cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hypertonic saline prevents inflammation, injury, and impaired intestinal transit after gut ischemia/reperfusion by inducing heme oxygenase 1 enzyme.

Background: Hypertonic saline (HTS) has been shown to modulate the inflammatory response after shock. We have previously demonstrated that heme oygenase-1 (HO-1) induction is protective against gut dysfunction in models of shock-induced gut ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). We therefore hypothesized that HTS prevents gut inflammation, injury, and impaired transit by inducing HO-I in a model of gut I/R. Methods: Rats underwent 60 minutes of superior mesenteric artery occlusion (SMAO) and then were resuscitated with 4 mL/kg of HTS, an equal volume of lactated Ringer's (LR) solution (4 mL/kg, low volume), or equal salt LR solution (32 mL/kg, high volume) and compared with SMAO alone or shams. A separate group was pretreated with the HO-1 blocker Sn protoporphyrin IX (SNP IX) before SMAO plus HTS. At 6 hours of reperfusion, transit was determined and ileum harvested for HO-1 (anti-inflammatory) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (proinflammatory) immunoreactivity, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and histologic injury. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM (analysis of variance). Results: Intestinal transit was severely impaired after SMAO (2.5 ± 0.1), improved with low- and high-volume LR solution (3.2 ± 0.2 and 3.1 ± 0.1, not significant), but returned to sham (4.6 ± 0.2) with HTS (4.8 ± 0.2). Pretreatment with SNP abrogated this protective effect. Myeloperoxidase activity was significantly increased by SMAO (SMAO, 2.3 ± 0.3; sham, 0.4 ± 0.05), lessened by low- and high-volume LR solution (1.5 ± 0.3 and 1.7 ± 0.4), but returned to sham levels with HTS (1.0 ± 0.01). Activity with SNP IX pretreatment was significantly increased (4.04 ± 0.8). Mucosal injury followed a similar pattern. Inducible nitric oxide synthase was increased by SMAO and low- and high-volume LR solution (0.8 ± 0.2, 0.8 ± 0.03, and 0.8 ± 0.02, respectively; sham, 0.5 ± 0.02), but significantly reduced by HTS (0.7 ± 0.02). HO-1 was induced by SMAO and low-and high-volume LR solution (0.33 ± 0.02, 0.32 ± 0.03, and 0.37 ± 0.4, respectively; sham, 0.0 ± 0.0), but was further increased with HTS (0.49 ± 0.04). Conclusion: HTS resuscitation protects against inflammation, injury, and impaired intestinal transit after gut I/R in part by inducing HO-1. This is a novel mechanism of HO-1 protection.
The effect of food concentration, body size, and environmental oxygen tension on the growth of the deposit‐feeding polycheate, Capitella species 1

This study investigates the separate and interactive effects of food concentration, environmental oxygen level, and body size on the growth rates of Capitella species 1 individuals. Reduction of environmental p0, or food concentration decreased the volume-specific growth rates of both large (> 1.3 mm3; > 1.6 mg wet wt, WW) and small (< 1.0 mm 3; < 1.1 mg WW) worms. Within the highfood treatments a reduction in environmental p0, from - 130 to 35 mm of Hg decreased the growth rates of worms by up to 36% d-l. Growth of large worms decreased in response to reductions in either p0, or food concentration. The growth rates of small worms decreased significantly only in response to reductions in environmental pOZ levels. Reductions in either food concentration or environmental oxygen level alone decreased the growth of large worms to the same extent as a concomitant decrease in both. When worms were fed 100% natural sediment, a reduction in average 0, tension from 38 to 21 mm of Hg decreased the growth of large worms from 2% d-l to -25% d-l. The growth rates of small individuals were unaffected (-4 to -3% d-l). We predict that under conditions of near-bottom hypoxia or food limitation (e.g. complete pelletization of ingestible sediment) populations of
Continuous caudal anaesthesia during inguinal hernia repair in an awake, 1440 g infant

Summary The physiological immaturity of respiratory musculature and central respiratory control centres leads to an increased risk of apnoea and respiratory complications following general anaesthesia in the neonate. Regional anaesthetic techniques such as caudal epidural anaesthesia may obviate the need for general anaesthesia and lessen the risks of perioperative morbidity. Although these techniques have been used frequently in neonates, we are unaware of previous reports of continuous caudal anaesthesia in infants less than 2000 g. We present our experience with continuous caudal anaesthesia using 3% chloroprocaine in a 1440 g infant during repair of bilateral inguinal hernias.
Greek manufacturing firms: low skills, low wages and low profitability

Purpose – Skills are increasingly identified by policy makers throughout the world as a central means to address social and economic challenges. The present study aims to look specifically at the Greek economy and evaluate through an extensive literature review the effectiveness of skill development strategies adopted by small manufacturing firms as a result of their chosen business strategy. The study seeks to explore whether the existing skill development strategies can ensure the future viability of small firms or not.Design/methodology/approach – Various types of secondary data were used in this study (e.g. journal articles, books, government publications including industry statistics and reports) to outline the importance of a high‐skills strategy if living standards in advancing economies like Greece are to be improved and critically evaluate the existing skill development strategies of small industrial firms.Findings – The study argues that the low‐skills strategy favored by most Greek small indust...
SU-GG-T-392: Utilization of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to Compare Prostate Treatment Options

Purpose: To utilize Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) as a novel method of comparison between treatment options for prostate cancer patients. Method and Materials: There are many options available for the treatment of prostate cancer. For example, a prostate patient could be treated using low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy permanent implants, external beam radiotherapy(EBRT), or surgery, among others. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is a tool designed to compare the relative performance of peer entities. It has the potential to be an invaluable tool in radiation therapy in the comparison between various treatment options. DEA handles multiple objectives, including those with different units. It provides a single score for ranking in terms of efficiency, by calculating a weighted sum of the inputs divided by a weighted sum of the outputs. These ranks are normalized so that an efficiency score of 1.0 is the most efficient. These inputs and outputs can be anything; in terms of radiotherapy, one option is for the inputs to be patient cases and the outputs to be the objectives considered clinically, such as the five year biochemical failure free survival rate and the impotence rate. Data was taken from the literature, and analyzed using in‐house MATLAB 7.5.0. For homogeneity, only favorable (Gleason score < 6, a PSA of < 10 μg/L, and stage T1c or T2) patients were considered. Results: Implant I‐125 seeds had an efficiency score of E = 1.000, indicating it was most efficient with respect to the objectives considered. This was followed by surgery and EBRT, with efficiencies of 0.975 and 0.914 respectively. Conclusion: Based on the data included in the analysis, LDR brachytherapy permanent implant I‐125 seeds gave the best outcome. Both prostatectomy surgery and external beam radiotherapy showed inefficient scores of less than one.
SU‐FF‐J‐57: Evaluating Lung Motion Variations in Repeated 4D CT Studies Using Inverse Consistent Image Registration

Purpose: To evaluate lung motion variations in repeated, amplitude‐based 4D CT studies using inverse consistent image registration.Method and Materials: Three patients with lungcancers were scanned twice with our 4D CT protocol. A 4D CT dataset was reconstructed using the amplitude and direction of an external respiratory signal. A thresholding‐based method was used to segment the lung. An inverse consistent image registration was used to estimate the intrafraction motion within each 4D study and the interfraction motion between two studies. This diffeomorphic registration jointly estimates the forward and reverse transformations providing more accurate correspondence between two images. We evaluated the lung motion variations in repeated 4D studies. Results: On average, the mean respiratory period changed by 11.5%, and the mean peak to peak amplitude changed by 6.8% for the three patients. The consistent image registration generated dense displacement vector fields which represented physiologically reasonable lung motion. In one patient, we observed that the motion patterns are similar in the inferior and posterior parts of the lung, but are different at the superior and anterior parts of the lung. In the other two patients, we observed less variation in lung motion patterns between the two studies. The interfraction motion at end of exhalation is generally small (< 3 mm). Conclusions: The results suggest that lung motion variation may be large for some parts of the lung in some patients. An updated 4D CT study may be needed on a treatment day for some patients. For other patients, one may use the 4D model built on a planning day to estimate lung motion with an external respiratory signal. Quantitative evaluations are under investigation.
Broadening Roles for FMRP: Big News for Big Potassium (BK) Channels

FMRP is an RNA-binding protein that negatively regulates translation and which is lost in fragile X syndrome. In this issue of Neuron, Deng et al. (2013) demonstrate a novel translation-independent function for FMRP as a regulator of presynaptic BK channels that modulate the dynamics of neurotransmitter release.
3D-SOP Millimeter-Wave Fuctions for High Data Rate Wireless Systems using LTCC and LCP Technologies

In this paper, the development of three-dimensional (3-D) millimeter-wave functions in multilayer low temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) and liquid crystal polymer (LCP) technologies is presented for millimeter-wave compact and easy-to-design passive solutions for high data rate wireless systems. Both ceramic and organic technologies are candidates for the 3-D integration of system-on-package (SOP) miniaturized RF/microwave/millimeter-wave systems. LTCC has been widely used as a packaging material because of its process maturity/stability and its relatively high dielectric constant that enables a significant reduction in the module/function dimensions. As an alternative, LCP is an organic material that offers a unique combination of electrical, chemical, and mechanical properties, enabling high-frequency designs due to its ability to act as both the substrate and the package for flexible and conformal multilayer functions. A LTCC patch resonator filter that uses vertical coupling overlap and transverse cuts as design parameters has been designed to achieve a high level of miniaturization and a great compromise between compactness and power handling. Excellent agreement between the simulation and the measurement has been verified for two operating frequency bands (58-60GHz/38-40GHz) of RF communications and sensors for applications such as wireless broadband Internet or inter-satellite communications. A band pass filter has been fabricated on LCP substrate, offering a very simple, low loss flexible and low lost filtering solution for wideband millimeter waves applications such as 60 GHz WLAN short-range gigabit wireless systems. The design exploits the ripple near the cut off frequency of Tchebysheff low pass filter to create a band pass response and it exhibits the insertion loss as low as 1.5 dB at the center frequency of 60GHz and 3-dB bandwidth of 16.7% (~10 GHz)
Elemental studies in rat lens during galactose cataract reversal.

Alterations in elemental composition of the normal lens have been reported to accompany galactose cataract development in rats. In this report we present the changes in regional distribution of Na, K, CI, P, S and Ca during the reversal of galactose-induced cataracts. Elemental X-ray maps of lenses from young female Sprague Dawley rats fed 50% galactose for 20 days were examined at 0, 20, 40 and 90 days following the transfer of galactose fed rats to Purina Rat Chow diet. Reinstatement of normal elemental distribution accompanied the progression of lens transparency. By 90 days on the rat chow diet, K had increased and Na, CI and Ca had decreased so that a near normal lenticular distribution of these elements was established. The reinstatement of elemental distribution during cataract reversal followed a pattern similar to that observed for alterations during cataract development, initiating near the equatorial surface and expanding centrally. The correlation between the alterations in the distribution of...
Role of specificity protein transcription factors in estrogen-induced gene expression in MCF-7 breast cancer cells

Deletion analysis of several 17beta-estradiol (E(2))-responsive genes have identified GC-rich sites that are associated with hormone-induced transactivation in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. However, the role of individual specificity proteins (Sps) in mediating hormone-induced gene expression has not been unequivocally determined. In transient transfection studies using E(2)-responsive GC-rich promoters from the E(2)F1, carbamoylphosphate synthetase/aspartate transcarbamylase/dihydroorotase (CAD), and retinoic acid receptor alpha (RAR alpha) genes, RNA interference using small inhibitory RNAs for Sp1 (iSp1), Sp3 (iSp3), and Sp4 (iSp4) decreased both basal and E(2)-induced transactivation. The contributions of individual Sp proteins to basal and E(2)-induced activity were promoter dependent. iSp1, iSp3, and iSp4 also significantly inhibited hormonal induction of E(2)F1, CAD, and RAR alpha mRNA levels; however, the enhanced inhibitory effects of the latter two small inhibitory RNAs suggest that Sp3 and Sp4 play a major role in estrogen receptor alpha/Sp-mediated gene expression in MCF-7 cells.
Evaluation of Aerosol Delivery of Nanosuspension for Pre-clinical Pulmonary Drug Delivery

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are pulmonary diseases that are characterized by inflammatory cell infiltration, cytokine production, and airway hyper-reactivity. Most of the effector cells responsible for these pathologies reside in the lungs. One of the most direct ways to deliver drugs to the target cells is via the trachea. In a pre-clinical setting, this can be achieved via intratracheal (IT), intranasal (IN), or aerosol delivery in the desired animal model. In this study, we pioneered the aerosol delivery of a nanosuspension formulation in a rodent model. The efficiency of different dosing techniques and formulations to target the lungs were compared, and fluticasone was used as the model compound. For the aerosol particle size determination, a ten-stage cascade impactor was used. The mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) was calculated based on the percent cumulative accumulation at each stage. Formulations with different particle size of fluticasone were made for evaluation. The compatibility of regular fluticasone suspension and nanosuspension for aerosol delivery was also investigated. The in vivo studies were conducted on mice with optimized setting. It was found that the aerosol delivery of fluticasone with nanosuspension was as efficient as intranasal (IN) dosing, and was able to achieve dose dependent lung deposition.
Conformational cycling in beta-phosphoglucomutase catalysis: reorientation of the beta-D-glucose 1,6-(Bis)phosphate intermediate.

Activated Lactococcus lactis β-phosphoglucomutase (βPGM) catalyzes the conversion of β-d-glucose 1-phosphate (βG1P) derived from maltose to β-d-glucose 6-phosphate (G6P). Activation requires Mg2+ b...
Active optomechanical media for nonlinear microwave processes

Theory asserts that three-dimensional arrays of electrically small particles are excellent media for wave-mixing processes at microwave and millimeter wavelengths. As a specific example, spheres that are free to move on a stack of flat, transparent surfaces and that interact with incident radiation are examined. Electrostrictive forces move the spheres in such a way as to form density index gratings that can be used for controlling the propagation characteristics of coherent radiation. Phase conjugation in this medium is also examined. >
Rapid Diffusion of Green Fluorescent Protein in the Mitochondrial Matrix

It is thought that the high protein density in the mitochondrial matrix results in severely restricted solute diffusion and metabolite channeling from one enzyme to another without free aqueous-phase diffusion. To test this hypothesis, we measured the diffusion of green fluorescent protein (GFP) expressed in the mitochondrial matrix of fibroblast, liver, skeletal muscle, and epithelial cell lines. Spot photobleaching of GFP with a 100x objective (0.8-micron spot diam) gave half-times for fluorescence recovery of 15-19 ms with >90% of the GFP mobile. As predicted for aqueous-phase diffusion in a confined compartment, fluorescence recovery was slowed or abolished by increased laser spot size or bleach time, and by paraformaldehyde fixation. Quantitative analysis of bleach data using a mathematical model of matrix diffusion gave GFP diffusion coefficients of 2-3 x 10(-7) cm2/s, only three to fourfold less than that for GFP diffusion in water. In contrast, little recovery was found for bleaching of GFP in fusion with subunits of the fatty acid beta-oxidation multienzyme complex that are normally present in the matrix. Measurement of the rotation of unconjugated GFP by time-resolved anisotropy gave a rotational correlation time of 23.3 +/- 1 ns, similar to that of 20 ns for GFP rotation in water. A rapid rotational correlation time of 325 ps was also found for a small fluorescent probe (BCECF, approximately 0.5 kD) in the matrix of isolated liver mitochondria. The rapid and unrestricted diffusion of solutes in the mitochondrial matrix suggests that metabolite channeling may not be required to overcome diffusive barriers. We propose that the clustering of matrix enzymes in membrane-associated complexes might serve to establish a relatively uncrowded aqueous space in which solutes can freely diffuse.
Constructivist Realism or Realist‐Constructivism?

In his article “Realist Constructivism,”Barkin (2003:338) described constructivism as a cluster of research methods and analytical tools: a “set of assumptions about how to study world politics” rather than a “set of assumptions about how politics work.” As such, constructivism is subject to E.H. Carr's dialectic between realism and utopianism. Barkin also argued that the problem with contemporary constructivism is that it has been dominated by liberalism and idealism; it would therefore benefit from a healthy infusion of realism. Much of Barkin's essay is aimed at showing that mainstream constructivism is, or can be, broadly compatible with classical realist theory. Barkin is right that mainstream US constructivism is liberal and idealist. In this respect, his article serves as an important overarching statement of a position implicitly taken by a growing number of constructivist scholars. However, Barkin underplays the real and substantial differences between a commitment to understanding the social world as a product of contingent social interactions, on the one hand, and a commitment to understanding the social world as a result of natural necessity, on the other. These divergent commitments are assumptions about how politics works—assumptions that place constructivism in opposition to both liberal and realist approaches to contemporary international relations. By ignoring these distinctions, Barkin's arguments amount to a call for a “constructivist realism”—a realism that takes norms and ideas seriously as objects of analysis—rather than a “realist-constructivism”—a constructivism that involves a self-consistent set of arguments about why power cannot be, in any way, transcended in international politics. The latter approach represents the key space in the field occupied by realist-constructivism, and it provides a better basis for promoting both a dialogue within constructivism and a dialogue between constructivism and realism. Where would a properly understood realist-constructivism fit into the disputes between the so-called “isms” in …
Temporal and Spatial Relations between the Spawning of Humpback Chub and Roundtail Chub in the Upper Colorado River

Abstract Gonadosomatic indices (100 × gonad weight/whole-body weight) and the occurrence of expressible gametes indicated a temporal overlap in the spawning of humpback chub Gila cypha and roundtail chub G. robusta at Black Rocks, a turbulent, deepwater reach of the upper Colorado River, Colorado (39°N, 109°W). Radiotelemetry showed that roundtail chub moved throughout the upper Colorado River during the spawning season, whereas humpback chub were restricted almost entirely to the 1.8-km Black Rocks reach; however, spatial isolation of the species during spawning was not demonstrated. A principal component analysis of morphologic measurements taken from live fish supported taxonomic assignments made in the field and suggested that most of the few specimens considered hybrids or intergrades by field personnel were actually humpback chub; however, an analysis based on fin ray counts indicated that this group included roundtail chub, hybrids, or backcross individuals. The strong affinity of humpback chub for...
Editorial Commentary: HIV Chemoprophylaxis for Adolescents: Educable Moment, Not Magic Bullet

The shape of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic is becoming bimodal because of increasing incidence among young people and the aging of persons infected long ago who are living longer because of access to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) [1–3]. Globally, almost onehalf of new HIV infections are occurring among adolescents, and in the United States, the subpopulation with the greatest recent increase in HIV infections is youth from racial and ethnic minority communities [1–5]. A recent 6-city study of black men who have sex with men found that annualized HIV incidence approached 6% among men aged 25% of the seroconversions were not associated with primary partners [15]. In populations where HIV remains highly stigmatized and serostatus disclosure remains uncommon, relying on treatment as prevention to stop the spread of HIV in young people may expose high-risk youths to unnecessary levels of risk. In less than 3 years the efficacy of antiviral chemoprophylaxis, also known as preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), has been demonstrated in trials involving heterosexual HIV-discordant couples [16], young women [17, 18], and heterosexual and homosexual men [19, 20]. The effect sizes of the protective benefit have varied and some of the studies did not demonstrate efficacy. Although medication adherence (as measured by serum drug levels in the blood and genital tract) appears to play a pivotal role in whether trials demonstrated PrEP efficacy [20, 21], other factors, such as tissue pharmacology and host mucosal responses, deserve further careful evaluation. Moreover, now that there is proof of concept for the use of oral, daily PrEP with tenofovir and emtricitabine, new studies are under way to determine whether more parsimonious dosing (because many individuals may not be engaging in risk every day), different drugs (to minimize the risk of crossresistance and to avoid some toxicities), and different delivery systems (eg, modalities that are less dependent on adherence such as intravaginal rings or periodic injections) may obviate some of the concerns raised in the earlier studies. Therefore, given some of these uncertainties about the optimal way to use chemoprophylaxis, should PrEP implementation be delayed for adolescents? In an article in this issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, Pace et al discuss why PrEP may offer new opportunities to prevent HIV spread among a new generation of young people, while discussing the challenges to optimal implementation [22]. Given the rates of new HIV infections in some subpopulations, the addition of any proven prevention Received 17 November 2012; accepted 29 November 2012. Correspondence: Kenneth Mayer, MD, Fenway Health, 1340 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02215 (kmayer@ fenwayhealth.org). Clinical Infectious Diseases © The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals. permissions@oup.com. DOI: 10.1093/cid/cis1026
Effect of malignancy rates on cost-effectiveness of routine gene expression classifier testing for indeterminate thyroid nodules

Background The value of gene expression classifier (GEC) testing for cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules lies in its negative predictive value, which is influenced by the prevalence of malignancy. We incorporated actual GEC test performance data from a tertiary referral center into a cost-effectiveness analysis of GEC testing. Methods We evaluated consecutive patients who underwent GEC testing for Bethesda category III and IV nodules from 2012 to 2014. Routine GEC testing was compared with conventional management by the use of a decision tree model. Additional model variables were determined via literature review. A cost-effectiveness threshold of $100,000 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) was used. Results The prevalence of malignancy was 24.3% (52/214). Sensitivity and specificity of GEC testing were 96% and 60%. Conventional management cost $11,119 and yielded 22.15 QALYs. Routine GEC testing was more effective and more costly, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $119,700/QALY, making it not cost-effective. At malignancy rates of 15, 25, or 35%, routine GEC testing became cost-effective when the cost of GEC testing fell below $3,167, $2,595, or $2,023. Conclusion The cost-effectiveness of routine GEC testing varies inversely with the underlying prevalence of malignancy in the tested population. The value of routine GEC testing should be assessed within the context of institution-specific malignancy rates.
Computation of shear viscosity: a systems approach

Macroscopic material transport properties such as viscosity, diffusivity, conductivity, etc., may be computed by using molecular level simulation such as molecular dynamics or Monte Carlo methods. This computation is time consuming since simulations over sufficiently long times are needed to ensure that the assumed statistical properties are satisfied. As a result, such tools are useful in gaining insight and understanding of the underlying mechanisms behind observed physical phenomena, but are not amenable to material property design or material process control. In this paper, we focus on the computation of shear viscosity of a fluid-like material. We take a systems approach by regarding viscosity as a scalar input/output map from shear stress to shear strain rate. Linearizing this map about an equilibrated trajectory results in a linear time varying system. By freezing the time along the equilibrated trajectory, we obtain a set of linear time invariant systems. These systems are usually unstable, but may be transformed to stable systems by weighing all signals with sufficiently fast decaying exponential functions. Viscosity is then estimated directly from the frequency responses of these systems. Model reduction such as approximate balanced truncation may be applied to further reduce model complexity and computation load. This approach has a potential computation advantage since extensive simulation runs using high order molecular dynamics model are not required. Our long term objective is to develop efficient computation methods to facilitate rapid material and process design iterations. To illustrate the approach described in this paper and compare it with the traditional molecular dynamics methods, we have included the simulation results involving a simple Leonard-Jones fluid.
Digital innovation as a fundamental and powerful concept in the information systems curriculum

The 50-year march of Moore's Law has led to the creation of a relatively cheap and increasingly easy-touse world-wide digital infrastructure of computers, mobile devices, broadband network connections, and advanced application platforms. This digital infrastructure has, in turn, accelerated the emergence of new technologies that enable transformations in how we live and work, how companies organize, and the structure of entire industries. As a result, it has become important for all business students to have a strong grounding in IT and digital innovation in order to manage, lead, and transform organizations that are increasingly dependent on digital innovation. Yet, at many schools, students do not get such grounding because the required information systems core class is stuck in the past. We present a vision for a redesigned IS core class that adopts digital innovation as a fundamental and powerful concept (FPC). A good FPC serves as both a foundational concept and an organizing principle for a course. We espouse a particularly broad conceptualization of digital innovation that allows for a variety of teaching styles and topical emphases for the IS core class. This conceptualization includes three types of innovation (i.e., process, product, and business model innovation), and four stages for the overall innovation process (i.e., discovery, development, diffusion, and impact). Based on this conceptualization, we examine the implications of adopting digital innovation as an FPC. We also briefly discuss broader implications relating to (1) the IS curriculum beyond the core class, (2) the research agenda for the IS field, and (3) the identity and legitimacy of IS in business schools.
Some directions in ecological theory

The role of theory within ecology has changed dramatically in recent decades. Once primarily a source of qualitative conceptual framing, ecological theories and models are now often used to develop quantitative explanations of empirical patterns and to project future dynamics of specific ecological systems. In this essay, I recount my own experience of this transformation, in which accelerating computing power and the widespread incorporation of stochastic processes into ecological theory combined to create some novel integration of mathematical and statistical models. This stronger integration drives theory towards incorporating more biological realism, and I explore ways in which we can grapple with that realism to generate new general theoretical insights. This enhanced realism, in turn, may lead to frameworks for projecting ecological responses to anthropogenic change, which is, arguably, the central challenge for 21st-century ecology. In an era of big data and synthesis, ecologists are increasingly seeking to infer causality from observational data; but conventional biometry provides few tools for this project. This is a realm where theorists can and should play an important role, and I close by pointing towards some analytical and philosophical approaches developed in our sister discipline of economics that address this very problem. While I make no grand prognostications about the likely discoveries of ecological theory over the coming century, you will find in this essay a scattering of more or less far-fetched ideas that I, at least, think are interesting and (possibly) fruitful directions for our field.
Earth Jurisprudence: Toward Law in Nature's Balance

In 2008, when the Center for Earth Jurisprudence (CEJ), Sister Patricia Siemen, and the Barry Law Review cosponsored the first symposium on Earth Jurisprudence, we had no idea what the event's reception would be. Outstandingly well, as it turns out; more than 160 persons attended the symposium, "Framing an Earth Jurisprudence for a Planet in Peril," at the Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law in Orlando, Florida. Others in sixteen states and seven countries participated via webcast. Both Barry and St. Thomas universities are commended for their academic bravery in jointly sponsoring the CEJ, a center that is growing into a hub of thought and learning surrounding Earth jurisprudence. These universities are the first institutions of higher learning in the United States to put the weight of their reputations behind our efforts. Earth jurisprudence is an emerging field of law - broader than environmental law, yet closely allied – that draws on many ancient traditions subjugated, in recent centuries, to western and Judeo-Christian legal systems. It is a movement infused with indigenous peoples' reverence for the land, a recognition of a scientific and evolutionary worldview that demonstrates humanity's oneness with all that exists, and for all things living, as well as for things that, in western legal views, are considered inanimate. In keeping also with more recent traditions of deep ecology, Earth jurisprudence is an attempt to live gently with the Earth and all life that depends on it. It is aligned with those aspects of religious traditions that honor the sacredness of creation and perceive the intrinsic value of all that exists, not only the instrumental value of other beings. Changing one's worldview, although critical to repositioning how humans think of themselves in relation to Nature and the laws we fashion, is not a simple process. The problems we face are not insurmountable if we can find a way to join our endeavors, which is where you, the reader, come in. For all our sakes, give the discussions in this issue some thought.
Ontogeny of blood-brain barrier function in ovine fetuses, lambs, and adults

The ontogeny of regional blood-brain barrier function was quantified with the rate constant for influx (Ki) across the blood-brain barrier with the small molecular weight synthetic, inert hydrophilic amino acid alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) in chronically instrumented early (87 days of gestation, 60% of gestation) and late (137 days of gestation, 90% of gestation) gestation fetal, newborn (3 days of age), older (24 days of age), and adult (3 years of age) sheep. The Ki was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the brain regions of the adult sheep and in most brain regions of newborn and older lambs compared with fetuses at 60 and 90% of gestation. The Ki exhibited regional brain heterogeneity (P < 0.05) in the five groups. The patterns of regional heterogeneity were accentuated (P < 0.05) in the younger groups. We conclude that ontogenic decreases in blood-brain barrier permeability are observed in ovine fetuses from 60% of gestation to maturity in the adult.
Neural circuits for sexually dimorphic and sexually divergent behaviors in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Increasing interest in sex differences in Caenorhabditis elegans neurobiology is resulting from several advances, including the completion of the male tail connectome and the surprising discovery of two ‘new’ neurons in the male head. In this species, sex-specific circuits in the hermaphrodite and male control reproductive behaviors such as egg-laying and copulation, respectively. Studies of these systems are revealing interesting similarities and contrasts, particularly in the mechanisms by which nutritional status influences reproductive behaviors. Other studies have highlighted the importance of sexual modulation of shared neurons and circuits in optimizing behavioral strategies. Together, these findings indicate that C. elegans uses intertwined, distributed sex differences in circuit structure and function to implement sex-specific as well as sexually divergent, shared behaviors.
Three is a crowd: the new doctor-patient-policymaker relationship.

A recent increase in legislative initiatives involving specific aspects of the practice of medicine is challenging traditional doctor–patient relationships. A Florida state law prohibiting physicians from asking patients about the presence of guns in the home could potentially result in real harm be
Computational Visualization of Sphere Wake Structures at a Reynolds Number of 300

Introduction The purpose of this note is to communicate the results of an examination of the unsteady laminar wake behind an isolated sphere at a Reynolds number of 300. At this Reynolds number the flow is laminar, three-dimensional, and unsteady. Of particular interest is identifying the structure of the wake, where the structure may be assumed to be defined by coherent vortical motions as it is for the case of coherent structures in turbulent flows. The three dimensional motion and its temporal variation make not only the dynamics of the flow complex, with vortex stretching and turning, but also make forming a mental image of the flow quite difficult. It is, therefore, the coherence of me structures which is sought. The approach used to capture the structures is Jeong and Hussain's (1995) A.2method, which defines vortical regions based on the presence of low pressures resulting from swirling motions in me flow. The resulting structures can be compared to the results of experimental and numerical flow visualizations. Numerical Approach The numerical method used to obtain the results in this study is presented in Johnson (1996). The method solves the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in primitive variables on a collocated grid. A dual time stepping formulation with local pseudo-time stepping is used to obtain time accurate solutions. The momentum equations are integrated in pseudo-time using a four-stage Runge-Kutta method, while a pressure Poisspn equation is formulated to satisfy the continuity equation. Second-order central differences are used for all terms in the formulation, except for the convective term, which uses second-order upwinding. The numerical grid is an O-O type lying along the standard spherical coordinates. Grid dimensions, in order of radial, azimuthal, and polar directions, are 101 x 42 x 101. The radial extension of the grid is 15 diameters. Stretching was used to concentrate points near the sphere surface with a minimum grid spacing of 0.005 and a minimum of 10 points located within the sphere boundary layer. The unsteady simulation was performed on a Silicon Graphics Power Challenge array, requiring 30 cpu hours per flow period.
Redatuming of Borehole-to-Surface Electromagnetic Data at the Kevin Dome Exploration Site

The method of redatuming the controlled-source electromagnetic data was introduced in Zhdanov and Cai (2012). The approach is based on a Stratton-Chu type integral and the Lorentz lemma to relate observed EM data on the earth’s surface to EM data on some horizontal plane P located underground. By applying this methodology, we are able to calculate the EM scattering field at some depth from the observed data on the earth’s surface. Once the EM field at some underground plane P is found, we can use these data for upward continuation and recomputing of the EM scattering data on the earth’s surface. This upward continuation problem is always well posed. By doing this, we can place more virtual receivers at the earth’s surface and within a much larger area. Compared to traditional interpolation and extrapolation techniques such as polynomial fitting or spline approximation, our method takes into account the physics of the EM field, which makes the redatuming more accurate than simple mathematical transformation. In this paper, we illustrate this method by redatuming of borehole-to-surface electromagnetic data at the Kevin Dome exploration site.
Fate of Dichlorvos Residues During Milling and Oil Extraction of Soybeans

One week after stored soybeans were treated with 20 ppm dichlorvos in a water emulsion, all milling and processing fractions contained residues though less than 1 ppm was present on the whole beans. Steaming did not remove residues from the dehulled meats, crude oil, or meal. Residues from the flakes passed into the miscella (extracted oil in hexane) and extracted marc (flakes with oil removed by extraction) and were subsequently detected in the crude oil and crude meal and in the hexane from both of these fractions. The residues could be removed from the hulls and crude meal by toasting and from the crude oil by refining.
SCOTS: A Fast, Inexpensive Test of Solar Concentrators

The Software Configurable Optical Test System (SCOTS) is a simple, inexpensive yet highly flexible optical test configurable for almost any specular surface. It consists of a computer generated, patterned display and a digital imaging detector.
Physicochemical modifications of lysosomal hydrolases during intracellular transport

Abstract 1. The following fractions were prepared from rat kidney and characterized ultrastructurally, biochemically and enzymically: (a) an ordinary rough microsomal (RM1) fraction; (b) a special rough microsomal (RM2) fraction enriched seven- to nine-fold in acid hydrolases over the homogenate; (c) a smooth microsomal (SM) fraction; (d) a Golgi (GM) fraction enriched 2.5-fold in acid hydrolases and 10-, 15- and 20-fold in sialyltransferase, N-acetyl-lactosamine synthetase and galactosyltransferase respectively; (e) a lysosomal (L) fraction enriched 15- to 23-fold in acid hydrolases. The frequency of Golgi sacs and tubules seen in the electron microscope and the specific activity of the three glycosyltransferases in these fractions increased in the order: RM2<RM1<SM<GM. 2. Five lysosomal hydrolases, acid phosphatase, β-N-acetyl-hexosaminidase, β-galactosidase, β-glucuronidase and arylsulphatase, were characterized in these fractions with respect to (a) solubility on freeze–thawing and (b) electrophoretic mobility in polyacrylamide gels. 3. In the RM2 fraction each of these hydrolases occurred largely or exclusively as a single bound basic form coincident with cationic glycoprotein bands in gels (Goldstone et al., 1973). 4. In the L fraction these hydrolases were present largely as soluble, acidic (anionic) forms. 5. The solubility, electrophoretic heterogeneity and anodic mobility of these hydrolases increased progressively in subcellular fractions in the order: RM2<RM1<SM<GM<L. 6. These findings, together with evidence cited in the text showing that N-acetylneuraminic acid residues are responsible for the solubility and electronegative charge of these acidic forms and incorporation of these residues into the Golgi apparatus, support the following scheme for the biosynthesis of lysosomal enzymes. Each hydrolase is synthesized as a bound basic glycoprotein enzyme in a restricted portion of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. The soluble, acidic forms are generated as the nascent glycoprotein enzymes migrate through the Golgi apparatus through the attachment of sugar sequences containing N-acetylneuraminic acid.
Research on Comprehensive Management of Differentiated Lightning Protection for the Typical Transmission Line in East Mongolia Area

East Mongolia is the area which has unique geographical position and rich energy. The transmission lines take on the burden for supplying electricity to other provinces. Because of the longdistance and complex topography and geomorphology, lightning risk is high in the area. Therefore, In order to improve power supply stable and reliable, it is very important to improve the assessment level and rebuilding ability of lightning protection for transmission lines. The comprehensive management of lightning protection for the transmission lines in East Mongolia Area is researched based on the technology of differentiated lightning protection. In detail, selecting the typical transmission line,microscopic lightning protection risk assessment for each tower can be carried out. When making lightning disaster risk assessment, the differences of lightning activities, terrains and topographic features, line's structures and insulation configurations should be considered. Then, according to assessment result, characteristics of lightning protection measures, and improvement experience, line arrester is selected to be improvement measure. And the arrester configuration types for different tower have been proposed in this paper. Then, based on the scope and sequence of lightning protection rebuilding, 5 rebuilding schemes have been formulated. And the technology-economy rate for the fifth lightning protection rebuilding schemes has been evaluated.
Thermomechanical analysis of tungsten plasma-facing components under transient loading

The heat loading on plasma facing components provides one of the critical design challenges for the first wall and divertors for fusion power plants. To date, design of these components has focused on steady operating conditions, but the less understood transient edge localized modes and off-normal loading conditions such as plasma disruption must also be considered. In this article, we summarize the current status of the thermomechanical design for divertors and first walls for a fusion nuclear science facility (FNSF). Additionally, predicted transient thermal loads on the plasma facing surfaces are summarized. The thermal responses of the divertor and first wall designs to the transient ELMs and disruption loads are then investigated and the viability of these designs discussed.
Clinical management of familial adenomatous polyposis.

Abstract Familial adenomatous polyposis is a generalized growth disorder. It manifests itself in a catastrophic way with the inevitable development of colorectal cancer if left untreated. The aim of clinical management should be to detect this disease at its earliest possible stage by treatment of the family as a unit and identification of those at risk with appropriate screening. Early surgical intervention with, most commonly, colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis or, in more advanced cases, with colectomy, rectal mucosectomy and ileoanal pouch procedure is appropriate. Following colorectal cancer the major risks of death from this disease include upper gastrointestinal cancer, desmoid tumour and a number of other malignancies throughout the body. The exact magnitude of the risk of malignant degeneration of these extracolonic manifestations is as yet uncertain. Surveillance is required particularly for upper gastrointestinal adenomas, as there is a significant risk for the development of duodenal carcinoma and it is obvious that prophylactic colectomy alone does not cure this disease predictably. The role of a familial polyposis registry in managing these patients is important not only in maintaining compliance with surveillance and therefore early detection of the disease but also in educating the family members and gaining long-term follow-up data on these cases to more accurately define the risk of death from extracolonic malignancy.
Animal and Human Minds

In speaking of the consciousness of animals, affection for one’s own pets is bound to be received as a mark of dangerously reduced rigor. I am tempted to offer the sanguine anecdote of my dog’s symbolic behavior — how he nuzzles me in a characteristic way, at a certain hour, in order to get me to take him out; how he touches my hand with his nose, starts for the stairs, waits for me to put on my jacket, trots to the door, pauses for me to follow, nudges his leash expectantly, moves to nuzzle me again, waits at the door, and so on. Some will see in this a grand self-deception; others, a genuinely instructive specimen; still others, a convenient facon de parler. There’s little point in mere insistence: the obvious puzzle concerns how to address the question of animal consciousness, animal communication, animal thought, animal intelligence. But more than this, the validity of the evidence favorable to significant claims of animal competence below the level of genuine language itself entails a distinctive view of the empirical nature of the issues. It is not in the least unreasonable to resist the separation of apparent questions of fact and questions of why it is that we regard particular questions as empirical questions of fact. But the issues regarding animal consciousness lend a peculiar relevance to the conceptual linkage between these two sorts of question.