cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preparation and Analysis of Core Particles and Nucleosomes: A Convenient Method for Studying the Protein Composition of Nucleosomes using Protamine-Release into Triton-Acid-Urea Gels

The nucleosomal repeat structure of chromatin consists of a core of 140 base pairs of DNA wrapped around an octamer of eight histones, and a spacer region which is variable in length and more susceptible to nuclease attack than the core1–10. Histone H1, which exhibits tissue specific variation, has been postulated to be associated with DNA in this spacer region3,4,10–13. The octameric histone complex in the core particle contains two copies each of histones H2A, H2B, H3 and H4. It is known that these core histones undergo postsynthetic covalent modifications such as acetylation and phosphorylation at different times during the cell cycle34. Recently, Cohen et al. 15 have shown in the developing sea urchin and Franklin and Zweidler 16 have shown in the differentiated tissues of mammals that there are also variations within the primary sequence of histones H2A, H2B, and H3. The molecular differences between variant histones arise from the conservative substitution of one or two amino acid residues in the polypeptide chain which can be detected on Triton/acid/urea gels. In the sea urchin system, different H2A and H2B variants are synthesized at different stages of embryonic development15. The existence of multiple forms of histones implies that there must be multiple forms of nucleosomes.
Using NLP to extract concepts from chief complaints.

Chief complaints are a valuable source of clinical data that could be useful for many purposes including surveillance, monitoring for adverse events, and linking early symptoms with subsequent disorders. Yet the very nature of chief complaints makes their analysis difficult. Clinicians are taught to record chief complaints as close to the patient’s own words as possible. While this practice conveys clinical meaning well, it makes interpretation difficult. In order to utilize chief complaints for the above purposes, their meaning must be assigned to some coded concept. For other types of data, such as problem list entries, where less variability exists in the entries, one can accommodate a large percentage of the entries by mapping a reasonable number of unique strings1. Such is not the case with chief complaints due to high variability of the source. Figure 1 shows the minimum number of unique strings (x-axis) that would have to be mapped to account for a set number of overall entries (y-axis). One would need to map over 250,000 unique strings to account for 80% of the almost 2 million entries. This paper discusses an attempt to address this issue using natural language processing. Figure 1 Total Occurrences by Unique Strings The seven-step methodology used to extract concepts from chief complaint strings is diagrammed in Figure 2. The first step uses text processing tools to look for sub strings that have been found to cause errors or define context. For example, sub strings such as ro, r/o, and rule out are identified and removed as they connote that a diagnosis is being considered rather than being made. Sub strings related to negation are also addressed at this step. In step 2, the string is processed by the MMTx NLP engine (available from the National Library of Medicine). MMTx returns UMLS CUIs. The set of CUIs used on subsequent steps is restricted to UMLS semantic types Disease or Syndrome, Sign or Symptom, Finding, Pathologic Function, and Health Care Activity. In steps 3 and 4, modifiers identified in step 1, such as rule out and family history, are appended to the text of the UMLS concept and then an attempt is made to match the constructed string to a local terminology used for reporting. In step 5, the set of mappings is altered to account for known incorrect or inferior mappings from previous steps. The final parts of the process involve an ongoing evaluation of the validity of the automated mappings. When issues are uncovered, changes can then be made in the pre-processing and post-processing steps to mediate them. Figure 2 Concept Extraction Process
Poverty in Neighborhoods and Educational Failure

Children from affluent schools know more, stay in school longer, and end up with better jobs than children from schools that enroll mostly poor children. Children who live in affluent neighborhoods also get into less trouble with the law and have fewer illegitimate children than children who live in poor neighborhoods.
Qualitative user evaluation of a revised pharmacogenetic educational toolkit.

Introduction Pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing is a leading application for personalized and precision medicine; however, there are barriers, including limited provider and patient understanding, which affect its uptake. There is a need for tools that can enhance the patient and provider experience with testing and promoting the shared and informed decision-making. Materials and methods In this study, we sought to gather additional feedback on a PGx toolkit comprised of four educational tools that had been previously evaluated through an online survey by pharmacists. Specifically, we conducted semi-structured interviews with pharmacists and members of the public regarding their understanding and utility of the toolkit and its individual components. Results Participants found three of the four toolkit components, a test information sheet, flipbook, and results sheet, to be useful and important. The fourth component, results card, was viewed less favorably. Participants differed in their preference for medical jargon and detailed results nomenclature (namely star * alleles). Conclusion User input during the development of educational materials is essential for optimizing utilization, effectiveness, and comprehension.
Call and Conversion on the Road to Damascus. Contributions to a Hermeneutics of Surprise

The experience of surprise involves an encounter with novelty that transforms one’s understanding of the prevailing context and even of oneself, as a participant there. However, in the order of understanding absolute novelty is unintelligible, and absolute transformation would suspend the unity of the one who lives through it. We find indications for these theses in some reflection on Paul of Tarsus.
Automatic cache partitioning method for high-level synthesis

Abstract Existing algorithms can be automatically translated from software to hardware using High-Level Synthesis (HLS), allowing for quick prototyping or deployment of embedded designs. High-level software is written with a single main memory in mind, whereas hardware designs can take advantage of many parallel memories. The translation and optimization of memory usage, and the generation of resulting architectures, is important for high-performance designs. Tools provide optimizations on memory structures targeting data reuse and partitioning, but generally these are applied separately for a given object in memory. Memory access that cannot be effectively optimized is serialized to the memory, hindering any further parallelization of the surrounding generated hardware. In this work, we present an automated optimization method for creating custom cache memory architectures for HLS generated designs. Our optimization uses runtime profiling data, and is performed at a localized scope. This method combines data reuse savings and memory partitioning to further increase the potential parallelism and alleviate the serialized memory access, increasing performance. Comparisons are made against architectures without this optimization, and against other HLS caching approaches. Results are presented showing this method requires 72% of the number of execution cycles compared to a single-cache design, and 31% compared to designs with no caches.
Effect of the matrix ageing conditions on the low strain rate response of a B4C particle reinforced 6061 aluminium matrix composite

Ceramic particle reinforced aluminium matrix-based composites have been studied extensively because of their technologically interesting properties. These include an enhancement in the strength, stiffness, wear resistance, and creep resistance, over unreinforced aluminium alloys. Ceramic particle reinforced aluminium composites have densities comparable to the aluminium alloys from which they are derived and hence are being pursued for use in a variety of engineering applications. The two most commonly used reinforcements for aluminium alloys are SiC and A1203. A number of studies have documented that improvements in the properties of the alloys can be achieved by incorporating relatively small volume fractions (1025 vol %) of SiC or A1203 into the aluminium alloys. Very few studies have been done on the use of BgC particles as reinforcements for conventional aluminium alloys. Boron carbide is an interesting candidate reinforcement material, and possesses physical and mechanical properties that are comparable with or better than those of SiC or A1203. A recent study [1] compared and contrasted the mechanical behaviour of a B4C particle reinforced 6061 aluminium matrix composite with that of a SiC particle reinforced 6061 aluminium matrix composite. Both composites studied were manufactured under identical conditions and incorporated identical volume fractions of the reinforcing particles. The compression strength of the B4C/6061 composite was significantly better than the strength of the SiC/ 6061 composite tested under identical conditions. It was also found that the tensile strength of the B4C particle composite was superior to that of the SiC particle composite. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy studies on these composites revealed that particle/ matrix debonding and particle cracking were the i~rimary reasons for the decreased strength of the SiC particle composites. No evidence of particle/ matrix debonding or particle fracture was found in the B4C/6061 composites. The difference in the interfacial particle/matrix strengths in the two composites was attributed to the differences in the particle/matrix wetting characteristics in the two composite systems [2, 3]. The lower strength of the SiC particles was primarily due to the presence of stacking faults within the ceramic particles themselves [4, 5]. In a previous study [1], matrix contributions to the composite strength were intentionally minimized. This was achieved by testing the unreinforced altoy
Robust, multi-objective optimization for the military medical evacuation location-allocation problem

Abstract Determining where to locate mobile aeromedical staging facilities (MASFs) as well as identifying how many aeromedical helicopters to allocate to each MASF, commonly referred to as the medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) location-allocation problem, is vital to the success of a deployed MEDEVAC system. Within this research, we develop an integer mathematical programming formulation to determine the location and allocation of MEDEVAC assets over the phases of a military deployment to support operations ranging from peacekeeping through combat to post-combat resolution. Our model seeks to address the multi-objective problem of maximizing the expected demand coverage as a measure of solution effectiveness, minimizing the maximum number of located MASFs in any deployment phase as a measure of solution efficiency, and minimizing the total number of MASF relocations throughout the deployment as a measure of solution robustness. This research makes two contributions. First, it formulates a representative mathematical programming formulation and identifies an accompanying solution methodology (i.e., the e-constraint Method) to assess and recommend improvements to deployed military MEDEVAC systems designed to provide large-scale emergency medical response for contingency operations that range in casualty-inducing intensity (i.e., demand) over the phases of a deployment. Second, the research illustrates the application of the model for a realistic, synthetically generated medical planning scenario in southern Azerbaijan. Comparisons are made between the model’s (multi-phase) optimal solution and the phase-specific optimal solutions that disregard concerns of transitions between phases. The results highlight the conflicting nature between the objectives and illustrate the trade-offs between objectives as restrictions applied to the second and third objectives are respectively tightened or relaxed.
Association Between Gait Kinetics and Symptomatic Progression in Persons With Patellofemoral With/Without Concurrent Tibiofemoral Osteoarthritis.

To identify the biomechanical risk factors associated with symptomatic progression at 1-year follow-up in persons with patellofemoral joint (PFJ) osteoarthritis (OA). Patients' self-reported Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score questionnaires, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and three-dimensional gait analysis were obtained in 53 subjects with PFJ OA at baseline and after 1 year. Joint OA was diagnosed on knee MR images if cartilage lesions existed. Progression was defined by worsening of patients' self-reported symptoms from baseline to 1 year exceeding the minimal detectable change score. Analysis of covariance was used to compare peak knee flexion moment, knee flexion moment impulse, and vertical ground reaction force loading rate between progressors and non-progressors. Seven (13.2%) subjects exhibited progression in self-reported symptoms at 1-year follow-up. When comparing to non-progressors, significantly higher peak knee flexion moment during first half of stance (p = 0.017) and higher moment impulse during the both halves of stance were observed among progressors (p = 0.020-0.040). Persons with symptomatic PFJ OA progression with or without concurrent tibiofemoral OA exhibited abnormal joint loading mechanics when compared with individuals who did not progress. Further work is needed to determine if modification to these loading variables results in a change in the symptomatic progression in these individuals. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 37:2593-2600, 2019.
Darwin’s naturalization conundrum can be explained by spatial scale

Darwin proposed two seemingly contradictory hypotheses regarding factors influencing the outcome of biological invasions. He initially posited that nonnative species closely related to native species would be more likely to successfully establish, because they might share adaptations to the local environment (preadaptation hypothesis). However, based on observations that the majority of naturalized plant species in the United States belonged to nonnative genera, he concluded that the lack of competitive exclusion would facilitate the establishment of alien invaders phylogenetically distinct from the native flora (competition-relatedness hypothesis). To date, no consensus has been reached regarding these opposing hypotheses. Here, following Darwin, we use the flora of the United States to examine patterns of taxonomic and phylogenetic relatedness between native and nonnative taxa across thousands of nested locations ranging in size and extent, from local to regional scales. We find that the probability of observing the signature of environmental filtering over that of competition increases with spatial scale. Further, native and nonnative species tended to be less related in warm, humid environments. Our work provides an empirical assessment of the role of observation scale and climate in biological invasions and demonstrates that Darwin’s two opposing hypotheses need not be mutually exclusive.
In Parallel With My Actual Diary: On Re-writing an Exile

How can the production of migratory texts provide social and political agency for migrants? My starting point for investigating connections between literary acts of resistance and literal acts of r...
Notes on general topology: III. A non-metric image of an ordered compactum

It has been known for some time that the product of a non-metrizable Hausdorff space and any (non-trivial) Hausdorff space cannot be the continuous image of an ordered continuum. (For a survey of this and related problems, see Mardesic and Papic ((1)).) Further, it has been shown by Treybig ((2)) (and independently by the present author) that the product of two Hausdorff spaces cannot even be the continuous image of an ordered compactum unless both the spaces are metrizable or one is finite. It is therefore of some interest to give a simple example of a space X which is the continuous image of an ordered compactum K and contains the product of a non-metrizable space and an infinite discrete space, imbedded in such a way as to form a sequence of homeomorphic subsets with a connected (non-trivial) topological limit.
Wavefront control experiments with a single mode fiber at the High-Contrast Spectroscopy Testbed for Segmented Telescopes (HCST)

Achieving high levels of contrast over broad bandwidths with segmented aperture telescopes is a key requirement to maximize the scientific yield for future exoplanet imaging missions and ground-based extremely large telescopes. The High-Contrast Spectroscopy Testbed for Segmented Telescopes (HCST) in the Exoplanet Technology Laboratory (ET Lab) at Caltech is designed to proof test new technologies aimed at tackling some of the most pressing and challenging goals of exoplanet science, namely the imaging and spectroscopic characterization of small planets across a wide range of stellar host types, including temperature Earth-size planets. Here we report on the status of a key milestone: Demonstration of 20% bandwidth nulling experiments using single mode fibers wavefront control.
Volatility and the Cross-Sectional Performance of Emerging Market Hedge Funds

Using an augmented Treynor and Mazuy model, the authors analyze the cross-sectional performance of a large sample of hedge funds operating in different regions of emerging markets. The performances of these funds are benchmarked on the relevant regional capital market indices and optionbased risk factors. They find that the realized volatility of emerging market stock indices generally has a negative impact on fund performance. For some of these funds, they find evidence of an ability to generate alpha and time the market. Furthermore, they provide information on how certain fund characteristics are related to the performance and ability of the fund managers.
COVID-19 guidelines for pregnant women and new mothers: A systematic evidence review.

BACKGROUND: Nearly a year after COVID-19 was initially detected, guidance for pregnant and new mothers remains varied. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this systematic review is to summarize recommendations for three areas of maternal and fetal care-breastfeeding, post-partum social distancing, and decontamination. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched PubMed, Embase and Web of Science spanning from inception to November 9, 2020. SELECTION CRITERIA: Articles were included if they focused on COVID-positive mothers, commented on at least one of the three areas of interest, and were published in English. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Our combined database search yielded 385 articles. After removing duplicates and articles that did not cover the correct populations or subject matter, a total of 74 articles remained in our analysis. MAIN RESULTS: Most articles recommended direct breastfeeding with enhanced precaution measures. Recommendations regarding post-partum social distancing varied, although articles published more recently often recommended keeping the mother and newborn in the same room when possible. Decontamination recommendations emphasized mask wearing, good hand hygiene, and proper cleaning of surfaces. CONCLUSION: In general, there was a focus on shared decision making when approaching topics such as breastfeeding and post-partum social distancing. Guidelines for decontamination were fairly uniform.
The oralome and its dysbiosis: New insights into oral microbiome-host interactions

The oralome is the summary of the dynamic interactions orchestrated between the ecological community of oral microorganisms (comprised of up to approximately 1000 species of bacteria, fungi, viruses, archaea and protozoa - the oral microbiome) that live in the oral cavity and the host. These microorganisms form a complex ecosystem that thrive in the dynamic oral environment in a symbiotic relationship with the human host. However, the microbial composition is significantly affected by interspecies and host-microbial interactions, which in turn, can impact the health and disease status of the host. In this review, we discuss the composition of the oralome and inter-species and host-microbial interactions that take place in the oral cavity and examine how these interactions change from healthy (eubiotic) to disease (dysbiotic) states. We further discuss the dysbiotic signatures associated with periodontitis and caries and their sequalae, (e.g., tooth/bone loss and pulpitis), and the systemic diseases associated with these oral diseases, such as infective endocarditis, atherosclerosis, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and head and neck/oral cancer. We then discuss current computational techniques to assess dysbiotic oral microbiome changes. Lastly, we discuss current and novel techniques for modulation of the dysbiotic oral microbiome that may help in disease prevention and treatment, including standard hygiene methods, prebiotics, probiotics, use of nano-sized drug delivery systems (nano-DDS), extracellular polymeric matrix (EPM) disruption, and host response modulators.
X-ray computed tomography-based porosity analysis: Algorithms and application for porous woody biomass

Abstract The properties of lignocellulosic biomass, such as bulk physical, thermal, and mechanical properties, as well as the mobility of enzymes or catalysts, are largely affected by porosity, pore structures, and pore size distribution. While X-ray computed tomography (CT) has been introduced to effectively produce 3D volumetric images of material microstructure, a quantitative porosity analysis from the 3D images has never been done. This work introduces a first-of-its-kind X-ray CT-based quantitative porosity analysis method and applies the developed toolkit to characterize the internal porosity distribution of loblolly pine. A sample loblolly pine chip was scanned by a nano-resolution X-ray CT system and digitally reconstructed after a sequence of image processing operations. A comprehensive porosity analysis was then performed to quantify the envelope porosity, the spatial distribution of local porosity, and the directional porosity. Solutions to the various challenges in image processing, porosity calculation, and large data handling are provided.
Wearable triboelectric nanogenerators for heart rate monitoring

Cardiovascular diseases are currently the leading cause of death globally and are projected to remain the leading cause in 2040, making heart rate an important physiological indicator that should be regularly monitored. Current heart rate monitoring techniques, including photoplethysmography and electrocardiography, are inconvenient for continuous biomonitoring in a wearable way. With a collection of compelling features, such as light weight and high sensitivity, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have become an emerging and cost-effective biotechnology for long-term and continuous heart rate monitoring in a wearable manner. In this review, we systematically discuss the biomechanics of heart beat, working mechanisms of TENGs, and exemplary applications of TENGs for self-powered heart rate monitoring. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of the potential for technology development in the future.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning in aortic disease.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Discuss foundational concepts for artificial intelligence (AI) and review recent literature on its application to aortic disease. RECENT FINDINGS Machine learning (ML) techniques are rapidly evolving for the evaluation of aortic disease - broadly categorized as algorithms for aortic segmentation, detection of pathology, and risk stratification. Advances in deep learning, particularly U-Net architectures, have revolutionized segmentation of the aorta and show potential for monitoring the size of aortic aneurysm and characterizing aortic dissection. These algorithms also facilitate application of more complex technologies including analysis of flow dynamics with 4D Flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computational simulation of fluid dynamics for aortic coarctation. In addition, AI algorithms have been proposed to assist in 'opportunistic' screening from routine imaging exams, including automated aortic calcification score, which has emerged as a strong predictor of cardiovascular risk. Finally, several ML algorithms are being explored for risk stratification of patients with aortic aneurysm and dissection, in addition to prediction of postprocedural complications. SUMMARY Multiple ML techniques have potential for characterization and risk prediction of aortic aneurysm, dissection, coarctation, and atherosclerotic disease on computed tomography and MRI. This nascent field shows considerable promise with many applications in development and in early preclinical evaluation.
Leonardo Da Vinci's Archival of the Dermatologic Condition.

The interconnection of scientific studies and art represented by Leonardo Da Vinci’s (1452–1519) portraiture accentuates his role in documenting and archiving dermatologic conditions. His anatomical dissections, sketches, and paintings, including portraits, were all a means to observe, portray, and understand the nuances of the human body. In two of his most discussed portraits, Ginevra de’ Benci (1474-1478) and Elisabetta del Giocondo, the Mona Lisa (1503-1506), Leonardo’s execution of the exterior anatomy is so precise that he may have illustrated manifestations of disease that allow contemporary researchers to theorize diagnoses of dermatologic as well as neurologic, endocrine and vascular conditions. These include hypochromic anemia, muscular disorders, xanthelasma, thyroid disease, lipoma, and frontal fibrosing alopecia. Leonardo’s extraordinary talent in recording his observations of shades and textures of skin and his ability to capture the nuances of subtle variations in the human body have produced a historical record that allows modern dermatology practitioners to make further observations not possible in his time. Here, dermatology and art intersect serving to document and explain the human condition, permanently archived in Leonardo’s masterpieces.
Fifer: Practical Acceleration of Irregular Applications on Reconfigurable Architectures

Coarse-grain reconfigurable arrays (CGRAs) can achieve much higher performance and efficiency than general-purpose cores, approaching the performance of a specialized design while retaining programmability. Unfortunately, CGRAs have so far only been effective on applications with regular compute patterns. However, many important workloads like graph analytics, sparse linear algebra, and databases, are irregular applications with unpredictable access patterns and control flow. Since CGRAs map computation statically to a spatial fabric of functional units, irregular memory accesses and control flow cause frequent stalls and load imbalance. We present Fifer, an architecture and compilation technique that makes irregular applications efficient on CGRAs. Fifer first decouples irregular applications into a feed-forward network of pipeline stages. Each resulting stage is regular and can efficiently use the CGRA fabric. However, irregularity causes stages to have widely varying loads, resulting in high load imbalance if they execute spatially in a conventional CGRA. Fifer solves this by introducing dynamic temporal pipelining: it time-multiplexes multiple stages onto the same CGRA, and dynamically schedules stages to avoid load imbalance. Fifer makes time-multiplexing fast and cheap to quickly respond to load imbalance while retaining the efficiency and simplicity of a CGRA design. We show that Fifer improves performance by gmean 2.8 × (and up to 5.5 ×) over a conventional CGRA architecture (and by gmean 17 × over an out-of-order multicore) on a variety of challenging irregular applications.
From Athens and Berlin to LA: Faculty Scholarship and the Changing Academy

This chapter traces the history of the scholarly work of faculty with special attention given to my work on the Carnegie Report Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate and the advances that have been made (and not) since its publication in 1990. Topics considered include the scholarship of engagement, tensions between the collegial culture and the managerial culture, and the need to develop a change strategy that is transformative and not just a continuation of the incremental approach. How we build on the scholarly strengths of our pasts, symbolically represented by Athens and Berlin, while organizing in new ways for a diverse, growing, transnational world represented in the challenges of LA is at the heart of this analysis
The Supreme Court revisits (and weakens) Miranda yet again: A critical examination of the 2009 term cases

During the 2009 term the US Supreme Court issued decisions in three cases that involved the interpretation and application of the Miranda warnings. In this article, we examine these decisions and argue that in these cases the Supreme Court erred in allowing the confession obtained by the police to be used as evidence. In a companion article written by our colleague, Professor Martin O’Connor, the opposite perspective is argued: the Supreme Court decision in both Shatzer and Powell is correct as both a matter of law and policy. These two articles are intended to be read together, to provide a ‘point-counterpoint’ discussion of these significant Supreme Court decisions.
Exploring crisis and its effects on workers in child protective services work

An inquiry into child welfare protective services workers’ perceptions and experiences in the United States was conducted in order to examine their perceptions of crisis and crisis intervention, and the emotional impact of working with children who endured significant maltreatment. As there is presently little research that has explored these issues specifically from the point of view of the workers, a qualitative grounded theory approach was utilized. Four themes emerged from the data: workers perceived crisis as a result of biopsychosocial breakdown; workers routinely triage when faced with crises; workers are subject to vicarious traumatization; and workers’ personal lives are affected by their work. The findings add to an existing body of knowledge about secondary trauma in child welfare by providing information about the investigative workers’ subjective experience of it. This research adds a unique contribution to understanding workers’ subjective experience of crisis on the job, how it manifests, and whether they feel knowledgeable in the area of crisis intervention.
Still stimulating after all these years

The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. Charles Darwin. Third edition, with Introduction, Afterword and Commentaries. Paul Ekman. Oxford University Press, New York, and HarperCollins, London, 1998. 509 pp. $30, ISBN 0-19-511271-7. £16.99, ISBN 0-00-255866-1.
Choosing a Methodology for Entrepreneurial Research: A Case for Qualitative Research in the Study of Entrepreneurial Success Factors

A majority of entrepreneurial success factors are directly related to the entrepreneur's human experiences. Thus, research in the field of entrepreneurial success factors is relatively new. The paper analyzes and selects one of the three operative paradigms to study entrepreneurial success factors including analytical, actors, and systems approaches. Most entrepreneurial success factors discussed in the analysis relate to human experience and thus, the best paradigmatic approach is the actors operative paradigm grounded in systems theory. The qualitative phenomenological methodology is best suited for the researcher who chooses the actors operative paradigm because it affords the researcher potential to generate the richest and most viable data set and offers the greatest potential to produce significant research outcomes. Moreover, the qualitative phenomenological method provides the researcher with greater flexibility in attaining rich data and provides a better opportunity for the researcher to develop substantial research conclusions based on real world entrepreneurial experiences (Clark, 1998; Conger, 1998; Huberman & Miles, 1994; Morgan & Smircich, 1980; Munck, 1998). In conclusion, the qualitative, phenomenological methodology combined with an actors paradigmatic approach grounded in systems theory is the best research plan for studying entrepreneurial success factors.
PDGF Pathways and Growth of Basal Cell and Squamous Cell Carcinomas

Ever since the discovery of the transforming retroviral v-sis oncogene, which encodes PDGF-B, PDGF signaling has been an interesting target for cancer treatment. In the last few years, compelling evidence supports the essential role of PDGF signaling for cancer cell proliferation and tumor angiogenesis in several types of human cancers, including nonmelanoma skin cancers. BCCs, the commonest human cancer, contain activation of the hedgehog pathway, frequently through inactivated mutations of tumor suppressor gene PTCH1. How does activation of the hedgehog pathway promote cell proliferation in the tumor? Our data indicate that PDGFRα activation is important for hedgehog signaling-mediated cell proliferation in BCCs. These findings not only detail the molecular basis of hedgehog-mediated tumorigenesis but also provide new designs for skin cancer therapeutics.
Naufrágio, cativeiro, e relações ibéricas: a História trágico-marítima num contexto comparativo

Esse artigo compara as narrativas portuguesas de naufragios dos seculos dezesseis e dezessete, muitas das quais foram publicadas no livro Historia tragico-maritima, de Bernardo Gomes de Brito (1735-1736), com os relatos coevos de naufragio e cativeiro hispânicos. Ao examinar nao so as estrategias e as estruturas das narrativas de naufragio e cativeiro, mas tambem suas conexoes intertextuais, pretende-se iluminar o contexto ideologico e literario compartilhado pelos imperios ibericos na modernidade. A comparacao permite desnudar ainda a capacidade destas narrativas de divertir os autores e os leitores modernos como tambem o seu carater didatico e dessa forma questionar as interpretacoes contemporâneas que ou priorizam a perspectiva nacionalista ou focam-se exclusivamente no aspecto contra-hegemonico contidos nesses textos.
Outflow–infall interactions as a mechanism for terminating accretion in protostars

The formation of stars begins with the collapse of a dense interstellar cloud core to a protostar surrounded by a disk of gas and dust. Material in the envelope of the cloud core falls inwards to feed further growth of the protostar and its accretion disk. At some point during the accretion phase, an outflow of gas begins along the disk's rotation axis. Outflows have been studied in a large number of sources1, and recently it has become possible to study infall (and outflow) very close to the star2,3,4,5,6,7,8. But the possible interaction between these flows and its effect on the mass of the disk and the young star remain uncertain. Here we present observational evidence for an interaction between infalling and outflowing molecular gas. The opening angle of the outflow cone is largest near the star, indicating a widening of the outflow with time. Outside the lobes of the outflowing gas we see a narrow, disk-like region that is infalling. We suggest that the widening of the outflow may isolate the disk from further infall.
Dream Busters...Clinic Income.

In summary, the best clinical education occurs in a setting of exemplary patient care. The critical factor is quality--not just technical quality, but those features by which patients judge quality. Commitment to service should be enhanced and barriers should be minimized in order to achieve efficient and personalized patient care. And, schools must always reach for a higher standard, (9) exceeding their patients9 expectations. As Pacific Bell Telephone says in its commercials: "Good enough isn9t."
Blending Health Literacy With an English as a Second Language Curriculum: A Systematic Literature Review

About 21% of the U.S. population ages 5 and older speaks a language other than English at home, and many of them cannot communicate in English fluently. A possible intervention to improve health literacy for people with limited English proficiency is the use of an English as a second language curriculum. The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the characteristics (e.g., theoretical framework, developing processes, classroom activities, goals and topics) and effectiveness of English as a second language health literacy curricula that are currently available in English-dominant countries. We searched the online databases of ERIC, Sage, Springer, PubMed, Medline, and Scopus, identifying 7 curricula within 18 published reports. We synthesize the strengths and weaknesses of the reviewed curricula and provide recommendations for improving future health literacy interventions and research.
Molecular Mapping and Marker‐Assisted Selection of Quantitative Trait Loci in Plants

Since the dawn of agriculture, mankind has tried to mould crop plants into more useful types. Over the years, experience and intuition led to the development of sophisticated and successful artificial selection (breeding) of many types of plants for human food, fibre, shelter, profit and pleasure. Just compare the cultivated tomato with some of its small- and green-fruited relatives, or cultivated maize to teosinte. Most of this ‘improvement’ was probably through simple field selection and propagation of desirable genotypes. Scientifically based plant breeding, not appearing until the 20th century, has also had great successes in plant improvement, particularly in disease resistance and yield. Breeders have achieved good results for both single-gene traits and polygenic traits, but the polygenic traits, encoded by multiple genes often referred to as quantitative trait loci (QTL), are much more difficult to work with. Advances in molecular genetics in the last 20 years have enabled the placement of molecular markers on to maps of the chromosomes of most major crop plants and the subsequent tagging of genes of interest by their placement near these markers. A major goal of these efforts is marker-assisted selection (MAS), the use of molecular markers to track traits in breeding programmes. In this chapter, we will discuss the basics of molecular mapping in crop plants, the identification of the location of QTL and MAS. While not intended as an exhaustive review of the techniques nor of successes in this field, this chapter will provide lists of crops with linkage maps and QTLs identified to serve as entry points into the literature for investigators interested in pursuing this technology in a particular crop. Keywords: molecular linkage maps; quantitative trait loci (QTL); marker assisted selection (MAS)
Influence of gabaculine on growth, chlorophyll synthesis, and δ-aminolevulinic acid synthase activity in Euglena gracilis

Abstract Euglena gracilis is capable of forming the heme and chlorophyll precursor δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) by two routes: from glutamate via the five-carbon path in the chloroplasts, and by ALA synthase-mediated condensation of succinyl-CoA and glycine, probably in the mitochondrion. 5-Amino-1,3-cyclohexadienyl carboxylic acid (gabaculine), a powerful inhibitor of ALA formation via the five-carbon path, was administered to E. gracilis Klebs strain Z Pringsheim cells growing in the light or dark, and its effects on growth, chlorophyll accumulation and extractable ALA synthase activity were measured. Gabaculine had no effect in vitro on ALA synthase or ALA dehydratase, even at 100 μM. Administration of 100 μM gabaculine to wild-type cells growing in the light slowed growth, inhibited chlorophyll accumulation, and induced an increase in extractable ALA synthase activity. Chlorophyll accumulation in the light was abolished by prior administration of the compound to growing cells for 6 h in the dark, whereas chlorophyll accumulation in cells without gabaculine began immediately after transfer to light. Extractable ALA synthase activity from gabaculine-pretreated dark-grown cells was initially lower than the activity from untreated cells, but it did not undergo a further decline after transfer of the cells to the light, whereas the activity from untreated cells dropped to less than one eighth the dark level after 2 h in the light, and by 4 h had fallen to a level five times lower than that extractable from gabaculine-treated cells. These results suggest that suppression of ALA synthase activity by light in untreated cells is related to light-induced activation of the five-carbon ALA biosynthetic pathway in the plastids, and may result from a contribution by a product of the five-carbon pathway to non-plastid tetrapyrrole pools in the light.
Phosphorylation of PML by mitogen-activated protein kinases plays a key role in arsenic trioxide-mediated apoptosis

The promyelocytic leukemia (PML) protein is a potent growth suppressor and proapototic factor, whereas aberrant fusions of PML and retinoic acid receptor (RAR)-alpha are causal agents in human acute promyelocytic leukemia. Arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)) treatment induces apoptosis in acute promyelocytic leukemia cells through an incompletely understood mechanism. We report here that As(2)O(3) treatment induces phosphorylation of the PML protein through a mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway. Increased PML phosphorylation is associated with increased sumoylation of PML and increased PML-mediated apoptosis. Conversely, MAP kinase cascade inhibitors, or the introduction of phosphorylation or sumoylation-defective mutations of PML, impair As(2)O(3)-mediated apoptosis by PML. We conclude that phosphorylation by MAP kinase cascades potentiates the antiproliferative functions of PML and helps mediate the proapoptotic effects of As(2)O(3).
Rare Elizabethkingia meningosepticum meningitis case in an immunocompetent adult

Though Elizabethkingia meningosepticum typically causes meningitis in neonates, its occurrence in adult is rare, with sixteen cases described worldwide. We report a case of E. meningosepticum meningitis in an immunocompetent adult. Bacterial identification was made a day earlier than conventional method by using matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) Vitek mass spectrometry RUO (VMS), which resulted in successful treatment with rifampin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, levofloxacin and minocycline.
Chronic leukemias: Oncogenes, chromosomes, and advances in therapy

Abstract Substantial advances have been made recently in understanding the biology and treatment of the chronic leukemias. Recent data are summarized on the role of retroviruses, oncogenes, and chr...
Experimental Evidence For A New Interpretation Of Local-moment Resonances In Metals

The transmission and two reflection spin-resonance signals for single-crystal $\mathrm{Ag}\mathrm{Gd}$ are shown to have the same crystal-field parameter, and hence are attributable to an isolated local moment. This identification illustrates why $S$-state resonance data need re-examination. The ratio of the averages of $J(k, {k}^{\ensuremath{'}})$ appropriate to the exchange field and relaxation rate of the local moment is \ensuremath{\simeq} 3 which may be difficult to interpret within the framework of presently accepted models.
Is There an Increased Familial Prevalence of Psychopathology in Children With Nonverbal Learning Disorders

The cognitive and behavioral symptoms of nonverbal learning disabilities (NLD) have been described by previous investigators. Nevertheless, we know far less about the potential genetic contributions that may predispose a child to have NLD. An endophenotype model was investigated in 5 samples of children ages 9 to 15 years: NLD (n = 32); reading disorders (RD; n = 59); participants with a psychiatric diagnosis but without a learning disability (n = 55); typically developing controls (n = 31); and children with velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS), a chromosomal deletion syndrome that has been proposed as being an exemplar of NLD (VCFS + NLD; n = 20). Based on a family genetic interview, the authors' data suggest that children with NLD, RD, or a psychiatric diagnosis have a higher prevalence rate of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and substance abuse/dependence. Psychiatric controls and children with NLD—but not children with RD— showed higher prevalence rates of familial bipolar disorder.
Modeling volume holograms using Berreman 4x4 method

Berreman's 4 by 4 matrix method, which calculates light propagation through a stack of anisotropic thin films, is used to calculate the reflection of electromagnetic waves from a volume hologram. This matrix method is compared with the coupled wave analysis of unslanted and slanted reflection volume holograms and good general agreement is obtained. The Berreman method allows for an arbitrary dielectric profile along the thickness of the grating. This allows gratings to be evaluated with square, sinusoidal, or irregular morphologies. The model is applied to the specific case of chirped photopolymer gratings. The Berreman method also allows for uniaxial layers, which permits the investigation of birefringence. Measurements show essentially no birefringence in DuPont photopolymer holograms.
Early Solar System Chronology

The short-lived radioisotope 26Al ( 1 ) has long been used as a relative chronometer of events in the early solar system. However, although much is known about its initial abundance in the early solar system, there remain doubts on applicability of 26Al chronometry, because it is not known whether it was uniformly distributed. On page 985 of this issue, Villeneuve et al. ( 2 ) report the development of new techniques that allow magnesium isotopic measurements to be made with unprecedented precision. They confirm that 26Al/27Al was indeed uniform in the early solar system to about the 10% level and find that chondrules formed in discrete events over a time period of more than 1 million years. These data are a major step forward in developing a precise and accurate chronometer, but also raise new questions about early solar system processes.
Source apportionment of visibility impairment using a three-dimensional source-oriented air quality model.

A three-dimensional source-oriented Eulerian air quality model is developed that can predict source contributions to the visibility reduction. Particulate matter and precursor gases from 14 different sources (crustal material, paved road dust, diesel engines, meat cooking, noncatalyst-equipped gasoline engines, catalyst-equipped gasoline engines, high-sulfur fuel, sea salt, refrigerant losses, residential production, animals, soil and fertilizer application, other anthropogenic sources, and background sources) are tracked though a mathematical simulation of emission, chemical reaction, gas-to-particle conversion, transport, and deposition. A visibility model based on Mie theory is modified to use the calculated source contributions to airborne particulate matter size and composition as well as gas-phase pollutant concentrations to quantify total source contributions to visibility impairment. The combined air quality−visibility model is applied to predict source contributions to visibility reduction in sou...