cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conformational regulation of the EGFR kinase core by the juxtamembrane and C-terminal tail: a molecular dynamics study.

The catalytic domain of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is activated by dimerization, which requires allosteric coupling between distal dimerization and catalytic sites. Although crystal structures of EGFR kinases, solved in various conformational states, have provided important insights into EGFR activation by dimerization, the atomic details of how dimerization signals are dynamically coupled to catalytic regions of the kinase core are not fully understood. In this study, we have performed unrestrained and targeted molecular dynamics simulations on the active and inactive states of EGFR, followed by principal component analysis on the simulated trajectories, to identify correlated motions in the EGFR kinase domain upon dimerization. Our analysis reveals that the conformational changes associated with the catalytic functions of the kinase core are highly correlated with motions in the juxtamembrane (JM) and C-terminal tail, two flexible structural elements that play an active role in EGFR kinase activation and dimerization. In particular, the opening and closing of the ATP binding lobe relative to the substrate binding lobe is highly correlated with motions in the JM and C-terminal tail, suggesting that ATP and substrate binding can be coordinated with dimerization through conformational changes in the JM and C-terminal tail. Our study pinpoints key residues involved in this conformational coupling, and provides new insights into the role of the JM and C-terminal tail segments in EGFR kinase functions. Proteins 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Legal and regulatory issues surrounding carrier testing.

Genetic testing has arrived, probably earlier than patients and physicians need. For the moment, professional societies are taking the lead in monitoring the quality of physician education and laboratory services. The federal government will soon take over the role of monitoring the quality of genetic test kits themselves, but the most significant development will be the evolving physician-patient relationship in the context of primary and prenatal care. As of 1992, it is probably not necessary for physicians to educate their patients about the availability of genetic tests unless there is a specific indication of genetic disease in the family. However, should a patient ask for such information or testing, today's physician would have a duty to know enough about the current status of carrier testing to be able to respond to the requests or make a proper referral. In addition, as the reliability of such tests increase and their costs decrease, physicians may arrive at a moment when some sort of patient education is required, at least for the most common disorders. The recent court decisions securing the right to abortion mean that patients will continue to have the moral and legal right to assert their privilege to plan their families and, where possible, to avoid genetic impairments in their children. Physicians will have the sensitive task of helping patients to achieve their personal goals regarding such family planning, while not overwhelming patients with confusing or frightening information. Language: en
Subsequent malignancies associated with carcinoma of the uterine cervix: Including an analysis of the effect of patient and treatment parameters on incidence and sites of metachronous malignancies

Abstract The incidence and sites of metachronous malignancies were retrospectively determined from the records of 763 patients seen at Yale University Medical Center and affiliated hospitals with previously untreated, invasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix from 1953–1972. These patients were treated predominantly with radiation therapy; follow-up status was known for periods of 5–25 years or until time of death in over 96% of the patients. Forty-four patients had second malignancies noted at least 6 months after the initial cervical cancer was diagnosed. The expected incidence of second malignancies was determined from the Connecticut State Tumor Registry data controlling for year of diagnosis of the cervical cancer, patient age, sex, and time at risk (person-years exposure). To correct for any error in estimation of second malignancies introduced by the existence of a latency period for the development of a second cancer, the expected incidence of malignancies was also computed for 5-year time intervals following the cervical cancer. No significant increase in second malignancies was found (observed/expected- 44 36 ) for the entire follow-up period nor for any individual 5-year interval. However, a statistically significant increase in lung cancer and vulva-vaginal cancer was noted and a significant decrease in breast cancer was observed. Cox regression analyses were performed to study the effect of total radium exposure and total external beam treatment, adjusting for other factors. No statistically significant increased risks were found.
Use of mouse models to understand the molecular basis of tissue-specific tumorigenesis in the Carney complex

Carney complex (CNC) is an autosomal dominant, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome comprised of spotty skin pigmentation, myxomatosis, endocrine tumours and schwannomas. The majority of cases are due to inactivating mutations in PRKAR1A, the gene encoding the type 1A regulatory subunit of the 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase, PKA (protein kinase A). In order to understand the molecular basis for tumorigenesis associated with PRKAR1A mutations, we have developed conventional and conditional Prkar1a knockout (KO) mice as well as primary cell culture models corresponding to these genetic manipulations. At the biochemical level, removal of Prkar1a from cells causes enhanced PKA activity, the same effect which has been observed in tumours isolated from CNC patients. Mice heterozygous for Prkar1a mutations (the exact genetic model for CNC patients) are born at expected frequencies and are tumour prone, developing neoplasms in cAMP-responsive cell types such as Schwann cells, osteoblasts and thyrocytes. In order to understand the basis of tissue-specific tumour formation, we have created tissue-specific KOs of the gene from three different tissues: the neural crest (Schwann cells), the pituitary gland and the heart. In the neural crest and the pituitary, ablation of Prkar1a leads to excess proliferation and tumorigenesis, whereas the same manipulation in developing cardiomyocytes leads to reduced proliferation and embryonic demise. The KO hearts also exhibit myxomatous changes suggesting a connection between PKA activation and myxomagenesis, although the nature of this relationship has not yet been determined. This work confirms the role of Prkar1a as a tissue-specific tumour suppressor, and ongoing work is focused on identifying the key downstream signalling targets affected by dysregulation of PKA.
Real-time observer-based (adaptive) control of a permanent-magnet synchronous motor without mechanical sensors

A theoretical and experimental analysis of a closed-loop adaptive velocity control system for a 200 W permanent-magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) is presented. The control system utilizes a mechanically sensorless full-state observer for the generation of all controller feedback information. Both the control system and its experimental performance using an implementation based on the Motorola 68020 microprocessor are presented in detail. It is shown that the real-time observer-based adaptive velocity controller is capable of successful operation. >
Modelling Inequality with a Single Parameter

We argue that the Lorenz curve for income is well-modelled by members of the one-parameter family of functions: $$ \left\{ {y = \left( {1 - \left( {1 - r} \right)^k } \right)^{\frac{1}{k}} } \right\} $$ . We justify this statement with data from the Luxembourg Income Study. The family of curves arises from a dynamic model of income growth, in which the parameter k has a direct economic interpretation.
Transparency for Civil Settlements: NASDAQ for Lawsuits?

Settlements of civil lawsuits constitute a large market whose functioning affects economic and social life. At present this market operates with poor pricing information - far less than is available in any comparably important market in the United States. After describing why we lack good pricing information for civil settlements and the existence of much better information in comparable markets, the article goes on to describe a mechanism that would make reliable settlement prices widely available with minimum disruption to existing practices.
Outcome Associated with Management Based on ICP Monitoring

How much the control of intracranial pressure (ICP) affects mortality and morbidity is a significant question. This prospective study began in 1973, and compared mortality and morbidity with ICP monitoring and treatment based on information extracted from such monitoring with the mortality and morbidity of similar patients without ICP monitoring that received conventional treatment. Patients not reacting to painful stimuli were grouped according to whether their ICP was monitored and whether treatment was based on ICP. The study deteriorated due to an increase in the number of monitored patients compared to those retrievable patients treated without the benefit of ICP monitoring. However, valuable information was obtained relevant to control of ICP affecting mortality and morbidity.
Financial Health and Product Safety

We examine the relationship between financial health and product safety in the airline industry. Theoretical models predict that agency problems are exacerbated when a firm is in or near financial distress and lead to increased risk-taking behavior by such firms. We document support for this prediction. Our empirical model, which uses mishaps to proxy for airline safety, and lagged bond ratings to proxy for financial well-being, shows a significant correlation between the two measures: airlines with highly-rated bonds are less likely to be involved in accidents. We find that, on average, a whole higher letter grade for the bond rating is associated with a ten percent lower probability of accident. Our results remain robust in the presence of other variables that could affect the number of airline mishaps.
Machine-learning model observer for detection and localization tasks in clinical SPECT-MPI

In this work we propose a machine-learning MO based on Naive-Bayes classification (NB-MO) for the diagnostic tasks of detection, localization and assessment of perfusion defects in clinical SPECT Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (MPI), with the goal of evaluating several image reconstruction methods used in clinical practice. NB-MO uses image features extracted from polar-maps in order to predict lesion detection, localization and severity scores given by human readers in a series of 3D SPECT-MPI. The population used to tune (i.e. train) the NB-MO consisted of simulated SPECT-MPI cases – divided into normals or with lesions in variable sizes and locations – reconstructed using filtered backprojection (FBP) method. An ensemble of five human specialists (physicians) read a subset of simulated reconstructed images, and assigned a perfusion score for each region of the left-ventricle (LV). Polar-maps generated from the simulated volumes along with their corresponding human scores were used to train five NB-MOs (one per human reader), which are subsequently applied (i.e. tested) on three sets of clinical SPECT-MPI polar maps, in order to predict human detection and localization scores. The clinical “testing” population comprises healthy individuals and patients suffering from coronary artery disease (CAD) in three possible regions, namely: LAD, LcX and RCA. Each clinical case was reconstructed using three reconstruction strategies, namely: FBP with no SC (i.e. scatter compensation), OSEM with Triple Energy Window (TEW) SC method, and OSEM with Effective Source Scatter Estimation (ESSE) SC. Alternative Free-Response (AFROC) analysis of perfusion scores shows that NB-MO predicts a higher human performance for scatter-compensated reconstructions, in agreement with what has been reported in published literature. These results suggest that NB-MO has good potential to generalize well to reconstruction methods not used during training, even for reasonably dissimilar datasets (i.e. simulated vs. clinical).
Race Disparity in Grants—Response

Erickson feels that our cutoff of 84 citations was unrealistic and may have affected our results that NIH awarded significantly fewer R01 grants to black researchers than to white researchers. We do not believe that this was a factor. Our data included about 300 early-career individuals (defined as
The Renaissance of Security Studies

This article examines the evolution of security studies, focusing on recent developments in the field. It provides a survey of the field, a guide to the current research agenda, and some practical lessons for managing the field in the years ahead. Security studies remains an interdisciplinary enterprise, but its earlier preoccupation with nuclear issues has broadened to include topics such as grand strategy, conventional warfare, and the domestic sources of international conflict, among others. Work in the field is increasingly rigorous and theoretically inclined, which reflects the marriage between security studies and social science and its improved standing within the academic world. Because national security will remain a problem for states and because an independent scholarly community contributes to effective public policy in this area, the renaissance of security studies is an important positive development for the field of international relations.
Annonaceous Acetogenins as Natural Pesticides: Potent Toxicity Against Insecticide-Susceptible and -Resistant German Cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae)

Six compounds, representing the mono-tetrahydrofuran (THF) (gigantetrocin A, annomontacin), adjacent bis- THF (asimicin, parviflorin), and nonadjacent bis- THF (sylvaticin, bullatalicin) classes of annonaceous acetogenins, were compared with technical grades of synthetic amidinohydrazone (hydramethylnon), carbamate (propoxur, bendiocarb), organophosphate (chlorpyrifos), and pyrethroid (cypermethrin) insecticides to determine their dietary toxicities to insecticide-resistant and insecticide-susceptible strains of the German cockroach, Blattelln germanica (L.). Differential susceptibility occurred among B. germanica nymphs of both strains to this variety of the acetogenins and the 5 conventional synthetic insecticides. The speed of kill (LT50) values against insecticide-susceptible and insecticide-resistant 2nd and 5th instars permitted ranking of all 11 compounds. The adjacent bis- THF acetogenins showed the highest potency among the 3 acetogenin classes. The acetogenins caused high percentages of mortality and delays in development of the 5th instars of both strains. Insecticide-susceptible nymphal development was mainly affected by gigantetrocin A and annomontacin, whereas insecticide-resistant nymphal development was mainly affected by gigantetrocin A and bullatalicin. Most tested acetogenins performed better than the conventional insecticides against both stages of both strains. No growth regulation effects were caused by any of the compounds tested. Low resistance ratios were obtained for most compounds (except chlorpyrifos). Low resistance ratios values for 2nd instars ranged from 0.9 to 2.2 with the natural acetogenins and from 1.0 to 3.8 with the synthetic compounds; the 5th instars ranged from 0.2 to 3.9 with the natural acetogenins and from 0.6 to 8.0 with the synthetic compounds. Insecticidal properties and characteristics of acetogenins and the possible use of acetogenins in baits for cockroach control are discussed.
Archaeopodagrion Bicorne, a Very Primitive Dragonfly from Eastern Ecuador (Odonata: Megapodagrioninae)

Specimens of this very rare species have been sent up from Ecuador at the rate of about one a year for the past four years. Because of the smoothly curved veins they have usually been packed away among the hundreds of unsorted Heteragrions with which they have been shipped by the collector, Mr. Wm. Clarke- Macintyre, Esq. They come from small jungle streams of the low, hot eastern end of Ecuador, “The Oriente.” Because of reasons given later the writer considers Archaeopodagrion n. gen. one of the most primitive members of the very primitive Megapodagrioninae. It is a connecting link between two major South American groups of this subfamily. It would not be out of place among fossils of the Miocene or even of the Eocene.
Using the Best Interests Standard to Generate Actual Duties

The best interests standard is frequently criticized for being hard to apply (Diekema 2004; Veatch 1995). In this issue of AJOB Primary Research, Martine C. de Vries and colleagues agree and write:...
Reaction of cells to the galvanic current in tissue cultures

By applying a weak constant galvanic current (strength 2-4 billionths of an ampere, density approximately 1/1000-1/2000 δ, nonpolarizable electrodes) to tissue cultures made according to Harrison's method, the following observations were made:The galvanic current has a directing influence upon the cell and fiber outgrowth in the cultures so that this occurs almost entirely along the lines of force in the galvanic field. Whereas in the control preparations the outgrowth occurs in all directions, cell movements under the influence of a galvanic current take place toward the anode and the cathode. The cell processes growing toward the anode show morphological differences from those growing toward the cathode. A new biological cell character may in this way be revealed.If a weak electric current by means of a single conductor is drawn through the culture, the outgrowth of the fibers and cells always takes place perpendicular to the conductor. Bok has called attention to the fact that in the living organism th...
Effects of Reactive Annealing on the Structure of Poly(methacrylic acid)–Poly(methyl methacrylate) Diblock Copolymer Thin Films

We monitor the structural evolution of a poly(tert-butyl methacrylate)-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PtBMA–PMMA) diblock copolymer thin film undergoing conversion via reactive annealing to yield poly(...
Cabbage looper (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) fecundity maximized by a combination of access to water and food, and remating.

Fecundity of female cabbage looper moths, Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), was increased significantly by availability of water, availability of sugar and honey as food, and by remating. Both starved and fed females that remated laid significantly more eggs than females that did not remate. Fecundity was not correlated with pupal weight. Increases in fecundity with availability of water and food, and with remating, were additive and maximal fecundity was attained when water, food, and multiple mates were all available to female moths.
Fuzz Testing Projects in Massive Courses

Scaffolded projects with automated feedback are core instructional components of many massive courses. In subjects that include programming, feedback is typically provided by test cases constructed manually by the instructor. This paper explores the effectiveness of fuzz testing, a randomized technique for verifying the behavior of programs. In particular, we apply fuzz testing to identify when a student's solution differs in behavior from a reference implementation by randomly exploring the space of legal inputs to a program. Fuzz testing serves as a useful complement to manually constructed tests. Instructors can concentrate on designing targeted tests that focus attention on specific issues while using fuzz testing for comprehensive error checking. In the first project of a 1,400-student introductory computer science course, fuzz testing caught errors that were missed by a suite of targeted test cases for more than 48% of students. As a result, the students dedicated substantially more effort to mastering the nuances of the assignment.
A Survey on the Water Hygiene Condition in Guangzhou

Objective To investigate the hygiene conditions of the natural river water,explore the best time for swimming,and to collect environmental data for the assessment parameters of river health so as to provide a scientific basis for Guangzhou to establish the natural bathing beach.Methods Assessment was performed once a month between March 2006 and July 2008.Three additional monitoring were performed between June and July in some natural river of Guangzhou.A total of 13 data collection points was analyzed and monitored according to GB9667-1996 swimming workplace health standards,sanitary standards of industrial enterprises design(TJ36-79),GB5749-2006 Standards for drinking water quality and GB3838-2002 Surface Water Environmental Quality.Results Several indicators were not up to the standard.These included the thermo-tolerant coliform bacteria,ammonia,DO,oxygen consumption,BOD5,petroleum and phosphate.Vibrio cholerae was found in 5 samples.The passing rate of thermotolerant coliform bacteria,DO and ammonia was 0,3.0% and 4.8%,respectively.The detection rate of Giardia and Cryptosporidium oocysts was 97.4% and 11.5%,respectively.Conclusions The river was seriously polluted.We should make good job of pollutant entrapment and water renovation in essence to reduce organic and biological pollution.A coordinated effort among the government departments is required to improve the water quality of the Pearl River.We should select the maximum period of water such as water quality improvement measures and good personal protection in order to swim.
Direct Force Position Control Technology Research

The direct force posirtion control technology is widely applied in anti-missile missile. Coupling ravel of direct force/aerodynamic attitude compound control is realized, comes into being direct force control subsystem and aerodynamic control subsystem. Bring forward a control scheme which can decide to start the direct force subsystem. Bring forward a scheme to control the firing azimuth of engine in space.
Quantification of N-acetyl-L-aspartic acid in urine by isotope dilution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A method for quantification ofN-acetyl-l-aspartic acid by isotope dilution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using15N-[2H3]acetyl-l-aspartic acid is described. The method is sufficiently sensitive to be used with solvent extraction techniques commonly employed for urinary organic acid analysis. The mean concentration ofN-acetyl-l-aspartic acid in 80 normal and abnormal control urine specimens was 19.7±10.8 mg/g creatinine (12.7±7.8 mmol/mol creatinine). Seven patients, ages 9 months to 7 years, with Canavan-van Bogaert syndrome had urinaryN-acetyl-l-aspartic acid levels from 606 to 4760 mg/g creatinine. The method can also be used with cerebrospinal fluid, in which the concentration ofN-acetyl-l-aspartic acid is about one-tenth of that in urine.
Targeted Reminder Phone Calls to Patients at High Risk of No-Show for Primary Care Appointment: A Randomized Trial.

No-shows, or missed appointments, are a problem for many medical practices. They result in fragmented care and reduce access for all patients. To determine whether telephone reminder calls targeted to patients at high risk of no-show can reduce no-show rates. Single-center randomized controlled trial. A total of 2247 primary care patients in a hospital-based primary care clinic at high risk of no-show (>15 % risk) for their appointment in 7 days. Seven days prior to their appointment, intervention arm patients were placed in a calling queue to receive a reminder phone call from a patient service coordinator. Coordinators were trained to engage patients in concrete planning. All patients received an automated phone call (usual care). Primary outcome was no-show rate. Secondary outcomes included arrival rate, cancellation rate, reschedule rate, time to cancellation, and change in revenue. The no-show rate in the intervention arm (22.8 %) was significantly lower (absolute risk difference −6.4 %, p < 0.01, 95 % CI [−9.8 to −3.0 %]) than that in the control arm (29.2 %). Arrival, cancellation, and reschedule rates did not differ significantly. In the intervention arm, rescheduling and cancellations occurred further in advance of the appointment (mean difference, 0.35 days; 95 % CI [0.07–0.64]; p = 0.01). Reimbursement did not differ significantly. A phone call 7 days prior to an appointment led to a significant reduction in no-shows and increased reimbursement among patients at high risk of no-show. The use of targeted interventions may be of interest to practices taking on increased accountability for population health.
A and B Blood Group Antigen Preparations From Erythrocytes

The ABO group antigens of human red bloods cells (RBC) are localized in the stroma (synonyms are membrane or ghost) of the cells. Hemolysis of the RBC is carried out in distilled water and subsequent repeated washing of the insoluble residue leads to a stroma preparation which is still light red from the presence of remnants of hemoglobin. It was observed that dilute alkali treatment appears to solubilize the prepared stroma without changing the reactivity of A or B or AB antigens with isoagglutinins. Subsequent careful neutralization of this alkaline preparation keeps the stroma solubilized (Nowotny, 1955). This is described in Part A of this exercise.
Cardiac function and survival are affected by crude oil in larval red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus

Following exposure to weathered and non-weathered oil, lethal and sub-lethal impacts on red drum larvae were assessed using survival, morphological, and cardiotoxicity assays. The LC50 for red drum ranged from 14.6 (10.3-20.9) to 21.3 (19.1-23.8) μgl-1 ΣPAH with no effect of exposure timing during the pre-hatch window or oil weathering. Similarly, morphological deformities showed dose responses in the low ppb range. Cardiac output showed similar sensitivity resulting in a major 70% reduction after exposure to 2.6μgl-1 ΣPAH. This cardiac failure was driven by reduced stroke volume rather than bradycardia, meaning that in some species, cardiac function is more sensitive than previously thought. After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, much of this type of work has primarily focused on pelagic species with little known about fast developing estuarine species. These results demonstrate similarity sensitivity of the red drum as their pelagic counter parts, and more importantly, that cardiac function is dramatically reduced in concert with pericardial edema.
Abstract 156: Cholesterol-Induced IL-1 Expression Promotes Regulatory T Cells to Effector T Cells Redifferentiation in Atherosclerotic Lesions

Regulatory T cells (Treg) can suppress proatherogenic T cell responses, similar to their established function in regulating autoreactive T cells in immune-mediated/inflammatory disease. We have shown that hypercholesterolemia induces an accumulation of Treg in atherosclerotic aorta, but the Treg content is not maintained over time under sustained hypercholesterolemic conditions. Significantly, effector T cells (Teff) content in the aorta increased while Treg content went down concomitant with increase of the lesion size over this time period. Previous studies have shown that Treg change phenotype in vivo under inflammatory conditions and some studies indicate that IL-1 promotes differentiation of Th17 cells both from naive precursors, and the conversion of Treg to Th17. The general hypothesis for this study is that the loss of lesional Treg over time may reflect a conversion of recruited Treg into Teff cells, due to the influence of the lesional inflammatory conditions, including production of IL-1. We have conducted preliminary studies in vitro showing that cholesterol crystals (CHC)-induced macrophage inflammasome activation modifies Treg phenotype. Thioglycollate elicited peritoneal macrophages from wildtype mice produced high levels of IL1 after CHC treatment compared to macrophages from caspase-1-null mice and this response induced IL-17 and IFNgamma expression by purified Treg from Foxp3-GFP TCR transgenic mice. We have also demonstrated, by confocal microscopy of sections from spleen or aortic arch of Ldlr -/- mice under cholesterol diet for 10 weeks, that macrophages but not dendritic cells uptake CHC in vivo. Moreover, IL-1 gene expression in aortas of Ldlr -/- mice is minimal after 4 weeks of cholesterol diet, but significantly rises after 8 weeks. This result correlated also with an increase of the levels of IFNgamma and Tbet and changes in numbers of IL17 or Foxp3 positive cells observed in collagen digest of aortas from Ldlr-/-/Foxp3-GFP/IL17-RFP. These results indicate that arterial IL-1 expression, which can be induced by CHC in macrophages under hypercholesterolemic conditions, accompanies a reduction in the Treg:Th1 ratio. Current work is focused on determining if atherosclerotic lesion development can be blocked by maintaining a sufficient ratio of atheroantigen-specific Treg:Teff cells through pharmacologic manipulation of inflammasome activation.
A Detection and Mitigation Model for PTP Delay Attack in an IEC 61850 Substation

Smart grid applications demand the availability of a reliable and accurate time signal. Measurements and events need to be correctly aligned to enable proper actions and decisions. Precision time protocol (PTP) is the favored protocol for time distribution across smart grid domains. The correct functionality of PTP is of paramount importance and its security is of high priority. To harden its security, detection, and prevention mechanisms against attacks targeting PTP are needed. In this paper, we propose detection and mitigation mechanisms against the known PTP delay attack. We apply model checking to quantify the effect of the delay attack. Moreover, the validity of the proposed mechanism is formally proven. The suggested approach is tested on a physical system. The collected results support the usefulness of the mechanism in detecting the delay attacks targeting PTP, and preserving the system functionality.
Environmental flows in the desert rivers of the United States and Mexico: Synthesis of available data and gap analysis

Abstract Although riparian and aquatic ecosystems make up a small fraction of the area in arid and semi-arid lands, they are critical for the survival of desert life. There are, however, few compendia of efforts to define the quantity of water needed to maintain these ecosystems and understand the risks and stressors to them. Through our analysis we found that 62% of the rivers examined in the deserts of the U.S. and Mexico have had just one study over the past four decades and 67% of studies used qualitative methods. Furthermore, only one-third of the 312 species catalogued in our work have been studied more than once and only 5% have been considered five or more times. The most common risks or stressors to riparian and aquatic species were engineered structures, invasive species, and altered flows; and while 10% of studies included climate stressor, climate change impacts were infrequently examined. Ultimately, we found that although research has been conducted across the desert watersheds of the U.S. and Mexico, there are significant gaps in our knowledge of basic data such as the location and extent of perennial and intermittent streams, let alone studies of environmental flow needs.
The Employment Situation in Japan and the Effects of Human Resource Development on the Globalisation of Asia in the 1990s

In the mid-1990s, the unemployment rate in Japan was still extremely low compared with other industrialised countries such as the USA and those in the EU. The recession of the Japanese domestic economy raised the unemployment rate to 2.9 % (June, 1994), which was still lower than that of other industrialised countries but a similar level as during the oil crisis in Japan (2.8 % in 1986). One of the reasons for the low level of unemployment in Japan was explained by the term ‘lifetime employment system’, which was supported by employers and workers as an implicit agreement in an enterprise. The benefits of this practice were that it enabled social partners to secure employment continuation prior to other concerns of workers. This well-known approach, however, led to a misunderstanding of the real employment situation in Japan. A large number of employees in an enterprise did not necessarily have their initial employment connections protected for life; rather, most of them had the option of retiring early.
Built-In Reliability Checks for Questionnaires

rank high. The figures for the Netherlands seem low both as to total value consumed and as to qualitative composition; this points to possible flaws in the basic consumption estimates. Similarly, Belgium may appear underestimated because its high-quality consumption (in the sense of more expensive grades) cannot find adequate expression in the application of one average price scale. The Mediterranean countries consume only about two-thirds of the total value per capita compared with the highest ranking countries in Northern and Western Europe. In qualitative composition they are not quite as low-between 75 and 80 per cent of the value per 1,000 calories in the highest ranking Western and Northern European countries. It seems unlikely that qualitative composition in Italy is somewhat below Spain, Portugal and Greece as shown by these figures, which again may indicate flaws in basic consumption estimates. Otherwise the data as here calculated seem reasonable. It is also interesting to note that in the comparison country, India, the total value of consumption per capita is less than one-third of what it is in Northern and Western Europe and less than one-half of consumption in Eastern Europe. If the influence of lower energy intake is eliminated -perhaps on the theory that it would represent the difference in physical energy requirements-the qualitative difference would still be enormous: value per 1,000 calories consumed in India is less than one-half of that consumed in Northern and Western Europe and only about two-thirds of the value per 1,000 calories in Eastern Europe.
An Engineering Model for Adsorption of Gases onto Various Media

We present an engineering model to describe physical adsorption of pure gases and binary mixtures from sub- to supercritical conditions on flat walls, slits and pores using a single temperature-independent parameter for fluid-solid interactions. The fluid-solid potential is superimposed on the Peng-Robinson equation of state, and the configurational energy integral in the inhomogeneous fluid phase is simplified with a local density approximation. This model is capable of quantitative fits over wide pressure and temperature ranges. Model predictions for physical adsorption of pure gases on flat walls are compared with experimental surface excess, amount adsorbed and composition data.
Use of Systemic Theory to Represent the Conceptual Mechanical Design Process

A theoretical framework for representing the mechanical design process based on the use of systemic theory, is presented. The systemic approach is taken since the design process is context dependent and is initially functional in nature. The function-to-form transformation is part of the process. Hence, initially it is the semantic function which is important since the syntactic structure follows from it. Through our observations of the design process, we have found that expert designers often make choices from a set of design options in their experiential repertoire which fit the given problem context. It was observed that the designers identify two types of constraints, namely primary (binding or non-negotiable) and secondary (plastic or negotiable), which they use to set the context and to direct their design. We have taken the systemic functional analogy and defined a set of metafunctions which we believe to be important in describing the conceptual design. The systemic theory representation allows for the use of the problem solving methodology from Artificial Intelligence to generate a system network of the design choices which the designer makes. Identification of the meta-functions allow for the design to be mapped at three levels.
Exploration of a Racially Diverse Sample of Nursing Students' Satisfaction, Self-Efficacy, and Perceptions of Simulation Using Racially Diverse Manikins: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study

Abstract Background This study examined a racially diverse sample of nursing students' participation in simulation using racially diverse manikins. Method This mixed-methods pilot study utilized pre-post self-efficacy and post satisfaction measures of 16 black and 16 white students. Following completion of the simulation experience, the students participated in single-race focus groups. Results There was a statistically significant difference (p Conclusion Results provide baseline evidence that race of both students and manikins may be a demographic characteristic variable that influences outcomes in simulation. Further research is needed to determine if race is a variable that can be added to the NLN/Jeffries simulation theory.
Pathway of Maternal Serotonin to the Human Embryo and Fetus

Serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] is essential to intrauterine development, but its source is debated. We used immunocytochemistry to gauge 5-HT, its biosynthetic enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1); an importer (serotonin transporter, 5-HTT/SERT/SLC6A); other transporters [P-glycoprotein 1 (P-gp/ABCB1), OCT3/SLC22A3, and gap junction connexin-43]; and the 5-HT degradative enzyme monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) in sections of placentas. In humans, 5-HT was faintly stained only in first-trimester trophoblasts, whereas TPH1 was not seen at any stage. SERT was expressed in syncytiotrophoblasts and, more strongly, in cytotrophoblasts. MAOA was prominent in syncytiotrophoblasts, OCT3 and gap junctions were stained in cytotrophoblasts, and P-gp was present at the apical surfaces of both epithelia. 5-HT added to cultured placental explants accumulated in the trophoblast epithelium and reached the villus core vessels. Trophoblast uptake was blocked by the SERT inhibitor escitalopram. Inhibition of gap junctions with heptanol prevented the accumulation of 5-HT in cytotrophoblasts, whereas blocking OCT3 with decynium-22 and P-gp with mitotane led to its accumulation in cytotrophoblasts. Reducing 5-HT destruction by inhibiting MAOA with clorgyline increased the accumulation of 5-HT throughout the villus. In the mouse fetus, intravascular platelets stained prominently for 5-HT at day 13.5, whereas the placenta and yolk sac endoderm were both negative. TPH1 was not detected, but SERT was prominent in these mouse tissues. We conclude that serotonin is conveyed from the maternal blood stream through syncytiotrophoblasts, cytotrophoblasts and the villus core to the fetus through a physiological pathway that involves at least SERT, gap junctions, P-gp, OCT3, and MAOA.
Primary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis of the Extrahepatic Bile Duct Occurring in an Adult Patient

Background Langerhans cell histiocytosis is characterized by an abnormal proliferation of neoplastic Langerhans cells. Langerhans cell histiocytosis commonly affects the pediatric population, whereas presentation in adults remains a rare event. The presentation of Langerhans cell histiocytosis is highly variable, but the involvement of skin, bone, and lung is very common. Langerhans cell histiocytosis presenting as a bile duct mass is rare and usually occurs as part of a multiorgan system disease. Case report We present a case of Langerhans cell histiocytosis confined to the extrahepatic bile duct in a 62-year-old female patient with sclerosing cholangitis. The mass was composed of mononuclear cells with cleaved nuclei that were positive for CD68, S100, and CD1a as assessed by immunohistochemistry. Conclusion This is the first report of Langerhans cell histiocytosis limited to the extrahepatic bile duct in an adult patient. We discuss the clinical manifestations and the challenges encountered in the diagnosis and treatment of this rare entity.
Time to adjuvant chemotherapy in CEA-positive colon cancer: An NCDB analysis.

603Background: It is well accepted that positive serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels are associated with inferior survival in patients with advanced non-metastatic colon cancer; however, it...
AIDS-Associated Cerebral Toxoplasmosis: An Update on Diagnosis and Treatment

Toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE) is one of the major opportunistic infections of the central nervous system (CNS) and the most frequent cause of focal brain lesions (FBL) in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (Luft et al. 1993). CNS toxoplasmosis is rapidly progressive and fatal without treatment and has been reported to be the AIDS index diagnosis in 22%-51% of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (Leport et al. 1988; Cohn et al. 1989; Dannemann et al. 1991; Zangerle et al. 1991; Porter and Sande 1992).
Progress and Problems in Decipherment

The decoding of the Voynichese symbols based on plant names has led to the hypothesis that they might represent a phonetic alphabet and the language appears to be based on a combination of Nahuatl, Spanish, Taino, and Arabic (in the case of stars). There has been some success in deciphering the names of plants, an animal, a mineral, a few Mexican cities, and the labels on a few of the apothecary jars. However, despite these successes, the basic text remains undeciphered and is clearly not Classical Nahuatl, despite the fact that many Nahuatl cognates were found. One conclusion is that Voynichese is a mixed synthetic language (as proposed by William Friedman), and it also is possible that a lost dialect is involved. We believe that the labels associated with various images provide the key to decipherment.
The afordable DIY resilient smart garden kit

Our climate is changing rapidly, and the effects of that have shown themselves through the droughts in California. In an effort to become more resilient, people become more interested in growing their own food, but do not have sufficient gardening experience and education on conserving water. Previous work has attempted to develop resilient smart gardens that support the user in automated watering using simple embedded boards. However, none of these solutions proved to be scalable nor are they easy to replicate for people at home. We developed a smart resilient garden kit with IoT devices that is easy to rebuild and scales up. We use an Arduino board and a number of sensors connected to a planter. Data gets stored in a local database and is accessible via a web app and a web page. The resilient smart garden provides a learning environment that helps bridging between computer science and this sustainability-centric application domain.In this paper, we report on an educational blueprint for multidisciplinary projects, our experiences with self-guided implementation and refection meetings, and our lessons learned.
A Study of Shock-Induced, Variable Density Mixing

Experiments and simulations of shock-driven Richtmyer-Meshkov mixing between air and SF6 show strong dependence of initial interface perturbations on the evolution of the mixing structures. Experiments focus on two-dimensional versus three-dimensional initial perturbations at Mach 1.3, showing differences in the development of the large-scale structures that drive mixing. Simulations using experimentally measured initial conditions reproduce 3-D effects and peak vorticity observed in the experiments. The 3-D initial conditions create more patches of vorticity that drive the mixing more quickly than the 2-D initial conditions.
Birth of the Cold War: irregular warfare first blood in Greece

While often held up as a model of successful American counterinsurgency, the Greek Civil War presents a unique case. Peculiar local conditions and geopolitics contributed to the defeat of communist...
Brain regions with positive and negative task-evoked responses engage in cooperative rather than competitive interactions

Brain regions displaying task-induced decreases in activity, sometimes referred to as "Task-Negative", have been proposed to reflect cortico-cortical competition from regions showing task-induced increases in activity, sometimes referred to as "Task-Positive". If these functional networks are competitive, trial-level fMRI BOLD responses across voxels exhibiting Positive and Negative responses should be anti-correlated. Additionally, the correlation between the BOLD response and behavior in Positive and Negative regions should have opposite sign. Here, we test these predictions using trial-to-trial variability in an object naming task. In contrast to the negative coupling proposed by a competition model, we find positive coupling between Positive and Negative regions and show that this coupling aligns with trial-level behavioral correlations. We provide evidence that these cooperative interactions are not due to a non-specific global factor and discuss alternative proposals, such as thalamo-cortical gating.
Assessment of Fish Flesh Tainting Substances

Increased use of lakes and rivers for sport and commercial fishing in the vicinity of large municipal and industrial discharges has led to the realization that fish in many bodies of water are not palatable. The dischargeof organic compounds has led to the contamination of fish flesh to such an extent that fishing is curtailed more because of poor eating quality rather than the lack of fish. To evaluate the magnitude of the tainting of fish flesh in a large river, studies were conducted on the flavor of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus Rafinesque) flesh from the Ohio River from Pittsburgh, Pa., to Cairo, Ill. Tasting of fish flesh determined that a panel could differentiate between fish held upstream and downstream from a wastewater discharge. Caged test fish exposed for three days acquired a minimum of 70 percent of the off-flavor of native fish.