prioritize candidate genes and generate composite networks from heterogeneous data sources.
Biotic controls over spectral reflectance of arctic tundra vegetation

In this study, seasonal field measurements of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), using a field spectroradiometer, and leaf area index (LAI), using a LI‐COR LAI‐2000 Plant Canopy Analyzer, were compared with above‐ground phytomass data to investigate relationships between vegetation properties and spectral indices for four distinct tundra vegetation types at Ivotuk, Alaska (68.49° N, 155.74° W). NDVI, LAI and above‐ground phytomass data were collected biweekly from four 100 m×100 m grids, each representative of a different vegetation type, during the 1999 growing season. Shrub phytomass, especially the live foliar deciduous shrub phytomass, was the major factor controlling NDVI across all vegetation types. LAI showed the strongest relationship with the overstorey component (total above‐ground excluding moss and lichen) of phytomass and also showed a significant relationship with NDVI. The results from this study illustrated that time of the growing season in which sampling is conducted, non...
"Out of sight, out of mind": housestaff perceptions of quality-limiting factors in discharge care at teaching hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Improving hospital discharge has become a national priority for teaching hospitals, yet little is known about physician perspectives on factors limiting the quality of discharge care. OBJECTIVES: To describe the discharge process from the perspective of housestaff physicians, and to generate hypotheses about quality-limiting factors and key strategies for improvement. METHODS: Qualitative study with in-depth, in-person interviews with a diverse sample of 29 internal medicine housestaff, in 2010–2011, at 2 separate internal medicine training programs, including 7 different hospitals. We used the constant comparative method of qualitative analysis to explore the experiences and perceptions of factors affecting the quality of discharge care. RESULTS: We identified 5 unifying themes describing factors perceived to limit the quality of discharge care: (1) competing priorities in the discharge process; (2) inadequate coordination within multidisciplinary discharge teams; (3) lack of standardization in discharge procedures; (4) poor patient and family communication; and (5) lack of postdischarge feedback and clinical responsibility. CONCLUSIONS: Quality-limiting factors described by housestaff identified key processes for intervention. Establishment of clear standards for discharge procedures, including interdisciplinary teamwork, patient communication, and postdischarge continuity of care, may improve the quality of discharge care by housestaff at teaching hospitals. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2012; © 2012 Society of Hospital Medicine
The Southeastern Minnesota Beacon Project for Community-driven Health Information Technology: Origins, Achievements, and Legacy

Introduction: The Southeastern (SE) Minnesota Beacon organized all the health care providers, county public health organizations, and school districts in the deployment and integration of health information exchange (HIE) and targeted health communication around childhood asthma and diabetes. The community cooperated to establish a clinical data repository for all residents in the 11-county region. Through this community of practice approach that involved traditional and nontraditional providers, the SE Minnesota Beacon was able to realize unique applications of this technology. This manuscript overviews the associated organization and infrastructure of this community collaboration. Background: The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) stimulus, established 17 projects throughout the United States targeting the introduction and meaningful use of health information technology (HIT). These 17 communities were intended to serve as an example of what could be accomplished. The SE Minnesota Beacon is one of these communities. Methods: The community ultimately opted for peer-to-peer HIE, using Nationwide Health Information Network (NwHIN) Connect software. The clinical data repository was established using the infrastructure developed by the Regenstrief Institute, which operated as a trusted third party. As an extension to HIE, the consortium of county public health departments created a patient data portal for use by school nurses and parents. Childhood asthma was addressed by creating, exchanging, and maintaining an “asthma action plan” for each affected child, shared throughout the community, including through the patient portal. Diabetes management introduced patient treatment decision tools and patient quality of life measures, facilitating care. Influenza vaccination was enhanced by large-scale community reporting in partnership with the state vaccination registry. The methodology and principles for arriving at these solutions included community engagement, sustainability, scalability, standards, and best practices that fit a variety of organizations—from large, robust providers to small organizations. Findings: The SE Minnesota Beacon demonstrated that all providers for a geographically defined population can cooperate in the development and shared governance of a low-cost, sustainable HIE, and the operation of a community-managed clinical data repository. Furthermore, these infrastructures can be leveraged to collaboratively improve the care of patients, as demonstrated for childhood asthma and adult diabetes mellitus. Conclusion: The shared governance of HIT by a community can palpably change the scope and success of collaborations targeted to improve patient and community health care.
Frequency-dependent capacitance-voltage characteristics for amorphous silicon-based metal-insulator-semiconductor structures

A frequency-dependent capacitance-voltage model for the a-Si:H-based MIS structure is presented along with an alternative direct measurement method. The static C-V model is derived based on the static I-V model developed using the simplified CFO band model for the a-Si bulk bandgap states and the simplified Davis-Mott model for the surface states. The frequency variation of the measured capacitance, using a somewhat modified TFT, is modeled with the lateral flow transmission line model. These models can be used to monitor TFT-fabrication parameters and to extract accurate capacitance model parameters of TFTs. >
Education for all and its Importance Around the Globe

Education may be like a seed that is sown with great hope for better results. It is a tool for survival and helps a person in the “…creation and perpetuation of social identity” (Piddington cited in Ray & Poonwassie 1992 p.9). Access to education is a human rights issue and its importance has gained recognition at both national and international levels (Rioux 2007; UNESCO, 2006).
A Stable Isotope Model Approach to Estimating the Contribution of Organic Matter from Marshes to Estuaries

The impact of marsh carbon export (outwelling) on estuarine metabolism has been debated for the last three decades. Much of this controversy stems from interpretations of stable isotope data. Although the outwelling of marsh carbon to the estuaries can be substantial, the stable isotope signal δ13C of marsh material is generally not detected except in sediments and infauna at marsh fringes. However, most of these studies focus on the δ13C; of either particulate organic carbon (POC) or the δ13C of estuarine organisms that depend on POC, even though this carbon pool may be the least likely to provide a marsh signal. A series of simple models are developed to show how marsh outwelling affects the δ13C of POC and the other major estuarine carbon pools, i.e., dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). The models show that a marsh δ13C signal will only be detected in estuarine POC or DIC when the marsh area is substantially larger than the estuary. However, because estuarine in-situ DOC production is only a fraction of POC production, our mixing models suggest that a marsh signal should be found in estuarine DOC, even when the marsh areas is smaller that the estuarine area. Finally, a transport model, incorporating a simplified bathymetry and hydrology for the Parker River, MA, is used to back calculate marsh outwelling from the estuarine δ13C-DOC. The model estimate of marsh DOC outwelling is consistent with other estimates, and suggests that our parameterization of estuarine transport and degradation processes that regulate DOC isotope ratios is probably also correct.
Bacterial dose-dependent role of G protein-coupled receptor kinase 5 in Escherichia coli-induced pneumonia

G protein-coupled receptor kinase 5 (GRK5) is a serine/threonine kinase previously shown to mediate polymicrobial sepsis-induced inflammation. The goal of the present study was to examine the role of GRK5 in monomicrobial pulmonary infection by using an intratracheal Escherichia coli infection model of pneumonia. We used sublethal and lethal doses of E. coli to examine the mechanistic differences between low-grade and high-grade inflammation induced by E. coli infection. With a sublethal dose of E. coli, GRK5 knockout (KO) mice exhibited higher plasma CXCL1/KC levels and enhanced lung neutrophil recruitment early after infection, and lower bacterial loads, than wild-type (WT) mice. The inflammatory response was also diminished, and resolution of inflammation advanced, in the lungs of GRK5 KO mice. In contrast to the reduced bacterial loads in GRK5 KO mice following a sublethal dose, at a lethal dose of E. coli, the bacterial burdens remained high in GRK5 KO mice relative to those in WT mice. This occurred in spite of enhanced plasma CXCL1 levels as well as neutrophil recruitment in the KO mice. But the recruited neutrophils (following high-dose infection) exhibited decreased CD11b expression and reduced reactive oxygen species production, suggesting decreased neutrophil activation or increased neutrophil exhaustion in the GRK5 KO mice. In agreement with the increased bacterial burden, KO mice showed poorer survival than WT mice following E. coli infection at a lethal dose. Overall, our data suggest that GRK5 negatively regulates CXCL1/KC levels during bacterial pneumonia but that the role of GRK5 in the clinical outcome in this model is dependent on the bacterial dose.
Variation Between Clones of Schizaphis graminum (Homoptera: Aphididae) in the Photoperiodic Induction of Sexual Morphs

The production of sexual morphs by the greenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), in response to long scotophases was studied using eight clones of the aphid from one locality in California, one clone from Nebraska (biotype E), and one from Oklahoma (biotype C). The temporal and quantitative differences found in the polymorphism of these clones confirmed that considerable variability in biological traits exists between aphids from local as well as regional populations. The groupings to which the clones could be assigned on the basis of their photoperiodic responses differed from previous groupings based on performance of the clones on different varieties of sorghum.
Tungstate as a Transition State Analog for Catalysis by Alkaline Phosphatase.

Abstract The catalytic mechanisms underlying Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase's (AP) remarkable rate enhancement have been probed extensively. Past work indicated that whereas the serine nucleophile (Ser102) electrostatically repels the product phosphate, another oxyanion, tungstate, binds more strongly in the presence of Ser102. These results predict a covalent bond between the serine nucleophile and tungstate, a model that we test herein. The crystal structure of tungstate-bound alkaline phosphatase provides evidence for a covalent adduct model and further shows that the ligand adopts trigonal bipyramidal geometry, which is infrequently observed for tungstate in small molecules and other active sites but mirrors the geometry of the presumed phosphoryl transfer transition state. The AP active site is known to stabilize another oxyanion, vanadate, in trigonal bipyramidal geometry, but the extent to which binding of either ligand reproduces the energetics of the transition state cannot be deduced from structural inspection alone. To test for transition state analog behavior, we determined the relationship between catalytic activity and affinity for tungstate and vanadate for a series of 20 AP variants. Affinity and activity were highly correlated for tungstate (r2 = 0.89) but not vanadate (r2 = 0.23), indicating that the tungstate•AP complex may better mimic this enzyme's transition state properties. The results herein suggest that tungstate will be a valuable tool for further dissecting AP catalysis and may prove helpful in mechanistic studies of other phosphoryl transfer enzymes.
The Web as a Resource for Question Answering: Perspectives and Challenges

The vast amounts of information readily available on the World Wide Web can be effectively used for question answering in two fundamentally different ways. In the federated approach, techniques for handling semistructured data are applied to access Web sources as if they were databases, allowing large classes of common questions to be answered uniformly. In the distributed approach, largescale text-processing techniques are used to extract answers directly from unstructured Web documents. Because the Web is orders of magnitude larger than any human-collected corpus, question answering systems can capitalize on its unparalleled-levels of data redundancy. Analysis of real-world user questions reveals that the federated and distributed approaches complement each other nicely, suggesting a hybrid approach in future question answering systems.