bcl-2 expression in the spectrum of preinvasive breast lesions

This study was designed to define more precisely the relationship between specific angiotensin receptors and the growth of vascular smooth muscle cells in response to angiotensin II. These experiments employed quiescent A10 cells which were characterized as smooth muscle by the expression of specific contractlle proteins. Cell growth was monitored by measuring the incorporation of metabolic precursors into RNA or DNA. The treatment of A10 cells with angiotensin II (1 microM) stimulated a hypertrophic response as indicated by an increase in RNA synthesis and protooncogene expression in the absence of DNA synthesis. This increase in RNA synthesis could be blocked by PD123319, an AT2 antagonist, but not by losartan, an AT1 antagonist. RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that quiescent A10 cells express only the AT2 receptor while proliferating A10 cells express the AT1a and AT1b receptors in addition to the AT2 receptor. In addition, induction of AT2 receptor-mediated RNA synthesis was prevented by indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor. These studies therefore support a direct connection between the AT2 receptor and smooth muscle growth that is mediated, in part, by prostaglandin synthesis.     

Direct cochlear nerve monitoring: first report on a new atraumatic, self-retaining electrode

Lyophilized dimeric recombinant bovine growth hormone (r-bGH) produced through incubation of r-bGH at 37 degrees C and 96% relative humidity for 8 days was examined by Raman spectroscopy. The secondary structure of the dimeric material is comparable to that of nonincubated r-bGH, due to the high similarity of the amide I, III, and V vibrational envelopes of the two samples. The dimeric material exhibits disulfide stretching that is indicative of the presence of only one disulfide bond (Cys53-Cys164). No sulfhydryl S-H stretching vibrations are observed, suggesting that cysteines from the cleaved disulfide bridge (Cys181-Cys189) are bound to nonsulfur atoms. Either high humidity (96%) or mild heat (37 degrees C) alone will cleave only one disulfide bond, but the final products are different. Incubation at ambient temperature and high humidity leads to a significant secondary structural change, while mild heat at very low humidity does not alter r-bGH secondary structure. Spectral data for incubations solely in mild heat are consistent with r-bGH structures that have lost the small loop (Cys181-Cys189) disulfide bridge, while incubations under only high humidity conditions are compatible with what would be expected if the large loop (Cys53-Cys164) cystine link was broken. Mild heat and high humidity are both present in dimer formation, yet only the small loop bridge is severed. The data suggest that heat may be the primary factor in determining which cystine link is broken. More severe heating (75 degrees C) cleaves both cystines and alters both secondary and tertiary structure.     

Control of gene expression in Xenopus early development

Risk adjustment is intended to minimize selection of patients or enrollees in health plans. Current efforts generally are recognized as inadequate, but improvement is difficult. The greatest short-term gain will come from introducing diagnostic information, though outpatient diagnosis data are unreliable. Initial efforts may use inpatient data, but this creates incentives to hospitalize people. Even exploiting diagnosis information leaves substantial imperfections. Partial capitation, common in behavioral health, reduces incentives to select patients and stent on services, but current policy resists it, perhaps because policymakers misinterpret the lesson of the Prospective Payment System. Theoretically, not paying plans more for providing additional services is optimal only if consumers are well informed.     

Atomic force microscopy silicon tips as photon tunneling sensors: a resonant evanescent coupling experiment

Evanescent wave conversion by transparent dielectric nanoprobes has long been achieved in photon scanning tunneling microscopy experiments. Nevertheless, the exact mechanism (i.e., resolution limit) of this optical interaction is not satisfactorily explained theoretically nor evidenced experimentally. We study the ability of doped silicon atomic force microscopy tips to capture infrared near-field waves standing at the flat surface of a semiconductor (semi-insulating InP) material. It is shown that, unlike silicon nitride tips previously studied, the transmitted intensity of these silicon tips does not obey the classical frustrated total internal reflection model but a more complex dependence that involves a resonant tunneling transfer. An explanation is proposed that follows the theoretical predictions for the electromagnetic coupling between subwavelength objects.     

A review of predictive policing from the perspective of fairness

Machine Learning has become a popular tool in a variety of applications in criminal justice, including sentencing and policing. Media has brought attention to the possibility of predictive policing systems causing disparate impacts and exacerbating social injustices. However, there is little academic research on the importance of fairness in machine learning applications in policing. Although prior research has shown that machine learning models can handle some tasks efficiently, they are susceptible to replicating systemic bias of previous human decision-makers. While there is much research on fair machine learning in general, there is a need to investigate fair machine learning techniques as they pertain to the predictive policing. Therefore, we evaluate the existing publications in the field of fairness in machine learning and predictive policing to arrive at a set of standards for fair predictive policing. We also review the evaluations of ML applications in the area of criminal justice and potential techniques to improve these technologies going forward. We urge that the growing literature on fairness in ML be brought into conversation with the legal and social science concerns being raised about predictive policing. Lastly, in any area, including predictive policing, the pros and cons of the technology need to be evaluated holistically to determine whether and how the technology should be used in policing.

     

Correction to: A review of predictive policing from the perspective of fairness

Artificial Intelligence and Law - An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.     

Optical properties of silicon-nitride atomic-force-microscopy tips in scanning tunneling optical microscopy: experimental study

Atomic-force SiN probe tips (atomic-force microscopy) can be conveniently used for scanning-tunnelingoptical-microscopy experiments because of their transparency in the visible domain. They are known to provide a satisfying transmission yield and spatial resolution in spite of their complex structural shape. Nevertheless the photon collection mechanism is not so clearly understood. We give some experimental information on the conversion of the evanescent waves into a propagating mode; we show experimentally (1) that optical coupling satisfactorily obeys a classical global and macroscopic dielectric model, and (2) that the collected photons dominantly follow the photon momentum conservation rule that makes these devices directionally selective.