cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recent Advances in the Medicinal Chemistry of the Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 1 (mGlu1)

This Review summarizes the medicinal chemistry found in publications on both orthosteric and allosteric modulators of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (mGlu(1)) from 2005 to the present. The time period covered by the scope of this current review has been particularly rich in mGlu(1)-related publications with numbers quadrupling when compared to the preceding five year period of 2000-2005. Publications in the field peaked in 2007 with over 35 articles appearing in the peer reviewed literature in the course of that year. Given that glutamate is one of the primary excitatory neurotransmitters in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), it is unsurprising that it acts upon several receptors that are considered to be of potential therapeutic interest for many indications. Orthosteric and allosteric modulation of the receptor is possible, with a logical extrapolation to the chemotypes used for each strategy. The last five years of publications have yielded many mGlu(1) selective antagonist chemotypyes, most of which have shown efficacy in pain in vivo models. However, the primary impact of these compounds has been to highlight the mechanistic safety risks of mGlu(1) antagonism, independent of chemotype. As a review in medicinal chemistry, the primary focus of this paper will be on the design and, to a lesser degree, synthetic strategies for the delivery of subtype selective, CNS penetrant, druglike compounds through a "medchem" program, targeting modulators of the mGlu(1) receptor.
Mass spectral determination of skeletal/cardiac actin isoform ratios in cardiac muscle.

Skeletal and cardiac muscle contains actin isoforms that vary by two juxtaposed amino acids and two amino acid substitutions (Met299Leu and Ser358Thr). This close sequence homology does not allow cardiac and skeletal actin isoforms to be resolved in traditional SDS-PAGE analysis as the molecular weights (Δmass = 32 Da) are not significantly different and the pIs are identical (5.2). Although cardiac actin is the predominant form in cardiac muscle, there appears to be a specific skeletal/cardiac actin ratio in a normal heart that may vary in a compromised or diseased heart. In an effort to ascertain the validity of this hypothesis we developed a mass spectrometric technique to measure the ratio of skeletal to cardiac actin. The technique involves purification of muscle actin and subsequent liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cylcotron resonance (LC/FTICR-MS) mass spectrometry. A 7 Tesla FTICR mass spectrometer was utilized to compare skeletal/cardiac actin isoform ratios. Additionally, a new dual electrospray ionization source was employed to determine accurate masses of the α-skeletal and α-cardiac actins. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The proline-rich transcriptional activator of CTF/NF-I is distinct from the replication and DNA binding domain

Human CTF/NF-I consists of a family of CCAAT box binding proteins that activate both transcription and DNA replication. Analysis of cDNA mutants expressed in E. coli and Drosophila cells reveals that the N-terminal portion of CTF-1 is sufficient for site-specific DNA recognition, protein dimerization, and adenovirus replication. In contrast, transcriptional activation requires an additional C-terminal domain. Furthermore, this transcription domain efficiently activates a heterologous promoter, such as SV40, when fused to the DNA binding domain of Sp1. The CTF C-terminal region consists of an unusual type of transcriptional activation domain containing approximately 25% proline residues. We propose that this proline-rich domain represents a novel class of activators which are distinct from those containing either acidic or glutamine-rich activation motifs. This indicates that transcriptional activation is likely to be mediated by several different mechanisms. In addition, these results suggest that the interactions, and consequently the mechanisms, governing transcriptional activation by CTF are distinct from those mediating DNA replication.
Assessing the relationships among race, religion, humility, and self-forgiveness: A longitudinal investigation

Social and behavioral scientists have shown a growing interest in the study of virtues due, in part, to the influence of positive psychology. The underlying premise in this research is that adopting key virtues promotes a better quality of life. Consistent with this orientation, the purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between humility and self-forgiveness over time. The analyses are organized around three issues. First, it is proposed that older Blacks will be more humble than older Whites and older Blacks will be more likely to forgive themselves than older Whites. Second, it is hypothesized that, over time, more humble older people are more likely to forgive themselves than individuals who are less humble. Third, it is proposed that greater involvement in religion is associated with greater humility and greater self-forgiveness. Data from a nationwide longitudinal survey of older adults provides support for all these hypotheses.
Cyclic nucleotides and phosphodiesterases and airway function

The cyclic nucleotides, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) play an important role in the regulation of airway smooth muscle tone and activation of inflammatory cells. Intracellular concentrations of these nucleotides are tightly regulated by phosphodiesterases (PDEs). Several families of PDEs are now recognized and, within each isoenzyme family, molecular cloning has revealed multiple members. PDE III and IV are important in the breakdown of cAMP; PDE III is involved in the regulation of airway smooth muscle tone, whereas PDE IV is more important in inflammatory cells, including mast cells, macrophages, eosinophils, T-lymphocytes and epithelial cells. PDE V is involved in the breakdown of cGMP in airway and vascular smooth muscle. Regulation of PDE expression in health and disease is now under investigation. Several selective PDE inhibitors have recently been developed, and experimental studies indicate that PDE IV inhibitors may be useful as anti-inflammatory treatments in asthma. Clinical trials in asthma are now in progress.
Minding the verge: Moderating webcasts and chat

Don W. Hamerly is the director, School Library Media Program, and assistant professor at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Dominican University. You can reach him at dhamerly dom.edu O nline instruction at institutions of higher education in the United States is burgeoning in the midst of a digital social media revolution. Since 2003, yearly reports from the Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C) have charted the rapid uptake and increasing acceptance of online instruction by students, faculty and administrators. The Sloan-C and others report the expansion of online instruction sweepingly, in terms of administrative motivation, infrastructure investment, stakeholder acceptance, measures of success and delivery formats, occasionally via anecdotal examples of digital media applications used alone or in concert in specific educational contexts, but rarely in terms of the personal agency of instructors and students. A prevailing theme in these reports nevertheless reflects the current zeitgeist of what is alternately called the connected era, connected age or network society: increasingly accessible social and collaborative digital computing is changing the way people connect with one another and interact. New ways of connecting affect, among other things, the nature of interactions in online learning environments, but the systematic study of how instructors and students manage new ways of connecting lags behind the increased adoption of online instruction. As the number of and enrollment in online courses grow, and as the facilitators of online courses – administrators, instructors and information technology support staff – employ established and emerging social software applications and devices in online courses, opportunities continually arise to study how digital sociality is affecting online learning. When course instructors bring into a learning environment the kinds of digital social media that they and students use for socializing in their personal lives, what happens? How do students and instructors perceive the effects of digital social media on learning, and how do students and instructors manage their interactions when they use digital social media for online courses? These questions inspired a recent study of the use of combined webcasts and chat for instruction in an online course for undergraduates taught by graduate students at an iSchool.
An anatomy of the poison pill

In this paper the workings of the generic version of the poison pill are investigated. The analysis shows that the poison pill with only a flip-over provision is ineffective as either an anti-merger mechanism or an anti-takeover device. Two antidotes to the flip-over provision (one of which is well known) are provided here. The analysis further demonstrates that with the inclusion of a flip-in provision it is possible for the target firm to construct a poison pill right to either increase the tender price and allow the takeover or to eliminate the possibility of a successful hostile tender offer.
Analytical subthreshold surface potential model for pocket n-MOSFETs

A correct and improved analytical subthreshold surface potential model for pocket n-MOSFETs is proposed. The model is based on solutions of the quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2-D) Poisson's equation, which satisfy rigorously the boundary conditions of continuity of potential and electric field in the lateral direction along the surface of pocket devices. The closed-form model equations without any fitting empirical formulas efficiently and correctly generate surface potential profiles between the source and drain of deep-submicrometer as well as long-channel pocket n-MOSFETs. Drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL) effect of deep-submicrometer pocket n-MOSFETs is also predicted by the potential model. The subthreshold surface potential model is applied to off-state current and threshold voltage of deep-submicrometer or sub-100-nm pocket n-MOSFETs.
The influence of time interval between diagnostic image acquisition and operative date on pathologic tumor size in pancreatic adenocarcinoma: implications for local therapy

Objectives: Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may underestimate pancreatic tumor size, which has important implications for local therapy. Our aim was to determine if tumor growth during the interval between image acquisition and operative date impacted the observed size discrepancy. Methods: Tumor sizes measured on preoperative MRI were compared with gross pathological specimen measurements in 148 patients with surgically resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Differences in the measurements were correlated with the interval between date of pre-operative MRI acquisition and date of operation. Differences between tumor size on MRI and pathology reports were compared with respect to the intervening time interval. Results: A total of 148 patients had pre-operative MRI scans and were included in the analysis. The median patient age was 66 years (range: 29 years-86 years). A significant under estimation of 4.5 mm between tumor size measured on preoperative MRI and pathological examination ( p < .001) was demonstrated. There was no significant correlation between size discrepancy and time interval from the diagnostic imaging study and the surgical procedure (R 2 = 0.001, p = .72). Conclusions: Time interval between the acquired diagnostic imaging study and operative date appears to have no measureable influence on radiographic to pathologic size discrepancy in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. MRI was again shown to underestimate pancreatic cancer tumor size. Additional exploration into the role of MRI in delineating pancreatic tumor volume with a prospectively designed study is needed to validate these findings.
Implications of Consumer Information Processing Research for the Design of Consumer Information Systems

The commercial success of computerized consumer information systems will depend heavily on the extent to which they help consumers make choices. A system's usefulness will be a function of both the information it contains and the capabilities it offers to process this information. These capabilities will be incorporated in the system's access “language.” This paper reviews research on how consumers process information to make choices, and discusses the implications of this research for the design of consumer information system languages. A hypothetical example is presented and contrasted briefly with available access languages.
Local is not fair: indigenous peasant farmer preference for export markets

The food sovereignty movement calls for a reversal of the neoliberal globalization of food, toward an alternative development model that supports peasant production for local consumption. The movement holds an ambiguous stance on peasant production for export markets, and clearly prioritizes localized trade. Food sovereignty discourse often simplifies and romanticizes the peasantry—overlooking agrarian class categories and ignoring the interests of export-oriented peasants. Drawing on 8 months of participant observation in the Andean countryside and 85 interviews with indigenous peasant farmers, this paper finds that export markets are viewed as more fair than local markets. The indigenous peasants in this study prefer export trade because it offers a more stable and viable livelihood. Feeding the national population through local market intermediaries, by contrast, is perceived as unfair because of oversupply and low, fluctuating prices. This perspective, from the ground, offers important insight to movement actors and scholars who risk oversimplifying peasant values, interests, and actions.
Unique Positive FM-AM Decomposition of Signals

An analytic signal, observed over an interval of T seconds, is decomposed into a Minimum Phase (AM) and an All-Phase (FM) signal. The former‘s log-envelope and phase form a Hilbert transform pair while the latter has positive definite instantaneous frequency (IF). An AM-FM demodulator algorithm to achieve the above decomposition is proposed.
Using Evidence of Household Income Diversification to Inform Study of the Rural Nonfarm Labor Market in Africa

Abstract The labor market literature in developing countries has seldom drawn on the studies of rural household income diversification. This paper draws on such studies to inform future study of the rural nonfarm labor market in Africa. The review of evidence provides some surprising departures from traditional images of nonfarm activities of rural households. Among the most striking is the dominant importance in the majority of case study areas of nonfarm wage labor (as compared to self-employment), of nonfarm sector earnings (as compared to farm sector wage earnings), and of local nonfarm earnings (as compared to migration earnings). The most worrying finding was the poor distribution of nonfarm earnings in rural areas, despite the importance of these earnings to food security and farm investments. This poor distribution implies significant entry barriers and market segmentation; it is probable that this will lead over time to an increasingly skewed distribution of land and other assets in rural Africa.
Large-Signal Stability Assessment of AC/DC Systems with Multi-Pulse Rectification and DC-Fed PWM Motor Drives

This paper analyzes the large signal stability in an AC/DC system with a controlled AC generator and a regulated load of constant power characteristic. The method used in the analysis is based on Lyapunov direct method. The required Lyapunov function is constructed by means of solving a set of linear matrix inequalities derived from the system. Therefore, the models of the system components become relevant in the formulation and are also analyzed. In the Lyapunov based study it is desired that these models are simple, but represent the nonlinear and energy-flow behavior of the original equipment. Computer simulations are used along the paper to illustrate the discussion and support the validity of the proposed approach.
Hong Kong's feng shui: popular magic in a modern urban setting

Le « Feng shui », geomancie chinoise, est toujours employe a Hong Kong. Cette pratique magique est liee a la religion et s'utilise dans le commerce et a des fins domestiques (emplacement des tombes, des rues, des lits, d'un appartement et emploi de mirroir pour eloigner les mauvaises ondes).
Numerical study of all-optical slow-light delays via stimulated Brillouin scattering in an optical fiber

We study numerically all-optical slow-light delays in room-temperature single-mode optical fibers induced by stimulated Brillouin scattering. We consider the propagation of a pulse through a cw-pumped Brillouin fiber amplifier, where the carrier frequency of the pulse is tuned near the Stokes resonance. Pulse delay and broadening of the Stokes pulse are studied in the small-signal and gain-saturation regimes. Pulse delay is shown to be limited by saturation of the Brillouin amplifier. In the small-signal regime, both time delay and pulse broadening increase with increasing gain. In the gain-saturation regime, both time delay and broadening decrease with increasing gain, and the pulse even achieves advancement. Time delay of more than one pulse-width is observed with modest pulse distortion, and over one pulse-width advancement can be obtained with larger pulse distortion in the gain-saturation regime.
Tumor Boundary Estimation Through Time-Domain Peaks Monitoring: Numerical Predictions and Experimental Results in Tissue-Mimicking Phantoms

A method to estimate the boundary of a tumor using an interstitial microwave probe was evaluated in numerical and phantom models. This method utilizes time-domain signal reflection from the tumor/liver interface to provide information about tumor boundary in both radial and axial directions. Using computational experiments, tumors with radial diameters up to 25 mm were estimated with less than 1 mm error. Axial diameters were estimated with at most 5 mm error. Accuracy seemed to increase with radial diameter but decreased with axial diameter. Phantom experiments confirmed the computational results. These early results indicate that the proposed method may be used to estimate tumor boundary in both radial and axial dimensions without imaging. The technique may also be applicable in other situations that contain dielectric contrast between a volume of tissue and its background, such as monitoring tumor ablation growth. Additional work is needed to validate and optimize this method in tumor models.
Maternal Oral Bacterial Levels Predict Early Childhood Caries Development

Objective: To calculate the association of maternal salivary bacterial challenge (mutans streptococci [MS] and lactobacilli [LB]) from pregnancy through 24 months’ postpartum with child caries incidence (≥1 cavitated or restored teeth) at 36 months. Materials & Methods: Dental, salivary bacterial, sociodemographic, and behavioral measures were collected at three- to six-month intervals from a birth cohort of low-income Hispanic mother-child dyads (N = 243). We calculated the relative child caries incidence, adjusted for confounding, following higher maternal challenge of MS (>4500 colony-forming units per milliliter of saliva [CFU/mL]) and LB (>50 CFU/mL) based on multivariable models. Results: Salivary MS and LB levels were greater among mothers of caries-affected children versus caries-free children. Mothers with higher salivary MS challenge were more likely to have MS-positive children (>0 CFU/mL), but maternal LB challenge was not a statistically significant predictor of child LB-positive status. Adjusting for sociodemographics, feeding and care practices, and maternal dental status, higher maternal salivary challenge of both MS and LB over the study period predicted nearly double the child caries incidence versus lower MS and LB (cumulative incidence ratio: 1.9; 95% confidence interval: 1.1, 3.8). Conclusion: Maternal salivary bacterial challenge not only is associated with oral infection among children but also predicts increased early childhood caries occurrence.
Dinosaurs victims of cyanide poisoning

The Eos article, Comets and Life (March 28, 1989), reports on the work of Paul Thomas, Christophere Chyba, Carl Sagan and Leigh Brookshaw on cometary impact production of cyanides and other organics that may have been precursors of life. The article was based on material presented at the 20th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference [Thomas et al, 1989]. As pointed out in the article, comets may contain 20% organic matter in the form of a complex interbonded mass. This kerogen-like material contains CN bonds as well as CC and CO bonds. Evidence for cyanide protection from light-element “CHON” solids was observed in the recent Halley's comet encounter in the form of CN plumes [Eberhardt et al., 1986; Schlosser et al., 1986]. An additional, and possibly more important source of cyanide, is HCN, which was observed [Schloerb et al., 1986] to be emitted from Halley's comet as part of the normal neutral gas emission with an abundance equal to 10−3 that of H2O. H2O is the dominant volatile species in comets and appears to constitute 80% or more of the total molecular release [Mendis, 1986].
Severe ocular involvement in a patient with epidermolysis bullosa acquisita

A patient with epidermolysis bullosa acquisita and prominent ocular involvement that resulted in blindness is described. Because the severe eye involvement dominated the clinical picture, she had been diagnosed as having cicatricial pemphigoid. Clinicians should be aware that epidermolysis bullosa acquisita may mimic cicatricial pemphigoid and bullous pemphigoid.
Study of a 60 GHz rectangular patch antenna on a flexible LCP substrate for mobile applications

This paper focused on some important issues coming along with the integration of lightweight, flexible antennas in high speed mobile devices. It was shown that the rectangular patch antenna is almost non-sensitive to the background environment below its ground plane, making this antenna very easy to use with laptops and handheld devices. The rectangular patch was folded around the axis where the electrical field is null; this has the effect of decreasing the electrical length of the patch. The radiation pattern of the folded patch is also altered, because of the relative positioning of the two radiating edges. This research will be continued to investigate the effect of folding the patch in its E-plane. Measurements of the studied antennas will be presented at the conference.
Feature extractors for integration of cameras and sensors during end-user programming of assistive monitoring systems

Assistive monitoring systems increasingly include cameras along with sensors. End-users require the capability to program such systems to monitor user-specified events and provide customized notifications in response. We introduce feature extractors, which provide a means for integrating camera video with sensor data. A feature extractor takes a video stream as input, and outputs a stream of integer values corresponding to the amount of a particular sensor phenomenon such as motion, sound, or light, or of more advanced phenomena such as human motion, screams, or falls. Feature extractors provide an elegant means for end-users to integrate cameras into their monitoring programs. We introduce feature extractors, provide examples illustrating their effectiveness for various common assistive monitoring scenarios, and summarize usability trials with 51 lay users demonstrating 56%-96% correct utilization of feature extractors.
Improving communication and social support for caregivers of high-risk infants through mobile technologies

Upon leaving the hospital, parents of high-risk infants experience a variety of challenges in providing care at home. In this work, we present results from a qualitative study to understand the role of social interaction and information-sharing surrounding high-risk infants among both home caregivers and health professionals. These results demonstrate challenges in communication and social support for caregivers of these infants. Based on these results, we present design guidelines for collaborative communication technologies for this population and a prototype system design that demonstrates how these design guidelines might be met in a mobile application. Finally, we discuss how collaborative technologies can serve to improve communication with professionals as well as provide much-needed social support.
A statistically-augmented computational platform for evaluating meniscal function

Meniscal implants have been developed in an attempt to provide pain relief and prevent pathological degeneration of articular cartilage. However, as yet there has been no systematic and comprehensive analysis of the effects of the meniscal design variables on meniscal function across a wide patient population, and there are no clear design criteria to ensure the functional performance of candidate meniscal implants. Our aim was to develop a statistically-augmented, experimentally-validated, computational platform to assess the effect of meniscal properties and patient variables on knee joint contact mechanics during the activity of walking. Our analysis used Finite Element Models (FEMs) that represented the geometry, kinematics as based on simulated gait and contact mechanics of three laboratory tested human cadaveric knees. The FEMs were subsequently programmed to represent prescribed meniscal variables (circumferential and radial/axial moduli—Ecm, Erm, stiffness of the meniscal attachments—Slpma, Slamp) and patient variables (varus/valgus alignment—VVA, and articular cartilage modulus—Ec). The contact mechanics data generated from the FEM runs were used as training data to a statistical interpolator which estimated joint contact data for untested configurations of input variables. Our data suggested that while Ecm and Erm of a meniscus are critical in determining knee joint mechanics in early and late stance (peak 1 and peak 3 of the gait cycle), for some knees that have greater laxity in the mid-stance phase of gait, the stiffness of the articular cartilage, Ec, can influence force distribution across the tibial plateau. We found that the medial meniscus plays a dominant load-carrying role in the early stance phase and less so in late stance, while the lateral meniscus distributes load throughout gait. Joint contact mechanics in the medial compartment are more sensitive to Ecm than those in the lateral compartment. Finally, throughout stance, varus–valgus alignment can overwhelm these relationships while the stiffness of meniscal attachments in the range studied have minimal effects on the knee joint mechanics. In summary, our statistically-augmented, computational platform allowed us to study how meniscal implant design variables (which can be controlled at the time of manufacture or implantation) interact with patient variables (which can be set in FEMs but cannot be controlled in patient studies) to affect joint contact mechanics during the activity of simulated walking.
Generalized sampling theorems for wavelet subspaces

In this article, a method for creating sampling theorems in wavelet subspaces is given. Several sufficient conditions are provided for the sampling theorems to hold. The notion of continuous multiresolution analysis is introduced and the associated sampling theorems are extended to different (scale) wavelet subspaces. >
Glycine tranporter-1 blockade potentiates NMDA-mediated responses in rat prefrontal cortical neurons in vitro and in vivo.

TheN-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor (NMDA-R) has pivotal roles in neural development, learning, memory, and synaptic plasticity. Functional impairment of NMDA-R has been implicated in schizophr...
Evolution and relationship maintenance: Fertility cues lead committed men to devalue relationship alternatives.

Abstract An evolutionary perspective provides a conceptual framework with which to study adaptive processes that facilitate the maintenance of long-term relationships. One common relationship threat people face involves exposure to tempting relationship alternatives. Desirable relationship alternatives can threaten people's relationship commitment and, consequently, evoke relationship maintenance processes designed to protect people's relationship esteem. The current research examined whether cues of female ovulation–an important reproductive variable–evokes relationship maintenance processes in committed men. Men rated the attractiveness of a normally cycling relationship alternative at various points in her menstrual cycle. Unlike single men, who rated the woman as especially attractive when she was highly fertile, committed men exhibited the opposite pattern, rating her as less attractive during her period of peak fertility. This research illustrates the utility of integrating theories of relationship maintenance with evolutionary psychological theories of mating.
Systematic review of probiotics for the treatment of community-acquired acute diarrhea in children

Oral rehydration salts (ORS), zinc, and continued feeding are the recommended treatments for community-acquired acute diarrhea among young children. However, probiotics are becoming increasingly popular treatments for diarrhea in some countries. We sought to estimate the effect of probiotics on diarrhea morbidity and mortality in children < 5 years of age. We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials to estimate the effect of probiotic microorganisms for the treatment of community-acquired acute diarrhea in children. Data were abstracted into a standardized table and study quality was assessed using the Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group (CHERG) adaption of the GRADE technique. We measured the relative effect of probiotic treatment in addition to recommended rehydration on hospitalizations, duration and severity. We then calculated the average percent difference for all continuous outcomes and performed a meta-analysis for discrete outcomes. We identified 8 studies for inclusion in the final database. No studies reported diarrhea mortality and overall the evidence was low to moderate quality. Probiotics reduced diarrhea duration by 14.0% (95% CI: 3.8-24.2%) and stool frequency on the second day of treatment by 13.1% (95% CI: 0.8 – 25.3%). There was no effect on the risk of diarrhea hospitalizations. Probiotics may be efficacious in reducing diarrhea duration and stool frequency during a diarrhea episode. However, only few studies have been conducted in low-income countries and none used zinc (the current recommendation) thus additional research is needed to understand the effect of probiotics as adjunct therapy for diarrhea among children in developing countries.
Prospective Cohort Study of Hospital Palliative Care Teams for Inpatients With Advanced Cancer: Earlier Consultation Is Associated With Larger Cost-Saving Effect

Purpose Previous studies report that early palliative care is associated with clinical benefits, but there is limited evidence on economic impact. This article addresses the research question: Does timing of palliative care have an impact on its effect on cost? Patients and Methods Using a prospective, observational design, clinical and cost data were collected for adult patients with an advanced cancer diagnosis admitted to five US hospitals from 2007 to 2011. The sample for economic evaluation was 969 patients; 256 were seen by a palliative care consultation team, and 713 received usual care only. Subsamples were created according to time to consult after admission. Propensity score weights were calculated, matching the treatment and comparison arms specific to each subsample on observed confounders. Generalized linear models with a γ distribution and a log link were applied to estimate the mean treatment effect on cost within subsamples. Results Earlier consultation is associated with a larger effect o...
Pilot randomised trial of a healthy eating behavioural intervention in uncontrolled asthma

Rigorous research on the benefit of healthy eating patterns for asthma control is lacking.We randomised 90 adults with objectively confirmed uncontrolled asthma and a low-quality diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) scores <6 out of 9) to a 6-month DASH behavioural intervention (n=46) or usual-care control (n=44). Intention-to-treat analyses used repeated-measures mixed models.Participants were middle-aged, 67% female and multiethnic. Compared with controls, intervention participants improved on DASH scores (mean change (95% CI) 0.6 (0, 1.1) versus -0.3 (-0.8, 0.2); difference 0.8 (0.2, 1.5)) and the primary outcome, Asthma Control Questionnaire scores (-0.2 (-0.5, 0) versus 0 (-0.3, 0.3); difference -0.2 (-0.5, 0.1)) at 6 months. The mean group differences in changes in Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire overall and subdomain scores consistently favoured the intervention over the control group: overall 0.4 (95% CI 0, 0.8), symptoms 0.5 (0, 0.9), environment 0.4 (-0.1, 1.0), emotions 0.4 (-0.2, 0.9) and activities 0.3 (0, 0.7). These differences were modest, but potentially clinical significant.The DASH behavioural intervention improved diet quality with promising clinical benefits for better asthma control and functional status among adults with uncontrolled asthma. A full-scale efficacy trial is warranted.
Parylene BioMEMS

This paper describes parylene as an emerging bioMEMS material. Parylene has the unique feature of room-temperature, pinhole-free conformal CVD deposition. It is chemically inert and biocompatible. More interestingly, it is found that parylene thin film usually possesses a tensile intrinsic stress, controlled by the last thermal steps. These features allow free-standing parylene MEMS structures in many designs. Parylene MEMS is also a suitable technology for post-CMOS integration. As a result, multi-layer parylene MEMS technology has been developed, especially for bioMEMS applications. This paper also gives examples of integrated parylene microfluidics and HPLC on-a-chip
Effects of singing on voice, respiratory control and quality of life in persons with Parkinson’s disease

Purpose Interventions focused on singing may provide additional benefits to established voice and respiratory therapies, due to their greater emphasis on the respiratory muscle control system in those with Parkinson's disease (PD) progresses. The purpose of this study was to examine if singing can improve voice, respiratory pressure and quality of life (QOL) in persons with PD. Methods This pilot study measured the effects of a singing intervention in 27 participants with PD. Participants were assigned to a high (met twice weekly) or low (met once weekly) dosage group. Voice, respiratory and QOL measures were recorded before and after an 8-week singing intervention. Sessions were led by board-certified music therapists and included a series of vocal and articulation exercises and group singing. Results Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressure, as well as phonation time. While other voice measures improved, they did not reach statistical significance. Voice QOL and whole health QOL also significantly improved. Conclusion These results suggest singing may be a beneficial and engaging treatment choice for improving and maintaining vocal function and respiratory pressure in persons with PD. Implications for Rehabilitation In a small sample, group singing proved beneficial for improving voice and respiratory impairment in persons with Parkinson's disease. Completing group singing one time per week for 8 weeks was as effective as completing group singing two times per week for 8 weeks in persons with Parkinson's disease. Group singing is an effective means of improving overall quality of life in persons with Parkinson's disease.
Analysis of stability of nanotube dispersions using surface tension isotherms.

In this paper, we present the analyses of surface tension of surfactant-stabilized dispersions of carbon nanotubes. This method allows one to study interactions of carbon nanotubes with surfactants at different levels of nanotube loading when optical methods fall short in quantifying the level of nanotube separation. Sodium dodecyl sulfate was used as a stabilizing agent to uniformly disperse single-walled carbon nanotubes in an aqueous media. We show that surface tension is very sensitive to small changes of nanotube and surfactant concentrations. The experimental data suggest that, at moderate concentrations, surfactant displaces carbon nanotubes from the air–water interface and the nanotubes are mostly moved into the bulk of the liquid. By analyzing the surface tension as a function of surfactant concentration, we obtained the dependence of critical micelle concentration on nanotube loading. We then constructed the adsorption isotherm for dodecyl sulfate on carbon nanotubes and bundles of carbon nanotu...
Presynaptic inhibition in the crayfish brain. II: Morphology and ultrastructure of the terminal arborization

1. Ascending interneurons were functionally identified and injected with Lucifer Yellow and horseradish peroxidase. The distribution of their axon terminals in the supraesophageal ganglion was examined with light and electron microscopy 2. The terminals of all cells examined invade the ipsilateral parolfactory neuropil. Most of the cells also project processes to the ipsilateral antennal and/or optic neuropil and a few cells terminate in the optic ganglia. Thus ascending interneurons may distribute their actions to all three neuromeres of the brain and to distal elements of the visual pathway (Figs. 1–3). 3. The axons and secondary processes of ascending interneurons are distinguished by the presence of microtubules. Both processes exhibit protuberances (Fig. 5) which in the electron microscope have all the features of subsynaptic zones (Fig. 6). 4. HRP labeled processes in the synaptic neuropil region contain small round vesicles and large dense core vesicles (Fig. 7). The two vesicle types are segregated. Only the small round vesicles are found at synaptic release sites. 5. Presynaptic sites containing small round vesicles (Fig. 8) are identifiable along the secondary and tertiary process of the HRP labeled ascending axon terminals. We infer that these synapses are the basis of the excitatory functional connection between ascending and descending interneurons. 6. Vesicle-containing neural processes in the antennal and antennule neuropils make axo-axonic contacts with the HRP labeled ascending cell terminals (Figs. 6 and 9). A preponderance of these synapses contain elongated vesicles which imply an inhibitory function. We infer that these axoaxonic synapses are the structural correlates of the functional inhibitory inputs to ascending interneuron terminals. 7. The axo-axonal synapses are principally located on the terminal arborization between the axon proper and the release sites of the ascending interneuron. This location is consistent with inhibitory action on events intermediate between the axonal action potential and the transmitter release mechanism.
Technical debt prioritization using predictive analytics

Recently, Technical Debt (TD) has gained popularity in the Software Engineering community to describe design decisions that allow software development teams to achieve short term benefits such as expedited release of code. Technical debt accrued should be managed to avoid the disastrous consequences of these temporary workarounds. Management of technical debt involve documenting the debt item in the backlog including some type of quantification in terms of person-hours or story points for example. Subsequently, the debt items are prioritized and addressed. Developers or project managers face problems to decide which debt is higher priority or more "problematic" and which one needs to be addressed first. This decision-making process is not standardized and is currently context dependent in most organizations. This paper bridge this gap by proposing a framework which makes use of a plethora of techniques ranging from data mining to prediction and decision models that project managers can use in their decision-making process to determine which technical debt is more critical and should be addressed first.
Oxygen-dependent reaction of 6-hydroxydopamine, 5,6-dihydroxytryptamine, and related compounds with proteins in vitro: a model for cytotoxicity.

An oxygen-dependent, covalent interaction of radioactive 6-hydroxydopamine, 5,6-dihydroxtryptamine, and related compounds with several model proteins in vitro is described. 6-Hydroxydopamine and 5,6-dihydroxytryptamine react with bovine serum albumin in the presence of oxygen to yield a total of about 12 moles of amine bound per mole of protein. The nature of the oxidation product which reacts rapidly has not been defined, but in the case of 6-hydroxydopamine the amine moiety of the side chain, and hence cyclization to a dihydroxyindole, is not required. 5,7-Dihydroxytryptamine, norepinephrine, and dopamine react much more slowly, and tyramine, serotonin, and nonphenolic amines, not at all. The reaction of 6-hydroxydopamine and 5,6-dihydroxytryptamine appears to occur almost exclusively with sulfhydryl groups of proteins, but both amines appear capable of generating additional free sulfhydryl groups by reduction of disulfide bonds in proteins. Denaturation of proteins such as albumins or hemoglobins with 6 M urea results in a marked increase in the amount of radioactive amine bound per mole of protein. This binding approaches the theoretical number of potential free sulfhydryl groups, suggesting that in the native proteins certain sulfhydryl and/or disulfide bonds are inaccessible to the amine. In proteins which do not contain disulfide bonds, blockade of free sulfhydryl groups with N-ethylmaleimide renders the protein resistant to interaction with 6-hydroxydopamine. Polylysine reacts only slowly with 6-hydroxydopamine. The reaction product of radioactive 6-hydroxydopamine and bovine serum albumin consists primarily not of monomeric protein but of a series of polymeric proteins as determined by gel filtration and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The cross-linking of bovine serum albumin to form polymers which occurred with both 6-hydroxydopamine and 5,6-dihydroxytryptamine was irreversible. Incorporation of more than 2 moles of amine per mole of protein appeared to be required for cross-linking. Acid hydrolysis of 6-hydroxydopamine-cross-linked bovine serum albumin yielded two radioactive, ninhydrin-positive products, which are suggested to be cysteine derivatives. The covalent binding and induction of cross-linking of proteins in vitro by 6-hydroxydopamine and 5,6-dihydroxytryptamine is discussed from a mechanistic standpoint and as a possible model for the mechanism of the cytotoxic actions of these compounds in vivo.
Claiming unclaimed spaces: virtual spaces for learning

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to describe and examine the environments used by teacher candidates in multi-user virtual environments. Secondary data analysis of a case study methodology was employed. Multiple data sources including interviews, surveys, observations, snapshots, course artifacts, and the researcher’s journal were used in the initial case study, while using the resulting narratives of each student’s experience for the secondary data analysis. All data were coded and reviewed iteratively to inductively deduce the key considerations for virtual world environmental design. Five assertions were derived from the data to help guide the development of virtual learning environments. These five assertions focus on: novelty, the role of realism, fantastical and outdoor environments, maneuverability, and design for movement.
The Effect of Stereotype Incongruent Information on Consumers’ Evaluations: Does Favorable Foreign Product Mean Favorable Country of Origin?

A multitude of studies on country of origin effects indicate that consumers hold stereotypes of foreign countries and these stereotypes are then used for product evaluation and purchase. While there is ample research that explored such an effect, little if any systematic research has explored either theoretically or empirically determinants of country of origin stereotype change or revision in response to new information. For example, when, how and why new product information affects country of origin stereotypes have not been fully investigated. To address this gap in the literature, this study seeks to explore the determinants of consumers’ country of origin evaluation. It contributes to both theory and practice by connecting country of origin research to research in social psychology on stereotype change. In the present research contribution, we investigate how country of origin stereotypes change in response to stereotype-disconfirming information. We draw on the sub-typing model of stereotype change, social judgment theory and the cognitive elaboration model to hypothesize that product information type; consumers level of involvement as well as the typicality of the information presented affect the degree to which consumers may revise the country of origin stereotype they hold.
"FEM1"nism controls SLBP stability during cell cycle.

The sex-determining protein FEM1, which contains a VHL-box, B/C-box, cullin 2-box, and several ANK repeat domains, belongs to the substrate-recognizing adaptor proteins of Cullin 2/Rbx1/Elongin B/C...
Why is it that despite signed capitulations, the war on cancer is still on?

Almost half a century ago, under the concept of a War on Cancer, an all-out generously-funded worldwide scientific research effort was undertaken aimed at explaining cancer and eventually providing a cure for it. This massive effort was epistemologically based on a reductionist approach to the understanding of the biological sciences. In short, it adopted the premises of the somatic mutation theory of carcinogenesis (SMT) which was originally proposed in 1914 by Theodor Boveri and subsequently modified by its followers. In the last few years, a general unambiguous consensus by the originators and followers of this strategy has emerged that considered that this effort failed. Remarkably, however, the bulk of the active scientific community has ignored such a verdict and continues to work under the premises of the SMT and its variants. This Commentary documents the critical position of the “thought-leaders” and contrasts it with that of the bench-researchers at large who continue working on their respective experimental programs always consistent with the premises of the SMT, namely, that cancer is a cellular, subcellular and molecular disease. This curious and divergent attitude between cancer research leaders, on one side, and the bench-bound cancer researchers, on the other, should call the attention of all active participants who dedicated and still do dedicate their efforts to resolving the cancer puzzle and that of observers of the scientific scene. Patients, the practicing medical community and the public at large who ultimately funded such a massive undertaking deserve an explanation of a) why this well-meant scientific project failed, and b) whether there is a plausible alternative that may fare better than the unsuccessful one.
Eliciting Best Practices in Digital Literacy Tutoring: A Cognitive Task Analysis Approach

Responding to the increasing need for all citizens to be digitally literate, our research group has led a program for six years that addresses older adults’ questions about digital devices and applications. Our patrons confront a range of socio-technical barriers as they adopt new technology and explore the digital world, and our tutors have developed particular practices to identify and overcome these barriers. Using a cognitive task analysis methodology, we conducted semi-structured interviews with experienced tutors. From these, we derived a set of effective and replicable practices that can form the basis for similar programs elsewhere.