Showing papers by "University of São Paulo published in 2002"
TL;DR: As compared with a standard coronary stent, a sirolimus-eluting stent shows considerable promise for the prevention of neointimal proliferation, restenosis, and associated clinical events.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The need for repeated treatment of restenosis of a treated vessel remains the main limitation of percutaneous coronary revascularization. Because sirolimus (rapamycin) inhibits the proliferation of lymphocytes and smooth-muscle cells, we compared a sirolimus-eluting stent with a standard uncoated stent in patients with angina pectoris. METHODS: We performed a randomized, double-blind trial to compare the two types of stents for revascularization of single, primary lesions in native coronary arteries. The trial included 238 patients at 19 medical centers. The primary end point was in-stent late luminal loss (the difference between the minimal luminal diameter immediately after the procedure and the diameter at six months). Secondary end points included the percentage of in-stent stenosis of the luminal diameter and the rate of restenosis (luminal narrowing of 50 percent or more). We also analyzed a composite clinical end point consisting of death, myocardial infarction, and percutaneous or surgical revascularization at 1, 6, and 12 months. RESULTS: At six months, the degree of neointimal proliferation, manifested as the mean (+/-SD) late luminal loss, was significantly lower in the sirolimus-stent group (-0.01+/-0.33 mm) than in the standard-stent group (0.80+/-0.53 mm, P<0.001). None of the patients in the sirolimus-stent group, as compared with 26.6 percent of those in the standard-stent group, had restenosis of 50 percent or more of the luminal diameter (P<0.001). There were no episodes of stent thrombosis. During a follow-up period of up to one year, the overall rate of major cardiac events was 5.8 percent in the sirolimus-stent group and 28.8 percent in the standard-stent group (P<0.001). The difference was due entirely to a higher rate of revascularization of the target vessel in the standard-stent group. CONCLUSIONS: As compared with a standard coronary stent, a sirolimus-eluting stent shows considerable promise for the prevention of neointimal proliferation, restenosis, and associated clinical events.
4,051 citations
TL;DR: Men and women everywhere have the right to live their lives and raise their children free from the fear of violence, and to help them enjoy that right by making it clearly understood that violence is preventable, and by working together to identify and address its underlying causes.
Abstract: WHO Violence cuts short the lives of millions of people across the world each year, and damages the lives of millions more. It knows no boundaries of geography, race, age or income. It strikes at children, young people, women and the elderly. It finds its way into homes, schools and the workplace. Men and women everywhere have the right to live their lives and raise their children free from the fear of violence. We must help them enjoy that right by making it clearly understood that violence is preventable, and by working together to identify and address its underlying causes.
3,282 citations
09 Aug 2002
TL;DR: The present article has the objective of updating rehabilitation health professionals on the International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF) developed by the World Health Organization.
Abstract: The present article has the objective of updating rehabilitation health professionals on the International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF) developed by the World Health Organization. The ICF’s history, application and perspectives in rehabilitation are discussed
3,246 citations
TL;DR: The burden of nutritional problems is shifting from energy imbalance deficiency to excess among older children and adolescents in Brazil and China.
1,436 citations
TL;DR: This review applies classical models of thermal adaptation to predict variation in body temperature within and among populations of mammals and birds and relates these predictions to observations generated by comparative and experimental studies.
1,275 citations
23 May 2002
TL;DR: The genus Xanthomonas is a diverse and economically important group of bacterial phytopathogens, belonging to the γ-subdivision of the Proteobacteria, and several groups of strain-specific genes are identified and proposed mechanisms that may explain the differing host specificities and pathogenic processes are proposed.
Abstract: The genus Xanthomonas is a diverse and economically important group of bacterial phytopathogens, belonging to the gamma-subdivision of the Proteobacteria. Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri (Xac) causes citrus canker, which affects most commercial citrus cultivars, resulting in significant losses worldwide. Symptoms include canker lesions, leading to abscission of fruit and leaves and general tree decline. Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) causes black rot, which affects crucifers such as Brassica and Arabidopsis. Symptoms include marginal leaf chlorosis and darkening of vascular tissue, accompanied by extensive wilting and necrosis. Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris is grown commercially to produce the exopolysaccharide xanthan gum, which is used as a viscosifying and stabilizing agent in many industries. Here we report and compare the complete genome sequences of Xac and Xcc. Their distinct disease phenotypes and host ranges belie a high degree of similarity at the genomic level. More than 80% of genes are shared, and gene order is conserved along most of their respective chromosomes. We identified several groups of strain-specific genes, and on the basis of these groups we propose mechanisms that may explain the differing host specificities and pathogenic processes.
1,141 citations
18 Aug 2002
TL;DR: In this paper, fast new algorithms to implement recent cryptosystems based on the Tate pairing have been described, which improve pairing evaluation speed by a factor of about 55 compared to previously known methods in characteristic 3 and attain performance comparable to that of RSA in larger characteristics.
Abstract: We describe fast new algorithms to implement recent cryptosystems based on the Tate pairing In particular, our techniques improve pairing evaluation speed by a factor of about 55 compared to previously known methods in characteristic 3, and attain performance comparable to that of RSA in larger characteristics We also propose faster algorithms for scalar multiplication in characteristic 3 and square root extraction over Fpm, the latter technique being also useful in contexts other than that of pairing-based cryptography
1,030 citations
TL;DR: It is suggested that the overall carbon budget of rainforests, summed across terrestrial and aquatic environments, appears closer to being in balance than would be inferred from studies of uplands alone.
Abstract: Terrestrial ecosystems in the humid tropics play a potentially important but presently ambiguous role in the global carbon cycle. Whereas global estimates of atmospheric CO2 exchange indicate that the tropics are near equilibrium or are a source with respect to carbon, ground-based estimates indicate that the amount of carbon that is being absorbed by mature rainforests is similar to or greater than that being released by tropical deforestation (about 1.6 Gt C yr-1). Estimates of the magnitude of carbon sequestration are uncertain, however, depending on whether they are derived from measurements of gas fluxes above forests or of biomass accumulation in vegetation and soils. It is also possible that methodological errors may overestimate rates of carbon uptake or that other loss processes have yet to be identified. Here we demonstrate that outgassing (evasion) of CO2 from rivers and wetlands of the central Amazon basin constitutes an important carbon loss process, equal to 1.2 +/- 0.3 Mg C ha-1 yr-1. This carbon probably originates from organic matter transported from upland and flooded forests, which is then respired and outgassed downstream. Extrapolated across the entire basin, this flux-at 0.5 Gt C yr-1-is an order of magnitude greater than fluvial export of organic carbon to the ocean. From these findings, we suggest that the overall carbon budget of rainforests, summed across terrestrial and aquatic environments, appears closer to being in balance than would be inferred from studies of uplands alone.
1,010 citations
Abstract: We have compiled a new catalogue of open clusters in the Galaxy which updates the previous cat- alogues of Lyng a (1987) and of Mermilliod (1995) (included in the WEBDA database). New objects and new data, in particular, data on kinematics (proper motions) that were not present in the old catalogues, have been included. Virtually all the clusters (1537) presently known were included, which represents an increment of about 347 objects relative to the Lyng a (1987) catalogue. The catalogue is presented in a single table con- taining all the important data, which makes it easy to use. The catalogue can be accessed on line either at http://www.astro.iag.usp.br/~wilton/ or as an electronic table which will be made available at the CDS.
960 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: New techniques to implement recent cryptosystems based on the Tate pairing improve pairing evaluation speed by a factor of about 55 compared to previously known methods in characteristic 3, and attain performance comparable to that of RSA in larger characteristics.
Abstract: We describe fast new algorithms to implement recent cryptosystems based on the Tate pairing. In particular, our techniques improve pairing evaluation speed by a factor of about 55 compared to previously known methods in characteristic 3, and attain performance comparable to that of RSA in larger characteristics. We also propose faster algorithms for scalar multiplication in characteristic 3 and square root extraction over F p m, the latter technique being also useful in contexts other than that of pairing-based cryptography.
943 citations
TL;DR: Most relevant aspects of methanol electrooxidation on Pt electrodes, including voltametric as well as spectroscopic data on the system are presented and discussed Parallel reaction pathways have been demonstrated, producing CO 2 and HCOOH or HCHO as soluble products as mentioned in this paper.
TL;DR: Despite the many groups of organisms capable of fixing N, and the very different ecosystems in which the process is important, it is suggested that common controls provide a foundation for the development of regional and global models that incorporate ecological controls of biological N fixation.
Abstract: N limitation to primary production and other ecosystem processes is widespread. To understand the causes and distribution of N limitation, we must understand the controls of biological N fixation. The physiology of this process is reasonably well characterized, but our understanding of ecological controls is sparse, except in a few cultivated ecosystems. We review information on the ecological controls of N fixation in free-living cyanobacteria, vascular plant symbioses, and heterotrophic bacteria, with a view toward developing improved conceptual and simulation models of ecological controls of biological N fixation.
University of Iowa1, Brigham and Women's Hospital2, University of Manchester3, Sao Paulo State University4, University of Hamburg5, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia6, Children's Hospital Oakland7, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill8, University of Kansas9, Yale University10, University of Antioquia11, University of São Paulo12
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that haploinsufficiency of IRF6 disrupts orofacial development and are consistent with dominant-negative mutations disturbing development of the skin and genitalia.
Abstract: Interferon regulatory factor 6 (IRF6) belongs to a family of nine transcription factors that share a highly conserved helix–turn–helix DNA-binding domain and a less conserved protein-binding domain. Most IRFs regulate the expression of interferon-α and -β after viral infection1, but the function of IRF6 is unknown. The gene encoding IRF6 is located in the critical region for the Van der Woude syndrome (VWS; OMIM 119300) locus at chromosome 1q32–q41 (refs 2,3). The disorder is an autosomal dominant form of cleft lip and palate with lip pits4, and is the most common syndromic form of cleft lip or palate. Popliteal pterygium syndrome (PPS; OMIM 119500) is a disorder with a similar orofacial phenotype that also includes skin and genital anomalies5. Phenotypic overlap6 and linkage data7 suggest that these two disorders are allelic. We found a nonsense mutation in IRF6 in the affected twin of a pair of monozygotic twins who were discordant for VWS. Subsequently, we identified mutations in IRF6 in 45 additional unrelated families affected with VWS and distinct mutations in 13 families affected with PPS. Expression analyses showed high levels of Irf6 mRNA along the medial edge of the fusing palate, tooth buds, hair follicles, genitalia and skin. Our observations demonstrate that haploinsufficiency of IRF6 disrupts orofacial development and are consistent with dominant-negative mutations disturbing development of the skin and genitalia.
TL;DR: Male circumcision is associated with a reduced risk of penile HPV infection and, in the case of men with a history of multiple sexual partners, a reducedrisk of cervical cancer in their current female partners.
Abstract: Background It is uncertain whether male circumcision reduces the risks of penile human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in the man and of cervical cancer in his female partner. Methods We pooled data on 1913 couples enrolled in one of seven case–control studies of cervical carcinoma in situ and cervical cancer in five countries. Circumcision status was self-reported, and the accuracy of the data was confirmed by physical examination at three study sites. The presence or absence of penile HPV DNA was assessed by a polymerase-chain-reaction assay in 1520 men and yielded a valid result in the case of 1139 men (74.9 percent). Results Penile HPV was detected in 166 of the 847 uncircumcised men (19.6 percent) and in 16 of the 292 circumcised men (5.5 percent). After adjustment for age at first intercourse, lifetime number of sexual partners, and other potential confounders, circumcised men were less likely than uncircumcised men to have HPV infection (odds ratio, 0.37; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.16 to 0.85...
TL;DR: The spectrum and distribution of PTPN11 mutations in a large, well-characterized cohort with NS revealed that pulmonic stenosis was more prevalent among the group of subjects with NS who had PTP N11 mutations than it was in the group without them, andotype-phenotype analysis revealed that hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was less prevalent among those with PTPn11 mutations.
Abstract: Noonan syndrome (NS) is a developmental disorder characterized by facial dysmorphia, short stature, cardiac defects, and skeletal malformations. We recently demonstrated that mutations in PTPN11, the gene encoding the non-receptor-type protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2 (src homology region 2-domain phosphatase-2), cause NS, accounting for approximately 50% of cases of this genetically heterogeneous disorder in a small cohort. All mutations were missense changes and clustered at the interacting portions of the amino-terminal src-homology 2 (N-SH2) and protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) domains. A gain of function was postulated as a mechanism for the disease. Here, we report the spectrum and distribution of PTPN11 mutations in a large, well-characterized cohort with NS. Mutations were found in 54 of 119 (45%) unrelated individuals with sporadic or familial NS. There was a significantly higher prevalence of mutations among familial cases than among sporadic ones. All defects were missense, and several were recurrent. The vast majority of mutations altered amino acid residues located in or around the interacting surfaces of the N-SH2 and PTP domains, but defects also affected residues in the C-SH2 domain, as well as in the peptide linking the N-SH2 and C-SH2 domains. Genotype-phenotype analysis revealed that pulmonic stenosis was more prevalent among the group of subjects with NS who had PTPN11 mutations than it was in the group without them (70.6% vs. 46.2%; P<.01), whereas hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was less prevalent among those with PTPN11 mutations (5.9% vs. 26.2%; P<.005). The prevalence of other congenital heart malformations, short stature, pectus deformity, cryptorchidism, and developmental delay did not differ between the two groups. A PTPN11 mutation was identified in a family inheriting Noonan-like/multiple giant-cell lesion syndrome, extending the phenotypic range of disease associated with this gene.
TL;DR: Morphological manifestations of delayed light-activation of composite in the hydrated dentine bonding substrate were exclusively located along the composite-adhesive interface, and were present as large voids, resin globules and honeycomb structures that formed partitions around a myriad of small blisters along the fractured interfaces.
TL;DR: The aim of this work is to discuss the mechanism of action of sodium hypochlorite based on its antimicrobial and physico-chemical properties.
Abstract: The choice of an irrigating solution for use in infected root canals requires previous knowledge of the microorganisms responsible for the infectious process as well as the properties of different irrigating solutions. Complex internal anatomy, host defenses and microorganism virulence are important factors in the treatment of teeth with asymptomatic apical periodontitis. Irrigating solutions must have expressive antimicrobial action and tissue dissolution capacity. Sodium hypochlorite is the most used irrigating solution in endodontics, because its mechanism of action causes biosynthetic alterations in cellular metabolism and phospholipid destruction, formation of chloramines that interfere in cellular metabolism, oxidative action with irreversible enzymatic inactivation in bacteria, and lipid and fatty acid degradation. The aim of this work is to discuss the mechanism of action of sodium hypochlorite based on its antimicrobial and physico-chemical properties.
TL;DR: The models for BSA and HSA with bound SDS suggest that the surfactant could be bound at the same sites as those reported in the crystal structure for the fatty acid, suggesting that the mechanism of the interaction is the same.
TL;DR: This work reports the discovery of a low-mass star with an iron abundance as low as 1/200,000 of the solar value, which suggests that population III stars could still exist and that the first generation of stars also contained long-livedLow-mass objects.
Abstract: The chemical composition of the most metal-deficient stars largely reflects the composition of the gas from which they formed. These old stars provide crucial clues to the star formation history and the synthesis of chemical elements in the early Universe. They are the local relics of epochs otherwise observable only at very high redshifts1,2; if totally metal-free (‘population III’) stars could be found, this would allow the direct study of the pristine gas from the Big Bang. Earlier searches for such stars found none with an iron abundance less than 1/10,000 that of the Sun3,4, leading to the suggestion5,6 that low-mass stars could form from clouds above a critical iron abundance. Here we report the discovery of a low-mass star with an iron abundance as low as 1/200,000 of the solar value. This discovery suggests that population III stars could still exist—that is, that the first generation of stars also contained long-lived low-mass objects. The previous failure to find them may be an observational selection effect.
TL;DR: A framework for this hypothesis is provided and the potential sources and properties of these radicals that are likely to become increasingly recognized as important mediators of biological processes are discussed.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors evaluated the fatigue life of AISI 4340 steel, used in landing gear, under four shot peening conditions and found that relaxation of the residual stress field occurred due to the fatigue process.
Posted Content•
TL;DR: This approach has the potential to both identify and quantify the benefits of implementing a service strategy, especially for firms having multiple units and provides customized feedback to each branch in implementing the strategic model.
Abstract: The service-profit chain (SPC) is a framework for linking service operations, employee assessments, and customer assessments to a firm's profitability (Heskett et al. 1994). The SPC provides an integrative framework for understanding how a firm's operational investments into service operations are related to customer perceptions and behaviors, and how these translate into profits. For a firm, it provides much needed guidance about the complex interrelationships among operational investments, customer perceptions, and the bottom line. Implementing the SPC is a pervasive problem among most service firms, and several attempts have been made to model various aspects of the SPC. However, comprehensive approaches to model the SPC are lacking, as most studies have only focused on discrete aspects of the SPC. There is a need for approaches that combine data such as measures of operational inputs, customer perceptions and behaviors, and financial outcomes from multiple sources, providing the firm with not only comprehensive diagnosis and assessment but also with implementation guidelines. Importantly, an approach that is sensitive to and can accommodate the strengths and weaknesses of such data sets is required. We outline and illustrate such an approach in this paper. Our approach has the potential to both identify and quantify the benefits of implementing a service strategy, especially for firms having multiple units (e.g., banks with branches, retail outlets, and so forth). The implementation approach is illustrated using data from a national bank in Brazil. We used customer surveys from more than 500 branches of the bank. Each individual customer's marketing survey data was linked to a number of operational metrics. First, behavioral measures of retention, such as the length of the customer's relation with the bank, the deposit amount, and number of transactions with the bank, were obtained and merged with the survey data. Second, the main branch used by each customer was identified and operational inputs (e.g., number of employees, number of available automated teller machines (ATMs)) used at that branch were obtained and merged with the data set. This data set was used to model the SPC at a strategic and operational level. The strategic analysis consisted of a structural-equation model that identified the critical conceptual relationships that parsimoniously articulate the SPC for this bank. For instance, from among a variety of attribute-level perceptions, the bank was able to identify those perceptions that were critical determinants of behavioral intentions. Similarly, from a variety of available behavioral metrics, the bank was able to identify those behaviors most relevant to profitability. The operational analysis utilized Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and provides customized feedback to each branch in implementing the strategic model. It provides each branch with a metric of its relative efficiency in translating inputs such as employees and ATMs into relevant strategic outcomes such as customer intentions and behaviors. Our illustration shows how top management can use the strategic and operational analysis in tandem. Whereas the strategic model provides the key relationships and metrics that are needed to ensure that all subunits of the firm follow a consistent strategy, the operational analysis enables each branch to benchmark its unique position so that the branch can implement the strategic model in the most efficient way. Thus, simultaneously implementing the strategic and operational model enables a firm to have a centralized focus with decentralized implementation. For this bank, the operational analysis shows that for a branch to achieve superior profitability, it is important that the branch manager not only be efficient in achieving superior satisfaction (as indicated in positive behavioral intentions) but also be efficient in translating such attitudes and intentions into relevant behaviors. In other words, superior satisfaction alone is not an unconditional guarantee of profitability.
TL;DR: In this paper, the transverse momentum distributions of charged hadrons within 0.2 < p T < 6.0 GeV/c have been measured over a broad range of centrality for Au + Au collisions at S N N = 130 GeV.
Abstract: Inclusive transverse momentum distributions of charged hadrons within 0.2 < p T < 6.0 GeV/c have been measured over a broad range of centrality for Au + Au collisions at S N N = 130 GeV. Hadron yields are suppressed at high PT in central collisions relative to peripheral collisions and to a nucleon-nucleon reference scaled for collision geometry. Peripheral collisions are not suppressed relative to the nucleon-nucleon reference. The suppression varies continuously at intermediate centralities. The results indicate significant nuclear medium effects on high-p T hadron production in heavy-ion collisions at high energy.
TL;DR: In this paper, water-soluble organic compounds (WSOCs) within the samples were characterized using a combination of 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for chemical functional group analysis and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) for identification and quantification of individual low-molecular-weight compounds.
Abstract: [1] As part of the European contribution to the Large-Scale Atmosphere-Biosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA-EUSTACH), aerosols were sampled at representative pasture and primary rainforest sites in Rondonia, Brazil, during the 1999 “burning season” and dry-to-wet season transition (September-October). Water-soluble organic compounds (WSOCs) within the samples were characterized using a combination of 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for chemical functional group analysis, and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) for identification and quantification of individual low-molecular-weight compounds. The 1H NMR analysis indicates that WSOCs are predominantly aliphatic or oxygenated aliphatic compounds (alcohols, carboxylic acids, etc.), with a minor content of aromatic rings carrying carboxylic and phenolic groups. Levoglucosan (1,6-anhydro-β-D-glucose), a well-known cellulose combustion product, was the most abundant individual compound identified by GC-MS (0.04–6.90 μg m−3), accounting for 1–6% of the total carbon (TC) and 2–8% of the water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC). Other anhydrosugars, produced by hemicellulose breakdown, were detected in much smaller amounts, in addition to series of acids, hydroxyacids, oxoacids, and polyalcohols (altogether 2–5% of TC, 3–6% of WSOC). Most correlated well with organic carbon, black carbon, and potassium, indicating biomass burning to be the major source. A series of sugar alcohols (mannitol, arabitol, erythritol) and sugars (glucose, fructose, mannose, galactose, sucrose, trehalose) were identified as part of the natural background aerosol and are probably derived from airborne microbes and other biogenic material. The bulk of the WSOCs (86–91% WSOC) eluded analysis by GC-MS and may be predominantly high-molecular weight in nature.
Cayetano Heredia University1, Imperial College London2, University of Cambridge3, National Institutes of Health4, University of São Paulo5, Baylor College of Medicine6, Christian Medical College & Hospital7, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention8, University of Salford9, National Autonomous University of Mexico10, National University of San Marcos11, Johns Hopkins University12
TL;DR: Overall, four general recommendations were made: individualize therapeutic decisions, including whether to use antiparasitic drugs, based on the number, location, and viability of the parasites within the nervous system.
Abstract: Taenia solium neurocysticercosis is a common cause of epileptic seizures and other neurological morbidity in most developing countries. It is also an increasingly common diagnosis in industrialized countries because of immigration from areas where it is endemic. Its clinical manifestations are highly variable and depend on the number, stage, and size of the lesions and the host's immune response. In part due to this variability, major discrepancies exist in the treatment of neurocysticercosis. A panel of experts in taeniasis/cysticercosis discussed the evidence on treatment of neurocysticercosis for each clinical presentation, and we present the panel's consensus and areas of disagreement. Overall, four general recommendations were made: (i) individualize therapeutic decisions, including whether to use antiparasitic drugs, based on the number, location, and viability of the parasites within the nervous system; (ii) actively manage growing cysticerci either with antiparasitic drugs or surgical excision; (iii) prioritize the management of intracranial hypertension secondary to neurocysticercosis before considering any other form of therapy; and (iv) manage seizures as done for seizures due to other causes of secondary seizures (remote symptomatic seizures) because they are due to an organic focus that has been present for a long time.
TL;DR: Cell surface binding and pull‐down experiments showed that recombinant PrPc binds to cellular STI1, and co‐immunoprecipitation assays strongly suggest that both proteins are associated in vivo.
Abstract: Prions are composed of an isoform of a normal sialoglycoprotein called PrP(c), whose physiological role has been under investigation, with focus on the screening for ligands. Our group described a membrane 66 kDa PrP(c)-binding protein with the aid of antibodies against a peptide deduced by complementary hydropathy. Using these antibodies in western blots from two-dimensional protein gels followed by sequencing the specific spot, we have now identified the molecule as stress-inducible protein 1 (STI1). We show that this protein is also found at the cell membrane besides the cytoplasm. Both proteins interact in a specific and high affinity manner with a K(d) of 10(-7) M. The interaction sites were mapped to amino acids 113-128 from PrP(c) and 230-245 from STI1. Cell surface binding and pull-down experiments showed that recombinant PrP(c) binds to cellular STI1, and co-immunoprecipitation assays strongly suggest that both proteins are associated in vivo. Moreover, PrP(c) interaction with either STI1 or with the peptide we found that represents the binding domain in STI1 induce neuroprotective signals that rescue cells from apoptosis.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used customer surveys from more than 500 branches of a bank in Brazil to model the service-profit chain (SPC) at a strategic and operational level, where the strategic model provides the key relationships and metrics that are needed to ensure that all subunits of the firm follow a consistent strategy.
Abstract: The service-profit chain (SPC) is a framework for linking service operations, employee assessments, and customer assessments to a firm's profitability (Heskett et al. 1994). The SPC provides an integrative framework for understanding how a firm's operational investments into service operations are related to customer perceptions and behaviors, and how these translate into profits. For a firm, it provides much needed guidance about the complex interrelationships among operational investments, customer perceptions, and the bottom line.Implementing the SPC is a pervasive problem among most service firms, and several attempts have been made to model various aspects of the SPC. However, comprehensive approaches to model the SPC are lacking, as most studies have only focused on discrete aspects of the SPC. There is a need for approaches that combine data such as measures of operational inputs, customer perceptions and behaviors, and financial outcomes from multiple sources, providing the firm with not only comprehensive diagnosis and assessment but also with implementation guidelines. Importantly, an approach that is sensitive to and can accommodate the strengths and weaknesses of such data sets is required. We outline and illustrate such an approach in this paper. Our approach has the potential to both identify and quantify the benefits of implementing a service strategy, especially for firms having multiple units (e.g., banks with branches, retail outlets, and so forth).The implementation approach is illustrated using data from a national bank in Brazil. We used customer surveys from more than 500 branches of the bank. Each individual customer's marketing survey data was linked to a number of operational metrics. First, behavioral measures of retention, such as the length of the customer's relation with the bank, the deposit amount, and number of transactions with the bank, were obtained and merged with the survey data. Second, the main branch used by each customer was identified and operational inputs (e.g., number of employees, number of available automated teller machines (ATMs)) used at that branch were obtained and merged with the data set. This data set was used to model the SPC at astrategic andoperational level.Thestrategic analysis consisted of a structural-equation model that identified the critical conceptual relationships that parsimoniously articulate the SPC for this bank. For instance, from among a variety of attribute-level perceptions, the bank was able to identify those perceptions that were critical determinants of behavioral intentions. Similarly, from a variety of available behavioral metrics, the bank was able to identify those behaviors most relevant to profitability. Theoperational analysis utilized Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and provides customized feedback to each branch in implementing the strategic model. It provides each branch with a metric of its relative efficiency in translating inputs such as employees and ATMs into relevant strategic outcomes such as customer intentions and behaviors. Our illustration shows how top management can use the strategic and operational analysis in tandem. Whereas the strategic model provides the key relationships and metrics that are needed to ensure that all subunits of the firm follow a consistent strategy, the operational analysis enables each branch to benchmark its unique position so that the branch can implement the strategic model in the most efficient way. Thus,simultaneously implementing the strategic and operational model enables a firm to have a centralized focus with decentralized implementation. For this bank, the operational analysis shows that for a branch to achieve superior profitability, it is important that the branch manager not only be efficient in achieving superior satisfaction (as indicated in positive behavioral intentions) but also be efficient in translating such attitudes and intentions into relevant behaviors. In other words, superior satisfaction alone is not an unconditional guarantee of profitability.
TL;DR: In dentistry, low‐power lasers have been used in the treatment of dentin hypersensitivity, gingivitis, periodontitis, and different forms of oral ulcers and this in vitro study focuses on the biostimulation of NIH‐3T3 fibroblasts by a low-power Ga–As‐pulsed laser.
Abstract: Background and Objectives: In dentistry, low-power lasers have been used in the treatment of dentin hypersensitivity, gingivitis, periodontitis, and different forms of oral ulcers. This in vitro study focuses on the biostimulation of NIH-3T3 fibroblasts by a low-power Ga–As-pulsed laser. StudyDesign/MaterialsandMethods: We have studied cell growth and procollagen synthesis of cultured fibroblasts submitted to low-power laser irradiation with energy densities varying from 3 to 5 J/cm 2 over a period of 1–6 days. The light source was a 120 mW Ga–As diode laser (l ¼ 904 nm). Growth curves and procollagen immunoprecipitation were obtained. Results: Irradiation of 3 and 4 J/cm 2 increased the cell numbers about threefold to sixfold comparing to control cultures. However, this effect was restricted to a small range of energy densities since 5 J/cm 2 had no effect on cell growth. The energy density of 3 J/cm 2 remarkably increased cell growth, with no effect on procollagen synthesis, as demonstrated by the immunoprecipitation analysis. Conclusions: Our results showed that a particular laser irradiation stimulates fibroblast proliferation, without impairing procollagen synthesis. Lasers Surg. Med. 31: 263–267, 2002. 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
TL;DR: In this paper, four distinct meteorological regimes in the Amazon basin have been examined to distinguish the contributions from boundary layer aerosol and convective available potential energy (CAPE) to continental cloud structure and electrification.
Abstract: [1] Four distinct meteorological regimes in the Amazon basin have been examined to distinguish the contributions from boundary layer aerosol and convective available potential energy (CAPE) to continental cloud structure and electrification. The lack of distinction in the electrical parameters (peak flash rate, lightning yield per unit rainfall) between aerosol-rich October and aerosol-poor November in the premonsoon regime casts doubt on a primary role for the aerosol in enhancing cloud electrification. Evidence for a substantial role for the aerosol in suppressing warm rain coalescence is identified in the most highly polluted period in early October. The electrical activity in this stage is qualitatively peculiar. During the easterly and westerly wind regimes of the wet season, the lightning yield per unit of rainfall is positively correlated with the aerosol concentration, but the electrical parameters are also correlated with CAPE, with a similar degree of scatter. Here cause and effect are difficult to establish with available observations. This ambiguity extends to the “green ocean” westerly regime, a distinctly maritime regime over a major continent with minimum aerosol concentration, minimum CAPE, and little if any lightning.