cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of YAP by Mechanical Strain through Jnk and Hippo Signaling

Summary Mechanical forces affect all the tissues of our bodies. Experiments conducted mainly on cultured cells have established that altering these forces influences cell behaviors, including migration, differentiation, apoptosis, and proliferation [1, 2]. The transcriptional coactivator YAP has been identified as a nuclear relay of mechanical signals, but the molecular mechanisms that lead to YAP activation were not identified [3]. YAP is the main transcriptional effector of the Hippo signaling pathway, a major growth regulatory pathway within metazoa [4], but at least in some instances, the influence of mechanical strain on YAP was reported to be independent of Hippo signaling [5, 6]. Here, we identify a molecular pathway that can promote the proliferation of cultured mammary epithelial cells in response to cyclic or static stretch. These mechanical stimuli are associated with increased activity of the transcriptional coactivator YAP, which is due at least in part to inhibition of Hippo pathway activity. Much of this influence on Hippo signaling can be accounted for by the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activity by mechanical strain and subsequent inhibition of Hippo signaling by JNK. LATS1 is a key negative regulator of YAP within the Hippo pathway, and we further show that cyclic stretch is associated with a JNK-dependent increase in binding of a LATS inhibitor, LIMD1, to the LATS1 kinase and that reduction of LIMD1 expression suppresses the activation of YAP by cyclic stretch. Together, these observations establish a pathway for mechanical regulation of cell proliferation via JNK-mediated inhibition of Hippo signaling.
Structure, functions, and evolution of the third complement component and viral molecular mimicry

The third component of the complement system, C3, is a common denominator in the activation of the classical, alternative, and lectin pathways. The ability of C3 molecule to interact with at least 20 different proteins makes it the most versatile component of this system. Since these interactions are important for phagocytic, immunoregulatory, and immune evasion mechanisms, the analysis of its structure and functions has been a subject of intense research. Here we review our current work on the C3-ligand interactions, C3-related viral molecular mimicry, evolution of the complement system, and identification of C3-based complement inhibitors.
Fractional compartmental models and multi-term Mittag–Leffler response functions

Systems of fractional differential equations (SFDE) have been increasingly used to represent physical and control system, and have been recently proposed for use in pharmacokinetics (PK) by (J Pharmacokinet Pharmacodyn 36:165–178, 2009) and (J Phamacokinet Pharmacodyn, 2010). We contribute to the development of a theory for the use of SFDE in PK by, first, further clarifying the nature of systems of FDE, and in particular point out the distinction and properties of commensurate versus non-commensurate ones. The second purpose is to show that for both types of systems, relatively simple response functions can be derived which satisfy the requirements to represent single-input/single-output PK experiments. The response functions are composed of sums of single- (for commensurate) or two-parameters (for non-commensurate) Mittag–Leffler functions, and establish a direct correspondence with the familiar sums of exponentials used in PK.
Genetic Variation in the Crow of Adult Chickens

Two experiments were conducted to develop reliable criteria for measuring the crows of cocks and to determine if these aspects of crows were heritable. The duration of crowing was found to be a highly repeatable characteristic inherited in a quantitative manner. Significant differences were found between breeds for the duration of crows with the ranks of stocks being the same in each experiment. Variation was greatest between breeds, followed by that among males and was least within males. Sonograms of crows demonstrated that the various components of a crow were similar among crows from single individuals but varied widely among individuals.
Group Processes and EFL Learners' Motivation: A Study of Group Dynamics in EFL Classrooms

This study explores how group processes, such as group cohesiveness and group norms, influence an individual EFL learner's motivation. The uniqueness of this research lies in shifting the focus from an analysis of the individual's experience being seen as apart from the group to considering the individual's experience in relation to the social interactions within the group. Questionnaires were administered to 152 Taiwanese university students from the English Department of a university in Taiwan. The results from the questionnaires show that there was a slight to moderate correlation between group processes (group cohesiveness and group norms) and students' level of motivation (self-efficacy and autonomy). A dozen students who participated in this study were asked to share more information in semi-structured in-depth interviews. During those interviews, several students commented that their learner class group was indeed important to their learning, as associating with more motivated classmates and classmates with whom they get along does positively influence their own motivation. On the other hand, being in a class group of stolid learners who are unresponsive and show little interest or concern for each other could de-motivate an otherwise motivated learner.
Effects of prepubertal ovariectomy on the development of scent glands, scent marking, and aggressive behaviors of female tamarin monkeys (Saguinus fuscicollis).

Abstract The effects of prepubertal ovariectomy on scent gland development, scent marking behavior, and on social interactions with strange adult conspecifics were studied in adult females cohabiting with intact males. Eight females were ovariectomized and eight underwent control surgery at 6 months of age. All were returned to their families after surgery and allowed to reach sexual maturity. At 18 months of age, each female was permanently paired with an adult, intact male. When the subjects were 21 months old, the social interactions of all pairs with strange adults were tested in a situation analogous to a territorial encounter. The scent marking activities of the subjects and their mates were studied during “territorial encounters,” in trial-free control situations, and in the presence of novel objects. Ovariectomy prior to puberty retarded the development of the scent gland but did not inhibit it completely. Social interactions with strange conspecifics were also affected. Ovariectomized females showed fewer threat displays than did control females, but there was no significant difference in the amount of injurious aggression both female groups directed at the strangers. Under all testing conditions, ovariectomized females tended to scent mark less frequently with the circumgenital-suprapubic gland than did controls. This difference was statistically significant only under some of the testing conditions. Intact females scent marked more frequently than their males but ovariectomized females did so only under trial-free testing conditions. The sternal scent gland was used very infrequently by all subjects and there was no difference in marking activity between males and females or between ovariectomized and control females.
Rapid, accurate, and sensitive fatty acid ethyl ester determination by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Background: Fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) are useful markers of ongoing alcohol use and may be associated with alcohol-induced damage to the liver and pancreas. In this article, we describe a novel method for rapid determination of the three major FAEEs found in human plasma. Methods: Internal standard, ethyl heptadecanoate, was added to plasma samples, and FAEEs were isolated by acetone precipitation, hexane lipid extraction, and amino-propyl silica solid phase extraction. FAEEs were quantitated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) using a nonpolar dimethylpolysiloxane column. The accuracy, precision, specificity, and sensitivity of the assay were defined from plasma samples from recently drinking and abstinent persons, with and without the addition of FAEEs. Results: Individual FAEE peaks demonstrated excellent resolution. Instrument time was reduced by more than 60%. The lower limit of detection was 5 to 10 nM, and the lower limit of quantitation for each FAEE was 60 nM (for 22 samples with known concentration 60 nM, × ±SD: 61 ± 5.7, 57 ± 5.7, and 57 ± 5.9 nM, for ethyl palmitate, ethyl oleate, and ethyl stearate, respectively). Instrument precision (coefficient of variance, CV) for these three FAEEs was 0.3%, 0.4%, and 0.7%, respectively. Intra-assay precision (CV) for total FAEEs was less than 7%. FAEEs were absent in 49 samples from abstinent persons. FAEEs were detected in all 76 samples with associated positive blood alcohol levels. Conclusions: Our method of FAEE analysis is rapid and potentially useful in research and clinical studies. FAEE determination using this method is precise, accurate, sensitive, and specific and deserves broader application.
Evaluation of UDDI as a provider of resource discovery services for OGSA-based grids

Grid computing involves networks of heterogeneous resources working in collaboration to solve problems that cannot be addressed by the resources of any one organization. A pervasive problem for grid users is how best to discover the resources they need given dynamic grid environments. UDDI, the universal description, discovery and integration framework, is an OASIS standard for publishing and querying discovery information for Web services, which to date, has received surprisingly little analysis as a discovery mechanism for Web service-based grids, e.g. those based on the open grid services architecture (OGSA). This work identifies issues that must be addressed in order to make UDDI meet the requirements of OGSA discovery. We examine the performance implications of these issues using a freely available implementation of UDDI version 2. Based on our experimental results, we conclude that UDDI can be used for OGSA discovery, but the cost may be prohibitive for large grids.
Fast cell detection in high-throughput imagery using GPU-accelerated machine learning

High-throughput microscopy allows fast imaging of large tissue samples, producing an unprecedented amount of sub-cellular information. The size and complexity of these data sets often out-scale current reconstruction algorithms. Overcoming this computational bottleneck requires extensive parallel processing and scalable algorithms. As high-throughput imaging techniques move into main stream research, processing must also be inexpensive and easily available. In this paper, we describe a method for cell soma detection in Knife-Edge Scanning Microscopy (KESM) using machine learning. The proposed method requires very little training data and can be mapped to consumer graphics hardware, allowing us to perform real-time cell detection at a rate that exceeds the data rate of KESM.
Evaluation of a Chemically Inducible Promoter for Developing a Within-Plant Refuge for Resistance Management

Chemically inducible production of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins in transgenic plants may provide considerable benefits in preventing or delaying the evolution of insect resistance to Bt crops by creating within-plant temporal refuges. We examined the effect of inducible cry1Ab expression on survival of different genotypes (RR, RS, and SS) of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), in transgenic broccoli, Brassica oleracea L., plants transformed with a PR-1a/cry1Ab expression cassette. Spraying leaves of these plants with the inducer acibenzolar-s-methyl [= benzo (1,2,3)-thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester] (ASM) resulted in high levels of Bt toxin, and detached leaves from fully induced plants caused 100% mortality to all instars of P. xylostella SS and RS genotypes. When plants infested with larvae were treated with ASM, only a few larvae that were nearing completion of their development were able to survive the induction process. Signal transduction from ASM-treated leaves to new plant tissue also was evaluated using a larval assay. New foliage that emerged after plants were induced remained toxic to > or = 80% of RS larvae up to the fourth new leaf. In whole plant tests, however, induced plants remained protected from larval damage for > or = 3 wk. Uninduced PR-1a/cry1Ab plants seemed to produce low levels of Bt that were undetected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay but that resulted in significant fitness costs for susceptible insects. The suitability of PR-1a/cry1Ab broccoli plants for insect resistance management and the requirements of an appropriate inducible promoter are discussed.
Presentando a Elshtain, Enloe y Tickner: una mirada a los esfuerzos feministas más importantes antes de continuar el viaje | Introducing Elshtain, Enloe and Tickner: looking at key feminist efforts before journeying on

En este articulo Christine Sylvester hace un recorrido por la obra de tres de las fundadoras de la teoria feminista de Relaciones Internacionales, reconociendolas como una presencia continua en su propio viaje en la teoria feminista: Jean Bethke Elshtain, Cyntia Enloe y Ann Tickner. A traves de la narracion de las odiseas hacia el feminismo de cada una de ellas, Sylvester recuerda los contextos en los cuales las Relaciones Internacionales feministas/el feminismo de las Relaciones Internacionales surgieron y echaron raices, presentando ademas los escritos mas importantes de la primera ola feminista acerca de las Relaciones Internacionales. Sin embargo, no hay un ensalzamiento vano de las anteriores autoras, sino que Sylvester muestra sus miopias y los desafios para las posteriores academicas feministas. Y a pesar de estas lagunas u olvidos, deben reconocerse como actos heroicos las vias por las que Elshtain, Enloe y Tickner han introducido diferentes elementos y desafios respecto a la comprension tradicional de la disciplina, ubicando y visibilizando, mediante metodologias alejadas del racionalismo cientifista imperante en ese momento, a mujeres, hombres y al genero en las relaciones internacionales. Throughout this article, Christine Sylvester makes a journey along the work of three of the founders of the feminist theory of International Relations, acknowledging them as a constant presence in her own trajectory through feminist theory: Jean Bethke Elshtain, Cyntia Enloe and Ann Tickner. Throughout the narration of the odysseys toward the feminism of each of them, Sylvester recall the contexts in which feminist International Relations/feminism in International Relations emerged and took roots, introducing at the same time some of the most important works from the first feminist wave in International Relations. However, we don’t have here a vane glorification of the aforementioned scholars, but to the contrary, Sylvester shows their myopias and the challenges for other feminists scholars following them. And still, in spite of their omissions, we must recognize as heroic acts the ways through which Elshtain, Enloe and Tickner have introduced and presented different elements and challenges to the traditional understandings of the discipline, citing, siting and sighting, by means of unusual methodologies away from the scientific rationalism predominant at that moment, women, men and gender in the international relations.
Transcriptional reactivation of murine cytomegalovirus ie gene expression by 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine and trichostatin A in latently infected cells despite lack of methylation of the major immediate-early promoter

We have used a spleen explant model to investigate mechanisms of murine cytomegalovirus latency and reactivation. Induction of immediate-early (ie) gene expression occurs in explants after approximately 9 days in culture and virus reactivation follows induction of ie gene expression with kinetics similar to that of productive infection in vitro. This occurs independently of TNF receptor signalling. Treatment with the DNA methylation inhibitor 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine and the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A results in more rapid induction of ie gene expression and reactivation of virus. Despite these results, which suggest a role for DNA methylation in maintenance of viral latency, we find that the major immediate-early promoter/enhancer is not methylated in latently infected mice. Our results support the hypothesis that latency is maintained by epigenetic control of ie gene expression, and that induction of ie gene expression leads to reactivation of virus, but suggest that these are not controlled by DNA methylation.
Quinolone resistance mediated by norA: physiologic characterization and relationship to flqB, a quinolone resistance locus on the Staphylococcus aureus chromosome.

Abstract We identified a quinolone resistance locus, flqB, linked to transposon insertion omega 1108 and fus on the SmaI D fragment of the Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 8325 chromosome, the same fragment that contains the norA gene. S. aureus norA cloned from flqB and flqB+ strains in Escherichia coli differed only in a single nucleotide in the putative promoter region. There was no detectable change in the number of copies of norA on the chromosomes of flqB strains, but they had increased levels of norA transcripts. Cloned norA produced resistance to norfloxacin and other hydrophilic quinolones and reduced norfloxacin accumulation in intact cells that was energy dependent, suggesting active drug efflux as the mechanism of resistance. Drug efflux was studied by measurement of norfloxacin uptake into everted inner membrane vesicles prepared from norA-containing E. coli cells. Vesicles exhibited norfloxacin uptake after the addition of lactate or NADH, and this uptake was abolished by carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone and nigericin but not valinomycin, indicating that it was linked to the pH gradient across the cell membrane. Norfloxacin uptake into vesicles was also saturable, with an apparent Km of 6 microM, a concentration between those that inhibit the growth of flqB and flqB+ S. aureus cells, indicating that drug uptake is mediated by a carrier with a high apparent affinity for norfloxacin. Ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin competitively inhibited norfloxacin uptake into vesicles. Reserpine, which inhibits the multidrug efflux mediated by the bmr gene of bacillus subtilis, which is similar to norA, abolished norfloxacin uptake into vesicles as well as the norfloxacin resistance of an flqB mutant, suggesting a potential means for circumventing quinolone resistance as a result of drug efflux in S. aureus. These findings indicate that the chromosomal flqB resistance locus is associated with increased levels of expression of norA and strongly suggest that the NorA protein itself functions as a drug transporter that is coupled to the proton gradient across the cell membrane.
Does variant hepatic artery anatomy in a liver transplant recipient increase the risk of hepatic artery complications after transplantation

OBJECTIVE. Our aim was to determine whether variant hepatic artery anatomy in a liver transplant recipient increases the risk of hepatic artery complications after liver transplantation.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The study group consisted of 84 patients who underwent gadolinium-enhanced 3D MR angiography before orthotopic liver transplantation in which a branch patch arterial anastomosis at the gastroduodenal takeoff was used. MR angiography studies were retrospectively reviewed and assessed for the presence and type of variant hepatic artery anatomy. The diameter of the distal common hepatic artery was measured. The incidence of posttransplantation hepatic artery stenosis or thrombosis was assessed.RESULTS. Seven (8.3%) of the 84 patients developed hepatic artery complications after transplantation. Of the 24 patients with variant hepatic artery anatomy, five (20.8%) had posttransplantation/ hepatic artery complications. In contrast, only two (3.3%) of the 60 patients with classic hepatic artery anatomy had ...
Neural Correlates of Visuospatial Working Memory in Healthy Young Adults at Risk for Hypertension

Family history of hypertension (FH+) has been associated with subtle deficits in cognitive function. In search of an early marker that may identify individuals predisposed to developing cognitive difficulties, we employed fMRI to test for FH+ related differences in hemodynamic response to a working memory challenge in healthy young adults with intact working memory. Fourteen healthy adults (ages 18 to 40 years) participated in an fMRI study of working memory. Seven of the participants were FH+. Groups were matched for working memory performance. Relative to FH− controls, FH+ participants exhibited lower 2-Back-related activation in the right inferior parietal lobule and the right inferior temporal gyrus as well as significantly more deactivation in the posterior cingulate cortex. These results indicate that FH+ is associated with subtle changes in visuospatial attention even in healthy young adults.
Negative regulation of epithelium-neutrophil interactions via activation of CD44.

Polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) migration across epithelia is a common feature of active inflammation. Given the suggested role of carbohydrates in this process, we examined the receptor CD44. T...
The strategy of tail-autotomy in the ground skink, Lygosoma laterale.

The adaptation of tail-autotomy is paradoxical in lizards which utilize the tail as a major fat-storage organ, because high rates of tail-loss are normal and because surrender of large fat reserves seems to amount to selective pressure favoring predation on such lizards. Experimental results demonstrate the existence of ta behavioral mechanism in Lygosoma laterale consisting of return by the lizard to where its tail was lost, a strong ingestion response to an inanimate automized tail, and movements by the autotomized tail which make its capture less likely. Laboratory evidence includes rates of ingestion of autotomized tails averaging nearly 40% for five species of skinks. This contrasts with rates averaging 3.4% for two iguanid lizards in which fat reserves are not stored in the tail. Tests with free-ranging L. laterale show that ingestion occurs in nature. Additional laboratory experiments quantitatively demonstrate escape behavior by tails of L. laterale. The results confirm a behavioral mechanism in L. laterale which compensates for the ready autotomy of major fat reserves. At the same time, two divergent evolutionary strategies of adaptation of the autotomic tail are defined.
Doxycycline versus tetracycline therapy for Lyme disease associated with erythema migrans.

Abstract Background: Doxycycline is widely used to treat Lyme disease associated with erythema migrans. Whether it is comparable to tetracycline is unknown. Objective: We conducted a two-part retrospective analysis of (1) the safety and efficacy of doxycycline compared with tetracycline and (2) the safety and efficacy of a 14-day versus a 20-day course of doxycycline. Methods: Twenty-seven patients given tetracycline (500 mg four times a day for 14 days [group 1]) were compared retrospectively with 21 patients who received doxycycline (100 mg two or three times a day for 14 days [group 2]). The results for group 2 were also compared with that of 38 patients who received doxycycline for 20 days (100 mg three times daily) in a prospective treatment trial (group 3). Results: There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse drug effects or in efficacy at 1 month, but at 1 year there was a trend toward a better outcome in the group treated with tetracycline ( p = 0.08). A 14-day course of doxycycline was comparable to a 20-day course in the incidence of adverse drug effects and in clinical outcome. Conclusion: The principal advantage of doxycycline over tetracycline for the treatment of Lyme disease associated with erythema migrans is the convenience of less frequent dosing, not enhanced efficacy or safety. There appears to be no advantage in extending treatment with doxycycline from 14 to 20 days.
Analyzing large biological datasets with association networks

Due to advances in high-throughput biotechnologies biological information is being collected in databases at an amazing rate, requiring novel computational approaches that process collected data into new knowledge in a timely manner. In this study, we propose a computational framework for discovering modular structure, relationships and regularities in complex data. The framework utilizes a semantic-preserving vocabulary to convert records of biological annotations of an object, such as an organism, gene, chemical or sequence, into networks (Anets) of the associated annotations. An association between a pair of annotations in an Anet is determined by the similarity of their co-occurrence pattern with all other annotations in the data. This feature captures associations between annotations that do not necessarily co-occur with each other and facilitates discovery of the most significant relationships in the collected data through clustering and visualization of the Anet. To demonstrate this approach, we applied the framework to the analysis of metadata from the Genomes OnLine Database and produced a biological map of sequenced prokaryotic organisms with three major clusters of metadata that represent pathogens, environmental isolates and plant symbionts.
A metagraph-based DSS analysis workbench

A metagraph is a graph-theoretic construct that has been shown to be a useful basis for graphical visualization and algebraic analysis of DSS resources such as models, data and rules. We describe the structure and use of a metagraph-based DSS analysis workbench that can also be used as a front-end to an existing DSS for activities such as database design and model analysis.
Widespread regulatory activity of vertebrate microRNA* species

An obligate intermediate during microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis is an ~22-nucleotide RNA duplex, from which the mature miRNA is preferentially incorporated into a silencing complex. Its partner miRNA* species is generally regarded as a passenger RNA, whose regulatory capacity has not been systematically examined in vertebrates. Our bioinformatic analyses demonstrate that a substantial fraction of miRNA* species are stringently conserved over vertebrate evolution, collectively exhibit greatest conservation in their seed regions, and define complementary motifs whose conservation across vertebrate 3'-UTR evolution is statistically significant. Functional tests of 22 miRNA expression constructs revealed that a majority could repress both miRNA and miRNA* perfect match reporters, and the ratio of miRNA:miRNA* sensor repression was correlated with the endogenous ratio of miRNA:miRNA* reads. Analysis of microarray data provided transcriptome-wide evidence for the regulation of seed-matched targets for both mature and star strand species of several miRNAs relevant to oncogenesis, including mir-17, mir-34a, and mir-19. Finally, 3'-UTR sensor assays and mutagenesis tests confirmed direct repression of five miR-19* targets via star seed sites. Overall, our data demonstrate that miRNA* species have demonstrable impact on vertebrate regulatory networks and should be taken into account in studies of miRNA functions and their contribution to disease states.
Solute-solvent complex kinetics and thermodynamics probed by 2D-IR vibrational echo chemical exchange spectroscopy.

The formation and dissociation kinetics of a series of triethylsilanol/solvent weakly hydrogen bonding complexes with enthalpies of formation ranging from −1.4 to −3.3 kcal/mol are measured with ultrafast two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) chemical exchange spectroscopy in liquid solutions at room temperature. The correlation between the complex enthalpies of formation and dissociation rate constants can be expressed with an equation similar to the Arrhenius equation. The experimental results are in accord with previous observations on eight phenol/solvent complexes with enthalpies of formation from −0.6 to −2.5 kcal/mol. It was found that the inverse of the solute−solvent complex dissociation rate constant is linearly related to exp(−ΔH0/RT) where ΔH0 is the complex enthalpy of formation. It is shown here, that the triethylsilanol−solvent complexes obey the same relationship with the identical proportionality constant, that is, all 13 points, five silanol complexes and eight phenol complexes, fall on the s...
Undifferentiated Sarcoma of the Liver A Case Study of an Erythropoietin-Secreting Tumor

Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver (UESL) is an uncommon hepatic tumor usually found in children, with rare cases reported in adults. We present a case of a 53-year-old woman with an undifferentiated sarcoma of the liver (USL), which resembles UESL, who initially presented with a markedly elevated hematocrit (61.2%). Cytogenetic studies for polycythemia vera were negative, but the patient’s erythropoietin (EPO) was elevated. A computed tomography scan and subsequent partial hepatectomy revealed a well-circumscribed, partially cystic mass in the right lobe of the liver measuring 34 cm. Following surgery, the patient’s EPO level and hematocrit dropped to within normal range and remained so for 1 year, at which point it rose again. A subsequent magnetic resonance imaging scan showed a liver mass at the previous resection margin, consistent with a recurrence. In this case study, we describe the first reported USL resembling an UESL that secretes EPO, which was a useful marker of tumor recurrence.
A Bluetooth scatternet-route structure for multihop ad hoc networks

Bluetooth scatternets, integrating polling, and frequency hopping spread-sprectrum in their medium access control protocol, provide a contention-free environment for Bluetooth devices to access the medium and communicate over multihop links. Currently, most available scatternet formation protocols tend to interconnect all Bluetooth devices at the initial network startup stage and maintain all Bluetooth links thereafter. Instead of this "big scatternet" approach, we propose a scatternet-route structure to combine the scatternet formation with on-demand routing, thus eliminating unnecessary link and route maintenances. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first effort to address on-demand scatternet formation with every detail. We introduce an extended ID (EID) connectionless broadcast scheme, which, compared with original Bluetooth broadcast mechanism, achieves very much shortened route discovery delay. We also propose to synchronize the piconets along each scatternet route to remove piconet switch overhead and obtain even better channel utilization. Furthermore, we present a route-based scatternet scheduling scheme to enable fair and efficient packet transmissions over scatternet routes. Network performance analysis and simulations show that scatternet routes can provide multihop wireless channels with high network utilization and extremely stable throughput, being especially useful in the transmission of large batches of packets and real time data in wireless environment.
Treatment of hypophosphatemia using a protocol based on patient weight and serum phosphorus level in a surgical intensive care unit

Abstract Background Hypophosphatemia may cause organ derangements in the surgical intensive care unit. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a repletion protocol for hypophosphatemia based on admission weight and phosphorus level. Study design All patients who presented to an 18-bed surgical intensive care unit with a serum phosphorus level of 2.2 mg/dL or less or who received phosphorus supplementation despite having normal levels were identified. In the preintervention phase between January and June 2001, 137 patients were retrospectively identified who met these criteria. A protocol was then designed giving a single intravenous dose of phosphorus based on weight and serum phosphorus. Repletion was given with sodium or potassium phosphorus based on presupplementation levels. After protocol implementation 141 patients met these criteria between September 2001 and February 2002, and treatment and postrepletion levels were followed prospectively. Results A total of 47 patients were repleted before the intervention with adequate followup and 22 (47%) attained a normal level. Supplementation success was 53% in moderate hypophosphatemia (2.2 mg/dL or less) and 27% in severe hypophosphatemia (less than 1.5 mg/dL). After protocol implementation, 111 patients were repleted with 84 (76%) correcting to a normal level (p = 0.002 compared with retrospective patients). Success was 78% in moderate hypophosphatemia and 62% in severe hypophosphatemia. Inappropriate supplementation of normal phosphorus levels decreased from 51 to 16 patients after protocol implementation. Conclusions A protocol based on weight and serum levels successfully treated both moderate and severe hypophosphatemia in the majority of critically ill patients. Protocol implementation also decreased unnecessary supplementation of normal phosphorus levels.
Monitoring the condition of feedback control systems

A condition monitoring scheme for feedback control systems is presented. This scheme is meant for detecting seriously deteriorating conditions of a feedback system, in both transient state and steady state, before instability becomes manifest. It is assumed that the process is disturbed by a random noise with a rational spectrum and by a series of deterministic signals. The frequency characteristics in steady state oscillatory characteristics in transient state are monitored. A transient detector is used to differentiate steady state from transient state. This scheme divides the monitoring task into three subtasks: transient detection, transient monitoring, and steady-state monitoring. Algorithms have been developed for each subtask, and logic rules have been employed to coordinate these algorithms so that they can function correctly to monitor the system in different situations. Simulation experiments demonstrated the promising performance of this monitoring scheme. >
Analytical Approaches for Image Recontruction in 3D SPECT

In single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), fully 3D reconstruction methods are necessary in order to compensate adequately for the effects of distance-dependent spatial resolution and scatter, which are inherently 3D in nature. Although iterative methods have been developed for 3D reconstruction in SPECT, there has been a lack of systematic investigation and development of closed-form (i.e., non-iterative) methods, particularly those that attempt to control noise in an optimal way. In this work, we develop an infinite class of closed-form methods that compensate for the effects of uniform attenuation and distance-dependent spatial resolution in 3D SPECT.
Commercial Lending and the Separation of Banking and Commerce

Modern scholarship on corporate law treats equity-holders, managers and/or directors as the primary levers of corporate governance. In recent years, however, economists and legal scholars have increasingly recognized that creditors often engage in governance as well. Creditors engage in governance directly, for example, when they exercise contractual rights that give them some degree of control over the operations of their corporate debtors. They can also engage in governance indirectly, as when they monitor borrowers and signal important information to other stakeholders. Among creditors, banks are particularly active in providing these forms of corporate governance. The fact that banks exercise such governance of their corporate borrowers is puzzling in light of an important, enduring principle of American banking law and regulation - the separation of banking and commerce. Despite recent reforms that supposedly tear down the wall between banking and commerce, banks still generally cannot become owners of corporate firms. Yet banks' lending activities often share many of the financial and functional attributes of formal ownership. And most of the rationales given for the policy of separation of banking and commerce - e.g., concerns about potential conflicts of interest, expansion of subsidies, and accumulation of market power - seemingly apply to banks in their capacity as corporate lenders. This in turn suggests that banks' relationships with their corporate debtors may provide evidence that would help evaluate the potential costs and benefits of allowing banks to invest more broadly in the equity of commercial firms. In fact, available data suggest that banks' governance is often valuable to their corporate borrowers. If so, this may reflect that at least some of the rationales for separating banking and commerce are unfounded or overstated.
Integrating Statistics Labs into Economics Electives

Typically, undergraduate economics electives focus on content rather than methods, in spite of the fact that empirical work is fundamental to the practice of economics. This article describes an alternative approach to teaching content by using statistics labs that emphasize the empirical testing or applications of the theory. The result of this approach is that students develop an understanding of content in a way that more closely resembles the understanding of a research economist.
Religious morality (and secular humanism) in Western civilization as precursors to medical ethics: A historic perspective.

In discussing bioethics and the formulation of neuroethics, the question has arisen as to whether secular humanism should be the sole philosophical guiding light, to the exclusion of any discussion (or even mention) of religious morality, in professional medical ethics. In addition, the question has arisen as to whether freedom or censorship should be part of medical (and neuroscience) journalism. Should independent medical journals abstain from discussing certain issues, or should only the major medical journals — i.e., the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) or Lancet — be heard, speaking with one “consensual,” authoritative voice? This issue is particularly important in controversial topics impacting medical politics — e.g., public health policy, socio-economics, bioethics, and the so-called redistributive justice in health care. Should all sides be heard when those controversial topics are discussed or only a consensual (monolithic) side? This historical review article discusses those issues and opts for freedom in medical and surgical practice as well as freedom in medical journalism, particularly in opinion pieces such as editorials, commentaries, or letters to the editor, as long as they relate to medicine and, in our special case, to neuroscience and neurosurgery. After answering those questions, and in response to a critical letter to the editor, this review article then expounds comprehensively on the historical and philosophical origins of ethics and religious morality. Necessarily, we discuss the Graeco-Roman legacy and the Judeo-Christian inheritance in the development of ethics and religious morality in Western civilization and their impact on moral conduct in general and on medical and neuroscience ethics in particular.
A MULTIVARIATE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF DIRECT AND CORRELATED RESPONSE TO SELECTION IN THE RAT.

An important part of many studies in evolutionary biology is the assessment of genetic (i.e., evolutionary) differentiation among a group of related taxa. Over the past 15 or so years, considerable literature has been accumulated on evolutionary divergence at the biochemical level which has been obtained by determining the relative divergence in gene frequencies using allozyme data from electrophoresis. However, a description of the frequencies of allozyme alleles often does not portray the divergence in those complex sets of integrated morphological and physiological traits which are most useful in constructing phylogenies, understanding morphogenesis or clarifying ecological adaptations. Most characters useful in ontogenetic, phylogenetic or taxonomic studies are controlled during development by large numbers of loci where each locus may have a small net effect on the trait in question and pleiotropic effects on many others. Further, it is the integration of these polygenic traits into complex organ systems or developmental processes which are of most interest to evolutionary biologists. The analysis of manifold gene effects in such genetic systems falls in the realm of biometrical or quantitative genetics; however, only in recent years have determined efforts been made to understand biometrical genetic aspects of morphogenesis in an evolutionary framework (Lande, 197 9, 1980; Atchley and Rutledge, 1980; Atchley etal., 1981). In this paper, we explore some quantitative genetic aspects of evolutionary differentiation in closely related taxa by examining the genetic basis of biometrical divergence in the skull and jaw in six selected lines of laboratory rats. This paper provides biometrical data on direct and correlated response to long-term directional selection for weight gain in a suite of highly integrated skeletal characters from the skull and jaw. The experiment mimics a commonly observed phenomenon in evolutionary biology where there has been a subdivision of a genetically homogeneous population followed by strong selection for a single developmental trait, i.e., body weight gain. In this paper we provide information about the following aspects of multivariate variation in the rat skull as a response to long-term selection: 1) relative phenotypic and genetic divergence between selection treatments; 2) phenotypic differentiation between replicates of the same selection treatments; 3) symmetry of response to selection; 4) heritability of the ' Paper number 3 in a series on genetic components of size and shape.
Stabilized helical peptides: a strategy to target protein-protein interactions.

Protein–protein interactions are critical for cell proliferation, differentiation, and function. Peptides hold great promise for clinical applications focused on targeting protein–protein interactions. Advantages of peptides include a large chemical space and potential diversity of sequences and structures. However, peptides do present well-known challenges for drug development. Progress has been made in the development of stabilizing alpha helices for potential therapeutic applications. Advantages and disadvantages of different methods of helical peptide stabilization are discussed.
Application of Vacancy Injection Gettering to Improve Efficiency of Solar Cells Produced by Millinet Solar: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-10-417

NREL will apply vacancy injection gettering (VIG) to Millinet solar cells and evaluate the performance improvement produced by this process step. The VIG will be done in conjunction with the formation of a back, Al-alloyed, contact. Millinet Solar will provide NREL with cells having AR coating on the front side and screen-printed Al on the backside, which will be processed in the NREL's optical furnace to perform simultaneous VIG and back contact alloying with deep BSF. These cells will be sent back to Millinet solar for a screen-printed front/side contact mask, followed by a second firing at NREL. Detailed analyses will be performed to determine improvements due to BSF and VIG.
Oral soft tissue pathology in children.

A guide to etiology, symptoms, and treatment of commonly occurring oral afflictions of infants and children.
Language, Historical Reconstruction and the Development of Society

Vico was not concerned with poetry as either art or literature; rather it was man’s innate desire to create representations of the past which was his primary consideration. Neither did poetry in Vico’s thought have anything to do with the products of sensitive, perceptive or refined imaginations, nor was it the work of individuals.1 Vico showed no interest in the great artistic traditions which often accompany extravagant and decadent civilizations. His emphasis was always on the spontaneous creations of social groups rather than well-planned individual works of great genius. He did not discuss la questione della lingua (the question of language), which runs throughout the history of Italian culture and concerns the variety of language most appropriate for literary use.2 For Vico early poetry was produced by necessity, not for pleasure. Croce was absolutely correct; it is necessary to understand Vico’s idea of poetry if one wishes to comprehend La scienza nuova.3
Uterus Transplantation: Medical Considerations

Background Uterine transplantation is a novel treatment for uterine factor infertility (UFI), a condition which affects women who have an absent or nonfunctioning uterus and cannot carry their own biological children. Traditionally, surrogacy and adoption have been the only options for women with UFI. With recent successful living donor transplants in a clinical trial from Sweden, there is new hope for women with UFI to be able to experience pregnancy.
Apparent Quantum Efficiency Spectra for Superoxide Photoproduction and Its Formation of Hydrogen Peroxide in Natural Waters

Superoxide (O2−) is a key intermediate in the cycling of organic matter and trace metals in natural waters but production rates are difficult to determine due to low steady-state concentrations, rapid decay rates, and unstable standards. On the other hand, superoxide’s dismutation product, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), is relatively stable in filtered water. Thus, if the stoichiometry between O2− and H2O2 is known, one can derive superoxide data from H2O2 measurements. The relationship between O2− and H2O2 remains uncertain in seawater but work by Petasne and Zika (1987) presented a method for examining the relationship between O2− and H2O2 during irradiations of coastal seawater using superoxide dismutase (SOD), which forces a 2:1 stoichiometry between O2− and H2O2. Here we report the first O2− apparent quantum yield (AQY) spectra following their approach; performing irradiations of various fresh and seawater samples and measuring H2O2 accumulation with and without added SOD. For all but a single riverine sample, H2O2 AQY spectra fell in a narrow range, but O2− AQY spectra varied such that O2−:H2O2 ratios were always greater than 2 and were highest for the clear waters of the Gulf Stream (~3.4 O2− per H2O2 generated). Because this approach eliminates the need to measure O2− production rates directly, it represents a simple way to refine the stoichiometric relationships that would potentially allow global estimates of O2− photoproduction rates, O2− steady-state concentrations ([O2−]ss), and related surface ocean redox reactions based on more manageable H2O2 photochemical studies.