cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modification of animals versus modification of the production environment to meet welfare needs

ABSTRACT The balance between genetic modification and welfare may be as old as the chicken and egg debate. Meeting welfare needs of farm animals has become an integral part of animal agriculture. Until recently, environmental and management modifications have been the methods of choice for meeting welfare needs of animals. Genetic selection has improved growth, livability, and general welfare, but some aspects of welfare like metabolic disorders, susceptibility to some diseases, and skeletal problems have increased. Genetic variability in behavioral and physiological traits relating to welfare exists thus raising the possibility of selecting for welfare-related traits. Advances in molecular biology have also made it possible for the identification of QTL for behavioral and welfare traits. Identification of causal or associative genes for welfare traits and improved biotechnology tools raises the possibility of either selecting for improved welfare or genetically modifying birds to suit the commercial production environment. An integration of management, genetics, and genomic tools should be employed to genetically improve production and welfare traits with concurrent welfare risk assessments to address public and consumer concerns.
Arend Lijphart's Dimensions of Democracy: Logical Connections and Institutional Design:

Lijphart's (1999) analysis maps countries along two dimensions of democratic institutions: ‘executives-parties’ or ‘joint-power’, and ‘federal-unitary’ or ‘divided-power’. My ‘meta-study’ maps the ...
Satisficing anytime action search for behavior-based voting

Within the field of behavior-based robotics, a useful and popular technique for robot control is that of utilitarian voting, where behaviors representing objectives assign utilities to candidate actions. Utilitarian voting allows for distributed, modular control but is not well suited to systems with very high resolution or several, dependent degrees of freedom. Past systems have depended on exhaustive searches that choose the action with the highest combined utility. We present, instead, a framework that casts the action search problem as an anytime algorithm. This allows directed searches to be used with time limit constraints. Aspiration-based satisficing additionally helps to reduce CPU usage. In experiments so far, we have decreased CPU usage by UP to 42% while causing result quality to be no more than 6% worse.
Raman spectroscopy as a tool for monitoring mesoscale continuous-flow organic synthesis: Equipment interface and assessment in four medicinally-relevant reactions.

An apparatus is reported for real-time Raman monitoring of reactions performed using continuous-flow processing. Its capability is assessed by studying four reactions, all involving formation of products bearing α,β-unsaturated carbonyl moieties; synthesis of 3-acetylcoumarin, Knoevenagel and Claisen–Schmidt condensations, and a Biginelli reaction. In each case it is possible to monitor the reactions and also in one case, by means of a calibration curve, determine product conversion from Raman spectral data as corroborated by data obtained using NMR spectroscopy.
The relationship between the mitochondrial gene T-urf 13 and fungal pathotoxin sensitivity in maize

Mitochondria isolated from maize containing cms-T cytoplasm are specifically sensitive to pathotoxins (T-toxins) produced by the fungi Bipolaris maydis race T and Phyllosticta maydis. T-toxins interact with a 13 kDa membrane-bound toxin receptor protein, URF13, to produce hydrophillic pores in the membrane. Expression of URF13 in Escherichia coli produces bacterial cells that form hydrophillic pores in the plasma membrane when exposed to T-toxin or methomyl. Topological studies have established that URF13 contains three membrane-spanning alpha-helices, two of which are amphipathic and may contribute to pore formation. URF13 specifically binds T-toxin in a cooperative manner. Oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis of URF13 led to the isolation of methomyl/T-toxin-resistant mutations at 39 separate positions throughout the URF13 primary sequence. Chemical cross-linking of URF13 demonstrated the presence of URF13 oligomers and established that the pore-forming species is oligomeric. The ability of the carboxylate-specific reagent, dicyclohexycarbodiimide to cross-link URF13 has been used in conjunction with site-directed mutagenesis to establish that the URF13 tetramer has a central core consisting of a four-alpha-helical bundle that may undergo a conformational change after T-toxin or methomyl binding. Experimental evidence indicates that URF13 acts as a ligand-gated, pore-forming T-toxin receptor.
Making Do With What You Have

Some practical options if the basal reading series you are using isn't accommodating the needs of your students.
Laboratory and field measurements with a broad band ADCP

A 1200 kHz Broad Band Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (BBADCP) from RD Instruments was tested in 1992 to determine its applicability to National Ocean Service programs. A series of tow carriage tests was performed at the David Taylor Research Center and comparisons made with standard narrow band ADCP systems. Field tests were performed in the Patuxent River towing the BBADCP in a modified catamaran. The intent is to use the system to perform high resolution current transects from ships of opportunity in coastal waters and estuaries. These tests determined the maximum water track range and tested bottom tracking to depths of 40 meters. Comparisons were performed with a bottom-mounted 1200 kHz narrow band ADCP by anchoring the catamaran 50 meters down river from the platform. The results showed disturbing differences that cannot be adequately explained. Data are presented showing the results of laboratory and field tests and plans are discussed for future tests. >
Systems biology versus molecular biology

Molecular biology and systems biology provide answers to the same questions, but the answers are quite different for the two approaches and are, on the surface, unrelated. The molecular biological answers are arguably more fundamental and are unique, but alternative systems biology answers are possible – consider the two systems-level answers to the first question. Nevertheless, the systems-level answers can be in some sense more satisfying, because you feel you have an explanation you can understand and use to make testable predictions; a list of genes together with their interactions is perhaps preferred, but much harder to grasp, explain and remember.That the two types of answer seem to be unrelated reveals an essential flaw in the example I have used. In a really good example, the two levels of explanation would be unified so that the molecular biology explanation would also include the systems biology answers, and vice versa. In our example, the molecular biologist would not only have to identify the genetic networks responsible for cortical patterning, but would also have to discover the molecular basis for the rules that lead to the optimal arrangement of cortical areas and to understand the mechanisms used by the developing cortex to ensure conducting components occupy 3/5 of the volume so that cortical function is optimal. Even if you know all the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that result in 3/5 of the cortical neuropil volume being conducting components, you still can ask why evolution selected that particular mix of mechanisms. The systems-level approach explains the molecular biologist's answer to this question by appeal to a general principle: evolution selects an optimal partitioning of components.The challenge for systems biology is to discover answers to biology's questions, and the challenge for the molecular biologists is not only to provide answers to these questions, but also to explain the answers given by systems biology. And after molecular biology has given its final answers, the systems biologist must identify the general principles that lead to the actual combination of molecular mechanisms. At its best, then, systems biology and molecular biology work hand-in-hand to provide a complete picture of how and why Biology is the way it is.
Recalling the Unrecallable: Should Hypnosis Be Used to Recover Memories in Psychotherapy?

Walker, N., Lunning, S., & Eilts, J. (1996, June). Do children respond accurately to forced choice ques tions? Paper presented to the NATO Ad vanced Study Institute: Recollections of Trauma: Scientific Research and Clinical Prac tice, Talmont Saint Hilaire, France. Warren, A.R., & Lane, P. (1995). The effects of tim ing and type of questioning on eyewitness ac curacy and suggestibility. In M. Zaragoza (Ed.), Memory and testimony in the child witness (pp. 44-60). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publi cations. Welch-Ross, M. (1995). Developmental changes in preschoolers' ability to distinguish memo ries of performed, pretended, and imag ined actions. Cognitive Development, 10, 421 441.
Conditional Readiness and Structures of Meaningful Action

The notion of 'conditional readiness' is central to D. M. MacKay's account of communication ('Language, Meaning and God', Philosophy, Vol. 47, No. 179, January I972, pp. I-I7). MacKay resorts to mechanistic analogies in attempting to explain this notion. He claims that 'conditional readiness' is an internal state which represents the range of possible actions which are permitted by the structure of a machine. Its 'conditional readiness' is thereby inferable from the structure of the machine. When transferred to man the mechanistic analogy commits MacKay to a form of the identity theory. He writes that 'the state of conditional readiness ... depends upon and is indicated by, the current total pattern of connections and activity in the . .. brain: i.e. in his "organizing system" '. What a man knows and believes is, he tells us, represented by the total pattern of his 'conditional readinesses' and is then implicit in the various aspects of his brain patterns. MacKay makes three further claims intended to clarify the role of 'conditional readinesses' in communication. They are as follows:
Towards a Trust We Can Trust: Taking the Duty to Transfer Land into Trust for Indian Tribes Seriously

The purpose of this paper is to explain why the Secretary of the Interior should have a proactive role in placing land into trust status for the benefit of Indian tribes pursuant to the authority given to him by Congress under section 5 of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. Although the broader question addressed in this paper is the role the Indian trust doctrine should have in guiding all federal agencies when implementing legislation enacted for the benefit of Indians, the paper addresses this issue by focusing on the legitimacy of the regulations adopted by the Department in 1980 and 1995 to implement section five of the IRA. The thesis of this paper is that in the context of section 5 of the IRA, the trust doctrine should guide decisions made by the Secretary of the Interior. To demonstrate this point, after giving a short overview of the history of section five’s implementation, the paper examines the role of the trust doctrine in the implementation of legislation enacted for the benefit of Indians, and concludes by explaining why it should play a crucial role in the Secretary’s implementation of section 5 of the IRA.
What does glycolysis make and why is it important

classic references (e.g., Ref. [6][1]) and Wikipedia ( ) are alike in confusing readers on the process, regulation, and physiological roles of glycolysis. The reference sources assert that glycolysis produces pyruvic acid (i.e., pyruvate and protons), and that
Factors associated with hospital mortality in traumatic injuries: Incentive for trauma care integration

Summary Objectives The main aim of this study was to contrast the variation in mortality between trauma centres (TCs) and non-trauma hospitals (NTHs) in Texas, and among TCs by sociodemographic and economic factors of trauma cases. Study design Difference in fatality due to trauma by hospital type was studied for all injured cases hospitalized over a 2-year period. Methods The outcome measure was mortality following an injury for cases that survived the impact and were treated in any hospital. Logistic regressions were employed to compare the risk factors associated with trauma fatalities between TCs and NTHs, and among TCs. Results The risk of dying at a TC in contrast to an NTH was higher among young adult males and cases admitted through the emergency department/room. In rural areas, fatality was higher among 25–44 year olds, Hispanics, uninsured patients, and cases admitted through transfer. In urban settings, fatality was higher among 18–24 year olds, patients covered by ‘other’ insurance, and cases admitted as severe emergencies. Increased mortality at Level I TCs occurred due to the transfer of patients from rural areas. Blacks and Hispanics in rural areas were more likely to die, while Hispanics had lower fatality in Level I TCs in urban areas. Survival time was longer for patients treated in urban TCs compared with rural TCs. Conclusion In the absence of validated data about severity of cases and type of injury, and details about the treatment provided to trauma cases in this study, more investigation is needed into the case-mix of trauma patients admitted to TCs and NTHs. Further exploration is necessary for better co-ordination of the emergency care response to integrate NTHs within the trauma system and alleviate the stress placed on Level I TCs. Revisiting the transfer algorithms could improve clinical outcomes, particularly when TCs are closed due to diversion protocols.
Low friction liquid bearing mems micromotor

This paper examines the performance of rotating microdevices incorporating a liquid bearing to couple a rotating element to a fixed substrate. Liquid bearing technology promises to significantly improve the durability and lifetime of micromechanical motors. Here, the fluid is confined between the rotor and stator using surface patterning of a hydrophobic layer. Magnetic actuation of 10 mm diameter silicon rotor is used to characterize the liquid bearing motor at rotation rates up to 1800 rpm. Bearings with fluid thickness from 20–200 microns are characterized. A minimum torque of 0.15 µN-m is required to overcome static friction and initiate rotation. At rotation rates above 720 rpm, the rotor wobble is less than ±1 mrad and the bearing exhibits viscous friction with a drag coefficient of 1.2 × 10−3 µN-m/rpm.
Bounding network-reliability using consecutive minimal cutsets

A subset of consecutive minimal cutsets of the set of cutsets is used to develop an efficient algorithm to compute an upper bound for the reliability of a network. The reliability is the probability that a path consisting only of functioning arcs exists between the source and the sink of the network. The nodes of this network are perfect, but the arcs are independent and either function or fail with known probabilities. For the case of source-to-sink planar networks, an approach to obtain a lower bound for the reliability of the network is also presented. Examples illustrate the use of the algorithm and show that the upper bound is, is many cases, better than that obtained by A.W. Shogan (1976). >
Cohort effects explain the increase in autism diagnosis among children born from 1992 to 2003 in California

Background The incidence and prevalence of autism have dramatically increased over the last 20 years. Decomposition of autism incidence rates into age, period and cohort effects disentangle underlying domains of causal factors linked to time trends. We estimate an age-period-cohort effect model for autism diagnostic incidence overall and by level of functioning. Methods Data are drawn from sequential cohorts of all 6 501 262 individuals born in California from 1992 to 2003. Autism diagnoses from 1994 to 2005 were ascertained from the California Department of Development Services Client Development and Evaluation Report. Results Compared with those born in 1992, each successively younger cohort has significantly higher odds of an autism diagnosis than the previous cohort, controlling for age and period effects. For example, individuals born in 2003 have 16.6 times the odds of an autism diagnosis compared with those born in 1992 [95% confidence interval (CI) 7.8–35.3]. The cohort effect observed in these data is stronger for high than for low-functioning children with an autism diagnosis. Discussion Autism incidence in California exhibits a robust and linear positive cohort effect that is stronger among high-functioning children with an autism diagnosis. This finding indicates that the primary drivers of the increases in autism diagnoses must be factors that: (i) have increased linearly year-to-year; (ii) aggregate in birth cohorts; and (iii) are stronger among children with higher levels of functioning.
Chronic erosive gastritis resulting in cachexia

Nine patients are reported who presented with severe weight loss of up to 13.6 kg (30 lb) as a result of chronic erosive gastritis. In many the cachexia was sufficient to prompt a search for malignancy but no other lesion was found. The importance of the radiological pursuit of this diagnosis is emphasised. Illustrative case histories are presented.
Diagnosis of Hypertensive End-Stage Renal Disease: Effect of Patient's Race

The authors conducted a simulation study to examine whether the race of a patient with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) influences the diagnosis of underlying kidney disease made by the nephrologist. The hypothesis was that ESRD may be more readily ascribed to hypertension in blacks than in whites. Nephrologists practicing in Maryland during 1991 were sent written case histories based on the presentation of seven patients with ESRD. For each case history, the patient's race was randomly assigned to be "black" or "white." The nephrologist's diagnosis of underlying renal disease was recorded as "hypertensive" or "other." Analysis of 197 case histories from 58 physicians (81% of those eligible) was performed using logistic regression. The distribution of underlying causes of ESRD in the case histories was similar to national statistics: hypertensive ESRD, 34%; diabetic ESRD, 30%; glomerulonephritis, 11%; other, 16%; unknown, 10%. Case histories that identified the patient's race as black were more likely (odds ratio = 1.97; 95% confidence interval 1.05-3.68) to result in a diagnosis of hypertensive ESRD than case histories in which the patient's race was said to be white, after adjustment for case history. Analyses that accounted for the physicians' individual tendencies to diagnose hypertensive ESRD yielded similar results. These findings suggest that black ESRD patients may be more likely to be labeled as having hypertensive kidney disease than white ESRD patients with similar clinical histories. Using race as a criterion to establish diagnoses of kidney disease may obscure the interpretation of incidence statistics, affect the management of individual patients, and hinder epidemiologic studies of risk factors for kidney failure. Definition of clear diagnostic criteria for the underlying cause of kidney failure is highly desirable.
Development of a rapid identification method for Aeromonas species by multiplex-PCR

Existing biochemical methods cannot distinguish among some species of Aeromonads, while genetic methods are labor intensive. In this study, primers were developed to three genes of Aeromonas: lipas...
An Observational Study of the Northern Hemisphere Extratropical Summertime General Circulation

Abstract The three-dimensional structure of the extratropical Northern Hemisphere summertime general circulation is documented by making use of twice-daily operational analyses at nine pressure levels (1000–100 mb) for 12 summers (1966–77). Two distinct regimes of standing waves quite unlike the wintertime standing waves appear: a subtropical regime which is clearly a monsoonal response to thermal forcing, and a higher latitude regime in which the standing waves are of smaller scale and much weaker than in winter and tend to be equivalent barotropic in structure with almost no vertical tilt in the mid- and upper troposphere. While the transient eddies shift poleward from their wintertime location and are weaker in summer, their properties and relation to the mean flow are much the same as Blackmon et al. (1977), Lau (1978, 1979a,b) and Lau and Wallace (1979) found for the winter. In both seasons the regions of strongest transient activity generally coincide with the regions where the height scale of the m...
Intergenerational Financial Transfers and Young Adults’ Transitions In and Out of the Parental Home

Over the last few decades, youth have been delaying leaving the parental home and increasingly returning to it, often making these transitions for reasons other than marrying, such as to pursue edu...
Selected isozymes of PKC contribute to augmented growth of fetal and neonatal bovine PA adventitial fibroblasts

We sought to determine which isozymes of protein kinase C (PKC) contribute to the increased proliferation of immature bovine pulmonary artery (PA) adventitial fibroblasts. Seven were identified in ...
Financial Structure and Asymmetric Monetary Transmission: Implications of a Differential Role of Asset Markets

In Chapter 2, asymmetries in financial structure were used to explain why the interest rate channel differs across the EMU member countries. In some countries, like Germany or France, long-term interest rates appear to influence aggregate demand whereas in other countries, like Italy, short-term interest rates are considered to be very important. This reflects differences in the borrowing pattern of the private sector. In Germany and France, borrowing is primarily long-term, while in Italy short-term borrowing dominates. These differences in the nature of interest rate transmission are also identified in econometric estimates of consumption and investment equations (De Bondt et al. (1997)).
Remote Monitoring and Outcomes in Pacemaker and Defibrillator Patients: Big Data Saving Lives?∗

Remote monitoring (RM) of cardiac implantable devices now enables daily monitoring and notification of device function and patient clinical status. Past guideline recommendations have endorsed in-person follow-up of device patients or RM every 3 to 6 months [(1–3)][1], but RM offers a simpler
Discrimination in International Trade: The Most-Favored-Nation Obligation

This paper explores the meaning and application of the most favored-nation obligation in international trade relations. In focusing on the MFN obligation contained in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade it considers how the obligation in a multilateral context differs from the historical use in bilateral agreements. The paper further analyzes the concept of "like products" used to determine the existence of discrimination. Economic concepts such as cross-elasticity of supply and demand are considered but they seem to only partially capture the proper legal application of the MFN obligation. The paper concludes based on analysis and some historical evidence that the notion of like products is context sensitive and differs substantially in accordance with the regulatory purpose asserted.
Secure knowledge management: confidentiality, trust, and privacy

Knowledge management enhances the value of a corporation by identifying the assets and expertise as well as efficiently managing the resources. Security for knowledge management is critical as organizations have to protect their intellectual assets. Therefore, only authorized individuals must be permitted to execute various operations and functions in an organization. In this paper, secure knowledge management will be discussed, focusing on confidentiality, trust, and privacy. In particular, certain access-control techniques will be investigated, and trust management as well as privacy control for knowledge management will be explored
Extraction Procedures for Use Prior to HPLC Nucleotide Analysis Using Microparticle Chemically Bonded Packings

In preparing nucleotide extracts for HPLC analysis using microparticle, chemically bonded packings, tri-octyl-amine-freon solutions can be used for the extraction of the acid from the solution if the concentration of the amine is carefully controlled.
Apple Fruit Cuticles and the Occurrence of Pores and Transcuticular Canals

Developmental studies were made on the dewaxed thin-sectioned apple fruit cuticles of 10 Malus sylvestris Mill, cultivars from 4 weeks before anthesis through fruit maturation and harvest. Cuticular development appears to correlate well with the general growth of the fruit. However, no correlation exists between fruit size and cuticle thickness. Cuticular pores were evident as early as 1 week before anthesis and transcuticular canals became evident by 1 week following anthesis. Dewaxed thin-sectioned, as well as isolated, mature fruit cuticles of 16 cultivars and four crab-apples consistently revealed the distinct presence of ubiquitous pores and canals. Evidence is provided by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Measurements were taken of cuticle thicknesses during development and of cuticular pore dimensions, and calculations were made of pore and canal numbers. Fruit size alone is not directly indicative of total pore numbers per surface area. Canal lengths are directly related to the developmental thickness of the cuticle. No correlation was found between the thickness of the mature cuticle and either the number of pores present or the pore diameters.
Trigeminal Neuropathic Pain

Typical trigeminal neuralgia is characterized by episodic, unilateral, lancinating, triggerable, often shock-like facial pains, and pain-free intervals. Trigeminal neuropathic pain could be defined as constant unilateral facial pain of variable intensity, is non-triggerable, and unremitting. Atypical trigeminal neuralgia is an overlap syndrome with both episodic and constant pain. Patients with clear pathology of the trigeminal system often have sensory loss and atypical pains. The leading theory of causation of typical trigeminal neuralgia points to minimal compression and demyelination at the root entry zone (REZ) of the trigeminal nerve. In the experience of many neurosurgeons, atypical pains result from lesions or injuries of the trigeminal nerve root distal to the REZ. In a review of 122 patients, distal trigeminal pathology correlated with a clinical syndrome of trigeminal neuropathic pain. An hypothesis is presented that peripheral lesions of the trigeminal nerve behave as do other peripheral nerve lesions in that they are associated with sensory loss, deafferentiation and non "tic-like" pains. This may be due to the asynchronous spatial temporal dispersion of abnormal centrally-propagating axonal activity in nociceptive and non-nociceptive fibers from the region of pathology. This is opposed to the putative synchronous multifiber volleys which may emanate from the proximal trigeminal REZ in patients with typical trigeminal neuralgia. It appears that classical trigeminal neuralgia may be an exception to the rule that nerve injuries typically produce symptoms like constant pain and allodynia. Trigeminal neuropathic pain is, in some ways, a more general syndrome in that it is a painful nerve injury of the distal trigeminal nerve.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Permeability of the Thermometer Sheath When Taking Oral Temperatures

Oral mercury-in-glass thermometers are contaminated with each use and must be decontaminated prior to reuse. It has been shown that the application of a thermometer sheath prevents contamination of the rectal thermometer. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate sheathed thermometers for contamination after oral use on dentulous patients. One hundred sterile sheathed thermometers were distributed into four groups and subjected to in vitro and in vivo conditions. After clinical use 80% of the sheathed thermometers became contaminated, while not one of those exposed to microorganisms in vitro was contaminated. The cause for contamination was shown to be perforation of the sheath by the dentition. Thus the thermometer sheath is ineffective in preventing contamination of the mercury-in-glass thermometer when used for obtaining oral temperatures from dentulous patients. Sheathed mercury-in-glass thermometers should be decontaminated after each oral use.
Study on alternative methods for the acute oral toxicity in detection of chemicals

Objective To evaluate three alternative methods for LD50 test-Fixed Dose Procedure (FDP),the Acute Toxic Class Method (ATC) and Up and Down Procedure (UDP).Methods Female SD rats (8～12 weeks of age,160~200 g) were used.Three alternative methods from OECD were applied to assess 22 chemicals (10 cosmetic raw materials and 12 raw materials of personal and home care products).The toxicity ranking for tested chemicals was established according to Globally Harmonized System(GSH).The results LD50 test were compared for the consistency and correlation between alternative methods and traditional test.Results For cosmetic raw materials,the concordance rate of the three alternative methods was 80%(8/10);for raw material of personal and home care products,the concordance rates of FDP,ATC and UDP was 91.7%(11/12),75.0%(9/12) and 83.0%(10/12),respectively.The number of animals required in three alternative methods was significantly lower than that in traditional test (P<0.05),but the time required in three alternative methods was significantly higher than that in traditional test (P<0.05 ).Conclusions High consistency and correlation were found between each alternative method and LD50 test.FDP may be more potential when applied to assess acute oral toxicity of cosmetic raw materials. Key words: Toxicity tests; Animal testing alternatives; Cosmetics; Inorganic chemicals; Organic chemicals
Instancy for modern transcendent shipping information systems

Характерно за новото хилядолетие е стремителното развитие на информационните технологии и комуникациите. В настоящето е почти невъзможно хората да си представят живота на световната икономика, както и всяка индустрия с локален характер и присъща социална активност, без съществуването на корабоплаването. Съвременните тенденции в разработването и предлагането на програмни продукти и информационни системи се характеризират с непрекъснато увеличаване на техния обхват и приближаване все повече към нуждите на мениджърите и специалистите в практиката на управлението. Всяко следващо поколение информационни системи и технологии притежава все по-големи възможности и специализация в направление на изискванията и нуждите на мениджърите.
High tech or high risk? An analysis of media reports about robotic surgery

Robotic surgery continues to increase in popularity and prevalence. The adoption of robotic technology has generated controversy and frequent media coverage. We evaluate recent reports of surgical robotics in the lay press to characterize its objectivity. LexisNexis and Factiva consumer news databases were queried for articles pertaining to robotic surgery published during 2010–2015 in the three highest circulation national (US) newspapers as well as New England regional newspapers. Two independent reviewers performed content analysis and assessed headline bias with strong reliability (mean κ = 0.96). 82 articles met inclusion criteria. Urological and gynecologic procedures were the most cited (54 and 57%, respectively). Commonly discussed aspects of robotic surgery included increased cost (45 articles, 55%), increased complications (38 articles, 43%), and easier recovery (32 articles, 39%). A minority of headlines (45%) had a neutral or unbiased tone. National newspapers were significantly more likely to report robotic surgery unfavorably by discussing disadvantages of the technology, only quoting surgeons with negative opinions, or citing scientific studies discrediting the robot (all p < 0.05). Of the 27 news articles that referenced published research studies, all 27 quoted studies reported the disadvantages of robotic surgery, while only 7 (26%) cited findings favoring robotic approaches. News reports about robotic surgery in the popular press contain a high proportion of negative bias. Non-neutral headlines and emphasis on research unfavorable to robotics were common. Clinicians should be aware of these reporting biases, which may affect patients’ perceptions of robotic surgery.
Presiding Over Municipal Bankruptcies: Then, Now, and Puerto Rico

Federal district judges have not been directly responsible for municipal bankruptcy cases since the 1970s. Between then and now, federal bankruptcy judges have accumulated hard-won lessons about how to preside over cases involving governments. Indeed, the merit-selected bankruptcy bench has been groomed to handle restructuring cases of all kinds and of ever-growing size and complexity. Some proposals for the use of bankruptcy by systemically important financial institutions anticipate the use of bankruptcy judges. In 2016, Congress made a jarring break from this trajectory by requiring that a district judge preside over what is likely to be the biggest government bankruptcy case in American history: the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Title III of PROMESA, the law that would apply to a Puerto Rico debt restructuring case, incorporates and builds substantially on the existing U.S. bankruptcy system, but omits a central institutional actor - namely, the experienced judge. This article reviews the judicial selection requirement in PROMESA in a historical context, looking at municipal bankruptcy's judicial selection rules from its inception in the 1930s. Although the Ford Administration, speaking through then-Assistant-Attorney General Antonin Scalia, perceived advantages of district judges presiding over major city bankruptcies, my research unearthed no legislative discussion suggesting that Article III judges are constitutionally required for government bankruptcies, relative to other kinds of cases. One can only hope that the benefits of PROMESA's departure from the arc of bankruptcy court history will outweigh its considerable costs.
New Testament Media Criticism

This article introduces and overviews New Testament media criticism. Media criticism is an emerging biblical methodology that encompasses four related fields: orality studies, social memory theory, performance criticism, and the Bible in modern media. The article addresses the methodological foundations of these fields and reviews recent contributions in each of them.
Incorporating Emerging Economies in the Supply Chain

The ripples from the rapid pace of change in emerging economies are being felt worldwide. In the next 15 years, 85% of the world’s population, and 57% of the nearly one billion households with purchasing power will live in these economies. This scenario not only provides opportunities for multinationals, it also creates a sense of urgency. Unilever, GE, and PG a supply chain that can adapt to different environments, or a meta-supply-chain for coordinating several country-specific supply chains.
The Role of Positive Psychology, Cultural, and Family Factors on Hispanic/Latino College Students’ Depressive Symptoms and Subjective Happiness:

This study examined how presence of meaning in life, search for meaning in life, hope, gratitude, enculturation, and family influenced Hispanic/Latino college students’ depression and subjective ha...
“Never had the hand”: Distribution and inequality in the diverse economy of a refugee camp

In a long-term refugee camp with few opportunities for wage labor, giving and receiving become vital mechanisms for finding food to eat. Drawing on mixed-methods research at the Buduburam Liberian refugee camp in Ghana, this article focuses on the ethnographic details of everyday economic life to dismantle dominant narratives that shape current understandings of refugee economies. Exclusion from capitalist narratives and the lack of categories to account for the economic lives of refugees mask the dynamic and diverse impacts of the camp economy. Instead, ethnographic analysis of distributive practices and channels at Buduburam reveals how an underlying restorative narrative shapes the camp economy. Economic activities that sustain life inside the refugee camp—and the categories used to describe these activities—do not simply afford social protection; they also generate conflict and inequality.
On the performance of cognitive internet-of-vehicles with unlicensed user-mobility and licensed user-activity

Abstract Internet of Vehicles (IoV) is regarded as an emerging concept for intelligent transportation cyber-physical systems. Due to the limited number of channels available in IEEE 802.11p DSRC/WAVE standard for vehicular communications, time-critical emergency messages in IoV could suffer from delays. Thus, cognitive radio enabled IoV has potential to overcome this problem, where vehicles (i.e., unlicensed vehicular users aka unlicensed secondary users) access RF spectrum other than 802.11p spectrum in an opportunistic manner by sensing and identifying the idle channels licensed to primary users without causing any harmful interference to primary users. In cognitive IoV, unlicensed vehicular users rely on spectrum sensing to find idle bands for opportunistic IoV communications. Existing spectrum sensing algorithms either consider low mobility or stationary (no mobility) of unlicensed vehicular users. Furthermore, joint impact of unlicensed vehicular user mobility and primary user activity have not considered while evaluating the performance of spectrum sensing for opportunistic communications. In this paper, we analyze and evaluate the combined impact of unlicensed vehicular user mobility and licensed user activity for cognitive IoV where each vehicle is assumed to be equipped with a wireless device capable of communication and spectrum sensing for wide-band spectrum regime including IEEE 802.11p. We formally study the performance of the proposed approach for cognitive IoV using mathematical analysis by considering a speed of the vehicles, activities of the primary users and distance between licensed and unlicensed users. Then, numerical results obtained from simulations are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed approach. Results show that the unlicensed vehicular user mobility and primary user activity have a higher impact on misdetection probability than that on false alarm probability. Furthermore, communication range, speed, travel direction and distance between unlicensed vehicular users and licensed primary users affect the overlapping time period for spectrum sensing to find idle channels for opportunistic communications. We also study the dynamic spectrum access for opportunistic communications in terms of expected transmission time, achievable per-user rate and expected transmission count for successful communications.
Hydrogen exchange kinetics of proteins in denaturants: a generalized two-process model.

Abstract The recent progress in measurements on the amide hydrogen exchange (HX) in proteins under varying denaturing conditions, both at equilibrium and in transient relaxation, necessitates the development of a unifying theory which quantitatively relates the HX rates to the conformational energetics of the proteins. We present here a comprehensive kinetic model for the site-specific HX of proteins under varying solvent denaturing conditions based on the two-state protein folding model. The generalized two-process model considers both conformational fluctuations and residual protections, respectively, within the folded and unfolded states of a protein, as well as a global kinetic folding-unfolding transition between the two states. The global transition can be either rapid or slow, depending on the solvent condition for the protein. This novel model is applicable to the traditional equilibrium HX measurements in both EX2 and EX1 regimes, and also the recently introduced transient pulse-labeling HX experiments. A set of simple analytical equations is provided for quantitative interpretation of experimental data. The model emphasizes the use of full time-course of bi-exponential HX kinetics, rather than fitting time-course data to single rate constants, to obtain quantitative information about fluctuating conformers within the folded and unfolded states of proteins. This HX kinetic model naturally unfolds into a simple two-state and two-stage kinetic interpretation for protein folding. It suggests that the various observed intermediates of a protein can be interpreted as dominant isomers of either the folded or the unfolded state under different solvent conditions. This simple, minimalist’s view of protein folding is consistent with various recent experimental observations on folding kinetics by HX.
Marked functional recovery and imaging response of refractory optic pathway glioma to BRAFV600E inhibitor therapy: a report of two cases

Despite appropriate therapeutic interventions, progressive optic pathway glioma (OPG) in children may result in loss of vision and other neurologic morbidities. Molecularly targeted therapy against the MAP kinase pathway holds promise in improving outcomes while resulting in lower treatment-related toxicities. We report two children with refractory OPG who had a substantial and early reversal of their neurologic deficits and an impressive imaging response of their tumor to BRAFV600E inhibition therapy. Two children with OPG (BRAFV600E-mutated pilocytic astrocytoma) who did not respond to at least one frontline therapy were treated with the oral BRAFV600E inhibitor vemurafenib. Both children had substantial visual compromise before start of therapy, with one child additionally having motor deficits. Both had an early improvement in their vision, and the second child showed a demonstrable improvement in motor weakness. This was accompanied by a decrease in tumor size, which was sustained at 6 months from therapy. Neither child had significant toxicities except for mild skin sensitivity to vemurafenib. BRAFV600E inhibitor therapy can potentially reverse visual and neurologic decline associated with progressive OPG. The clinico-radiologic response appears to be prompt and marked. Ongoing clinical trials using BRAFV600E inhibitors can help confirm these early promising findings.
Equal accessibility to computer science classes in high schools in California

In this paper, we provide a statistical analysis of data from the California Department of Education to determine whether students of different ethnic and gender backgrounds are equally represented in high school computer science classes in California. Contrary to public perception, we found that every ethnic demographic was accurately represented in the classroom. The percentage of students of each demographic matched in the classroom the percentage of students in each demographic for the state. We found that this representation does not depend on gender. The ethnic distribution of male students in computer science matches the ethnic distribution of the state of California. Similarly, the ethnic distribution of female students in computer science matches the ethnic distribution of the state of California. We found that, despite inclusion efforts, female students are still a minority in these classes. Only 15% of schools with computer science programs have enrollment of at least 50% female. Related research suggests that the most effective way to include female students is to integrate STEM programs into the school curriculum at an early age before girls start to associate with gender stereotypes.
Roles of NF-κB in Autoimmunity

Autoimmune diseases are the result of improper and uncontrolled immune responses against self-antigens. The NF-κB/Rel family of transcription factors is known to play important roles in the initiation and regulation of immunity against pathogens and foreign antigens. Over time, evidence has accumulated implicating NF-κB as a mediator of autoimmunity and potential therapeutic target for treating autoimmune diseases. In this chapter, we discuss the role of NF-κB in apoptosis and cell proliferation as well as tolerance and autoimmunity.
Classification of Individual Lung Cancer Cell Lines Based on DNA Methylation Markers: Use of Linear Discriminant Analysis and Artificial Neural Networks

The classification of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can pose diagnostic problems due to inter-observer variability and other limitations of histopathology. There is an interest in developing classificatory models of lung neoplasms based on the analysis of multivariate molecular data with statistical methods and/or neural networks. DNA methylation levels at 20 loci were measured in 41 SCLC and 46 NSCLC cell lines with the quantitative real-time PCR method MethyLight. The data were analyzed with artificial neural networks (ANN) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to classify the cell lines into SCLC or into NSCLC. Models used either data from all 20 loci, or from five significant DNA methylation loci that were selected by a step-wise back-propagation procedure (PTGS2, CALCA, MTHFR, ESR1, and CDKN2A). The data were sorted randomly by cell line into 10 different data sets, each with training and testing subsets composed of 71 and 16 of the cases, respectively. Ten ANN models were trained using the 10 data sets: five using 20 variables, and five using the five variables selected by step-wise back-propagation. The ANN models with 20 input variables correctly classified 100% of the cell lines, while the models with only five variables correctly classified 87 to 100% of cases. For comparison, 10 different LDA models were trained and tested using the same data sets with either the original data or with logarithmically transformed data. Again, half of the models used all 20 variables while the others used only the five significant variables. LDA models provided correct classifications in 62.5% to 87.5% of cases. The classifications provided by all of the different models were compared with kappa statistics, yielding kappa values ranging from 0.25 to 1.0. We conclude that ANN models based on DNA methylation profiles can objectively classify SCLC and NSCLC cells lines with substantial to perfect concordance, while LDA models based on DNA methylation profiles provide poor to substantial concordance. Our work supports the promise of ANN analysis of DNA methylation data as a powerful approach for the development of automated methods for lung cancer classification.
Modulation of the Wound Healing Response Through Oxidation Active Materials

Oxidative stress originally gained attention as key pathological process in a variety of disease states and conditions (e.g., acute lung injury, sepsis, chronic degenerative neurological diseases). Furthermore, it oxidative stress has also been identified as one of the key mechanisms to tissue toxicity brought on by nanomaterials and implant biomaterials. Yet, despite these origins, newer research has started to view oxidative stress and not simply pathology, but as a physiologically relevant signaling system, working in concert with the more traditional cell signaling cascades (e.g., growth factor signaling, cytokine release). As a result, a reinvigoration of research in regenerative medicine has begun looking at oxidative stress as a potential tuning mechanism to enhance the natural wound healing process. In this chapter, a summary of the biological aspects of oxidative stress is presented as well as a current state of the art approaches used in designing biomaterials to actively participate in the oxidative stress signaling.
Correction to: α-Synuclein’s Uniquely Long Amphipathic Helix Enhances its Membrane Binding and Remodeling Capacity

The original version of the article unfortunately contained error in author group; two authors were not submitted and published in the original version. Also the funding information is erroneously omitted.