This is the first systematic report of secular variations of cesarean delivery rates in Asia. The high rates and increasing trend represent an unnecessary excess risk for mothers and their infants. Various strategies combating high cesarean rates have been proposed and have succeeded elsewhere. Concerted action from health care professionals, public health authorities, the general population, and the media is urgently required to implement solutions to reduce the rate of cesarean delivery.

We identified 7 SHP-1 (PTPN6) transcripts using epithelial cancer-derived cell lines. Four were shown to utilize the epithelial promoter 1 to transcribe a full-length, a partial (exon 3) or complete (exons 3 & 4) deletion of the N-SH2 domain, and also a non-coding transcript having a stop codon caused by a frame shift due to intron 2 retention. Three additional transcripts were shown to utilize the hematopoietic promoter 2 to transcribe a full-length, a partial (exon 3) deletion of the N-SH2 domain and a non-coding transcript with intron 2 retention. We show that endogenous proteins corresponding to the open-reading-frame (ORF) transcripts are produced. Using GST-fusion proteins we show that each product of the ORF SHP-1 transcripts has phosphatase activity and isoforms with an N-SH2 deletion have increased phosphatase activity and novel protein-protein interactions. This study is the first to document utilization of promoter 2 by SHP-1 transcripts and a noncoding transcript in human epithelial cells.

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To enhance products and services provided to researchers and generate external revenue, research operations at the University Health Network implemented an ideation revenue generation framework for evaluation of product ideas for launch to external market. The framework consists of coordinated cross-functional teamwork in idea development and formal evaluation by research operations senior management based on standard criteria. The framework accelerates launch to market of products and services, facilitates due diligence review, increases staff competencies and engagement, and helps foster innovative thinking.