cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Triad3A, an E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase regulating Toll-like receptors

Activation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) results in a proinflammatory response needed to combat infection. Thus, limiting TLR signaling is essential for preventing a protective response from causing injury to the host. Here we describe how a RING finger protein, Triad3A, acts as an E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase and enhances ubiquitination and proteolytic degradation of some TLRs. Triad3A overexpression promoted substantial degradation of TLR4 and TLR9 with a concomitant decrease in signaling, but did not affect TLR2 expression or signaling. Conversely, a reduction in endogenous Triad3A by small interfering RNA increased TLR expression and enhanced TLR activation. Thus, ubiquitination by Triad3A represents one pathway by which the intensity and duration of TLR signaling is controlled.
The Relative Effects of Craft-Level Strikes: The Case of Airlines

One aspect of bargaining power is the ability of unions to impose losses on firms by striking. Using stock market data from 1963 through 1986, this study tests whether strikes by different crafts have resulted in different losses for airlines. The evidence indicates that strikes by pilots and mechanics initially reduced the share value of struck airlines and that strikes by airline workers in other jobs did not result in significant share value losses. There is no evidence that strikes have imposed permanent losses on air carriers.
Behaviour of a high-temperature-requirement A (HtrA) deletion mutant of Brucella abortus in goats

Previous studies have shown that high-temperature-requirement A (HtrA) mutants of Brucella abortus are more sensitive to oxidative killing in vitro, are less able to survive in cultured murine macrophages and are attenuated in BALB/c mice. To measure the effect of an HtrA mutation on the virulence of B abortus in ruminants, pregnant goats in late gestation were exposed to infection by the conjunctival route with B abortus 2308 or an isogenic htrA mutant, PHE1. Infection with either 2308 or PHE1 resulted in abortion, but the serological responses to infection were consistent with 2308 but variable with PHE1. Strain 2308 was recovered post mortem both from aborted fetuses and infected dams, whereas PHE1 was recovered from neither. Nevertheless, short term studies revealed that PHE1 could be recovered from infected goats for up to two weeks after infection, suggesting that although the HtrA mutation may change the colonising ability of B abortus, the virulence of the mutant in pregnant goats is not reduced.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GROUP A AND GROUP C MENINGOCOCCAL POLYSACCHARIDES AND SERUM OPSONINS IN MAN

The interaction in vitro between human granulocytes and meningococci in the presence of sera from volunteers immunized by Gotschlich et al. with purified group A and group C meningococcal polysaccharides was studied. Phagocytosis of meningococci did not occur in the presence of preimmunization sera. In all volunteers tested, group-specific opsonins were detected in groups A and C polysaccharide antisera. Opsonic activity appeared within 1 wk after immunization and persisted for at least 14 months. Titers of opsonic activity ranged from 1:20 to 1:320; highest titers were noted in 2–4 wk antisera. Meningococcal opsonins were detected in both 19S and 7S immunoglobulins. Opsonic activity in low-titer antisera depended on heat-labile factors present in both normal and immune sera, whereas phagocytosis was observed in the presence of heat-inactivated high-titer antisera. Phagocytosis of group A meningococci in the presence of certain group A polysaccharide antisera was inhibited by N-acetyl mannosamine, but not by mannose, mannosamine, N-acetyl glucosamine, N-acetyl galactosamine, or N-acetyl neuraminic acid. Absorption studies with sera from patients with natural meningococcal infections revealed that these polysaccharides are the major antiphagocytic determinants for group A and group C meningococci. These studies are consistent with previous reports suggesting that immunization with group A and group C polysaccharides may well provide group-specific protection against meningococcal infections.
Hereditary chondrocalcinosis in a mexican‐american family

In a study of 45 adults in a family of Mexican-Indian ancestry, it was found that 22 (49%) had joint symptoms resembling those of degenerative joint disease. Eleven family members had radiographic evidence of chondrocalcinosis, and 1 adult and 3 adolescents had clinical histories and examinations consistent with the familial arthropathy, but no radiographic evidence of disease. The cause of the arthritis in the affected family members is calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition. The mode of inheritance appears to be autosomal dominant with a high degree of penetrance. The disease is characterized by onset in the second to fifth decades of either episodes of acute inflammatory arthritis or degenerative joint disease. A unique finding of this study was a "halo" surrounding chondrocytes in 1 patient's cartilage, demonstrating loss of the proteoglycans.
Glucose uptake of the spinal cord in patients with multiple sclerosis detected by ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT after walking.

Case report. To determine [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]-FDG) uptake in the spinal cord of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) was compared with healthy controls after treadmill walking. Colorado Translational Research Imaging Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA. Eight mildly disabled patients with MS and eight healthy subjects performed 15 min of treadmill walking at a self-selected pace. Two minutes after walking began, each participant was injected with ≈8 mCi of [18F]-FDG into a catheter inserted into an antecubital vein. Immediately after walking positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging was performed on each participant. Images were analyzed to determine [18F]-FDG uptake within the spinal cord. Total spinal cord [18F]-FDG uptake was lower in patients with MS (1.48±0.36 and 1.55±0.33, P=0.04), specifically within the thoracic (1.32±0.27 and 1.41±0.24, P<0.01) and the lumbar (1.58±0.40 and 1.89±0.43, P=0.04) spinal cord regions. This is the first report of [18F]-FDG uptake in the spinal cord of patients with MS. The decreased [18F]-FDG uptake within the thoracic and lumbar spinal cord regions could be associated with autonomic nervous system and walking/motor dysfunctions that are often seen in patients with MS. PET/CT imaging with [18F]-FDG is highly useful for the demonstration of impaired glucose metabolism in the spinal cord of patients with MS.
Observations and applications of the horizontal perturbation wind field within convective structures of the marine atmospheric surface layer

Studies involving radar remote sensing or modeling of the ocean/Marine Atmospheric Surface Layer (MASL) interface demand a thorough description of how coherent convective structures couple the two mediums together. The current analysis provides this information for the small-scale variability caused by boundary-layer convection. NCAR Electra 50 m above mean sea level (MSL) turbulence data from Project FIRE (First ISSCP [International Satellite Cloud Climatology Program] Regional Experiment) are conditionally sampled and composited to produce horizontal planviews of the typical perturbation horizontal wind field within these convective updrafts and downdrafts. Applications of these observational results, as well as similarly derived flux data from Sikora and Young (1993), to the above mentioned studies, are then discussed.
Solid-contact electrochemical polyion sensors for monitoring peptidase activities.

We report here on improved solid-contact electrochemical polyion sensors for the detection of polyion protamine. The polymeric membrane sensors were fabricated with a conducting polymer as an ion−electron transduction layer. We observed that decreasing the magnitude of the applied current pulse caused a significant improvement of the sensor sensitivity to low protamine levels. The protamine sensors exhibited a stable and reversible response to protamine concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 30 mg L-1. The sensors were used for monitoring peptidase activities utilizing galvanostatically controlled solid-contact membrane sensors. The polyion protamine was used as a substrate to detect the activity of the protease trypsin. The enzyme activity was continuously monitored by measuring the protamine concentration as it is cleaved by enzyme into smaller fragments to which the sensor is less sensitive. In the presence of a given level of protamine the initial rate of reaction can be linearly related to the trypsin a...
2010 Edition of B31.3 Process Piping Code: A First Equation for Stress Due to Sustained Loads

For the first time in the history of the ASA [1], ANSI/ASME, ASME/ANSI, to the 2008 edition of ASME B31.3 Process Piping Code (hereafter referred to as “the Code”) [2], an equation for the Stress Due To Sustained Loads, S L , has been introduced into the Code. From its inception to the current edition, the Code has remained ambiguous in several areas. Even though the displacement stress range, S E , has been explicitly defined by both text and equation, the stress due to sustained loads, S L , is mentioned not with an explicit equation but with a statement that S L shall be limited by the allowable stress at the corresponding operating temperature, S h . This paper describes the equation in detail and the background, the events, and the effort involved that led to the insertion of this equation into the Code.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Importance of UDP-Glucuronosyltransferases 2A2 and 2A3 in Tobacco Carcinogen Metabolism

UDP-glucuronosyltransferase A1 (UGT2A1) is expressed in the lung and exhibits activity against polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), suggesting UGT2A1 involvement in the local metabolism of PAH tobacco carcinogens. The goal of the present study was to investigate the importance of two additional UGT2A enzymes, UGT2A2 and UGT2A3, in tobacco carcinogen metabolism. Real-time polymerase chain reaction suggested that wild-type UGT2A2 had the highest expression in the breast, followed by trachea > larynx > kidney. A novel splice variant of UGT2A2 lacking exon 3 (termed UGT2A2Δexon3) was investigated, with UGT2A2Δexon3 expression determined to be 25–50% that of wild-type UGT2A2 in all tissues examined. UGT2A3 was determined to be well expressed in the liver and colon, followed by pancreas > kidney > lung > tonsil > trachea > larynx. Cell homogenates prepared from human embryonic kidney (HEK)293 cells overexpressing wild-type UGT2A2 (termed UGT2A2_i1) exhibited glucuronidation activity, as observed by reverse-phase ultra-pressure liquid chromatography, against 1-hydroxy-(OH)-pyrene, 1-naphthol, and hydroxylated benzo(a)pyrene metabolites, whereas homogenates prepared from HEK293 cells overexpressing UGT2A3 only showed activity against simple PAHs like 1-OH-pyrene and 1-naphthol. Activity assays showed the UGT2A2Δexon3 protein (termed UGT2A2_i2) exhibited no detectable glucuronidation activity against all substrates examined; however, coexpression studies suggested that UGT2A2_i2 negatively modulates UGT2A2_i1 activity. Both UGT2A2 and UGT2A3 exhibited no detectable activity against complex PAH proximate carcinogens, tobacco-specific nitrosamines, or heterocyclic amines. These data suggest that, although UGT2A1 is the only UGT2A enzyme active against PAH proximate carcinogens (including PAH diols), both UGTs 2A1 and 2A2 play an important role in the local detoxification of procarcinogenic monohydroxylated PAH metabolites.
Martian volatiles - Their degassing history and geochemical fate

Implications of the Ar-40 content of the Martian atmosphere for Martian volatile history are considered. It is assumed that the potassium content of both Mars and earth is similar to that of normal chondrites, that Mars possesses a water content similar to that of normal chondrites, and that earth's water content is equal to or somewhat less than Mars'. A simple earth-analogous Mars degassing model is outlined in which the Martian surface volatile inventory is presumed to be identical to earth's, but scaled to the smaller mass and surface area of Mars. Physical storage of volatiles in the Martian regolith is examined along with the occurrence of volatile-containing mineral phases in the regolith, exospheric escape as a massive volatile sink, and the effect of the time history of degassing on the surface volatile inventory. Implications of earth's degassing history for Mars are assessed, and models describing the overall intensity of Mars degassing are presented. It is concluded that the maximum amounts of water and other volatiles that could be stored in the Martian regolith are marginally compatible with those required by the earth-analogous model, although a lower atmospheric Ar-40 concentration and regolith volatile inventory would be easier to reconcile with observational constraints.
Representation and extraction of volumetric attributes using trivariate splines: a mathematical framework

Our goal in this paper is to leverage traditional strengths from the geometric design and scientific visualization communities to produce a tool valuable to both. We present a method for representing and specifying attribute data across a trivariate NURBS volume. Some relevant attribute quantities include material composition and density, optical indices of refraction and dispersion, and data from medical imaging. The method is independent of the granularity of the physical geometry, allowing for a decoupling of the resolution of the carried data from that of the volume. Volume attributes can be modeled or fit to data.A method is presented for efficient evaluation of trivariate NURBS. We incorporate methods for data analysis and visualization including isosurface extraction, planar slicing, volume ray tracing, and optical path tracing, all of which are grounded in refinement theory for splines. The applications for these techniques are diverse, including such fields as optics, fluid dynamics, and medical visualization.
A market attraction model for predicting the US market share of large civil aircraft

Abstract With global annual sales exceeding $65 billion, the large civil aircraft industry is an important economic and strategic element of the European Union and US economies. Here we define large civil aircraft (LCA) as those aircraft with capacities exceeding 121 passengers and dedicated to the air passenger market served by commercial airlines. This paper employs a transformed log-centered market attraction model to forecast the US market share of LCA. This model specification ensures that the predicted market share is in the range [0,1] and that the sum of all predicted market shares is equal to 1.0, both logical process requirements. In this special case, where there are two producers, the market attraction model becomes a logit regression model. Here we specify the logit regression model as an autoregressive distributed lag model in which US market share is predicted by quantitative and qualitative predictor variables, an autoregressive lag operator and a linear trend component.
Autoimmune Oral Mucosal Diseases: Clinical, Etiologic, Diagnostic, and Treatment Considerations

This article discusses the classic autoimmune diseases: pemphigus vulgaris, mucosal pemphigoid, and oral lichen planus. These are generally considered of autoimmune origin or, at a minimum, immune system mediated. Cause, diagnosis, and treatment are discussed. As management of these diseases progresses, continued advances in molecular pathogenesis will allow insight into which strategies can be employed in interfering with the complex cascade of events leading to mucosal impairment and clinical morbidity.
Rate of disappearance of infused aged albumin in human subjects.

Human serum albumin stored for more than 10 years was studied. The biologic lifetime of this outdated albumin is only slightly shorter than that of freshly prepared human albumin. No determinations were done to determine safety or therapeutic efficacy.
Defined conditions for development of functional hepatic cells from human embryonic stem cells.

Human embryonic stem (hES) cells provide an important means to evaluate specific soluble and cell-bound stimuli that regulate development of specific cell lineages. Here, we examined specific cytokines and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that support differentiation of hES cells to hepatocytes. Tests of several different conditions determined that addition of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-4 and hepatocyte growth factor in completely serum-free cultures of hES cell-derived embryoid bodies subsequently allowed to attach to type I collagen-coated dishes led to maximal differentiation into cells, not only with the morphologic and phenotypic characteristics of hepatocytes but also the functional characteristics. Expression of common hepatic transcription factors including HNF-3� , HNF-1, and GATA-4 were all significantly induced under these conditions. Hepatocyte function was demonstrated by multiple complementary criteria: production of urea and albumin, phenobarbital-induced cytochrome P450 expression, and uptake of indocyanine green. These hES cell-derived hepatocytes will serve as a resource to understand normal human hepatocyte development and for applications such as cell replacement therapies and screening of pharmacologic drugs.
Prediction of Physicochemical Properties of Energetic Materials

Abstract An assessment of environmental impacts of new munitions is an important step for maintaining mission readiness in the Army industrial base. During production, waste streams generated may contain small amounts of the energetic material. Knowing how this material may partition in the environment is beneficial to development of waste treatment technologies. Physicochemical parameters define how this partitioning will occur. While these parameters can be experimentally determined once suitable amounts of the energetic material are available for testing, the ability to predict these important properties using the structure of the energetic material will provide a means for assessing their environmental impact during the preliminary development stage. In this work, the chemical structures of six energetic materials are used to estimate their physicochemical parameters. These energetic materials have been identified by researchers at CERL as materials under consideration as energetics in short-term development or longer-term development, and include dinitroanisole (DNAN), n-methyl-p-nitroaniline (MNA), nitro-triazolene (NTO), triaminotrinitrobenzene (TATB), dinitro pyrazole (DNP) and m-trinitro imidazole (MTNI).
Appearance of myosin in the chick limb bud.

Abstract Quantitative microcomplement fixation has been used to detect the appearance of myosin in the chick embryonic limb bud. It has been shown that myosin or a myosinlike molecule is present by stage 23, before muscle can be distinguished histologically.
Analysis of sprays from rocket engine injectors

Cold flow analysis of liquid propellant sprays from rocket engine injectors, relating propellant mixing and combustion performance
GPR application of the conical spiral antenna probe

The project motivating this paper is the deployment of a frequency independent antenna on the transceiver of a monostatic ground-penetrating radar used to detect mines. The design goal is that the radiation pattern and input impedance to nearly uniform over a band from 1 GHz to 5GHz if the antenna is partially immersed in a typical soil medium. The contemplated method of deployment is to have the antenna straddle the air-soil interface i.e. partly in free space and partly underground, radiating into the ground. The particular subclass of frequency-independent antenna under investigation for this application is the conical equiangular-spiral antenna, in which thin wires are wound around a conical frame and the radiation is from the apex and reaches its peak in the axial direction. The conical structure, about 50cm long and with a maximum diameter of 12cm, is thrust into the ground apex-first at an angle of about 70 degrees to the vertical.
Memory T waves after radiofrequency catheter ablation of accessory atrioventricular connections in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

Generalized, extensive electrical repolarization abnormalities, represented by negative or abnormally peaked T waves, are frequently observed after radiofrequency catheter ablation of overt accessory atrioventricular (AV) connections in Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome. Two mechanisms have been proposed to explain these changes: subendocardial injury, secondary to the application of radiofrequency lesions, and memory T waves. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the electrocardiographic (ECG) changes in patients with overt and concealed accessory AV connections after ablation. Fifty-one patients with accessory AV connections who underwent successful radiofrequency ablation were included in the study. Twenty-four patients with clear, manifest, and permanent preexcitation (group 1) were compared with 27 patients with concealed accessory AV connections (group 2). Electrocardiograms were obtained in all patients before ablation, shortly after ablation (within 4 hours), and late after ablation (6 weeks). The frontal and horizontal QRS-T angles in the ECGs, number of lesions, total Joules applied, total peak creatine kinase, and total peak creatine kinase-MB units were compared in both groups. Of the 24 patients with overt accessory AV connections, 23 (95.8%) demonstrated repolarization abnormalities in the ECG shortly after the procedure that reverted almost completely at 6 weeks. Of the 27 patients with concealed accessory AV connections, only 2 (7.4%) demonstrated repolarization abnormalities after the ablation (P < .0001). The persistence of an abnormal QRS-T angle immediately after ablation in patients with overt accessory AV connections is caused by an abnormality in the T wave axis, opposite to the direction of the normal QRS axis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
European switchgear developments

AN electrical engineer visiting Europe is immediately struck by the wide differences in design of switch-gear compared to familiar practices in the United States. In England, metal-clad gear is nearly universal except for the highest voltages and even at 132 kv there are metal-clad gears. On the Continent there are almost no metal-clad gears. This does not result in any similarity between Continental stations and American open switching stations with their rows of tank-type circuit breakers. In France some tank-type oil circuit breakers still are being installed but a variety of different designs are appearing, while in Germany the tank-type circuit breaker may be said to be altogether obsolete.
The "hour of pink twilight": Lesbian Poetics and Queer Encounters on the Fin-de-siècle Street

In Amy Levy’s short novel of 1888, The Romance of a Shop, four orphaned sisters try to make their way in London by running a photography business. The bond of family lends propriety to this all-female collective: all the same, they are unquestionably members of a new class of independent, working, middle-class women. unlike Levy herself, the sisters are heterosexual, but they move in a world where other possibilities are hinted at, and other single women people their immediate vicinity. Gertrude gazes out of their sitting-room window at the opposite house where the rented rooms had “a fresh occupant: an ex-Girtonian without a waist, who taught at the High School for girls hard-by.” On this particular day, the afternoon was deepening apace into evening. A dun-coloured haze, thin and transparent, hung in the air, softening the long perspective of the street. School hours were over, and the Girtonian, her arm swinging like a bell-rope, could be discerned on her way home, a devoted cortege of school-girls straggling in her wake. From the corner of the street floated up the cries of the newspaper boys, mingling with the clatter of omnibus wheels. An empty hansom cab crawled slowly by. Gertrude noticed that it had violet lamps instead of red ones.
Infrared Filter Grating Spectrophotometers–Design and Properties

Advances in multilayer interference filter technology have enabled the development of filter grating spectrophotometers out to 250 cm−1 (40 μ). Properties of the filters are described. Factors which determine the rejection and transmission requirements for the filters are discussed and special design problems in filter grating systems are elaborated. Unwanted radiation measurements in the resulting system are reported. The features of filter grating spectrophotometers compared to foreprism grating instruments are listed.
Hormonal effects on fat cell adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate dependent protein kinase.

Abstract Fat cell extracts were electrophoresed on polyacrylamide gels to separate the regulatory subunit and holoenzyme species of protein kinase. Gels were incubated with cyclic [ 3 H]AMP ([ 3 H]cAMP) and washed, and the bound [ 3 H]cAMP was estimated. The band of [ 3 H]cAMP found closest to the origin (Peak I) was associated with cAMP-dependent protamine kinase activity. A seond [ 3 H]cAMP peak (Peak II) also contained protamine kinase activity. Although the kinase activity of Peak II was much less than Peak I, more [ 3 H]-cAMP was bound in Peak II than in Peak I. The [ 3 H]cAMP peak furthest from the origin (Peak III) was devoid of kinase activity. Incubation of extracts with cAMP prior to electrophoresis diminished or abolished kinase activity in Peaks I and II. This incubation also decreased [ 3 H]cAMP binding in Peaks I and II, and increased binding in Peak III. When extracts were incubated with [ 3 H]cAMP before electrophoresis, essentially all of the radioactivity was found in Peak III. It was concluded that Peak I represents a holoenzyme form and that Peak III is composed of the regulatory subunits of this enzyme. Peak II may represent a relatively inactive holoenzyme form not previously described. Incubation of adipocytes with epinephrine resulted in a dose- and time-dependent decrease in Peak I and increase in Peak III, and insulin opposed these effects of epinephrine. After 1-min incubations with epinephrine, the decreases in Peak I or increases in Peak III correlated with increases in phosphorylase a activity, decreases in glycogen synthase I activity and changes in cAMP, both in the presence and absence of insulin. However, after incubation with epinephrine for more than 2 min in the presence of insulin, phosphorylase a activity did not correlate with cAMP, suggesting that factors other than the cyclic nucleotide mediate the effects of epinephrine and insulin.
A statistical approach for estimating uncertainty in dispersion modeling: An example of application in southwestern USA

A method based on a statistical approach of estimating uncertainty in simulating the transport and dispersion of atmospheric pollutants is developed using observations and modeling results from a tracer experiment in the complex terrain of the southwestern USA. The method takes into account the compensating nature of the error components by representing all terms, except dispersion error and variance of stochastic processes. Dispersion error and the variance of the stochastic error are estimated using the maximum likelihood estimation technique applied to the equation for the fractional error. Mesoscale Model 5 (MM5) and a Lagrangian random particle dispersion model with three optional turbulence parameterizations were used as a test bed for method application. Modeled concentrations compared well with the measurements (correlation coefficients on the order of 0.8). The effects of changing two structural components (the turbulence parameterization and the model grid vertical resolution) on the magnitude of the dispersion error also were examined. The expected normalized dispersion error appears to be quite large (up to a factor of three) among model runs with various turbulence schemes. Tests with increased vertical resolution of the atmospheric model (MM5) improved most of the dispersion model statistical performance measures, but to a lesser extent compared to selection of a turbulence parameterization. Method results confirm that structural components of the dispersion model, namely turbulence parameterizations, have the most influence on the expected dispersion error.
Effects of corticosterone administration on local cerebral glucose utilization of rats

The local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) of control and 2 day corticosterone-administered rats was investigated using the method of Sokoloff (labelled 2-deoxy-d-glucose). The overall LCGU of both groups was similar, but discrete areas of the corticosterone-administered rat brains displayed both increases and decreases in their utilization of 2-deoxyglucose. These areas were associated with limbic cortex and included the hippocampus, the septum and some thalamic and hypothalamic nuclei. It is well known that these regions are interconnected and that acetylcholine is one of the main neurotransmitters. Some of these pathways (as measured electrophysiologically) have reportedly inhibitory influences, whilst others have excitatory ones within the limbic region. It was therefore striking to observe that these inhibitory or stimulatory effects were corroborated by a selective, corticosterone-induced decrease or increase in 2-deoxyglucose uptake, respectively. This gives corticosterone a putative role in the regulation of the limbic system. As the latter has been reported to be abnormal in genetically obese hypercorticosteronemic fa/fa rats, it is suggested that these corticosterone-induced changes within the limbic system may contribute to the overall phenotypic expression of this obesity state.
Putting Language Before Business: The Business Case Study in the Foreign Language Classroom

: Practitioners in both English as a Second Language (ESL) and Foreign Language instruction praise business case studies for their real-world application and their ability to stimulate discussion and meaningful writing assignments. However, language teachers face a major challenge in guiding the unpredictable nature of such discussions, while students struggle with the foreign language as well as the business concepts of the case. This article explains how language activities can become the key objectives of the foreign language or ESL lesson based on the case study. By developing a lesson plan focused on language functions and speech events, the language instructor directs learning away from business concepts toward business communication skills. Such a language-based framework also provides the structure required to establish and achieve specific learning objectives.
Physical Health Complaints Among Lesbians, Gay Men, and Bisexual and Homosexually Experienced Heterosexual Individuals: Results From the California Quality of Life Survey

Objectives. We examined evidence that minority sexual orientation is associated with more-frequent reports of physical health complaints. We also investigated the possible role of HIV infection among gay men and higher rates of psychological distress among lesbians, gay men, and bisexually and homosexually experienced heterosexual individuals in generating these health disparities.Methods. We used data from the California Quality of Life Survey (N=2272 adults) to examine associations between sexual orientation and self-reports about physical health status, common health conditions, disabilities, and psychological distress.Results. Prevalent HIV infection was reported by nearly 18% of gay, bisexual, and homosexually experienced heterosexual men. Gay men and bisexual and homosexually experienced heterosexual individuals had higher levels of psychological distress compared with exclusively heterosexual individuals. Self-reported physical health status varied by gender and by sexual orientation.Conclusions. L...
HOW DEFINITIVE ARE CONCLUSIONS BASED ON SURVEY DATA: ESTIMATING ROBUSTNESS TO NONRESPONSE

The problem of nonresponse poses a threat to the external validity of survey conclusions. In this article, procedures are developed to estimate the robustness of survey conclusions to nonresponse by drawing an analogy between studies unavailable for meta-analysis and nonrespondents in a survey. We extended the procedure to assess the effects of systematic differences between respondents and nonrespondents on t- and F-values used to test group differences. Steps to construct robustness tables that are independent of sample size, survey length, and scale width are outlined to determine how definitive conclusions are from survey data.
Hats off to Problem-Solving with Couples.

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how counselors can use de Bono's Six Thinking Hats problem-solving technique in their work with couples. Part 1 of the article focuses on an introduction to the technique, including a theoretical rationale and supporting research. Following a detailed description of the process of using the model as a counseling technique with couples in Part 2, a case study is featured in Part 3. A brief review of the technique and its advantages and limitations in couple counseling concludes the article.
Changing the Rules of Engagement: How Rabbit-Proof Fence and Whale Rider Forge a New Dimension of Ethnographic Media

Full-length, independent feature films Rabbit-Proof Fence and Whale Rider, both released in 2002, chronicle the journeys of young indigenous female protagonists as they struggle against seemingly insurmountable odds to meet their destinies. The narrative and technical components of these films share striking similarities as they construct stories that are profoundly local, yet widely resonant. This article argues for the consideration of films as both social process and cultural product, deeply embedded in dynamic social worlds. These films signal the emergence of a new model of film production in which directors foreground their responsibilities as producers of knowledge and embrace the intersubjectivity of contemporary indigeneities. At the same time, these films and their directors are at the forefront of shifting understandings in circulation, necessarily in dialogue with proliferating examples of new indigenous media, and capitalizing upon new technologies in ways that innovatively include viewers in debates about cross-cultural representation and the role of film(making) in social life. In this newly engaged model of production and circulation, the social relationships forged between filmmakers, actors, viewing publics, and many others, take on unprecedented significance in constructing indigeneities in specific national contexts.
Inter-rater reliability of McKenzie assessment in patients with neck pain

Abstract Objectives To determine inter-rater agreement on diagnostic category using the Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT) classification system for neck pain. If the diagnostic category was derangement syndrome, inter-rater agreement on the subcategory and the directional preference of treatment was also determined. Design Clinicians viewed videotaped MDT examinations of 20 patients with neck pain and rated the MDT diagnosis independently for each patient. If the diagnostic category was derangement syndrome, the subcategory and directional preference of treatment were also rated. Setting Private physical therapy outpatient clinics and a university clinical laboratory. Participants Fifty-four clinicians trained in MDT for neck pain from the USA and Canada, and 20 adult patients with neck pain. Main outcome measures Inter-rater agreement for MDT diagnosis, derangement subcategory and directional preference of treatment was determined using Kappa and percentage agreement. Results Overall, agreement was of moderate clinical significance for diagnosis [ κ =0.55, P κ =0.47, CI 0.44 to 0.50, P κ =0.46, CI 0.43 to 0.49, P Conclusions Clinicians trained in MDT for neck pain demonstrate moderate agreement when classifying the diagnostic category and treatment for neck pain.
Febrile infants: aligning science, guidelines, and cost reduction with quality of individualized care.

* Abbreviations: CBC — : complete blood cell count EB-CPM — : evidence based care process model PROS — : Pediatric Research in Office Settings SBI — : serious bacterial illness WBC — : white blood cell count In the decade since Ken Roberts wrote about an ending to the 30-year febrile infant odyssey,1 the quest for optimal management continues. A recent evidence report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality leaves the question unanswered,2 and an American Academy of Pediatrics subcommittee is actively addressing this issue. The study by Byington et al3 in this issue of Pediatrics makes several important contributions. This study confirms the incidence of the most serious bacterial illnesses (SBIs), meningitis (0.3%) and bacteremia (2.0%).3 These findings are consistent with the large community-based study by the Pediatric Research in Office Settings (PROS) network (0.5% and 1.8%, respectively)4 and those from large emergency department and network studies (bacterial meningitis: 0.3%–0.7%; bacteremia: 1.9%–2.2%).5,6 The infrequent occurrence makes this condition best-studied in large integrated systems or in collaborative research networks. However, the number of large studies is limited, and only PROS included a national community-based sample. The carefully developed evidence-based care process model (EB-CPM) used in the study by Byington et al3 was based on extensive research. The entry point for the study was “well appearance.” Studies on the ability to judge clinical appearance are limited, but there … Address correspondence to Robert H. Pantell, MD, Box 0503, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0503
Memory Representations in Rewriting Logic Semantics Definitions

The executability of rewriting logic makes it a compelling environment for language design and experimentation; the ability to interpret programs directly in the language semantics develops assurance that definitions are correct and that language features work well together. However, this executability raises new questions about language semantics that don't necessarily make sense with non-executable definitions. For instance, suddenly the performance of the semantics, not just language interpreters or compilers based on the semantics, can be important, and representations must be chosen carefully to ensure that executing programs directly in language definitions is still feasible. Unfortunately, many obvious representations common in other semantic formalisms can lead to poor performance, including those used to represent program memory. This paper describes two different memory representations designed to improve performance: the first, which has been fully developed, is designed for use in imperative programs, while the second, still being developed, is intended for use in a variety of languages, with a special focus on pure object-oriented languages. Each representation is described and compared to the initial representation used in the language semantics, with thoughts on reuse also presented.
False Starts and Other Dilemmas of a Secondary General Education Collaborative Teacher: A Case Study

Currently, many special education policymakers, researchers, and practitioners are questioning the efficacy of pull-out programs for students with disabilities and advocating service delivery in inclusive or general education settings at both the elementary and the secondary level. I investigated the implementation of a collaborative teaching model in a suburban high school to determine how this move toward inclusive education benefited teachers and students. Through examination of the “ups and downs” of a U.S. History teacher, I concluded that replicating and sustaining collaborative teaching can be difficult and complex and, without careful consideration of contextual variables, may not lead to improved outcomes for either teachers or students. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Trends in polycrystalline-silicon thin-film transistor technologies for AMLCDs

Polycrystalline-silicon (poly-Si) thin-film transistors (TFTs) offer significantly improved performance compared to amorphous-silicon TFTs and are therefore advantageous for application as pixel-switching elements as well as for integration of peripheral driver circuitry in high-density AMLCDs. The domain of applications for poly-Si TFT-AMLCD technology can potentially expand to cover a wide range of LCD products, from small projection displays to large direct-view displays, provided the low-cost fabrication of poly-Si TFTs on large-area substrates is realized. In order to lower manufacturing cost, reductions in thermal-processing budget and improvements in process-module throughput are needed. This paper reviews the technological approaches to meeting these requirements. In particular, process-development trends for channel-film formation, gate-dielectric formation, source/drain doping and defect passivation are discussed, as well as device-architecture and associated process-integration issues.
Consensus control for linear systems in the presence of environmental and channel noise

This paper uses multi-agent concepts for the development of a decentralized control law for networked large scale systems in the presence of environmental noise and communication channel noise. The subsystems are assumed to be linear time invariant with Gaussian white noise appearing as an exogenous input. Each subsystem receives output information of other subsystems through the communication channel, which is then used to synthesize the control. The communication channel is also assumed to corrupt the signal with additive Gaussian White noise. Using the Lyapunov's approach, we develop a consensus protocol so that the various subsystems arrive at a weak consensus in the sense that the leader-follower state error remains within a small neighborhood of the origin. Simulation results are presented to illustrate the method.
Evolution of the Gene Lineage Encoding the Carbon Dioxide Receptor in Insects

A heterodimer of the insect chemoreceptors Gr21a and Gr63a has been shown to be the carbon dioxide receptor in Drosophila melanogaster (Meigen) (Diptera: Drosophilidae). Comparison of the genes encoding these two proteins across the 12 available drosophilid fly genomes allows refined definition of their N-termini. These genes are highly conserved, along with a paralog of Gr21a, in the Anopheles gambiae, Aedes aegypti, and Culex pipiens mosquitoes, as well as in the silk moth Bombyx mori and the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. In the latter four species we name these three proteins Gr1, Gr2, and Gr3. Intron evolution within this distinctive three gene lineage is considerable, with at least 13 inferred gains and 39 losses. Surprisingly, this entire ancient gene lineage is absent from all other available more basal insect and related arthropod genomes, specifically the honey bee, parasitoid wasp, human louse, pea aphid, waterflea, and blacklegged tick genomes. At least two of these species can detect carbon dioxide, suggesting that they evolved other means to do so.
Short-term scheduling in multiprogramming systems

This paper defines a set of scheduling primitives which have evolved from multiprogramming systems described by Dijkstra, Lampson, Saltzer, and the present author. Compared to earlier papers on the same subject, the present one illustrates a more concise description of operating system principles by means of algorithms. This is achieved by (1) describing the primitives as the instructions of an abstract machine which in turn is defined by its instruction execution algorithm; (2) introducing a notation which distinguishes between the use of synchronizing variables (semaphores) to achieve mutual exclusion of critical sections, and to exchange signals between processes which have explicit input/output relationships; (3) considering the influence of critical sections on preemption and resumption; and (4) using a programming language, Pascal, which includes natural data types (records, classes, and pointers) for the representation of process descriptions and scheduling queues. The algorithms are written at a level of detail which clarifies the fundamental problems of process scheduling and suggests efficient methods of implementation.
Regulation of chemotaxis by the orchestrated activation of Ras, PI3K, and TOR

Directed cell migration and cell polarity are crucial in many facets of biological processes. Cellular motility requires a complex array of signaling pathways, in which orchestrated cross-talk, a feedback loop, and multi-component signaling recur. Almost every signaling molecule requires several regulatory processes to be functionally activated, and a lack of a signaling molecule often leads to chemotaxis defects, suggesting an integral role for each component in the pathway. We outline our current understanding of the signaling event that regulates chemotaxis with an emphasis on recent findings associated with the Ras, PI3K, and target of rapamycin (TOR) pathways and the interplay of these pathways. Ras, PI3K, and TOR are known as key regulators of cellular growth. Deregulation of those pathways is associated with many human diseases, such as cancer, developmental disorders, and immunological deficiency. Recent studies in yeast, mammalian cells, and Dictyostelium discoideum reveal another critical role of Ras, PI3K, and TOR in regulating the actin cytoskeleton, cell polarity, and cellular movement. These findings shed light on the mechanism by which eukaryotic cells maintain cell polarity and directed cell movement, and also demonstrate that multiple steps in the signal transduction pathway coordinately regulate cell motility.
Clock offset estimation in wireless sensor networks using robust M-estimation

Clock synchronization plays a crucial role in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). Assuming that there is no clock skew between sensor nodes, the Maximum Likelihood Estimate (MLE) of clock offset was derived by [1] for clock synchronization protocols assuming exponential random delays and a two-way message exchange mechanism as in TPSN (Timing-sync Protocol for Sensor Networks [2]) or NTP (Network Time Protocol). The MLE is appropriate for the case that the random delays in WSNs are exponentially distributed. However, the performance of the MLE is deteriorated considerably in the case that the underlying distribution is contaminated by or mixed with other distributions. Hence, a robust estimator is needed. In this paper, clock offset estimators based on the robust M-estimation method are proposed and it is shown that the proposed estimators present excellent performance in the mean squared error (MSE) sense under the condition that the underlying distribution is mixed with other distribution.
Potassium channels in basolateral membrane vesicles fromNecturus enterocytes: stretch and ATP sensitivity

We have previously reported that ATP-inhibitable K+channels, in vesicles derived from the basolateral membrane ofNecturus maculosus small intestinal cells, exhibit volume regulatory responses that ...
Space applications for contactless coilguns

Two space applications are considered for (electrically) contactless coilguns: launch of small satellites into low-Earth orbit, and launch of lunar liquid oxygen (LLOX) from the Moon to the stationary Lagrangian point L2. For the Earth-to-orbit application, the baseline conceptual design consists of a 960-m-long gun sited in a tunnel at 25 degrees inclination. The gun launches an 1820-kg package that includes a 100-kg satellite and a 650-kg boost rocket for orbital insertion. For the lunar application, the launcher is 200 m long. A 100-kg load of LLOX is packaged in a 10-kg fiber-wrapped tank, accelerated at 2 kgees in an aluminum bucket (armature), and launched at 2.33 km/s at 30-min intervals. The canisters arrive at L2 2.97 days later and are captured by robotic tugs that deliver them to a fuel depot. The total mass of LLOX delivered per year is 867 Mg (metric tons). >