cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Workplace discrimination and health among Filipinos in the United States.

Objectives. We examined the association between work discrimination and morbidity among Filipinos in the United States, independent of more-global measures of discrimination.Methods. Data were collected from the Filipino American Community Epidemiological Survey. Our analysis focused on 1652 participants who were employed at the time of data collection, and we used negative binomial regression to determine the association between work discrimination and health conditions.Results. The report of workplace discrimination specific to being Filipino was associated with an increased number of health conditions. This association persisted even after we controlled for everyday discrimination, a general assessment of discrimination; job concerns, a general assessment of unpleasant work circumstances; having immigrated for employment reasons; job category; income; education; gender; and other sociodemographic factors.Conclusions. Racial discrimination in the workplace was positively associated with poor health amon...
Reasons for failure of L5-S1 intervertebral disc excisions.

This study reviews 247 patients who still had preoperative complaints six months to two years after disc excision. In over half, spondylosis of the L5-S1 facets was present, concurrently associated with a pelvic obliquity. A number of other organic causitive factors were identified in 18% of the patients. Nonorganic reasons accounted for failure in only 13%. Over 70% of patients with associated spondylosis were improved by treatment directed at this condition.
Vibration analysis of tapered composite beams using a higher-order finite element. Part I: Formulation

Tapered composite beams are increasingly being used in various engineering applications such as helicopter yoke, robot arms and turbine blades. The objective of the present work is to conduct an investigation of the free undamped vibration response of such tapered composite beams, using the finite element method. Conventional cubic Hermitian finite element formulation requires a large number of elements to obtain reasonably accurate results in the analysis of tapered laminated beams. Since the continuity of curvature at element interfaces cannot be guaranteed with the use of conventional formulation, the stress distribution across the thickness is not continuous at element interfaces. The material and geometric discontinuities at ply drop-off locations leads to additional discontinuities in stress distributions. As a result, efficient and accurate calculation of natural frequencies becomes very difficult. In order to overcome these limitations, a higher-order finite element formulation is developed in Part I of the present work. The stiffness coefficients of the tapered laminated beam are determined based on the stress and strain transformations and classical laminate theory. In Part II of the present work, the developed formulation is used for the free undamped vibration analysis of various types of tapered composite beams and a parametric study is conducted.
RhoA/Rho-Associated Kinase Mediates Fibroblast Contractile Force Generation☆

The intracellular signals governing contractile force generation by non-muscle cells remain uncertain. Our aim was to test the hypothesis that the rhoA/rho-associated kinase signaling pathway is a principal mediator of contractile force generation in non-muscle cells. We measured myosin II regulatory light chain (MLC) phosphorylation and directly quantitated force generation by chicken embryo fibroblasts in the absence and presence of selective inhibitors of rhoA, and its downstream effector, rho-associated kinase. Inactivation of rhoA, with C3 transferase, inhibited serum-stimulated MLC phosphorylation and contractile force generation. Y-27632, an inhibitor of rho-associated kinase, reduced basal contractile tension, and inhibited both serum and endothelin-1 stimulated MLC phosphorylation and contractile force generation. The results of this study provide novel evidence indicating that the rhoA/rho-associated kinase signaling pathway is a principal mediator of MLC phosphorylation and consequent contractile force generation by non-muscle cells.
Graphite dislocations induced by collision of neutral mercury droplets

High speed neutral clusters and mercury droplets from a gas jet impactor are allowed to collide with graphite surfaces. These collisions produce a variety of dislocations. One of the dislocations is a narrow dislocation band with atomic resolution. This band has two partial dislocations on the sides of a central region of abc structure.
Geochemical evidence for volcanic activity prior to and enhanced terrestrial weathering during the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum

Abstract The Re–Os and major element geochemistry of an expanded gray shale sequence from the Central Basin in Spitsbergen, Svalbard Archipelago (Norway) over the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) is presented. The data suggest that a significant volcanic episode, as indicated primarily by a large drop in 187 Os/ 188 Os, occurred just prior to or coincident with the onset of the PETM. The distinct geochemistry of the inferred ash component is consistent with the geochemistry of contemporaneous ashes previously sampled in Denmark, and persists in the sedimentary record for ∼8 ka. Based on the substantial size of the 187 Os/ 188 Os decrease (Δ 187 Os/ 188 Os ∼−0.23), the volcanic event must have involved widespread ash deposition in the local catchment. The terrestrially deposited ash weathered rapidly, shifting the 187 Os/ 188 Os of the basin water column to 187 Os/ 188 Os to more radiogenic values and depositing clastic materials with higher Chemical Index of Alteration and lower Na/Ti. Persistently anoxic sedimentary pore fluids, interpreted to reflect bottom water anoxia, initiated close to the onset of the PETM. Anoxic, mainly euxinic, conditions persisted for ∼50 ka, ending abruptly ∼55.77 Ma. Anoxia appears related to enhanced high-latitude hydrological cycling and consequent basinal stratification during the PETM.
Nuclear Resonance Vibrational Spectroscopy (NRVS) of Fe S model compounds, Fe S proteins, and nitrogenase

We have used nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) to examine the nature of the Fe-S unit. Specifically, vibrational characteristics have been determined, and through incremental steps in model system complexity, applied to analysis of the enzyme nitrogenase. This stepwise strategy demonstrates NRVS as a viable bioinorganic tool, and will undoubtedly increase the application of synchrotron spectroscopy to biological problems.
Research of long IBAD–PLD coated conductors with high quality

Abstract Long YBa2Cu3Ox (Y-123) coated tapes were produced by reel-to-reel continuous processes using Ion-Beam-Assisted Deposition (IBAD) and Pulsed-Laser-Deposition (PLD). Biaxially textured Gd2Zr2O7 buffer layers up to 255 m long were fabricated by IBAD with the production speed of 0.5–1.0 m/h. Y-123 films were formed on them by PLD with the tape speed of 1.0–4.0 m/h. A 105 m long Y-123 film was formed with the uniform thickness of 1.0 μm and the Δϕ of 3–4°. The end-to-end Ic of 126 A was achieved at 77 K, 0 T, whose I–V curve had the n-value of 28.5. The Ic times length reached 13,230 A. Another 70 m long Y-123 tape with the Ic of over 90 A (77 K, 0 T) was wound into a solenoid type magnet whose inner diameter was 60 mm. The central magnetic field of 0.082 T was obtained at 77 K, with operating current of 42 A and that of 0.27 T was obtained at 66 K, with operating current of 130 A.
Methods of viscosity measurements in sealed ampoules

Viscosity of semiconductors and metallic melts is usually measured by oscillating cup method. This method utilizes the melts contained in vacuum sealed silica ampoules, thus the problems related to volatility, contamination, and high temperature and pressure can be alleviate. In a typical design, the time required for a single measurement is of the order of one hour. In order to reduce this time to a minute range, a high resolution angular detection system is implemented in our design of the viscometer. Furthermore, an electromagnet generating a rotational magnetic field (RMF) is incorporated into the apparatus. This magnetic field can be used to remotely and nonintrusively measure the electrical conductivity of the melt. It can also be used to induce a well controlled rotational flow in the system. The transient behavior of this flow can potentially yield of the fluid. Based on RMF implementation, two novel viscometry methods are proposed in this work: a) the transient torque method, b) the resonance method. A unified theoretical approach to the three methods is presented along with the initial test result of the constructed apparatus. Advantages of each of the method are discussed.
A distributed job scheduling and flow management system

Grid computing, as a specific model of distributed systems, has sparked recent interest in managing job execution among distributed resource domains. Introduction of the meta-scheduler is a key feature in grid evolution, and the next step is to achieve collaborative interactions between meta-schedulers within and external to organizational boundaries to achieve scalability, balanced resource utilization, and location transparency to job submitters. This paper details a distributed system design that consists of a collaborative meta-scheduling framework, and an expanded resource model with schedulers and data as resources. With this framework, we also explore job scheduling and data management issues, and investigate job flow and meta-scheduling interactions for new applications that require job execution beyond simple sequential and conditional control.
Selective extracellular stimulation of individual neurons in ganglia

Selective control of individual neurons could clarify neural functions and aid disease treatments. To target specific neurons, it may be useful to focus on ganglionic neuron clusters, which are found in the peripheral nervous system in vertebrates. Because neuron cell bodies are found primarily near the surface of invertebrate ganglia, and often found near the surface of vertebrate ganglia, we developed a technique for controlling individual neurons extracellularly using the buccal ganglia of the marine mollusc Aplysia californica as a model system. We experimentally demonstrated that anodic currents can selectively activate an individual neuron and cathodic currents can selectively inhibit an individual neuron using this technique. To define spatial specificity, we studied the minimum currents required for stimulation, and to define temporal specificity, we controlled firing frequencies up to 45 Hz. To understand the mechanisms of spatial and temporal specificity, we created models using the NEURON software package. To broadly predict the spatial specificity of arbitrary neurons in any ganglion sharing similar geometry, we created a steady-state analytical model. A NEURON model based on cat spinal motor neurons showed responses to extracellular stimulation qualitatively similar to those of the Aplysia NEURON model, suggesting that this technique could be widely applicable to vertebrate and human peripheral ganglia having similar geometry.
Apparitions of Desire: Clive van den Berg and the Art of Historical Unknowability

This paper considers the art of South African artist, Clive van den Berg. Van den Berg has long been engaged in a careful exploration of landscapes and their capacity to bear traces of what is no longer known, often in ways that question the archive fever of contemporary historians and cultural activists. In a variety of media – from fire-installations to oil pastel, from light and wood to acrylic, in video and in mono-print – he has probed the history of eros and its relationship to the violences of apartheid, simultaneously citing the aesthetic traditions of the Italian Renaissance and Southern Africa. The paper both describes and explicates the aesthetico-political ambition of the artist's work as it has developed over the last decade, in the aftermath of apartheid's dismantling.
κ- and δ-opioid agonists synergize to produce potent analgesia

Abstract This study evaluated the interaction of the analgesic effects of a selective κ- (U50,488H) and a selective δ- ([ d -Pen2,5]enkephalin, DPDPE) opioid agonist, co-injected intrathecally, using the Randall-Selitto paw-withdrawal test, in the rat. Intrathecal administration of both U50,488H and DPDPE, as single agents, produced dose-dependent increases in mechanical nociceptive threshold. However, when the dose-response curves for both U50,488H and DPDPE in the presence of a low-analgesic dose of the other agent were compared with the dose-response curves for the respective agonist administered alone, the curves for the combination regimes were shifted to the left. A statistically significant deviation from parallelism between the dose-response curves of the single versus the combined agents, as well as isobolographic analysis, demonstrates that the simultaneous administration of opioid agonists that act at κ- and δ-opioid receptor sites, can produce analgesic synergy.
PUMA inactivation protects against oxidative stress through p21/Bcl-XL inhibition of bax death

Abstract The tumor suppressor protein p53 activates growth arrest and proapoptotic genes in response to DNA damage. It is known that negative feedback by p21Cip1/Waf1/Sdi1 represses p53-dependent transactivation of PUMA. The current study investigates PUMA feedback on p53 during oxidative stress from hyperoxia and the subsequent effects on cell survival mediated through p21 and Bcl-XL. Deletion of PUMA in HCT116 colon carcinoma cells increased levels of p53 and p21, resulting in a larger G1 population during hyperoxia. P21-dependent increase in Bcl-XL levels protected PUMA-deficient cells against hyperoxic cell death. Bax and Bak were both able to promote hyperoxic cell death. Bcl-XL protection against hyperoxic death was lost in cells lacking Bax, not PUMA, suggesting that Bcl-XL acts to inhibit Bax-dependent death. These results indicate that PUMA exerts a negative feedback on p53 and p21, leading to p21-dependent growth suppressive and survival changes. Enhanced survival was associated with increased Bcl-XL to block Bax activated cell death during oxidative stress.
Further studies on the effect of aldosterone on glucose metabolism in toad bladder

Abstract Aldosterone stimulates Na + transport across the toad bladder. Simultaneously, the evolution of 14 CO 2 from [1- 14 C]- — [6- 14 C]glucose is decreased. This decrease is due to inhibition of the hexose monophosphate shunt pathway. Because of similarities in the concentration dependence, time course, and other characteristics of the effect of aldosterone on Na + transport and on 14 CO 2 evolution from [1- 14 C]glucose, the possibility exists that these effects are directly related. An attempt has been made to determine whether the effect on the hexose monophosphate shunt pathway is related to the mineralocorticoid effect of aldosterone or to other attributes such as the glucocorticoid capacity of this hormone. It has been shown that spirolactone SC 14266, a structural competitive inhibitor of aldosterone which inhibits the effect of aldosterone on Na + transport, inhibits the effects of aldosterone on glucose metabolism. Further, it is shown that aldosterone and deoxycorticosterone can induce the effect on glucose metabolism at low concentrations (5·10 −9 M) whereas at the same concentration cortisol fails to inhibit the hexose monophosphate shunt pathway. Cortisone, which is inactive on Na + transport in vitro , and cortexolone which is very weakly active, are inactive on glucose metabolism at 1·10 −7 M. Thus the stimulation of Na + transport and the inhibition of the hexose monophosphate shunt pathway both appear to be effects of mineralocorticoids and the latter does not represent a separable glucocorticoid effect.
Modeling the effects of nutria(Myocastor coypus) on wetland loss

We created a model to study the process in which nutria(Myocastor coypus) feeding activities lead to erosion and loss of marsh area. This model ties together data on nutria population dynamics and feeding behavior from the literature with data from field studies on the phenology ofScirpus americanus andSpartina patens conducted in the Barataria Basin, Louisiana, USA in 1992. The complete model consists of three linked models: a model of nutria population dynamics (nutria model), a model of the annual marsh biomass cycle ofScirpus americanus andSpartina patens (biomass model), and a plant-biomass densitydependent marsh area model (area model). When all three models are linked together, they form the nutria-biomass-area model.” Analysis of the models indicated the following. (1) The high population densities and low survivorship rates as reported in the literature are incompatible. (2) The nutria model is sensitive to adult and juvenile survivorship and, to a lesser extent, young born per female. It is not particularly sensitive to gestation periods, impregnation rates, or time to maturity. (3) The marsh area model is not sensitive to the marsh loss equation nor to the density at which loss of marsh area begins but is sensitive to the amount of biomass destroyed per nutria. (4) Nutria numbers do not significantly decrease in the nutria-biomass-area model until the total marsh area approached zero because marsh loss occurs only during winter when marsh biomass is at its annual low.
Structural Analysis of Models with Composite Dependent Variables

Composite variables are those that may be mathematically decomposed into additive and/or multiplicative component variables. Several researchers have noted that the relationship between a composite variable and its components may be a mathematical artifact, but the effect of their inclusion as independent variables on the coefficients of the remaining variables in the model has not been recognized, nor has a formal expression for the resulting bias been presented. Structural analysis of composite dependent variables, as presented here, provides the key to understanding the nature and extent of this bias. It separates higher and lower level components from one another and also separates these components from other antecedent variables in the model. The advantages of this hierarchical decomposition are that 1 it reduces problems of misspecification and omitted variables, 2 by separately estimating antecedent effects on each component, it offers some insights into the underlying causal mechanisms that are not available from other techniques and 3 it ensures that regression coefficients can be interpreted in the standard way: the expected change in the dependent variable associated with a change in the independent variable, holding other independent variables in the equation constant. Moreover, hierarchical decomposition of the dependent variable can reproduce all information available from techniques that mix levels of analysis, but the converse is not true.
Grazyna jasienska, the fragile wisdom.

Do unto others; first do no harm; ask questions. And in this ambitious volume, Grazyna Jasienska poses a host of thoughtful questions, enough to keep a stable of researchers going for many lifetimes. The central query is whether an evolutionary perspective can help us understand the relationship between reproductive function and health. Although she is circumspect about drawing inferences that might be prescriptive, the ultimate goal is to inquire whether we can see our way to identifying behaviors for improving health. No small potatoes here!
Phobic anxiety and panic anxiety: How do they differ?

Abstract Acute anxiety symptoms reported by 20 patients with simple phobia and 20 patients with panic disorder were compared. Panic anxiety symptomatology was commonly rated as more severe in its intensity than that reported by the simple phobics. The pattern of symptoms experienced by the two diagnostic groups shared only 30% of the variance in symptom rankings. These results suggest that there are both quantitative and qualitative differences between phobic and panic anxiety, and have a bearing on recent diagnostic and etiological formulations of the anxiety disorders.
Physical Well-Being of Oncology Caregivers: An Important Quality-of-Life Domain

Objectives To provide an overview of research and practice related to the physical well-being of oncology caregivers. Data Sources Literature retrieved through the PubMed and CINAHL databases. Conclusion Caregivers play an important role in supporting people with cancer at every stage of the illness trajectory. Because caregiving is inherently stressful, caregivers should be routinely included in the assessment and treatment of patients with cancer. Implications for Nursing Practice Oncology nurses are uniquely positioned to play a vital role in recognizing caregiver strain and intervening to break the cycle of unremitting physical and psychosocial burden.
Sequences 5' of the conserved tRNA-like promoter modulate the initiation of minus-strand synthesis by the brome mosaic virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase

Abstract Each of the brome mosaic virus (BMV) genomic RNAs contains a conserved tRNA-like structure that is sufficient to direct minus-strand RNA synthesis in vitro. The tRNA-like promoters, tB1 and tB3, direct approximately equal amounts of synthesis in vitro. However, 5′ sequences were found to affect the amount of minus-strand synthesis, suggesting that sequences beyond the tRNA-like structure are important in moderating minus-strand synthesis. Consistent with this, sequences upstream the tRNA-like structure are able to partially suppress mutations at or near the initiation site. This activity is observed in the 5′ sequences of both BMV and CMV (cucumber mosaic virus) templates. However, a chimeric RNA containing the CMV tRNA-like promoter fused to the 5′ sequences of BMV was not able to suppress mutations at the initiation site, suggesting that homologous 5′ and 3′ sequences are required to affect initiation. The ability to suppress mutations at the initiation site was correlated with a slight increase in the ability of the BMV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase to interact with the RNA.
The effects of thin layers on the vertical distribution of larval Pacific herring, Clupea pallasi

Abstract Temporal and spatial heterogeneity of resources is likely to have dramatic effects on the behaviors of zooplankton and ichthyoplankton, which in turn are likely to have strong effects on ecological dynamics such as predation, growth, and mating. The objective of this study was to determine whether vertically thin layers of extreme prey concentration affect the vertical distribution of larval Pacific herring ( Clupea pallasi ). We employed 2-m tall experimental tanks equipped with video cameras that scanned the vertical extent of the tanks to investigate the effects of thin layers on the vertical distribution of 5- and 10-day-old herring larvae. Three treatments were established: (1) a thin layer of prey (rotifers, Brachionus plicatilis ) through density (salinity) stratification, (2) homogeneous vertical distribution of both prey and density, and (3) density (salinity) stratification, but with a homogeneous distribution of prey. We found that in all treatments the majority of larval herring were at the surface, near the light, despite the absence of a peak in rotifer abundance at this depth in some instances. However, there were also clear effects of the thin layers—secondary subsurface peaks in herring abundance occurred at the mid-depths in the stratified tanks, in and around the thin layers. In addition, our results provide some evidence that thin layers specifically, rather than prey patches generally, influence the vertical distribution of larval herring, i.e., larvae may use the physical properties of thin layers to locate and distribute themselves, instead of reacting solely to the prey patches. Thus thin layers can affect directly the vertical distribution of larval herring, and perhaps indirectly their horizontal distribution, as herring larvae live in environments (e.g., estuaries) where advective transport is also often vertically heterogeneous.
Aberrant Cementum Phenotype Associated With the Hypophosphatemic Hyp Mouse

Background: Cementogenesis is sensitive to altered local phosphate levels; thus, we hypothesized a cementum phenotype, likely of decreased formation, would be present in the teeth of X-linked hypophosphatemic (Hyp) mice. Mutations in the phosphate-regulating gene with homologies to endopeptidases on the X chromosome (Phex) cause X-linked hypophosphatemia, characterized by rickets, osteomalacia, and hypomineralized dentin formation, a phenotype recapitulated in the Hyp mouse homolog. Here, we report a developmental study of tooth root formation in Hyp mouse molars, focusing on dentin and cementum.Methods: Light and transmission electron microscopy were used to study molar tissues from wild-type (WT) and Hyp mice. Demineralized and hematoxylin and eosin–stained tissues at developmental stages 23 to 96 days postcoital (dpc) were examined by light microscopy. Immunohistochemistry methods were used to detect bone sialoprotein (BSP) distribution in Hyp and WT mouse molar tissues, and transmission electron micro...
Looking Back to Look Forward: Reflections on Women's Issues (Feminism?) in Academe

In the late 1950s, if women went to college, the options were teaching, nursing or home economics. Mary Bunting (1961) labeled what women were permitted do with their education as the "climate of unexpectation. " The Equal Pay Act of 1963 did not come until after my first year of professional employment. Do we share with women students that, until 1963, it was legal to pay men more than women for the same work? As a "new" untenured Assistant Professor at a four year college, I encountered, for the first time the bias that textiles and clothing is not a "legitimate" (translation: "scholarly") area of study for college and university students. In some ways, attitudes and behaviors of my sibling were preparation for the challenges and frustrations of decisions that were not gender-neutral. The frustrations of being treated as less than a full partner in the academy remain with me. Defending programs were life-altering events, moving me from one who was less committed to equity and women's development, to one...
Abnormal Tibiofemoral Kinematics Following ACL Reconstruction are Associated with Early Cartilage Matrix Degeneration Measured by MRI T1rho

Abstract Purpose Altered kinematics following ACL-reconstruction may be a cause of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. T 1ρ MRI is a technique that detects early cartilage matrix degeneration. Our study aimed to evaluate kinematics following ACL-reconstruction, cartilage health (using T 1ρ MRI), and assess whether altered kinematics following ACL-reconstruction are associated with early cartilage degeneration. Methods Eleven patients (average age: 33 ± 9 years) underwent 3 T MRI 18 ± 5 months following ACL-reconstruction. Images were obtained at extension and 30° flexion under simulated loading (125 N). Tibial rotation (TR) and anterior tibial translation (ATT) between flexion and extension, and T 1ρ relaxation times of the knee cartilage were analyzed. Cartilage was divided into five compartments: medial and lateral femoral condyles (MFC/LFC), medial and lateral tibias (MT/LT), and patella. A sub-analysis of the femoral weight-bearing (wb) regions was also performed. Patients were categorized as having “abnormal” or “restored” ATT and TR, and T 1ρ percentage increase was compared between these two groups of patients. Results As a group, there were no significant differences between ACL-reconstructed and contralateral knee kinematics, however, there were individual variations. T 1ρ relaxation times of the MFC and MFC-wb region were elevated (p ≤ 0.05) in the ACL-reconstructed knees compared to the uninjured contralateral knees. There were increases (p ≤ 0.05) in the MFC-wb, MT, patella and overall average cartilage T 1ρ values of the “abnormal” ATT group compared to “restored” ATT group. The percentage increase in the T 1ρ relaxation time in the MFC-wb cartilage approached significance (p = 0.08) in the “abnormal” versus “restored” TR patients. Conclusions Abnormal kinematics following ACL-reconstruction appear to lead to cartilage degeneration, particularly in the medial compartment.
Geographical Composition of the Editorial Boards of Leading Pharmacy Journals

To the Editor. Serving on the editorial board of a peer-reviewed journal is a prestigious and influential position for those in academic pharmacy. Individuals are asked to occupy these positions based on their expertise, research, publications, and other accomplishments. Editorial board members have an important role because they provide peer review for submitted manuscripts and may suggest authors and topics for future publications. Studies have found that individuals from developing countries are underrepresented on the editorial boards of medical journals.1-3 I decided to evaluate the situation in pharmacy and determine the geographical composition of editorial boards of leading pharmacy journals. Nine MEDLINE-indexed pharmacy journals were included in the analysis: American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, Annals of Pharmacotherapy, International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy, and Pharmacotherapy. The official Web site of each journal was examined between September 2011 and May 2012, and the country of affiliation of each editorial board member was documented. The countries of affiliation of the editorial board members were also classified according to the World Bank income criteria.4 The data collected was publicly available information and the study did not require institutional review board approval. There were 548 persons from 28 countries on the editorial boards of these journals. The United States (78.1% of board members), United Kingdom (4.7%), Canada (4.2%), and Australia (3.5%) were the most common countries of affiliation. Individuals from other countries represented only a minority of the editorial board members. Of the 548 editorial board members, 538 (98.2%) were from high-income countries, 9 (1.6%) were from upper-middle income countries, and 1 (0.2%) was from a low-income country. None of the board members were from lower-middle income countries. Even though several of the analyzed journals describe themselves as international or aim to advance pharmacy knowledge throughout the world, individuals from developing countries were underrepresented on the editorial boards of these journals. There could be several reasons for this finding, and journals should consider addressing the situation. The very small number of individuals from low-income and middle-income countries on the editorial boards of leading pharmacy journals is probably not sending an encouraging signal to researchers and potential authors from developing countries. This is also concerning because it may potentially have a negative effect on the dissemination of knowledge that is generated in the developing world.
Epidermal growth factor receptor expression in normal and malignant endometrium.

Epidermal growth factor receptor expression in fresh-frozen uterine tissues was studied with the use of monoclonal antibody 528, which recognizes an epitope on the external domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor. Immunohistochemically detectable epidermal growth factor receptor was seen in all uterine cell types in 19 of 20 normal uteri. Staining of endometrial glands and endometrial stromal cells was consistently greater than that of myometrium, and no variation in intensity or distribution of staining was seen during the menstrual cycle. Immunohistochemically detectable epidermal growth factor receptor was found less frequently in endometrial adenocarcinomas than in normal endometrium ( p
Examining the Farming/Language Dispersal Hypothesis.

This book emerged from a conference of scholars from three different disciplines (archaeology, genetics, and comparative linguistics) that was convened by the book’s coeditors. A total of 36 papers written by 43 delegates were circulated before final drafts were prepared, and all the papers focused on the farming/language dispersal hypothesis (FLDH)—namely, that the distributions of some language families resulted from expansions of farming practices from their points of origin. Bellwood introduced the term “triangulation” to refer to the simultaneous focus of evidence from all three disciplines on the hypothesis.
An option valuation analysis of investment choices by a regulated firm

This paper analyzes a utility power plant construction project using an option pricing model of the value of the capital investment. It includes descriptive factors frequently ignored in the valuation of capital investments by regulated firms, including lead time, lumpy and sequential cost outlays, irreversibility of expenditures, and uncertainty about regulatory outcomes for completed projects. The analysis shows the value of shorter lead time technologies, the value of flexibility to delay or abandon construction, the incentive to delay construction under uncertain regulation, and how cost recovery policies, such as possible disallowance of Allow for Funds Used During Construction AFUDC, create incentives to invest less, but to complete construction quickly. The analysis may also apply in unregulated contexts, where the value of a completed project is affected by taxation, the possibility of nationalization, or possible competitors' actions that create uncertain restrictions on potential profits.
A model for melanosome biogenesis based on the purification and analysis of early melanosomes

Melanosome biogenesis and function were studied after purification of early stage melanosomes and characterization of specific proteins sorted to that organelle. Melanosomes were isolated from highly pigmented human MNT1 melanoma cells after disruption and initial separation by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Low-density sucrose fractions were found by electron microscopy to be enriched in stage I and stage II melanosomes, and these fractions were further separated and purified by free flow electrophoresis. Tyrosinase and dopachrome tautomerase (DCT) activities were found exclusively in stage II melanosomes, even though DCT (and to some extent tyrosinase) proteins were sorted to stage I melanosomes. Western immunoblotting revealed that these catalytic proteins, as well as TYRP1, MART1, and GP100, were cleaved and inactivated in stage I melanosomes. Proteolytic cleavage was critical for the refolding of GP100 within the melanosomal milieu, and subsequent reorganization of amorphous stage I melanosomes into fibrillar, ovoid, and highly organized stage II melanosomes appears to stabilize the catalytic functions of melanosomal enzymes and allows melanin biosynthesis to begin. These results provide a better understanding of the structural features seen during melanosome biogenesis, and they yield further clues as to the physiological regulation of pigmentation.
Kernel-Based Reinforcement Learning in Average-Cost Problems: An Application to Optimal Portfolio Choice

Many approaches to reinforcement learning combine neural networks or other parametric function approximators with a form of temporal-difference learning to estimate the value function of a Markov Decision Process. A significant disadvantage of those procedures is that the resulting learning algorithms are frequently unstable. In this work, we present a new, kernel-based approach to reinforcement learning which overcomes this difficulty and provably converges to a unique solution. By contrast to existing algorithms, our method can also be shown to be consistent in the sense that its costs converge to the optimal costs asymptotically. Our focus is on learning in an average-cost framework and on a practical application to the optimal portfolio choice problem.
Cell-attached voltage-clamp and current-clamp recording and stimulation techniques in brain slices

Cell-attached recording provides a way to record the activity of - and to stimulate - neurons in brain slices without rupturing the cell membrane. This review uses theory and experimental data to address the proper application of this technique and the correct interpretation of the data. Voltage-clamp mode is best-suited for recording cell firing activity, and current-clamp mode is best-suited for recording resting membrane potential and synaptic potentials. The magnitude of the seal resistance determines what types of experiments can be accomplished with a cell-attached recording: a loose seal is adequate for recording action potential currents, and a tight seal is required for evoking action potentials in the attached cell and for recording resting and synaptic potentials. When recording action potential currents, if the researcher does not want to change the firing activity of the cell, then it is important that no current passes from the amplifier through the patch resistance. In order to accomplish this condition, the recording pipette should be held at the potential that gives a holding current of 0. An advantage of cell-attached current-clamp over whole-cell recording is that it accurately depicts whether a synaptic potential is hyperpolarizing or depolarizing without the risk of changing its polarity.
Optimal reinsertion: a new search operator for accelerated and more accurate Bayesian network structure learning

We show how a conceptually simple search operator called Optimal Reinsertion can be applied to learning Bayesian Network structure from data. On each step we pick a node called the target. We delete all arcs entering or exiting the target. We then find, subject to some constraints, the globally optimal combination of in-arcs and out-arcs with which to reinsert it. The heart of the paper is a new algorithm called ORSearch which allows each optimal reinsertion step to be computed efficiently on large datasets. Our empirical results compare Optimal Reinsertion against a highly tuned implementation of multirestart hill climbing. The results typically show one to two orders of magnitude speed-up on a variety of datasets. They usually show better final results, both in terms of BDEU score and in modeling of future data drawn from the same distribution.
A childhood obesity intervention developed by families for families: results from a pilot study.

Ineffective family interventions for the prevention of childhood obesity have, in part, been attributed to the challenges of reaching and engaging parents. With a particular focus on parent engagement, this study utilized community-based participatory research to develop and pilot test a family-centered intervention for low-income families with preschool-aged children enrolled in Head Start. During year 1 (2009–2010), parents played an active and equal role with the research team in planning and conducting a community assessment and using the results to design a family-centered childhood obesity intervention. During year 2 (2010–2011), parents played a leading role in implementing the intervention and worked with the research team to evaluate its results using a pre-post cohort design. Intervention components included: (1) revisions to letters sent home to families reporting child body mass index (BMI); (2) a communication campaign to raise parents’ awareness of their child’s weight status; (3) the integration of nutrition counseling into Head Start family engagement activities; and (4) a 6-week parent-led program to strengthen parents’ communication skills, conflict resolution, resource-related empowerment for healthy lifestyles, social networks, and media literacy. A total of 423 children ages 2–5 years, from five Head Start centers in upstate New York, and their families were exposed to the intervention and 154 families participated in its evaluation. Child outcome measures included BMI z-score, accelerometer-assessed physical activity, and dietary intake assessed using 24-hour recall. Parent outcomes included food-, physical activity- and media-related parenting practices and attitudes. Compared with pre intervention, children at post intervention exhibited significant improvements in their rate of obesity, light physical activity, daily TV viewing, and dietary intake (energy and macronutrient intake). Trends were observed for BMI z-score, sedentary activity and moderate activity. Parents at post intervention reported significantly greater self-efficacy to promote healthy eating in children and increased support for children’s physical activity. Dose effects were observed for most outcomes. Empowering parents to play an equal role in intervention design and implementation is a promising approach to family-centered obesity prevention and merits further testing in a larger trial with a rigorous research design.
SCHIP directors' perception of schools assisting students in obtaining public health insurance.

Background: Health insurance coverage increases access to health care. There has been an erosion of employer-based health insurance and a concomitant rise in children covered by public health insurance programs, yet more than 8 million children are still without health insurance coverage. Methods: This study was a national survey to assess the perceptions of State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) directors (N = 51) regarding schools assisting students in obtaining public health insurance. This study examined the perceived benefits of and barriers to working with school systems and the perceived benefits to schools in assisting students to enroll in SCHIPs and what SCHIP activities were actually being conducted with school systems. Results: The majority (78%) of SCHIPs had been working with school systems for more than a year. Perceived benefits of working with schools were greater access to SCHIP-eligible children (75%), assistance with meeting mandates to cover all SCHIP-eligible children (65%), and greater ability of state agencies to identify SCHIP-eligible children (58%). A majority of the directors did not identify any of the potential barrier items. The directors cited the following benefits to schools in helping enroll students in public health insurance programs: reduces the number of students with untreated health problems (80%), reduces student absenteeism rates (68%), improves student attention and concentration during school (58%), and reduces the number of students being held back in school because of health problems (53%). Discussion: The perceived benefits derived from schools assisting in enrolling eligible students into SCHIPs are congruent with the mission of schools. Schools need to become proactive in helping to establish a healthy student body, which is more likely to be an academically successful body.
Architectures for fault-tolerant spacecraft computers

This paper summarizes the results of a long-term research program in fault-tolerant computing for spacecraft on-board processing. In response to changing device technology this program has progressed from the design of a fault-tolerant uniprocessor to the development of fault-tolerant distributed computer systems. The unusual requirements of spacecraft computing are described along with the resulting real-time computer architectures. The following aspects of these designs are discussed: 1) architectural features to minimize complexity in the distributed computer system, 2) fault-detection and recovery, 3) techniques to enhance reliability and testability, and 4) design approaches for LSI implementation.
Poly(Q) Expansions in ATXN7 Affect Solubility but Not Activity of the SAGA Deubiquitinating Module

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease caused by expansion of a polyglutamine [poly(Q)] tract in ATXN7, a subunit of the deubiquitinase (DUB) module (DUBm) in the SAGA complex. The effects of ATXN7-poly(Q) on DUB activity are not known. To address this important question, we reconstituted the DUBm in vitro with either wild-type ATXN7 or a pathogenic form, ATXN7-92Q NT, with 92 Q residues at the N terminus (NT). We found that both forms of ATXN7 greatly enhance DUB activity but that ATXN7-92Q NT is largely insoluble unless it is incorporated into the DUBm. Cooverexpression of DUBm components in human astrocytes also promoted the solubility of ATXN7-92Q, inhibiting its aggregation into nuclear inclusions that sequester DUBm components, leading to global increases in ubiquitinated H2B (H2Bub) levels. Global H2Bub levels were also increased in the cerebellums of mice in a SCA7 mouse model. Our findings indicate that although ATXN7 poly(Q) expansions do not change the enzymatic activity of the DUBm, they likely contribute to SCA7 by initiating aggregates that sequester the DUBm away from its substrates.
The Effect of Orthographic Anomalies upon Reading Behavior

This investigation attempted to determine if the perceptual unit in reading was the letter or some other unit larger than the letter. Good readers in two grades read material changed to include particular types of orthographic anomalies. Subjects read seven passages. One passage contained no anomalies, the remaining six contain- ed anomalies varying in degree and position. The dependent variable was the time necessary to read each passage. The results indicated that fifth grade subjects read all passages less rapidly than sixth grade subjects. The results also indicated that anomalized passages were read less rapidly than non-anomalized passages and that anomalies in the final position were less disruptive than anomalies in the beginning and middle position. No dif- ferences were found when anomalies in the middle position were compared to anomalies in the beginning position or when major anomalies were compared to minor anomalies. The results of the present study support a conclusion that word recognition while reading connected discourse is different from word recognition in isolation. The results also lend support for a left to right analysis of letter features within words until the word is identified, at which point the reader discards the unused letters.
Fast Learning in Multi-Resolution Hierarchies

A class of fast, supervised learning algorithms is presented. They use local representations, hashing, and multiple scales of resolution to approximate functions which are piece-wise continuous. Inspired by Albus's CMAC model, the algorithms learn orders of magnitude more rapidly than typical implementations of back propagation, while often achieving comparable qualities of generalization. Furthermore, unlike most traditional function approximation methods, the algorithms are well suited for use in real time adaptive signal processing. Unlike simpler adaptive systems, such as linear predictive coding, the adaptive linear combiner, and the Kalman filter, the new algorithms are capable of efficiently capturing the structure of complicated non-linear systems. As an illustration, the algorithm is applied to the prediction of a chaotic timeseries.
Miniaturized Multichannel Near Infrared Endoscope for Mouse Imaging

We describe the design and construction of a miniaturized multichannel near infrared (NIR) endoscopic imaging system developed for high-resolution imaging of mice. The device allows for simultaneou...