cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Outcomes From the First Helene Fuld Health Trust National Institute for Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing and Healthcare Invitational Expert Forum.

Background Even though multiple positive outcomes are the result of evidence-based care, including improvements in healthcare quality, safety, and costs, it is not consistently delivered by clinicians in healthcare systems throughout the world. Aims In an attempt to accelerate the implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) across the United States, an invitational Interprofessional National EBP Forum to determine major priorities for the advancement of EBP was held during the launch of the newly established Helene Fuld Health Trust National Institute for Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing and Healthcare at The Ohio State University College of Nursing. Methods Interprofessional leaders from national organizations and federal agencies across the United States were invited to participate in the Forum. A pre-Forum survey was disseminated to participants to assess their perceptions of the state of EBP and actions necessary to speed the translation of research into real-world clinical settings. Results Findings from a pre-Forum survey (n = 47) indicated ongoing low implementation of EBP in U.S. healthcare settings. These findings were shared with leaders from 45 organizations and agencies who attended the Forum. Breakout groups on practice, education, implementation science, and policy discussed the findings and responded to a set of standardized questions. High-priority action tactics were identified, including the need for: (a) enhanced reimbursement for EBP, (b) more interprofessional education and skills building in EBP, and (c) leaders to prioritize EBP and fuel it with resources. Linking evidence to action The delivery of and reimbursement for evidence-based care must become a high national priority. Academic faculty across all healthcare disciplines need to teach EBP, healthcare systems must invest in EBP resources, and payers must attach reimbursement to care that is evidence-based. An action collaborative of the participating organizations has been formed to accelerate EBP across the United States to achieve the quadruple aim in health care.
Geomorphic Response of the Muddy River Basin to the 1980 Eruptions of Mount St. Helens, 1980–2000

The 18 May 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens produced a mosaic of primary landscape disturbances that decreased in intensity with distance from the volcano across the headwaters of Muddy River and its tributaries. Subsequent geomorphic responses were influenced by evolving hillslope and channel conditions that affected fluxes of water, sediment, and wood, as well as by an exceptional storm in February 1996. Sediment fluxes have generally decreased, but downed wood in channels remains episodically mobile. Geomorphic change and biotic activity in the basin continue to interact in terrestrial, riparian, and aquatic ecosystems and in many cases diversify ecosystem conditions.
Clinical Utility of Serum Procalcitonin Level and Infection in the Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit.

Background Procalcitonin, a bloodstream inflammatory biomarker, has proven useful in the diagnosis of sepsis in critically ill patients treated in medical and surgical intensive care units. This study aims to further our understanding of the significance of procalcitonin levels in neuroscience intensive care unit (NICU) patients. Methods Neurosurgical patients who underwent a procalcitonin assay in an NICU over a 2-year period were included in our analysis. A procalcitonin level ≥0.2 ng/mL was considered a positive result. Infection was defined by clinical and/or microbiological diagnosis. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value in the diagnosis of clinically and/or microbiologically identified infection were calculated for procalcitonin level ≥0.2 ng/mL. Results The study cohort comprised 203 patients, including 63 with a positive procalcitonin assay (31%). Meeting the criteria for SIRS was the most common reason for a procalcitonin draw (35.5%). A procalcitonin level >0.2 ng/mL was not significantly associated with infection (P = 0.25). With a 37.4% false-negative rate and a 10.8% false-positive rate, the sensitivity of a procalcitonin level >0.2 ng/mL was 35.0%, specificity was 74.4%, the positive predictive value was 65.1%, and the negative predictive value was 45.7%. A receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed an area under the curve of 0.61. Conclusions Although the utility of procalcitonin in sepsis and bacterial pneumonia has been amply demonstrated, this biomarker shows limited utility in diagnosing infection in our cohort, emphasizing the importance of cautious and selective use of procalcitonin assays in NICU patients.
The Impact of Intimate Partner Violence Exposure in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Developmental Psychopathology Approach

Despite increased attention on parental intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure, a relative paucity of research has examined the developmental consequences of this traumatic experience within a li...
Intelligent Object Grasping With Sensor Fusion for Rehabilitation and Assistive Applications

This paper presents the design and control of the intelligent sensing and force-feedback exoskeleton robotic glove to create a system capable of intelligent object grasping initiated by detection of the user’s intentions through motion amplification. Using a combination of sensory feedback streams from the glove, the system has the ability to identify and prevent object slippage, as well as adapting grip geometry to the object properties. The slip detection algorithm provides updated inputs to the force controller to prevent an object from being dropped, while only requiring minimal input from a user who may have varying degrees of functionality in their injured hand. This paper proposes the use of a high dynamic range, low cost conductive elastomer sensor coupled with a negative force derivative trigger that can be leveraged in order to create a controller that can intelligently respond to slip conditions through state machine architecture, and improve the grasping robustness of the exoskeleton. The improvements to the previous design are described while the details of the controller design and the proposed assistive and rehabilitative applications are explained. Experimental results confirming the validity of the proposed system are presented. Finally, this paper concludes with topics for future exploration.
The Way to the Chinese Predominance: A Key for Understanding the REE Issue

The Middle East has its oil, China has rare earth: China’s rare earth deposits account for 80 percent of identified global reserves, you can compare the status of these reserves to that of oil in the Middle East: it is of extremely important strategic significance; we must be sure to handle the rare earth issue properly and make the fullest use of our country’s advantage in rare earth resources.
Generalized Gradients and Asymptotics of the Functional Trace

Let G be a generalized gradient on a compact, Riemannian n-manifold M, carrying an 0(n)-irreducible tensor bundle F to another such bundle E, and suppose that G*G is elliptic but not conformally covariant. Let Tr0 denote the trace of the compression to the Hodge sector R(G) in the decomposition L2(E) = R(G) ⊕N(G*). Then if ω∈C∞(M), Tt0 ω exp(-t G G*) has a small-time asymptotic expansion in powers of t, plus a log t term in the case of even n. All coefficients except that of t0 are integrals of local expressions. For G = d: C∞(M) → C∞(Λ1(M)) and n = 4, the coefficient of log t is nonzero for some ω whenever the scalar curvature is not constant.
PALEOCEANOGRAPHY, PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROXIES | Carbon Cycle Proxies ( δ 11 B, δ 13 C calcite , δ 13 C organic , Shell Weights, B/Ca, U/Ca, Zn/Ca, Ba/Ca)

The ocean is the largest rapidly exchangeable carbon reservoir on Earth's surface, and changes in its inventory can strongly influence the amount of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) stored in the atmosphere. Because CO 2 is a key greenhouse gas, marine carbonate chemistry plays an important role in controlling the climate system. Knowledge of the magnitude and causes of past variations in this system is crucial for improving estimates of future climate change. Because past seawater composition can no longer be measured directly, paleoceanographers use chemical and physical proxies that record single parameters of the marine carbonate system. Tools available to date are the boron isotopic composition ( δ 11 B) of marine carbonates as a proxy for seawater pH, trace metal to calcium ratios of B, U, Zn, and Ba as well as foraminiferal shell weights and stable carbon isotopes ( δ 13 C) for reconstructing the aqueous concentration of dissolved carbon species, and δ 13 C of alkenones as a proxy for aqueous PCO 2 . This article describes those proxies and discusses their respective qualities and limitations.
Chemical Game Theory

The purpose of this paper is to describe a new framework for representing and solving strategic game theory problems. This framework, called “Chemical Game Theory” (CGT), uses well-known, rigorous ...
Racism, Social Programming, and Evaluation: Where Do We Go From Here?

Recent public events have unnerved the country, touched the consciousness of the populace, and reveal the resurgence of the White supremacist movement, causing many citizens to reflect on race rela...
Nuclear-Wind Powered Microgrid: Reduced-Order Modeling of LWR Response

Abstract Most of the fossil-fueled plants can supply peak loads by adding more fuel and, thus, can generate far more revenue during those peak hours. On the other hand, use of nuclear power plants for peak load following is quite complex due to technical constraints associated with reactor behavior. These technical challenges include the adequate handling of reactivity swings caused by time-varying fuel and moderator temperatures, a higher fuel-failure probability due to thermal-structural cycling, and xenon poisoning. Although there are presently some reactors around the world that are operating with flexible load-following capabilities, such operation is restricted to slowly varying powers, two to three times a day, and only up to 80% of the fuel cycle. In order to evaluate the safe operation under transient conditions generated by load following maneuver, coupled thermal-hydraulics and neutronics reduced order is used. A hypothetical model of microgrid is studied where a wind energy generation and nuclear power plant supply total electricity. Thermal response of the reactor shows stable behavior with small fraction of the grid load shared by wind energy system. The reduced-order reactor model considered here is a 0-dimensional. Hence, it is not able to capture spatial variations and fluctuations in the variables, but it can be used as a model to identify any major impact on the overall reactor safety.
Soil Sorptive Potential: Concept, Theory, and Verification

AbstractDespite the widely accepted notion that water potential is the fundamental variable for describing soil–water interactions in soil under unsaturated conditions, it is unable to describe sev...
Effect of urea and low temperature on the expression and activity of flavin-containing monooxygenase in the liver and gill of rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss )

Little is known about the physiological role of flavin containing monooxygenases (FMOs) in teleost fish. Recent studies have indicated induction during saltwater adaptation in several telost species including rainbow trout. A physiological product of FMOs, trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and urea have also been shown to increase in rainbow trout muscle during saltwater adapatation. TMAO counteracts the denaturing effects of urea. In order to evaluate urea as a possible inducer of FMO expression and activity, adult rainbow trout were infused for 48 h with urea/saline solutions at a loading rate of 8 mmol urea/kg/day. To determine whether low temperature had any effect on FMO expression and activity, one group of animals was infused with urea and exposed to low temperature (2–3 °C) for 48 h. Gill FMO-catalyzed thiourea oxygenase activity was significantly induced by low temperature, with twice the activity observed at low temperature (1.116±0.356 nmol/min/mg) compared to urea infusion at 10 °C (0.585±0.282 nmol/min/mg). Low temperature without urea treatment caused a 50% increase in gill FMO activity. In the liver, urea infusion caused an increase in liver FMO activity (from 0.144±0.053 nmol/min/mg to 0.464±0.237 nmol/min/mg), but was unaffected by co-exposure to low temperature (0.523±219 nmol/min/mg). FMO expression and activity correlated with elevated tissue urea levels, but TMAO concentrations were not related. The interactions between urea, temperature and the tissue-specific induction of FMOs indicate FMOs may contribute to other physiological and cellular processes besides osmoregulation.
Multi-omics profiling reveals key signaling pathways in ovarian cancer controlled by STAT3.

Inhibiting STAT3 signaling reduces tumor progression, metastasis and chemoresistance, however the precise molecular mechanism has not been fully delineated in ovarian cancer. Methods: In this study, we generated STAT3 knockout (KO) ovarian cancer cell lines. Effects of STAT3 KO on cell proliferation, migration and spheroid formation were assessed in vitro and effects on in vivo tumor growth were tested using several tumor xenograft models. We used multi-omic genome-wide profiling to identify multi-level (Bru-Seq, RNA-Seq, and MS Proteomic) expression signatures of STAT3 KO ovarian cancer cells. Results: We observed that deletion of STAT3 blocked cell proliferation and migration in vitro and suppressed tumor growth in mice. Deletion of STAT3 transcriptionally suppressed key genes involved in EMT, cell cycle progression, E2F signaling, and altered stemness markers. Notably, KO of STAT3 resulted in modulation of the expression of other STAT family members. Conclusion: Our study presents a rich, multi-faceted summary of the molecular mechanisms impacted by STAT3 deletion and provides new insight for STAT3's potential as a therapeutic target in ovarian cancer.
I See You: Addressing Diversity in Clinical Practice Through Therapist’s Way-of-Being

Couple, marriage, and family therapists (CMFTs) are becoming more aware of clients’ diversity. Model-specific research highlights the need for more culturally competent models and techniques. Some researchers argue that less emphasis needs to focus on developing culturally competent models and more attention placed on developing culturally sensitive therapists. Basing the principles of our paper on Fife et al. (J Marital Fam Ther 40(1): 20–33, 2014) meta-model, which places a therapist’s way-of-being as the foundation of effective therapy, our paper aims to present a case for a therapist’s way-of-being as the heart of effectively working with minority populations and culturally diverse clients. Common factors and cultural humility research speak to the importance of therapist factors in effective therapy outcomes. We will illustrate our points by presenting several case examples which highlight the impact a therapist’s way-of-being has on work with minority populations. We will also outline clinical and training implications as we add to the therapist factors discussion regarding working with minority populations.
Milled Carbon Fiber Polyurea Elastomeric Composites

Polyurea is one of the widely used materials in the coating industry and is well known to form a mechanically robust elastomeric network. Due to its toughness and ease of application, it has been studied as a potential protective coating in cavitation erosion conditions. The temperature rise within the polyurea under such harsh loading conditions can lead to significant softening and rapid failure of the coating, while in slightly lower intensity situations the coating may not show any signs of damage. Therefore, controlling the temperature rise due to dissipative heating may lead to better and more reliable coatings. Reinforcing the polyurea with milled carbon fibers not only has the benefit of increasing its thermal conductivity (hence distributing localized heating to larger volumes), it could also increase its stiffness, while maintaining its elastomeric nature (in contrast with continuous fiber composites). The milled fibers may be dispersed within the polyurea matrix in 3D randomly oriented arrangements or may be aligned parallel to the coated surface in very thin layers. The aim of this study is to investigate the thermal and mechanical behavior of such composites. The matrix polyurea specimen is synthesized by reacting a mixture of medium length diamine (Versalink P-650) with isocyanate 143 L. Thermal phase transition (DSC) and thermal conductivity measurements (using MDSC) are performed to accurately measure the thermal properties of such composites. DMA tests are conducted to construct the storage and loss moduli master curves. Stress-strain curves under uniaxial loading at high strain rates are obtained using split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). Results show a significant increase in thermal conductivity and stiffness. The presented study assesses the feasibility of improving elastomer-based coatings for protection against harsh cavitation erosion conditions.
Long-Term Sequelae of Smoking and Cessation in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats:

Smoking is a major risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and lung cancer. Tobacco smoke (TS) causes bronchitis, emphysema, persistent cough, and dyspnea. Smoking cessation minimizes risks of TS-related disease. To determine whether smoking cessation could reverse TS-induced pulmonary changes, 10-week-old male spontaneously hypertensive rats were exposed to TS or filtered air (FA) for 39 weeks and allowed to live out their normal lifespan. Significantly (P ≤ .05) decreased survival was noted by 21 months in TS versus FA rats. In TS rats, persistent peribronchiolar, perivascular, alveolar, and subpleural inflammation were observed with pervasive infiltration of pigmented foamy macrophages and plausible intra-alveolar fibrosis and osseous metaplasia. Alveolar airspace was significantly (P ≤ .05) increased in TS versus FA rats as was the volume of stored epithelial mucosubstances in the left central axial airway. Increased mucin contributes to airflow obstruction and increased lung infection risks. Findings suggest TS-induced changes do not attenuate with smoking cessation but result in irreversible damage similar to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The observed persistent pulmonary changes mirror common TS effects such as chest congestion, sputum production, and shortness of breath long after smoking cessation and represent important targets for treatment of former smokers.
Opportunistic Wireless Crowd Charging of IoT Devices from Smartphones

Current research that use wireless charging for the energy replenishment of nodes in a network mostly considers charging of sensors from special mobile charging vehicles (MCV) and focuses on optimal path planning of these MCVs. However, it may not be practical to use such vehicles due to its operational cost and other restrictions. To this end, in this paper, we consider to utilize smartphones owned by people and let the low cost Internet of Things (IoT) devices harvest energy from the smartphones that pass by. We study the wireless crowd charging of such IoT devices from these smartphones in an opportunistic manner, without changing their actual trajectories. As each smartphone user will limitedly support such a crowd charging process, the selection of IoT devices that will be charged from each smartphone has to be determined based on the trajectories of smartphone users. To address that, we model the problem using Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) and decide the optimal charging relation between smartphones and IoT devices. Through simulations on both synthetic and real user traces, we show that MILP based solution offers a more successful crowd charging outcome with a better charging ratio than the greedy approach where the IoT devices can harvest maximum possible energy from all users encountered.
Advanced Process Control (APC) for Selective EPI process in 300mm Fab

An advanced in-line process controller, which combines 4 new features with the traditional statistical process control (SPC) feedback control, has been developed and applied to the selective epitaxial growth of phosphorous doped Si (Si:P) process in a 300mm Fab to improve incoming lot to lot variation, Cp, Cpk, and tool throughput. An automatic pilot split feature has been added to the controller by integrating Real Time Dispatching (RTD) to replace manual splitting for improved throughput and elimination of human errors; a damping factor has also been introduced to further adjust the feedback sensitivity as an extra knob to accommodate incoming upstream variations. As the deposited EPI layer thickness is also affected by the patterned wafer loading effect, a product dependent APC control group has been created and embedded within the controller to adjust the deposition time based on the Si open ratio and/or reticle pattern density. Finally, a phantom target concept has been introduced and applied for fine tuning of the fleet thickness mean down to the Angstrom scale to overcome the slow drifting of deposition rate due to tool aging. The application of this new controller resulted in an improved Cp and Cpk of 15% for the key inline parameter and an 8% capacity increase while also reducing the wafer OOC (out of control) rate and scrap event rate.
Mobile Hyperspectral Imaging for Material Surface Damage Detection

AbstractMany machine vision–based inspection methods aim to replace human-based inspection with an automated or highly efficient procedure. However, these machine-vision systems have not been endor...
Illness in the World of the Genome

What do we ever ask out of medicine beyond ‘make it better, make it go away, fix it’? And if you can’t do that, or even if you can—remove the blame. It’s one of the classic contributions of medical sociology that medicine offers a way out of stigma. Diagnosis as a process removes responsibility—you have a disease, so it is understandable and acceptable that you missed the final exam for your course, or haven’t been good to your family of late, or can’t get anything done. Or walk around looking drunk. From Talcott Parsons, to Eliot Friedson, and right on through to the work that Annemarie Jutel is doing on diagnosis, the idea of the ‘patient role’ is that it removes responsibility. Illness ‘happens’ to you; you are not to blame. But what happens when the paradigm of personalised medicine aims to make us proactive proponents of our own health? The chapter seeks to explore the implications of this imposition.
Fucking with homonormativity: The ambiguous politics of chemsex:

One would not typically think of chemsex as a practice structured by the same political ideology that spawned ‘the new homonormativity’. For one thing, the gay press (a key mediator of homonormativ...
Determination of the milk pharmacokinetics and depletion of milk residues following intramammary administration of cephapirin sodium in lactating dairy goats

In the United States, between 2007 and 2017, the US Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reported dairy operations that had milk goats to be the fastest growing operations in the nation. The most impactful and economically important health challenge to dairy goat herds is mastitis. Currently, there are no labelled products for the treatment of mastitis in dairy goats and minimal research has been conducted to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of intramammary-administered antimicrobials. The objectives of this study were to determine the pharmacokinetics in milk of dairy goats treated with intramammary (IMM) cephapirin sodium and determine an appropriate withdrawal time for milk.
Heterogenous Adsorption of beta-blockers on Immobilised Cel7A and Adsorption Energy Distribution of Two Enantiomers on a Chiral Phase

Heterogenous Adsorption of beta-blockers on Immobilised Cel7A and Adsorption Energy Distribution of Two Enantiomers on a Chiral Phase
Intrinsic motivation and behavior effectiveness in retarded persons

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the relationships between “task intrinsic motivation,” and the behavior effectiveness of mentally retarded persons within the context of a historical view of research on personality variables and mental retardation. Individual differences in motivational orientation have been shown to be reliably measurable down to mental age (MA) 3 years, to appear in mentally retarded and nonretarded persons, to be correlated with chronological age, mental age, social class, and IQ, and to be associated with effectiveness of laboratory learning and levels of school achievement. There are strong indications that such individual differences are also associated with mental health, work satisfaction, and social adjustment. Behavioral effectiveness is achieved most readily when incentives are matched to individual differences in motivational orientation. Relatively intrinsically motivated persons work harder and longer, choose higher performance goals, and set leaner schedules of reinforcement for themselves than do relatively extrinsically motivated persons. Retarded persons who are relatively more intrinsically motivated are capable of more self-regulating behavior and may be able to function more effectively in independent living situations than will extrinsically motivated persons of comparable age, sex, and IQ. There are suggestions that motivational orientation may be modifiable with relatively intense, prolonged, and appropriate treatment.
Effect of protein deficiency on the inducibility of the hepatic microsomal drug-metabolizng enzyme system. II. Effect of enzyme kinetics and electron transport system.

Abstract Male, weanling rats divided into three groups were maintained for 15 days on a semipurified diet containing either 5% casein fed ad lib . (group 1), 20% casein pair-fed to group 1 (group 2), or 20% casein fed ad lib . (group 3). After each group was further subdivided, animals were injected i.p. on days 11–14 with either 0.9% saline or phenobarbital (80 mg/kg) in 0.9 % saline. Twenty-four hr after the last injection, animals were decapitated and liver microsomes were prepared. Apparent V max and apparent K m kinetic constants were determined for ethylmorphine and aniline. The V max per milligram of microsomal protein was 64–66 per cent lower in the protein-deficient group. Equivalent reductions of the content of cytochrome P-450 and activities of cytochrome P-450 and c reductases were also observed. Phenobarbital induction increased specific enzyme activities ( V max per milligram of microsomal protein) in all groups with slightly greater percentage increases seen in the protein-deficient animals. Increases were also noted for the cytochrome P-450 content and cytochromes P-450 and c reductase activities. It was suggested that phosphatidylcholine and cytochrome P-450 both play important roles in the kinetics of metabolism determined after protein deficiency or phenobarbital induction, or both.
The “Labor '96 Campaign”

Research techniques show that Wisconsin AFL-CIO political mailings had limited impact in elections. Results imply outreach should be broadly distributed to all members regardless of political leanings and be combined with personal contacts.
WE-F-304-05: Cranial TCP/NTCP Modeling Insights and Caveats

Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) was introduced clinically more than twenty years ago, and many subsequent publications have reported safety and efficacy data. The AAPM Working Group on Biological Effects of Hypofractionated Radiotherapy/SBRT (WGSBRT) extracted published treatment outcomes data from extensive literature searches to summarize and construct tumor control probability (TCP) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) models for six anatomical regions: Cranial, Head and Neck, Thoracic, Abdominal, Pelvic, and Spinal. In this session, we present the WGSBRT’s work for cranial sites, and recurrent head and neck cancer. From literature-based data and associated models, guidelines to aid with safe and effective hypofractionated radiotherapy treatment are being determined. Further, the ability of existing and proposed radiobiological models to fit these data is considered as to the ability to distinguish between the linear-quadratic and alternative radiobiological models such as secondary cell death from vascular damage, immunogenic, or bystander effects. Where appropriate, specific model parameters are estimated. As described in “The lessons of QUANTEC,” (1), lack of adequate reporting standards continues to limit the amount of useful quantitative information that can be extracted from peer-reviewed publications. Recommendations regarding reporting standards are considered, to enable such reviews to achieve more complete characterization of clinical outcomes. 1 Jackson A, Marks LB, Bentzen SM, Eisbruch A, Yorke ED, Ten Haken RK, Constine LS, Deasy JO. The lessons of QUANTEC: recommendations for reporting and gathering data on dose-volume dependencies of treatment outcome. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2010 Mar 1;76(3 Suppl):S155–60. Learning Objectives: 1. Describe the techniques, types of cancer and dose schedules used in treating recurrent H&N cancers with SBRT 2. List the radiobiological models that compete with the linear-quadratic model in explaining the results of hypofractionated RT 3. Describe the dose/volume metrics that are considered safe in SBRT treatment of tumors near the optic structures. 4. Discuss the efficacy of hypofractionation and dosing schedules used in treating vestibular schwannomas 5. Identify some difficulties in modeling TCP and NTCP for cranial tumors treated with hypofractionation. One moderator, Dr. Grimm, designed and holds intellectual property rights to the DVH Evaluator software tool which is an FDA-cleared product in commercial use, and can analyze some of this data. No others have relevant conflicts of interest.
Africa Partnership Station: Coastal Geomorphology and Hazards Planning

Abstract : The goal of this research is to develop the coastal management and research capabilities of Gulf of Guinea nations and to increase the ability of these nations to predict and mitigate coastal hazards. This is being accomplished through sponsoring and developing the coastal processes research capabilities of these nations and their university systems. Initial activities are focusing on the research group within the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries of the University of Ghana (UG), with a goal of not only increasing the capabilities of Ghana to monitor and manage their coast, but to develop UG as a center of research excellence for the Gulf of Guinea region. The objectives of these research activities are to provide guidance to the nascent coastal processes research program at the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana. Development of this program is anticipated to aid maritime governance capabilities and social stability within Ghana. Over the short term, the goal is to develop the capabilities UG needs to assess local coastal processes and hazards and to provide technical assistance for ongoing monitoring of coastal change. Development of these technological capabilities (coastal processes expertise, terrestrial surveying, bathymetric surveying, wave computation, coastal change modeling, GIS skills) is intended to lead to a self-sustaining research group at the University of Ghana that can then independently pursue other research questions and seek other party funding, both locally or internationally. In 2009, the PIs are serving in an advisory role; however, an objective for future activities is the development of independently funded international-quality collaborative research between the PI and the coastal researchers at UG.
Robust control of a mobile manipulator-dynamic modeling approach

Discusses the dynamic modeling and robust control of a spatial mobile manipulator which consists of a robotic manipulator mounted upon a wheeled mobile platform. By considering slip of the wheeled platform's tires, the assumption of nonholonomic motion is violated. The dynamic equations of motion are derived using the Newton-Euler method and incorporate a nonlinear tire friction model. Then, a robust control method is developed to eliminate the harmful effect of the wheel slip on the tracking performance. The effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm is demonstrated through computer simulation.
Activation of the intrinsic-apoptotic pathway in LNCaP prostate cancer cells by genistein- topotecan combination treatments

Background : Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in American men. The development of alternative preventative and/or treatment options utilizing a combination of phytochemicals and chemotherapeutic drugs could be an attractive alternative compared to conventional carcinoma treatments. Genistein isoflavone is the primary dietary phytochemical found in soy and has demonstrated anti-tumor activities in LNCaP prostate cancer cells. Topotecan Hydrochloride (Hycamtin) is an FDA-approved chemotherapy for secondary treatment of lung, ovarian and cervical cancers. The purpose of this study was to detail the potential activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway in LNCaP prostate cancer cells through genistein-topotecan combination treatments. Methods : LNCaP cells were cultured in complete RPMI medium in a monolayer (70-80% confluency) at 37oC and 5% CO2. Treatment consisted of single and combination groups of genistein and topotecan for 24 hours. The treated cells were assayed for i) growth inhibition through trypan blue exclusion assay and microphotography, ii) classification of cellular death through acridine/ ethidium bromide fluorescent staining, and iii) activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway through Jc-1: mitochondrial membrane potential assay, cytochrome c release and Bcl-2 protein expression. Results : The overall data indicated that genistein-topotecan combination was significantly more efficacious in reducing the prostate carcinoma’s viability compared to the single treatment options. In all treatment groups, cell death occurred primarily through the activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Conclusion : The combination of topotecan and genistein has the potential to lead to treatment options with equal therapeutic efficiency as traditional chemo- and radiation therapies, but lower cell cytotoxicity and fewer side effects in patients. Key words : topotecan; genistein; intrinsic apoptotic cell death
A Search for Primary Cosmic Gamma-Radiation. II. Low Energy Radiation above and within the Atmosphere

Measurements are reported on the intensity of gamma-rays in the energy range 0.1 to 15 Mev, made in a series of rocket flights. The gamma-radiation was detected by anticoincidence in a bundle of Geiger counters. Registration of coincidences permitted a measurement of the intensity of charged particles, with the same geometry. The two quantities displayed a simultaneous maximum during flight, the counting rate of charged particles being ten times that of $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-rays at the maximum. A diurnal effect was looked for and not found. A theoretical treatment is given of the origin of the $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-radiation at the maximum. It is shown to be accountable for by bremsstrahlung of the electronic component and subsequent multiple Compton scattering. An estimate is given of the radiation due to annihilation of positrons followed by Compton scattering. This is shown to be only a few percent of the bremsstrahlung effect.After all corrections are applied a weak residual $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-radiation is found above the atmosphere. Arguments are given for identifying this as an albedo. Two types of albedo are considered, the first and more important is associated with back-scattering and is not calculated, while the second is due to the curvature of the earth. A calculation shows the latter to give 25 percent of the observed counting rate at 82 km.In conjunction with the conclusions of paper I of this series and with other evidence at higher energies, it is concluded that primary cosmic gamma-radiation contributes at most a very small fraction to the incoming cosmic-ray energy flux.
The relative positions of sea urchin histone genes on the chimeric plasmids pSp2 and pSp17 as studied by electron microscopy

Abstract The relative positions of the sea urchin histone genes and the spacer regions on the chimeric plasmids pSp2 and pSp17 have been mapped by hybridizing total histone messenger RNA to single strands of the plasmid DNAs. The lengths and spacing between the several RNA:DNA duplex regions on the single strands of DNA were measured by the gene 32-ethidium bromide electron microscope mapping method. We find that the genes are interdigitated with spacer sequences of different lengths; that there are three coding sequences on pSp2, all on the same strand, with the relative order H1, H4, and B4; and that there are two coding sequences on pSp17, both on the same strand, corresponding to the messages denoted B1 and B2–B3, where B4, B1, and B2–3 are electrophoretically resolved components of histone mRNA, all of size intermediate between the larger H1 and the smaller H4 message.
Effects of Application Methods, Timing, and Rates of Insecticides and Nematicides on Yield and Control of Wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) and Nematodes (Tylenchida: Heteroderidae) that Affect Sweet Potato

Soil insecticides, insecticide application procedures, and nematicides were evaluated from 1986 to 1989 in field plots of ‘Jewel’ sweet potatoes, Ipomoea batatas L., to control wireworms, ( Conoderus spp . Coleoptera: Elateridae), and the rootknot: nematode, Meloidogne incognita (Kofoid & White) Chitwood. Experimental application procedures for insecticides were preplant broadcast and incorporate, postplant band and incorporate, and broadcast at root enlargement. The least injury to the harvested sweet potatoes by wireworms and nematodes occurred in plots treated with the nematicide 1, 3-0 and with the insecticide chlorpyrifos applied as a postplant band a subsequent application of diazinon broadcast at root enlargement. Sweet potatoes in plots that received no nematicide or the nematicides aldicarb or fenamiphos had more wireworm and nematode infestation than plots injected with 1,3-0. Chlorpyrifos applied as a postplant band gave better wireworm control than chlorpyrifos applied preplant and incorporated.
Ornithine decarboxylase may be a multifunctional protein.

Abstract Ornithine decarboxylase may undergo posttranslational modifications which alter its function. Both transamidation of glutamine residues in the enzyme catalyzed by TGase and phosphorylation of serine and threonine residues catalyzed by a polyamine-stimulated protein kinase have been demonstrated. Data are presented which suggest that these modifications result in translocation of the modified protein to the nucleolus where it regulates the activity of RNA polymerase I to transcribe rDNA, the only active nucleolar genes. Transamidation of specific proteins with primary amines catalyzed by intracellular TGase may be an important posttranslational modification, capable of altering genetic transcription. The rapid half-life of ODC (10–15 min) may be related to rapid posttranslational modification with loss of enzymatic activity rather than to protein degradation.
Correction of cross-peak intensities in 2D spin-locked NOE spectroscopy for offset and Hartmann-Hahn effects

Abstract A method is described for semiquantitative evaluation of Hartmann-Hahn contributions to cross peaks in a spin-locked NOE (ROESY) experiment. Corrections are presented for the resonance offset effects on the resonance intensities and on NOE buildup rates. Relay of spin-locked NOE to other nuclei via the Hartmann-Hahn effect is treated in a similar fashion. Comparison of slices through the NOESY and ROESY spectra of a sample of BPTI is used to demonstrate the correction procedure. It is demonstrated that a recently proposed modification of the spin-locked NOE experiment, using small flip-angle pulses, does not offer any further suppression of Hartmann-Hahn contributions relative to the original experiment.
The effects of milk removal or four-times-daily milking on mammary expression of genes involved in the insulin-like growth factor-I axis

Frequent milking of dairy cows during early lactation elicits both an immediate increase in milk yield and a partial carryover effect that persists to the end of lactation. We hypothesized that the immediate response would be associated with a local increase in insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I signaling and a consequent increase in mammary growth. Four multiparous cows were assigned at parturition to unilateral frequent milking [UFM; milking of the left udder half twice daily (2x; 0230 and 1430 h); milking of the right udder half 4 times daily (4x; 0230, 0530, 1430, and 1730 h)]. Mammary biopsies were obtained from both udder halves at 5 d in milk at 0530 h (immediately after 4x glands were milked). Incorporation of [3H]-thymidine into DNA and mammary cell apoptosis were not affected by UFM. Because biopsies were obtained when udder halves were at different postmilking intervals, our results reflected both the acute, transient mammary response to milking and the sustained mammary response to frequent milking treatment. We further hypothesized that the acute, transient response involves mechanisms distinct from those regulating the sustained response to frequent milking. To test that hypothesis, mammary biopsies were obtained from UFM cows (n=5) at 0500 h, when time postmilking was the same for both udder halves. Mammary cell apoptosis was not affected by UFM. Expression of genes involved in the IGF-I axis was analyzed to identify acute responses associated with milking, per se, versus sustained responses to frequent milking treatment. Removal of milk from 4x glands was associated with an acute increase in expression of IGF binding protein-1, -3, and -4 mRNA in 2x glands, whereas IGF-I expression was increased by frequent milking treatment. These effects, however, were significant only for expression of IGF binding protein-3. Expression of IGF-I receptor did not differ because of milking frequency but was higher in both udder halves immediately postmilking, indicating a systemic effect. We conclude that several genes of the IGF-I axis respond to milking, per se, or frequent milking treatment, via at least 3 distinct patterns. Increased milking frequency does not alter mammary cell proliferation or apoptosis at 5 d in milk; however, it may increase the bioavailability of IGF-I in the mammary gland. Moreover, the increase in local expression of IGF-I in 4x udder halves indicates a role for this gene in the immediate milk yield response to frequent milking during early lactation.
A Comparison of Occupied Seat Vibration Transmissibility from Two Independent Facilities

Ford Motor Company has developed a corporate engineering test procedure focused on the vibration transmissibility of the occupied automotive seat. The procedure allows Ford to assess, in a consistent manner, the performance of (1) prototype-level seats specific to new/future programs and (2) production-level competitive seats. As part of the procedure, a complete seat system is mounted to a human-rated platform using a dedicated fixture, engaged by persons matching specific anthropometric characteristics, and excited vertically, laterally, and fore-aft with external actuators under laboratory conditions. Johnson Controls is one of the few seat suppliers that have the equipment and expertise required to execute this procedure. Using Ford’s procedure, the objective of this paper is to compare and contrast the test results, expressed both statistically and graphically as transfer functions, produced by these two independent facilities. Because of the proximity of the two laboratories, it was possible to use ...
Tandem orthogonal proteolysis-activity-based protein profiling (TOP-ABPP)—a general method for mapping sites of probe modification in proteomes

Activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) utilizes active site-directed chemical probes to monitor the functional state of enzymes directly in native biological systems. Identification of the specific sites of probe labeling on enzymes remains a major challenge in ABPP experiments. In this protocol, we describe an advanced ABPP platform that utilizes a tandem orthogonal proteolysis (TOP) strategy coupled with mass spectrometric analysis to simultaneously identify probe-labeled proteins together with their exact sites of probe modification. Elucidation of probe modification sites reveals fundamental insights into the molecular basis of specific probe-protein interactions. The TOP-ABPP method can be applied to any type of proteomic sample, including those derived from in vitro or in vivo labeling experiments, and is compatible with a variety of chemical probe structures. Completion of the entire protocol, including chemical synthesis of key reagents, requires approximately 8-10 days.
Studying and managing the risk of cross‐fertilization between transgenic crops and wild relatives

Drawing on field studies of pollen dispersal, we identify features of the hybridization process that need quantification. Our emphasis is on standardized measures, as opposed to the idiosyncratic and often anecdotal methods with which gene flow or out-crossing data are currently reported. In addition to proposing specific maximum likelihood approaches, we summarize some results to date from small-scale field trials that bear on the risks anticipated for large-scale commercialization. We conclude that absolute containment of recombinant pollen or genes is unlikely if physical isolation is the only containment strategy. Because we conclude that the escape of transgenic pollen is inevitable, we argue that the focus of risk analysis should be shifted towards the ‘invasiveness’ of transgenic plants and ‘mitigation’ of their impact on natural, as well as agricultural systems.
Astaxanthin formation by the yeast Phaffia rhodozyma on molasses

Phaffia rhodozyma grown on 7–10% B or C garde molasses contained 2 to 3 times more astaxanthin than reported earlier for this red yeast. Yield of astaxanthin with 10% molasses as fermentation substrate was 15.3 μg/ml which was about 3 times higher than with glucose and 2 times higher than with a sugar blend representative of the molasses.
Evidence of a high dislocation density region close to the surface of fatigued easy glide alpha brass single crystals

Abstract It is thus concluded that Laue photograms offer support for a postulated surface region consisting of three different dislocation density regions: a high dislocation density region at the surface, a still higher dislocation density region at about 0.175mm below the surface and a low dislocation density between the two. The average dislocation density of the three surface must be below the dislocation density of the interior to account for observed bending behavior when half the gage length is electropolished.