cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Portrait of a Chinese lady: recasting Wang Zhaojun in noh

Abstract This article explores the nature of cross-cultural adaptation in noh theatre by examining the reinvention of the story of Wang Zhaojun in the noh play Shōkun (Lady Shōkun). Among the many well-known icons of exile in Japan, the Chinese consort Wang Zhaojun (c. 30 bc), who was sent off to marry the khan of the Xiongnu, is the single most featured foreign icon of exile in Japanese literary tradition. The article examines how the playwright reconstructs the story by synthesizing Japanese literary canons, medieval Japanese commentaries and Japanese folk beliefs to reconstruct the Chinese story in ways that are fitting to noh's convention and social and cultural contexts. The article proposes that the play not only stimulates the Japanese audience to sympathize with the Chinese's misfortune, but also allows them to experience Japan's nostalgic literary past by embracing the sentiments associated with exile.
Emergency Automated Response System (EARS)

This paper presents a comparison of two versions of an Emergency Automated Response System (EARS), a fully manual version and a partially automated version. User evaluations involving both versions of the system were conducted using a low workload task and a high workload task. The results indicate that the automation employed by the partially automated system decreased overall response time and perceived workload for both tasks, but accuracy decreased and response times increased from low workload to high workload with both versions.
Intrinsic efficiency of germanium - a basis for calculating expected detector efficiency

A method is presented whereby the intrinsic efficiency of Ge is utilized to calculate the expected peak efficiency of detectors having a wide range of sizes. The intrinsic efficiency of Ge, which is the probability for total absorption, was measured at 122 and 136 keV in Ge(Li) coaxial detectors and HPGe planar detectors having an effective thickness ranging from 5 to 50 mm. At 136 keV it is 64% for a thickness of 10 mm and 82% for 20 mm, after which it levels off reaching 89% at 50 mm. It is shown that the peak efficiency of a detector is a product of only the intrinsic efficiency and the solid angle, once losses due to edge escape and detector imperfections (surface channels and high dislocation densities) are determined. The absolute and relative [to NaI(T1)] peak efficiency of a sample detector, calculated on the basis of intrinsic efficiency, are in good agreement with measured values. This method should find applications in the design of new detector systems particularly those for diagnostic imaging with 99Tc (140 keV).
A responsive particulate MRI contrast agent for copper(I): a cautionary tale

A responsive MION-based MRI contrast agent for the detection of copper(I) is presented. Induced agglomeration of azide and acetylene-functionalized magnetite nanoparticles via Cu(I)-catalysed Huisgen cycloaddition leads to significant decrease in longitudinal relaxivity due to the slow exchange of water molecules trapped within the cluster with bulk solvent. Agglomeration leads to an initial two-fold increase followed by a sharp and almost complete loss in transverse relaxivity for clusters larger than 200 nm in size. The decrease in r2 for clusters reaching the static dephasing regime has two significant implications for particulate responsive MRI contrast agents. First, the maximum increase in r2 is barely two-fold, second, since r2 does not increase continuously with increasing cluster size, the r1/r2 ratio cannot be used to determine the concentration of an analyte ratiometrically.
Plasma proteins and protein synthesis in the rat uterus during decidual development.

An in vivo isotope dilution experiment was designed to test the idea that the mechanism of tissue growth in the development of deciduomata, following uterine trauma in pseudopregnant rats, might involve utilization of plasma proteins by growing decidual cells. Uterine growth was induced in pseudopregnant rats 2 days after the injection of plasma protein-S35 and plasma protein- I131. The rats were autopsied after 3 and 5 days of uterine growth, when the total protein of the uterus had increased 2-fold and 5-fold, respectively. The specific activity (cpm/mg) of methionine-S35 isolated from endometrial and myometrial protein was far less than that isolated from plasma protein. Measurement of I131 in the tissue protein samples (before hydrolysis) provided corrections for contaminating plasma protein. The I131 data also indicated that extensive infiltration of plasma protein into interstitial spaces of the growing decidual uterus occurred. Nevertheless, these extravascular plasma proteins apparently remained s...
STAR, a gene family involved in signal transduction and activation of RNA.

Abstract A new subfamily of KH-domain-containing RNA-binding proteins is encoded by genes that are conserved from yeast to humans. Mutations with interesting developmental phenotypes have been identified in Caemorbabditis elegans, Drosophila and mouse. It is hypothesized that these bifunctional proteins provide a rich source of interesting molecular information about development and define a new cellular pathway that links signal transduction directly to RNA metabolism.
Bcl-2 and Caspase Inhibition Cooperate to Inhibit Tumor Necrosis Factor-α-induced Cell Death in a Bcl-2 Cleavage-independent Fashion

Abstract The ability of proteins of the Bcl-2 family to either induce or inhibit apoptosis is dependent on both cell type and the apoptotic stimulus. We have shown in the murine pro-B cell line FL5.12 that Bcl-2 is incapable of inhibiting tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)-induced cell death and is cleaved during this process. One potential explanation for this observation is that caspase activation directly or indirectly inhibits Bcl-2 function. It has been suggested that caspase cleavage of Bcl-2 is responsible for its inability to block certain cell deaths. Consistent with Bcl-2 cleavage being a caspase-mediated event, this cleavage is inhibitable by 50 μm CBZ-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone (zVAD-fmk). Furthermore, Bcl-2 can cooperate with the caspase inhibitor zVAD-fmk in a dose-dependent manner to block TNFα-induced cell death. Overexpression of Bcl-2 results in a 10-fold decrease in the amount of zVAD-fmk required to inhibit TNFα-induced apoptosis. However, cleavage-defective mutants (D31A and D34A) show no enhanced viability relative to wild-type Bcl-2 in response to TNFα-induced cell death and also show the same cooperativity with zVAD-fmk. These results suggest that Bcl-2 cleavage is not important for the inhibition of TNFα-induced cell death but do not preclude an involvement in a post-commitment phase of apoptosis.
Postsynaptic signaling during plasticity of dendritic spines

Dendritic spines, small bulbous postsynaptic compartments emanating from neuronal dendrites, have been thought to serve as basic units of memory storage. Despite their small size (∼0.1 femtoliter), thousands of species of proteins exist in the spine, including receptors, channels, scaffolding proteins and signaling enzymes. Biochemical signaling mediated by these molecules leads to morphological and functional plasticity of dendritic spines, and ultimately learning and memory in the brain. Here, we review new insights into the mechanisms underlying spine plasticity brought about by recent advances in imaging techniques to monitor molecular events in single dendritic spines. The activity of each protein displays a specific spatiotemporal pattern, coordinating downstream events at different microdomains to change the function and morphology of dendritic spines.
Comparison of titanium and cobalt-chromium removable partial denture clasps

Abstract Statement of problem. The use of titanium alloys for removable partial dentures is an increasingly popular application. While the flexibility of titanium would allow for cast clasps to be placed in deeper undercuts than advisable with cobalt-chromium, it is possible that the retentive forces of the titanium clasp might not maintain sufficient retention after repeated flexing of the clasp arm during insertion and removal of the partial denture. Purpose. This study assessed the characteristics of cast clasps made of titanium and titanium alloys to determine whether these materials are suitable alternatives for removable partial denture applications. Material and methods. Removable partial denture clasps at two undercut depths were fabricated from commercially pure titanium, titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V), and cobalt-chromium. Loss of retention force was measured as the clasps underwent 3 years of simulated clinical use. The data were subjected to ANOVA and Scheffe's tests to determine differences. Evidence of casting defects and porosity was evaluated by radiographic examination and nonparametric statistics. SEM microscopy was used to observe surface characteristics that were described qualitatively. Results. For the 0.75 mm undercut specimens, there was less loss of retention for clasps made from pure titanium and titanium alloy than for cobalt-chromium clasps. Porosity was more apparent in the pure titanium and titanium alloy clasps than in those made from cobalt-chromium, but the amount of porosity did not correspond to evidence of fractures or permanent deformation. Conclusions. The long-term retentive resiliency of the pure titanium and titanium alloy clasps suggests that these materials are suitable for removable partial dentures. (J Prosthet Dent 1997;78:187-93.)
Perceptions of Colorectal Cancer Screening in Urban African American Clinic Patients: Differences by Gender and Screening Status

African Americans have higher colorectal cancer (CRC) morbidity and mortality than whites, yet have low rates of CRC screening. Few studies have explored African Americans’ own perceptions of barriers to CRC screening or elucidated gender differences in screening status. Focus groups were conducted with 23 African American patients between 50 and 70 years of age who were patients in a general internal medicine clinic in a large urban teaching hospital. Focus groups were delimited by gender and CRC screening status. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using an iterative coding process with consensus and triangulation to develop thematic categories. Results indicated key thematic differences in perceptions of screening by gender and CRC screening status. While both men and women who had never been screened had a general lack of knowledge about CRC and screening modalities, women had an overall sense that health screenings were needed and indicated a stronger need to have a positive relationship with their doctor. Women also reported that African American men do not get colonoscopy because of the perceived sexual connotation. Men who had never been screened, compared to those who had been screened, had less trust of their doctors and the health care system and indicated an overall fear of going to the doctor. They also reiterated the sexual connotation of having a colonoscopy and were apprehensive about being sedated during the procedure. Overall, men expressed more fear and were more reluctant to undergo CRC screening than women, but among those who had undergone CRC screening, particularly colonoscopy, men expressed advantages of having the screening. All groups were also found to have a negative attitude about the use of fecal occult blood testing and felt colonoscopy was the superior screening modality. Results suggest that messages and education about CRC screening, particularly colonoscopy, might place more emphasis on accuracy and might be more effective in increasing screening rates among African Americans if tailored to gender and screening status.
Responses of Blue Catfish and Channel Catfish to Environmental Nitrite

Abstract In nitrite-exposure experiments, percent methemoglobin, plasma nitrite concentration, and plasma chloride ion concentration were compared between channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus and blue catfish I. furcatus exposed to sublethal levels of nitrite for 48 h at 25°C. In nitrite-recovery experiments, fish exposed to elevated environmental nitrite for 12 h were transferred to freshwater, and blood characteristics were monitored during the 24-h recovery period. Blue catfish appeared to be more resistant to environmental nitrite than channel catfish. Methemoglobin levels (percent of hemoglobin in methemoglobin form) were significantly lower in blue catfish than in channel catfish. Maximum plasma nitrite concentrations were 137 mg NO2-/L plasma in blue catfish and 164 mg NO2-/L plasma in channel catfish. Percent methemoglobin and plasma nitrite concentration were closely correlated. Plasma chloride decreased initially with exposure to nitrite but quickly returned to control levels. Blue catfish expose...
Plasma lithography--thin-film patterning of polymeric biomaterials by RF plasma polymerization I: Surface preparation and analysis.

Plasma lithography, combining plasma deposition with photolithography, is described as a versatile method to manufacture all-polymeric substrates with thin-film patterns for applications in biomedical engineering. Patterns of a hydrophobic fluorocarbon plasma polymer with feature sizes between 5 and 100 microm were deposited on a base substrate in a lift-off process: an intermediate tetraglyme plasma polymer layer provides non-fouling properties to the base substrate. Careful analysis of critical process parameters identified the narrow window of process conditions that led to the formation of functional surface patterns. High pattern fidelity, aspect ratios, and resolution of the patterns are demonstrated by atomic force microscopy. Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) were used to characterize the surfaces, showing good retention of the original chemical structure of the pattern components throughout the process. SIMS imaging was used for specific chemical imaging of the components. Potential applications for the patterned polymer films, e.g., for studying cell behavior in vitro in dependence of shape and size of adhering cells, are discussed.
Bipartite promoter element required for auxin response

Multiple mechanisms have been described for coordination of responses to the plant hormones auxin and brassinosteroids (Zhang et al., 2009). One unexplained phenomenon is the reliance of the auxin transcriptional response on a functional brassinosteroid pathway. In this study, we used luciferase reporters to interrogate the promoter of SMALL AUXIN-UP RNA15 (SAUR15), a well-characterized auxin and brassinosteroid early response gene in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). After identifying a minimal region sufficient for auxin response, we targeted predicted cis-regulatory elements contained within this sequence and found a critical subset required for hormone response. Specifically, reporter sensitivity to auxin treatment required two elements: a Hormone Up at Dawn (HUD)-type E-box and an AuxRE-related TGTCT element. Reporter response to brassinosteroid treatment relied on the same two elements. Consistent with these findings, the transcription factors BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1-EMS SUPPESSOR1 and MONOPTEROS (MP)/ AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR5 (ARF5) showed enhanced binding to the critical promoter region containing these elements. Treatment with auxin or brassinosteroids could enhance binding of either transcription factor, and brassinosteroid enhancement of MP/ARF5 binding required an intact HUD element. Conservation of clustered HUD elements and AuxRE-related sequences in promoters of putative SAUR15 orthologs in a number of flowering plant species, in combination with evidence for statistically significant clustering of these elements across all Arabidopsis promoters, provided further evidence of the functional importance of coordinated transcription factor binding.
The effect of sublethal concentrations of copper and zinc on ventilatory activity. Blood oxygen and pH in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri)

Abstract Changes in buccal and opercular pressure amplitude, as well as ventilation and coughing frequency were monitored in rainbow trout using catheterization of respiratory cavities and pressure transducers. One or more of the ventilatory parameters measured were found to change under toxicant stress at concentrations of copper or zinc at or below the LC 50. Possible synergistic effects were indicated when the two metal ions were tested together. Serial analyses of arterial P O 2 and pH in fish exposed to copper and zinc individually at concentrations approximating the LC 50 showed that environmental zinc produced a sharp decrease in both P O 2 and pH. Copper, however, caused little effect other than a transient increase in pH. The toxic action of the two metals in low concentrations thus may not be the same.
Stereotactic breast biopsy: Pitfalls and pearls

Stereotactic breast biopsies have become indispensable and the standard of care for patients in whom screening mammography or tomosynthesis reveals breast lesions suggestive of malignancy. A variety of stereotactic biopsy systems and needle types are now available, which allow more accurate sampling of lesions as well as successful biopsy of lesions in difficult locations in patients of all body habitus. We discuss how to plan, perform, and follow up stereotactic biopsies. Most importantly, we offer suggestions on how to avoid problems and complications and detail how to achieve technical success even in the most challenging cases. Stereotactic biopsy has proven over time to be an accurate and acceptable alternative to surgical biopsy for histopathologic diagnosis of breast abnormalities. Successful performance of this minimally invasive procedure spares women from undergoing potentially deforming and expensive procedures to diagnose breast disease.
Anthrax toxins cooperatively inhibit endocytic recycling by the Rab11/Sec15 exocyst

Bacillus anthracis is the causative agent of anthrax in humans and other mammals(1,2). In lethal systemic anthrax, proliferating bacilli secrete large quantities of the toxins lethal factor (LF) and oedema factor (EF), leading to widespread vascular leakage and shock. Whereas host targets of LF (mitogen-activated protein-kinase kinases) and EF (cAMP-dependent processes)(3) have been implicated in the initial phase of anthrax(1,2), less is understood about toxin action during the final stage of infection. Here we use Drosophila melanogaster to identify the Rab11/Sec15 exocyst, which acts at the last step of endocytic recycling, as a novel target of both EF and LF. EF reduces levels of apically localized Rab11 and indirectly blocks vesicle formation by its binding partner and effector Sec15 (Sec15-GFP), whereas LF acts more directly to reduce Sec15-GFP vesicles. Convergent effects of EF and LF on Rab11/Sec15 inhibit expression of and signalling by the Notch ligand Delta and reduce DE-cadherin levels at adherens junctions. In human endothelial cells, the two toxins act in a conserved fashion to block formation of Sec15 vesicles, inhibit Notch signalling, and reduce cadherin expression at adherens junctions. This coordinated disruption of the Rab11/Sec15 exocyst by anthrax toxins may contribute to toxin-dependent barrier disruption and vascular dysfunction during B. anthracis infection.
SPR presidential address: micro- and macro-environments in academic pediatrics. Annual meeting, Washington, D.C. 1982.

SPR Presidential Address: Micro- and Macro-Environments in Academic Pediatrics. Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C. 1982
Calibration Challenges and Initial Experimental Demonstration of an Adaptive, Feature-Specific Spectral Imaging Classifier

We describe the calibration challenges associated with a computational spectral imaging classifier and present initial experimental results. We also discuss planned system improvements to address these calibration challenges and observed performance issues.
It’s Different when I Do it: Feature Matching in Self-Other Comparisons

Two studies explored the application of feature-matching and cancellation models to self-other comparisons. College participants completed a questionnaire about their religious behaviors and saw another questionnaire supposedly completed by another student. Participants in Study 1 (N = 114) who were explicitly provided direction of comparison instructions showed a direction of comparison effect, rating the person whose questionnaire they saw last as more religious. Participants in Study 2 (N = 103), who were not given explicit direction of comparison instructions, did not. Most important, in both studies, the extent to which self and other overlapped on shared features affected self- and other judgments asymmetrically. Participants appeared to cancel out behaviors shared by the self and other when rating the other person (i.e., they gave lower ratings when there was more overlap) but not when rating themselves.
Optimal combining for RAKE reception in mobile cellular CDMA forward links

Two methods for multipath combining are compared for RAKE reception of a CDMA cellular forward-link traffic channel. Combining based on estimation of the signal-to-interference ratio of the output of each tap of the RAKE receiver is shown to provide significant performance improvement in comparison with the more commonly considered combiner that is based on measurement of the signal strength. The performance of RAKE receivers using the two methods of combining is considered for several fading, multipath channels.
Obstetric Nephrology: Preeclampsia—The Nephrologist’s Perspective

Preeclampsia, a common and potentially devastating multisystem disorder unique to human pregnancy, represents a novel form of secondary hypertension with complex renal and systemic effects. Recent translational and clinical research reveals key pathophysiologic contributions due to dysregulation of angiogenic factors and of angiotensin signaling. Despite these insights, there are still difficulties in the clinical definition of preeclampsia and in the diagnosis of women with this disorder. Although recent research suggests the potential for new preventive and treatment strategies, most have not yet been shown ready for clinical use.
Physical and Chemical Characterization of an Oyster Hemagglutinin

Abstract The natural hemagglutinin of the oyster Crassostrea virginica was examined for possible structural relationship with vertebrate immunoglobulins. The hemagglutinin activity was associated with a heterogeneous group of rapidly sedimenting molecules. The major active component in oyster hemolymph has a sedimentation coefficient of 33.4 S, but minor components with lower sedimentation coefficients are also present. The molecules can be dissociated into subunits consisting of single polypeptide chains having an approximate molecular weight of 20,000. Complete dissociation could be observed in 5 m guanidine-HCl indicating noncovalent linkage of the subunit. Amino acid composition of the subunit was distinguished by a relatively high histidine content and the absence of lysine. The sequence of the first 2 residues from the NH2 terminus of the subunit was found to be Thr-Ala. Mannose, galactose, and glucosamine were present with a total carbohydrate content of 13%. These data do not demonstrate obvious structural similarities to mammalian immunoglobulins.
Dielectric effects in biopolymers: The theory of ionic saturation revisited

Electrostatic effects are believed to determine the molecular structure and function of macromolecules in many ways. In metallo-based enzymes and in metal-macromolecule interactions in solution, these effects may predominate. In order to tackle metal ion-nucleic acid interactions theoretically, a modification of Debye's distance-dependent dielectric function first proposed more than 50 years ago is proposed. This function more closely approximates physical reality at small interatomic separations. The theory proposed here yields a dielectric function that gives reasonable agreement with experimental data in preliminary calculations. 39 references, 4 figures, 6 tables.
Regulation of sand transport in the Colorado River by changes in the surface grain size of eddy sandbars over multi-year timescales

In settings where the transport of sand is partially or fully supply limited, changes in the upstream supply of sand are coupled to changes in the grain size of sand on the bed. In this manner, the transport of sand under the supplylimited case is ‘grain-size regulated’. Since the closure of Glen Canyon Dam in 1963, the downstream reach of the Colorado River in Marble and Grand Canyons has exhibited evidence of sand-supply limitation. Sand transport in the river is now approximately equally regulated by changes in the discharge of water and changes in the grain sizes of sand on the channel bed and eddy sandbars. Previous work has shown that changes in the grain size of sand on the bed of the channel (driven by changes in the upstream supply of sand owing to both tributary floods and high dam releases) are important in regulating sand transport over timescales of days to months. In this study, suspended-sand data are analysed in conjunction with bed grain-size data to determine whether changes in the grain size of sand on the bed of the channel or changes in the grain size of sand on the surface of eddy sandbars have been more important in regulating sand transport in the post-dam Colorado River over longer, multi-year timescales. The results of this study show that this combined theory- and field-based approach can be used to deduce which environments in a complicated setting are the most important environments for regulating sediment transport. In the case of the regulated Colorado River in Marble and Upper Grand Canyons, suspended-sand transport has been regulated mostly by changes in the surface grain size of eddy sandbars.
The Olmecs: America's First Civilization

The Olmecs: America's First Civilization. Richard A. Diehl. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2004. 208 pp.
Seeds of Civilization: Bronze Age Rural Economy and Ecology in the Southern Levant

This paper considers the economic and environmental impacts of emerging regional commerce that accompanied the rise and collapse of early Near Eastern urbanism. We integrate regional data on settlement and vegetation with detailed evidence of rural agriculture from two Bronze Age villages in the Jordan Valley. This approach is explicitly rural, in light of the largely rural character of Levantine civilization, and in response to more orthodox analytical perspectives focused on the first cities. Long-standing interest in the advent of agriculture now reveals that intensive localized depletion of woodland resources followed the aggregation of sedentary agrarian communities in the eighth through sixth millennia B.C., while the development of specialized pastoralism established one potential source of more extensive, subsequent defoliation. We argue, however, that regional human impacts on Levantine vegetation were triggered only with the genesis of Bronze Age cities and urbanized economies in the third and s...
How Buyers Cope with Uncertainty When Acquiring Firms in Knowledge-Intensive Industries: Caveat Emptor

Knowledge often cannot be acquired in efficient factor markets due to asymmetric information and because it may be bundled in teams or networks. As a result, knowledge is frequently the focus of corporate acquisitions. However, variations in quality are harder to observe for knowledge-based assets than tangible assets. This creates dilemmas for buyers whenever a target's industry is knowledge-intensive. This study finds that buyers cope by: 1) offering lower bid premia; 2) paying in stock; and 3) increasing information through lengthy negotiations and by avoiding tender offers. However, unrelated buyers do not apply these strategies. Their information needs may be lower if they do not intend to integrate the target. These findings have implications for further work in strategic management and organizational theory.
Note on the topological degree of the subdifferential of a lower semi-continuous convex function

The purpose of the present paper is to prove that the topological degree of the subdifferential of a coercive lower semi-continuous function on a sufficiently large ball in a reflexive Banach space is equal to one. A well known result of Krasnoselskii [7] says that the degree of the gradient of a coercive potential mapping on a sufficiently large ball in RN is equal to one. As Nirenberg pointed out in [8], this result seems intuitively clear, but the proof is not. Many authors had new views of this theorem. See [1], [9]-[11]. The aim of this note is to give a generalization of the degree of a maximal monotone mapping and prove that the topological degree of the subdifferential of a coercive convex function is equal to one on a sufficiently large ball. The main result of this paper is Theorem 5. Its proof is very simple and elementary. Let us recall the properties of the degree of mappings of class (S+), as introduced by Browder [4]. See also [3], [6]. Let E be a real reflexive Banach space of dual E* . We can always assume that both E and E* are locally uniformly convex [12]. The duality pairing between E* and E is denoted by (.,.). Let 0* be the zero element of E*, J : E -E* the duality mapping, Q C E an open bounded subset, and T: Q -E* a demi-continuous operator of class (S+) (see [4] for a definition); if 0* 0 T(Q9), then there is a topological degree deg(T, Q, 0*) satisfying Theorem 1. (a) deg(J, Q, 0*) = { 0 ifo* E J(Q). (b) If deg(T, Q, 0*) $7 0, then Tx = 0* has a solution in Q. (c) If Q1, Q2 are two disjoint open subsets of Q, then deg(T, Q, 0*) + deg(T,Q2,0*) = deg(T, Q, U Q2, 0*). (d) If {Tt} o,1] is a homotopy of class (S+), and 0* f TtQ9Q), then deg(T, Q, 0*) doesn't depend on t E [0, 1]. Now, suppose that A: D(A) C E -2 is a maximal monotone operator. Let AA = (AJ-1+A-')-', RA = I-AJ-1AA be its Yosida approximation and resolvent Received by the editors February 25, 1997. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 47H10, 47H15; Secondary 55M25.
Apigenin inhibits antiestrogen-resistant breast cancer cell growth through estrogen receptor-α-dependent and estrogen receptor-α-independent mechanisms

Breast cancer resistance to the antiestrogens tamoxifen (OHT) and fulvestrant is accompanied by alterations in both estrogen-dependent and estrogen-independent signaling pathways. Consequently, effective inhibition of both pathways may be necessary to block proliferation of antiestrogen-resistant breast cancer cells. In this study, we examined the effects of apigenin, a dietary plant flavonoid with potential anticancer properties, on estrogen-responsive, antiestrogen-sensitive MCF7 breast cancer cells and two MCF7 sublines with acquired resistance to either OHT or fulvestrant. We found that apigenin can function as both an estrogen and an antiestrogen in a dose-dependent manner. At low concentrations (1 μmol/L), apigenin stimulated MCF7 cell growth but had no effect on the antiestrogen-resistant MCF7 sublines. In contrast, at high concentrations (>10 μmol/L), the drug inhibited growth of MCF7 cells and the antiestrogen-resistant sublines, and the combination of apigenin with either OHT or fulvestrant showed synergistic, growth-inhibitory effects on both antiestrogen-sensitive and antiestrogen-resistant breast cancer cells. To further elucidate the molecular mechanism of apigenin as either an estrogen or an antiestrogen, effects of the drug on estrogen receptor-α (ERα); transactivation activity, mobility, stability, and ERα-coactivator interactions were investigated. Low-dose apigenin enhanced receptor transcriptional activity by promoting interaction between ERα and its coactivator amplified in breast cancer-1. However, higher doses (>10 μmol/L) of apigenin inhibited ERα mobility (as determined by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching assays), down-regulated ERα and amplified in breast cancer-1 expression levels, and inhibited multiple protein kinases, including p38, protein kinase A, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and AKT. Collectively, these results show that apigenin can function as both an antiestrogen and a protein kinase inhibitor with activity against breast cancer cells with acquired resistance to OHT or fulvestrant. We conclude that apigenin, through its ability to target both ERα-dependent and ERα-independent pathways, holds promise as a new therapeutic agent against antiestrogen-resistant breast cancer. [Mol Cancer Ther 2008;7(7):2096–108]
Effects of the beauty is good stereotype on children's information processing

The authors tested schematic information processing as a function of attractiveness stereotyping in two studies. An adult experimenter read children (ages 3 to 7 years) eight different stories in which a child narrator encountered two characters who varied in level of attractiveness and displayed positive or negative traits that were either consistent or inconsistent with the "beauty is good" stereotype. Following the story, the experimenter showed each child a photograph of the two characters' faces and asked the child to point to the character who displayed the positive trait. In Experiment 1, children made more errors in identifying female characters with stereotype inconsistent traits but did just the opposite with male characters. Experiment 2 replicated the findings with female characters but found no difference in errors with male characters. The findings have implications for how attractiveness and gender stereotypes affect children's information processing, how attractiveness schemata may be organized, and why physical attractiveness stereotypes are maintained.
Treating Segmental Bone Defects: A New Technique

Repair of segmental bone defects is an enormous challenge for foot and ankle surgeons. This report describes the case of an unusual technique for managing segmental bone voids about the ankle, namely the use of a cylindrical titanium cage packed with bone graft, and an intramedullary nail. The technique was successful at bridging a large segmental defect, and biopsy specimens procured from the length of the healed graft confirmed osseous consolidation. Level of Clinical Evidence: 4.
Perceived Proficiency in Endoscopic Techniques Among Senior Obstetrics and Gynecology Residents

Abstract Study Objectives To assess current training methods in laparoscopic surgery employed in United States obstetrics and gynecology residency programs, level of proficiency in various minimally invasive surgery procedures amongst senior obstetrics and gynecology residents, and ways in which training in minimally invasive surgery can be improved. Design Survey (Canadian Task Force classification III). Setting Accredited obstetrics and gynecology programs in the United States. Subjects All fourth-year residents in accredited obstetrics and gynecology programs in the United States. Intervention Residents received a survey regarding their perceived proficiency performing various laparoscopic procedures and the type of training they received in these techniques. Measurements and Main Results Responses were received from 133 programs (52.4%) and 295 residents (26.8%). Of these, 67% of residents thought emphasis on laparoscopic surgery training should be increased or greatly increased; 87% thought laparoscopic skills were important for building a successful practice. Formal teaching methods were clearly associated with improved perception of proficiency, and those with higher perception of proficiency expected to perform more laparoscopic procedures after graduation. Residents lacked perceived competency in most advanced laparoscopic procedures. Conclusion Residents seem to benefit significantly from a formal curriculum in minimally invasive surgery, but they do not feel competent performing some advanced procedures on graduation. In our opinion, more emphasis should be placed on training in laparoscopic surgery in United States obstetrics and gynecology programs.
Arthemis: Annotation software in an integrated capturing and analysis system for colonoscopy

Colonoscopy is an endoscopic technique that allows physicians to inspect the inside of the human colon. During a colonoscopic procedure, a tiny video camera at the tip of the endoscope generates a video signal of the internal mucosa of the colon. In current practice, the entire colonoscopic procedure is not routinely captured. Software tools providing easy access to important contents of videos that are digitally captured during colonoscopy are not available. Hence, it is very time consuming to review an entire video, locate important contents, annotate them, and extract the annotated contents for research, teaching, and training purposes. Arthemis, a software application, was developed to facilitate this process. For convenient data sharing, Arthemis allows annotation according to the European Gastrointestinal Society for Endoscopy (ESGE) Minimal Standard Terminology (MST), an internationally accepted standard for digestive endoscopy. Arthemis is part of our integrated capturing and content analysis system for colonoscopy called Endoscopic Multimedia Information System (EMIS). This paper presents Arthemis as a component of EMIS, the design and implementation of Arthemis, and key lessons learned from the development process.
Optimal planning with a goal-directed utility model

Classical AI planning adopts a very narrow notion of plan quality, namely that a plan is good just in case it achieves a specified goal. Despite the fact that planning is intractable in the worst case, goal-satisfying planning algorithms can effectively solve classes of problems by using the goal to focus the search for a solution (by using backward-chaining techniques), and by exploiting domain-specific heuristic knowledge to control search. Our work extends the definition of plan quality to take into account partial satisfaction of the goal and the cost of resources used by the plan, while at the same time building an effective planning algorithm by exploiting classical planning techniques like backward chaining and knowledge-based search control rules. This paper presents PYRRHUS, an extension to the UCPOP planning system (Barrett et al. 1993) that finds optimal plans for a class of goal-directed utility models suggested by Haddawy and Hanks (Haddawy & Hanks 1993). Our empirical results suggest that optimal plans can be generated effectively by a planner using domain-specific heuristic knowledge, and furthermore that the planner can use the same knowledge as a goal-satisfying planner to solve corresponding optimization problems.
Management of Sport Fishing in National Parks

Abstract The National Park Service, entrusted with the perpetuation of natural aquatic conditions in areas it administers, manages recreational fishing so as to create minimum disturbances to these resources. In national parks and monuments angling cannot be managed independently of other park uses and features of significance. The objectives of the conservation of park fishery resources differ in some respects from those which govern programs in waters located outside park areas. The policy and program for the management of sport fishing are outlined.
Accuracy of emergency medical information on the web.

Abstract A large amount of EM information can be found on the Internet, but the accuracy of this information has not been determined. This study compares the “gold standards” of EM information on four common emergencies with top healthcare web sites. The study also examines the relationship of web sites’ credentials and certification on content. Checklists were developed for four emergency medical topics: influenza, febrile child, chest pain, and stroke from the “gold standards” promoted by the American Stroke Association, the American Heart Association, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and the American College of Emergency Physicians. Information found at the 20 most visited health information web sites were compared with the “gold standards.” Completeness of the information, certification, and credentials were used to judge the accuracy of the web sites. Inaccurate or incorrect information from these web sites were noted. Correlations between the site’s credentials and its content were also measured. This study, conducted from January 18, 2002, to January 31, 2002, excluded eight of the top 20 health web sites because they did not cater to the lay public. MEDLINEplus was the most complete web site with 74.8% of the items noted contained in the web site; MayoClinic.com had 54.5% and Medscape had 50.9%. Half of the web sites fell between 35% and 50%, including WebMD at 46.9%, InteliHealth at 45.5%, HealthWorld Online at 44.8%, Yahoo! Health at 41.3%, AllHealth.com at 40.6%, and Health.excite.com at 36.4%. Healthcentral.com at 35%, Drkoop.com at 35%, and AskDrWeil at 26.8% were the bottom three sites. Information on stroke was the most complete overall in 11 of 12 web sites. Four web sites contained questionable or concerning information. No correlation was found between possession of certification and the completeness of content (Pearson correlation −0.264 with a two-tailed significance of .406). Despite recent efforts to improve web site content through certification, few web sites contained a significant amount of EM information on all four topics investigated. In fact, some of the information provided on these health information web sites has the potential to be dangerous. Thus, most web sites are not good sources of reference for the public to find out what to do in the case of a medical emergency.
Application of continuous error detection for joint equalization and coding for ISI channels

Intersymbol interference (ISI) distorts digital signals transmitted over band-limited channels. While solutions like decision feedback equalization (DFE) suffer from error propagation, sequence estimation methods have exponential complexity. We present a scheme that effectively reduces the complexity of sequence estimation by removing paths that are in error on the fly, using continuous error detection (CED). The number of symbols taken for detecting an error can be tuned based on the amount of redundancy available for the particular application. Simulations show that our scheme can bring about a factor of two reduction in complexity in the trellis of Yellin, Vardy and Amrani (see IEEE Trans. on Info. Theory, vol.43, p.409-25, 1997) and give about 0.5 dB performance improvement at the same complexity. CED can be implemented efficiently at low complexity in hardware and can enhance the performance of ARQ/FEC based digital transmission systems. This work presents the performance gains in a reduced state sequence estimation framework.
Scalar estimation and control with noisy binary observations

We consider a simple one-dimensional system whose observations are sent to a state estimator over a noisy binary communication link. The interesting thing about the system is that it is unstable. The problem is to design an encoding scheme and a decoder such that the estimation error is stable. We explicitly construct a simple but efficient estimator for the binary symmetric channel (BSC). We are not aware of any such previous "codes" for the BSC. We compare our results to the nonconstructive bounds of Sahai.
Classroom attendance: Factors and perceptions of students and faculty in US schools of pharmacy

Abstract Objectives To determine which factors most influence pharmacy students’ decision to skip class from the perspective of students and faculty in schools of pharmacy in the United States. In addition, a secondary goal was to assess perceptions about the importance of classroom attendance. Methods Using self-explicated methodology, a survey was developed that assessed course and instructor attributes and factors, attitudes, and perceptions surrounding student decisions to skip class. The survey was administered electronically to students and faculty at six pharmacy schools. Student–faculty comparisons were made to identify areas of disagreement. Results The top course-related attributes for why students skip class were access to digital recordings of class, access to internet-streamed class, and the provision of detailed handouts with class time offering little new information. The top instructor-related attributes for why students skip class were instructors who predominately lecture, who are dull and boring, and who lack organization. Students also were asked to identify circumstances in which they have actually skipped class and 69% of students marked they missed class to get other schoolwork done, and over 50% marked because they had an exam that day. When asked about the importance of attendance, students and faculty felt attendance was part of professionalism and impacted their grade. Other factors related to attendance are reported. Conclusions In general, there was agreement between students and faculty on why students skip class, but not on the need for attendance policies.
Present situation of human resource allocation of professional technical personnel in institutions of disease control and prevention in Tianjin.

[Objective]To realize the present situation of human resource allocation of professional technical personnel in different levels of Center for disease control and prevention ( CDC) in Tianjin,provide the evidence for calculation of standard for human resource allocation in technical posts.[Methods]With cluster general survey,the situation of professional technical personnel in 19 city and district ( county) level CDC of Tianjin in 2009 was analyzed by descriptive study and variance analysis.[Results]①The average number of in-service professional technical personnel is 74. ②The age structure: the average age is 39 years old. 41. 26% of personnel under 35 years old,26. 28% are 35 ～ 44 years old; 24. 93% are 45 ～ 54 years old,and 7. 53% over 55 years old. ③The educational background structure: postgraduate account for 6. 53% ,undergraduate accounts for 41. 76% ,26. 07% of personnel graduated from junior college,and technical secondary school and below education accounts for 25. 64% . ④The professional title structure: senior professional title accounts for 10. 58% ,medium title accounts for 26. 70% ,primary title accounts for 51. 64% , and 11. 08% of personnel have no professional title. ⑤The quality scores: the average quality score is 6. 75. The quality scores of different grades personnel is imbalance,score of city and district ( county) level CDC is 8. 19 and 6. 34 respectively.[Conclusion] The quality of professional technical personnel in CDC of Tianjin distributes in different levels,and distribution is imbalance. Various measures should be adopted to improve the comprehensive quality of personnel.
Glomerular Function and Structure in Living Donors: Lessons from Single Nephron Studies

One third of the kidney transplants performed in the USA come from living kidney donors. The long-term outcome of healthy individuals who donate kidneys is mostly excellent, although recent studies have suggested that living donation is associated with a small absolute increase in the risk of end stage renal failure. Much of our understanding about the progression of kidney disease comes from experimental models of nephron loss. For this reason, living kidney donation has long been of great interest to renal physiologists. This review will summarize the determinants of glomerular filtration and the physiology that underlies post-donation hyperfiltration. We describe the ‘remnant kidney’ model of kidney disease and the reasons why such progressive kidney disease very rarely ensues in healthy humans following uninephrectomy. We also review some of the methods used to determine glomerular number and size and outline their associations.