cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract LB-37: P-REX1 is a novel PTEN-interacting protein that activates PI3K signaling in breast cancer.

The mechanism(s) underlying regulation of the tumor suppressor phosphatase PTEN, which negatively regulates phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling, remains unclear. The PI3K/AKT pathway regulates cancer cell growth, survival, and metabolism. Since PTEN is expressed and PI3K is hyperactivated in the majority of breast cancers, we hypothesized that PTEN is inhibited by protein interactions, thus derepressing PI3K signaling. A proteomic screen to identify novel PTEN-binding proteins in breast cancer cells revealed interaction with P-REX1, a known Rac guanine exchange factor (GEF). A separate proteomic experiment to identify PTEN/PI3K-regulated proteins showed that P-REX1 levels are decreased upon loss of PTEN and increased upon inhibition of PI3K. PTEN/P-REX1 interaction and the effects of pharmacological PI3K pathway inhibitors on P-REX1 levels were validated by immunoprecipitation/immunoblot analyses. In reverse-phase protein array analysis of lysates from 597 primary human breast tumors, levels of P-REX1 protein were positively correlated with PTEN protein, and inversely correlated with phospho-AKT-T308 (both p Citation Format: Lloye M. Dillon, Jennifer R. Bean, Justin M. Balko, W. Hayes McDonald, David B. Friedman, Ana M. Gonzalez-Angulo, Gordon B. Mills, Carlos L. Arteaga, Todd W. Miller. P-REX1 is a novel PTEN-interacting protein that activates PI3K signaling in breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-37. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-LB-37
Practice and effectiveness of strengthening the communication between medical staff and patients

Objective To alleviate conflicts between medical staff and patients and reduce medical disputes to improve the quality of medical service.Methods We analyzed the existing problems in the patients’ complaints in pediatric clinic.The training emphasis has been put on changing concepts to improve the communication between medical staff and patients through the change of medical staff’s behaviors,language,and service ideas and the improvement of medical environment.At the same time,we established the system of communication,strengthened the supervision of medical service,and reinforced uncorrupted medical service.Results This practice improved the quality of service in outpatient department,and the patients’ satisfaction rate was achieved to 97.8% in average in 2004.The rate of patients’ complaints decreased by 30%.Conclusions It is an important method to reinforce communication between doctor and patient in adjusting the relationship between doctors and patients,prompting construction of medical morals,reducing medical disputes and advancing the quality of medical service.
Adaptive intelligent user interfaces with emotion recognition

The focus of this dissertation is on creating Adaptive Intelligent User Interfaces to facilitate enhanced natural communication during the Human-Computer Interaction by recognizing users' affective states (i.e., emotions experienced by the users) and responding to those emotions by adapting to the current situation via an affective user model created for each user. Controlled experiments were designed and conducted in a laboratory environment and in a Virtual Reality environment to collect physiological data signals from participants experiencing specific emotions. Algorithms (k-Nearest Neighbor [KNN], Discriminant Function Analysis [DFA], Marquardt-Backpropagation [MBP], and Resilient Backpropagation [RBP]) were implemented to analyze the collected data signals and to find unique physiological patterns of emotions. Emotion Elicitation with Movie Clips Experiment was conducted to elicit Sadness, Anger, Surprise, Fear, Frustration, and Amusement from participants. Overall, the three algorithms: KNN, DFA, and MBP, could recognize emotions with 72.3%, 75.0%, and 84.1% accuracy, respectively. Driving Simulator experiment was conducted to elicit driving-related emotions and states (panic/fear, frustration/anger, and boredom/sleepiness). The KNN, MBP and RBP Algorithms were used to classify the physiological signals by corresponding emotions. Overall, KNN could classify these three emotions with 66.3%, MBP could classify them with 76.7% and RBP could classify them with 91.9% accuracy. Adaptation of the interface was designed to provide multi-modal feedback to the users about their current affective state and to respond to users' negative emotional states in order to decrease the possible negative impacts of those emotions. Bayesian Belief Networks formalization was employed to develop the User Model to enable the intelligent system to appropriately adapt to the current context and situation by considering user-dependent factors, such as: personality traits and preferences.
A Collision Avoidance Strategy for a Potential Natural Satellite Around the Asteroid Bennu for the OSIRIS-REx Mission

The cadence of proximity operations for the OSIRIS-REx mission may have an extra induced challenge given the potential of the detection of a natural satellite orbiting the asteroid Bennu. Current ground radar observations for object detection orbiting Bennu show no found objects within bounds of specific size and rotation rates. If a natural satellite is detected during approach, a different proximity operation cadence will need to be implemented as well as a collision avoidance strategy for mission success. A collision avoidance strategy will be analyzed using the Wald Sequential Probability Ratio Test.
The Pituitary—Hypothalamic Axis

Tucked beneath the thalamus of the adult human brain is the tiny hypothalamus representing 0.5% of the total brain volume. The diminutive size is deceptive, however:
Strong semistabilizability and partial semistabilizability with applications to semistabilization analysis of multi-layer networks

Stabilizability is a metric to measure the ability of a dynamical system to achieve asymptotic stabilization by feedback. Similar to this role, semistabilizability was originally proposed to measure the capability of a dynamical system to achieve semistable stabilization or equivalently, semistabilization by feedback. However, in this paper by conducting a further detailed discussion on the notion of semistabilizability, we find out its limitation and restriction to fully capture the semistabilization capability of linear systems. Thus, two new notions of strong semistabilizability and partial semistabiliz-ability are proposed to fully characterize the semistabilization ability for linear systems. These notions are then used for semistabilization analysis of multi-layer networks formed by graph Cartesian products when each single layer of networks is semistabilizable.
Structural Glaciology of an Ice Layer in a Firn Fold, Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica: Ice Grain Analysis

A highly deformed area in the Ross Ice Shelf near the Bay of Whales was studied during the 1958–59 Antarctic summer season. A series of snow-firn folds up to 8 m. high and with a wavelength of approximately 100 m. occurs here. Along one of these folds, a unique ice layer formed during the 1952–53 season through refreezing of melt water. From sites along this layer approximately 2,300 ice grains were measured using the root mean square method with the least circle diameter. The data obtained indicate the following: The mean diameter of the ice grains ranges from 4.5 mm. in the ice from the crest of the anticline to 2.5 mm. in the zone of maximum shear stress and/or in sections having a high air bubble content. The large diameter of the ice grains at the crest is attributed to greater solar radiation resulting from their proximity to the 1958–59 snow surface, and because they are near the surface of the exposed crevasse wall. The area of maximum shear stress, which is represented by small ice grains and the presence of secondary folds, is located almost halfway between the crest and the trough. Grains in the trough are larger than those in the shear zone because of less stress, and smaller than those at the crest because of deeper burial and the presence of a crevasse bridge which eliminates all direct radiation here. The growth of the ice grains is therefore controlled by temperature, stress and impurities.
Mothers' Concerns for Personal Safety and Privacy While Breastfeeding: An Unexplored Phenomenon

Abstract Background: Preliminary qualitative research in upstate NY shows new mothers are worried about safety while breastfeeding. Little is known regarding prevalence of these concerns and their ...
Evidence for/Against Administration of Antifibrinolytic Agents During an Obstetrical Hemorrhage

Antifibrinolytics are lysine analogs that inhibit fibrinolysis by binding to plasminogen and preventing it from binding to a fibrin clot where it can be activated to plasmin. These drugs also bind directly to plasmin and displace it from the fibrin clot. Epsilon aminocaproic acid (amicar) and tranexamic acid (TXA) are FDA approved for the treatment of hemophilia patients for short-term use to reduce or prevent hemorrhage, and to reduce the need for replacement therapy, during and following tooth extraction. They are also approved for the treatment of cyclic heavy menstrual bleeding. This class of drug has been increasingly used to decrease blood loss associated with cardiopulmonary bypass surgery, trauma, hip, knee and spinal surgeries, and to treat thrombocytopenic patients with alloimmune refractoriness and bleeding. Several small-scale studies have shown promise in reducing obstetric hemorrhage. Recently a large randomized controlled trial showed that TXA reduces death due to bleeding from post-partum hemorrhage (PPH) with minimal adverse effects, especially if administered within 3 h of delivery. A second prospective randomized controlled trial to determine if TXA reduces the incidence of PPH is in process.
The importance of individual variation in the alarm calls of Gunnison's prairie dogs

Gunnison's prairie dogs, Cynomys gunnisoni, frequently utter a repetitive series (a ‘bout’) of alarm calls (called ‘barks’) in response to a variety of terrestrial predators. Previous work has suggested that the structure of barks is finely tuned in ways that provide highly specific information about the identity of the predator. We re-evaluated these findings by presenting individually marked adult females with taxidermy mounts of three terrestrial predators of prairie dogs: a coyote, Canis latrans, a bobcat, Lynx rufus, and an American badger, Taxidea taxus, as well as one control stimulus (a cardboard box). Significant variation among individuals was evident from analyses of 10 measures associated with the general pattern of barking (e.g. latency to begin barking, bout duration, average number of barks/bout, overall bark rate, interbout interval) and also from eight structural features of individual barks (e.g. frequency and duration measures of the fundamental frequency band). When controlling for the identity of alarm callers, we found little evidence for differences in these same variables in response to different stimuli. We conclude that, like several other species of ground-dwelling squirrels, Gunnison's prairie dogs have an individually distinctive alarm call that does not differ for different predators. Our results conflict with earlier claims of extreme specificity in the alarm calls of Gunnison's prairie dogs.
Effect of Carbon Content on Bainite Transformation Kinetics and Microstructure of 4140/4150 Steels

4140 steel and 4150 steel are different only in their carbon content. A comparison between the kinetics and microstructure of the bainite transformation of both steels has been carried out under a wide range of isothermal temperatures, in which four bainite phase matrices were generated. The four phases are upper bainite, mixed upper and lower bainite, lower bainite and mixed martensite and lower bainite (lower bainite transformed under Ms temperature). The bainite transformation kinetics-morphology characteristics of the four phases were studied and compared. Kinetics behavior patterns are shown with the developed TTT diagrams and kinetics plots- (bainite volume fraction vs isothermal holding time). The upper bainite and lower bainite transition temperatures are different and the bainite reaction time span is shorter when carbon content is higher. The n values in the Johnson-Mehl- Kolmogorov-Avrami (JMKA) equation have a wider deviation when carbon content is higher, indicating more bainite reaction variation. The activation energy required for the bainite phase transformations were compared and it was found that higher activation energy is needed when carbon content is higher. The subtle microstructure morphology differences are illustrated. This work will aid future development of 4140/4150 steels with bainitic microstructures having improved mechanical properties.
Effect of Drought and Phenological Stage at Transplanting on Root Hydraulic Conductivity, Growth Indices, and Photosynthesis of Turkish Hazelnut

Abstract A single drought episode was applied to two groups of container-grown Corylus colurna L. (Turkish hazelnut) seedlings which had concomitantly reached distinct phenological stages; 1) buds ...
Short-term improvements in cognitive function following vertical sleeve gastrectomy and Roux-en Y gastric bypass: a direct comparison study.

Cognitive deficits are observed in individuals with obesity. While bariatric surgery can reverse these deficits, it remains unclear whether surgery type differentially influences cognitive outcome. We compared the extent to which vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) and Roux-en Y gastric bypass (RYGB) ameliorated cognitive impairments associated with obesity. Female participants approved for VSG (N = 18) or RYGB (N = 18) were administered cognitive measures spanning the domains of attention [Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) Trial 1 and Letter Number Sequencing], processing speed [Stroop Color Trial, Symbol Digit Modalities Test, and Trail Making Part A], memory [HVLT Retained and HVLT Discrimination Index], and executive functioning (Stroop Color Word Trials and Trail Making Part B–A) prior to surgery and at 2 weeks and 3 months following surgery. Scores for each cognitive domain were calculated and compared between surgical cohorts using repeated measures analyses of variance. Significant weight loss was observed 2 weeks and 3 months following RYGB and VSG and was accompanied by improvements in processing speed and executive functioning. Patients who received RYGB also experienced improved attention as early as 2 weeks, which persisted at 3 months. This was not observed in individuals who underwent VSG. No changes in memory were observed from baseline measures in either group. This is the first report of cognitive improvements following VSG and the first direct comparison of cognitive improvements following RYGB and VSG. Short-term improvements in specific domains of cognitive function are observed at the beginning of the active weight loss phase following bariatric surgery that persisted to 3 months. The anatomical distinction between the two surgeries and resulting differential metabolic profiles may be responsible for the improvements in attention observed following RYGB but not following VSG.
Consumer acceptance of enhanced seat belt reminders, a gearshift interlock, or different speed-limiting interlocks to encourage seat belt use following a brief hands-on experience

Abstract Seat belt interlock systems that restrict the use of the vehicle or a vehicle feature when an occupant is unbelted are effective for increasing seat belt use but might be unacceptable to consumers. This study collected driver opinions about whether 3 seat belt reminder systems and 3 interlock systems, two that restricted speed and one that prevented shifting into gear, would increase belt use and were acceptable. Twenty-eight volunteers, 22 who routinely did use a belt and 6 who routinely did, drove 6 vehicles with these technologies on a closed course while unbelted or completing tasks that led to unbelted driving. Participants indicated their level of agreement from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) with 5 statements after driving each vehicle. Participants reported stronger levels of agreement that each interlock system would make them buckle up more frequently than 2 of the 3 reminder systems. Agreement about finding the various technologies acceptable, requiring them in a vehicle, avoiding purchasing a vehicle with them, or circumventing them was not significantly different among technologies. When asked to circumvent each interlock system, participants most commonly sat on a buckled belt, routed the belt behind their back, or buckled and unbuckled in various manners. Most participants raised safety concerns in a post-study interview about the interlock systems, particularly those that restricted speed. Hence, although interlocks were perceived as more effective for increasing belt use and no more or less acceptable than reminders following a brief hands-on experience, interlocks created safety concerns that may impede acceptance.
A 45-Year-Old Woman with Proximal Limb Weakness and Skin Peeling on Fingertips

Based on the clinical presentation, autoantibody association, and muscle biopsy features, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies are currently classified into fiver distinct subtypes: inclusion body myositis, polymyositis, dermatomyositis, immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy, and antisynthetase syndrome. Antisynthetase syndrome is characterized by the presence of anti-tRNA synthetase autoantibodies, myositis, interstitial lung disease, arthralgia, mechanic’s hands, and Raynaud's phenomenon. Here, we describe a case of antisynthetase syndrome associated with anti-Jo-1 autoantibody to illustrate the clinical and muscle biopsy features.
Chapter 6 – Networking

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the importance networking. Networking is not about schmoozing one's way to the top, but about establishing connections with people with common interests. Developing a network is essential in science for exchanging something, such as information, ideas, or favors. But networking is a form of “social exchange”: it involves interactions rather than a one-way flow of favors. It is important to identify general patterns and understand and interpret specific interactions. The balance in communication flow fluctuates while progressing in career. There are several excellent guides for women in the sciences and engineering that cover a broad range of skills that can make a person effective, and several sources of good information directed specifically toward faculty members at institutions where research is important. Establishing a sense of trust—so critical to networking relationships—takes time and is explicit rarely. The longer the interval between specific exchanges, the more trust there is in the relationship. There is no evidence that professional networking is more difficult for women. The gender pattern for social contacts actually favors women since they tend to be more skilled at making social contacts, and are usually willing to put more effort into their relationships.
Information-Theoretic Adverbialism

Adverbialism is the view that to have a conscious perceptual experience is to be consciously experiencing in a certain way, and that this way is not to be understood in relational or representation...
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Suicidal Behaviors Among Youth: The Buffering Influence of Family Communication and School Connectedness.

Abstract Purpose The main objectives of this study were to determine (1) whether family communication and school connectedness offer protection against suicidal behaviors in the presence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs; direct protective effect) and (2) whether family communication or school connectedness buffer the association between ACEs and suicidal behaviors (interacting protective effect) on the multiplicative and additive scales. Methods Data were obtained from a western state's 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey that included 5,341 middle school and 4,980 high school participants. Generalized linear models were used to estimate whether family communication and school connectedness offered direct protection against suicidal behaviors or buffered the association between ACEs and suicidal behaviors using adjusted prevalence ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Results Family communication and school connectedness offered direct protection against suicidal behaviors in the presence of ACEs (a 1-unit higher score was associated with a 32%–42% lower prevalence of suicidal behaviors for middle school youth and a 27%–39% lower prevalence of suicidal behaviors for high school youth). There was evidence that family communication and school connectedness buffered the association between ACEs and suicidal behaviors on the multiplicative scale. Conclusions The findings provide support for the development and implementation of interventions that build family communication and school connectedness to reduce suicidal behaviors. Furthermore, screening for trauma and suicidal behaviors is warranted.
An Overview of Cancer Health Disparities: New Approaches and Insights and Why They Matter.

Cancer health disparities remain stubbornly entrenched in the US health care system. The Affordable Care Act was legislation to target these disparities in health outcomes. Expanded access to health care, reduction in tobacco use, uptake of other preventive measures and cancer screening, and improved cancer therapies greatly reduced cancer mortality among women and men and underserved communities in this country. Yet, disparities in cancer outcomes remain. Underserved populations continue to experience an excessive cancer burden. This burden is largely explained by health care disparities, lifestyle factors, cultural barriers, and disparate exposures to carcinogens and pathogens, as exemplified by the COVID-19 epidemic. However, research also shows that comorbidities, social stress, ancestral and immunobiological factors, and the microbiome, may contribute to health disparities in cancer risk and survival. Recent studies revealed that comorbid conditions can induce an adverse tumor biology, leading to a more aggressive disease and decreased patient survival. In this review, we will discuss unanswered questions and new opportunities in cancer health disparity research related to comorbid chronic diseases, stress signaling, the immune response, and the microbiome, and what contribution these factors may have as causes of cancer health disparities.
High coupling efficiency, passive alignment setup for visible-range fiber-to-waveguide edge coupling

We present a method to passively edge couple multiple optical fibers with silicon nitride waveguides in the visible wavelengths. We efficiently convert the fiber mode to the waveguide mode using an inverse taper mode size converter and support passive alignment using a U-groove that centers the optical fiber to the inverse taper. In our prototypes, we measure a coupling efficiency of −4.2 dB per facet. To reduce light leakage to the silicon substrate, we use a 6-μm oxide layer, which also eliminates the additional processes of undercutting the silicon substrate underneath the waveguide. Furthermore, the U-groove structure has a polished edge surface for coupling, reducing the steps of edge polishing the die. Fabrication of this visible-range edge coupler is complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor-compatible, making it a highly scalable method for passively packaging multiple visible-range integrated photonics devices.
Targeting SLP76/ITK Signaling Interaction Separates GBHD from GVL in Allo-HSCT

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is a curative therapy for relapsed hematological malignancies, due to graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) activity mediated by alloreactive donor T cells. However, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is also primarily mediated by the same donor T cells. Here we assessed the role of T cells with attenuated TCR-mediated ITK activation in mediating GVL vs GVHD effects after allo-HSCT. T cells from mice with genomic knock-in to express a tyrosine to phenylalanine mutation at position 145 (Y145F) of the adaptor protein SLP-76 display defective TCR-mediated activation of the downstream kinase ITK. Alloreactive T cells from SLP76 Y145F knock-in (KI) mice did not cause GVHD but preserved cytotoxicity, accompanied by upregulation of Eomesodermin (Eomes), which was necessary for GVL function. We developed a novel peptide that can specifically inhibit SLP76 and ITK interactions, resulting in decrease phosphorylation of PLCγ1, ERK and reduce cytokine production in human T cells. This peptide inhibited donor T cell-mediated GVHD while maintaining GVL effects. Altogether, our data suggest that inhibiting SLP-76/ITK interaction could be a therapeutic strategy to reduce GVHD while maintaining the beneficial GVL effects after allo-HSCT treatment.
Mechanically-regulated bone repair.

Abstract Fracture healing is a complex, multistep process that is highly sensitive to mechanical signaling. To optimize repair, surgeons prescribe immediate weight-bearing as-tolerated within 24 hours after surgical fixation; however, this recommendation is based on anecdotal evidence and assessment of bulk healing outcomes (e.g., callus size, bone volume, etc.). Given challenges in accurately characterizing the mechanical environment and the ever-changing properties of the regenerate, the principles governing mechanical regulation of repair, including their cell and molecular basis, are not yet well defined. However, the use of mechanobiological rodent models, and their relatively large genetic toolbox, combined with recent advances in imaging approaches and single-cell analyses is improving our understanding of the bone microenvironment in response to loading. This review describes the identification and characterization of distinct cell populations involved in bone healing and highlights the most recent findings on mechanical regulation of bone homeostasis and repair with an emphasis on osteo-angio coupling. A discussion on aging and its impact on bone mechanoresponsiveness emphasizes the need for novel mechanotherapeutics that can re-sensitize skeletal stem and progenitor cells to physical rehabilitation protocols.
Supporting Scientific Practice through Model-Based Inquiry: A Students'-Eye View of Grappling with Data, Uncertainty, and Community in a Laboratory Experience

Modeling is a scientific practice that supports creative reasoning, motivates inquiry, and facilitates community sense-making. This paper explores students' perspectives on modeling in an undergraduate laboratory course, Authentic Inquiry through Modeling (AIM-Bio), in which they proposed, tested, and revised their own models. We conducted comparative case studies of eight students over a semester. Students described using models to support multiple forms of scientific reasoning and hypothesis generation. They recounted the challenges of dealing with uncertainty and integrating diverse ideas. They also described how these challenges pushed their thinking. Overall, students reported feeling a sense of scientific authenticity and agency through their modeling experience. We additionally provide an in-depth look at two students whose unique experiences in AIM-Bio emphasize the variable ways modeling can support inquiry learning. We claim that modeling emerged as a legitimate practice among students, because the AIM-Bio curriculum encouraged diversity in students' models, provided opportunities for students to grapple with uncertainty, and fostered collaboration between students. We suggest that biology educators consider how model-based inquiry can allow students to participate in science, as a way to support interest in, identification with, and ultimately persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.
Accounting and litigation risk: : evidence from Directors' and Officers' insurance pricing

We study whether and how financial reporting concerns are priced by insurers that sell Directors’ and Officers’ (D&O) insurance to public firms. As D&O insurers typically assume the liabilities arising from shareholder litigation, the premiums they charge for D&O coverage reflect their assessment of a company’s litigation risk. Using a sample of public firms in the 2001–2004 Tillinghast D&O insurance surveys, we document that firms with lower earnings quality or prior accounting restatements pay higher premiums after controlling for other factors impacting litigation risk. In addition, insurers’ concerns about financial reporting are most evident for firms with restatements that are not revenue or expense related, are greater in the period following the passage of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, and are greater for firms with financial reporting problems that linger. Our results are consistent with past restatements being viewed as evidence of chronic problems with a firm’s financial statements. By analyzing archival data, we can also quantify the effects of other determinants of D&O premiums (such as business risk, corporate governance, etc.) identified by Baker and Griffith (Univ Chic Law Rev 74(2):487–544, 2007a) through interviews regarding the D&O underwriting process.
Embryonic Stem Cells, Intellectual Property, and Patents: Ethical Concerns

The ethical issues surrounding the research involving embryonic stem cells can be traced back to the principles of Kant, Mill, Rawls, and other philosophers. As with all ethical principles, they tend to be absolute and vague. Thus, when society faces new technology, there is a need for ethical analysis. Ethical analysis deals with dilemmas that occur when the resolution to an issue brings into play two or more conflicting principles. When discussing stem cell ethics, we must further accept that an ethical analysis will include healthcare, research, and business, and that each will have specific ethical concerns. Thus, we have the usual social ethics of freedom—respect for the individual (Kant), respect for the group (Mill), and for justice (Rawls); and we add the ethical issues of medicine—autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and the norms and values of religion and politics. It is worth noting that science and the idea of progress emerged recently (sixteenth century) and that “‘[p]rogress involves a judgment of value’ . . . . [and] there is inevitably an ethical element. . . . [that] implies that . . . [it] flows in a desirable direction.” A basic understanding of the ethical principles involved in the stem cell debates will not necessarily get us to socially acceptable answers because of the pluralistic values that exist in society. For example, even arguments based on deontology will differ, whether one believes in a theological basis for analysis with the source being the will
Design criteria and candidate electrical power systems for a reusable Space Shuttle booster.

This paper presents the results of a preliminary study to establish electrical power requirements, investigate candidate power sources, and select a representative power generation concept for the NASA Space Shuttle booster stage. Design guidelines and system performance requirements are established. Candidate power sources and combinations thereof are defined and weight estimates made. The selected power source concept utilizes secondary silver-zinc batteries, engine-driven alternators with constant speed drive, and an airbreathing gas turbine. The need for cost optimization, within safety, reliability, and performance constraints, is emphasized as being the most important criteria in design of the final system.
Budgett's frog (Lepidobatrachus laevis): A new amphibian embryo for developmental biology.

Abstract The large size and rapid development of amphibian embryos has facilitated ground-breaking discoveries in developmental biology. Here, we describe the embryogenesis of the Budgett's frog (Lepidobatrachus laevis), an unusual species with eggs that are over twice the diameter of laboratory Xenopus, and embryos that can tolerate higher temperatures to develop into a tadpole four times more rapidly. In addition to detailing their early development, we demonstrate that, like Xenopus, these embryos are amenable to explant culture assays and can express exogenous transcripts in a tissue-specific manner. Moreover, the steep developmental trajectory and large scale of Lepidobatrachus make it exceptionally well-suited for morphogenesis research. For example, the developing organs of the Budgett's frog are massive compared to those of most model species, and are composed of larger individual cells, thereby affording increased subcellular resolution of early vertebrate organogenesis. Furthermore, we found that complete limb regeneration, which typically requires months to achieve in most vertebrate models, occurs in a matter of days in the Budgett's tadpole, which substantially accelerates the pace of experimentation. Thus, the unusual combination of the greater size and speed of the Budgett's frog model provides inimitable advantages for developmental studies—and a novel inroad to address the mechanisms of spatiotemporal scaling during evolution.
Strategy and Stability Analysis of Position and Force Control for Two Industrial Robots Handling a Single Object

The simultaneous position and force control problem for two industrial robots in handling a single object is studied in this paper. Two strategies, position-position control and position-force control, are first proposed. Stability analysis is then conducted for the strategies. Both strategies result in a stable system for simple robotic models. Steady state error is also studied in this paper. The investigation shows that both strategies have non-zero steady-state errors, which need to be improved for high performance coordinations.
Free Trade, Free Markets: Rating the 112th Congress

A review of the Cato Institute’s congressional trade votes database reveals how the 112th Congress and its individual members voted on major trade bills and amendments. 1 After a lull in congressional trade policymaking, the 112th Congress saw renewed action in trade policy but very little initiative. There were 15 individual votes that had an impact on Americans’ freedom to trade, whereas the 111th Congress held only three. The votes in the 112th Congress included consideration of three free trade agreements; two initiatives targeting imports from China; the extension of export finance subsidies, agriculture subsidies, and price supports; and the acceptance of U.S. obligations toward Russia after that country’s accession to the World Trade Organization. Despite this increase in attention, the congressional trade agenda during the 112th Congress was largely reactionary to external events. Votes on the farm bill and the Export-Import Bank merely sought to extend existing programs. The vote on trade relations with Russia was a response to that country joining the World Trade Organization after decades of negotiation, and a vote to allow anti-subsidy duties to be imposed on Chinese goods was meant to keep in place an existing practice found illegal by a federal court. The 112th Congress deserves credit for passing three free trade agreements, but only because previous congresses had worked to block their passage. In a less admirable moment, the Senate did show some initiative by voting to impose duties on Chinese imports in response to ongoing concerns about that country’s undervalued currency. These votes provide sufficient material to evaluate individual members’ positions on barriers and subsidies and assign them categories within Cato’s two-dimensional trade policy matrix. This paper includes an explanation of each major trade vote during the 112th Congress as well as analysis of members’ trade policy profiles based on their voting record. Not all of the votes offer a pure test of support for free trade and international competition, but each represents a reasonably clear attempt to either expand or restrict Americans’ freedom to trade. The descriptions of the bills and amendments included in this report are not intended to provide a definitive argument for or against the legislation, but rather to explain why, from a free-market perspective, the vote either hinders or promotes free trade according to Cato’s Free Trade, Free Markets methodology. 2
GORELLI HERNÁNDEZ, JUAN (2010). El coste económico del despido o el precio de la arbitrariedad: un estudio sobre la eficacia del despido disciplinario ilícito. Sevilla: Consejo Andaluz de Relaciones Laborales.

GORELLI HERNANDEZ, JUAN (2010). El coste economico del despido o el precio de la arbitrariedad: un estudio sobre la eficacia del despido disciplinario ilicito. Sevilla: Consejo Andaluz de Relaciones Laborales
Breast-feeding or infant formula should be continued for 12 months.

To the Editor.— The age at which the feeding of fresh homogenized cow9s milk can produce occult blood loss has not been determined. The most recent study1 suggests that iron-replete infants fed less than 1 L/day are susceptible when less than age 140 days but not between 140 and 196 days (4.7 to 6.5 months). This study used the Hemoccult test, a relatively insensitive test for blood in the stool. A review of the feeding histories of 12 infants previously reported22 and four studied subsequently who had evidence of iron deficiency anemia associated with the ingestion of large amounts of fresh homogenized cow9s milk (1 to 2 L daily) showed that eight of the 16 infants hed received infant formula with or without iron for at least 6 months, and four others for at least 3 months.
On control-Lyapunov functions under input constraints

In this paper we find explicit formulae for system stabilization based on control Lyapunov functions. The control value sets are allowed to have various special forms. This extends previous work which applied only to systems with unconstrained controls. >
Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) material growth and application to InP-based electronic devices

High electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs), PIN, mixer and multiplier diodes can benefit tremendously from their design and realization on InP-based material systems. The advantages of InP-based device approaches are multifold and include high mobility and velocity overshoot, as necessary for high-speed operation, heterojunctions appropriate for two-dimensional carrier gases with excellent confinement, bipolar designs with small turn-on voltage and enhanced base and collector transport, and diodes with low-power requirement. The most popular techniques used for realizing the above devices are molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), chemical beam epitaxy (CBE) and metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Although MBE has enabled the first demonstration of many of these devices and led to devices with excellent electrical performance, semiconductor device developments using MOCVD showed in most cases comparable electrical performance. Compared to both MBE and CBE, MOCVD also offers a very attractive solution in terms of manufacturing and production needs. Typical features of MOCVD include growth of large batches of wafers, high growth rates, and almost atmospheric growth conditions. This paper reviews the approaches used for MOCVD grown InP-based heterostructures and their application in the demonstration of high-performance electronic devices.
Glucose utilization in sympathetic ganglia of male Fischer-344 rats at different ages

Abstract The relation of glucose utilization to age was studied with the [14C]2-deoxy- d -glucose method in 3 peripheral sympathetic ganglia of conscious male Fischer-344 rats. The hypogastric ganglion, coeliac-mesenteric ganglion complex and superior cervical ganglion were examined in 3-, 12-, 24- and 30–33-month-old animals. Glucose utilization increased significantly between 12 and 30–33 months in the superior cervical ganglion and between 3 and 24 months in the coeliac-mesenteric ganglion complex. No significant, age-related changes were observed in the hypogastric ganglion. In addition, neuron density decreased significantly between 3 and 12 months in the hypogastric ganglion and between 3 and 30–33 months in the coeliac-mesenteric ganglion complex, but no changes were observed in the superior cervical ganglion. Despite the increased glucose utilization in the superior cervical ganglion, heart rate decreased between 12 and 24 months, and mean arterial blood pressure decreased between 24 and 30–33 months. The results suggest that functional activity of some sympathetic ganglia increases in older rats, although end organ effects may be reduced.
Saturability of esterification pathways of major monohydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids in rat basophilic leukemia cells

The principal monohydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs), 5-, 12-, and 15-HETE, which can be produced by rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-1) cells, are also esterified by these cells. Exogenously added 5-, 12-, and 15-HETE were rapidly incorporated as esters in RBL cells, reaching plateau levels within 25 min. In incubations in culture medium with protein added, all three HETEs were essentially completely metabolized within 24 h. 5-HETE was esterified more rapidly and to a greater extent than 12-HETE or 15-HETE when these were incubated together with RBL cells, indicating some degree of selectivity in the esterification pathways. When arachidonic acid (AA) was incubated in increasing concentrations with constant concentrations of 15-HETE and RBL cells, the free 15-HETE concentration increased and esterified 15-HETE concentration decreased markedly at AA: 15-HETE molar ratios above 9. 15-HETE esterification in RBL cells was also markedly inhibited by the polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosatetraynoic and eicosapentanoic acids, but not by oleic or linoleic acids. In separate experiments with unlabeled and radiolabeled substrates, the extent of incorporation of esterified HETE in RBL cells decreased at higher concentrations of 15-HETE and AA, which showed that the pathway was saturable. The shapes of the curves for these fatty acid inhibitors suggest a concentration-dependent two compartment pathway of esterification. These data indicate that the HETEs and other 20 carbon fatty acid substrates probably compete for activity of a specific arachidonyl-CoA synthetase, which is the first and rate-limiting step for esterification of arachidonic acid by many human cells. Esterified 15-HETE was found to be predominantly in the phosphatidylethanolamine fraction of RBL cell lipids.
Quantum theory of the dynamics of electron stimulated desorption

Abstract A quantum theory is presented of the heavy particle dynamics occurring in electron stimulated desorption. Emphasis is placed on formulating the theory of ion and neutral energy distributions in a framework which closely parallels that available in the description of gas phase molecular dissociation phenomena. Strong analogies with the quantum theory of Raman scattering processes are noted, and the quantum theory of electron stimulated desorption dynamics is shown to reduce to that of previous semiclassical and quantum descriptions in limiting cases.
Global risks survey

The top five risks facing the globe over the next decade, in order of the likelihood of their occurring, are severe income disparity, chronic fiscal imbalance, rising greenhouse gas emissions, water supply crises, and the mismanagement of population aging. That is according to a survey of more than 1000 experts from industry, government, academia, and civil society, presented in the World Economic Forum's Global Risks 2013 report that was issued on 8 January.
Intercellular antibodies: presence in a Trichophyton rubrum infection.

Intercellular antibodies have been discovered in a patient with a Trichophyton rubrum infection. Immunofluorescent (IMF) and complement fixing antibody titers correlated well with clinical symptoms. No penicillin sensitivity was present. While absorption with a proper ratio of trichophyton antigen removed all IMF antibodies from these sera, the serum from a patient with pemhigus vulgaris with a similar IMF-intercellular antibody titer was not affected by this absorption. It can be assumed that the specificity of the reaction in pemphigus is different from that induced by the Trichophyton rubrum infection although both may react with intercellular components.
On the yearly phase delay of winter intraseasonal mode in the western United States

In the western United States, persistent and recurrent flow patterns not only modulate precipitation events but also result in prolonged surface inversion episodes. In this region, the frequency of persistent ridge/trough events ranges between 20 and 40 days, well within the intraseasonal timescale. Based on NCEP reanalysis data starting at 1949, with a focus on the interior West, we observed that episodes of prolonged ridge/trough events appear to occur about a week later every year and resets every 5–7 years—a previously undocumented phenomenon examined herein. Diagnostic analyses indicate that the interplay between regional intraseasonal flow patterns and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) alternates the preferred timeframe for the persistent ridge/trough events to occur. This may result from different phases of the NAO shifting the winter mean ridge and such shifts modulate the occurrence and timing of persistent ridge/trough events. When the timing changes evolve around the quasi-6 years cycle of the NAO, the resultant evolution forms what appears to be a steady phase delay in the ridge/trough events year after year. These results are a further step in disclosing the multiple-scale interaction between intraseasonal and interannual modes and its regional climate/weather impact.
A positivity-preserving high-order semi-Lagrangian discontinuous Galerkin scheme for the Vlasov-Poisson equations

The Vlasov-Poisson equations describe the evolution of a collisionless plasma, represented through a probability density function (PDF) that self-interacts via an electrostatic force. One of the main difficulties in numerically solving this system is the severe time-step restriction that arises from parts of the PDF associated with moderate-to-large velocities. The dominant approach in the plasma physics community for removing these time-step restrictions is the so-called particle-in-cell (PIC) method, which discretizes the distribution function into a set of macro-particles, while the electric field is represented on a mesh. Several alternatives to this approach exist, including fully Lagrangian, fully Eulerian, and so-called semi-Lagrangian methods. The focus of this work is the semi-Lagrangian approach, which begins with a grid-based Eulerian representation of both the PDF and the electric field, then evolves the PDF via Lagrangian dynamics, and finally projects this evolved field back onto the original Eulerian mesh. In particular, we develop in this work a method that discretizes the 1+1 Vlasov-Poisson system via a high-order discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method in phase space, and an operator split, semi-Lagrangian method in time. Second-order accuracy in time is relatively easy to achieve via Strang operator splitting. With additional work, using higher-order splitting and a higher-order method of characteristics, we also demonstrate how to push this scheme to fourth-order accuracy in time. We show how to resolve all of the Lagrangian dynamics in such a way that mass is exactly conserved, positivity is maintained, and high-order accuracy is achieved. The Poisson equation is solved to high-order via the smallest stencil local discontinuous Galerkin (LDG) approach. We test the proposed scheme on several standard test cases.