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Tools for rearing hematophagous insects, such as mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), in an insectary are essential for research and operational evaluations in vector biology and control. There is an abundance of low-cost options for practitioners without conventional infrastructure. However, few midrange options exist that provide a balance of efficiency and low material waste. We present here a reproducible design for an electrically powered blood-feeding device that offers long-term reusability, low material waste, and customizability for different species or experiments. The limitation is the requirement for electricity, but the gain is a simple, low-skill device that can be modified as needed. To validate the design, assessments of feeding angle and blood-feeding success were compared between the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District artificial membrane feeder (SLAM) and a commercial system (Hemotek). Engorgement in Aedes aegypti (80–90%), Culex pipiens (50–80%), and Culex tarsalis (30–75%) was similar between the 2 units, resulting in nearly identical fecundity outcomes between devices. Additionally, 45° angles were more successful, generally, than presenting the feeders flat or vertical to the mosquitoes (df3,48, P  = 1.014 × 10−15). This angle is simple to present with the SLAM device. Materials for in-house reproduction of the SLAM system are now widely available in regions with access to e-commerce and shipped goods. This results in a device schematic that should fit well into a relatively modular, do-it-yourself paradigm where the practitioner needs only to assemble some materials without complex engineering. This article provides schematics, cost comparison, and validation of the in-house-made SLAM system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The family Promecheilidae Lacordaire, 1859 (= Perimylopidae St. George, 1939) has experienced a broad systematic redefinition and changes to its taxonomic composition during the last decade. Ten genera comprise this relatively small lineage, which is geographically restricted to the Holantarctic region. We further transfer the genus Dolphus Blanchard, 1847 from Tenebrionidae to Promecheilidae. The latter monotypic genus has been taxonomically problematic since its description due to the unique holotype being destroyed during its original species description. A full taxonomic catalog for the family is provided with type localities and references to synonymies, new combinations, and other nomenclatural changes. The catalog is illustrated with high-resolution images of type specimens housed in the Natural History Museum, London. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Despite a rise in automation, workers in the petroleum refining and petrochemical manufacturing industry are potentially exposed to various chemicals through inhalation while performing routine job duties. Many factors contribute to the degree of exposure experienced in this setting. The study objective was to characterize the impact of workplace conditions, anthropometric variability, and task orientation on exposure for a simulated routine operations task. Methods A chemical exposure laboratory simulation study was designed to evaluate the dependent variable of chemical exposure level in the breathing zone for methane and sulfur hexafluoride. The independent variables were (i) posture of the worker, (ii) worker anthropometry, (iii) process configuration, and (iv) gas density. Results Pipe height was a significant predictor of gas concentration measured in the breathing zone when located in a position that encouraged the gas to enter the breathing zone of the worker. Worker anthropometry had a major impact; tall worker's (male) chemical concentrations exceeded those of the short worker (female) for methane simulations but the opposite resulted for sulfur hexafluoride. Also, worker posture had a significant impact on gas exposure where nonneutral postures were found to have higher levels of chemical concentration. Conclusions The study findings indicate that the breathing zone location is altered by posture and worker height, which changes the exposures relative to the emission source depending on the gas density of the chemicals that are present. As a result, qualitative risk assessment cannot be performed accurately without accounting for these factors. Practically, controls may need to account for worker size differences and posture adaptations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tenebrionoids are not uncommon in late Mesozoic ambers, but their paleodiversity remains poorly explored, partly due to the insufficiently defined families of the extant fauna. Here, we describe and illustrate a new tenebrionoid beetle from mid‐Cretaceous Kachin amber, Glyphonotum hsiaoi gen. et sp. nov., which exhibits an unusual form of pronotal sulcus and tarsi. Based on morphological comparison and phylogenetic analyses, we tentatively place Glyphonotum in the extant family Pythidae, representing the first Mesozoic fossil of this family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positive outcomes are produced by having a high Quality of Work Life (QWL) in any organisation. On QWL, numerous investigations have already been conducted. However, our study differs from previous research since we tried to concentrate on the main issues (QWLrelated) that academic staff at educational institutions in Chennai experience. The study's objective was to determine respondents' perceived QWL status. 500 academicians from different private educational institutions in Chennai make up the sample. The level of job satisfaction among academics has been steadily declining in recent days, despite the fact that their preferred field of employment is teaching. And the quality of the work life is directly tied to job satisfaction. The features and factors from QWL reviews and questionnaires from earlier studies were used to build the questionnaire. The purpose of this study was to identify the key elements influencing QWL and provide the necessary recommendations for further improvement. The study's findings demonstrate that the respondents' QWL is not in a better state. There are numerous elements that have a significant impact on the respondents' QWL. Mainly Salary, bias in task assignment, and leave. The key to a nation's prosperity is higher education since it boosts its economic potential and promotes its growth. It is the responsibility of educational staff to comprehend and transform students' energy and knowledge in an effective and efficient manner. Numerous studies have shown that the quality of work life (QWL) is one of the most crucial and useful tools for human resource management. Work-life balance has long been a concern for people who are interested in the quality of working life and how it relates to overall quality of life. It can be challenging to juggle a fulfilling profession with a personal or family life, and this can affect a person's job satisfaction and personal obligations, including academic ones in higher education. Initiatives to improve quality of life at work inspire employees by assisting them in balancing their personal, professional, and social lives, which increases job satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Unusual setting of medical care Background: Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is an immunological response to heparin exposure that predisposes patients to hypercoagulable reactions with subsequent heparin administration. Traditionally, heparin is the standard anticoagulant used during organ procurement to prevent clot formation in grafts. This creates a problem in donors or recipients that develop HIT as they are at risk of developing life-threatening coagulopathy. This raises the question of how to use alternative anticoagulation therapies, such as argatroban, that provide rapid- onset prophylaxis by reversibly inhibiting thrombin. Additionally, there are few studies that have assessed how recipients of multiorgan donors treated with argatroban do post-operatively. Case Report: In this report, we discuss the procurement protocol and hospital course of a lung transplant recipient who received a graft treated with argatroban due to a HIT-positive liver recipient. The post-operative course for our patient was uneventful, with improved lung function and no complications attributable to argatroban use. Further, none of the 4 other recipients who received organs from the same donor experienced graft dysfunctions secondary to coagulopathy, including the HIT-positive liver recipient. Conclusions: The ultimate success of grafts without thromboembolic complications suggests the use of argatroban in multiorgan procurement in the setting of a HIT-positive recipient is safe and effective. This case report highlights an alternative to the traditional process of organ procurement with heparin, in which patients at risk of coagulopathies secondary to HIT are able to receive organs when traditional protocols would otherwise be prohibitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tribe Stenochiini Kirby, 1837 comprises six genera in North America with most species occurring in the tropical and temperate regions of the continent. Only two species in the genus Strongylium Kirby, 1818 have previously been reported from west of the Continental Divide in the United States from Arizona and New Mexico and no members of the tribe have been reported from the state of Sonora, Mexico. We here report Strongylium tenuicolle (Say, 1826), known to be widely distributed east of the Rocky Mountains, from west of the Continental Divide for the first time from both Arizona and New Mexico. We similarly report the first records of both Strongylium apache Triplehorn and Spilman, 1973 and Strongylium atrum Champion, 1888 from Sonora. Oploptera chamelensis (Doyen, 1990) was previously known only from the type series from Jalisco, Mexico and is here reported from Sonora, which thereby extends the known range of this genus significantly. To promote consistency in generic recognition, we propose the transfer of Oploptera simplicicollis (LeConte, 1878) New Combination from Strongylium for the species distributed across the southeastern United States. Species diagnoses are given, and generic boundaries are discussed along with the expected diversity of the Sonoran Desert region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents three arguments regarding the measurement of achievement in competitive sports including measures of achievement are flawed, traditional measures of athletic achievement are flawed, and athletic achievement is contaminated. The author makes an assessment concerning the ethical and physical achievements in the context of competitive sports. He argues that outcome-orientation toward competitive sport hinders the recognition of an athlete's character.

An obituary is presented for philosopher Bernard Suits.

Bernard Suits's The Grasshopper has become something of a cult classic in philosophical circles--especially among philosophers of sport. The book begins with a puzzle in the form of a recurring dream and ends with its solution. Sandwiched between the dream and its meaning, in a skillful manner, Suits puts forth and defends a definition of "game playing" as a voluntary attempt to overcome unneeded obstacles. In the final chapter, Suits solves the dream by proposing the seemingly untenable thesis that the ideal of human existence is the life of game playing. True to the thesis entertained, and in real Platonic fashion, The Grasshopper is not only an attempt to defend the game-playing thesis but also an illustration of it. The illustration is obvious enough in the witty, playful, imaginative, and, most important, inefficient structure and style of the book. I take the game-playing structure of the book to be sufficiently evident to those familiar with the work, so it needs no further amplification. The defense of Suits's thesis, however, is tied to his use of a counterfactually grounded Utopia at the book's end. This article takes a closer look at Suits's Utopia and its relation to the thesis that the ideal of human existence is game playing. After fleshing out the Suitsian ideal and his notion of Utopia, I examine two possible objections. First, there is the incoherence objection, according to which Suits's Utopia is a conceptually confused scenario, because it is a conceptually impossible scenario. Second, there is the stipulative objection, according to which Suits has used his imagination too freely and set up a Utopia where game playing has to be--through default and not willful choice--the ideal of human existence. At the end of this undertaking I consider the merits of salvaging Suits's utopic vision by offering a heuristic interpretation, wherein Suits's Utopia should be taken as a reasonably imaginable future toward which humans, through technological advances, are actually converging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the impact of "Fascistoid," a term used to describe the sports heroism. According to a well-known psychologist the excitement over elite athletic achievement in sporting events like the Olympic Games is not based on any type of respectable enthusiasm but rather on a fascist love of strength in winners and a fascist contempt for weakness in losers. Thus, there is need of considerable attitude reform in elite sport. What passes for love of strength and contempt for weakness is likely admiration of athletic excellence and disappointment at athletic failure.

Comments on the ethical and aesthetic aspects of using performance-enhancing drugs in sports. Definition of ergogenic aids; Factors to be considered in implementing ergogenic aids; Types of ergogenic aids.

Replies to a comment on the development of moral behavior in sport. Stages of moral development; Queries on the objective science of moral evaluation; Influence of skepticism on the views of moral development in sports.

Focuses on the use of steroids in sports. Importance of winning among teams; Pressures of winning among athletes; Discussion on the legal and ethical aspects of steroid use in sports.

Because of the political reforms demanded by his political philosophy, Jefferson was always focused on instantiating a system of education to edify all persons according to their needs and to prevent those governing at every level from lusting after power and fame instead of governing in pursuance of the interests of the general citizenry. That notion of a system of education—offering a basic education for all citizens and high-lever education and access to it for the intellectually and morally elite—at the time would have been unique to Virginia and it showed the extent to which Jefferson recognized both the political ills of his day and that those political ills could only be remedied through educational reform. This paper is a critical analysis of that system of education, from ward schools to the University of Virginia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central component of mosquito and vector surveillance programs globally is the adult mosquito trap, which is intended to collect host-seeking mosquitoes. The miniature CDC trap is a widely distributed trap style in part due to its relative affordability and compact nature. Despite already being a simple trap, in-house production methods, such as 3D printing, could improve the accessibility of the CDC trap by eliminating some of the supply chain variables. We present here several trials with the Salt Lake City (SLC) trap, a three-dimensional (3D) printed trap design. Functional assessments were made on secondary components and found no statistically significant differences when comparing CO2 line height (above vs. below fan), battery types (sealed lead acid vs. USB battery pack), and trap body collection shape (funnel body vs. simple/straight body). The SLC trap was compared directly to a commercial equivalent, the ABC trap, with comparative assessment on species diversity and evenness in collections and found to be statistically equivalent on all metrics. Methods also detail an accompanying optional transport system for a pressurized CO2/regulator set-up, should a practitioner elect not to use dry ice. Our final design is presented here with the publicly published stereolithography (STL) files and a detailed outline of the transport container system. Alternative models are available for in-house manufacture of mosquito traps, and we contribute these designs in an effort to stimulate further growth in vector surveillance. Author summary: Mosquitoes are among of the most commonly encountered public health pests when discussing zoonotic infectious diseases. Several specific tools exist to collect host-seeking mosquitoes from the field. The miniature CDC trap is a widely distributed, compact trap type that is best used when baited with carbon dioxide, such as through dry ice or pressurized gas. Even if the miniature CDC trap is among the more accessible variants of host-seeking mosquito traps, there can still be barriers to entry for small/local programs needing to trap, learn about, and make management decisions against their local mosquito species. To facilitate this, the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District (SLCMAD) developed a blueprint for 3D printing your own mini-CDC trap and validated its use against commercial equivalents. If a 3D printer is already available through a nearby institution (University, research institute, WHO centers, etc.), then the total cost without the dry ice is ~$4 USD (at the time of writing) to print this trap, as compared to commercially supplied models being ~$200 USD or more. The SLCMAD will continue to improve on the design specifications to require fewer materials and design plans are available publicly without cost at ThingiVerse under the SLCMAD page. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Use of psychiatric treatment outcomes is critical to informing treatment, revising care plans, and determining criterion for placement in levels of acute, sub-acute, or residential care. As such, psychiatric treatment outcomes are widely recommended but seldom implemented due to the lack of consensus about the meaning and therefore measurement of mental illness, especially among children and adolescents. A systematic review of published and unpublished research revealed a lack of a comprehensive and standardized assessment tool for establishing and tracking psychiatric symptom acuity among children and adolescents referred for intensive psychiatric treatment. The current studies sought to identify patient symptom domains responsible for referral to an acute children's psychiatric hospital. These patient symptom domains were empirically derived by identifying the most prevalent admission precipitants for 3,150 patients admitted to an acute children's psychiatric hospital in Anchorage, Alaska over a five year period (2005-9). Sixty-three (63) primary symptoms resulting in hospital admission were synthesized by factor analysis into 9 clinical domains (high risk behaviors, affective instability, social dysfunction, family functioning, aggression, self-harm, academic problems, cognitive dysfunction, and outpatient treatment failures). Trained mental health clinicians rated each of the 63 symptoms for 194 patients according to clinical acuity ratings using a 5 point Likert-scale. (Inter-rater reliability and testretest reliability correlations across the nine clinical domains ranged from .0987-1.00. Cronbach's Alpha measures at posttest ranging between .709-.899 suggested high levels of internal consistency and reliability within the 9 clinical domains). A total of 194 children aged 5-17 years old were subsequently rated for their symptom acuity both at admission and at discharge by the same rater. Pre-post (i.e. admission-discharge) data comparisons suggested differential rates of improvement in psychiatric symptom acuity based upon age and length of stay, with statistically and clinically significant improvements noted in all clinical referral domains rated, with the most significant improvements occurring in the areas of reduced suicide potential, improved family communication, improved behavioral control, and improved mood instability. Implications for clinical practice suggest that the SARS is a reliable instrument for informing: clinical treatment care plans, length of stay, levels of care, clinical supervision issues, and hospital treatment program development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution adopts the taxonomic concept annotation and alignment approach. Accordingly, and where indicated, previous and newly inferred meanings of taxonomic names are individuated according to one specific source. Articulations among these concepts and pairwise, logically consistent alignments of original and revisionary classifications are also provided, in addition to conventional nomenclatural provenance information. A phylogenetic revision of the broad-nosed weevil genera Minyomerus Horn, 1876 sec. O'Brien & Wibmer (1982), and Piscatopus Sleeper, 1960 sec. O'Brien & Wibmer (1982) (Curculionidae [non-focal]: Entiminae [non-focal]: Tanymecini [non-focal]) is presented. Prior to this study, Minyomerus sec. O'Brien & Wibmer (1982) contained seven species, whereas the monotypic Piscatopus sec. O'Brien & Wibmer (1982) was comprised solely of P. griseus Sleeper, 1960 sec. O'Brien & Wibmer (1982). We thoroughly redescribe these recognized species-level entities and furthermore describe ten species as new to science: M. bulbifrons sec. Jansen & Franz (2015) (henceforth: [JF2015]), sp. n., M. aeribal-lux [JF2015], sp. n., M. cracens [JF2015], sp. n., M. gravivultus [JF2015], sp. n., M. imberbus [JF2015], sp. n., M. reburrus [JF2015], sp. n., M. politus [JF2015], sp. n., M. puticulatus [JF2015], sp. n., M. rutellirostris [JF2015], sp. n., and M. trisetosus [JF2015], sp. n. A cladistic analysis using 46 morphological characters of 22 terminal taxa (5/17 outgroup/ingroup) yielded a single most-parsimonious cladogram (L = 82, CI = 65, RI = 82). The analysis strongly supports the monophyly of Minyomerus [JF2015] with eight unreversed synapomorphies, and places P. gris eus sec. O'Brien & Wibmer (1982) within the genus as sister to M. rutellirostris [JF2015]. Accordingly, Piscatopus sec. Sleeper (1960), syn. n. is changed to junior synonymy of Minyomerus [JF2015], and its sole member P. griseus sec. Sleeper (1960) is moved to Minyomerus [JF2015] as M. griseus [JF2015], comb. n. In addition, the formerly designated type M. innocuus Horn, 1876 sec. Pierce (1913), syn. n. is changed to junior synonymy of M. microps (Say, 1831) [JF2015] which has priority. The genus is widespread throughout western North America, ranging from Canada to Mexico and Baja California. Apparent patterns of interspecific diversity of exterior and geni-talic morphology, varying host plant ranges, overlapping and widely extending species distributions, suggest an early origin for Minyomerus [JF2015], with a diversification that likely followed the development of North American desert biomes. Three species in the genus -- i.e., M. languidus Horn, 1876 [JF2015], M. microps [JF2015], and M. trisetosus [JF2015] -- are putatively considered parthenogenetic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for obesity and weight-related comorbid diseases, utilization rates are disproportionately low among non-white patients. We sought to understand if variation in baseline characteristics or access to care exists between white and non-white patients. Methods: Using a statewide bariatric-specific data registry, we evaluated all patients who underwent bariatric surgery between 2006 and 2020 and completed a preoperative baseline questionnaire, which included a question about self-identification of race. Patient characteristics, co-morbidities, and time from initial preoperative clinic evaluation to date of surgery were compared among racial groups. Results: A total of 73,141 patients met inclusion criteria with 18,741 (25.5%) self-identified as non-white. These included Black/African American (n = 11,904), Hispanic (n = 3448), Asian (n = 121), Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (n = 41), Middle Eastern (n = 164), Multiple (n = 2047) and other (n = 608). Non-white males were the least represented group, accounting for only 4% of all bariatric cases performed. Non-white patients were more likely to be younger (43.0 years vs. 46.6 years, p < 0.0001), disabled (16% vs. 11.4%, p < 0.0001) and have Medicaid (8.4% vs. 3.8%, p < 0.0001) when compared to white patients, despite having higher rates of college education (78.0% vs. 76.6, p < 0.0001). In addition, median time from initial evaluation to surgery was also longer among non-white patients (157 days vs. 127 days, p < 0.0001), despite having higher rates of patients with a body mass index above 50 kg/m2 (39.0% vs. 33.2%, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Non-white patients undergoing bariatric surgery represent an extremely diverse group of patients with more socioeconomic disadvantages and longer wait times when compared to white patients despite presenting with higher rates of severe obesity. Current guidelines and referral patterns for bariatric surgery may not be equitable and need further examination when considering the management of obesity within diverse populations to reduce disparities in care—of which non-white males are particularly at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freud's attitude toward philosophers and philosophy in published works was consistently hostile. This paper aims to show that Freud's persistently hostile attitude toward philosophers and philosophy was the result of ambivalence. On the one hand, it is explicable by his reaction to the resistance on the part of philosophers toward his innovative notion of “unconscious” and by his embrace of Comtean progressivism. On the other hand, it is explicable by his proclivities toward speculative thought, without the net of empirical data, and by his often unacknowledged borrowings from philosophers, old and new. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia is a genetically heterogeneous disorder with three variants: types 1, 2, and 3. Type 1 is due to loss-of-function mutations of the calcium-sensing receptor, a guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G-protein)-coupled receptor that signals through the G-protein subunit α11 (Gα11). Type 3 is associated with adaptor-related protein complex 2, sigma 1 subunit (AP2S1) mutations, which result in altered calcium-sensing receptor endocytosis. We hypothesized that type 2 is due to mutations effecting Gα11 loss of function, since Gα11 is involved in calcium-sensing receptor signaling, and its gene (GNA11) and the type 2 locus are colocalized on chromosome 19p13.3. We also postulated that mutations effecting Gα11 gain of function, like the mutations effecting calcium-sensing receptor gain of function that cause autosomal dominant hypocalcemia type 1, may lead to hypocalcemia.Methods: We performed GNA11 mutational analysis in a kindred with familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia type 2 and in nine unrelated patients with familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia who did not have mutations in the gene encoding the calcium-sensing receptor (CASR) or AP2S1. We also performed this analysis in eight unrelated patients with hypocalcemia who did not have CASR mutations. In addition, we studied the effects of GNA11 mutations on Gα11 protein structure and calcium-sensing receptor signaling in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells.Results: The kindred with familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia type 2 had an in-frame deletion of a conserved Gα11 isoleucine (Ile200del), and one of the nine unrelated patients with familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia had a missense GNA11 mutation (Leu135Gln). Missense GNA11 mutations (Arg181Gln and Phe341Leu) were detected in two unrelated patients with hypocalcemia; they were therefore identified as having autosomal dominant hypocalcemia type 2. All four GNA11 mutations predicted disrupted protein structures, and assessment on the basis of in vitro expression showed that familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia type 2-associated mutations decreased the sensitivity of cells expressing calcium-sensing receptors to changes in extracellular calcium concentrations, whereas autosomal dominant hypocalcemia type 2-associated mutations increased cell sensitivity.Conclusions: Gα11 mutants with loss of function cause familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia type 2, and Gα11 mutants with gain of function cause a clinical disorder designated as autosomal dominant hypocalcemia type 2. (Funded by the United Kingdom Medical Research Council and others.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an examination of several of Thomas Jefferson's philosophical vignettes in his Notes on the State of Virginia. I begin with some thoughts on the structure of the book. I then turn to several of Jefferson's intriguing philosophical vignettes, concerning the aesthetic, natural explanation, Indians, blacks, education, religion, husbandry, and war. I end with some thoughts on what those vignettes tell us about Jefferson's philosophical frame of mind at the writing of his Notes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a letter to Benjamin Rush, Jefferson includes a syllabus--a comparative account of the merits of Jewish morality, ancient philosophy, and the precepts of Jesus. Using the syllabus as a guide, this paper is a critical examination of the influence of ancient ethical and religious thinking on Jefferson's ethical and religious thinking--viz., Jefferson's views of the ethics and religion of the Hebrews, the ancient philosophers, and Jesus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptor protein-2 (AP2), a central component of clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs), is pivotal in clathrin-mediated endocytosis, which internalizes plasma membrane constituents such as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). AP2, a heterotetramer of ?, ?, ? and ? subunits, links clathrin to vesicle membranes and binds to tyrosine- and dileucine-based motifs of membrane-associated cargo proteins. Here we show that missense mutations of AP2 ? subunit (AP2S1) affecting Arg15, which forms key contacts with dileucine-based motifs of CCV cargo proteins, result in familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia type 3 (FHH3), an extracellular calcium homeostasis disorder affecting the parathyroids, kidneys and bone. We found AP2S1 mutations in >20% of cases of FHH without mutations in calcium-sensing GPCR (CASR), which cause FHH1. AP2S1 mutations decreased the sensitivity of CaSR-expressing cells to extracellular calcium and reduced CaSR endocytosis, probably through loss of interaction with a C-terminal CaSR dileucine-based motif, whose disruption also decreased intracellular signaling. Thus, our results identify a new role for AP2 in extracellular calcium homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper works on assumption that Freud's general account of science--as the empirically based pursuit of "objective" truth (objective, in part, insofar as it is not driven, at least not significantly, by human wishes)--is reasonable and fair. Though it recognizes, as does Freud, that science cannot be a "view from nowhere" and void of normative investment, it assumes, with Freud, that conventionalist, subjectivist, and perspectivist notions of science that do not allow for any possibility of truth, independent of human design are wrongheaded. It assumes that science works in some measure at objective knowledge of the world in which humans live. The question it pursues is narrower: Is Freudian psychoanalysis answerable to the same objective criticisms to which Freud holds other sciences or is it a Weltanschauung? In doing so, the focus is on the clinical dimension of psychoanalysis, for that is widely regarded the most scientifically salvageable aspect of psychoanalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essay is presented which discusses the influence that the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus had on philosopher and U.S. President Thomas Jefferson. An overview of Epicurean philosophy's relation to the philosophy of Jefferson, including topics regarding atomism, deism, ethics, nature, cosmology and sensation, is provided.

Much has been written in the secondary literature on Freud's aggression-release perspective vis-à-vis competitive sports. Very little has been written, however, on Freud's own explicit contribution to play, games, and sport. That is likely the result of Freud's reluctance to take up them-especially from the gamesman's and sportsman's points of view. One can, however, tease out the development of Freud's thoughts on games, play, and sport through a careful examination of his corpus over time. In doing so, one finds an early view of play and games, where the drives behind those activities are self- and other-preservative, and a later view, where Freud introduces his death drive. The article ends with some notions on what Freud might have said on the fanaticism that accompanies competitive sport, had he expressly taken up the issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses some components of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (America Invents Act), a legislation signed by U.S. President Barack Obama into law on September 16, 2011 which introduces statutory changes in the country's patent law. It states that such changes would affect the businesses of the lawyers' clients. It also cites the need for the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) to adopt rules clarifying and implementing some of the amendments and additions to the patent law.

Background: SEDLIN, a 140 amino acid subunit of the Transport Protein Particle (TRAPP) complex, is ubiquitously expressed and interacts with the transcription factors c-myc promoter-binding protein 1 (MBP1), pituitary homeobox 1 (PITX1) and steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1). SEDLIN mutations cause X-linked spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda (SEDT). Methodology/Principal Findings: We investigated the effects of 4 missense (Asp47Tyr, Ser73Leu, Phe83Ser and Val130Asp) and the most C-terminal nonsense (Gln131Stop) SEDT-associated mutations on interactions with MBP1, PITX1 and SF1 by expression in COS7 cells. Wild-type SEDLIN was present in the cytoplasm and nucleus and interacted with MBP1, PITX1 and SF1; the SEDLIN mutations did not alter these subcellular localizations or the interactions. However, SEDLIN was found to homodimerize, and the formation of dimers between wild-type and mutant SEDLIN would mask a loss in these interactions. A mammalian SEDLIN null cell-line is not available, and the interactions between SEDLIN and the transcription factors were therefore investigated in yeast, which does not endogenously express SEDLIN. This revealed that all the SEDT mutations, except Asp47Tyr, lead to a loss of interaction with MBP1, PITX1 and SF1. Three-dimensional modelling studies of SEDLIN revealed that Asp47 resides on the surface whereas all the other mutant residues lie within the hydrophobic core of the protein, and hence are likely to affect the correct folding of SEDLIN and thereby disrupt protein-protein interactions. Conclusions/Significance: Our studies demonstrate that SEDLIN is present in the nucleus, forms homodimers and that SEDT-associated mutations cause a loss of interaction with the transcription factors MBP1, PITX1 and SF1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Familial benign hypocalciuric hypercalcaemia (FBHH) is a genetically heterogeneous disorder that consists of three designated types, FBHH1, FBHH2 and FBHH3, whose chromosomal locations are 3q21.1, 19p and 19q13, respectively. FBHH1 is caused by mutations of a calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), but the abnormalities underlying FBHH2 and FBHH3 are unknown. FBHH3, also referred to as the Oklahoma variant (FBHHOk), has been mapped to a 12cM interval, flanked by D19S908 and D19S866. To refine the location of FBHH3, we pursued linkage studies using 24 polymorphic loci. Our results establish a linkage between FBHH3 and 17 of these loci, and indicate that FBHH3 is located in a 4.1 Mb region flanked centromerically by D19S112 and telomerically by rs245111, which in the syntenic region on mouse chromosome 7 contains four Casr-related sequences (Gprc2a-rss). However, human homologues of these Gprc2a-rss were not found and a comparative analysis of the 22.0 Mb human and 39.3 Mb mouse syntenic regions showed evolutionary conservation of two segments that were inverted with loss from the human genome of 11.6 Mb that contained the four Gprc2a-rss. Thus, FBHH3 cannot be attributed to Gprc2a-rss abnormalities. DNA sequence analysis of 12 other genes from the interval that were expressed in the parathyroids and/or kidneys did not detect any abnormalities, thereby indicating that these genes are unlikely to be the cause of FBHH3. The results of this study have refined the map location of FBHH3, which will facilitate the identification of another CaSR or a mediator of calcium homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exact meets in a distributive lattice are the meets ⋀ i a i such that for all b , (⋀ i a i) ∨ b = ⋀ i (a i ∨ b) ; strongly exact meets in a frame are preserved by all frame homomorphisms. Finite meets are, trivially, (strongly) exact; this naturally leads to the concepts of exact resp. strongly exact filters closed under all exact resp. strongly exact meets. In [2,12] it was shown that the subsets of all exact resp. strongly exact filters are sublocales of the frame of up-sets on a frame, hence frames themselves, and, somewhat surprisingly, that they are isomorphic to the useful frame S c (L) of sublocales join-generated by closed sublocales resp. the dual of the coframe meet-generated by open sublocales. In this paper we show that these are special instances of much more general facts. The latter concerns the free extension of join-semilattices to coframes; each coframe homomorphism lifting a general join-homomorphism φ : S → C (where S is a join-semilattice and C a coframe) and the associated (adjoint) colocalic maps create a frame of generalized strongly exact filters (φ -precise filters) and a closure operator on C (and – a minor point – any closure operator on C is thus obtained). The former case is slightly more involved: here we have an extension of the concept of exactness (ψ -exactness) connected with the lifts of ψ : S → C with complemented values in more general distributive complete lattices C creating, again, frames of ψ -exact filters; as an application we learn that if such a C is join-generated (resp. meet-generated) by its complemented elements then it is a frame (resp. coframe) explaining, e.g., the coframe character of the lattice of sublocales, and the (seemingly paradoxical) embedding of the frame S c (L) into it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the first author's thesis [10], a sequential language, LRT, for real number computation is investigated. That thesis includes a proof that all polynomials are programmable, but that work comes short of giving a complete characterization of the expressive power of the language even for first-order functions. The technical problem is that LRT is non-deterministic. So a natural characterization of its expressive power should be in terms of relations rather than in terms of functions. In [2], Brattka examines a formalization of recursive relations in the style of Kleene's recursive functions on the natural numbers. This paper is an expanded version of [13] which establishes the expressive power of LRTp, a variant of LRT, in terms of Brattka's recursive relations. Because Brattka already did the work of establishing the precise connection between his recursive relations and Type 2 Theory of Effectivity, we thus obtain a complete characterization of first-order definability in LRTp. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We present a Stone duality for bitopological spaces in analogy to the duality between topological spaces and frames, and discuss the resulting notions of sobriety and spatiality. Under the additional assumption of regularity, we prove a characterisation theorem for subsets of a bisober space that are compact in one and closed in the other topology. This is in analogy to the celebrated Hofmann–Mislove theorem for sober spaces. We link the characterisation to Taylor’s and Escardó’s reading of the Hofmann–Mislove theorem as continuous quantification over a subspace. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background Familial isolated primary hyperparathyroidism (FIHP) is an autosomal dominant disorder that can represent an early stage of either the multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) or hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor (HPT-JT) syndromes; alternatively, the condition can be caused by an allelic variant of MEN1 or HRPT2 (hyperparathyroidism 2 gene), or caused by a distinct entity involving another locus. We have explored these possibilities in a patient with primary hyperparathyroidism, whose mother had a history of renal calculi and primary hyperparathyroidism. Investigations Serum biochemistry and radiological investigations for primary hyperparathyroidism, MEN1 and HPT-JT, and genetic testing for MEN1 and HRPT2 mutations were undertaken. Diagnosis FIHP with primary hyperparathyroidism as the sole endocrinopathy due to a previously unreported heterozygous missense germline MEN1 mutation, Tyr351Asn. In addition, another unreported heterozygous missense germline MENI mutation, Trp220Leu, was identified in an unrelated male patient with FIHP, whose mother and sister also had primary hyperparathyroidism. DNA from a parathyroid tumor from the sister revealed a loss of heterozygosity in which the mutant allele was retained. This is consistent with Knudson's 'two-hit' model of hereditary cancer and a tumor suppressor role for MEN1 in FIHP. Management The patient underwent parathyroidectomy and has remained normocalcemic over a follow-up period of 6 years. The other four patients have remained normocalcemic for a follow-up period of 4-15 years following parathyroidectomy. None has developed abnormalities of the MEN1 syndrome, providing further support that FIHP is a distinct genetic variant of the MEN1 syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Copper ruby glasses are commonly produced by dissolving copper in glass (also containing a reducing agent) under relatively reducing conditions to stabilize Cu+, followed by a heat treatment to generate the characteristic red color attributed to a colloidal dispersion of Cu0 particulates. This study produced copper ruby glasses in a one-step synthesis; 0.1–0.2wt% copper was included in an alkali borosilicate glass that was synthesized at a very reducing atmosphere. The classic red coloration was directly generated by the colloidal dispersion of elemental copper nanoparticles, (Cu0) n , that formed without further heat treatment. Addition of europium to the copper-containing glass melts led to dramatic spectral changes, with the europium addition not only affecting the amount of elemental copper but also the size of these copper particulates. The net result was the production of a dichroic glass that was ruby red in reflected light and blue in transmitted light. This dichroism was stable only over a certain range of copper nanoparticle sizes, unique to particular Cu/Eu ratios in the glass and optimized at 1150°C in the alkali borosilicate composition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Liberal individualism, in its atomic sense, asserts that people are autonomous and self-contained individuals, whose rights are prior to and independent of any conception of the good. It champions individual rights and toleration for different conceptions of the good life, and essays to secure justice for all in equal measure. In prioritizing right over good, liberal individualism demands that the state have a stance of strict neutrality concerning any particular conception of the good. It privileges political analysis, in that no conception of what is good must interfere with the fundamental rights, unconditionally guaranteed, of each individual Consequently, it is essentially atomic ideal and this atomism, whether metaphysical or methodological, effects a separation of persons and institutions. This I call the ‘Great Divide’. In what follows, I argue that the liberal separation of persons from institutions is a disintegrative political and ethical ideal in personal, social, and ethical senses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-linked recessive hypoparathyroidism, due to parathyroid agenesis, has been mapped to a 906-kb region on Xq27 that contains 3 genes (ATP11C, U7snRNA, and SOX3), and analyses have not revealed mutations. We therefore characterized this region by combined analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms and sequence-tagged sites. This identified a 23- to 25-kb deletion, which did not contain genes. However, DNA fiber-FISH and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed an approximately 340-kb insertion that replaced the deleted fragment. Use of flow-sorted X chromosome-specific libraries and DNA sequence analyses revealed that the telomeric and centromeric breakpoints on X were, respectively, approximately 67 kb downstream of SOX3 and within a repetitive sequence. Use of a monochromosomal somatic cell hybrid panel and metaphase-FISH mapping demonstrated that the insertion originated from 2p25 and contained a segment of the SNTG2 gene that lacked an open reading frame. However, the deletion-insertion [del(X)(q27.1) inv ins (X;2)(q27.1;p25.3)], which represents a novel abnormality causing hypoparathyroidism, could result in a position effect on SOX3 expression. Indeed, SOX3 expression was demonstrated, by in situ hybridization, in the developing parathyroid tissue of mouse embryos between 10.5 and 15.5 days post coitum. Thus, our results indicate a likely new role for SOX3 in the embryonic development of the parathyroid glands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pierce's disease of the grapevine is caused by a xylem-limited bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa (Xf). Susceptible vines die within a few years after infection. However, the mechanism of pathogenesis is not fully understood. It is very important to optimize the timing and positioning of inoculation in host plants to study the infection process. Rooted dormant cuttings of cv. Chardonnay (susceptible vine) were grouped as stem tissue hardening and shoot elongation for needle-inoculation with 20 µl of 2 x 108 cfu ml-1 of Xf suspension. The infected plants were sampled 2 and 3 weeks following postinoculation (wpi) at 10 cm above the point of inoculation. Negative controls were prepared with 5 plants from each group with water inoculation. DAS-ELISA was used to detect Xf. Plants with soft stem tissue were not well suited to needle inoculation due to their poorly hardened stems, and bacterial suspension could not be fully supplied to the tissue. However, ELISA worked well with both stem types. Chardonnay cuttings with ≥30 cm long semi-hardwood tissue, sampled 2 wpi, resulted in fast bacterial movement, while ELISA readings dramatically dropped 3 wpi. Samples from the apical end of inoculated shoots had low ELISA readings, likely the result of young xylem development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The patch topology on a stably compact space, generalizing the Lawson topology on a domain, is a coreflection of stably compact spaces in compact regular spaces. This paper investigates compact regularity and the patch coreflection in multilingual sequent calculus (MLS), which can be regarded as a category of predicative representations of stably compact spaces. An object of MLS is a certain sort of generalization of the positive fragment of Gentzen''s sequent calculus. We show that an object of MLS represents a compact regular space if and only if every sequent arises as an instance of Gentzen''s cut rule with complete freedom to choose the placement of the cut formula.The relationship between compact regularity and Gentzen''s cut rule is further explicated by the patch coreflection in MLS. The construction is a universal solution (up to a certain equivalence of tokens) to the problem of adding opposites to a logic, i.e., tokens that obey Gentzen''s rules for negation. In the spectral case, this is equivalent to adding Boolean complements. The paper closes by considering the full subcategory of MLS consisting of objects with opposites. By taking contrapositives of sequents, we obtain an anti-involution on morphisms making this category equivalent to the Freyd/Scedrov allegory of compact regular spaces and closed binary relations. Moreover, the category of “maps” of this allegory is predicatively equivalent to the image of the patch functor. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The hypoparathyroidism, deafness, and renal dysplasia (HDR) syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations of the dual zinc finger transcription factor, GATA3. The C-terminal zinc finger (ZnF2) binds DNA, whereas the N-terminal finger (ZnF1) stabilizes this DNA binding and interacts with other zinc finger proteins, such as the Friends of GATA (FOG). We have investigated seven HDR probands and their families for GATA3 abnormalities and have identified two nonsense mutations (Glu-228 → Stop and Arg-367 → Stop); two intragenic deletions that result in frameshifts from codons 201 and 355 with premature terminations at codons 205 and 370, respectively; one acceptor splice site mutation that leads to a frameshift from codon 351 and a premature termination at codon 367; and two missense mutations (Cys-318 → Arg and Asn-320 → Lys). The functional effects of these mutations, together with a previously reported GATA3 ZnF1 mutation and seven other engineered ZnF1 mutations, were assessed by electrophoretic mobility shift, dissociation, yeast two-hybrid and glutathione S-transferase pull-down assays. Mutations involving GATA3 ZnF2 or adjacent basic amino acids resulted in a loss of DNA binding, but those of ZnF1 either lead to a loss of interaction with specific FOG2 ZnFs or altered DNA-binding affinity. These findings are consistent with the proposed three-dimensional model of ZnF1, which has separate DNA and protein binding surfaces. Thus, our results, which expand the spectrum of HDR-associated GATA3 mutations and report the first acceptor splice site mutation, help to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that alter the function of this zinc finger transcription factor and its role in causing this developmental anomaly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candida albicans, the most prevalent fungal pathogen of humans, has recently been shown to undergo mating. Here we describe a mating pheromone produced by C. albicans α cells and show that the gene which encodes it (MFα) is required for α cells, but not a cells, to mate. We also identify the receptor for this mating pheromone as the product of the STE2 gene and show that this gene is required for the mating of a cells, but not a cells. Cells of the a mating type respond to the a mating pheromone by producing long polarized projections, similar to those observed in bona fide mating mixtures of C. albicans a and α cells. During this process, transcription of approximately 62 genes is induced. Although some of these genes correspond to those induced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by S. cerevisiae α-factor, most are specific to the C. albicans pheromone response. The most surprising class encode cell surface and secreted proteins previously implicated in virulence of C. albicans in a mouse model of disseminated candidiasis. This observation suggests that aspects of cell-cell communication in mating may have been evolutionarily adopted for host-pathogen interactions in C. albicans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses normative pathways for sport as a means of lessening or channeling aggression and the violence that is often linked to it. In Violence and Aggression in Contemporary Society, philosopher Jim Parry argues that assertion, aggression, and violence in competitive sport allow opportunities for reflection on moral education and moral development. According to strong-disposition models that are cathartic, aggression is a force or impulse that builds up within each person and requires periodic release, if it is not to be debilitating to an organism. If not for the existence of cathartic mechanisms for purging ourselves of aggression, normal human functioning would be greatly impaired. In stark contrast to strong-disposition models are culture pattern models of aggression. According to such models, aggression is predominantly learned behavior. Exposure to aggressive play tends to make people more aggressive in other aspects of interpersonal relationships. If this view is right, then aggression leads to aggression and involvement in aggressive play has socially deleterious consequences. A third, conciliatory path to explaining human aggression has been forged by those who posit that aggression is a disposition that can be inflamed or held in check through learning.

Cell migration on extracellular matrix requires the turnover of integrin-dependent adhesions. The nonreceptor tyrosine kinases Src and FAK regulate focal-adhesion turnover by poorly understood mechanisms . ERK/MAP kinase-mediated activation of the protease Calpain 2 also promotes focal-adhesion turnover ; however, it is not known if this is linked to the activities of Src and FAK. Calpain 2 has previously been demonstrated to colocalize with focal-adhesion structures and can cleave several focal-adhesion complex components, including FAK . Studies utilizing Calpain inhibitors or Calpain-deficient cells confirm that Calpain''s role in regulating focal-adhesion turnover is necessary for cell migration . We have identified a novel and kinase-independent function for FAK as an adaptor molecule that mediates the assembly of a complex consisting of at least Calpain 2 and p42ERK. Mutation of proline residues (Pro2) in the amino-terminal region of FAK blocks direct binding with Calpain 2 and also prevents formation of the Calpain 2/p42ERK complex in cells. We show that both complex formation and MEK/ERK activity are associated with Calpain-mediated proteolysis of FAK and focal adhesion turnover during transformation and migration. Furthermore, FAK is necessary for recruiting both Calpain 2 and p42ERK/MAPK to peripheral adhesion sites facilitating maximal Calpain activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To date, several studies have examined overtreatment or undertreatment of Neisseria gonorrheae, Chlamydia trachomatis, or both in women. However, no study has looked at both subpopulations together, along with eventual treatment of disease-positive patients who were not empirically treated. This study is unique, for it looks at all of these subpopulations to assess overall efficacy of management of these diseases in women. A 1-year prospective, descriptive study was performed in a teaching county hospital Emergency Department (ED). There were 1260 women receiving a pelvic examination and routine GEN-PROBE testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia who were studied. The main outcome measures were the proportion of women disease positive and initially not treated (undertreated), the proportion of women disease negative who were initially treated (overtreated), as well as the follow-up treatment rate for those undertreated. Finally, the subpopulation of women disease positive and not empirically treated was examined in detail. Of 1260 GEN-PROBE-tested women, 81 (6.4%, 95% CI 1.1–11.7%) were disease positive and 31/81 (38.3%, 95% CI 21.2–55.4%) of these women were undertreated. Furthermore, 20/31 (64.5%, 95% CI 43.5–85.5%) women did not return for follow-up treatment. The billable health care dollars of routine GENPROBE testing per woman (n = 11/1260, 0.9%) returning for treatment as a result of the test was $4762.80. Four hundred twenty-six (33.8%) of the 1260 women were empirically treated on the initial visit. Of these 426 initially treated women, 376 (88.3%, 95% CI 85.1–91.5%) were GEN-PROBE negative for disease (overtreated). The billable health care dollars of this overtreatment was $12,449.51. This study demonstrates that health care providers are substantially overtreating women who are gonorrhea and chlamydia negative. This generates moral, ethical, health care, and financial concerns. Additionally, one-third of disease-positive women are not treated on initial visit and the majority of undertreated patients are not returning for subsequent treatment. This study provides support for investigating improved methods in the management of chlamydia and gonorrhea in women. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

2-D Echocardiography (ECHO) represents an important tool for the evaluation of the Emergency Department (ED) patient with suspected cardiovascular (CV) pathology. The present study assesses the degree of effect of real time ECHO on Emergency Physician diagnosis, treatment, and disposition of CV patients and their level of confidence in these decisions. One hundred ED patients with suspected CV pathology were enrolled into this prospective, interventional study. Senior level physicians were asked their level of confidence regarding patient diagnosis, treatment, and disposition decisions before and after the ECHO was done and interpreted by a certified sonographer in the ED. Physicians were then asked if ECHO changed any of these decisions. Patient age was 56.4 +/- 15.8 (range 27-93) years. Chest pain (n = 45) and shortness of breath (n = 38) were the most common presenting symptoms. Eighty-six of the patients were admitted. There was a change in diagnosis in 37 patients, a change in treatment in 25 patients, and a change in disposition in 11 patients. Physicians indicated there was a change in confidence level post-ECHO in approximately 50% of patients. A significant change was seen in both a more and a less confident direction. Physicians were 3 times more confident regarding diagnosis, 7 times more confident regarding treatment, and 3 times more confident regarding disposition decision-making. Real time ECHO appears to have a significant level of impact on physician level of confidence and medical decision-making concerning patients with suspected cardiovascular pathology in the ED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2-D Echocardiography (ECHO) represents an important tool for the evaluation of the Emergency Department (ED) patient with suspected cardiovascular (CV) pathology. The present study assesses the degree of effect of real time ECHO on Emergency Physician diagnosis, treatment, and disposition of CV patients and their level of confidence in these decisions. One hundred ED patients with suspected CV pathology were enrolled into this prospective, interventional study. Senior level physicians were asked their level of confidence regarding patient diagnosis, treatment, and disposition decisions before and after the ECHO was done and interpreted by a certified sonographer in the ED. Physicians were then asked if ECHO changed any of these decisions. Patient age was 56.4 ± 15.8 (range 27–93) years. Chest pain (n = 45) and shortness of breath (n = 38) were the most common presenting symptoms. Eighty-six of the patients were admitted. There was a change in diagnosis in 37 patients, a change in treatment in 25 patients, and a change in disposition in 11 patients. Physicians indicated there was a change in confidence level post-ECHO in approximately 50% of patients. A significant change was seen in both a more and a less confident direction. Physicians were 3 times more confident regarding diagnosis, 7 times more confident regarding treatment, and 3 times more confident regarding disposition decision-making. Real time ECHO appears to have a significant level of impact on physician level of confidence and medical decision-making concerning patients with suspected cardiovascular pathology in the ED. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Describes the use of lacZ, a gene encoding a beta-galactosidase, from Streptococcus thermophilus as a reporter gene for Candida albicans. Regulation of microbial genes; Development of reporter genes; Use of quantitative liquid assay for the detection of beta-galactosidase activity.

Presents the biology of the grape phylloxera. Life cycle; Population biology; Damage caused to grapevines.

Identifies and characterizes a glomerular-specific promoter from the human nephrin gene. Restriction of nephrin expression to slit diaphragms of podocytes; Ttranscription factor binding sites in the podocyte-specific promoter; DNA sequence of the glomerular-specific promoter.