cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mitogen-activated Protein Kinases in Rat Brain Neuronal Cultures Are Activated by Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptors and Inhibited by Angiotensin II Type 2 Receptors

Abstract Neurons cultured from neonatal rat hypothalamus and brainstem contain many angiotensin II (Ang II) type 2 (AT2) receptors, and we previously determined that activation of these sites elicited a stimulation of serine/threonine phosphatase 2A (PP2A). Here, we have investigated the effects of Ang II on neuronal mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, potential targets for PP2A. Using in-gel kinase assays and immunoprecipitation analyses we have shown that Ang II (10 nM-1 μM) elicits significant increases in p44MAPK (Erk1) and p42MAPK (Erk2) activities in cultured neurons, mediated via Ang II type 1 (AT1) receptors. This stimulatory effect of Ang II on Erk1 and Erk2 activities was potentiated by blockade of AT2 receptors with (S)-1-[4-(dimethylamino)-3-methylphenyl]methyl-5-(diphenylacetyl)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-imidazo[4,5-C]pyridine-6-carboxylic acid (PD 123319, 1 μM). Furthermore, the AT2 receptor agonist N-α-nicotinoyl-Tyr-Lys-(N-αCBZ-Arg)-His-Pro-Ile-OH (CGP42112A) (10–50 nM) caused significant decreases in neuronal Erk1 and Erk2 activities, which were abolished by PD 123319 (1 μM) and by the PP2A inhibitor okadaic acid (3 nM). This indicates that AT1 and AT2 receptors have opposite actions on Erk1 and Erk2 activities in neonatal neurons. Since MAP kinases are involved in the regulation of growth/differentiation and apoptosis, our data may provide an intracellular basis for modulatory effects of Ang II receptors on these processes.
Representing and parameterizing agent behaviors

The last few years have seen great maturation in understanding how to use computer graphics technology to portray 3D embodied characters or virtual humans. Unlike the off-line, animator-intensive methods used in the special effects industry, real-time embodied agents are expected to exist and interact with us "live." They can be represent other people or function as autonomous helpers, teammates, or tutors enabling novel interactive educational and training applications. We should be able to interact and communicate with them through modalities we already use, such as language, facial expressions, and gesture. Various aspects and issues in real-time virtual humans will be discussed, including consistent parameterizations for gesture and facial actions using movement observation principles, and the representational basis for character believability, personality, and affect. We also describe a Parameterized Action Representation (PAR) that allows an agent to act, plan, and reason about its actions or actions of others. Besides embodying the semantics of human action, the PAR is designed for building future behaviors into autonomous agents and controlling the animation parameters that portray personality, mood, and affect in an embodied agent.
A Spreadsheet Tool for Learning the Multiple Regression F-test, t-tests, and Multicollinearity

This note presents a spreadsheet tool that allows teachers the opportunity to guide students towards answering on their own questions related to the multiple regression F-test, the t-tests, and mul...
MinActionPath: maximum likelihood trajectory for large-scale structural transitions in a coarse-grained locally harmonic energy landscape

The non-linear problem of simulating the structural transition between two known forms of a macromolecule still remains a challenge in structural biology. The problem is usually addressed in an approximate way using ‘morphing’ techniques, which are linear interpolations of either the Cartesian or the internal coordinates between the initial and end states, followed by energy minimization. Here we describe a web tool that implements a new method to calculate the most probable trajectory that is exact for harmonic potentials; as an illustration of the method, the classical Calpha-based Elastic Network Model (ENM) is used both for the initial and the final states but other variants of the ENM are also possible. The Langevin equation under this potential is solved analytically using the Onsager and Machlup action minimization formalism on each side of the transition, thus replacing the original non-linear problem by a pair of linear differential equations joined by a non-linear boundary matching condition. The crossover between the two multidimensional energy curves around each state is found numerically using an iterative approach, producing the most probable trajectory and fully characterizing the transition state and its energy. Jobs calculating such trajectories can be submitted on-line at: http://lorentz.dynstr.pasteur.fr/joel/index.php.
Away-field advantage: mangrove seedlings grow best in litter from other mangrove species

Plant community composition can impact ecosystem processes via litter feedbacks. Species variation in litter quality may generate different patterns of nutrient supply for plants that are dependent on litter inputs. However, it is not known whether plants grow faster in their own litter, litter from other species, or in litter mixtures from multiple species. To test whether litter identity and mixture status influenced mangrove seedling growth, biomass allocation, and stoichiometry, we performed mesocosm experiments. Two species of mangrove seedlings, Avicennia germinans, black mangrove and Rhizophora mangle, red mangrove, were exposed to all possible combinations of three mangrove litter types and were isolated from all other nutrient inputs. Litter treatments significantly altered seedling growth. Seedlings from both mangrove species grew most rapidly in litter from a different species rather than their own, irrespective of litter chemical quality, decomposition rate, and nitrogen release. Litter mixtures from white and black mangroves caused black mangroves to grow 65% more than expected. Litter treatments did not impact seedling root:shoot ratios or tissue C:N. Our finding that seedlings grow best in litter from other species may indicate a mechanism that helps sustain the coexistence of dominant species.
Understanding interdependence in enterprise systems: a model and measurement formalism

Interdependence between the subsystems of an enterprise is one of the driving reasons for integrating the enterprise. Integration attempts to manage those interdependencies so all subsystems work harmoniously together to achieve the enterprise goals. Prior to embarking on an enterprise integration project the interdependencies need to be analyzed. Unfortunately, interdependence between subsystems is still poorly conceptualized. This paper develops a modeling and measurement formalism to analyze interdependence in the enterprise. The model defines interdependence and characterizes the strength of the interdependence through relational measurement theory. The model is supported by empirical findings and illustrated through a case study. Limitations of current conceptualizations of interdependence are discussed and remedies are proposed. The primary contribution is a formal model to define and analyze interdependence in an enterprise, an activity that should occur as part of all enterprise integration projects.
Title and Related Considerations in Conveying Kansas Water Rights

Lawyers representing buyers of water rights in Kansas must be concerned with two things: the quality of the water right and the quality of the title of the water right. The former subject is treated in an article “Assessing the Quality of a Water Right,” 70 J. Kan. Bar Assoc. 26 (May 2001). This article discusses the latter topic. A water right may be perfectly fine regarding annual use reports, legal and proper use of the water, and filing of appropriate documents in the public records, but the title might have defects. Contrariwise, the title may be clean, but the right itself may quality problems. Typically, title insurance companies do not insure title to water rights, so the lawyer must rely on either abstracts of title or original searches in the public records, which can lead to high legal costs in such transactions. This article provides guidance to lawyers who must examine title to water rights. The article begins with a summary of Kansas water rights law, focusing on the fact that water rights in Kansas are real property interests. It discusses abstracts of title versus title insurance and the necessary contents and descriptions to be contained in the deed . Next covered are matters of title to the water right – general issues, Division of Water Resources change orders acting as deeds, and title to the land to which the water right is appurtenant. It provides details on several matters that can affect title: divorce, mortgages, judgment and mechanics’ liens, foreclosures, utility easements, tenants, bankruptcy, Uniform Commercial Code documents, restrictive covenants, special water districts, and property taxes. Other subjects covered are the Kansas Water Transfer Act and interstate water diversions.
On the Proliferation of Bioethics Sub-Disciplines: Do We Really Need “Genethics” and “Neuroethics”?

The paper by Illes and Racine (2005) contributes to understanding the ethical dimensions of topics related to brain research and its applications by discussing the epistemological and cultural comp...
Elastic radiation from explosively loaded ellipsoidal cavities in an unbounded medium

Summary Elastodynamic calculations were made to determine the radiation spectra from explosively driven ellipsoidal cavities in an unbounded medium. A finite element code was used to compute the displacements on the cavity surface and the integral representation theorem was then invoked to find the displacements in the far field. The method was applied to ellipsoids with 3 : 1 and 10 : 1 aspect ratios and the results were compared to the analytic solution for a sphere of equal volume. Both the peak amplitude and the spectrum of the particle velocities were found to be strongly dependent on direction. For example, along the major axis of the 10:1 ellipsoid, the peak amplitude of the radial velocity component is approximately 7.5 times smaller than along the minor axis, and the frequency at which the peak occurs is 4 times smaller. These results are of some importance in the potential use of large cavities for decoupling underground nuclear explosions since it may be possible to orient similar cavities in such a way as to mitigate, at least in certain directions, the predicted reduction of the decoupling factor at high frequencies.
Reciprocal territorial responses of parapatric African sunbirds: species-level asymmetry and intraspecific geographic variation

Territorial competition regularly occurs between ecologically similar species with substantial divergence in territorial signals. Strong responses to heterospecific signals can result either from the conservation of broad response functions or from species discrimination with competitor recognition. The African sunbird sibling species Nectarinia moreaui and Nectarinia fuelleborni share similar niches and an extremely narrow parapatric boundary. These species sing strikingly different songs, yet have only subtly different morphologies. Familiarity with sibling species is only possible in the small contact zone where their ranges abut. A series of simulated territorial intrusion experiments reveal asymmetry in response frequency to heterospecific songs: N. moreaui respond less frequently to N. fuelleborni than to conspecific songs, whereas N. fuelleborni respond with an approximately equal frequency to both N. moreaui and conspecific songs. However, there is strong geographic variation in heterospecific song response among N. fuelleborni populations, with one allopatric population exhibiting stronger responses to conspecifics than to N. moreaui. These results indicate that N. fuelleborni populations can retain broad response functions absent contact with N. moreaui, such that competitor recognition is not necessary to explain strong territorial responses to N. moreaui. Strong geographic variation within N. fuelleborni, however, implies that spatial replication of allopatric/sympatric treatments should benefit future territorial response experiments. Lastly, a multimodal experiment in the contact zone area reveals that, following initial approaches to song signals, response differences are not greater to conspecific signals. This result suggests that associative learning may result in high heterospecific aggression via competitor recognition, even in N. moreaui, where syntopy occurs.
ALPHA BETA: HOW 26 LETTERS SHAPED THE WESTERN WORLD. John Man. New York: Wiley and Sons, 2001. Pp. 312. $24.95 cloth.

This volume is a fascinating, erudite, gripping, and well-researched work on a subject that many of us would expect to find dry, dull, and for academics only. John Man has succeeded, however, in taking and transforming the topic into a highly readable and very accessible book that reads like a whodunit from beginning to end. He traces the origins of the alphabet, from 4,000 years ago to modern times, taking us on captivating and exotic excursions along the way: how the Exodus might have come about; who the Phoenicians were and how they got their name; how Cyrillic came into being; how Times Roman has come to be one of the most popular and recognizable typefaces today.
Fuzzy clustering and subset feature weighting

In this paper, we propose an algorithm that performs fuzzy clustering and feature weighting simultaneously and in an unsupervised manner. The feature set is divided into logical subsets of features, and a degree of relevance is dynamically assigned to each subset based on its partial degree of dissimilarity. The proposed algorithm is computationally and implementationally simple, and learns a different set of feature weights for each cluster. The cluster dependent feature weights have two advantages. First, they help in partitioning the data set into more meaningful clusters. Second, they can be used as part of a more complex learning system to enhance its learning behavior. The performance of the proposed algorithm is illustrated by using it to segment color images.
Pharmacogenetics Informed Decision Making in Adolescent Psychiatric Treatment: A Clinical Case Report

Advances made in genetic testing and tools applied to pharmacogenetics are increasingly being used to inform clinicians in fields such as oncology, hematology, diabetes (endocrinology), cardiology and expanding into psychiatry by examining the influences of genetics on drug efficacy and metabolism. We present a clinical case example of an adolescent male with anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder who did not tolerate numerous medications and dosages over several years in attempts to manage his symptoms. Pharmacogenetics testing was performed and DNA results on this individual elucidated the potential pitfalls in medication use because of specific pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic differences specifically involving polymorphisms of genes in the cytochrome p450 enzyme system. Future studies and reports are needed to further illustrate and determine the type of individualized medicine approach required to treat individuals based on their specific gene patterns. Growing evidence supports this biological approach for standard of care in psychiatry.
Analysis of a frequency-modulated reflex klystron with minimum incidental amplitude modulation

Simultaneous modulation of the reflector and beam voltages of a reflex klystron will produce frequency modulation with minimum incidental amplitude modulation. The required variation of reflector voltage with beam voltage, for constant output power, is derived from the fundamental equations of the reflex klystron. Experimental verification of this analysis is presented. Reflex klystron oscillators which can be frequency modulated with minimum incidental amplitude modulation find application in FM Doppler radars, communications systems, and as signal sources for microwave testing.
AKI and medical care after coronary angiography: renalism revisited.

AKI after coronary angiography is commonly related to iodinated contrast administration and has been shown in multiple studies to be associated with serious adverse cardiovascular events, accelerated long-term decline in kidney function, and increased short- and long-term mortality ([1][1]–[5][2
Dental care utilization and unmet dental needs in older Korean Americans

Objective: The study explored predictors of dental care utilization and unmet dental needs in older Korean Americans, considering predisposing, enabling (dental insurance, acculturation, and family...
Integrative cases for teaching evolution

Current university-level evolution instruction often suffers from a disjointed curriculum that separates molecular and ecological processes, at times omitting the former altogether. At the same time, national reform efforts call for the principles of evolution to be taught across the curriculum. We met this challenge by developing four cases (Mouse Fur Color, Pea Taste, Monkey Opsins and Clam Toxin) that present an integrated, comprehensive approach to teaching evolution across biological sub-disciplines. Our intent was to provide materials that post-secondary instructors could use to bolster their content knowledge and adapt for their students as they endeavor to configure their teaching to meet Vision and Change challenges. The material in any given case can be used to support the teaching of evolution across the curriculum, whether within a single introductory or advanced course, or more comprehensively across several courses. The cases are presented in a way that will allow instructors to quickly see how to apply this approach.
Phase transitions, Kauzmann curves, and inverse melting.

Walter Kauzmann's classic 1948 review of liquid supercooling and glass formation drew attention to the temperatures at which (by extrapolation) enthalpies and entropies of liquid and crystal phases would appear to become equal.In the temperature-pressure (T, p) plane, the collection of such 'Kauzmann temperatures' generate characteristic curves. The present study examines the connection of those Kauzmann loci to equilibrium inverse melting phenomena, i.e. cases where isobaric heating causes freezing of the liquid.Such cases are associated with local minima or maxima in the melting curve p (T), and we point out the possible relevance of melting curve maxima to the thermodynamics m of protein folding.Both equal-enthalpy and equal-entropy Kauzmann curves must pass through melting curve extrema. Three thermodynamic identities have been obtained to describe the vicinity of these points; they involve, respectively, the slopes of the two Kauzmann curves, and the second temperature derivative of the melting pressure.The second of these three equations is formally identical to the first Ehrenfest relation for second-order phase transitions, but carries no phase-transition implication.For purposes of specific numerical illustration, the inverse-melting behavior displayed by He at low temperature has been analyzed in detail. 3
Ileal Chloride Secretion as a Cause of Secretory Diarrhea in a Patient with Primary Intestinal Tuberculosis

Severe secretory diarrhea resulting in dehydration and hypokalemia was observed in a patient in whom primary cecal tuberculosis was diagnosed by colonoscopy. Although the ileum appeared normal at colonoscopy and by biopsy, intestinal perfusion studies showed that the ileum was secreting water and electrolytes. Chloride secretion against a high electrical gradient suggested active anion secretion. Absorption in the colon was unimpaired. The diarrhea resolved after 4 wk of antituberculous therapy. Repeat perfusion studies after 3 mo showed normal absorption in the ileum. This case report suggests that intestinal tuberculosis can cause secretory diarrhea. The mechanism by which secretion occurs is not clear, but probably involves active anion secretion.
Boundaryless LMX: Examining LMX's Impact on External Career Outcomes and Alumni Goodwill

Research has convincingly shown that leader–member exchange (LMX) is associated with a range of beneficial outcomes for employees within organizations. As employees increasingly pursue boundaryless careers that straddle multiple organizations, it is important to ask: Do advantages from LMX extend beyond the current organization and persist even after employees have left it? We propose that employees in higher quality LMX relationships with their managers benefit from stronger professional development, which can pay off in the form of better career outcomes on the external job market. Further, after leaving, whether or not ex-employees (i.e., alumni) harbor goodwill toward their former organizations is likely to depend on their LMX quality prior to leaving. Alumni goodwill matters because organizations can potentially reap important strategic benefits from their alumni. Using time separated data including alumni interviews conducted by third-party consultants, we find that, among employees who quit, pre-turnover LMX is positively related to higher salaries and greater responsibility in their next jobs and is also positively related to alumni goodwill. Moreover, the strength of the LMX–alumni goodwill relationship depends on whether managers made robust retention efforts after employees communicated their decisions to quit.
Mass-Selected Site-Specific Core-Fucosylation of Serum Proteins in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

A mass spectrometry-based methodology has been developed to screen for changes in site-specific core-fucosylation (CF) of serum proteins in early stage HCC with different etiologies. The methods involve depletion of high-abundance proteins, trypsin digestion of medium-to-low-abundance proteins into peptides, iTRAQ labeling, and Lens culinaris Agglutinin (LCA) enrichment of CF peptides, followed by endoglycosidase F3 digestion before mass spectrometry analysis. 1300 CF peptides from 613 CF proteins were identified from patients sera, where 20 CF peptides were differentially expressed in alcohol (ALC)-related HCC samples compared with ALC-related cirrhosis samples and 26 CF peptides changed in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related HCC samples compared with HCV-related cirrhosis samples. Among these, we found three CF peptides from fibronectin upregulated in ALC-related HCC samples compared with ALC-related cirrhosis samples with an AUC (area under the curve) value of 0.89 at site 1007 with a specificity of 85.7% at a sensitivity of 92.9% (generated with 10-fold cross-validation). When combined with the AFP index, the AUC value reached to 0.92 with a specificity of 92.9% at a sensitivity of 100%, significantly improved compared to that with AFP alone (LR test p < 0.001). In HCV-related samples, the CF level of cadherin-5 at site 61 showed the best AUC value of 0.75 but was not as promising as that of fibronectin site 1007 for ALC-related samples. The CF peptides of fibronectin may serve as potential biomarkers for early stage HCC screening in ALC-related cirrhosis patients.
The long-term effects of early malnutrition on DNA content and growth in the tissues of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica).

SUMMARY An experiment with quail was conducted to study the long-term effects of early malnutrition upon the cellularity of various body tissues. It was observed that in the brain, heart, kidney and muscles cell number was consistently lower in animals previously stressed in spite of a prolonged recuperative feeding period on a balanced diet. Cellular hypertrophy was generally higher in stressed animals except in the kidney and gastrocnemius muscle.
Optimum Plastic Design of Steel Frames

By employing the plastic moment distribution method and gradually reducing the largest moments while maintaining equilibrium, it is possible to develop an algorithm for the computer programmed optimum plastic design of single steel frames. The method is then extended to include multistory and multibay frames by using suitable partitioning of such frames. As the full plastic moments are assumed to be the main design parameters and no other restrictions such as given in AISC Specifications are introduced, this study is concerned with an automatic method for initial design.
Decentralised metacognition in context-aware autonomic systems: some key challenges

A distributed non-hierarchical metacognitive architecture is one in which all meta-level reasoning components are subject to meta-level monitoring and management by other components. Such metacognitive distribution can support the robustness of distributed IT systems in which humans and artificial agents are participants. However, robust metacognition also needs to be context-aware and use diversity in its reasoning and analysis methods. Both these requirements mean that an agent evaluates its reasoning within a "bigger picture" and that it can monitor this global picture from multiple perspectives. In particular, social context-awareness involves understanding the goals and concerns of users and organisations. In this paper, we first present a conceptual architecture for distributed metacognition with context-awareness and diversity. We then consider the challenges of applying this architecture to autonomic management systems in scenarios where agents must collectively diagnose and respond to errors and intrusions. Such autonomic systems need rich semantic knowledge and diverse data sources in order to provide the necessary context for their metacognitive evaluations and decisions.
Intermetallic Characterization

This is a study of bonding methods used in electronic component fabrication. One result is the formation of dynamic intermediate alloys that exhibit continual change toward an ultimate equilibrium condition. Microstructural changes are influenced by time, temperature, matrix materials, alloying elements, impurities and contaminants. The limiting strength of the bond is determined to a major extent by the conditions existent at the leading edge of the intermetallic layer as it grows into the host matrix. Characteristic growth patterns may provide the insight to a better understanding of this bonding mechanism.
The Association Between Multimorbidity and Quality of Life, Health Status and Functional Disability.

Abstract Introduction Approximately 50% of adults have multimorbidity (MM) that is associated with greater disability, poorer quality of life (QOL) and increased psychological distress. This study assessed the association between MM and QOL, health status and functional disability in U.S. adults. Methods Cross-sectional study of 23,789 patients from 2011 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey was conducted. Mean scores were calculated for QOL (physical component score [PCS] and mental component score [MCS]) and proportions for functional limitation (activities of daily living [ADL]; instrumental ADL [IADL] and physical functioning). Health status was assessed by depression and serious psychological distress. Regression models evaluated associations between MM and QOL, functional health status and functional limitations, while adjusting for confounders. Results Approximately 53% of 45-64-year-olds and 84% of those ≥65-years-old had MM. In adjusted models, ≥3 conditions were significantly associated with poorer outcomes—PCS QOL ( β = −9.15; 95% CI: −9.69 to −8.61), MCS QOL ( β = −1.98; 95% CI: −2.43 to −1.52), ADL (odds ratio [OR] = 5.80; 95% CI: 2.27–14.8), IADL (OR = 3.99; 95% CI: 2.31–6.88) and physical functioning (OR = 16.8; 95% CI: 12.0-23.6) compared with 1–2 conditions. Depression (PCS QOL: β = −4.02; 95% CI: −4.89 to −3.15; MCS QOL: β = −12.5; 95% CI: −13.2 to −10.9; ADL: OR = 2.49; 95% CI: 1.65-3.76; IADL: OR = 2.65; 95% CI: 1.88–3.72; physical functioning: OR = 2.44; 95% CI: 1.99–2.99) and serious psychological distress (PCS QOL: β = −3.16; 95% CI: −4.30 to −2.03; MCS QOL: β = −11.8; 95% CI: −12.8 to −10.8; ADL: OR = 1.57; 95% CI: 0.95–2.60; IADL: OR = 1.13; 95% CI: 0.80–1.59 and physical functioning: OR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.11–1.78) were significantly associated with adverse outcomes. Conclusions In this nationally representative sample of U.S. adults, MM was significantly associated with poorer QOL, functional health status and physical functioning, when adjusting for relevant confounders. A holistic view of the complexities associated with MM must dictate comprehensive care.
Strategic Change in Colleges and Universities

(2000). Strategic Change in Colleges and Universities. The Journal of Higher Education: Vol. 71, No. 4, pp. 507-510.
Constructive Disengagement: U.S. Sanctions Against South Africa

(1985). Constructive Disengagement: U.S. Sanctions Against South Africa. The Black Scholar: Vol. 16, U.S. Anti-Apartheid Upsurge, pp. 2-11.
Structural Characterization of Thin Metal Overlayers by X-ray Photoelectron and Auger-Electron Forward Scattering

Forward scattering of XPS and Auger electrons by atoms in a crystalline lattice produce beams of enhanced intensity radiating out from the surface at angles corresponding to the internuclear axes present in the top few atomic layers. This effect has been applied to analyze the mechanism of surface segregation in ultrathin metal films, to analyze the interdiffusion at the interfaces of ultrathin films, and to assess the effects of substrate contamination on the growth of epitaxial films. The systems studied in this work are Cu, Ni, and Co on Ni(100), however the purpose of this work is not to investigate these particular systems but to use them to illustrate the capabilities of forward scattering.
Single Cell Imaging In Photoreceptor Degenerative Disease

Degenerative photoreceptor disease represents a major cause of blindness, for which new therapies are emerging. Here I discuss in vivo photoreceptor imaging as it applies to disease monitoring and tracking of therapeutic response.
Cochliobolus Intermedius, The Perfect Stage of Curvularia Intermedia

(1960). Cochliobolus Intermedius, The Perfect Stage of Curvularia Intermedia. Mycologia: Vol. 52, No. 5, pp. 775-778.
Building Effective Quality Improvement Programs for Liver Disease: A Systematic Review of Quality Improvement Initiatives

Background & Aims Quality indicators are the measurable components of clinical standards. Data are limited about the design and impact of interventions to improve quality indicators for patients with chronic liver disease. Methods A systematic review of PubMed, Web of Science, and conference proceedings was performed to find reports of quality improvement (QI) interventions. Data regarding the several indicators were collected. The search focused on vaccination against hepatitis A or hepatitis B virus, management of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, screening for varices, management of acute variceal hemorrhage, hepatocellular carcinoma screening, and 30-day readmissions. Results Fifteen studies reported on the results of QI interventions. Ten focused on specific quality indicators (1 specific to vaccination, 2 spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, 3 gastrointestinal bleeding, and 4 hepatocellular carcinoma screening); 5 focused on clinical outcomes. Most studies used a pre-post study design. Interventions included checklists, educational conferences, electronic decision supports, nurse coordinators, and systematic changes to facilitate specialist co-management. Successful interventions optimized clinical workflow, closed knowledge gaps among frontline providers, created forced functions in the electronic ordering system, added dedicated staff to manage specific indicators, and provided viable alternatives to hospitalization to reduce readmission. Unsuccessful interventions included case management, phone calls, and home visits to reduce readmissions, checklists, and educational programs. Conclusions Past experience with QI provides generalizable rules for successful future interventions aimed at improved quality indicator adherence and patient outcomes.
Valuing Sportfishing Harvest with the Demand for Boat Fuel

AbstractThis article presents a novel application of the essential input welfare measure to valuing sportfishing harvest. The approach was suggested 30 years ago and has only been applied two other times with market data and has never been applied in the recreation context. We model boat fuel as an essential input in the production of sportfish harvested offshore and trace the value of changes in harvest quality with shifts in the demand for boat fuel. To implement the model we generate the first estimate of the demand for sportfishing boat fuel using the infrequent-purchases model. The estimate of boat fuel price elasticity is more than six times larger than typical estimates for the household demand for automobile fuel. Our estimates of the value of fishing quality are similar to estimates using stated preference and travel cost methods, but have the advantage of being based on market purchases.
Building Rhetorical Theory through Discursively Constructed Borders

ABSTRACTThe contacted disciplines of Border Studies, Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies, and Critical Discourse Analysis are each interested in how borders function and are constructed. However, since each discipline approaches the topic from individualized situations, the scholarship remains under-synthesized. As a result, few usable methodologies and theories for working across contexts, both in terms of physical space and disciplinary place, have been developed. By working within the contact zone of these disciplines, we aim to build a theoretical framework for analyzing the construction of borders through the ways local stakeholders compose and interpret discourses. With this approach, we find that the ways these stakeholders rhetorically construct their own border regions can align with scholarly representations, but at the same time, these constructions often contradict the prominent depictions encountered through popular culture, news media, and public policy.
GC-MS method of determination of clenbuterol in liver

Objective:To explore the determination of the liver′s GC-MS-Optimization how to grasp the key,especially in the liver samples of the more complex matrix,how to be more clean and also relatively high recovery of the GC-MS sample fluid,which are discussed in the text and compared.Methods:GC-MS;liver Clenbuterol extraction by methanol,n-hexane defatted purification,evaporation and then freeze-rotating centrifugal evaporation and concentration of nitrogen after blowing 0.1 mmol/L of hydrochloric acid,adding sample to the purification column,4% ethyl acetate eluted Ammoniation blowing to dry nitrogen,toluene dissolved after BSTFA derivatives using GC-MS to determine the quantitative internal standard.Results:Tests showed that the liver to add 56×10-9～540×10-9(ω) the concentration level of clenbuterol,89.3% recovery in ～106.8%,relative standard deviation of 7.3%～16.5%,linear correlation coefficient r was 0.998,the minimum detection limit of clenbuterol was 2.0×10-9(ω).Conclusion:The method is linearly related to both recovery rates and meet the requirements.
Glycolytic oscillation and effect of metabolic inhibitor on rat lens

Abnormalities in glucose metabolism are thought to be among the main causes of cataract formation. We have taken noninvasive biochemical measurements of the lens which provides us with information concerning glucose metabolism in the lens epithelium. The autofluorescence of reduced pyridine nucleotides (PN) and oxidized flavoproteins (Fp) in the rat lens epithelium was measured noninvasively as a function of time using redox fluorometry. The oscillations of the metabolic ratio, PN/Fp, were measured in vivo, in situ, and in the organ-cultured lens. The PN/Fp ratio in the organ-cultured lens ranged from 1.05 to 2.57 within a period of 60-90 minutes (mean +/- SD = 1.52 +/- 0.36). This PN/Fp ratio increased by 23% when a respiratory inhibitor (8 mM KCN) was applied to the lens. However, it decreased by 10% in the presence of a complete metabolic inhibitor (8 mM iodoacetamide). The presence of metabolic oscillations in the in vivo, in situ and cultured lens indicates that this oscillation is a local phenomenon. In cell-free extract systems, oscillations of several intermediates in the glycolytic pathway have been previously demonstrated and this PN/Fp oscillation is thought to be a reflection of glycolytic oscillation.
Ignacio E. Lozano: The Mexican Exile Publisher Who Conquered San Antonio and Los Angeles

Abstract In the first quarter of this century, three Southwestern U.S. cities made up the Mexican American heartland—San Antonio, Los Angeles, and El Paso. All three had large Mexican and Mexican-American populations. Small Spanish-language newspapers rose and fell quickly in these cities, as Mexican intellectuals and political elites sought to express their disenchantment with various factions of their homeland. Those publications were, from many accounts, run much as “pamphlets,” rather than as business concerns. Enter Ignacio E. Lozano, who arrived virtually penniless in San Antonio in 1908. Within two decades, he had established a successful newspaper in the competitive San Antonio market and began a second one in Los Angeles. This article examines the role of Lozano's newspapers and includes criticisms leveled at the elitist content of both. It offers an explanation of why La Prensa and La Opinion succeeded where others failed. And, finally, it provides insights into Lozano's character and his attitu...
Patterns of variation in feeding strike kinematics of juvenile ghost praying mantis (Phyllocrania paradoxa): are components of the strike stereotypic?

ABSTRACT Functional systems, such as feeding mechanics, often involve the evolution of several components of the musculoskeletal system that are moved in coordination to capture prey. Because these systems often involve the quick movement of several structures, some feeding systems have been hypothesized to be stereotypic. While the motor activity patterns are often stereotyped, the subsequent kinematics can be variable, many times in response to variation in prey stimulus (e.g. prey position). Patterns of feeding kinematics have been well studied among vertebrates, with less attention on invertebrate systems. The goal of this study was to examine the amount of stereotypy in the feeding strike kinematics of praying mantises. We filmed eight juvenile ghost praying mantises (Phyllocrania paradoxa) at 1000 Hz across several days within instar 7. We digitized several points that represent the movement of the coxa, trochanter–femur and tibia of the raptorial foreleg to obtain a set of kinematics including angles and angular velocities of the joint, as well as body lunge. Using the coefficient of variation, we found less stereotypy in the approach stage of the strike compared with the sweep. Using Bonferroni-corrected Pearson9s correlations of kinematics with prey position, we found few traits related to prey position with the exception of some kinematics of the coxa joint and the amount of lunge used during the strike. Our results suggest that several components of the praying mantis strike are stereotypic, while others exhibit flexibility to ensure successful capture of the prey.
THE TAKINGS CLAUSE AND COMPENSATION FOR TRADE SANCTIONS

Numerous studies have found that trade sanctions are ineffective, and even at times counterproductive. President Jimmy Carter's ban on the sale of American wheat to Russia harmed U.S. farmers and benefited Canadian farmers. The long-standing sanctions against Cuba have denied American investors many profit opportunities, to the delight of Mexican, Spanish, and other investors, who are "gobbling up" Cuban market share in the absence of American competition. The sanctions against Iraq have succeeded only in destroying an economy and fostering resentment against the United States. Poverty and ill will will engender long-term harmful repercussions. The literature on sanctions has focused either on the direct economic effects or the human effects. Little or nothing has been written about the indirect economic effects that must be borne by the businesses that are prevented from trading as a result of sanctions. Even less has been written about the issue of compensation to these businesses. This paper will attempt to fill that void. The "Takings" Clause of the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution calls for compensating those who suffer losses because the government confiscates their property. In recent years, the "Takings" Clause has been extended to include regulatory takings, mostly in the area of environmental regulation. So far, the "Takings" Clause has not been extended to compensate businesses that lose out because the government, in essence, shuts them down as a result of economic sanctions. Yet, many American businesses must at least partially close down operations because of sanctions. Accordingly, this paper will examine the "Takings" Clause to determine whether applying it to "sanction" losses would be a logical and appropriate extension of the law.
Joint echo canceller/equalizer and timing recovery for high speed full duplex baseband transmission systems

The interaction between echo cancellation/equalization and timing recovery is analyzed, a complete simulation of a high-speed full-duplex digital subscriber loop system is reported, and issues related to the support of multirate sampling and feedback are discussed. The simulation results suggest that the number of equalizer (EQ) training symbols must be reduced, rather than the number of echo canceler (EC) training symbols, to save total EC/EQ training time, regardless of the length of the bridged taps. The pole-zero EC performs much better than the all-zero EC. In the all-zero EC, the system needs more EQ training symbols. Fractionally spaced EC/EQ performs better than symbol rate EC/EQ when the number of EC/EQ training symbols is large. The symbol rate EC/EQ has better or equivalent performance for small number of EC/EQ training symbols, relatively large noise, and long bridged taps. The symbol rate EC/EQ reaches a performance limit however, unlike the fractionally spaced EC/EQ system, for large SNR or large training sequences. >
Reasoning About Job Completion Time in Vehicular Clouds

In order to enhance dependability and availability, it is common practice in conventional clouds to assign two servers to each job. In this paper, we investigate the effect of such a redundancy-based job assignment strategy on job completion time in vehicular clouds. We offer a heuristic analysis of the expected job completion time under this strategy. A comprehensive set of simulations confirmed the accuracy of our analytical predictions.
BMP4 Favors Hematopoietic Differentiation from Murine Embryonic Stem Cells and Acts by Activation of the cdx-hox Pathway.

Cdx4 and cdx1, members of the caudal family of homeodomain-containing transcriptional regulators, are important for specifying the hematopoietic fate of mesoderm in the zebrafish. We have shown that the cdx4 gene plays a role in enhancing hematopoietic fate during in vitro differentiation of murine ESCs (Davidson et al., Nature 2003). Cdx4 induces hox genes, and genetic modification of mESCs with a combination of cdx4 and hoxb4 promotes long-term engraftment of ESC-derived HSCs in lethally irradiated primary and secondary mice (Wang et al, submitted). While cdx1 is known to be a direct target of signaling by the embryonic morphogens fgf, wnt3a, and retinoids, morphogens acting upstream of cdx4 have not yet been defined. Our goal is to determine optimal morphogen conditions for hematopoietic commitment from murine embryonic stem cells by evaluating activation of the cdx-hox pathway. We have developed quantitative RT-PCR assays for the cdx genes (cdx4, cdx1 and cdx2) and multiple hox genes as well as markers specific to hematopoietic stem cells and lineages. We have used these assays, together with a reporter line engineered to express GFP from the brachury locus (Fehling et al., Development 2003), to characterize the conditions for mesodermal induction and hematopoietic fate specification following addition of morphogens to differentiating cultures of ES cells under serum-free conditions. Among all morphogens tested (BMP4, activin, nodal, wnt3a, wnt5a, sonic hedgehog, indian hedgehog, retinoic acid), only BMP4 has been found to strongly induce CDX4 gene expression within the developing embryoid bodies, while addition of the BMP4 inhibitor noggin to serum suppressed CDX4 expression. Addition of BMP4 significantly increases the number of emerging CD41+ and CD45+ cells, the precursors of definitive hematopoietic stem cells. We are currently analyzing the functional changes following BMP4 exposure, and correlating hematopoietic maturation with changes in the Hox gene expression pattern. Analysis of the cdx-hox gene pathway provides a means of otpimizing induction of hematopoietic fate by application of embryonic morphogens.
Patency and limb salvage after femoral endarterectomy and iliac stenting are not affected by severity of iliac disease.

Abstract Objective The hybrid procedure of femoral endarterectomy and iliac artery stenting (FEIS) has been used as an alternative to traditional open surgical repair of iliofemoral arterial occlusive disease, but whether the severity of the iliac disease component affects long-term results is not well understood. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing FEIS at Geisinger Health System from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2013, for the treatment of symptomatic iliofemoral atherosclerotic occlusive disease. The cohort was stratified according to the severity of the iliac occlusive disease component into patients with mild iliac disease (group 1) and patients with severe iliac disease (group 2). Results Between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2013, 99 patients underwent 111 total FEIS procedures. The mean age of the cohort was 67.4 years. Men composed 61% of patients. Indications for surgery were claudication (41%), ischemic rest pain (36%), and tissue loss (23%). At 5 years of follow-up, there was no difference in primary patency (73% in group 1 vs 68% in group 2 [ P = .67]) and limb salvage (90% in group 1 vs 92% in group 2 [ P = .51]). There was a trend toward higher overall mortality in group 2 patients vs group 1 patients (53% vs 81%; P = .08), but this did not reach statistical significance. Univariate analysis did not identify any device-related or anatomic factors predictive of patency. Conclusions When combined iliofemoral arterial occlusive disease is treated with FEIS, the severity of the iliac disease component does not affect long-term patency or limb salvage.