cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RNA Isolation Strategies

This chapter focuses on the process of isolation of ribonucleic acid (RNA) from biological sources enriched in ribonucleases (RNase) and the protocols for the analysis of steady-state transcripts. Steady-state RNA is the one that is isolated from the nucleus or cytoplasm by direct cell lysis. RNA is chemically and biologically more labile at elevated temperatures (65°) and in the presence of alkali. These intrinsic handling difficulties are further compounded by aggressive activities of a variety of resilient RNase. Protocols for the isolation of RNA begin with cellular lysis mediated by buffers that typically fall into one of two categories depending on the degree of cellular disruption and concomitant RNase inhibition: (1) those consisting of harsh chaotropic agents such as one of the guanidinium salts, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), N-laurylsarcosine (sarcosyl), urea, phenol, or chloroform, which disrupt the plasma membrane and subcellular organelles and which simultaneously inactivate RNase; and (2) those that gently solubilize the plasma membrane while maintaining nuclear and other organelle integrity, such as the non-ionic, hypotonic lysis buffers. The disadvantage of using gentle lysis buffers is that the lysis buffer alone is not sufficiently chaotropic to fully inhibit RNase activity; and the drawback of harsh chaotropic procedures is that the investigator is not able to discriminate between cytoplasmic and nuclear RNA, as there is no method for separating hnRNA from spliced messenger RNA (mRNA) once these two populations have been mixed.
Nonpredatory Interspecific Interactions among Plants and Animals in Freshwater Communities

Competition is central to understanding many aspects of aquatic communities. Other ways that species interact (including indirect interactions, succession, mutualism, and the effects of keystone species) also have consequences in determining community structure. Competition (wherein both species have a negative effect on each other) is a dominant community interaction. It can occur among organisms from any taxon, but it is more likely to occur among organisms in the same functional group or guild. Mutualisms (wherein both species have a positive effect on each other) are less conspicuous in freshwater than in marine systems, possibly because the continuous time for evolution of mutualisms has been less in freshwaters than in marine systems (i.e., many freshwater habitats have a shorter continuous history than marine or terrestrial habitats). However, it seems that some of the conditions for mutualism occur in freshwater.
Public Discourse on Genetically Modified Foods in the Mobile Sphere: Framing Risks, Opportunities, and Responsibilities in Mobile Social Media in China

Using a content-analytic approach, this chapter systematically examined over 2,000 mobile social media posts on two popular Chinese platforms – Weibo and WeChat – regarding genetically modified foods. While most posts indicated strong opposition to these foods, more than 40 % of the posts did not provide any reasons for their opposition or cite any specific risks. Most posts viewed the government, lawmakers, and scientists as those responsible for guaranteeing the safety of genetically modified foods. This cyberactivism in mobile social media goes beyond the scope of public health and extends to discussions about human rights, the government’s ability to supervise the market, and even national security. The results suggest that this anti-GM-foods activism may have contributed to the Chinese government’s decision to take a slow, cautious approach to approving the sale of GM crops and foods in the country.
Feminist Perspectives on Gender Development: Contributions to Theory and Practice

Gender development has been a core concern of psychological science since its inception. The second wave of the feminist movement spurred new theoretical perspectives on gender development and, across the ensuing decades, these new perspectives led to myriad empirical insights into gender development, including the formation, function, and consequences of children’s gender-related cognitions, affect, and behavior. In this paper, we review five cutting edge areas of feminist-grounded research that are important, both because they provide new theoretical insights into the processes involved in gender development and carry important implications for contemporary policy and practice around the treatment of gender. Specifically, we review developmental science concerning (1) gendered language, (2) gender atypicality, (3) gender discrimination and sexual harassment, (4) sexualization of girls, and (5) single-sex schooling.
Oxygen Radical Regulation of Vascular Reactivity

Lipid peroxides are implicated in the pathophysiology of many disease processes including cancer, atherosclerosis and inflammation (Frankel 1984). Several mechanisms have been suggested for these peroxide mediated events. These include loss of membrane integrity, liberation of lysosomal enzymes and initiation of destructive free radical mediated reactions (Bridges et al. 1983; Mak et al. 1983). However, the actual mechanism is still unknown. Enhanced Prostaglandin synthesis occurs in human tumours. This may relate to the stimulation of Prostaglandin H (PGH) synthetase by lipid peroxides (Hemler and Lands 1980). On the other hand lipid peroxides, by inhibiting prostacyclin (PGI2) synthesis, may affect the tone of vascular smooth muscle. In addition to lipid peroxides, vascular endothelium may also interact with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) derived from polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). The PMN derived H2O2 stimulates PGI2 production by endothelial cells at sites of inflammation (Harlan and Callahan 1984). The integrity of vascular endothelium is obligatory for many vasoactive compounds to elicit relaxation (Furchgott and Zawadzki 1980). This endothelium dependent relaxation is abolished by Superoxide anion (O.— 2) (Rubanyi and Vanhoutte 1986). Little is known of the vascular activity of peroxides and therefore we have investigated the effect of several peroxides on the tone of isolated blood vessels with and without endothelium.
Cosmeceuticals for rosacea

Patients with rosacea present a challenge to the dermatologist, as they typically possess sensitive skin, need facial Demodex and bacterial colonization control, exhibit vasomotor instability, require camouflaging of telangiectatic mats, and desire prescription treatment. Currently available pharmaceuticals are aimed at inflammation reduction, primarily with the use of topical and oral antibiotics. Recently, vasoconstrictor formulations have emerged, but these drugs have only a temporary effect and improve appearance without addressing the underlying cause, which remains largely unknown. Cosmeceuticals, including cleansers, moisturizers, cosmetics, sunscreens, and anti-inflammatory botanicals, can be used as adjuvant therapies in combination with traditional therapies. This review explores the effective use of cosmeceuticals in the treatment of rosacea to enhance pharmaceutical outcomes and meet patient expectations in a more satisfactory manner.
The Effects of Cyclicality and Inflation Expectations on Investment

Abstract This paper discusses cyclical and inflationary expectations mechanisms which singly and cumulatively lower investment, result in undercapitalization, lower productivity which itself further lowers the capacity to invest at future dates. Data used in the empirical analysis are obtained from a national survey of small businessmen. It is shown that contrary to the theory of rational expectations, businessmen consider the nominal market cost of money, have short term expectations and are influenced by government policy (i.e., monetary policy). The statistical estimations use autoregressions with alternative types of lag distributions. In addition it appears that inflation influences businessmen’s expectations via the index of industrial production. The cost of energy index is not significant in this estimation.
Grand Larceny in the First Grade: Traumatic Brain Injury in the School-Aged Years

Cody was the well-behaved, endearing, mild mannered, normally developing, 6-year-old girl any family would be blessed to have. The weather held the first sign of spring, and Cody 's mother was returning home from running errands with her only daughter, who just came along for the ride and to get out of the house. Cody was seat belted and well secured in the vehicle, as she is every time she goes on a family outing. As the car rounded the corner just before the family 's house, it slid and deviated into the shoulder of the road, rolling over. After the car stopped, Cody 's mother, who did not experience any loss of consciousness, exited the car and took stock of the situation. Somehow during the event, Cody had slipped from the grasp of her seat belt and gone through the side window, and she was ultimately found unresponsive several feet from the car. Cody 's mother, in a well-appreciated panic, scooped up her child and rushed to the closest neighbor 's house. After a quick call to 911, a helicopter arrived at the scene, and Cody was off to the local regional medical center. The initial Glasgow coma score en route to the hospital was 6, suggesting a severe brain injury (Table 3.1).
Life cycle cost analysis of energy-efficient buildings subjected to earthquakes

Abstract A new life cycle cost (LCC) analysis method is presented to evaluate the long-term cost-effectiveness of energy-efficiency features in buildings by accounting for the future costs associated with earthquake-induced damages in such features. Buildings situated in a seismic zone are possibly attacked by earthquakes over lifetime and their nonstructural elements such as energy-efficiency features may suffer from various levels of damage, requiring repair or replacement to restore a satisfactory level of building energy efficiency. However, existing LCC analysis methods have overlooked such earthquake-related cost, potentially leading to unreliable cost-effectiveness assessment of energy-efficient buildings. To address this problem, we propose a method to rigorously quantify the expected cumulative future cost due to the repair/replacement of earthquake-damaged energy-efficiency features and then integrate this cost into the LCC analysis. The new method is illustrated using a medium-sized office building located in a high seismic region with a Mediterranean climate. Costs associated with the initial installation as well as future energy consumption, environmental impacts, and seismic damages of two alternative types of window assembly with different levels of energy efficiency are calculated and compared. It is found that, with seismic damage cost considered, the cost-effectiveness of energy-efficiency features can be noticeably reduced and, equivalently, the payback time for building energy efficiency investment is prolonged.
Early life growth patterns persist for 12 years and impact pulmonary outcomes in cystic fibrosis.

Abstract Background In children with cystic fibrosis (CF), recovery from growth faltering within 2 years of diagnosis ( Responders ) is associated with better growth and less lung disease at age 6 years. This study examined whether these benefits are sustained through 12 years of age. Methods Longitudinal growth from 76 children with CF enrolled in the Wisconsin CF Neonatal Screening Project was examined and categorized into 5 groups: R 12 , R 6 , and R 2 , representing Responders who maintained growth improvement to age 12, 6, and 2 years, respectively, and I 6 and N 6, representing Non-responders whose growth did and did not improve during ages 2–6 years, respectively. Lung disease was evaluated by % predicted forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV 1 ) and chest radiograph (CXR) scores. Results Sixty-two percent were Responders. Within this group, 47% were R 12 , 28% were R 6 , and 25% were R 2 . Among Non-responders, 76% were N 6 . CF children with meconium ileus (MI) had worse lung function and CXR scores compared to other CF children. Among 53 children with pancreatic insufficiency without MI, R 12 had significantly better FEV 1 (97–99% predicted) and CXR scores during ages 6–12 years than N 6 (89–93% predicted). Both R 6 and R 2 experienced a decline in FEV 1 by ages 10–12 years. Conclusions Early growth recovery in CF is critical, as malnutrition during infancy tends to persist and catch-up growth after age 2 years is difficult. The longer adequate growth was maintained after early growth recovery, the better the pulmonary outcomes at age 12 years.
Chapter 25 Economic data issues

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a number of issues that arise during the encounter between the econometrician and economic data. Econometricians have an ambivalent attitude toward economic data. It is possible to take an alternative view for economic data issues that there are no data problems only model problems in econometrics. For any set of data, there is the right model. Much of econometrics is devoted to procedures that try to assess whether a particular model is right in this sense and to criteria for deciding when a particular model fits and is correct enough. Theorists and model builders often proceed, however, on the assumption that ideal data will be available and define variables that are unlikely to be observable, at least not in their pure form.
Transformation and Expression of TK Sequences

Cells lacking thymidine kinase (Ltk-)can be converted to the tk+ phenotype following exposure to UV-irradiated herpes simplex virus (HSV) and selection in HAT medium (1,2,3,). These experiments suggested to us that isolation of the virus sequences encoding tk was feasible. Accordingly, virus DNA cleaved with a variety of restriction endonucleases was assayed for its ability to convert tk- cells to a HAT resistant phenotype using the calcium phosphate precipitation technique (4). Digestion of HSV DNA with Bam H I resulted in the appearance of numerous colonies following application of the DNA and selection in HAT (5). Subsequent analysis of Bam H I cleaved, size-fractionated DNA identified a unique 3.5 kb fragment that contained the information required to convert tk- cells to the tk+ phenotype. Colonies that arise following application of DNA and HAT selection are said to be transformed. Transformation results from integration of the virus and carrier DNA sequences into cellular DNA (6,7,8,). The cells’ transcriptional and translational apparatus recognize the virus tk sequences to form a functional virus specified tk.
InAs-GaSb Superlattices in High Magnetic Fields

Semiconductor superiattices, which have been first proposed by ESAKI and TSU in 1970 [1], consist of thin alternate layers of two different semiconductors which cllsely match in lattice constant. In these one-dimensional periodic structures, the layer thickness ranges roughly from 10A to a few hundred A, smaller than or comparable to the electron mean free path but larger than the interatomic spacing. In this case, “macroscopic quantum effects” are expected to occur and to change the electronic structure of the invllved materials [2], leading to unusual transport and optical properties.
Reversal of a Treatment-Resistant, Depression-Related Brain State with the Kv7 Channel Opener Retigabine

Abstract Neuroinflammation is associated with increased vulnerability to diverse psychiatric conditions, including treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (MDD). Here we assessed whether high fat diet (HFD) induced neuroinflammation may be suitable to model a treatment-resistant depressive-like brain state in mice. Male and female mice were fed a HFD for 18 weeks, followed by quantitation of glucose tolerance, inflammatory markers of brain tissue (TNFα, IL-6, IL-1β, Iba-1), neural excitability in the prelimbic cortex (PLC), as well as assessment of emotional reactivity and hedonic behavior in a battery of behavioral tests. In addition, we assessed the behavioral responsiveness of mice to fluoxetine, desipramine, ketamine, and the Kv7 channel opener and anticonvulsant retigabine. HFD exposure led to glucose intolerance and neuroinflammation in male mice, with similar but non-significant trends in females. Neuroinflammation of males was associated with anxious-depressive-like behavior and defects in working memory, along with neural hyperexcitability and increased Ih currents of pyramidal cells in the PLC. The behavioral changes were largely resistant to chronic treatment with fluoxetine and desipramine, as well as ketamine. By contrast, retigabine (also known as ezogabine) normalized neural excitability and Ih currents recorded from slices of HFD-treated animals and significantly ameliorated most of the behavioral impairments, without effects in control diet exposed animals. Thus, treatment resistant depressive-like brain states that are associated with chronic neuroinflammation may involve hyperexcitability of pyramidal neurons and may be effectively treated by retigabine.
Bacterial Gene Expression in Mammalian Cells

Summary Bacteriophage, lambda and its transducing derivatives were used to infect human fibroblasts. Transcription of the bacteriophage genome was detected by hybridization with lambda DNA. Lambda-specific RNA (0.2 %) reached a maximum four days after infection. Translation was detected by the use of lambda carrying the galactose operon of E. coli. Human fibroblasts from a galactosemic patient, lacking the ability to make active α-D-galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase, produce the transferase enzyme following infection with the transducing phage.
Economics and Policy in Bariatric Surgery.

The purpose of this review is to provide current synthesis of the evidence on the cost-effectiveness of bariatric surgery for persons with diabetes. Virtually, every study that has evaluated the cost-effectiveness of bariatric surgery for persons who are obese and have type 2 diabetes has concluded that surgery is cost-effective. A few studies outside the USA found that surgery is cost-saving. Currently, most but not all US insurers cover bariatric surgery in persons with type 2 diabetes and BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2. Bariatric surgery is a cost-effective treatment for persons with type 2 diabetes and BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2. There is interest in extending surgery to persons with diabetes and lower BMI; the cost-effectiveness of treating these individuals with bariatric surgery should be explored. Despite the potential benefits, not all obese or overweight persons with diabetes will choose surgery.
Enthesitis-Related Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

1. Ayelet Rosenthal, MD* 2. Ginger Janow, MD, MPH† 1. *Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers University New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 2. †Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, Hackensack, NJ Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is defined as arthritis in children before their 16th birthday lasting for at least 6 weeks in the absence of another cause. The nomenclature surrounding chronic arthritis of childhood was revisited in the mid-1990s by the International League of Associations for Rheumatology, at which time the umbrella term juvenile rheumatoid arthritis was changed to juvenile idiopathic arthritis . In 2004, the International League of Associations for Rheumatology revised the previously defined 7 categories of JIA (Table 1), each with complex inclusion and exclusion criteria. Enthesitis-related JIA, or ERA, is the subcategory of JIA that can evolve into the adult form of ankylosing spondylitis; however, the differences in categorization between juvenile and adult forms of chronic arthritis are not clear-cut, and patients may be recategorized after their 16th birthday. View this table: Table 1. Categories of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis ERA affects approximately 10% to 20% of children with JIA. Hallmarks of disease include arthritis, defined as nonbony swelling or tenderness/pain on motion with limitation of motion, and enthesitis, defined as tenderness where the tendon or ligament inserts onto bone. Patients who have either arthritis or enthesitis, but not both, can also fall under the category of ERA if they have 2 of the other associated criteria (Table 2). Unlike many other autoimmune diseases, ERA has a male predominance (60%). The average age at diagnosis is 12 years, and most patients are either HLA-B27 …
On the Helicoid Precession: Its Stability and an Application to a Re-Entry Problem

This investigation deals with problems of helicoid precession, that is its stability and an application to a re-entry problem.
Economic and environmental impact assessments of a stand-alone napier grass-fired combined heat and power generation system in the southeastern US

Napier grass, one of the high yield perennial energy crops can be grown on marginal lands with minimal inputs, but with increased soil carbon sequestration in the southeastern US. The sustainable use of Napier grass for bioenergy applications such as combined heat and power at low cost to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions needs to be investigated. In this study, an integrated life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis approach were used to estimate the energy use, environmental emissions, and minimum selling price (MSP) of electricity and thermal heat produced from Napier grass and compared with a coal or natural gas-fired combined heat and power generation plant. The use of Napier grass as a feedstock decreased the global warming potential (GWP) of the medium-sized CHP (i.e., 13 MWe) plant by 73–92 % compared to that of a coal and natural gas-fired CHP plants. Other environmental impacts were also reduced by 24–100 %. Eutrophication was the only impact comparable to that of the coal-fired CHP plant. The energy return on investment (EROI) was around 5:1. The minimum selling price of electricity generated from the CHP plant was US$0.05–0.4 MJe−1 (US$0.13–0.18 kWh−1) considering the credits for steam production, renewable electricity production tax credit (PTC), and carbon footprint from the fossil fuel-based electricity generation. Although the pelleting of Napier grass for the CHP plant increased the cost and GHG emissions by 38% and 55% over the non-pelleted system, the pelleting process can ensure consistent quality and uninterrupted supply of the feedstock for heat and power generation.
Deep Contextualized Acoustic Representations for Semi-Supervised Speech Recognition

We propose a novel approach to semi-supervised automatic speech recognition (ASR). We first exploit a large amount of unlabeled audio data via representation learning, where we reconstruct a temporal slice of filterbank features from past and future context frames. The resulting deep contextualized acoustic representations (DeCoAR) are then used to train a CTC-based end-to-end ASR system using a smaller amount of labeled audio data. In our experiments, we show that systems trained on DeCoAR consistently outperform ones trained on conventional filterbank features, giving 42% and 19% relative improvement over the baseline on WSJ eval92 and LibriSpeech test-clean, respectively. Our approach can drastically reduce the amount of labeled data required; unsupervised training on LibriSpeech then supervision with 100 hours of labeled data achieves performance on par with training on all 960 hours directly.
In situ detection of gas chromatography analytes by active illumination with quantum cascade lasers

Gas chromatography (GC) is a staple analytical technique used to separate chemical mixtures (analytes) prior to identification with a hyphenated technique, such as mass spectrometry or Fourier transform infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Traditionally, analytes elute through the GC separation column where they are detected when they exit. We have developed a technique to perform in situ IR spectroscopy during the process of separating the analytes along the GC column. This is achieved by spin coating the stationary phase onto a germanium prism and actively probing the stationary phase in an attenuated total reflectance configuration with a quantum cascade laser.. The GC column is formed by pressing a molded epoxy lid, with grooves that form the tubular column, onto the stationary phase coated prism.
Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Pediatric Patients

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), postoperative vomiting (POV), post-discharge nausea and vomiting (PDNV), and opioid-induced nausea and vomiting (OINV) continue to be causes of pediatric morbidity, delay in discharge, and unplanned hospital admission. Research on the pathophysiology, risk assessment, and therapy for PDNV, OINV and pain therapy options in children has received increased attention. Multimodal pain management with the use of perioperative regional and opioid-sparing analgesia has helped decrease nausea and vomiting. Two common emetogenic surgical procedures in children are adenotonsillectomy and strabismus repair. Although PONV risk factors differ between adults and children, the approach to decrease baseline risk is similar. As PONV and POV are frequent in children, antiemetic prophylaxis should be considered for those at risk. A multimodal approach for antiemetic and pain therapy involves preoperative risk evaluation and stratification, antiemetic prophylaxis, and pain management with opioid-sparing medications and regional anesthesia. Useful antiemetics include dexamethasone and serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonists such as ondansetron. Multimodal combination prophylactic therapy using two or three antiemetics from different drug classes and propofol total intravenous anesthesia should be considered for children at high PONV risk. "Enhanced recovery after surgery" protocols include a multimodal approach with preoperative preparation, adequate intravenous fluid hydration, opioid-sparing analgesia, and prophylactic antiemetics. PONV guidelines and management algorithms help provide effective postoperative care for pediatric patients.
Balancing collaborative human–robot assembly lines to optimise cycle time and ergonomic risk

Human–robot collaboration can enhance productivity of production lines and reduce human ergonomic risk. The numbers and types of robots and stations in which robots are allocated need to be determi...
New covalent bonding ability for proteins.

To expand protein's covalent bonding ability, latent bioreactive unnatural amino acids have been designed and genetically encoded into proteins, which react with specific natural amino acid residues through proximity-enabled bioreactivity. The resultant new covalent bonds can be selectively created within and between proteins in vitro, in cells, and in vivo. Offering diverse properties previously unattainable, these covalent linkages have been harnessed to enhance protein properties, to modulate protein function, to probe ligand-receptor binding, to identify elusive protein interactions, and to develop covalent protein drugs. Selective introduction of covalent bonds into proteins is affording novel avenues for biological studies, synthetic biology, and biotherapeutics. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Multiple mating and reproductive success of male and female apple maggot flies, Rhagoletis pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae).

Mature male and female apple maggot flies mated frequently on a field-caged host tree during a 14-day study. Each sex averaged one mating per day (mean of 1.0 ± 0.1), but some females mated up to eight times per day and some males up to six times per day. Reproductive success was estimated based both on observed numbers of matings in the field cage and on previous work relating fecundity and fertility to female mating status. Male and female flies did not differ in mean or variance in reproductive success, indicating that this is a polygamous mating system consisting of both polygyny and polyandry. We discuss the significance of this with regard to the framework of insect mating control and frequency proposed by others. We also discuss behaviors (such as movements, agonistic encounters, occurrences on fruit, and ovipositions) that do and do not show correlations with mating success in apple maggot flies.
Plastic stress and acoustic emission as predictors of fatigue life

The high rate of acoustic emission from AISI E4340 annealed steel when it is stressed can be used to accurately indicate the yield stress. Predictive equations for the fatigue life of AISI E4340 annealed steel have been developed by the use of “Multiple Classification Analysis” and “Stepwise Regression” computer programs based on an experimental study of 175 specimens. The acoustic emission from the fatigue specimens was investigated prior to fatiguing, but no parameter of the emission was found to correlate significantly with fatigue life. The high-rate emission which occurs at yield is found to be useful in determining the value of the yield stress. The value of the stress into the plastic range determined in this manner was defined by both statistical approaches as the best predictor of fatigue life. The fatigue stress level was rejected as a lesser predictor. Surface finish in the range of 90 to 350 μin. was found to have little correlation with fatigue life of this material.
LiV2O4: frustration induced heavy fermion metal.

We propose a two-stage spin-quenching scenario for the unusual heavy fermion state realized in the mixed valent metal ${\mathrm{L}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{V}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$. In this theory, local valence fluctuations are responsible for the formation of partially quenched, spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ moments below room temperature. Frustration of the intersite spin couplings then drives the system to produce the heavy Fermi liquid seen at low temperatures. The anomalous resistivity and the sign change of the Hall constant can be understood naturally within this model, which also predicts a unique symmetry for the heavy quasiparticle bands that may be observed in de Haas--van Alphen experiments.
Non-thermal plasma BioPrinter with nano-scale precision

Summary form only given. Techniques for patterning of biochemical molecules on different, possibly non-planar, surfaces can be applied in tissue engineering to control adhesion of cells and tissue assembly. Most existing methods of biochemical patterning are suitable only for planar surfaces. No suitable method has been demonstrated for patterning of different chemical materials on non-planar substrates such as those incorporating nanofibers, carbon nanotubes, micro-groves, micro-wells and others. In addition, micro- and nano-scale patterning often relies on complex sequences of lithography based processing steps, which are rarely optimal for sustaining most biomaterials. We have developed a novel method of biochemical patterning which allows micro and nano-scale resolution on non-planar substrates. In this method bio molecules are delivered to charged locations on surfaces by plasma charged water droplets with typical diameter of about 30-50 nm prior to deposition on the surface. Charging of water droplets is accomplished using dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma. In the existing experimental process that we have developed, liquid droplets are generated by method of ultrasonic nebulization (atomization). Droplets are then carried by inert gas (argon or helium) through 10 KV 20 KHz plasma discharge where they gain negative charge. We should note that the mentioned high frequency is non acoustic, but exclusively related only to electrode potential in the DBD-discharge system, and is not going to affect bio-materials or cell integrity. Negatively charged droplets are then "pulled" out of plasma region by electric field. Utilizing various intensities of the deposition electric fields we are able to control droplet deposition rate or droplet residence in the system, which in turn allows us to control size of deposited droplets. Employing various patterns of deposition electrodes we deposit droplets on different planar and non-planar substrates. "Step"-patterned electrodes are used in the near future, while we are planning on creating half-circle patterned electrodes - both allow us to form non-planar 3D patterns of bio-chemicals, leading to micro-array assemblies, organ printing (such as microvasculature), and many other applications. Depending on the particular experiment, either droplets with color-coded enzymes are deposited directly onto the substrate or droplets are deposited onto substrate pre-treated with gel to keep enzymes alive. Detailed analysis of the Plasma BioPrinter, including the issues related to droplet charging and transport through the system, was presented and compared to experimental results.
An ultrastructural study of complex carbohydrates in the posterior chamber and vitreous base of the mouse

The fibrillar and mucoid extracellular matrix of the posterior chamber and vitreous base was studied in the mouse by electron microscopy using fixation and staining methods that demonstrated complex carbohydrates. These methods, including block-staining with Alcian Blue, allowed globular and filamentous hyaluronic acid, finely filamentous oligosaccharides, laminated glycolipids or lipophilic glycoproteins and stellate proteoglycan monomers to be identified tentatively. There was much less globular hyaluronic acid along the basement membrane of the peripheral retina and ciliary body than has been observed in the posterior fundus. A finely filamentous network on the basement membrane interconnected with a similar network covering individual collagen fibrils, zonules and meridional fibrillar laminae as well as with a branching fibrillar network that was seen in the posterior chamber and vitreous base. This interconnected system of fibrillar proteins and complex carbohydrates was also connected to the anterior hyaloid membrane. The infoldings of the ciliary epithelium contained stellage densities with characteristics of proteoglycan monomers similar to those reported in the matrix of cartilage. The complex carbohydrates of the posterior chamber and vitreous base are of several types known to affect protein function, provide water binding and assist in mechanical stability.
Modeling on-line selective protein recovery from a semi-solid substrate in an air-fluidized bed bioreactor

Abstract Baker's yeast was grown on a semi-solid substrate (homogenized whole potatoes) in an air-fluidized bed bioreactor. A high velocity stream of humidified air was used to supply oxygen as well as to mix the viscous substrate. α-Amylase was used as an enzyme to convert the starch to degradable sugars. During batch growth, certain extracellular yeast proteins were trapped by sparging the effluent air into a water chamber. Surprisingly, the proteins carried out were not the most abundant ones available in the process mixture. About half of the recovered proteins had a molecular weight of 33 kDa. The Monod and the Leudeking-Piret equations were used to describe the yeast cell growth and the extracellular protein formation, respectively, in the starch-cell media. For modeling purposes, the combined protein production and separation process is visualized as being an equilibrium process between the extracellular protein in the fluidized bed and the protein carried over into micro water droplets in the air. This model, therefore, is similar to the Rayleigh batch distillation equilibrium model except that the notion of “volatility” is replaced with the idea of partitioning or extraction between two liquid phases. Another analogy (to the more traditional distillation separation process) employed here was the use of a correction term to deviations from equilibrium. In distillation, this is referred to as the Murphree vapor efficiency term. In this work, the efficiency term is correlated to the air-flow rate in the fluidized bed.
Mineral resources for a new town

Abstract Of all the materials required for construction of a new town, the only one that must be obtained locally is aggregate for concrete. Very large tonnages of sand and gravel, or crushed stone, will be needed. Their production must be planned for from the beginning, to avoid the conflicts in land use that have long plagued older communities that undergo expansion. Production of sand, gravel, and stone is now disallowed by zoning in most major urban corridors in the U.S.A., making it necessary to bring these materials from a distance, at higher costs than formerly. Yet some success has been achieved in fitting the aggregates industry into the urban picture. Two examples are cited, involving production of stone in New Jersey and gravel in southern California. Where planning is done from the start, areas of occurrence of sand, gravel, or good-quality stone must be set aside for extractive industry. It is the geologiest's responsibility to provide information on locality of occurrence, tonnage present, thickness of overburden, best way to exploit the deposit with minimum environmental effect, and feasible use of the area after it has been worked out. The possibility of obtaining stone from below ground should also be evaluated. Only by such advance planning, with geological input, can conflicts in land use and excessive cost of construction aggregate be avoided.
Botryosphaeriaceae Species Spore-Trapping Studies in California Vineyards.

Urbez-Torres, J. R., Battany, M., Bettiga, L. J., Gispert, C., McGourty, G., Roncoroni, J., Smith, R. J., Verdegaal, P., and Gubler, W. D. 2010. Botryosphaeriaceae species spore-trapping studies in California vineyards. Plant Dis. 94:717-724. The seasonal abundance of Botryosphaeriaceae spp. spores was studied in California vineyards by using glass microscope slides covered with petroleum jelly placed on grapevine cordons and Burkard volumetric spore traps at seven and two different locations, respectively. Correlation analysis was used to determine which meteorological variables (precipitation, relative humidity, temperature, and wind speed) influenced Botryosphaeriaceae spp. spore release. Among all variables, regression analysis resulted in a strong relationship between spore release and precipitation. Additionally, a positive relationship between irrigation and spore release was also observed in the Riverside County vineyard. During the study period, spore discharge of Botryosphaeriaceae spp. occurred from the first fall rain through the last spring rains, coinciding with September to April. However, based on the results obtained from the spore traps, most spores (over 60%) were trapped following rain events during the winter months of December, January, and February, which coincides with the grapevine pruning season. Botryosphaeriaceae spp. spore release was much lower in fall and early spring (22%) and very few or no spores were trapped in late spring and summer (3%). This work suggests that a delay of pruning time in California may be warranted to reduce grapevine infection because the current timing coincides with the greatest period of spore discharge.
Comparison of bar and interferometer sensitivities to sources of transient gravitational radiation.

The signal-to-noise ratios for the detection of gravitational radiation are derived and compared for resonant bar and laser interferometric detectors. The results presented here apply to the detection of transient gravitational radiation as would be emitted in particlendashblack-hole interactions, stellar collapse events, or the decay of compact binary systems. For the detection of fixed-energy gravitational-wave bursts, the bar antenna shows its resonant nature with a sensitivity that is broadly peaked near the bar frequency, while the interferometer response shows a smooth ${f}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ dependence. Applied to the detection of the radiation emitted in the decay of a compact binary system, the ratio of bar to interferometer sensitivities is independent of source parameters. Using operational antenna parameters (circa 1985), the 4.2-K Stanford bar (${T}_{d}$=20 mK, ${M}_{a}$=4.8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{3}$ kg, ${L}_{a}$=3 m, ${f}_{a}$=840 Hz) is shown to be typically three times more sensitive to transient sources than the 30-m interferometer (h\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}=2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}19}$/ \ensuremath{\surd}Hz above 500 Hz) at the Max-Planck-Institut f\"ur Quantenoptik in Garching, West Germany. Additionally, the signal-to-noise ratios calculated here are normalized to represent optimistic Galactic sources (located at 10 kpc, ${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}2}$ ${M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$${c}^{2}$ emitted in a gravitational burst) and indicate that both antennas are operating near astrophysically interesting sensitivities with signal-to-noise ratios ranging from 1 to 10 for these sources.
Hybrid concrete and pultruded-plank slabs for highway and pedestrian bridges

Abstract Studies on two novel uses of hybrid structural members consisting of commercially produced glass reinforced pultruded ribbed fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) planks and concrete are discussed in this paper. Pultruded planks are produced by all the major pultruders in the world and are utilized primarily as decking for platforms. These highly optimized panels have the potential to be used in many other infrastructure applications, but their flexural stiffnesses have generally been too low to be used in highway and pedestrian bridges due to current span requirements. However, when used “compositely” with concrete or cementitious materials in a hybrid form they have the potential to be much more widely used. Two research studies conducted on two possible hybrid systems of different structural depths are discussed in this paper. The first study describes the use of pultruded planks as permanent formwork in highway bridge decks where the plank is used with concrete to produce a solid slab of 200 mm depth that is typical of slabs seen in highway bridge decks. The second study describes the use of pultruded planks in pedestrian bridge decks where the pultruded plank is used with a cement-board or a cast-in-place concrete panel to produce a hollow slab of 75 mm depth that is typical of timber decking used in FRP pedestrian bridges. Tests were conducted on beam-type specimens of the hybrid slabs to investigate the load transfer mechanisms between the pultruded plank and the cementitious “overlays” for both the 75 mm and 200 mm depths. From analysis of the load-carrying capacity and failure mechanisms of the hybrid slabs it was concluded that such hybrid slabs are viable systems for both highway and pedestrian bridge decks. A bridge deck using the 200 mm deep hybrid slab system was recently constructed on a highway in Wisconsin, USA.
Malpractice: Nurse Practitioners and Claims Reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank

Abstract The purpose of this manuscript is to review the past 4 years of malpractice allegations against nurse practitioners. Specifically, the article covers 5 areas: states with the highest litigation rates, top 5 allegation groups, specific malpractice allegations, severity of injury as a result of alleged malpractice, and mechanism of payment. The data for this study were derived from the National Practitioner Data Bank as of December 2010.
Lower respiratory tract infection in cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) infected with group A Streptococcus.

Abstract Group A Streptococcus (GAS), a human-specific pathogen, is best known for causing pharyngitis (“strep-throat”) and necrotizing fasciitis (“flesh-eating disease”). However, the organism is also an uncommon but important cause of community-acquired bronchopneumonia, an infection with an exceptionally high mortality rate. Inasmuch as little is known about the molecular pathogenesis of GAS lower respiratory tract infection, we sought to develop a relevant human infection model. Nine cynomolgus macaques were infected by intra-bronchial instillation of either sterile saline or GAS (10 5 or 10 7 CFU). Animals were continuously monitored and sacrificed at five days post-inoculation. Serial bronchial alveolar lavage specimens and tissues collected at necropsy were used for histologic and immunohistochemical examination, quantitative microbial culture, lung and blood biomarker analysis, and in vivo GAS gene expression studies. The lower respiratory tract disease observed in cynomolgus macaques mimicked the clinical and pathological features of severe GAS bronchopneumonia in humans. This new monkey model will be useful for testing hypotheses bearing on the molecular pathogenesis of GAS in the lower respiratory tract.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Koru: A Mindfulness Program for College Students and Other Emerging Adults

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of Koru, a mindfulness training program for college students and other emerging adults. Participants: Ninety students (66% female, 62% white, 71% graduate students) participated between Fall 2012 and Spring 2013. Methods: Randomized controlled trial. It was hypothesized that Koru, compared with a wait-list control group, would reduce perceived stress and sleep problems, and increase mindfulness, self-compassion, and gratitude. Results: As hypothesized, results showed significant Group (Koru, Wait-List) × Time (Pre, Post) interactions for improvements in perceived stress (F[1, 76.40] = 4.50, p =.037, d =.45), sleep problems (F [1, 79.49] = 4.71, p =.033, d =.52), mindfulness (F [1, 79.09] = 26.80, p <.001, d =.95), and self-compassion (F[1, 74.77] = 18.08, p <.001, d =.75). All significant effects were replicated in the wait-list group. Significant correlations were observed among changes in perceived stress, sleep problems, mindfulness, and self-compassion...
Energy in a regional economy: A computable general equilibrium model for california

Abstract This study presents a model of energy in the California economy and uses it to simulate long-run impacts of oil price changes under varying assumptions about the structure of the economy. The distinguishing feature of the model is flexibility. Use of generalized Leontief flexible cost functions at the sectoral level captures the substitution effects of relative price changes while, at the same time, retaining the structure of traditional input-output analysis. Experimental results suggest this innovation can be important; a doubling of the price of imported oil leads to a much larger drop in oil use and a substantially smaller drop in aggregate consumption than is obtained with a fixed-coefficient version of the model.
Effects of Economic Change on Two Taiwanese Villages

Taiwan is economically a rather special case among countries outside the core of the world capitalist system. Excluding the city-state of Singapore, obviously a very different case, it has fulfilled the hope of capitalist models of economic development, and avoided the problems ordinarily attendant on that development, probably better than any noncore (that is, nonJapanese) nation in Asia. It has avoided massive unemployment, large-sprawling slums, overconcentration of population in primate cities, general rural community breakdown, increasing disparities of income between rich and poor (Amsden, 1979: 341), and massive foreign debt. There has been virtually full employment since 1969 (Fei and Ranis, 1973: 20), except for the brief period of the world oil crisis of 1973-1974; the squatter slums of Taibei, while real enough, are neither large nor conspicuous compared to those of the typical primate cities of Asia or Latin America; the cities of Taibei and Gaoxiong, while numbering over a million each, are of manageable size for the provision of urban services, in particular contrast to Seoul or Jakarta, for example. Most rural communities of Taiwan, while experiencing outmigration, have remained intact both as agricultural villages and increasingly as the sites of small-scale industry (Gallin and
The Delphi-speakeasy system. I. Overall description

Abstract DELPHI is a modular computer program designed to aid scientists in their day-to-day research. Originally intended to serve the field of nuclear shell-model studies, it has since become a generalized program for theoretical physics. A user-oriented language called SPEAKEASY,included to make the system easily used, is itself becoming a powerful research tool. This paper, the first in a series, is intended to provide a general description of the program. A brief description of nuclear shell-model calculations is included.