cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parathyroid hormone (PTH)/PTH-related peptide receptor density modulates activation of phospholipase C and phosphate transport by PTH in LLC-PK1 cells.

We showed previously that a single species of cloned PTH/PTH-related peptide (PTHrP) receptors, when stably expressed in LLC-PK1 kidney cells, couples to multiple second messenger signals and biological responses. To address the linkages of individual messenger signals to specific biological responses in these cells, we examined the relations among PTH/PTHrP receptor expression, PTH-activated phospholipase C (PLC) and adenylyl cyclase, and PTH-regulated phosphate transport in LLC-PK1 cells that stably express cloned rat PTH/PTHrP receptors. Among 18 such subclones, PTH stimulation of intracellular cAMP accumulation was nearly equivalent, despite differences in receptor density ranging from 20,000-400,000 sites/cell. In contrast, activation of PLC by PTH was directly and continuously dependent upon receptor density. PTH-stimulated phosphate uptake also was strongly dependent upon receptor expression, correlated well with PLC activity, was mimicked by active phorbol esters but not by cAMP analogs or forskol...
Simplification of cast and composite resin build-ups

Abstract The methods described in this article simplify fabrication of buildups for teeth lacking sufficient clinical crown structure. The Accor matrix is the matrix of choice, and its advantages have been described.
Danger of amiodarone therapy and elevated inspired oxygen concentrations in mice

Abstract In conclusion, our study showed a statistically significant incidence of pulmonary edema in mice receiving amiodarone and 100% oxygen. This finding, together with a variety of clinical reports, indicates that in patients receiving amiodarone therapy, FiO 2 should be maintained at the lowest possible level, consistent with adequate oxygenation.
STUDIES ON THE HUMAN OOCYTE AND ITS FOLLICLE: I. Ultrastructural and Histochemical Observations on the Primordial Follicle Stage

Oocytes in primordial ("resting") follicles in adult human ovaries contain a complex paranuclear structure identified by light microscopists as Balbiani's vitelline body. By electron microscopy this structure is composed of a mass of mitochondria with associated endoplasmic reticulum, multiple compound aggregates which form a ring around the cytocentrum, and a single stack or coil of annulate lamellae either attached to the nuclear membrane or free in the cytoplasm. The compound aggregates contain vacuoles and finely divided electron-opaque material. Evidence is presented for the probable transport of this material between the oocyte and its environment. The cytocentrum contains a central aggregate of amorphous electron-opaque deposits which appear to become periodically aligned on fine fibrils to form the long coarse fibers at the periphery of the cytocentrum. The apparent prevalence of annulate lamellae attached or adjacent to the nuclear membrane of oocytes in ovaries removed during the mid-follicular (estrogenic) phase of the cycle indicates the need for further study of a possible hormonal influence on the resting oocyte. By light microscopy phosphatases were not found within the oocyte, but adenosine-monophosphatase activity is present in the cortical cells surrounding primordial follicles, and also at the periphery of each primitive follicle cell, most prominently at the oocyte side. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity is present within the oocyte cytoplasm.
The Case of the Field Trip Disaster

For decades, the instructional field trip has been viewed as a strategy to enhance students' learning experiences. Yet what happens when an award-winning teacher is accused of choking a student while on a field trip? Tempers flare among community members, parents contact the police, and the principal is assigned the daunting task of investigating a staff member for assault and battery. This case study provides an opportunity for aspiring principals to analyze legal challenges posed by the supervision of students during instructional field trips. In addition, students will explore school board and site-based school policies regarding field trips and examine guidelines regarding due process for teachers. Finally, an analysis of the principal's relationship with the teacher's union representative will help prepare future administrators in working with negotiated contracts.
Technology and human errors in image-guided surgeries

Using image guidance for stereotactic surgery has been widely adopted in neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery and other surgery operations. Careful, precise and robust implementation of image-guidance can offer surgeon accurate intra-operative information that traditional techniques can not reach. Weak design, careless utilization, and dilemma in quality assurance protocol may result in severe scenarios. It is because that introducing image guidance into the operating room involves high precise technologies, delicate instruments and sophisticated processes. These can offer precision as well as space for human errors. A method based on the Failure modes & effects analysis is introduced to systematically study human errors in the image-guided surgery field The paper presented the fundamental steps and architectures of the method For better understanding of the method, a simple example is also provided. Analyzing human errors with the failure mode & effects analysis benefits the development life cycle of the image-guided surgery system. It also helps for designing the clinical quality assurance process and the training courses for surgeons.
Trade-off between vertical resolution and accuracy in water vapor retrievals from ground-based microwave brightness temperature measurements

Thermodynamic properties of the troposphere, particularly water vapor content and temperature, change in response to physical mechanisms, including frictional drag, evaporation, transpiration, heat transfer, pollutant emission and flow modification due to terrain. The planetary boundary layer (PBL) is characterized by a greater rate of change in its thermodynamic state than higher tropospheric altitudes. Such changes in the PBL typically occur on time scales of less than one hour; whereas the upper troposphere exhibits much longer time constants. Large horizontal gradients in vertical wind speed and steep vertical gradients in water vapor and temperature in the PBL result in high-impact weather, including severe thunderstorms. Observation of these gradients in the PBL with improved vertical resolution is important for improvement of weather prediction. Additionally high vertical resolution and accuracy of measured thermodynamic profiles, especially water vapor and temperature, are important for initialization of numerical weather prediction models. Satellite remote sensing in the visible, infrared and microwave bands provides qualitative and quantitative measurements of many atmospheric properties, including cloud cover, precipitation, liquid water content and precipitable water vapor in the atmosphere above the PBL. However, its ability to characterize thermodynamic properties of the PBL is limited by the confounding factors of ground emission in microwave channels and of cloud cover in visible and IR channels, as well as limitations in the vertical resolution of the remote sensing instruments onboard the satellite. Ground-based microwave radiometers are routinely used to estimate thermodynamic profiles, but the accuracy and resolution of vertical profiles may be improperly estimated. Here a new technique has been used to improve the vertical resolution of retrieved water vapor density profiles, based on the design of the Compact Microwave Radiometer for Humidity Profiling (CMR-H) [1]. The CMR-H operates at four frequencies near the weak water vapor absorption line, namely 22.12, 22.67, 23.25, and 24.5 GHz.
Sorbitol and myo-inositol levels and morphology of sural nerve in relation to peripheral nerve function and clinical neuropathy in men with diabetic, impaired, and normal glucose tolerance.

Aims: Sorbitol and myo-inositol levels and morphology of sural nerve were compared with nerve function and clinical neuropathy in men with diabetic, impaired (IGT), and normal glucose tolerance. Methods: After neurography of sural nerve and determinations of sensory thresholds for vibration, warm and cold on the foot, whole nerve sural nerve biopsy was performed in 10 men with Type 1 diabetes mellitus, 10 with IGT, and 10 with normal glucose tolerance. Polyol levels were assessed by gas-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Results: Sural nerve amplitudes were significantly lower and sorbitol levels significantly higher in diabetic patients (median (interquartile range)) (3.7 (3.5) μV and 643 (412) pmol/mg protein, respectively) both compared with IGT (11.3 (10.6) μV; P = 0.04 and 286 (83) pmol/mg protein; P = 0.0032, respectively) and normally glucose tolerant (10.0 (11.6); P = 0.0142 and 296 (250) pmol/mg protein; P = 0.0191, respectively) subjects. There were no differences in nerve morphology between the three groups. Nerve myo-inositol levels correlated, however, positively with cluster density (r(s) = 0.56; P = 0.0054). In diabetic and IGT subjects, sural nerve amplitudes (2.6 (3.8) vs. 12.1 (10.6) μV; P = 0.0246) and myelinated nerve fibre density (MNFD; 4076 (1091) vs. 5219 (668) nerve fibres/mm2; P = 0.0021) were significantly lower in nine subjects with clinical neuropathy than in 10 without. Conclusions: Nerve degeneration (i.e. MNFD) correlated with clinical neuropathy but not with glucose tolerance status whereas nerve myo-inositol levels positively correlated with signs of nerve regeneration (i.e. increased cluster density).
Dispersal of Hatchery-Reared Chinook Salmon Parr following Release into Four Idaho Streams

Abstract Repeated snorkel surveys were used to observe dispersal of parr of hatchery-reared chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha from release sites in four mountain streams during 1994. The distribution of hatchery chinook salmon released in two streams at multiple sites was compared with the distribution of hatchery fish released in two streams at single release sites. Hatchery chinook salmon parr remained concentrated within 1.5 km of release sites through summer, but they were more evenly distributed in streams where multiple release sites were used. Densities of hatchery fish remained relatively stable following release, although there was a trend of gradual declining densities through summer and early fall.
An assessment of global climate model‐simulated climate for the western cordillera of Canada (1961–90)

Climate change is projected to significantly affect future hydrologic processes over many regions of the world. This is of particular importance for alpine systems that provide critical water supplies to lower-elevation regions. The western cordillera of Canada is a prime example where changes to temperature and precipitation could have profound hydro-climatic impacts not only for the cordillera itself, but also for downstream river systems and the drought-prone Canadian Prairies. At present, impact researchers primarily rely on global climate models (GCMs) for future climate projections. The main objective of this study is to assess several GCMs in their ability to simulate the magnitude and spatial variability of current (1961-90) temperature and precipitation over the western cordillera of Canada. In addition, several gridded data sets of observed climate for the study region are evaluated. Results reveal a close correspondence among the four gridded data sets of observed climate, particularly for temperature. There is, however, considerable variability regarding the various GCM simulations of this observed climate. The British, Canadian, German, Australian, and US GFDL models are superior at simulating the magnitude and spatial variability of mean temperature. The Japanese GCM is of intermediate ability, and the US NCAR model is least representative of temperature in this region. Nearly all the models substantially overestimate the magnitude of total precipitation, both annually and on a seasonal basis. An exception involves the British (Hadley) model, which best represents the observed magnitude and spatial variability of precipitation. This study improves our understanding regarding the accuracy of GCM climate simulations over the western cordillera of Canada. The findings may assist in producing more reliable future scenarios of hydro-climatic conditions over various regions of the country.
Procedures codes are more reliable indicators of intraoperative colectomy complication than diagnosis codes

RESULTS: Neuroticism, anxiety and depression were correlated well with IBDQ and its subscales in both active and quiescent CD groups. In quiescent CD group, neuroticism could predict IBDQ, IBDQ emotional function and IBDQ bowel function while anxiety could predict IBDQ systemic symptom. In active CD group, IBDQ emotional function could be predicted by both neuroticism and anxiety while other IBDQ and its subscales could be predicted by neuroticism independently.
Cross-cultural social status perception in speech

During the course of each day, we meet many people and form quick judgments about not only their mood and general intelligence, but about their character and social background as well. Personal appearance, facial expression, body movement, and linguistic cues are but a few of the sources of data that we interpret. It has been a matter of much debate in the last fifty years as to whether these data are cross-culturally significant, or whether they have meaning only within a given cultural milieu. This study was an attempt to determine if linguistic cues of social status have such a cross-cultural significance.
Encoded archival description (EAD): Adoption and implementation

Encoded Archival Description (EAD) provides archival researchers with more in-depth contentrelated and contextual information than was previously available anywhere but in the physical repository. This has led to its use throughout the United States and in many other countries to increase access to archival and manuscript collections. Furthermore, EAD is one means of managing metadata that describe digital objects linked to archival finding aids. In spite of these potential benefits, the archival community in the United States has embraced EAD slowly. This paper examined EAD adoption in the U.S. and reports on a survey of 399 archives and manuscript repositories that participated in EAD educational workshops from 1993 - 2002. Among the factors found to be related to EAD adoption were prior adoption of the MARC format for the description of archival or manuscript materials and professional staff size. Implementation issues affecting adoption included the different technologies and skills required for encoding and display of finding aids and the lack of a consensus on either encoding software or display options.
NSYNC: network synchronization for peer-to-peer streaming overlay construction

In peer-to-peer streaming applications such as IP television and live shows, a key problem is how to construct an overlay network to provide high-quality, almost real-time media relay in an efficient and scalable manner. Much work has focused on the construction of tree and graph network topology, often based on the inference of network characteristics such as delay and bandwidth. Less attention has been paid to improving the liveness of media delivery, and to exploiting the flexibility of applications to construct better overlay networks. We propose the NSYNC, an ongoing work on constructing low-latency overlay networks for live streaming. It aims at solving the following problems. In typical applications, peers must buffer a portion of a real-time event, e.g., for at least a few seconds, to limit the impact of adversary network conditions. Thus, it introduces both (1) delay, especially long delay for peers that are many hops away from the origin servers, and (2) partial ordering between the peers. With NSYNC, the application media players can slightly increase or decrease the speed of playing media. Thus, the peers in a network can be synchronized to achieve two effects. First, late peers can catch early peers and the origin server such that the entire peer networks improve liveness. Second, the client/server roles between a pair of neighboring peers can be reversed, allowing opportunities for constructing more efficient overlay networks. NSYNC can be used in various peer-to-peer streaming systems.
Identification of a Protein Subset of the Anthrax Spore Immunome in Humans Immunized with the Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed Preparation

We identified spore targets of Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed (AVA)-induced immunity in humans by screening recombinant clones of a previously generated, limited genomic Bacillus anthracis Sterne (pXO1+, pXO2−) expression library of putative spore surface (spore-associated [SA]) proteins with pooled sera from human adults immunized with AVA (immune sera), the anthrax vaccine currently approved for use by humans in the United States. We identified 69 clones that reacted specifically with pooled immune sera but not with pooled sera obtained from the same individuals prior to immunization. Positive clones expressed proteins previously identified as localized on the anthrax spore surface, proteins highly expressed during spore germination, orthologs of proteins of diverse pathogens under investigation as drug targets, and orthologs of proteins contributing to the virulence of both gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens. Among the reactive clones identified by this immunological screen was one expressing a 15.2-kDa hypothetical protein encoded by a gene with no significant homology to sequences contained in databases. Further studies are required to define the subset of SA proteins identified in this study that contribute to the virulence of this pathogen. We hypothesize that optimal delivery of a subset of SA proteins identified by such studies to the immune system in combination with protective antigen (PA), the principal immunogen in AVA, might facilitate the development of defined, nonreactogenic, more-efficacious PA-based anthrax vaccines. Future studies might also facilitate the identification of SA proteins with potential to serve as targets for drug design, spore inactivation, or spore detection strategies.
Smart sensor integration into security networks

Sandia has been investigating the use of "intelligent sensors" and their integration into "smart networks" for security applications. Intelligent sensors include devices that assess various phenomenologies such as radiation, chem-bio agents, radars, and video/video-motion detection. The main problem experienced with these intelligent sensors is in integrating the output from these various sensors into a system that reports the data to users in a manner that enables an efficient response to potential threats. The overall systems engineering is a critical part of bringing these intelligent sensors on-line and is important to ensuring that these systems are successfully deployed. The systems engineering effort includes designing and deploying computer networks, interfaces to make systems interoperable, and training users to ensure that these intelligent sensors can be deployed properly. This paper focuses on Sandia's efforts to investigate the systems architecture for "smart" networks and the various interfaces required between "smart" sensors to implement these "smart networks".
Wave drag due to dust acoustic waves in collisional dusty plasmas

The ion drag force on dust grains in a dusty plasma contributes significantly to the formation of equilibrium dust layers and void regions in radio-frequency discharges. In addition to the drag due to the direct collection of ions and to momentum transfer of ions in the electric field near grains, dust grains can also be subject to a drag force due to the effect of coherent waves, such as dust acoustic waves that can grow because of the drift of plasma ions relative to charged grains induced by an externally imposed electric field. Here, we examine wave drag due to unstable dust acoustic waves in a collisional dusty plasma using numerical simulations. We study the drag as a function of grain size as well as neutral-ion and neutral-dust collisions in both one-dimensional periodic systems, in which it is easier to study the instability properties per se, and in aperiodic configurations in order to assess effects associated with dust drag and void formation. For the parameter range considered, we find that in the absence of background collisions, the instability tends to saturate by trapping the plasma ions in the electrostatic waves, which does not affect the dust grains very much. Including ion-neutral collisions tends to suppress ion trapping, which in turn leads to larger wave amplitudes and trapping of the dust, resulting in significant drag on the dust grains. Inclusion of neutral-dust collisions leads to a grain size-dependent result, with the persistence of trapping of, and thus drag on, larger grains only. For the parameters of this study, the wave drag force is much larger than the ion drag usually considered.
Drug Evaluation Central & Peripheral Nervous Systems: Tiagabine: current status and potential clinical applications

The management of patients with epilepsy remains a challenge for clinicians. Partial-onset seizures are particularly refractory to antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy. Many patients require multiple AEDs for maximal seizure control and drug-drug interactions often complicate chronic therapy. Consequently, for those patients who have been unable to function up to their abilities because of seizures or medication side-effects, the introduction of new anticonvulsant medications has brought new hope. Tiagabine hydrochloride (TGB), which selectively inhibits γ-aminobutyric acid uptake in the central nervous system, has a remarkably specific and novel mechanism of action that is unique among AEDs. TGB exerts an anticonvulsant effect in a wide range of animal seizure models, has no clinically-relevant effect on hepatic metabolic processes or serum levels of other AEDs, does not displace highly protein-bound drugs, has no clinically-significant effects on laboratory values, and has not been shown to have any clinica...
Recruitment of Atg9 to the preautophagosomal structure by Atg11 is essential for selective autophagy in budding yeast.

Autophagy is a conserved degradative pathway that is induced in response to various stress and developmental conditions in eukaryotic cells. It allows the elimination of cytosolic proteins and organelles in the lysosome/vacuole. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the integral membrane protein Atg9 (autophagy-related protein 9) cycles between mitochondria and the preautophagosomal structure (PAS), the nucleating site for formation of the sequestering vesicle, suggesting a role in supplying membrane for vesicle formation and/or expansion during autophagy. To better understand the mechanisms involved in Atg9 cycling, we performed a yeast two-hybrid–based screen and identified a peripheral membrane protein, Atg11, that interacts with Atg9. We show that Atg11 governs Atg9 cycling through the PAS during specific autophagy. We also demonstrate that the integrity of the actin cytoskeleton is essential for correct targeting of Atg11 to the PAS. We propose that a pool of Atg11 mediates the anterograde transport of Atg9 to the PAS that is dependent on the actin cytoskeleton during yeast vegetative growth.
Strategic Stress Intervention In The Academic Environment

Adding activities to employee agendas without simultaneously decreasing other activities tends to increase stress. Stress is an ever-present problem in the work environment. The academic work environment is no different from that of industry, in that employees potentially face the draining and sometimes ravaging effects that stress can impose on the human condition. A study was conducted to determine whether certain teaming activities and social events would reduce stress among the faculty in an academic department at a university in the south. The desire to reduce stress among members of the department was a commendable goal. However, despite the best of intentions, stress levels rose.
A Case Study of Teaching Integrated Marketing Communication Using an Innovative Group Internship Project

In recent years, many college campuses have moved to implement experiential learning projects in many disciplines. It is generally accepted that experiential learning projects or client projects (we will be using these two terms interchangeably throughout the paper) help students to communicate effectively, perform well in teams, solve problems, and acquire functional knowledge. We describe our experience of implementing an innovative experiential learning project that required students to form a company, and plan and execute an integrated marketing communication (IMC) plan for a real-life company on a tight budget. Finally, we compare the student assessment for this group internship project with traditional client projects that typically do not involve a full-fledged execution of an IMC plan.
Calculated Composition Changes of Some Refractory Metals in a Fusion Reactor Environment

Composition changes that occur during neutron bombardment have been calculated for the first wall of a hypothetical fusion reactor. The first wall materials studied are pure niobium, zirconium, molybdenum, and vanadium, and some of their binary alloys. Two integrated neutron flux intensities, 3.8 x 10$sup 14$ n/(cm$sup 2$ sec) and 3.8 x 10$sup 15$ n/(cm$sup 2$ sec) up to a fluence of 3.6 x 10$sup 23$ n/cm$sup 2$, have been used in the calculations of the first three materials. In addition, the composition as a function of fluence (maximum fluence = 4.0 x 10$sup 23$ n/cm$sup 2$) has been calculated for a vanadium wall. Graphs for each material have been plotted to show the variation of composition as a function of time and/or fluence. Rates of production of hydrogen and helium have been calculated for all four materials; comparisons for niobium and vanadium walls with literature values show agreement that it is not poor. Furthermore, mixture diagrams have been constructed for two binary alloy systems, niobium- zirconium and niobium-vanadium, to relate composition at constant irradiation time to the initial composition.
Conflicting Futures: Environmental Regulation of Plant Targeted Genetic Modification

Novel targeted genetic modification (TagMo) techniques for plants have the potential to increase the speed and ease of genetic modification and fall outside existing regulatory authority. We conducted 31 interviews with expert-stakeholders to explore the differing visions they have for the future of plant TagMo environmental regulation. To guide our analysis we review the tenets of anticipatory governance in light of future studies literature on emerging technology, focusing on how to contribute to reflexivity by making explicit the assumptions within envisioned futures. Our findings reveal that the environmental regulation futures articulated by expert-stakeholders could be classified into three categories—optimistic, pragmatic, and critical—based on their differing underlying assumptions concerning what constitutes environmental risk and the adequacy of existing U.S. genetically modified plant regulations. By gathering these diverse perspectives on the future and studying how they differ, we hope to fur...
Interaction between living bone particles and rhBMP-2 in large segmental defect healing in the rat femur.

Orthopedic surgeons sometimes combine recombinant, human BMP-2 with autograft bone when dealing with problematic osseous fractures. Although some case reports indicate success with this off-label strategy, there have been no randomized controlled trials. Moreover, a literature search revealed only one pre-clinical study and this was in a cranial defect model. The present project examined the consequences of combining BMP-2 with particles of living bone in a rat femoral defect model. Human bone particles were recovered with a reamer-irrigator-aspirator (RIA). To allow acceptance of the xenograft as surrogate autograft, rats were administered an immunosuppressive cocktail that does not interfere with bone healing. Implantation of 200 µg living bone particles generated a small amount of new bone and defects did not heal. Graded amounts of BMP-2 that alone provoked no healing (1.1 µg), borderline healing (5.5 µg), or full healing (11 µg) were added to this amount of bone particles. Addition of BMP-2 (1.1 µg) increased osteogenesis, and produced bridging in 2 of 7 defects. The combination of BMP-2 (5.5 µg) and bone particles made healing more reliable and advanced the maturation of the regenerate. Bone formation with BMP-2 (11 µg) and bone particles showed improved maturation. Thus, the combination of autograft and BMP-2 may be helpful clinically under conditions where the healing response is suboptimal. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 34:2137-2145, 2016. Clinical significance These data support the clinical use of recombinant, human BMP-2 with autograft bone when treating large segmental osseous defects. The combination leads to greater bone formation and accelerates the maturation of the regenerate.
Cisplatin resistance and ERCC1 gene regulation

4569 ERCC1 is a critical gene within the nucleotide excision repair pathway. Overexpression of ERCC1 through promoter-mediating transcription regulation is associated with repair of cisplatin-induced DNA damage and clinical resistance to platinum-chemotherapy. Several transcriptional repressors and activators within the 5’-flanking region of the ERCC1 gene may be involved in the up-regulation of this gene. Minimal promoter region analyzed by CAT assay demonstrated that the region from -220 to -110 was essential to constitutive expression of ERCC1 gene in ovarian cancer cell line A2780/CP70. A more forward upstream region seems to be responsible for cisplatin-induced expression. Identification of functional cis-element in this region by Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay revealed that an MZF1-like site as well as an AP1-like site responded to cisplatin stimulation with altered binding activities in a time-dependent manner. MZF1 mRNA in A2780/CP70 cells decreased upon cisplatin exposure as analyzed by real-time PCR, suggesting that MZF1 may mediate cisplatin-invoked gene expression in these cells. EMSA with MZF1 ZN1-4 consensus oligonucleotides suggests that the MZF1 N-terminal domain of zinc finger cluster may bind to the MZF1-like site of the ERCC1 promoter region. Overexpression of MZF1 could repress the ERCC1 promoter activity in a co-transfection assay, which further confirmed that MZF1 might be a repressor in regulation of ERCC1 transcription upon cisplatin exposure in A2780/CP70 cells. In summary, our studies revealed a core promoter region and adjacent drug-responsible region within the ERCC1 promoter. The drug-responsible region contains cis-elements of activator AP1 and repressor MZF1. In response to cisplatin treatment, decreased MZF1 and increased AP1 binding activities appear to be the leading mechanism of up-regulation of ERCC1 expression. Our findings suggest potential therapeutic strategies to antagonize cisplatin resistance in treatment of human ovarian cancer.
A six-stage framework for evolutionary IS research using path models: Conceptual development and a social networking illustration

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to fill a gap in evolutionary theorizing in the field of information systems. Evolutionary theorizing has recently been added as a useful tool to the research repertoire of information systems investigators. However, the literature on evolutionary theorizing and related empirical research lacks a clear framework that explicitly shows how information systems researchers can go, step-by-step, from a generic model of the evolution of traits in our ancestral past to a more specific model depicting the effects of technology facilitation of those traits among modern humans. The purpose of this study is to fill this gap through a framework composed of six stages. Design/methodology/approach – To discuss and illustrate the framework, the authors develop an easy-to-understand generic path model explicitly depicting relationships among variables related to events that occurred in our evolutionary past. We then incrementally adapt this generic path model, eventually arriving at...
Flocatex and the Fiscal Limits of Mass Incarceration: Toward a New Political Economy of the Postwar Carceral State

Pick up any recent textbook on modern U.S. history, turn to the last few chapters, and you will find an outline of key developments that have shaped the past four decades or so of the nation’s domestic history. Some chapter headings include “The Decline of Manufacturing,” “Retreat from Liberalism,” “The Beleaguered Social Compact,” “The Rising Tide of Conservatism,” “The Problem of Inequality,” “The End of the Long Boom,” and “Conservatism in the Courts.” Yet few of these textbooks pay attention to one of the most dramatic social transformations of this period. Only Eric Foner’s Give Me Liberty! includes as subheadings “The Spread of Imprisonment” and “The Burden of Imprisonment,” signaling to students that one of the changes that makes the world they inherit radically different from that of their parents is the huge numbers of Americans behind bars. As many scholars of crime and punishment have pointed out, only a generation ago the nation’s incarceration rate had remained steady for a century—at about 100 prisoners per 100,000 people—and many criminologists believed that prisons were obsolete and would gradually be supplanted by “community corrections,” treatment facilities, and other alternatives for all but the most incorrigible or violent offenders. Yet, contrary to those optimistic expectations, since 1970 the number of felons confined in state and federal prisons has multiplied by a factor of eight, and the overall prison incarceration rate in the United States has zoomed to nearly 500 per 100,000 people, a fivefold increase. As late as 1977 the prison population had barely surpassed 300,000; the latest Bureau of Justice Statistics figures show that in 2010 the U.S. prison population reached its historic peak of over 1.5 million inmates, after the country had embarked on “the steepest and most sustained increase in the rate of imprisonment that has been recorded since the birth of the modern prison in the nineteenth century.”1
C-reactive protein is an essential aspect of cardiovascular risk factor stratification.

La proteine C-reactive (PCR) est un marqueur d'inflammation qui, conjointement avec un cholesterol a lipoproteines de basse densite, est devenue le meilleur predicteur de futurs troubles cardiovasculaires. La PCR est facile a mesurer, sans compter que les patients et les medecins peuvent rapidement en comprendre les interpretations. Pour l'instant, le couplage de la mesure de la PCR avec une batterie lipidienne constitue le meilleur predicteur d'evaluation du risque cardiovasculaire. La superiorite de la PCR dans la prediction du risque cardiovasculaire peut etre attribuee a sa propriete proatherogene, car la PCR peut activer les cellules endotheliales et les cellules des muscles lisses. L'auteur a recemment demontre que la PCR peut etre produite par les cellules des muscles lisses de la paroi vasculaire en reponse a des cytokines inflammatoires. Ainsi, la PCR peut etre produite dans la paroi vasculaire et exprimer directement son effet proatherogene local.
A Decade of Christian Song: Observations on Recent Hymnals and Songbooks

Ces dernieres annees, les eglises chretiennes des pays anglophones ont du faire face a l'ascension de la culture post-moderne qui entend exaler les particularismes culturels. Ainsi, la liturgie, et particulierement les livres de chants et d'hymnes, ont souvent du etre revises. De nombreux livres de chant paraissent alors, soit dans un souci oecumenique ou interculturel, soit pour faire une place a une communaute qui se sent discriminee (liturgie feministe...). Cette eclosion peut donner naissance a une nouvelle spiritualite chretienne ou verser dans l'individualisme.
Two Independent Mapping Techniques Identify Rotational Activity Patterns at Sites of Local Termination During Persistent Atrial Fibrillation.

The mechanisms for atrial fibrillation (AF) are unclear in part because diverse mapping techniques yield diverse maps ranging from stable organized sources to highly disordered waves. We hypothesized that AF mechanisms may be clarified if mapping techniques were compared in the same patients, and referenced to a clinical endpoint. We compared 2 independent AF mapping techniques in patients in whom local ablation terminated persistent AF before pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). Techniques and Results We identified 12 patients with persistent AF (61.2±10.8 years, 4 female) in whom mapping with 64 pole baskets and technique 1 (activation/phase mapping, FIRM) identified rotational activation patterns during at least 50% of the 4-second mapping interval and targeted ablation at these rotational sites terminated AF to sinus rhythm (n = 10) or atrial tachycardia. We analyzed the unipolar electrograms of these patients to determine phase maps of activation by an independent technique 2 (Kuklik, Schotten et al., IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2015). Compared to technique 1, technique 2 revealed a source in 12/12 (100%) cases with spatial concordance in all cases (p<0.05) and similar rotational characteristics. Discussion At sites where ablation terminated persistent AF, 2 independent mapping techniques identified stable rotational activation for multiple cycles that drove peripheral disorder. Future comparative studies referenced to a clinical endpoint may help reconcile if discrepancies between AF mapping studies reports represent techniques, patient populations or models of AF, and improve mapping to better guide ablation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Klotho regulates CA1 hippocampal synaptic plasticity

Global klotho overexpression extends lifespan while global klotho-deficiency shortens it. As well, klotho protein manipulations inversely regulate cognitive function. Mice without klotho develop rapid onset cognitive impairment before they are 2months old. Meanwhile, adult mice overexpressing klotho show enhanced cognitive function, particularly in hippocampal-dependent tasks. The cognitive enhancing effects of klotho extend to humans with a klotho polymorphism that increases circulating klotho and executive function. To affect cognitive function, klotho could act in or on the synapse to modulate synaptic transmission or plasticity. However, it is not yet known if klotho is located at synapses, and little is known about its effects on synaptic function. To test this, we fractionated hippocampi and detected klotho expression in both pre and post-synaptic compartments. We find that loss of klotho enhances both pre and post-synaptic measures of CA1 hippocampal synaptic plasticity at 5weeks of age. However, a rapid loss of synaptic enhancement occurs such that by 7weeks, when mice are cognitively impaired, there is no difference from wild-type controls. Klotho overexpressing mice show no early life effects on synaptic plasticity, but decreased CA1 hippocampal long-term potentiation was measured at 6months of age. Together these data suggest that klotho affects cognition, at least in part, by regulating hippocampal synaptic plasticity.
'Aloha!' Akaka Bill

The proposed Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2006 (known as the "Akaka Bill") is a response to the Supreme Court's decision in Rice v. Cayetano. That case decided that a Hawaii law that allowed only ethnic Hawaiians to vote for trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, a state agency, was a violation of the 15th Amendment, which prohibits race discrimination in voting rights. The court distinguished ethnic Hawaiians from Indian tribe, which have semi-sovereign status. The Akaka bill attempts to organize ethnic Hawaiians into tribe. This essay argues that the act of transforming a racial group into a separate sovereignty is itself a violation of the Constitution.
Broadly tunable semiconductor laser with self-imaging three-branch multi-mode interferometer

Using the Vernier effect and the interference between its three branches, the proposed self-imaging multi-mode-interferometer (MMI)-based tunable laser can access all ITU channels across C-band with high side-mode suppression ratios (SMSR).
Internal Audit Quality: The Joint Importance of Independence and Competence

In light of the growing importance of internal audit functions (IAF) and the limited archival evidence on internal audit quality, we examine an interactive model of IAF quality (comprised of competence and independence) to better understand the determinants of IAF effectiveness as financial reporting monitors. Our competence variable captures average hourly IAF compensation. We incorporate three distinct facets of independence: degree of audit committee oversight, IAF management training grounds, and IAF outsourcing. Our tests support the hypothesis that the joint presence of competence and independence is a necessary antecedent to effective IAF financial reporting monitoring. In sum our results show that if one wishes to ask "what is the effect of internal audit competence (independence) on financial reporting quality, the answer is "it depends on the independence (competence) of the internal auditor." Our study extends the understanding of IAF quality determinants in the as it relates to ongoing discuss...
Social Ecological Intervention: Interpersonal Contact

Groups in conflict typically interact with one another in a manner characterized by suspicion, mistrust, tension, competition, stereotyped perceptions, and perhaps overt aggression, or they interact not at all. Such destructive contact, or absence of contact, perpetuates and even exacerbates the conflict that gave root to such behaviors and attitudes. Early thinking held that individual prejudice was the primary source of intergroup conflict. Such prejudice, it was believed, grew from ignorance about one another, and thus its remediation ought to be largely a matter of education—particularly education provided by interaction and contact which exposed the protagonists to the realities of one another. As Pettigrew (1981) observed: …The human relations movement constructed a sanguine theory of intergroup contact. Since it viewed individual prejudice as largely the result of ignorance, it believed that contact between groups could only be advantageous. Once together, all but the most extreme fringe would surely see the common humanity shared by the groups and prejudice would necessarily dissipate. (p. 173)
The psychological basis of health promotion for adolescents.

Temporal trends in adolescent morbidity and mortality and the psychological factors that underlie adolescents' risk-taking behavior are reviewed in this chapter. Theoretical models useful for understanding risk-taking behavior and developing effective preventive interventions are described. Finally, intervention strategies, both on individual and community level, are identified that may enhance adolescent health promotion efforts. Language: en
An alternative intermittent eltrombopag dosing protocol for the treatment of chronic immune thrombocytopenia

Eltrombopag, an oral thrombopoietin receptor agonist, is dosed daily to treat chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). As it has a half-life of 26-35 h in ITP patients and requires patents to abide by strict dietary restrictions that may impair quality of life and reduce compliance, we developed an alternative intermittent (AI) eltrombopag dosing protocol for ITP, with dosing less frequent than once daily. Ten patients were treated with AI dosing for a median of 94 (range: 29-156) weeks, with most patients treated with 2-4 weekly doses for extended durations. During AI dosing, 95%, 84% and 71% of all platelet counts were ≥20 × 109 l-1 , ≥50 × 109 l-1 and ≥100 × 109 l-1 , respectively. Five patients required rescue treatment for thrombocytopenia and World Health Organization grade 1 mucocutaneous bleeding, and there were no thromboembolic events. In summary, intermittently dosed eltrombopag was efficacious in treating chronic ITP in a small cohort, with rates of platelet response and rescue treatment comparable with rates in studies evaluating daily dosing.
The Acute Care for Elders Unit Model of Care.

Older patients are at risk for loss of self-care abilities during the course of an acute medical illness that results in hospitalization. The Acute Care for Elders (ACE) Unit is a continuous quality improvement model of care designed to prevent the patient’s loss of independence from admission to discharge in the performance of activities of daily living (hospital-associated disability). The ACE unit intervention includes principles of a prepared environment that encourages safe patient self-care, a set of clinical guidelines for bedside care by nurses and other health professionals to prevent patient disability and restore self-care lost by the acute illness, and planning for transitions of care and medical care. By applying a structured process, an interdisciplinary team completes a geriatric assessment, follows clinical guidelines, and initiates plans for care transitions in concert with the patient and family. Three randomized clinical trials and systematic reviews of ACE or related interventions demonstrate reduced functional disability among patients, reduced risk of nursing home admission, and lower costs of hospitalization. ACE principles could improve elderly care in any acute setting. The aim of this commentary is to describe the ACE model and the basis of its effectiveness.
Selective activation of NF-κB subunits in human breast cancer : potential roles for NF-κB2/p52 and for Bcl-3

Members of the NF-κB/Rel transcription factor family have been shown recently to be required for cellular transformation by oncogenic Ras and by other oncoproteins and to suppress transformation-associated apoptosis. Furthermore, NF-κB has been shown to be activated by several oncoproteins including HER2/Neu, a receptor tyrosine kinase often expressed in human breast cancer. Human breast cancer cell lines, human breast tumors and normal adjacent tissue were analysed by gel mobility shift assay, immunoblotting of nuclear extracts and immunohistochemistry for activation of NF-κB. Furthermore, RNA levels for NF-κB-activated genes were analysed in order to determine if NF-κB is functionally active in human breast cancer. Our data indicate that the p65/RelA subunit of NF-κB is activated (i.e., nuclear) in breast cancer cell lines. However, breast tumors exhibit an absence or low level of nuclear p65/RelA but show activated c-Rel, p50 and p52 as compared to nontumorigenic adjacent tissue. Additionally, the IκB homolog Bcl-3, which functions to stimulate transcription with p50 or p52, was also activated in breast tumors. There was no apparent correlation between estrogen receptor status and levels of nuclear NF-κB complexes. Transcripts of NF-κB-regulated genes were found elevated in breast tumors, as compared to adjacent normal tissue, indicating functional NF-κB activity. These data suggest a potential role for a subset of NF-κB and IκB family proteins, particularly NF-κB/p52 and Bcl-3, in human breast cancer. Additionally, the activation of functional NF-κB in these tumors likely involves a signal transduction pathway distinct from that utilized by cytokines.