cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Further identification of protein kinase C isozymes in mouse epidermis.

In the current study, the protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes present in mouse epidermis have been identified using immunological and chromatographic methods. Six PKC isozymes, PKCα, PKCβ, PKCγ, PKCδ, PKCe, and PKCζ, were identified in unfractionated epidermal preparations by protein immunoblotting. The subcellular distribution and presence of these isozymes was further verified by hydroxyapatite (HA) chromatography with the exception of PKEe, which could not be detected following HA chromatography. The five PKC isozymes recovered following HA chromatography were detected in both epidermal cytosol and particulate fractions, although PKCδ was found in a much higher proportion relative to the other PKC isozymes in the particulate fraction using histone H1 as the substrate. The biochemical properties of the epidermal PKC isozymes partially purified by HA chromatography agreed with those reported for other tissues and further supported their immunological identification in epidermal preparations. The activities of HA chromatography peaks corresponding to PKCα, PKCβ, and PKCγ were found to be dependent on both Ca2+ and phosphatidylserine (PtdSer), whereas, the activities of HA peaks corresponding to PKCδ and PKCζ were Ca2+-independent but PtdSer-dependent. The HA peak corresponding to PKCγ also displayed a characteristic biphasic modulation by arachidonic acid (activation at low, inactivation at high concentrations) and inactivation by preincubation with PtdSer. PKCζ activity was also characteristic, in that it was dependent on PtdSer and was not increased by the phorbol ester, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate. Some differences in substrate specificity were also observed between the epidermal PKC isozymes. The presence of multiple isozymes of PKC in mouse epidermis suggests that the different isozymes may play distinct roles in signal transduction and tumor promotion in this tissue.
Effects of grain boundary sliding on creep-constrained boundary cavitation and creep deformation

Creep of polycrystalline materials was modeled using a periodic array of plane strain hexagonal grains. Effects of grain boundary sliding on such an array containing a distribution of boundary facet cracks were investigated using the finite element method. The facet crack opening rate in a creeping material with grain boundary sliding and the energy release rate due to the development of a facet crack were studied parametrically in terms of the creep exponent n, equivalent stress triaxiality S/σe and crack density p. The results were generalized to the 3-D case of penny-shaped cracks. As an application, the grain boundary cavity growth rate under a creep-constrained condition and the creep constitutive equation, all with grain boundary sliding, were obtained and compared with the non-sliding boundary case. The results show that both cavity growth rate and creep strain rate are substantially increased, and become more sensitive to stress triaxiality if grain boundary sliding is considered.
Polypropylene sling for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence.

Abstract Introduction. Sling procedures have been used successfully for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence. Using similar surgical principles to the cadaveric fascia sling, we describe the placement of a thinly woven Prolene mesh under the mid to distal urethra. We describe our technique and report our initial early results. Technical Considerations. A total of 98 consecutive patients were evaluated. All patients had clinical evidence of stress urinary incontinence. The patients underwent a preoperative evaluation with video- urodynamic studies, symptom questionnaire, and cystoscopy. A 1 × 10-cm Prolene mesh was placed under the mid to distal urethra. Postoperatively, the patients were evaluated at 3-month intervals with a symptom questionnaire, physical examination, and postvoid residual volume determination. Conclusions. We describe a new, simple, quick, inexpensive, and effective method to correct stress urinary incontinence by placing a Prolene mesh under the distal urethra.
Coulometric and polarographic determinations of trace amounts of lead

Abstract A stationary mercury-plated platinum electrode in a rapidly stirred solution has been applied to the polarographic and coulometric determination of trace amounts of lead(II). Once the equipment has been assembled and calibrated, analyses of micromolar solutions can be completed in less than ten minutes each with a precision of about 5%. The method avoids the lengthy preparation of reagent solutions and the tedious extractions encountered in the competitive dithizone procedure. Furthermore, it can handle more dilute solutions than those usually analysed by dithizone, ( i.e. as low as 10 -8 M ). The method should be equally applicable to a number of other heavy metal ions.
Structural and electrical charaterization of crystallographic defects in silicon ribbons

Abstract Silicon ribbons grown as wide as 50 mm by the Capillary Action Shaping Technique (CAST) are classified according to perfection and electrical performance. The classification is obtained through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and minority carrier lifetime and solar cell efficiency measurements. First the electrical activity of the defects is measured through EBIC contrast in the SEM. Subsequently the defects are analyzed in the TEM. The defect state in the crystal thus obtained is correlated with minority carrier lifetime and related to solar cell efficiency. Four crystal quality groups are established for CAST ribbons. In these groups solar cell efficiency decrease from 5–8% in class I to less that 1% in class IV. Such degradation in solar cell efficiency is caused by dislocations (I) high order twin boundaries (II), low angle grain boundaries (III), and, silicon carbide dendrites (IV). The electrical activity of such defects varies from low activity to strong activity. Solar cell efficiency depends on the number of “electrically active defects” and not on the total defect content of the ribbon.
Growth characteristics of progeny of salmon with different maximum life spans.

Abstract There are two populations of Pacific coho salmon which have different maximum lifespans. Data collected from crosses involving normal male × normal female (N × F) and precocious male × normal female (P × F) indicate that P × F progeny grow and differentiate more rapidly than N × F progeny. This was confirmed by (a) greter absolute growth rates, (b) more efficient utilization of nutrients available in the yolk sac, and (c) earlier differentiation of the coelomic system.
Esmolol promotes electroencephalographic burst suppression during propofol/alfentanil anesthesia.

This study examined the effects of an esmolol infusion on the electroencephalogram during propofol/alfentanil IV anesthesia. After informed consent, 20 patients were randomly assigned into four groups on the basis of two target alfentanil concentrations (alfentanil 50 or 150 ng/mL) and of a saline or esmolol infusion. Bispectral index (BIS), burst suppression ratio (SR), and physiologic variables were continuously monitored. A 30-min blinded infusion of saline or esmolol was started after establishing a stable baseline and followed by a washout period. The electroencephalogram was significantly suppressed by esmolol (BIS, 37 6t o 22 6, 40% decrease [mean sd]; SR, 5 7 to 67 23, 13.4-fold increase) compared with baseline in the small-dose alfentanil groups. Discontinuation of esmolol reversed the response. BIS and SR were unaffected by placebo infusion. Twelve-minute to 16-min hysteresis between esmolol administration and the onset of halfmaximal cortical suppression was observed. Physiologic variables and serum propofol and alfentanil concentrations were not significantly altered by esmolol. Although the mechanism remains unclear, significant cortical depression and the onset of burst suppression during a stable, computer-controlled propofol/alfentanil anesthetic was associated with esmolol infusion.
The Impact of Informal Caregiving on Occupational Therapy: Practice Review and Analysis

Informal caregiving is becoming a recognized area of practice that requires provision of services by occupational therapists. This article reports the results of a literature review with the aim of (1) identifying significant themes that directly relate to the core philosophy of occupational therapy; (2) evaluating the role of occupational therapy in informal caregiving and (3) providing information on similar themes described by other disciplines. Themes that emerged from the review included meaning and motivation, caregiver occupations, gender roles, routines and habits, environmental modification and the adaptative process. Little research was reported in terms of longitudinal studies and mixed racial groups.
Best Lp approximate solutions of nonlinear integrodifferential equations

Abstract In this paper best L p approximate solutions are shown to exist for a wide class of integrodifferential equations. Using approximation theory techniques, a local existence theorem for solutions is established, and the convergence of the best approximate solutions to a solution is shown.
Visualization of muscarinic receptor-mediated phosphoinositide turnover in the hippocampus of young and aged, learning-impaired Long Evans rats.

Hippocampal receptor-mediated phosphoinositide (PI) turnover is severely blunted in aged rats that demonstrate cognitive deficits in the Morris water maze. To further examine the anatomical localization of this deficit, we examined the topography of muscarinic receptor-mediated PI turnover in young and aged-learning impaired rats by taking advantage of an autoradiographic method that visualizes PI turnover by measuring the diacylglycerol (DAG) branch of the PI turnover signal transduction system. Using this method, muscarinic cholinergic receptors were stimulated in hippocampal slices with agonist, and the receptor-mediated incorporation of [3H]cytidine into [3H]CDP-DAG was subsequently quantified in subregions of the hippocampus using film autoradiography. Our results show a significant decrease in basal incorporation of [3H]CDP-DAG in the subiculum and in the dentate gyrus in the aged rats. The muscarinic receptor-mediated [3H]CDP-DAG response was significantly blunted in the aged rats in subiculum, CA3, and CA1. In contrast, the receptor-mediated response was maintained in the dentate gyrus and hilus. These results indicate that the age-associated impairment in receptor-mediated PI turnover differs regionally, with a reduction in the subiculum and hippocampus proper that is pronounced relative to the hilus and dentate gyrus. Hippocampus 2001;11:741–746. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Cytogenetic analysis of plants regenerated from colchicine-treated callus cultures of an interspecific Hordeum hybrid

Hybrids of Hordeum vulgare (HV) x H. jubatum (HJ) were synthesized for purposes of introgressive breeding, but were sterile and the recovery of pure diploid tillers by colchicine applications in vivo was difficult. Plant regeneration from colchicine-treated callus cultures of the hybrid (HV x HJ) was investigated as a means to produce high numbers of pure diploid, fertile intermediates. 10 of 50 plants regenerated in this manner exhibited variable chromosome numbers with means of approximately 37 (expected diploid number = 42). Cytological examinations of microsporogenesis in all such plants revealed a high incidence of bivalent formation at metaphase I (as compared to nearly complete asynapsis in the F1), but spindle and chromosome abnormalities in later meiotic stages led to complete sterility. Approximately 40% of HJ plants regenerated from colchicine-treated calli appeared to be pure tetraploids of high fertility. These techniques are hence useful for high frequency production of diploid or polyploid plants.
Stakeholder Relationship Management in Multi-Sector Innovations

Despite the societal benefits multi-sector innovations provide, researchers’ understanding of the stakeholder issues surrounding them is limited. This study utilizes an inductive, theory-building approach to identify the means through which firms introducing multi-sector innovations can actively shape relationships between public stakeholders in order to better ensure innovation success. Individual, organizational, structural, and attitudinal antecedents emerged from an analysis of published documents detailing multi-sector innovations over a 2-year span. These antecedents are integrated with existing literature to produce a conceptual model and accompanying propositions. Managerial and theoretical implications are discussed, and future research directions provided.
The effects of alcohol on learned helplessness

Albino rats were subjected to inescapable shock or no-shock pretreatments with or without 1.5 g/kg IP ethanol injections. Twenty-four hours later, all animals were trained in an FR-2 shuttlebox avoidance task with or without alcohol in a 2 by 2 by 2 experimental design. Alcohol was found to accentuate learned helplessness, but helplessness was observed in the shuttlebox after the shock pretreatment with or without alcohol if similar drug states accompanied each experience. Helplessness was not seen if drug states were shifted such that the avoidance conditioning took place in an alcohol state different from that of the inescapable shock experience. The results are discussed in terms of the role of the retrieval of emotionally conditioned cues in learned helplessness.
Analysis of Platoon Impacts on Left-Turn Delay at Unsignalized Intersections

This research aimed to develop a methodology for analyzing the platoon impacts on major-street left-turn (MSLT) delay at two-way stop-controlled intersections. The main idea was to use a microscopic simulation tool to simulate different platoon scenarios in opposing through traffic and then to apply regression models to capture the impacts of platoons on the delay of MSLT. Two platoon variables were adopted as a simplification of the complex platoon scenarios to make analysis of the platoon effects on MSLT delay practical. The first two steps were to build simulation models for real-world unsignalized intersections and simulate scenarios with a combination of various factors related to platoons in VISSIM simulation. The models were calibrated with field data before simulation started. The next step was to define, derive, and calibrate two platoon variables for describing the duration and intensity of platoon arrivals in the opposing through traffic. This process effectively simplified the large combinatio...
Negative feedback and performance: The moderating effect of emotion regulation

Whereas prior research has shown that individual differences in emotion regulation have important implications for relationships, affect and well-being, we investigated whether such individual differences also impact how people respond to negative feedback. Participants completed an ambiguous test on which they would be unable to gauge their performance. Some participants were told that they performed poorly, while others were told that they performed slightly above average. Participants then completed a second test that ostensibly measured a similar construct. Finally, after taking part in an unrelated task, participants completed the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Gross & John, 2003) to assess reappraisal (thinking about a situation to change its emotional impact) and suppression (inhibiting emotion-expressive behavior). Among reappraisers, those who received negative feedback completed the second test more quickly and performed better than did such people who received moderate feedback. No such effects were found among suppressors. These findings suggest that individual differences in reappraisal and suppression are meaningful in terms of how negative feedback affects subsequent cognitive performance.
Conducting salts of the new donor bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathionaphthalene (EDNA)

Abstract All radical cation-based superconductors are derived from tetrachalcogenafulvalene precursors. Bis(ethylenedithio) tetrathionaphthalene (EDNA) was designed and synthesized as a possible alternative to this limited set of starting materials. An electrochemical study of EDNA is discussed. The first radical cation salts of EDNA are reported. A variety of EDNA:anion stoichiometries are observed. Four-probe resistivity and room temperature ESR data are presented for three (EDNA)m(X)n salts (X= ClO4, SCN, I3). (EDNA)ClO4 and (EDNA)3(SCN)2 are semiconductors, but the room temperature resistivity of the perchlorate salt is 106 greater than that of the thiocyanate salt. (EDNA)2I3 is metallic to 220 K, where it undergoes a transition to a low activation energy (Ea = 88 meV) semiconductor.
Effect of Hemodialysis and Diet on the Exhaled Breath Methanol Concentration in Patients With ESRD

Objectives End-stage renal disease (ESRD) causes accumulation of nitrogenous waste products and acid-base, mineral, fluid, and electrolyte disorders, which are partially corrected by hemodialysis (HD). While the effects of ESRD and dialysis on body fluid composition are well known, the effects on composition of expired breath are uncertain. Methanol is produced from unabsorbable complex carbohydrates by the colonic microbiome. Dietary restrictions of fruits and vegetables aimed at limiting potassium intake lower the intake of dietary fibers; the reduced fiber intake can in turn reduce production of methanol and its appearance in the exhaled breath. In this study, we investigated the inter- and intradialytic changes in the breath methanol levels. Design and Method Ten ESRD patients were studied during HD procedures at 3- and 2-day interdialytic intervals. On each occasion, 20 exhaled breath and room air samples were collected using evacuated canisters. Ten age-matched normal subjects served as controls. The samples were analyzed on a unique 6-column/detector gas chromatography system. Results Seven ESRD patients consuming renal diet had lower methanol concentration (90 ± 29 ppbv) than the 3 patients consuming high-fiber diet (340 ± 48 ppbv, P ≤ .0006) and the 10 controls consuming unrestricted diets (202 ± 80 ppbv, P ≤ .001). HD significantly lowered breath methanol (60% ± 12%), paralleling the fall in serum urea concentration (70% ± 6%). The predialysis methanol concentration was slightly higher at 3-day than the 2-day interdialytic intervals. Conclusion Dietary restriction of fruits and vegetables lowers methanol production by the gut microbial flora in ESRD patients. Perhaps, methanol is a reliable breath biomarker to monitor individuals' daily fiber intake. Breath methanol is dramatically reduced by HD, reflecting its efficient removal.
Cooperating with Grice: a cross-disciplinary metaperspective on uses of Grice's cooperative principle☆

Abstract This essay proposes a tripartite metaperspective of discourse study: discourse may be studied as utterance, social interaction, or social context. Once established, the metaperspective is used to survey uses and critiques of Grice's Cooperative Principle (CP) across several fields (e.g., linguistic philosophy, gender studies, teacher research). The scholarship surveyed illustrates the widespread impact the Cooperative Principle has had on a range of scholarly activity, from work interested in the narrowest issues of language meaning to work interested in the broadest questions of the social context of human communication. The survey demonstrates that scholars who study discourse as utterance are most interested in the CP's maxims and conversational implicature, while they critique the notion of a general cooperative principle; scholars who study discourse as social interaction are more critical of the maxims. Scholars who approach the CP from more than one perspective are more likely to find the CP most useful. The essay concludes that no articulation of how the CP could consistently describe discourse as utterance, social interaction, and social context exists, but such an articulation could answer critiques of the CP, open the concept for greater cross-disciplinary use and provide new vocabulary for describing discourse. For this author's attempt to articulate a multi-perspectival version of Grice's CP, see his ‘What Exactly is Cooperative in Grice's Cooperative Principle? A Sophisticated Rearticulation of the CP’ to appear in RASK, International Journal of Language and Communication, Volume 14 (in print, 2001).
Identification and evaluation of obstructive sleep apnea prior to adenotonsillectomy in children: a survey of practice patterns.

Abstract Objectives : Some data suggest that the clinical diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in a child should be confirmed by polysomnography before adenotonsillectomy (AT), but otolaryngology literature generally does not agree and few studies have examined surgical practice patterns. Methods : We mailed, to 603 members of two North American otolaryngology societies, surveys about children aged 5.0–12.9 years upon whom they performed ATs in the previous year. Results : A total of 183 otolaryngologists estimated that they had performed 24,000 ATs. Reported major surgical indications, not mutually exclusive, included recurrent throat infections (for 42% of procedures), obstructed breathing of any type (59%), OSA (39%), poor school performance (17%), and poor attention (11%). Pre-operative evaluations included an office-based, sleep-related history in 93% of children, any objective testing for OSA in Conclusions : As a common indication for AT, OSA now rivals recurrent throat infection. No more than 12% of school-aged children who undergo AT for OSA have polysomnography prior to the procedure. Indications for AT may depend, in part, on practice settings and otolaryngologists' backgrounds.
Real-Time Super-Resolution Tracking of Single Deoxyribozyme Based Molecular Robots

The probing and characterization of the behavior of individual nucleic acid based molecular robots is presented, using real-time single-particle tracking with super-resolution total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM). Nucleic acid based molecular assemblies, called "spiders", implemented as robots with multiple deoxyribozyme sensor-actuator legs traverse and cleave two-dimensional landscapes of surface bound oligonucleotide substrates. We analyze the movement of spiders to test the hypothesis that they walk by biased diffusion. The experimental approach demonstrated here should allow for control over the cybernetic properties of spiders, resulting in the integration and synthesis of complex robotic behaviors at the nanoscale based on DNA and RNA nanotechnology.
Density functional and density matrix method scaling linearly with the number of atoms.

A widely applicable ``nearsightedness'' principle is first discussed as the physical basis for the existence of computational methods scaling linearly with the number of atoms. This principle applies to the one particle density matrix $n({r,r}^{\ensuremath{'}})$ but not to individual eigenfunctions. A variational principle for $n({r,r}^{\ensuremath{'}})$ is derived in which, by the use of a penalty functional $P[n({r,r}^{\ensuremath{'}})]$, the (difficult) idempotency of $n({r,r}^{\ensuremath{'}})$ need not be assured in advance but is automatically achieved. The method applies to both insulators and metals.
New Implantable Continuous Administration and Bolus Dose Intracarotid Drug Delivery System for the Treatment of Malignant Gliomas

A totally implantable system for the continuous and bolus delivery of intra-arterial chemotherapeutic agents to patients with malignant gliomas is described. The system utilizes an Infusaid pump (Infusaid Corp., Sharon, Massachusetts), which discharges the drug directly into the internal carotid artery and is percutaneously refillable. This system has been utilized experimentally in primates and in the treatment of six patients with malignant gliomas. It seems that this system can be utilized safely as an experimental technique in the treatment of malignant gliomas.
A History of Ethics and Law in the Intensive Care Unit

Because they provide potential benefit at great personal and public cost, the intensive care unit (ICU) and the interventions rendered therein have become symbols of both the promise and the limitations of medical technology. At the same time, the ICU has served as an arena in which many of the ethical and legal dilemmas created by that technology have been defined and debated. This article outlines major events in the history of ethics and law in the ICU, covering the evolution of ICUs, ethical principles, informed consent and the law, medical decision-making, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining therapy, legal cases involving life support, advance directives, prognostication, and futility and the allocation of medical resources. Advancement of the ethical principle of respect for patient autonomy in ICUs increasingly is in conflict with physicians' concern about their own prerogatives and with the just distribution of medical resources.
The electronic structure and charge transfer excited states of the endohedral trimetallic nitride C80 (Ih ) fullerenes-Zn-tetraphenyl porphyrin dyads

Endohedral fullerenes offer the possibility of tuning their properties through a choice of the endohedral unit. The Sc3N@C80 fullerene is the most abundant fullerene after C60 and C70. Recently, Sc3N@C80 has been tested for light harvesting properties with encouraging results. In this work, we study the electronic structure of three endohedral fullerene–Zn tetraphenyl porphyrin complexes using density functional theory. The binding between the components in these complexes arises due to van der Waals interaction. A fragment orbital analysis is carried out to examine the interaction between the two components which shows that a small charge transfer occurs in the ground state from the ZnTPP to the fullerenes and that the orientation of the Sc3N plane affects the ground state charge transfer. The charge transfer excited state energies are calculated using our perturbative delta-SCF method. A comparison with earlier calculations shows that the charge transfer excitation energy increases as C60–ZnTPP < C70–ZnTPP < Sc3N@C80–ZnTPP < Y3N@C80–ZnTPP. The orientation of the endohedral unit does not influence the excitation energy in the donor–acceptor complexes.
Close-in Phase Noise of a Digitally Tuned VCO

Here we present analysis and simulation of the close-in phase noise of a digitally tuned VCO, tunable only in discrete frequency steps. By rapidly tuning between two closely spaced discrete frequencies with a variable duty cycle any average frequency can be achieved. This process will result in increased phase noise and spurs if a strictly periodic duty cycle modulation is used. Ideally a randomly varying digital control signal with the appropriate duty cycle should be used to eliminate spurs and smooth the close-in phase noise. Here we use continuous-phase-frequency-shifting-key (CPFSK) modulation results from communication theory to analytically predict the effect of a random modulation at 50% duty cycle. Next the use of a sigma-delta modulator to produce a randomly varying digital signal with continuously variable duty cycle is simulated and compared to our analytical result. The use of a simple repetitive duty cycle modulation produced by a phase detector controlling the VCO in a PLL is also investigated. We present a comparison of the close-in phase noise for these possible approaches to the realization of an all digital PLL and demonstrate the improvement possible with the use of sigma-delta modulation.
Social Justice and Adult Education

It should be understood that the importance of adult education is to illuminate the current context in which the adult functions. This adult frames directly linked with the construct of social justice. Adult education is examined under two frames: a Merriam and Brockett 1997 who define adult education as "'activities intentionally designed for the purpose of bringing about learning among those whose age, social roles, or self-perception define them as adults" and, b Horton's philosophy developed under the Highlander Folk School. Understanding this correlation of adult education within a social-political phenomena, the nature of adult education may belong to a wide-ranging spectrum of teaching and learning in terms of: a media messaging and the rhetoric that may be inculcating adults, ultimately swaying public opinion; b adult messaging and totalitarian implications; c adult education and the state; d knowledge of history; e the history of adult education and how it has been instrumental in social justice; and f what adult education, inclusive of adult educators, must do to mitigate class hegemony.
Multi-Source Energy Harvesting Schemes With Piezoelectrics and Photovoltaics on an Avian Bio-Logger Draft

Solar energy harvesting possesses relatively high energy and power densities when compared to other energy harvesting methods. However, solar energy harvesting applications are severely limited by diurnal cycles and weather patterns. For biological applications, such as avian bio-loggers, the subject’s activity levels and location introduce further variability into the availability of solar energy. This work focuses on the challenges associated with developing a multi-source energy harvesting solution and overall power management system for an avian bio-logger. It uses an ATmega128RFA1 microcontroller along with lithium batteries and both a solar and piezoelectric energy harvester. The power management system and microcontroller operation were tested using a solar harvester.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
GFP reporters detect the activation of the Drosophila JAK/STAT pathway in vivo

JAK/STAT signaling is essential for a wide range of developmental processes in Drosophila melanogaster. The mechanism by which the JAK/STAT pathway contributes to these processes has been the subject of recent investigation. However, a reporter that reflects activity of the JAK/STAT pathway in all Drosophila tissues has not yet been developed. By placing a fragment of the Stat92E target gene Socs36E, which contains at least two putative Stat92E binding sites, upstream of GFP, we generated three constructs that can be used to monitor JAK/STAT pathway activity in vivo. These constructs differ by the number of Stat92E binding sites and the stability of GFP. The 2XSTAT92E-GFP and 10XSTAT92E-GFP constructs contain 2 and 10 Stat92E binding sites, respectively, driving expression of enhanced GFP, while 10XSTAT92E-DGFP drives expression of destabilized GFP. We show that these reporters are expressed in the embryo in an overlapping pattern with Stat92E protein and in tissues where JAK/STAT signaling is required. In addition, these reporters accurately reflect JAK/STAT pathway activity at larval stages, as their expression pattern overlaps that of the activating ligand unpaired in imaginal discs. Moreover, the STAT92E-GFP reporters are activated by ectopic JAK/STAT signaling. STAT92E-GFP fluorescence is increased in response to ectopic upd in the larval eye disc and mis-expression of the JAK kinase hopscotch in the adult fat body. Lastly, these reporters are specifically activated by Stat92E, as STAT92E-GFP reporter expression is lost cell-autonomously in stat92E homozygous mutant tissue. In sum, we have generated in vivo GFP reporters that accurately reflect JAK/STAT pathway activation in a variety of tissues. These reporters are valuable tools to further investigate and understand the role of JAK/STAT signaling in Drosophila.
Deriving an efficient FPGA implementation of a low density parity check forward error corrector

Creating correct hardware is hard. Though there is much talk of using formal and semi-formal methods to develop designs and implementations, in practice most implementations are written without the support of any formal or semi-formal methodology. Having such a methodology brings many benefits, including improved likelihood of a correct implementation, lowering the cost of design exploration and lowering the cost of certification. In this paper, we introduce a semi formal methodology for connecting executable specifications written in the functional language Haskell to efficient VHDL implementations. The connection is performed by manual edits, using semi-formal equational reasoning facilitated by the worker/wrapper transformation, and directed using commutable functors. We explain our methodology on a full-scale example, an efficient Low-Density Parity Check forward error correcting code, which has been implemented on a Virtex-5 FPGA.
The cost of medical care for patients with diabetes, hypertension and both conditions: does alcohol use play a role?

Abstract. French MT, Mundt MP, Fleming M,Zavala SK (University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL;and University of Wisconsin Medical School,Madison, WI; USA). The cost of medical care forpatients with diabetes, hypertension and bothconditions: does alcohol use play a role? J InternMed 2005; 258: 45–54.Objective. To estimate and compare the medicalcosts of individuals with diabetes and/orhypertension relative to a matched sample ofindividuals with neither condition, and determine ifthese costs are signiﬁcantly inﬂuenced by alcohol use.Research design and methods. Data were obtainedfrom a sample of 799 patients from eight primarycare clinics in south-central Wisconsin between2001 and 2002. Medical care costs were calculatedwithin four categories [hospital and emergency room(ER) costs, clinic costs, medication costs and totalcost] for three chronic disease samples [diabetes only(n ¼ 89), hypertension only (n ¼ 299), and bothdiabetes and hypertension (n ¼ 209)] as well as amatched sample with neither diabetes norhypertension (n ¼ 202). Annual medical care costswere estimated using a combination of insurancebilling records, self-reported information and chartreview. All cost data pertain to a 12-month period in2001–2002. In addition to a descriptive analysis ofcosts across medical service categories and samples,we also conducted multivariate analyses of total cost,controlling for patient demographics, education,employment, smoking, and comorbidities, such asheart disease, hyperlipidaemia, liver disease, chronicback pain, asthma, depression, anxiety andbronchitis.Results. The estimated differential in total annualmedical cost (relative to the control group) was$2183 for diabetes only, $724 for hypertension onlyand $3402 for diabetes and hypertension. Alcoholuse did not signiﬁcantly impact medical care costsamongst individuals with diabetes and/orhypertension.Conclusions. These cost estimates can serve as animportant and useful reference source for doctors,insurance companies, health maintenanceorganizations (HMOs) and policy makers as theytry to anticipate the future medical care needs andassociated costs for diabetic and hypertensivepatients.Keywords: diabetes, hypertension, medical carecosts.
A Linear Least Squares Fit mapping method for information retrieval from natural language texts

This paper describes a unique method for mapping natural language texts to canonical terms that identify the contents of the texts. This method learns empirical associations between free-form texts and canonical terms from human-assigned matches and determines a Linear Least Squares Fit (LLSF) mapping function which represents weighted connections between words in the texts and the canonical terms. The mapping function enables us to project an arbitrary text to the canonical term space where the "transformed" text is compared with the terms, and similarity scores are obtained which quantify the relevance between the the text and the terms. This approach has superior power to discover synonyms or related terms and to preserve the context sensitivity of the mapping. We achieved a rate of 84% in both the recall and the precision with a testing set of 6,913 texts, outperforming other techniques including string matching (15%), morphological parsing (17%) and statistical weighting (21%).
Synthesis of an oxime-linked neoglycopeptide with glycosylation-dependent activity similar to its native counterpart

Abstract Neoglycopeptides containing an oxime sugar-peptide linkage can be generated by coupling an aminooxy sugar with a peptide bearing a keto-amino acid. The coupling reaction can be executed in aqueous milieu without need for protecting groups on the peptide or saccharide, or auxiliary coupling reagents. Using this method, an oxime-linked analog of an antimicrobial peptide with glycosylation-dependent function was prepared and found to have similar bioactivity to the native glycopeptide. Thus, replacement of the sugar-peptide bond with an unnatural but synthetically facile linkage can produce functional neoglycopeptides.
Hypercalcemia and abnormal 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D concentrations in leprosy

Abstract Two patients with lepromatous leprosy and hypercalcemia are presented. Serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone and urinary cyclic adenosine monophosphate concentrations were suppressed. Serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25-(OH) 2 D] concentrations were elevated in one patient and normal in the other. Urinary hydroxyproline excretion was slightly high in both patients. Hypercalcemia resolved with prednisone therapy. Abnormal 1,25-(OH) 2 D production and/or metabolism may play a role in the pathogenesis of hypercalcemia in some patients with leprosy.
Picosecond Γ-X carrier in GaAs/AlAs superlattice

(Gamma) -X carrier scattering in 35 angstroms/35 angstroms GaAs/AlAs superlattice at 5 K was investigated using time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Estimation of the nucleation rate by differential scanning calorimetry

A realistic computer model is presented for calculating the time-dependent volume fraction transformed during the devitrification of glasses, assuming the classical theory of nucleation and continuous growth. Time- and cluster-dependent nucleation rates are calculated by modeling directly the evolving cluster distribution. Statistical overlap in the volume fraction transformed is taken into account using the standard Johnson-Mehl-Avrami formalism. Devitrification behavior under isothermal and nonisothermal conditions is described. The model is used to demonstrate that the recent suggestion by Ray and Day (1990) that nonisothermal DSC studies can be used to determine the temperature for the peak nucleation rate, is qualitatively correct for lithium disilicate, the glass investigated.
Targeted Expression of BikDD Eradicates Pancreatic Tumors in Noninvasive Imaging Models

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive malignancy with morbidity rates almost equal to mortality rates because of the current lack of effective treatment options. Here, we describe a targeted approach to treating pancreatic cancer with effective therapeutic efficacy and safety in noninvasive imaging models. We developed a versatile expression vector "VISA" (VP16-GAL4-WPRE integrated systemic amplifier) and a CCKAR (cholecystokinin type A receptor) gene-based, pancreatic-cancer-specific promoter VISA (CCKAR-VISA) composite to target transgene expression in pancreatic tumors in vivo. Targeted expression of BikDD, a potent proapoptotic gene driven by CCKAR-VISA, exhibited significant antitumor effects on pancreatic cancer and prolonged survival in multiple xenograft and syngeneic orthotopic mouse models of pancreatic tumors with virtually no toxicity.
Critical path selection for performance optimization

The problem of selecting a set of paths to optimize the performance of a combinational circuit is studied, assuming that gate resizing and buffer insertion are the two possible optimizing techniques for reducing the delay of a circuit. The objective of the path selection problem is to select as small as possible a set of paths to ease the optimization processing to guarantee that the delay of the circuit is no longer than a given threshold tau if the delays of all the selected paths are no longer than tau . It is shown that the path selection is different from path sensitization. An input vector-oriented path selection algorithm is proposed. Because it may be infeasible for complex circuits with many primary inputs, a path-oriented algorithm is also developed and implemented. Experimental results on ISCAS85 benchmark circuits show a potentially big improvement for the optimization process. >
Humility and respect: core values in medical education

Context Many of the values and behaviours described in the original Hippocratic Oath are relevant to medical education. In particular, the values of intellectual humility and respect for one's colleagues are essential in all scientific disciplines. There are three contexts within medical education from which to consider humility and respect: uncertainty; theory, and colleagues. Uncertainty As medical education grows in scope and participation, we will be required to acknowledge that we ‘know not’ with increasing frequency. The uncertainty of what we do and do not know is compounded by uncertainty about whether ignorance is individual or corporate. As difficult as it is to admit that we ‘know not’, it is dangerous NOT to recognise the limits of our knowledge and experience. Theory Theories are critical tools in understanding complex phenomena. They identify constructs and relationships that are important and those that are irrelevant. We tend to forget that theories are models or simplified representations of reality and not in themselves ‘truths’. Viewing problems from other theoretical perspectives can widen our horizons by allowing us to identify possibly important concepts and relationships that we have not considered. Colleagues Colleagues are invaluable for helping us respond to our ‘knowing not’ and for providing alternative perspectives when our theories lead us astray. However, colleagues come in many guises and include close colleagues, as well as those in distant fields. Obstacles to humility and respect As obviously desirable as humility and respect seem to be, there are conflicts that prevent us from being humble and respectful. Such conflicts include other salient professional values, such as critical scepticism, competition and confidence. Honouring the Oath Adoption of the values of humility and respect in medical education can be fostered through intentional behaviours, both as individuals and as a discipline. We can deliberately seek to broaden our horizons to promote intellectual humility. We can foster collaboration among colleagues who come from different places, both geographically and intellectually. Finally, we can pursue ‘academic cultural exchanges’ with other fields and disciplines to learn and share in different ways of thinking.
Nonperturbative decay of udd and QLd flat directions

The minimal supersymmetric standard model has several flat directions, which can naturally be excited during inflation. If they have a slow (perturbative) decay, they may affect the thermalization of the inflaton decay products. In the present paper, we consider the system of $udd$ and $QLd$ flat directions, which breaks the $U(1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}SU(2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}SU(3)$ symmetry completely. In the unitary gauge and assuming a general soft breaking mass configuration, we show that for a range of parameters, the background condensate of flat directions can undergo a fast nonperturbative decay, due to nonadiabatic evolution of the eigenstates. We find that both the background evolution and part of the decay can be described accurately by previously studied gauged toy models of flat direction decay.
The association between acculturation and recreational computer use among Latino adolescents in California

BACKGROUND Physical inactivity like recreational computer use is a likely factor in the rising obesity prevalence among Latino adolescents. OBJECTIVES Using the data from California Health Interview Survey, we test the hypothesis whether acculturation is associated with recreational computer use among Latino adolescents. METHODS We run linear regressions of the weekly time spent on recreational computer use among Latino adolescents, stratified first by gender and then by age group (12-14 and 15-17 years). Years living in the United States and language at home are used as key variables for acculturation. RESULTS For all four sub-populations, living in the United States for less than 5 years is significantly associated with fewer hours on recreational computer use, compared with those US-born. Among female adolescents, those who lived in the United States for 10 years or more spent fewer hours on recreational computer use than those US-born. Among adolescents under 15, speaking English only and speaking English plus another language are both significantly associated with more hours on recreational computer use, compared with those who speak a non-English language at home. CONCLUSION Educators and health professionals should heed the Latino adolescents' possible increase in recreational computer use.
The collective allocation of commodities in a democratic society

What determines the extent to which a democracy will provide goods and services to its citizens? Differences in taste can be invoked to explain why communities, like individual citizens, consume different menus. And variations in wealth as well as taste may help to explain why one community may elect to spend only half as much as another in the same state on the education of its children. But will the process of majority rule yield an efficient division of resources between private and public goods? When market fail, will government do better? The democratic process portrayed in this paper resembles in certain respects the town meeting procedure used by many New England communities to determine simultaneously the level of educational expenditure and the consequent tax rate. But the paper simplifies many aspects of the democratic process in order to show that the principle of majority rule may encounter difficulties in even the most elementary circumstances. The ballot-box allocation considered in this paper involves equal shares for all in a collectively distributed good financed by a proportional tax. 1 It will be assumed for the most part, that all citizens have
Imaging of Mitochondrial Polarization and Depolarization with Cationic Fluorophores

Publisher Summary Mitochondrial Δψ must be estimated from the equilibrium distribution of membrane-permeant cations that accumulate electrophoretically into polarized cells and mitochondria. By using fluorescent lipophilic cations, Δψ in individual cells and mitochondria also can be visualized and quantified. By coupling fluorescent cation uptake with fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), mitochondria undergoing depolarization also can be selectively revealed. Quantitative confocal and multiphoton microscopy of the intracellular distribution of membrane-permeant cationic fluorophores provide a minimally perturbing means to dynamically measure both mitochondrial and plasmalemmal Δψ in cultured cells. A limiting factor is time resolution, because several seconds are required for cationic fluorophores to reestablish new steady-state equilibrium after a change of Δψ. A further shortcoming is that mitochondria lose their potential-indicating fluorophores and become invisible in fluorescence images after depolarization. The latter problem can be overcome by coloading with tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester (TMRM) and MitoTracker Green (MTG). With coloading, Δψ can still be monitored by red TMRM fluorescence excited with green light, but additionally TMRM quenches green MTG fluorescence excited with blue light via a FRET mechanism. Consequently, when a mitochondrion depolarizes, TMRM is released, and the green fluorescence of covalently bound MTR recovers, which reveals depolarized mitochondria as individual green structures against a background of red-fluorescing polarized mitochondria. Unlike virtually any other technique, confocal and multiphoton microscopy permits non-destructive serial observation of the Δψ's of populations of cells and mitochondria