cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanism of M-CSF pathway-mediated innate resistance to tuberculosis (134.76)

The outcome of mycobacterial infections is determined by interactions between host and bacterial factors yet only very few host factors that affect the susceptibility to the infections are known. In particular, there has been an increasing appreciation that both innate immunity and hematopoietic growth factors such as M-CSF play important roles in modulating tuberculosis. The Ramakrishnan laboratory has established a model for mycobacterial pathogenesis using Mycobacterium marinum (Mm) in the optically transparent and genetically tractable zebrafish. This model allows us to dissect the host cellular and genetic mechanisms that regulate macrophage function during infection. We have found that zebrafish with mutations in the M-CSF-receptor, fms, are hypersusceptible to Mm. M-CSF has pleitropic effects on macrophage development and function. To determine its mechanism of resistance in infection, we performed a step-wise comparison of infection in wildtype and fms-mutant fish. We found that initial macrophage production, as well as macrophage migration to infection sites, phagocytosis and microbicidal capacity were all normal in the fms mutants. Hypersusceptibility became apparent only after granulomas had formed. We are currently testing the hypothesis that the M-CSF pathway is required for macrophage replenishment during infection to maintain granuloma integrity and retain the bacteria within a more restrictive intracellular niche. This study may shed light on the genetics of macrophage homeostasis during mycobacterial infection.
Comparing multiple statistical methods for inverse prediction in nuclear forensics applications

Abstract Forensic science seeks to predict source characteristics using measured observables. Statistically, this objective can be thought of as an inverse problem where interest is in the unknown source characteristics or factors (X) of some underlying causal model producing the observables or responses ( Y = g ( X ) + e r r o r ). This paper reviews several statistical methods for use in inverse problems and demonstrates that comparing results from multiple methods can be used to assess predictive capability. Motivation for assessing inverse predictions comes from the desired application to historical and future experiments involving nuclear material production for forensics research in which inverse predictions, along with an assessment of predictive capability, are desired. Four methods are reviewed in this article. Two are forward modeling methods and two are direct inverse modeling methods. Forward modeling involves building a forward casual model of the responses (Y) as a function of the source characteristics (X) using content knowledge and data ideally obtained from a well-designed experiment. The model is then inverted to produce estimates of X given a new set of responses. Direct inverse modeling involves building prediction models of the source characteristics ( X ) as a function of the responses (Y) – subverting estimation of any underlying causal relationship. Through use of simulations and a data set from an actual plutonium production experiment, it is shown that agreement of predictions across methods is an indication of strong predictive capability, whereas disagreement indicates the current data are not conducive to making good predictions.
The association of early life socioeconomic position on breast cancer incidence and mortality: a systematic review

We conducted a systematic review of the literature relating early life socioeconomic position (SEP) to breast cancer incidence and mortality from a critical period and life-course trajectory perspective. PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science were searched to identify cohort studies that evaluated the impact of early life SEP indicators on the incidence and/or mortality from breast cancer in adulthood. Nine distinct studies evaluated the relationship between early life SEP and breast cancer between 1990 and 2016. Five reports assessed breast cancer incidence and five assessed breast cancer mortality as outcomes; one study assessed both incidence and mortality. While lower early life SEP was associated with reduced breast cancer incidence and increased breast cancer mortality in the US, studies conducted in Europe were unable to establish a consistent association. We found moderate support for the association between early life SEP and incidence and mortality from breast cancer. The impact of early life SEP on breast cancer incidence and mortality appeared to vary between countries. We urge further investigation of the role of lifelong SEP trajectories in breast cancer outcomes.
Hidden Implications of Clumps and Masses

In a recent study on the spawn of the common frog (Rana temporaria) surveyed over several breeding sites, a significant linear relationship (p < 0.001) was found to exist between the number of spawn 'clumps' making up a bouyant spawn 'mass' and the area of the mass visible from above the water surface (Griffiths and Raper, 1994). An open question exists, as to why such a strong linear relationship is to be found. Using elementary physics, I suggest some factors which may underly the observed linearity and how it may reveal characteristics other than size of a breeding population. A follow-up experiment is outlined to test for these in the field and some ecological implications are discussed.
Purpose Clauses and Control

My concern in this paper is the syntax and semantics of purpose-clauses in English. The relation of this problem to the question of the nature of syntactic representation is that the topics I will discuss raise interesting questions about what one might not want to include as explicit parts of either a syntactic or a semantic representation.
Engineering Design and Manufacturing Education through Research Experience for High School Teachers

Abstract Manufacturing educational programs historically have been limited to higher education institutions. Starting in 2013, however, Texas House Bill 5, a new Foundation High School Program, was established with an increasing requirement on the design and manufacturing. Most of the new requirements is outlined in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) section of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Standard. This in turn necessitates more training for high school teachers who are in great need of learning the state-of-the-art design and manufacturing technology. In 2016, Lamar University (LU) at Beaumont, Texas was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Teachers (RET) site grant titled “RET Site: Incorporating Engineering Design and Manufacturing into High School Curriculum.” The goal of the project is to host 12 high school teachers each summer to participate in engineering design and manufacturing research and then transfer their experience into high school curriculum. During the 2017 summer program, 12 high school teachers participated in the research and education program at LU. In the six weeks’ program, six LU engineering professors, each of them mentored two teachers. Besides mentoring research, each professor provides week-long morning workshops. The subjects of these workshops include 3D geometry modeling, finite element stress/thermal/vibration analysis, LED manufacturing, subtractive and additive manufacturing, alternative and renewable energy, and advanced mechanical systems. The teachers are in the process of transferring their new knowledge in design and manufacturing into high school curriculum.
Wrist Flexion Exercise Increases the Width of the Medial Elbow Joint Space During a Valgus Stress Test

OBJECTIVES The medial elbow is stabilized during valgus loading by the ulnar collateral ligament, the flexor pronator mass (FPM), and the radial head. Impairment of the FPM can occur as a result of repeated wrist flexion activity. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of repeated elbow flexion exercise on medial elbow stability. METHODS Thirty volunteers were included in this study. Ultrasound images of the medial joint space of the nondominant elbow of the participants were collected during a valgus stress test. The images were collected before and immediately after a wrist flexion exercise protocol. RESULTS The wrist flexion strength measure decreased (7.5%) after the exercise protocol (t = 3.840; P = .001). The medial elbow width increased between unstressed (mean ± SD, 2.8 ± 0.1 mm) and stressed (3.6 ± 0.1 mm) conditions (P < .001). The stress-by-fatigue interaction was significant (P = .048). The medial elbow width increased after fatigue (0.9 ± 0.09 mm) while remaining unchanged in the unstressed condition. CONCLUSIONS This study found an effect of repeated wrist flexion exercise on decreasing the stability of the medial elbow. Future research needs to explore the mechanisms leading to the decrease in medial elbow stability and to identify the effect of FPM fatigue on the development of medial elbow pain associated with activities.
Leaf Water Status from Lab Estimates of VIS-NIR Reflectance and Transmittance

Remotely sensing the water status of plant canopies remains a long term goal of remote sensing research. Established approaches involve measurements in the thermal infrared and the 900–2000nm reflective infrared. Less popular UV-visible-NIR techniques presumably deserve research attention, because photochemical changes linked to plant water status manifest spectral light scattering and absorption changes. Here we estimated the visible and NIR light reflected from the leaf interior and the leaf transmittance of corn (Zea mays L.) leaves having a range of relative water contents. Our results highlight the importance of both scattering effects and effects due to absorption by leaf pigments.
Treatment of Patients with Vocal Fold Atrophy and Comorbid Essential Voice Tremor: Long-Term Injection Augmentation Outcomes After Successful Diagnostic Vocal Fold Injection Augmentation

Summary Objective Vocal fold injection augmentation (VFIA) is employed diagnostically for patients with subtle glottic insufficiency. Its use in patients with both vocal fold atrophy and benign essential voice tremor (EVT) has been reported but not after durable augmentation. This study intends to evaluate the success of durable VFIA using either autologous fat or calcium hydroxylapatite in patients with both vocal fold atrophy and comorbid EVT. Methods/Design Retrospective review. Subjects included demonstrated subtle glottic insufficiency from true vocal fold atrophy and comorbid EVT with no other vocal fold pathology. Voice Handicap Index (VHI-10), aerodynamic data including subglottic pressure and airflow, and the tremor scoring scale were evaluated before diagnostic VFIA with carboxymethylcellulose and after durable VFIA with calcium hydroxylapatite or autologous fat. Results Seven patients met inclusion criteria. Six subjects went on to durable VFIA. Three of six demonstrated meaningful improvement in the VHI-10 score. Subglottic pressure improved significantly in those subjects with meaningful VHI-10 improvement compared to those that did not. The tremor did not resolve completely in any subject, but patient satisfaction and function was improved in four of the six. Conclusions VFIA for EVT in the setting of true vocal fold atrophy appears to offer benefit and may be an alternative treatment pathway for EVT patients. More than half of the subjects who underwent durable VFIA after successful diagnostic VFIA reported improvement in their communication despite inconsistent objective outcomes. Subglottic pressure improved significantly in half of the subjects who also reported a substantive improvement in their VHI-10.
Technology Spillovers and Land Use Change: Empirical Evidence from Global Agriculture

We estimate the effects of agricultural technological progress on cropland expansion at various geographical resolutions, from the country level to the world as a whole, while formally accounting for the international interdependence of national supply responses. Evidence for these effects has thus far been scant, contributing to polarized perceptions about the potential for improving agricultural technologies as a means to slow down deforestation. We find that, in most countries of the world, growth in total factor productivity (TFP) is either uncorrelated or is positively associated with cropland expansion. Yet worldwide TFP growth have been an important source of global land savings. The divergence between the country-level and the global results is explained by the changes in production patterns as countries interact in international markets. Our preferred point estimate of the elasticity of global cropland to global TFP growth is -0.34. Moreover, we estimate that satisfying food demand from 1991 to 2010 without observed TFP growth would have necessitated an additional 173 million hectares, or close to 10% of the area covered by tropical rain forests.
Capacity Results for Intermittent X-Channels with Delayed Channel State Feedback

We characterize the capacity region of noiseless X-Channels with intermittent connectivity and delayed channel state information at the transmitters. We consider the general case in which each transmitter has a common message for both receivers, and a private message for each one of them. We develop a new set of outer-bounds that quantify the interference alignment capability of each transmitter with delayed channel state feedback and when each receiver must receive a baseline entropy corresponding to the common message. We also develop a transmission strategy that achieves the outer-bounds under homogeneous channel assumption by opportunistically treating the X-Channel as a combination of a number of well-known problems such as the interference channel and the multicast channel. The capacity-achieving strategies of these sub-problems must be interleaved and carried on simultaneously in certain regimes in order to achieve the X-Channel outer-bounds. We also extend the outer-bounds to include non-homogeneous channel parameters.
Quality-Contingent Differentiated Pricing for Broadband Services

Even though broadband high speed Internet service has been always attractive choice to Internet users, its deployment has not been very successful. Until very recently most broadband access providers offer a single quality level and price. We propose a definition of Quality of Service (QoS) in a broadband network, present a measurement of the proposed QoS, and discuss its implementability. Further, we show that the idea of contingency pricing can in fact be applied meaningfully to broadband services to assure customers for high quality service. This paper presents our initial work towards a proposal for broadband pricing that addresses the dimension of QoS uncertainty in the context of QoS based pricing, and is designed to be consistent with the technical aspects of data flow and communications infrastructure for broadband service. Our future plans include further development of technical aspects and economic analysis of the proposed QoS and contingent pricing scheme in broadband high speed Internet services.
Abstract 1983: Cancer exosomes immunosuppressive activity in the absence of contaminating soluble factors is multifactorial

Cancer derived exosomes, along with soluble factors such as growth factors, cytokines and chemokines have been identified as integral immunosuppressive pathways employed by cancer cells. Using melanoma cell lines as a model for generating human melanoma exosomes (HMEX), we studied the soluble factors associated with exosome purification methods. A Luminex 13-plex T cell activation kit was used to detect the presence of soluble factors in exosome isolates. We have demonstrated that combining Ultrafiltration and Size Exclusion Chromatography (REIUS method) can yield up to 58-fold more exosomes than ultracentrifugation (UC) with greatly reduced concentrations of contaminating soluble factors (IL-8: 4.6 pg/ml by REIUS versus 489 pg/ml by UC | IL-10: 1,052 pg/ml by REIUS versus 34,500 pg/ml by UC). A novel exosome-based Compact Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor demonstrated that REIUS-isolated exosomes abundantly express PD-L1 on their surface compared to UC-purified exosomes. These HMEX significantly inhibited a cloned NY-ESO tumor antigen-specific patient derived T cell function when co-cultured with a NY-ESO positive melanoma cell line for 4 h (IFN-γ positive T cell population: 78.5 ± 0.03 % versus 49.05 ± 0.07 %). Blocking with anti-PDL1 or anti-IL-10 failed to restore T cell function (IFN-γ production), while both anti-PD-L1 and anti-IL-10 antibodies partially reverse this suppression, thereby identifying IL-10 and PD-L1 as a novel collaborating inhibitory pathway. Taken together, we report that different exosome isolation methods impact the nature of the exosomes and contaminating soluble factors and should be chosen with caution. In addition, our data suggests a novel role for tumor-derived exosomes in the IL-10 and PD1-PDL1 axis crosstalk that impacts functional activity of T cells. Citation Format: Shin La Shu, Junko Matsuzaki, Cheryl Allen, Yunchen Yang, Edward Hurley, Kunle Odunsi, Yun Wu, Marc S. Ernstoff. Cancer exosomes immunosuppressive activity in the absence of contaminating soluble factors is multifactorial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1983.
Comparative Benefit-to-Radiation Risk Ratio of Molecular Breast Imaging, Two-Dimensional Full-Field Digital Mammography with and without Tomosynthesis, and Synthetic Mammography with Tomosynthesis.

Benefit-to-risk ratios with molecular breast imaging are within the lower range of corresponding mammography ratios when accounting for variation in mammographic technique, compressed breast thickn...
Disjoint directed cycles in directed graphs

Abstract Let D = ( V , A ) be a directed graph of order n ≥ 4 . Let a ( v ) denote the degree of v in D for all v ∈ V . Suppose that a ( x ) + a ( y ) ≥ 3 n − 4 for all { x , y } ⊆ V with x ≠ y . Then for any k integers n 1 , … , n k with n i ≥ 2 ( 1 ≤ i ≤ k ) and n 1 + ⋯ + n k ≤ n , D contains k disjoint directed cycles C 1 , … , C k of orders n 1 , … , n k , respectively, or D belongs to one known class of directed graphs. This confirms the conjecture in Wang (2000) as a corollary.
An $LC$ Filter Design Based on the Maximum Ripple Current for Two-Level Inverters Controlled with a Bipolar Switching Scheme

One of the key elements in transferring the power from the distributed renewable energy resources into the power grid is the single-phase inverters. However, due to the operation principle of inverters, they generate high-frequency switching components that causes a distortion in the injected current at the grid/load side. In order to suppress this problem, the $LC$ filter is typically used. In this paper, equations are presented to calculate the LC filter parameters in a grid-connected single-phase full-bridge inverter operated based on bipolar switching method. According to the derived closed-form equations, inductance value of LC filter is independent of the modulation index. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the angle at which the maximum peak-to-peak current ripple occurs is always the zero crossing of output current. However, the value of the peak-to-peak current ripple varies based on the modulation index and time. To validate the derived equations, a 6.6 kW single-phase inverter is simulated and results of two case studies for 110 Vrms and 220 Vrms are provided.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy is associated with increased cost in higher risk thin melanoma.

INTRODUCTION National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend that sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) be discussed with patients with thin melanoma at higher risk for lymph node metastasis (T1b or T1a with positive deep margins, lymphovascular invasion, or high mitotic index). We examined the association between SLNB and resource utilization in this cohort. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients that underwent wide local excision for higher risk thin melanomas from 2009 to 2018 at a tertiary care center. Patients who underwent SLNB were compared to those who did not undergo SLNB with regard to resource utilization, including total hospital cost. RESULTS A total of 70 patients were included in the analysis and 50 patients (71.4%) underwent SLNB. SLNB was associated with increased hospital costs ($6700 vs. $3767; p < .01) and increased operative time (68.5 vs. 36.0 min; p < .01). This cost difference persisted in multivariable regression (p < .01). Of patients who underwent successful SLN mapping, 3 out of 49 patients had a positive SLN (6.1%). The cost to identify a single positive sentinel lymph node (SLN) was $47,906. CONCLUSION In patients with a higher risk of thin melanoma, SLNB is associated with increased cost despite a low likelihood of SLN positivity. These data better inform patient-provider discussions as the role of SLNB in thin melanoma evolves.
Longitudinal Prospective Study of Emergency Medicine Provider Wellness Across Ten Academic and Community Hospitals During the Initial Surge of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: While the coronavirus (COVID-19) has had far-reaching consequences on society and health care providers, there is a paucity of research exploring emergency medicine (EM) provider wellness over the course of a pandemic. The objective of this study was to assess the well-being, resilience, burnout, and wellness factors and needs of EM physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs) during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A longitudinal, descriptive, prospective cohort survey study of 213 EM physicians and APPs was performed across ten emergency departments in a single state, including academic and community settings. Participants were recruited via email to complete four weekly, voluntary, anonymous questionnaires comprised of customized and validated tools for assessing wellness (Well Being Index), burnout (Physician Work Life Study item), and resilience (Brief Resilience Scale) during the initial acceleration phase of COVID-19. Univariate and multivariate analysis with Chi-squared, Fisherâ€™s Exact, and logistic regression was performed. Results: Of 213 eligible participants, response rates ranged from 31 to 53% over four weeks. Women comprised 54 to 60% of responses. Nonrespondent characteristics were similar to respondents. Concern for personal safety decreased from 85% to 61% (p 50% of respondents initially without significant change (p=0.05 and p=0.30 respectively). Women were nearly twice as likely to report feelings of isolation as men (OR 1.95; 95%CI 1.82-5.88). Working part-time carried twice the risk of burnout (OR, 2.45; 95% CI, 1.10-5.47). Baseline resilience was normal to high. Provider well-being improved over the four-weeks (30% to 14%; p=0.01), but burnout did not significantly change (30% to 22%; p=0.39). Conclusion: This survey of frontline EM providers during the initial surge of COVID-19 found that despite being a resilient group, the majority experienced stress, anxiety, fear, and concerns about personal safety due to COVID-19, with many at risk for burnout. The sustained impact of the pandemic on EM provider wellness deserves further investigation to guide targeted interventions.
Exploring the Connection between Star Formation and Active Galactic Nucleus Activity in the Local Universe

We study a combined sample of 264 star-forming, 51 composite, and 73 active galaxies using optical spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectra from the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph. We examine optical and mid-IR spectroscopic diagnostics that probe the amount of star formation and relative energetic contributions from star formation and an active galactic nucleus (AGN). Overall we find good agreement between optical and mid-IR diagnostics. Misclassifications of galaxies based on the SDSS spectra are rare despite the presence of dust obscuration. The luminosity of the [Ne II] 12.8 μm emission line is well correlated with the star formation rate measured from the SDSS spectra, and this holds for the star-forming, composite, and AGN-dominated systems. AGNs show a clear excess of [Ne III] 15.6 μm emission relative to star-forming and composite systems. We find good qualitative agreement between various parameters that probe the relative contributions of the AGN and star formation, including the mid-IR spectral slope, the ratio of the [Ne V] 14.3 μm to [Ne II] μm 12.8 fluxes, the equivalent widths of the 7.7 μm, 11.3 μm, and 17 μm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) features, and the optical D parameter which measures the distance at which a source lies from the locus of star-forming galaxies in the optical BPT emission-line diagnostic diagram. We also consider the behavior of the three individual PAH features by examining how their flux ratios depend upon the degree of AGN dominance. We find that the PAH 11.3 μm feature is significantly suppressed in the most AGN-dominated systems.
Safe Places to Learn: Advances in School Safety Research and Practice

Although all stakeholders agree that schools must be safe places to learn, there are discrepancies among researchers, policy makers, and the general public about what constitutes school safety, and...
Family Poverty in Black and White: Results From a New Poverty Measure:

Advances in poverty measurement have opened new opportunities for investigating differences in poverty among racial and ethnic groups. Some researchers have attributed differences in poverty to dif...
Desmin intermediate filaments and tubulin detyrosination stabilize growing microtubules in the cardiomyocyte

Abstract The microtubule network of the cardiomyocyte exhibits specialized architecture, stability and mechanical behavior that accommodate the demands of working muscle cells. Stable, post-translationally detyrosinated microtubules are physical coupled to the sarcomere, the contractile apparatus of muscle, and resist sarcomere motion to regulate muscle mechanics and mechanosignaling. Control of microtubule growth and shrinkage dynamics represents a potential intermediate in the formation of a stable, physically coupled microtubule network, yet the molecular determinants that govern dynamics are unknown. Here we test the hypothesis that desmin intermediate filaments may stabilize growing microtubules at the sarcomere Z-disk in a detyrosination-dependent manner. Using a combination of biochemical assays and direct observation of microtubule plus-end dynamics in primary adult cardiomyocytes, we determine that: 1) tyrosination increases the frequency of microtubule depolymerization and reduces the pausing of microtubules at the Z-disk, leading to a more dynamic microtubule; and 2) desmin intermediate filaments stabilize both growing and shrinking microtubules specifically at the Z-disk and protect them from depolymerization. This stabilizes iteratively growing, detyrosinated microtubules between adjacent sarcomeres, which promotes the formation of high-energy microtubules that buckle between sarcomeres and elevates myocyte viscoelasticity. Our findings inform on how the tubulin code and intermediate filaments regulate microtubule dynamics, and provide mechanism to the establishment of a spatially organized, physically coupled, and long-lived microtubule network in the cardiomyocyte.
Participatory Sketch Mapping for Policy: A Case Study of Reentry Housing from Chicago

This article describes a qualitative research project that used sketch maps and individual interviews to involve formerly incarcerated people in the process of creating data and crafting policy rec...
“Out of Her Safety into His Hunger and Weakness”: Gendered Eating Spaces in Eudora Welty’s “A Wide Net” and “Flowers for Marjorie”

In “Flowers for Marjorie” and “The Wide Net,” Welty adopts masculine vantage points from which she explores denials of feminized civility. The similarities of these stories allow for a discussion of three major elements: First, the gendered eating related to a pregnancy; second, the refusal to eat in the homespace in favor of eating in spaces of homosocial bonding; and third, the partaking of liquor and the gendered alignment that signifies. Leslie Fiedler’s landmark article “Come Back to the Raft Ag’in Huck Honey!”—and many theorists who have come after him—suggests that male figures in American literature seek out spaces in which they can commune with other men and avoid the traditional responsibilities of the homespace (providing for a household, being responsible to a family, etc.). These male characters cannot avoid the home-space forever, though, and must eventually return to the realm they perceive to be primarily feminine. In light of such arguments, this article examines Welty’s male characters’ evasions of and returns to the homespace as they relate to Southern foodways.
Seismological Investigations of Compact Stars

Since Landolt’s discovery of the first ZZ Ceti star, the ranks of the compact pulsators have swollen to include planetary nebula nuclei, hot pre-white dwarf stars, hot and cool white dwarf stars, and possibly even neutron stars. The discovery of multi-periodic variations in these objects has helped to usher in a new era of rapid progress in the field of stellar seismology. For the compact stars this rapid progress is the result of a combination of four fortunate circumstances: their physical structure is relatively simple; typical amplitudes are small enough to be both readily observable and amenable to linear analysis; the wealth of observed periods in each object provides many independent clues to the underlying structure of the compact stars; and the periods are short enough that we can observe many cycles in a night, thereby completely resolving the period structure in many of these stars.
Women chairs in academic medicine: engendering strategic intuition

Purpose – Because stereotypically masculine behaviors are required for effective leadership, examining female chairs’ leadership in academic medicine can provide insight into the complex ways in which gender impacts on their leadership practices. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach – The author interviewed three female clinical chairs and compared the findings to interviews with 28 of their faculty. Grounded theory analysis of the subsequent text gathered comprehensive, systematic, and in-depth information about this case of interest at a US top-tier academic medical center. Findings – Four of five themes from the faculty were consistent with the chair’s narrative with modifications: Prior Environment (Motivated by Excellence), Tough, Direct, Transparent (Developing Trust), Communal Actions (Creating Diversity of Opinion), and Building Power through Consensus (an “Artful Exercise”) with an additional theme, the Significance (and Insignificance) of a Female Chair. While facult...
Activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor dissociates fatty liver from insulin resistance by inducing fibroblast growth factor 21.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), also known as the dioxin receptor, was originally characterized as a xenobiotic receptor that senses xenotoxicants. Here we investigated the endobiotic and hepatic role of AHR in fatty liver and energy metabolism, and identified the endocrine factor that mediates the metabolic function of AHR. Wild type and liver-specific constitutively activated human AHR transgenic (TG) mice were used to investigate the role of AHR in fatty liver and energy homeostasis. Adenovirus expressing short hairpin RNA targeting the fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) were used to determine the involvement of FGF21 in the metabolic effect of AHR. We showed that despite their severe fatty liver, the TG mice were protected from diet-induced obesity and type 2 diabetes. We identified the endocrine hormone FGF21 as a mediator for the metabolic benefit of AHR and established FGF21 as a direct transcriptional target of AHR. Interestingly, the transactivation of FGF21 by AHR contributed to both hepatic steatosis and systemic insulin hypersensitivity, both of which were largely abolished upon FGF21 knockdown. Conclusions The AHR-FGF21 endocrine signaling pathway establishes AHR as a pivotal environmental modifier that integrates signals from chemical exposure in the regulation of lipid and energy metabolism.
e-Learning and action research as transformative practice

As a reflective practitioner of higher education, Margaret Farren seeks to contribute to a knowledge base of professional practice by using a living educational theory form of action research in her approach to teaching and learning. She focuses her research on the Masters program in e-learning at Dublin City University where professional educators from a variety of private and public institutions seek to transform their pedagogy and their students' learning experiences through the application of the latest interactive technology. In this article, Farren demonstrates how an action-research approach to pedagogy that includes a commitment to both a web of betweenness and living educational theory can provide opportunities for educators to inquire into their educational influences, establish living standards of judgement, and take responsibility for their own learning.
Arbitration, Conciliation, and the Islamic Legal Tradition in Saudi Arabia

The 1980s have seen the oil producing states of the Arabian Peninsula under conflicting economic and political pressures. On the one hand, declining oil revenues have ended an unprecedented economic boom and forced a painful adjustment toward more sustainable levels of growth. Business opportunities are less attractive than they were a few years ago, and thus the oil producing states must work harder to attract foreign expertise and investment. At the same time, however, Islamic reaction and general political unrest in the Middle East exert increasing pressure on these countries to adhere more closely to traditional values as expressed in their ancient religious law, the Shar'a. Islamic religious law is designed to regulate not only the religious and personal life of the devout Muslim but commercial and political activities as well.' The Sharl'a is not well understood in Western business circles. The application of these ancient legal rules to complex commercial transactions presents elements of risk and uncertainty that must be weighed against the potential benefits of doing business in the area. Nowhere are these conflicting pressures more evident than in Saudi Arabia, the West's most important trading partner in the Middle East and also the most conservative Arab state.' Saudi Arabia is now in the process of developing rules for the arbitration and conciliation of commercial disputes. The task facing the Saudi government is to give the Western business community confidence that claims can be settled (reasonably quickly and fairly, impartially and predictably) under rules at least somewhat familiar to this community, while not straying too far from the rules that historically governed arbitration, or tahkim, under
Multicast server architectures for supporting IP multicast over ATM

The Multicast Address Resolution Server architecture has been proposed as a mechanism for supporting IP multicast over ATM networks. Two basic techniques exist withing this architecture for the intra-subnet multicasting of IP packets over ATM networks. One approach makes use of a mesh of point-to-multipoint Virtual Circuits (VC Mesh) each of which is rooted at a multicast source, while the other uses a shared point-to-multipoint tree rooted at a Multicast Server (MCS). In this paper we describe the design and implementation of a MARS client and an MCS. We present a framework for comparing the VC Mesh and MCS approaches using experimental and simulation techniques. Finally we present three protocols for the usage of multiple MCSs per IP multicast group, a technique required for groups with large number of senders and group members. * *
Coexpression of exogenous and endogenous mouse mammary tumor virus RNA in vivo results in viral recombination and broadens the virus host range.

Abstract Mouse mammary tumor virus is a replication-competent B-type murine retrovirus responsible for mammary gland tumorigenesis in some strains of laboratory mice. Mouse mammary tumor virus is transmitted horizontally through the milk (exogenous or milk-borne virus) to susceptible offspring or vertically through the germ line (endogenous provirus). Exogenously acquired and some endogenous mouse mammary tumor viruses are expressed at high levels in lactating mammary glands. We show here that there is packaging of the endogenous Mtv-1 virus, which is expressed at high levels in the lactating mammary glands of C3H/HeN mice, by the virions of exogenous C3H mouse mammary tumor virus [MMTV(C3H)]. The mammary tumors induced in C3H/HeN mice infected with exogenous MMTV (C3H) virus contained integrated copies of recombinant virus containing a region of the env gene from an endogenous virus. This finding indicates that there was copackaging of the Mtv-1 and MMTV(C3H) RNAs in the same virions. Moreover, because Mtv-1 encodes a superantigen protein with a V beta specificity different from that encoded by the exogenous virus, the packaging of Mtv-1 results in an infectious virus with a broader host range than MMTV(C3H).
Fostering Experiential Learning And Service Through Client Projects In Graduate Business Courses Offered Online

Undergraduate marketing and public relations capstone courses utilize client projects to allow students to apply their knowledge and encourage collaboration. Yet, at the graduate level, especially with courses offered in an online modality, experiential service learning in the form of client project assignments presents unique challenges. However, with an increased emphasis on practical application across the business curricula and growth in distance learning, client projects can provide opportunities for adult learners to hone their skills and encourage teamwork using new collaborative technology. This paper discusses experiential service learning and gives an example of a client project model.
Some Observations on the Stock Option Backdating Scandal of 2006

The corporate stock option backdating scandal has dominated business page headlines during the summer of 2006. The SEC is currently investigating more than seventy-five companies with respect to the timing and pricing of stock options granted during the boom years of the late 1990s and early 2000s, and the number of firms caught up in the scandal seems to increase every day. This essay contributes to our understanding of the backdating phenomenon by analyzing the economics of backdating and the characteristics of the firms under investigation. Its main points are the following: First, given the high volatilities of the stocks of the technology companies that dominate the list of firms under investigation and the fact that options granted to executives and employees typically may not be exercised for several years, press reports that focus on the size of the strike price "discounts" achieved by backdating significantly overstate the value of backdating. In some cases, reducing the strike price by a dollar per share by backdating increased the Black-Scholes value of the option by less than twenty cents per share. Second, completely unnoticed in the discussion so far is the fact that in many cases backdating dramatically reduced the apparent value of options. Because the size of executive stock option grants often is determined first by establishing the value to be delivered and then by calculating the number of shares to be covered by the option, reducing the apparent value of option shares may have substantially increased the size and true economic value of backdated executive option grants. Third, comparison of semiconductor firms under investigation for backdating with peer companies that are not suggests an association between backdating and the use of options in compensating non-executive employees. This essay considers several explanations for backdating non-executive options, including share limitations, minimizing apparent rank and file compensation, and cognitive biases. Finally, this essay argues that the backdating phenomenon is really not an accounting scandal. Backdating has accounting consequences, but it is unlikely to have been accounting driven.
Diagnosis and Monitoring of Hepatic Injury. I. Performance Characteristics of Laboratory Tests

Purpose: To review information on performance characteristics for tests that are commonly used to identify acute and chronic hepatic injury. Data Sources and Study Selection: A MEDLINE search was performed for key words related to hepatic tests, including quality specifications, aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyltransferase, bilirubin, albumin, ammonia, and viral markers. Abstracts were reviewed, and articles discussing performance of laboratory tests were selected for review. Additional articles were selected from the references. Guideline Preparation and Review: Drafts of the guidelines were posted on the Internet, presented at the AACC Annual Meeting in 1999, and reviewed by experts. Areas requiring further amplification or literature review were identified for further analysis. Specific recommendations were made based on analysis of published data and evaluated for strength of evidence and clinical impact. The drafts were also reviewed by the Practice Guidelines Committee of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and approved by the committee and the Association’s Council. Recommendations: Although many specific recommendations are made in the guidelines, some summary recommendations are discussed here. Alanine aminotransferase is the most important test for recognition of acute and chronic hepatic injury. Performance goals should aim for total error of <10% at the upper reference limit to meet clinical needs in monitoring patients with chronic hepatic injury. Laboratories should have age-adjusted reference limits for enzymes in children, and gender-adjusted reference limits for aminotransferases, γ-glutamyltransferase, and total bilirubin in adults. The international normalized ratio should not be the sole method for reporting results of prothrombin time in liver disease; additional research is needed to determine the reporting mechanism that best correlates with functional impairment. Harmonization is needed for alanine aminotransferase activity, and improved standardization for hepatitis C viral RNA measurements.
Fine-tuning genetic algorithm for photovoltaic-proton exchange membrane fuel cell hybrid system optimization

European cities have established programs integrating the energy, transport and ICT sectors in order to deliver more efficient services for their populations. The paper tackles the study of feasibility to implement fuzzy logic control into an energetic hybrid system and to optimize the membership functions of the fuzzy logic controller for the Photovoltaic-Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell hybrid system using genetic algorithm (GA). The paper deals with a fuzzy logic control strategy objective to produce electrical energy according to the demand, prone to the constraints and the dynamics of the physical load and intermittence of the energetic resource, by distributing the energy demand between the photovoltaic field and the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell system. Photovoltaic-Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell is described in detail as well as system configuration and components' parameters. The second section devotes to demonstrating the design process of fuzzy logic control for Photovoltaic-Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell hybrid System. Finally, the optimal control problem is addressed and genetic algorithm is introduced to help find a set of optimum parameters in the fuzzy logic controller, best results are obtained and good optimization of the hybrid system is highlighted.
Ischemic and anesthetic preconditioning reduces cytosolic [Ca2+] and improves Ca2+responses in intact hearts

Ca+ loading during reperfusion after myocardial ischemia is linked to reduced cardiac function. Like ischemic preconditioning (IPC), a volatile anesthetic given briefly before ischemia can reduce r...
The Pathogenesis of Hyperacute Xenograft Rejection

A critical shortage of donor organs has driven many in the transplantation community to consider the use of animals as organ donors for humans, that is, xenotransplantation. While successful xenotransplantation of primate kidneys was achieved 25 years ago, most now advocate use of nonprimates as donors because of the risk of disease transmission and ethical concerns attendant to the use of primates. The major hurdle to xenotransplantation of organs between phylogenetically disparate species is the hyperacute rejection reaction that invariably destroys organ xenografts placed in unmodified recipients. Here we review recent insights concerning the pathogenesis of hyperacute rejection reactions. We focus particular attention on the endothelial cell, which serves not only as the target of xenoreactive antibodies and complement, but also, as a consequence of endothelial cell activation, as an instrument of tissue injury. We discuss a phenomenon called "accommodation" in which an organ graft acquires resistance to humoral-mediated injury.
Ozone toxicity: Hormone-like oxidation products from arachidonic acid by ozone-catalyzed autoxidation

Abstract Arachidonic acid (AA) was rapidly oxidized by a stream of air containing 2.0 ppm of ozone to peroxides having biological activity similar to prostaglandin endoperoxides. Ozone-formed AA peroxides (AAP) (0.5–6.0 nmol) contracted both rabbit aortic strips and rat fundus strips in the presence of indomethacin and Vane's mixture of inhibitors of vasoactive hormones at doses comparable to naturally formed prostaglandin endoperoxides (PGG 2 or PGH 2 ). Ozone-formed AAP also aggregated human platelets in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) at concentrations similar to PGG 2 or PGH 2 (1.5–3.0 nmol per 0.4 ml), but platelet aggregation was blocked by indomethacin. Active peroxides were not formed in the presence of vitamin E added in molar ratios of from 1:10 2 to 1:10 4 to AA prior to oxidation by ozone. Vitamin E had no effect on the activity of AAP once formed, nor were the AAP substrates for human platelet microsomal thromboxane synthetase. Formation of prostaglandin hormone-like peroxides may be part of the toxic action of ozone and other toxicants initiating lipid peroxidation.
A Redefinition of Diarthronomyia Felt as a Subgenus of Rhopalomyia Rübsaamen (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae: Oligotrophidi)

Diarthronomyia Felt is diagnosed and redefined as a subgenus of Rhopalomyia Rubsaamen. Panteliola Kieffer, Boucheella Rubsaamen, Navasiella Tavares, and Eudictyomyia Tavares are considered new synonyms of Diarthronomyia. A list of the species purported to belong to Diarthronomyia is given. Many form new combinations and 4 species are given new names: clinata for californica Felt 1912; pomum for artemisiae Felt; shinjii for artemisiae Shinji; and tavaresi for artemisiae Tavares.