cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anthropology, genuine and spurious

Sapir, Edward, Selected Writings in Language, Culture, and Personality, ed. by David G. Mandelbaum. With a New Epilogue by Dell H. Hymes. Paperback Edition. Berkeley, University of California Press, 1985. iii + 617 pp. including bibliography. $14.95 paper. Reiss, Nira. Speech Act Taxonomy. Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company, 1985. vi + 153 pp. including references and appendices. $36.00 paper.
Statistical allosteric coupling to the active site indole ring flip equilibria in the FK506-binding domain.

Abstract In solution, the Trp 59 indole ring at the base of the active site cleft in the FKBP domain protein FKBP12 is rotated by ~ 90° at a population level of 20%, relative to its canonical crystallographic orientation. NMR measurements on the homologous FK1 domains of human FKBP51 and FKBP52 indicate no observable indole ring flip conformation, while the V101I variant of FKBP12 decreases the population having a perpendicular indole orientation by 10-fold. A set of three parallel 400 ns CHARMM27 molecular simulations for both wild type FKBP12 and the V101I variant examined how this ring flip might be energetically coupled to a transition of the Glu 60 sidechain which interacts with the backbone of the 50's loop located ~ 12 A from the indole nitrogen. Analysis of the transition matrix for the local dynamics of the Glu 60 sidechain, the Trp 59 sidechain, and of the structurally interposed α-helix hydrogen bonding pattern yielded a statistical allosteric coupling of 10 kJ/mol with negligible concerted dynamical coupling for the transitions of the two sidechains.
Cost effectiveness of ribavirin/interferon alfa-2b after interferon relapse in chronic hepatitis C.

Abstract purpose: Many patients with chronic hepatitis C who are treated with interferon suffer a relapse after an initial response. About half of these patients have a sustained virological response to retreatment with the combination of ribavirin and interferon alfa-2b. The aim of this study was to estimate the cost effectiveness of retreatment with combination therapy versus interferon alone for patients who have previously relapsed after interferon. subjects and methods: Data from a randomized trial among 345 relapsed patients that compared combination therapy with interferon alone were used to project lifelong clinical and economic outcomes. Natural history and economic estimates (discounted at 3% per year) were based upon published literature, expert panel estimates, and cost and reimbursement data. results: Compared with retreatment with interferon alone, combination therapy should prolong life expectancy by about 2 discounted quality-adjusted life years (3 life years, undiscounted) while increasing costs modestly. The results were robust, maintaining an advantage to combination therapy in sensitivity analysis for all subgroups and with reasonable variations in all model parameters. conclusion: For patients with chronic hepatitis C who relapse after an initial response to interferon alone, retreatment with the combination of ribavirin and interferon alfa-2b should prolong life and be cost effective.
True single-port appendectomy: first experience with the "puppeteer technique".

Laparoscopic appendectomy is one of the most commonly performed minimally invasive surgeries worldwide. In recent years, successful attempts to reduce the number of the traditionally used three ports have been reported. Specifically, two-port techniques, hybrid approaches, and single-port assisted techniques have been described. In this case series, the author describes for the first time a successful and uncomplicated true single-port appendectomy (TSPA) technique. Between July and December of 2007, 14 consecutive patients were assigned to undergo TSPA for presumed appendicitis at Yale–New Haven Hospital. The novel approach involves an innovative “puppeteer technique,” which uses a “pulley” in the form of an intraabdominally placed loop to the abdominal wall as an axle to elevate the appendix with a string. The thread is pulled by the surgeon extracorporeally, similar to a puppeteer moving the limbs of his or her puppets. Of the 14 patients, 13 (8 women and 5 men) underwent a successful TSPA. One patient was converted to a two-port appendectomy. The average age of the patients was 37.5 years (range, 22–59 years), and the average body mass index (BMI) was 27.4 kg/m2 (range, 19.4–39 kg/m2). The mean operative time was 87.5 min (range, 54–128 min). No major complications were observed. One minor postoperative complication occurred, involving urinary retention, which resolved within 24 h. The novel “puppeteer technique” seems to be a safe and easily reproducible alternative to previous laparoscopic appendectomy techniques. It uses only one single 11-mm port without any additional skin incisions or transdermally traversing needles. It is performed entirely intracorporeally, resulting in presumably less postoperative pain and improved cosmesis. Randomized controlled trials are necessary to investigate this novel technique. The TSPA technique, the first of its kind in the treatment of appendicitis, minimizes the minimally invasive approach to a new level.
Characteristics of Microwave Acoustic Transducers for Volume Wave Excitation

Transducers which utilize acoustoelectric conversion in a piezoelectric film, plate, or surface have found wide application for generating planar volume-acoustic waves at microwave frequencies. A review is given of the electrical impedance, conversion loss, and bandwidth characteristics for piezoelectric film or plate transducers which vibrate in one-dimensional thickness extensional or shear modes. The transducer response is related to the electric and acoustic parameters that describe the transducer configuration, and experimental examples are given to illustrate the operation of typical transducer configurations. Methods for achieving low conversion loss and/or broad bandwidth are discussed and experimental examples given. Tables of bulk material constants are supplied for commonly used plate and film devices, and transducer fabrication methods are reviewed. Other types of volume wave transducers, such as those utilizing a single piezoelectric surface, a diffusion layer in a piezoelectric semiconductor, or mode conversion at a boundary are also briefly discussed.
A Probe Sampling Method for Country Elevators

A method for using mechanical probes to sample trucks and wagons was developed. The plan involves the collection of multiple samples, with none taken from the center or corners of loads. In tests at a country elevator, the plan yielded accurate corn and soybean samples relative to the pelican method and reduced variability by 15 to 25% in Official Grade factors.
Effect of Lipids on the Properties of Extruded Products

Corn gluten having 3.9, 1.8 and 0.2%, lipid (dry basis, db) was blended with defatted soy protein concentrate in the ratio of 25:75 w/ w. The blends were made up of 20, 30, and 40% moisture (db) and then extruded through 4.24, 3.0, and 2.12 mm diameter dies at screw speeds of 60, 120, and 180 rpm. The dependent variables measured were puff ratio, bulk density, shear strength, and water-holding capacity. Shear strength increased when lipids decreased from 3.9% to 1.8% but then decreased when lipids were reduced to 0.2%. Water-holding capacity and puff ratio increased with decreasing lipids. Bulk density was unaffected by lipid concentration.
Some electronic aspects of structural maps

Abstract Three problems are addressed in this paper, stimulated by results presented by the study of structural maps. These are (i) the electronic factors influencing the distortions from symmetric geometries of d 9 and d 10 systems, (ii) the system-dependent energetics behind the adoption of the cadmium halide and rutile structures for transition metal systems, and (iii) a general picture which relates the structures of solids with one electron count to those found with one or two electrons more.
Personality Traits of Successful Managers as Perceived By Food and Beverage Human Resource Executives and Recruiters

The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the perceptions held by food and beverage human resource executives and recruiters concerning the personality traits of successful hospitality managers. A survey research design and a causal-comparative research design using survey methodology were both used to address the three research questions. Results indicated hospitality management recruiters perceive energy as the most important trait of successful hospitality managers. Whereas, food and beverage human resource executives identified the personality trait of trustworthiness as the trait of greatest importance for successful hospitality managers. In the third research question and corresponding hypothesis, there was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the hospitalityindustry executives (15.20) and hospitality management recruiters (12.68) on the personality trait of trustworthy, p value of <0.001. The results of this study provide information for future hospitality m...
Abstract SY07-03: Gain-of-function activities of mutant p53

Mutations in p53 in tumors vary from deletions and nonsense mutations that lead to the absence of p53 protein to missense mutations that disrupt the DNA binding function of p53 and that exhibit gain-of-function phenotypes. The p53R172H protein manifests one of its gain-of-function activities as a metastatic phenotype in vivo. To understand the contribution of mutant p53 to metastasis, expression arrays were used to compare primary osteosarcomas from p53R172H/+ mice with metastasis to osteosarcomas from p53+/- mice lacking metastasis. Of 213 gene differences, Pla2g16 was overexpressed in metastatic osteosarcomas and was of particular interest as it encodes a phospholipase that catalyzes phosphatidic acid into lysophosphatidic acid and free fatty acid (both implicated in metastasis). Functional analyses showed that Pla2g16 knockdown decreased migration and invasion in mutant p53 expressing cells, and vice versa, overexpression of Pla2g16 increased the invasion of p53-null cells. Mechanistically, various mutant p53 proteins bind the Pla2g16 promoter at ETS binding motifs and knockdown of ETS2 in particular suppressed mutant p53 induction of Pla2g16. Thus, our study identifies a phospholipase as a transcriptional target of mutant p53 that contributes to metastasis. Citation Format: Guillermina Lozano. Gain-of-function activities of mutant p53. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr SY07-03. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-SY07-03
Explaining Race Differences in Health among Older Adults The Contribution of Community Socioeconomic Context

Research demonstrates that race disparities in health often persist after controlling for individual socioeconomic status (SES). Yet little is known about the contribution of community socioeconomi...
Two-Dimensional Child-Langmuir Law.

By considering uniform emission of electrons over a finite strip of width ${\mathit{W}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}\mathrm{in}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{planar}\mathrm{gap}\mathrm{of}\mathrm{gap}\mathrm{separation}\mathit{D},\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}\mathrm{w}\mathrm{e}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{x}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{n}\mathrm{d}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{h}\mathrm{e}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}\mathrm{c}\mathrm{l}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{s}\mathrm{s}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{c}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{l}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{n}\mathrm{e}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{d}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{m}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{n}\mathrm{s}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{n}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{l}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}\mathrm{C}\mathrm{h}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{l}\mathrm{d}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{L}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{n}\mathrm{g}\mathrm{m}\mathrm{u}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{r}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}\mathrm{l}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{w}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{o}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{w}\mathrm{o}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}\mathrm{d}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{m}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{n}\mathrm{s}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{n}\mathrm{s}.\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}\mathrm{The}\mathrm{limiting}\mathrm{current}\mathrm{density}\mathrm{in}\mathrm{two}\mathrm{dimensions}\mathit{J}}_{\mathrm{CL}}$(2) in units of the classical one-dimensional value ${\mathit{J}}_{\mathrm{CL}}$(1) is found to be a monotonically decreasing function of W/D. More surprisingly, it is virtually independent of the external magnetic field that is imposed along the mean flow. These results were obtained from two different simulation codes, OOPIC and MAGIC.
Thermal Conductivity Measurements on Polycrystalline Silicon Microbridges Using the 3ω Technique

The thermal performance of microelectromechanical systems devices is governed by the structure and composition of the constituent materials as well as the geometrical design. With the continued reduction in the characteristic sizes of these devices, experimental determination of the thermal properties becomes more difficult. In this study, the thermal conductivity of polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) microbridges are measured with the transient 3w technique and compared with measurements on the same structures using a steady state Joule heating technique. The microbridges with lengths from 200 μm to 500 μm were designed and fabricated using the Sandia National Laboratories SUMMiT V ™ surface micromachining process. The advantages and disadvantages of the two experimental methods are examined for suspended microbridge geometries. The differences between the two measurements, which arise from the geometry of the test structures and electrical contacts, are explained by bond pad heating and thermal resistance effects.
Large-Scale Coronal Density and Abundance Structures and Their Association with Magnetic Field Structure

We construct subsynoptic maps of the ultraviolet-line fluxes, electron density, and elemental abundances for an east limb corona at 1.63 solar radii from 2000 September 20 to October 1. The data, covering position angles of 85°-126°, were taken from the Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), and the maps are based on the variation of these parameters along the field of view of the UVCS slit. Combining these maps with the limb synoptic maps made from SOHO Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope, SOHO Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph, and Yohkoh Soft X-ray Telescope observations provides a large-scale, distinct view of the contrast between different coronal structures in different physical properties and their relation to the underlying disk and magnetic field structures. During this time period, the east limb corona mainly consisted of three streamers and two dark areas that exhibited very different plasma properties. We construct a three-dimensional MHD coronal model that incorporates energy transport processes, and compare the large-scale coronal properties of the model with those of the observation. The comparison investigates areas of different abundances and densities, and their possible association with open and closed magnetic field structures. We find a good indication that the open field regions, which we believe to be the slow-wind source regions in this case, have lower coronal density and higher abundance values than the closed field regions. This is true for absolute abundance, and probably also for the FIP bias. Therefore, such synoptic maps can be very useful for identifying solar wind source regions.
A Desmoid Tumor-Staging System Separates Patients with Intra-Abdominal, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis-Associated Desmoid Disease by Behavior and Prognosis

Intra-abdominal desmoid tumors associated with familial adenomatous polyposis are heterogeneous. A recent staging system categorizes desmoids according to size, symptoms, and complications. We applied the staging system to determine whether it separates patients into clinically significant groups. The staging system was applied to 101 patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. There were 21 patients with Stage I tumors, 36 with Stage II, 26 with Stage III, and 18 with Stage IV. Twelve patients with Stage I and five with Stage II tumors needed no treatment. Eight patients with Stage I disease received medical treatment, as did 26 with Stage II, 16 with Stage III, and 15 with Stage IV. Six Stage I tumors had surgery, as did 20 Stage II, 12 Stage III, and 13 Stage IV. Chemotherapy was given to 1 Stage II tumor, 7 Stage III, and 5 Stage IV. No patient with Stages I or II disease died. Four Stage III patients (15 percent) and 8 Stage IV patients (44 percent) died from desmoids. Finally 89 percent with Stage I, 65 percent with Stage II, 59 percent with Stage III, and 50 percent with Stage IV disease were asymptomatic; 81 percent of Stage I desmoids, 78 percent of Stage II, 42 percent of Stage III, and 28 percent of Stage IV were stable or disappeared. Desmoid staging identifies tumors by prognosis and its use for designing prospective treatment studies is reasonable.
Mechanisms of light scattering from biological cells relevant to noninvasive optical-tissue diagnostics

We have studied the optical properties of mammalian cell suspensions to provide a mechanistic basis for interpreting the optical properties of tissues in vivo. Measurements of the wavelength dependence of the reduced scattering coefficient and measurements of the phase function demonstrated that there is a distribution of scatterer sizes. The volumes of the scatterers are equivalent to those of spheres with diameters in the range between ~0.4 and 2.0 mum. Measurements of isolated organelles indicate that mitochondria and other similarly sized organelles are responsible for scattering at large angles, whereas nuclei are responsible for small-angle scattering. Therefore optical diagnostics are expected to be sensitive to organelle morphology but not directly to the size and shape of the cells.
Research to Practical Use: On-the-Ground Successes

T he US Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Great Basin Rangelands Research Unit services a large area that runs from south-central Nevada to the Or- egon border and from northeastern California to the Utah border. This vast array of landscapes has a variety of stake- holders who request assistance in addressing range, wild- life, and sustainable agriculture issues. At the 64th Annual Society for Range Management Meetings held in Billings, Montana, in February 2011 we were invited to present at a special symposium “Agency Accomplishments—Making a Difference on the Ground.” Here we present three case studies of our efforts to 1) research the problem at hand, 2) deliver practical on-the-ground practices to minimize or eliminate the problem, and 3) improve sustainable agricul- tural practices. DOI: 10.2458/azu_rangelands_v34i4_clements
Do informed consent documents matter

This commentary argues that, despite extensive critiques of informed consent documents, there are several ethical and legal reasons for investigators and IRB members to take these documents seriously.
Framing Participatory Practices in a Large Corporation

Like many corporations, the evolution of high-tech, social media trends, and continued thrust towards increased personalization in computing has impacted both our product development philosophy and our organization's culture. Consumers and employees alike expect products that better represent our experiences as people. In the last year, my team has focused on three vectors---connection, intention, and transformation ---in the development of a corporate user-experience (UX) framework for our products. The naming of the vectors corresponds to the UX practices that we have identified to develop better product experiences. The vectors also acknowledge the cultural activation that is essential to creating a self-sustaining experience-driven product development community within our corporation. Both participatory design and a collaborative approach are allowing the community to thrive and position us to support common goals for our corporate-level user experience design agenda. This paper focuses on the co-design of the user experience practices to be adopted by the organization.
X-Window based graphical of mobile robot simulator for path planning and sensor fusion experiments

This paper describes the architecture of a graphical mobile robot simulator which serves as a platform for conducting path planning and sensor fusion experiments. The simulator consists of three main parts, the user interface, the simulation core and the application package. The system is built on top of the X-Windows graphics package. The paper describes each of simulator parts and the use of the graphics package. The simulation core uses three coordinate systems to conveniently represent the environment, the robot and its sensors. These coordinate systems and the transformations between them are discussed. A path planning algorithm called the Virtual Force Field algorithm has been implemented on the simulator. Its implementation and some sample simulation runs are also included. >
Understanding a child's play for robot interaction by sequencing play primitives using Hidden Markov Models

In this paper, we discuss a methodology to build a system for a robot playmate that extracts and sequences low-level play primitives during a robot-child interaction scenario. The motivation is to provide a robot with basic knowledge of how to manipulate toys in an equivalent manner as a human does - as a first step in engaging children in cooperative play. Our approach involves the extraction of play primitives based on observation of motion gradient vectors computed from the image sequence. Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) are then used to recognize 14 different play primitives during play. Experimental results from a data set of 100 play scenarios including child subjects demonstrate 86.88% accuracy recognizing and sequencing the play primitives.
Visualization of Peroxynitrite-Induced Changes of Labile Zn2+ in the Endoplasmic Reticulum with Benzoresorufin-Based Fluorescent Probes

Zn(2+) plays essential roles in biology, and the homeostasis of Zn(2+) is tightly regulated in all cells. Subcellular distribution and trafficking of labile Zn(2+), and its inter-relation with reactive nitrogen species, are poorly understood due to the scarcity of appropriate imaging tools. We report a new family of red-emitting fluorescent sensors for labile Zn(2+), ZBR1-3, based on a benzoresorufin platform functionalized with dipicolylamine or picolylamine-derived metal binding groups. In combination, the pendant amines and fluorophore afford an [N3O] binding motif that resembles that of previously reported fluorescein-based sensors of the Zinpyr family, reproducing well their binding capabilities and yielding comparable Kd values in the sub-nanomolar and picomolar ranges. The ZBR sensors display up to 8.4-fold emission fluorescence enhancement upon Zn(2+) binding in the cuvette, with similar responses obtained in live cells using standard wide-field fluorescence microscopy imaging. The new sensors localize spontaneously in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of various tested cell lines, allowing for organelle-specific monitoring of zinc levels in live cells. Study of ER zinc levels in neural stem cells treated with a peroxynitrite generator, Sin-1, revealed an immediate decrease in labile Zn(2+) thus providing evidence for a direct connection between ER stress and ER Zn(2+) homeostasis.
Micro/Nanofabrication by Spin Dewetting on a Poly(Dimethylsiloxane) Mold

The process of spin dewetting was used to fabricate polymer micro and nanostructures from poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly (propyl methacrylate) (PPMA), and polystyrene (PS). Polymer structures were formed on poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) molds by dewetting of a polymer solution during spin coating. Features were removed from the mold using heat and pressure to transfer the polymer to silicon or glass substrates. By varying the coating conditions, a variety of different polymer feature morphologies were obtained for a given PDMS mold geometry. In this study, the ability to fabrication polymer micro and nanostructures using spin dewetting was demonstrated on a variety of PDMS mold geometries. The effects of polymer solution concentration and mold feature size on the resulting polymer structures were examined. In addition, microfabricated PMMA structures were used as etch masks for anisotropic etching of silicon in an aqueous solution of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH).
Cyt1A from Bacillus thuringiensis Restores Toxicity of Bacillus sphaericus Against Resistant Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae)

The 2362 strain of Bacillus sphaericus, which produces a binary toxin highly active against Culex mosquitoes, has been developed recently as a commercial larvicide. It is being used currently in operational mosquito control programs in several countries including Brazil, France, India, and the United States. Laboratory studies have shown that mosquitoes can develop resistance to B. sphaericus, and low levels of resistance have already been reported in field populations in Brazil, France, and India. To develop tools for resistance management, the Cyt1A protein of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis De Barjac was evaluated for its ability to suppress resistance to B. sphaericus in a highly resistant population of Culex quinquefasciatus Say. A combination of B. sphaericus 2362 in a 10:1 ratio with a strain of B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis that only produces Cyt1A reduced resistance by >30,000-fold. Resistance was suppressed completely when B. sphaericus was combined with purified Cyt1A crystals in a 10:1 ratio. Synergism was observed between the Cyt1A toxin and B. sphaericus against the resistant mosquito population and accounted for the marked reduction in resistance. However, no synergism was observed between the toxins against a nonresistant mosquito population. These results indicate that Cyt1A could be useful for managing resistance to B. sphaericus 2362 in Culex populations, and also provide additional evidence that Cyt1A may synergize toxicity by enhancing the binding to and insertion of toxins into the mosquito microvillar membrane.
Fat metabolism during low-intensity exercise in endurance-trained and untrained men

Whole body lipid kinetics were evaluated during basal resting conditions, 4 h of treadmill exercise eliciting an oxygen uptake of 20 ml.kg-1.min-1, and 1 h of recovery in five untrained and five endurance-trained men. Glycerol and free fatty acid (FFA) rate of appearance (Ra) values in plasma were determined by infusing [2H5]glycerol and [1-13C]palmitate, respectively, and lipid oxidation was determined by indirect calorimetry. The lipolytic response to 4 h of exercise, expressed as the average glycerol and FFA Ra values, was similar in both trained (9.85 +/- 1.02 and 24.64 +/- 3.76 mumol.kg-1.min-1, respectively) and untrained subjects (11.29 +/- 0.99 and 24.13 +/- 0.39 mumol.kg-1.min-1, respectively). However, mean triglyceride oxidation was greater during exercise in the trained than in the untrained group (7.51 +/- 0.26 and 5.67 +/- 0.51 mumol.kg-1.min-1, respectively; P < 0.001). During recovery, glycerol and FFA Ra values decreased more rapidly in trained than in untrained subjects. We conclude that highly trained male endurance runners use more fat as a fuel during low-intensity exercise than do untrained healthy men despite similar rates of lipolysis and FFA uptake from plasma. Therefore, the increase in fat oxidation must be related to an increased percentage of FFA uptake oxidized, a greater contribution from intramuscular triglyceride stores, or both. Additionally, lipid kinetics return to baseline more rapidly in trained than in untrained subjects after completing an exercise bout of the same absolute intensity.
The Impact of Market Clearing Time and Price Signal Delay on the Stability of Electric Power Markets

We generalize a model, proposed by Alvarado, of the electric power market by including the effects of control and communication. To simulate realistic markets, our model issues control signals only at given times and those signals are delayed during transmission. These two effects transform Alvarado's continuous system into a hybrid system, with consequential effects. The stability analysis of the new system reveals two important properties. First, there is an upper limit on the market clearing time and the delay of the price signal beyond which the system becomes unstable. Second, there is a counter-intuitive relationship between the market clearing time and price signal delay: when the market clearing time is relatively long, delaying the price signal can improve the market's stability while reducing the communication delay can destabilize the market. This counter-intuitive effect shows that the full impact of information technology on power markets can be significant and difficult to anticipate. Therefore, as markets are designed and regulated, careful attention should be paid to the effects of information technology on the market's dynamic behavior.
Enhancing Quality Improvement

The healthcare systems of most developed nations face a common challenge: a substantial gap exists between the best possible care and the care routinely delivered. Numerous studies in the literature and reports from authoritative bodies, such as the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in the United States, have provided compelling and persuasive evidence that care is not consistently safe, timely, effective, equitable, efficient or patient-centred. A landmark study published in 2003 reported that Americans receive recommended care 54.9% of the time (McGlynn et al. 2003). The recent survey conducted by the Commonwealth Fund of sicker adults in six countries - Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States - underscores the pervasive challenges of providing high-quality care. The differences between the six countries pale in contrast to the common theme of significant opportunities for improvement in all nations (Schoen et al. 2005).
Different Signaling Roles of Two Conserved Residues in the Cytoplasmic Hairpin Tip of Tsr, the Escherichia coli Serine Chemoreceptor

Bacterial chemoreceptors form ternary signaling complexes with the histidine kinase CheA through the coupling protein CheW. Receptor complexes in turn cluster into cellular arrays that produce highly sensitive responses to chemical stimuli. In Escherichia coli, receptors of different types form mixed trimer-of-dimers signaling teams through the tips of their highly conserved cytoplasmic domains. To explore the possibility that the hairpin loop at the tip of the trimer contact region might promote interactions with CheA or CheW, we constructed and characterized mutant receptors with amino acid replacements at the two nearly invariant hairpin charged residues of Tsr: R388, the most tip-proximal trimer contact residue, and E391, the apex residue of the hairpin turn. Mutant receptors were subjected to in vivo tests for the assembly and function of trimers, ternary complexes, and clusters. All R388 replacements impaired or destroyed Tsr function, apparently through changes in trimer stability or geometry. Large-residue replacements locked R388 mutant ternary complexes in the kinase-off (F, H) or kinase-on (W, Y) signaling state, suggesting that R388 contributes to signaling-related conformational changes in the trimer. In contrast, most E391 mutants retained function and all formed ternary signaling complexes efficiently. Hydrophobic replacements of any size (G, A, P, V, I, L, F, W) caused a novel phenotype in which the mutant receptors produced rapid switching between kinase-on and -off states, indicating that hairpin tip flexibility plays an important role in signal state transitions. These findings demonstrate that the receptor determinants for CheA and CheW binding probably lie outside the hairpin tip of the receptor signaling domain.
Directed evolution of a cellodextrin transporter for improved biofuel production under anaerobic conditions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Introduction of a cellobiose utilization pathway consisting of a cellodextrin transporter and a b-glucosidase into Saccharomyces cerevisiae enables co-fermentation of cellobiose and xylose. Cellodextrin transporter 1 (CDT1) from Neurospora crassa has been established as an effective transporter for the engineered cellobiose utilization path- ways. However, cellodextrin transporter 2 (CDT2) from the same species is a facilitator and has the potential to be more efficient than CDT1 under anaerobic conditions due to its energetic benefits. Currently, CDT2 has a very low activity and is considered rate-limiting in cellobiose fermentation. Here, we report the directed evolution of CDT2 with an increased cellobiose uptake activity, which results in improved cellobiose fermentation under anaerobic condi- tions. After three rounds of directed evolution, the cellobiose uptake activity of CDT2 was increased by 2.2-fold, which resulted from both increased specific activity and transporter expression level. Using high cell density fermentation under anaerobic conditions, the evolved mutant conferred 4.0- and 4.4-fold increase in the cellobiose consumption rate and ethanol productivity, respectively. In addition, although the cellobiose uptake activity was still lower than that of CDT1, the engineered CDT2 showed significantly improved cellobi- ose consumption and ethanol production under anaerobic conditions, representing the energetic benefits of a sugar facilitator for anaerobic cellobiose fermentation. This study demonstrated that anaerobic biofuel production could be significantly improved via directed evolution of a sugar transporter protein in yeast. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2014;111: 1521-1531. 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The effects of porphyroblast growth on the effective viscosity of metapelitic rocks: implications for the strength of the middle crust

Numerical models are used to examine the effects of porphyroblast growth on the rheology of compositionally layered rocks (metapelites and metapsammites) and by extension the middle crust during prograde metamorphism. As porphyroblast abundance increases during prograde metamorphism, metapelitic layers will strengthen relative to porphyroblast-free metapelitic units, and potentially relative to quartzofeldspathic metapsammitic units. As metapelitic layers become stronger, the integrated strength of compositionally layered successions increases, potentially causing large volumes of mid- crustal rock to strengthen, altering the strain-rate distribution in the middle crust and affecting the geodynamic evolution of an orogenic belt. The growth of effectively rigid porphyroblasts creates strength heterogeneities in the layer undergoing porphyroblast growth, which leads to complex strain-rate distributions within the layer. At the orogen scale, the strengthening of large crustal volumes (on the order of thousands of cubic kilometres) changes the strain-rate distribution, which may change exhumation rates of high-grade metamorphic rocks, the geothermal structure and the topography of the orogen. The presence of a strong zone in the middle crust causes strain-rate partitioning around the zone, suppressed uplift rates within and above the zone and leads to the development of a basin on the surface.
Strategic and tactical electronic business solutions in pharmacies and drug stores

The purpose of this paper is to develop electronic service solution standards in the pharmacies and drug stores strategically and tactically. Specifically, it first developed a strategic value chain model to present the adoptions of information and communication technologies in the pharmacies and drug stores for business value increases. Second, a set of tactical electronic business standards were in the pharmacies and drug stores. Third, the implementation patterns of the top 20 dominant companies in the pharmacies and drug stores were analysed. The results of this research will help to accelerate the adoption of information and communications technologies in the pharmacies and drug stores to achieve value increase in business. The managerial and practical implications were also presented.
A turbulence spectral model for sound propagation in the atmosphere that incorporates shear and buoyancy forcings

A three-dimensional model for turbulent velocity fluctuations in the atmospheric boundary layer is developed and used to calculate scattering of sound. The model, which is based on von Karman’s spectrum, incorporates separate contributions from shear- and buoyancy-forced turbulence. New equations are derived from the model that predict the strength and diffraction parameters for scattering of sound as a function of height from the ground and atmospheric conditions. The need is demonstrated for retaining two distinct scattering length scales, one associated with scattering strength and the other with diffraction. These length scales are height dependent and vary substantially with the relative proportions of shear and buoyancy forcing. The turbulence model predicts that for forward-scattered waves the phase variance is much larger than the log-amplitude variance, a behavior borne out by experimental data. A new method for synthesizing random fields, based on empirical orthogonal functions, is developed to accommodate the height dependence of the turbulence model. The method is applied to numerical calculations of scattering into an acoustic shadow zone, yielding good agreement with previous measurements.
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist leuprolide acetate and GnRH antagonist cetrorelix acetate directly inhibit leiomyoma extracellular matrix production

Objective To determine the direct effect that GnRH analogues leuprolide acetate and cetrorelix acetate have on extracellular matrix in human leiomyoma and patient-matched myometrial cells. Design Laboratory study. Setting University hospital. Patient(s) None. Intervention(s) Cell culture, proliferation studies, and messenger RNA and protein analysis. Main Outcome Measure(s) Expression of GnRHR1, COL1A1 , fibronectin, and versican variant V0 in treated leiomyoma cells and patient-matched myometrial cells. Result(s) Leiomyoma cells were treated with GnRH analogues for 6, 24, and 120 hours. Leuprolide treatment for 6 hours resulted in an increase in expression of GnRHR1 (4.02 ± 0.12-fold), COL1A1 (6.41 ± 0.29-fold), fibronectin (9.69 ± 0.18-fold), and versican variant V0 (7.58 ± 0.43-fold). Leiomyoma cells treated with cetrorelix for 6 hours showed a decreased expression of GnRHR1 (0.5 ± 0.15-fold), COL1A1 (3.79 ± 0.7-fold), fibronectin (0.92 ± 0.09-fold), and versican variant V0 (0.14 ± 0.07-fold). Leuprolide treatment of leiomyoma cells at high concentrations (10 −5 M) did not result in an increase in protein production. Cetrorelix treatment of leiomyoma cells for 6 hours showed an increase in fibronectin protein production (3.14 ± 0.09-fold). Protein production of leiomyoma cells treated with cetrorelix for 120 hours demonstrated a decrease in GnRHR1 (0.51 ± 0.07-fold), COL1A1 (0.35 ± 0.07-fold), fibronectin (1.94 ± 0.08-fold), and versican variant V0 (0.77 ± 0.19-fold). Conclusion(s) Our findings demonstrate that GnRH analogue treatment directly regulated COL1A1 , fibronectin, and matrix proteoglycan production. The reduction in versican variant V0 gene expression caused by cetrorelix treatment, and its association with the osmotic regulation of leiomyomas, presents a new and innovative approach to therapy for this disease.
WOMEN, GENDER, AND HEALTH CARE DISPARITIES

This theme issue of Women’s Health Issues addresses gender disparities across race and ethnicity in the quality of preventive care and the management of chronic conditions of high prevalence in women. The 5 manuscripts and the commentary prepared for this theme issue are based on analyses of data sources utilized by the National Healthcare Quality
Examining the Link Between Diversity and Firm Performance: The Effects of Diversity Reputation and Leader Racial Diversity

Given the scarcity of empirical research on the impact of diversity on organizational performance, the authors used longitudinal data for 100 firms to test hypotheses related to the effects of diversity reputation and leader racial diversity on firm financial outcomes. The results showed a positive relationship between diversity reputation and book-to-market equity and a curvilinear, U-shaped relationship among leader diversity and revenues, net income, and book-to-market equity. The analyses suggest that economic benefits generated from diversity reputation may primarily derive from capital rather than product markets. Furthermore, firm performance declines with increases in the representation of racial minorities in leadership up to a point, beyond which further increases in diversity are associated with increases in performance.
Chemogenetic Silencing of Neurons in Retrosplenial Cortex Disrupts Sensory Preconditioning

An essential aspect of episodic memory is the formation of associations between neutral sensory cues in the environment. In light of recent evidence that this critical aspect of learning does not require the hippocampus, we tested the involvement of the retrosplenial cortex (RSC) in this process using a chemogenetic approach that allowed us to temporarily silence neurons along the entire rostrocaudal extent of the RSC. A viral vector containing the gene for a synthetic inhibitory G-protein-coupled receptor (hM4Di) was infused into RSC. When the receptor was later activated by systemic injection of clozapine-N-oxide, neural activity in RSC was transiently silenced (confirmed using a patch-clamp procedure). Rats expressing hM4Di and control rats were trained in a sensory preconditioning procedure in which a tone and light were paired on some trials and a white noise stimulus was presented alone on the other trials during the Preconditioning phase. Thus, rats were given the opportunity to form an association between a tone and a light in the absence of reinforcement. Later, the light was paired with food. During the test phase when the auditory cues were presented alone, controls exhibited more conditioned responding during presentation of the tone compared with the white noise reflecting the prior formation of a tone-light association. Silencing RSC neurons during the Preconditioning phase prevented the formation of an association between the tone and light and eliminated the sensory preconditioning effect. These findings indicate that RSC may contribute to episodic memory formation by linking essential sensory stimuli during learning.
Management of Jehovah's Witness patients for scoliosis surgery: the use of platelet and plasmapheresis

Four patients whose religious beliefs prohibited accepting blood during surgery for scoliosis were anesthetized and managed successfully using plateletpheresis and plasmapheresis. Blood losses were replaced with crystalloid and hetastarch solutions. In addition, a moderate hypotensive technique was used to minimize surgical blood loss. Postoperatively, the patients received iron therapy and/or erythropoietin. Three of these patients had an uncomplicated postoperative course, however, the fourth patient had some postoperative bleeding with initial hemodynamic instability. We believe that patients who refuse to receive blood transfusion during surgery because of religious beliefs or health issues can be managed safely using other alternatives and techniques such as plateletpheresis and plasmapheresis, which conserve and minimize blood loss. Each case should be assessed on an individual basis.
ARPE-19 Cell Growth and Cell Functions in Euglycemic Culture Media

Human retinal pigmented epithelial cells (ARPE-19) grown in euglycemic media (5.5 mM) had lower cell number, significantly different cell morphology, and lower levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the culture media than those grown in hyperglycemic media (18 mM) customarily used for culturing ARPE-19 cells. Although it has been shown that within a 24-hour period, all-trans retinoic acid significantly reduces VEGF secretion by retinal pigmented epithelial cells (grown in 18 mM glucose), such an inhibitory effect was not observed in cells grown in 5.5 mM glucose. Our results suggest that ARPE-19 cells grown in euglycemic media exhibit distinctly different cell growth, cell differentiation, and cell functions in comparison to cells grown in hyperglycemic media. Because euglycemic conditions provide a physiological glucose environment, this glucose concentration must be included in all future investigations of the mechanism of diabetic retinopathy when studying VEGF secretion by ARPE-19 cells.
The opportunity for sexual selection: not mismeasured, just misunderstood

Evolutionary biologists have developed several indices, such as selection gradients (b) and the opportunity for sexual selection (Is), to quantify the actual and ⁄ or potential strength of sexual selection acting in natural or experimental populations. In a recent paper, Klug et al. (J. Evol. Biol. 23, 2010, 447) contend that selection gradients are the only legitimate metric for quantifying sexual selection. They argue that Is and similar mating-systembased metrics provide unpredictable results, which may be uncorrelated with selection acting on a trait, and should therefore be abandoned. We find this view short-sighted and argue that the choice of metric should be governed by the research question at hand. We describe insights that measures such as the opportunity for selection can provide and also argue that Klug et al. have overstated the problems with this approach while glossing over similar issues with the interpretation of selection gradients. While no metric perfectly characterizes sexual selection in all circumstances, thoughtful application of existing measures has been and continues to be informative in evolutionary studies.
Snapshot of a Large Dynamic Replicon in a Halophilic Archaeon: Megaplasmid or Minichromosome?

Extremely halophilic archaea, which flourish in hypersaline environments, are known to contain a variety of large dynamic replicons. Previously, the analysis of one such replicon, pNRC100, in Halobacterium sp. strain NRC-1, showed that it undergoes high-frequency insertion sequence (IS) element-mediated insertions and deletions, as well as inversions via recombination between 39-kb-long inverted repeats (IRs). Now, the complete sequencing of pNRC100, a 191,346-bp circle, has shown the presence of 27 IS elements representing eight families. A total of 176 ORFs or likely genes of 850-bp average size were found, 39 of which were repeated within the large IRs. More than one-half of the ORFs are likely to represent novel genes that have no known homologs in the databases. Among ORFs with previously characterized homologs, three different copies of putative plasmid replication and four copies of partitioning genes were found, suggesting that pNRC100 evolved from IS element-mediated fusions of several smaller plasmids. Consistent with this idea, putative genes typically found on plasmids, including those encoding a restriction-modification system and arsenic resistance, as well as buoyant gas-filled vesicles and a two-component regulatory system, were found on pNRC100. However, additional putative genes not expected on an extrachromosomal element, such as those encoding an electron transport chain cytochrome d oxidase, DNA nucleotide synthesis enzymes thioredoxin and thioredoxin reductase, and eukaryotic-like TATA-binding protein transcription factors and a chromosomal replication initiator protein were also found. A multi-step IS element-mediated process is proposed to account for the acquisition of these chromosomal genes. The finding of essential genes on pNRC100 and its property of resistance to curing suggest that this replicon may be evolving into a new chromosome.