Salaries of information technology managers; A trend analysis

During the economic boom of the last decade, companies and organizations have to offer lucrative salaries and a wide variety of incentive programs to attract and to retain highly skilled IT workers. While it is true that the economic downturn has affected the dramatic rise in salary trends, determining the worth of an employee as measured by wages will always remain a critical management issue. History has shown that irrespective of economic conditions, salaries will continue to rise. As the economy recovers and given the projected mass exodus of governmental information technology workers in the coming years, managers will need to be ready to deal with the difficult issue of high salary again. This study examines national and regional salary trends of IT managers. Specifically, the salaries examined are for the years 1991 through 2000, the period where salaries were often adjusted because of the imbalance between the supply of and the demand for IT professionals. From the employee who is looking for a reasonable salary package to the employer who must determine a sufficient pay raise to retain an IT manager, the findings and trends reported in this study should be useful and interesting

Attraction of Adult Chironomidae (Diptera) to Incandescent Light Under Laboratory Conditions

The attraction of three chironomid species, Glyptotendipes paripes Edwards, Chironomus crassicaudatus Malloch, and Polypedilum halterale (Coquillett), to incandescent light of different colors and wattages was studied. Field-captured adults were released from the center of a dark room (9 by 9 m) equipped with a New Jersey light trap in each corner. The effects of color were determined by using 100-W lamps of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and white. The effects of light intensity were studied by using 100, 60, 40, and 25-W white lamps. Measurements of light intensity of each lamp were taken. Among the colors tested in two separate combinations, white light attracted the maximum numbers of adults and red light the least. The three species exhibited a similar behavior. Among white light of different intensities, the maximum attraction of G. paripes occurred toward the highest intensity and the minimum toward the lowest intensity. The midge species responded more to the quantity (power or intensity) than to the quality (color or wavelength) of ligh

Scope and Predictive Genetic/Phenotypic Signatures of Bicarbonate (NaHCO3) Responsiveness and β-Lactam Sensitization in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Addition of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) to standard antimicrobial susceptibility testing medium reveals certain methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains to be highly susceptible to β-lactams. We investigated the prevalence of this phenotype (NaHCO3 responsiveness) to two β-lactams among 58 clinical MRSA bloodstream isolates. Of note, ∼75% and ∼36% of isolates displayed the NaHCO3 responsiveness phenotype to cefazolin (CFZ) and oxacillin (OXA), respectively. Neither intrinsic β-lactam MICs in standard Mueller-Hinton broth (MHB) nor population analysis profiles were predictive of this phenotype. Several genotypic markers (clonal complex 8 [CC8]; agr I and spa t008) were associated with NaHCO3 responsiveness for OXA

Characterization of a panel of six β2-adrenergic receptor antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The β₂-adrenergic receptor (β₂AR) is a primary target for medications used to treat asthma. Due to the low abundance of β₂AR, very few studies have reported its localization in tissues. However, the intracellular location of β₂AR in lung tissue, especially in airway smooth muscle cells, is very likely to have a significant impact on how the airways respond to β-agonist medications. Thus, a method for visualizing β₂AR in tissues would be of utility. The purpose of this study was to develop an immunofluorescent labeling technique for localizing native and recombinant β₂AR in primary cell cultures.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A panel of six different antibodies were evaluated in indirect immunofluorescence assays for their ability to recognize human and rat β₂AR expressed in HEK 293 cells. Antibodies capable of recognizing rat β₂AR were identified and used to localize native β₂AR in primary cultures of rat airway smooth muscle and epithelial cells. β₂AR expression was confirmed by performing ligand binding assays using the β-adrenergic antagonist [3H] dihydroalprenolol ^([3H]DHA).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among the six antibodies tested, we identified three of interest. An antibody developed against the C-terminal 15 amino acids of the human β₂AR (Ab-Bethyl) specifically recognized human but not rat β₂AR. An antibody developed against the C-terminal domain of the mouse β₂AR (Ab-sc570) specifically recognized rat but not human β₂AR. An antibody developed against 78 amino acids of the C-terminus of the human β₂AR (Ab-13989) was capable of recognizing both rat and human β₂ARs. In HEK 293 cells, the receptors were predominantly localized to the cell surface. By contrast, about half of the native rat β₂AR that we visualized in primary cultures of rat airway epithelial and smooth muscle cells using Ab-sc570 and Ab-13989 was found inside cells rather than on their surface.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Antibodies have been identified that recognize human β₂AR, rat β₂AR or both rat and human β₂AR. Interestingly, the pattern of expression in transfected cells expressing millions of receptors was dramatically different from that in primary cell cultures expressing only a few thousand native receptors. We anticipate that these antibodies will provide a valuable tool for evaluating the expression and trafficking of β₂AR in tissues.</p

Consistent generation of ice-streams via thermo-viscous instabilities modulated by membrane stresses

Accurate computation of ice-stream location and dynamics is a key aspiration for theoretical glaciology. Ice-sheet models with thermo-viscous coupling have been shown to exhibit stream-like instabilities using shallow-ice approximation mechanics, but the location and width of these streams depends on the numerical implementation and are not unique. We present results from thermo-viscously coupled ice-sheet models incorporating membrane stresses. Spontaneous generation of fast-flowing linear features still occurs under certain parameter regimes, with computed stream widths between 20 km to 100 km, comparable with observations. These features are maintained as the grid-size is decreased. The thermo-viscous feedback mechanism that generates ice-streams under the shallow ice approximation still operates, now selecting a unique stream size. Computations of thermo-viscous ice flows should include membrane stresses when the bed is approximately flat, e. g. parts of Antarctica and former ice-sheets of the Northern hemisphere. Previous calculations of spontaneous ice-stream generation using the shallow ice approximation should be reassessed. Citation: Hindmarsh, R. C. A. (2009), Consistent generation of ice-streams via thermo-viscous instabilities modulated by membrane stresses, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L06502, doi:10.1029/2008GL036877

Combinations of idelalisib with rituximab and/or bendamustine in patients with recurrent indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Key Points Combining phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase δ inhibition with rituximab, bendamustine, or both is feasible and active in relapsed iNHL. The safety of novel combinations should be proven in phase 3 trials before adoption in clinical practice.</jats:p

Possibilities for pedagogy in Further Education: Harnessing the abundance of literacy

In this report, it is argued that the most salient factor in the contemporary communicative landscape is the sheer abundance and diversity of possibilities for literacy, and that the extent and nature of students' communicative resources is a central issue in education. The text outlines the conceptual underpinnings of the Literacies for Learning in Further Education project in a social view of literacy, and the associated research design, methodology and analytical framework. It elaborates on the notion of the abundance of literacies in students' everyday lives, and on the potential for harnessing these as resources for the enhancement of learning. It provides case studies of changes in practice that have been undertaken by further education staff in order to draw upon students' everyday literacy practices on Travel and Tourism and Multimedia courses. It ends with some of the broad implications for conceptualising learning that arise from researching through the lens of literacy practices

Update to the Vitamin C, Thiamine and Steroids in Sepsis (VICTAS) protocol: statistical analysis plan for a prospective, multicenter, double-blind, adaptive sample size, randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Observational research suggests that combined therapy with Vitamin C, thiamine and hydrocortisone may reduce mortality in patients with septic shock. METHODS AND DESIGN: The Vitamin C, Thiamine and Steroids in Sepsis (VICTAS) trial is a multicenter, double-blind, adaptive sample size, randomized, placebo-controlled trial designed to test the efficacy of combination therapy with vitamin C (1.5 g), thiamine (100 mg), and hydrocortisone (50 mg) given every 6 h for up to 16 doses in patients with respiratory or circulatory dysfunction (or both) resulting from sepsis. The primary outcome is ventilator- and vasopressor-free days with mortality as the key secondary outcome. Recruitment began in August 2018 and is ongoing; 501 participants have been enrolled to date, with a planned maximum sample size of 2000. The Data and Safety Monitoring Board reviewed interim results at N = 200, 300, 400 and 500, and has recommended continuing recruitment. The next interim analysis will occur when N = 1000. This update presents the statistical analysis plan. Specifically, we provide definitions for key treatment and outcome variables, and for intent-to-treat, per-protocol, and safety analysis datasets. We describe the planned descriptive analyses, the main analysis of the primary end point, our approach to secondary and exploratory analyses, and handling of missing data. Our goal is to provide enough detail that our approach could be replicated by an independent study group, thereby enhancing the transparency of the study. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03509350. Registered on 26 April 2018

LIS1 Regulates Osteoclast Formation and Function through Its Interactions with Dynein/Dynactin and Plekhm1

Microtubule organization and lysosomal secretion are both critical for the activation and function of osteoclasts, highly specialized polykaryons that are responsible for bone resorption and skeletal homeostasis. Here, we have identified a novel interaction between microtubule regulator LIS1 and Plekhm1, a lysosome-associated protein implicated in osteoclast secretion. Decreasing LIS1 expression by shRNA dramatically attenuated osteoclast formation and function, as shown by a decreased number of mature osteoclasts differentiated from bone marrow macrophages, diminished resorption pits formation, and reduced level of CTx-I, a bone resorption marker. The ablated osteoclast formation in LIS1-depleted macrophages was associated with a significant decrease in macrophage proliferation, osteoclast survival and differentiation, which were caused by reduced activation of ERK and AKT by M-CSF, prolonged RANKL-induced JNK activation and declined expression of NFAT-c1, a master transcription factor of osteoclast differentiation. Consistent with its critical role in microtubule organization and dynein function in other cell types, we found that LIS1 binds to and colocalizes with dynein in osteoclasts. Loss of LIS1 led to disorganized microtubules and aberrant dynein function. More importantly, the depletion of LIS1 in osteoclasts inhibited the secretion of Cathepsin K, a crucial lysosomal hydrolase for bone degradation, and reduced the motility of osteoclast precursors. These results indicate that LIS1 is a previously unrecognized regulator of osteoclast formation, microtubule organization, and lysosomal secretion by virtue of its ability to modulate dynein function and Plekhm1

Chandra Detection of a TypeII Quasar at z=3.288

We report on observations of a TypeII quasar at redshift z=3.288, identified as a hard X-ray source in a 185 ks observation with the Chandra X-ray Observatory and as a high-redshift photometric candidate from deep, multiband optical imaging. CXOJ084837.9+445352 (hereinafter CXO52) shows an unusually hard X-ray spectrum from which we infer an absorbing column density N(H) = (4.8+/-2.1)e23 / cm2 (90% confidence) and an implied unabsorbed 2-10 keV rest-frame luminosity of L(2-10) = 3.3e44 ergs/s, well within the quasar regime. Hubble Space Telescope imaging shows CXO52 to be elongated with slight morphological differences between the WFPC2 F814W and NICMOS F160W bands. Optical and near-infrared spectroscopy of CXO52 show high-ionization emission lines with velocity widths ~1000 km/s and flux ratios similar to a Seyfert2 galaxy or radio galaxy. The latter are the only class of high-redshift TypeII luminous AGN which have been extensively studied to date. Unlike radio galaxies, however, CXO52 is radio quiet, remaining undetected at radio wavelengths to fairly deep limits, f(4.8GHz) < 40 microJy. High-redshift TypeII quasars, expected from unification models of active galaxies and long-thought necessary to explain the X-ray background, are poorly constrained observationally with few such systems known. We discuss recent observations of similar TypeII quasars and detail search techniques for such systems: namely (1) X-ray selection, (2) radio selection, (3) multi-color imaging selection, and (4) narrow-band imaging selection. Such studies are likely to begin identifying luminous, high-redshift TypeII systems in large numbers. We discuss the prospects for these studies and their implications to our understanding of the X-ray background.Comment: 28 pages, 5 figures; to appear in The Astrophysical Journa