cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunologic cross-reactivity between antisera to group A, type 12 streptococcal cell membrane and human glomerular basement membrane. The effect of age and carbohydrate content

Abstract Antisera to group A, type 12 streptococcal cell membrane and human glomerular basement membrane were evaluated, by indirect immunofluorescence, on adult and neonatal human kidney sections, before and after carbohydrase treatment. Cleavage of GBM carbohydrate potentiated the reactivity of SCM antisera on adult GBM, but not neonatal GBM which in general showed maximal activity without CHOase treatment. Of 22 sera checked 17 showed positive reactivity versus human GBM. Chemical analyses showed that adult GBM contained more carbohydrate than did neonatal GBM, which may explain the observed masking effect.
The Use of a Business Game for Teaching Farm Business Analysis to High School and Adult Students

In a controlled teaching experiment that involved 25 high school and 8 adult farmer classes, two ways of using a business game for teaching farm business analysis were compared with more traditional instructional methods. A small Pennsylvania dairy farm was simulated. Each of the classes using simulation made five yearly management decisions at weekly intervals. The criterion measures were a subject-matter and a decision-ability test. Test results immediately after the course revealed no significant differences among the methods of instruction with high school classes. The adult students who used the simulation in conjunction with a related student resource handbook scored significantly higher on the decision-ability test. The experiment demontrated that business games can be used to teach farm business analysis at the high school and adult farmer levels. T HE purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a business simulation model for teaching farm business analysis and records keeping to high school and adult students. The farm business simulator used in the studyl was designed to help students learn economic principles by manipulation of the simulation farm. The basic data input package used with both high school and adult classes was organized to represent a small Pennsylvania dairy farm. A generalized flow diagram of the simulation model is shown in Figure 1. A student resource unit, Farm Business Analysis and Record Keeping, with a teacher's guide [6], which coordinated with the simulation model, was also developed for the study. The resource unit and the simulation model formed the nucleus of the experimental instructional methods. Experimental Design A comparison of five instructional methods was made with high school students as subjects; three of the five methods were also used with adult students. The criterion measures were class mean scores on a subject-matter test and a decision-ability test.2 Significance was tested at the 5-percent level. The instructional methods were as follows: a) Resource unit alone. Each student received a copy of the student handbook and each teacher received a copy of the teacher's guide.
Theoretical analysis of convective flow profiels in a hollow-fiber membrane bioreactor

Abstract Although a number of recent experimental and theoretical investigations have demonstrated that radial convection can have dramatic effects on the overall performance of hollow-fiber membrane bioreactors, available theoretical analyses are unable to accurately describe the detailed convective recirculation (or Starling) flow which occurs in these devices. We have developed analytical expressions for the radial and axial velocities and pressure profiles in the hollow-fiber bioreactor, operated in either the closed-shell (recycle) or open-shell (ultrafiltration) mode, by solving the coupled momentum and continuity equations in the fiber lumen, matrix, and surrounding shell. The local velocity profiles were then used to evaluate the flow streamlines and extent of recirculation as a function of operating conditions and geometry. Calculations were also performed to determine the residence time distribution in the membrane bioreactor. For closed-shell operation, the residence time distribution in the hollow-fiber devices is bimodal; the first peak is associated with the fluid that remains in the fiber lumen throughout its passage down the fiber, while the second peak is associated with the fluid that crosses the membrane and enters the shell. Our calculations clearly demonstrate the complex dependence of the flow on membrane properties, hollow-fiber module geometry, and operating conditions. These results have important implications for the design and analysis of hollow-fiber membrane bioreactors with immobilized enzymes or cells.
Controlling the phase front of optical fiber beams using high contrast metastructures

The phase of optical beams can be modified by high contrast sub-wavelength periodic structures with gradually varying geometrical features. We present design, simulation, fabrication and characterization of planar micro-lenses shaping the beam of optical fibers.
Adaptive controller design and disturbance attenuation for SISO linear systems with zero relative degree under noisy output measurements

In this paper, we present robust adaptive controller design for SISO linear systems with zero relative degree under noisy output measurements. We formulate the robust adaptive control problem as a nonlinear H∞-optimal control problem under imperfect state measurements, and then solve it using game theory. By using the a priori knowledge of the parameter vector, we apply a soft projection algorithm, which guarantees the robustness property of the closed-loop system without any persistency of excitation assumption of the reference signal. Owing to our formulation in state space, we allow the true system to be uncontrollable, as long as the uncontrollable part is stable in the sense of Lyapunov, and the uncontrollable modes on the jω-axis are uncontrollable from the exogenous disturbance input. This assumption allows the adaptive controller to asymptotically cancel out, at the output, the effect of exogenous sinusoidal disturbance inputs with unknown magnitude, phase, and frequency. These strong robustness properties are illustrated by a numerical example. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Teratogenic effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrabromodibenzo-p-dioxin and three polybrominated dibenzofurans in C57BL/6N mice.

Abstract Brominated flame retardants involved in many industrial uses contain polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PBDDs) and dibenzofurans (PBDFs) as contaminants. The levels of these contaminants can be dramatically increased by combustion. These chemicals are closely related in structure to the polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs), of which 2,3,7,8-tetrachloridibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is the most toxic isomer. TCDD and related PCDFs are potent mouse teratogens inducing cleft palate and hydronephrosis at doses below those at which overt maternal and embryo/fetal toxicity occurs. This study examines the teratogenic effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrabromodibenzo-p-dioxin (TBDD), 2,3,7,8-tetrabromodibenzofuran (TBDF), 1,2,3,7,8-pentabromodibenzofuran (1PeBDF), and 2,3,4,7,8-pentabromodibenzofuran (4PeDBF) in C57BL 6N mice treated on gestation day (gd) 10 and examined on gd 18. Pregnant dams were treated with 0–4000 μg of each congener per kilogram body weight in 10 ml corn oil/kg. Dose selection was based on the relative toxicity of the chlorinated isomers. Maternal toxicity and developmental toxicity were assessed, and the hard palate and kidney, the target organs for the teratogenic effects of TCDD and related compounds, were examined for structural abnormalities. While the maternal liver weight increased at all dose levels examined for all four compounds, there was no evidence of any maternal toxicity. Embryo/fetal mortality was increased only at ≥500 μg TBDF/kg, while fetal weight increased in a dose-related manner following exposure to TBDD and TBDF. All compounds produced hydronephrosis (HN) at doses below that at which cleft palate (CP) occurred. The incidence of HN was significantly increased above background levels at the following doses (μg/kg): TBDD, 3; TBDF, 25; 1PeBDF, 500; 4PeBDF, 400. The LOELs (μg/kg) for CP were: TBDD, 48; TBDF, 200; 1PeBDF, 4000; 4PeBDF, 2400. The cleft palate incidence for all four brominated compounds and TCDD could be fit to a common slope, compatible with the concept that these chemicals all exert their teratogenic effects through a common mechanism. The potency of these chemicals, relative to TCDD as 1 for the induction of cleft palate, is TBDD, 0.24; TBDF, 0.10; 1PeBDF, 0.004; and 4PeBDF, 0.005. Previous studies from our laboratory had determined that the chlorinated dibenzofuran isomers had relative potencies of 0.05 (TCDF), 0.03 (1PeCDF), and 0.09 (4PeCDF). Thus, bromination decreases the teratogenic activity of TBDD relative to TCDD and of both 1- and 4PeBDF relative to the chlorinated isomers. However, substitution of bromines for chlorines increases the potency of TBDF relative to TCDF. Thus, while these brominated isomers induce hydronephrosis and cleft palate as do their chlorinated congeners, their relative potencies have been altered.
Fossil diatoms and neogene paleolimnology

Abstract Diatoms have played an important role in the development of Neogene continental biostratigraphy and paleolimnology since the mid-19th Century. The history of progress in Quaternary diatom biostratigraphy has developed as a result of improved coring techniques that enable sampling sediments beneath existing lakes coupled with improved chronological control (including radiometric dating and varve enumeration), improved statistical treatment of fossil diatom assemblages (from qualitative description to influx calculations of diatom numbers or volumes), and improved ecological information about analogous living diatom associations. The last factor, diatom ecology, is the most critical in many ways, but progresses slowly. Fortunately, statistical comparison of modern diatom assemblages and insightful studies of the nutrient requirements of some common freshwater species are enabling diatom paleolimnologists to make more detailed interpretations of the Quaternary record than had been possible earlier, and progress in the field of diatom biology and ecology will continue to refine paleolimnological studies. The greater age and geologic setting of Tertiary diatomaceous deposits has prompted their study in the contexts of geologic history, biochronology and evolution. The distribution of diatoms of marine affinities in continental deposits has given geologists insights about tectonism and sea-level change, and the distribution of distinctive (extinct?) diatoms has found utilization both in making stratigraphic correlations between outcrops of diatomaceous deposits and in various types of biochronological studies that involve dating deposits in different areas. A continental diatom biochronologic scheme will rely upon evolution, such as the appearance of new genera within a family, in combination with regional environmental changes that are responsible for the wide distribution of distinctive diatom species. The increased use of the scanning electron microscope for the detailed descriptions of fossil diatoms will provide the basis for making more accurate correlations and identifications, and the micromorphological detail for speculations about evolutionary relationships.
Video-assisted thoracic surgery for primary spontaneous pneumothorax in children: is there an optimal technique?

Abstract Objective Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax refractory to nonoperative management was first reported in children by Rodgers in 1986 ( Ann Surg . 1986; 204:677-680). Small series have shown success with apical blebectomy, mechanical or chemical (talc) pleurodesis, or combination techniques. We report the largest pediatric series of VATS for primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) to date, to assess outcomes and compare techniques. Methods Retrospective review of all children undergoing VATS for PSP between 1999 and 2007 at 2 university-affiliated hospitals by the same group of surgeons. Mann-Whitney U tests and χ 2 used ( P Results Thirty-two patients underwent 41 VATS procedures (32 initial-30 unilateral, 2 bilateral; 9 subsequent-7 contralateral, 2 ipsilateral recurrences). Mean age at presentation was 16.5 years (range, 13-20 years). Blebs were identified at the time of VATS in 95% of patients, but in 12.5%, they were on lower lobes. Mean duration of postoperative air leak was 2.7 days, postoperative hospital length of stay was 5.0 days, and postoperative chest tube duration was 5.1 days; 2 patients required Heimlich valves, which were managed at home. Five different surgical techniques were used as follows: blebectomy plus mechanical pleurodesis had the shortest length of stay (4.3 days) and need for chest tube drainage (4.1 days) but had a higher recurrence risk (6% major, 16% minor) than blebectomy plus chemical pleurodesis. The risk of requiring an additional VATS procedure (ipsilateral or contralateral) was 28%. Mean follow-up was 46 months. Conclusions Blebectomy plus either mechanical or chemical pleurodesis were both associated with acceptable outcomes. Blebectomy plus chemical pleurodesis appears to have less risk of ipsilateral recurrence but longer postoperative stay and chest tube drainage.
Calcium and Phosphorus in Neonatal Parenteral Nutrition Solutions

Due to calcium and phosphorus solubility problems in parenteral nutrition solutions, it is difficult to provide the premature infant with enough of these two minerals for adequate bone mineralization. In order to determine the maximum amounts of both Ca and P soluble in neonatal parenteral nutrition solutions, we employed the following procedure: (1) using concentrations of dextrose 10 to 25% and amino acid 0.5 to 4.0% with standard electrolyte and vitamin concentrations, Ca and P additions were sequentially made to determine the critical concentrations at which precipitates formed; (2) the pH of each test solution was determined; (3) all test solutions were incubated for 30 hr at room temperature; (4) following incubation, all tests were visually observed for calcium-phosphate crystals; (5) the solutions not obviously precipitated were filtered using black Millipore filters to determine the presence of any microprecipitates. Multiple graphs of Ca and P solubility in various dextrose/amino acid solutions were prepared from data generated by the study. The Ca and P interaction is primarily pH sensitive. Factors affecting the solution pH include both dextrose and amino acid concentrations. Our study showed that increases in amino acid concentrations enabled us to increase both Ca and P in the solutions.
Gay-Straight Alliances: One Teacher's Experience

(2006). Gay-Straight Alliances: One Teacher's Experience. Journal of Poverty: Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 103-111.
Attachment perspectives on the counseling relationship: Comment on Mallinckrodt, Gantt, and Coble (1995).

B. Mallinckrodt, D. L. Gantt, and H. M. Coble (1995) highlight the role of attachment theory for explaining critical elements of the client-counseling relationship and the counseling process. The use of the Client Attachment to Therapist Scale as a typological versus continuous measure and the relationship between attachment style and therapeutic relationship constructs are discussed. A cautionary note on the internal validity of this scale is raised before underscoring the rich research possibilities gained by it.
Evaluation of polyoxyethylene homopolymers for buccal bioadhesive drug delivery device formulations.

Our objective was to evaluate the application of polyoxyethylene homopolymers in buccal bioadhesive drug (BBD) delivery device formulations. The bioadhesive strength of four different molecular weight (MW) polyoxyethylene polymers was measured by Instronâ tensile tester using glass plate and bovine sublingual tissue as substrate surfaces. Several BBD device formulations containing polyoxyethylene polymer (MW 7,000,000) were prepared by direct compression and compression molding processes. The prepared BBD devices were evaluated for their elasticity, in vitro adhesion and drug release characteristics. The in vivo bioadhesion characteristics of a placebo compression molded device were examined in 3 adult healthy male beagle dogs. The bioadhesive strength of polyoxyethylene polymers appeared to be directly related to their molecular weights. When bovine sublingual mucosa or a glass plate was used as model mucosal substrate surface, the rank order of bioadhesive strength of different molecular weight polyoxyethylene polymers was similar. The bioadhesive strength of devices prepared by the compression molding process was greater than those prepared by direct compression, but the kinetics of drug release were independent of the process used for the preparation of the devices. The drug release and the bioadhesive strength of the similarly prepared device formulations appeared to be dependent on the drug:polymer ratios. The elasticity of the BBD devices prepared by compression molding was improved by the inclusion of polyisobutylene polymer in the formulations. When adhered to the oral cavity of the dogs, the compression molded placebo BBD device exhibited adhesion for at least 4 hours and appeared to show no signs of local irritation. In conclusion, BBD devices containing polyoxyethylene polymer (MW 7,000,000) can be prepared by direct compression or compression molding process in order to provide controlled drug release to the oral cavity while maintaining appropriate bioadhesive characteristics.
Ceo transformational leadership: The role of goal importance congruence in top management teams

Using data from 94 top management teams, we found that dyadic goal importance congruence between CEOs and vice presidents (VPs) partially mediated the relationship of CEO transformational leadership with individual VPs’ attitudes, but not their performance. However, finer-grained analyses suggested it may be higher VP perceptions of goal importance, rather than the exact correspondence between CEO and VP goal importance ratings, that are associated with both CEO transformational leadership and VP attitudes. At the organizational level, CEO transformational leadership was positively related to within-team goal importance congruence, which in turn was positively related to organizational performance.
Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients With Barrett's Esophagus: A Systematic Review

Background & Aims Barrett's esophagus (BE) affects approximately 10% of patients with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Patients with BE are at risk for reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL) associated with GERD, in addition to the potential psychosocial stress of carrying a diagnosis of a premalignant condition with a risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. We sought to systematically review the published literature on HRQoL of patients with BE. Methods We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature for relevant clinical trials using a defined search strategy. We also manually searched relevant scientific meeting abstracts and related article bibliographies. Eligible articles were case series, cohort studies, or clinical trials that included one or more measures of HRQoL and/or quantitatively assessed burden of disease in patients with BE. Effect sizes were calculated when possible. Results Our initial search identified 95 articles. After 2 physician reviews, 25 articles met inclusion criteria. Data show that BE is associated with a significant decrement in HRQoL as measured by both generic and disease-targeted instruments. In addition, patients with BE are at risk for psychological consequences such as depression, anxiety, and stress, which may be related to their increased risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. Compared with subjects with GERD alone or the general population, a diagnosis of BE also leads to increased health care use and spending. Conclusions BE compromises multiple facets of patients' quality of life. Physicians and researchers should incorporate patient-reported outcomes data including HRQoL measures when treating or studying patients with BE.
Complexes with truncated RNAs from the large domain of Archaeoglobus fulgidus signal recognition particle

Protein SRP19 is an important component of the signal recognition particle (SRP) as it promotes assembly of protein SRP54 with SRP RNA and recognizes a tetranucleotide loop. Structural features and RNA binding activities of SRP19 of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus were investigated. An updated alignment of SRP19 sequences predicted three conserved regions and two α-helices. With Af-SRP RNA the Af-SRP54 protein assembled into an A. fulgidus SRP which remained intact for many hours. Stable complexes were formed between Af-SRP19 and truncated SRP RNAs, including a 36-residue fragment representing helix 6 of A. fulgidus SRP RNA.
Chronic administration of phencyclidine produces decreased sensitivity to mechanical stimulation in the absence of altered affective behavior: Implications for pain processing in schizophrenia

Patients with schizophrenia have been shown to display decreased sensitivity to pain, which can severely compound the impact of injuries and illnesses. Alterations in the sensory and affective systems of pain processing have been proposed as mechanisms, but the unique contribution of each of these systems has not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate these two components of pain using the NMDA receptor antagonist, phencyclidine (PCP), an established animal model of schizophrenia. Animals underwent L5 spinal nerve ligation surgery in order to provoke a condition of ongoing pain responding, followed by treatment with 2.58 mg/kg of PCP, or saline, and 20 mg/kg of the atypical antipsychotic clozapine, or vehicle, in a block design. Responses to mechanical stimuli were assessed to determine changes in sensory processing, and affective pain processing was examined with the place escape avoidance paradigm. The results showed animals receiving PCP exhibited decreased sensitivity to mechanical stimulation and unaltered behavior in the avoidance paradigm. These findings corroborate and strengthen the human literature investigating schizophrenia and alterations in pain perception. More importantly, the differential findings between the tests of sensory and affective pain processing provide a novel means of understanding schizophrenia-related pain insensitivity.
NTP Workshop: Animal Models for the NTP Rodent Cancer Bioassay: Stocks and Strains—Should We Switch?:

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) hosted a workshop, "Animal Models for the NTP Rodent Cancer Bioassay: Strains and Stocks--Should We Switch?" on June 16-17, 2005, at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. The workshop's objectives were to determine (1) whether the currently used models, the F344/N rat and B6C3F1/N mouse, continue to be appropriate to identify substances that may pose a carcinogenic hazard for humans and (2) whether the NTP should consider conducting cancer bioassays using multiple strains of rats and/or mice to better capture the range of genetic variability. Workshop participants advised the NTP to discontinue using the current F344/N strain due to the recent issues with fertility, seizure activity, and chylothorax and provided several options on how the program should approach identifying and selecting a new rat model. Participants believed that the B6C3F1/N mouse is still appropriate for use by the NTP, but suggested the NTP take steps to better understand and address increases in background rates of liver tumors in this strain. Finally, the participants supported the NTP exploring the use of the multiple strain approach, although they raised many questions concerning data interpretation and feasibility. This article also outlines the NTP's next steps in pursuing the workshop recommendations.
Innateness and maturation in linguistic development

Language is species-specific, species-wide, and highly structured. Its principles (Universal Grammar) are innate (genetically determined) in the child, although some linguistic capacity is subject to a maturational schedule, examples of which are given. Some particular aspects of language are learned, in a way driven by Universal Grammar. However, empiricist "learning theories" of all types are far too weak to be useful in explaining either the final adult language or the precise timing of developmental processes. The assumption of Universal Grammar is, in fact, crucial in explaining what kind of learning actually takes place.
Genetics of natural populations xli. The selection coefficients of heterozygotes for lethal chromosomes in Drosophila on different genetic backgrounds.

HE effects on fitness of heterozygous lethal genes bear in an important way on the current concepts of the genetic structure of populations. These heterozygous effects are the major determinants of how the genes are maintained in populations: by the pressure of newly-created mutations against elimination by selection; or rather, by some form of balancing selection whose effect is to preferentially retain the genes in question. Lethal genes provide a most convenient tool for studying this problem, since they are simple to identify and since they may be readily engineered into crosses which compare the performance of lethal heterozygotes with organisms carrying two non-lethal alleles. There have been many direct experimental studies of fitness components in the heterozygous carriers of lethal genes. In an important recent paper, DOBZHANSKY and SPASSKY (1968) demonstrated the profound influence of the genetic background on such measurements. They found that the viability of lethal heterozygotes in Drosophila pseudoobscura depended on which genetic backgrounds were incorporated into the tester strains. On a genetic background taken from their own populations of origin, the lethal heterozygotes seemed to be at an average advantage, or at least they were neutral. On genetic backgrounds from foreign populations or from laboratory strains, the situation was reversed and the lethal heterozygotes were selected against. This work is important because all previous experiments utilized laboratory backgrounds, and they indicated average selective disaduantage of lethal heterozygotes. The emphasis in the analysis of DOBZHANSKY and SPASSKY was on the auerage effects of lethal chromosomes, as revealed by analyses of variance on the frequencies of wild-type flies in their cultures. The purpose of this article is to present a supplemental analysis of the data, one which quantifies the individual effects of lethal chromosomes and which allows some inferences on their distribution. ANALYSIS OF THE DATA The experimental procedure which DOBZHANSKY and SPASSKY used to measure the viability of lethal heterozygotes consists of two series of crosses, each of which ends in cultures with two genotypes expected to segregate in the ratio of 1 to 1. In the "quasinormal" lines, genotypes heterozygous for a marker chromosome and a randomly-selected wild chromosome segregate with wild-type flies heterozygous for a randomly-selected wild chromosome and a quasinormal chromosome. In the "lethal" lines, heterozygotes possessing the marker chromosome and a randomly
Jelly: A Language for Building Community-Centric Information Exploration Applications

Social content sites [3], which integrate traditional content sites (e.g., Yahoo! Travel) with social network features, have recently emerged as a significant new trend on the Web. Users on those sites share content and form various communities based on explicit friendships or shared interests. However, the existing information exploration mechanisms rarely leverage the rich community structure. In this work, we aim to unlock the value of social content sites by helping developers specify community-based information exploration strategies in a flexible and declarative way. Our solution makes use of two key notions, topics and communities, in order to identify socially and semantically relevant information for users. Specifically, we propose JELLY as a language for developing community-centric information exploration applications. JELLY provides several primitives which exploit both content and user behavior in social content sites in order to help users explore relevant content. The topic generation primitive is used to extract topics from tags. The community extraction primitive enables building different user communities. The information discovery primitive helps customize content relevance by combining a user’s query and profile, as well as insights from related communities. Finally, the information explanation primitive offers valuable social provenance to help users better understand the returned content. We describe JELLY’s data model and language, and its application to building a system for finding socially relevant travel destinations in Yahoo! Travel.
Absorption and scattering estimates from irradiance measurements: Monte Carlo simulations

A method of estimating the absorption (a), scattering (b), and backscattering (bb) coefficients of a homogeneous ocean based on near-surface measurements of the beam attenuation coefficient (c), the irradiance reflectance (R), and the attenuation coefficient of downwelling irradiance (Kd) is proposed, and it is tested with Monte Carlo simulations of radiative transfer in the ocean-atmosphere system. The technique utilizes the variation of R with solar zenith angle to estimate the value R would have if the sun were at zenith and the atmosphere were removed. This value of R is then combined with Kd to derive bb and the ratio of scattering to beam attenuation, from which a and b are obtained. In addition, the volume scattering function β(α) for scattering angles 60° a 150° is also estimated. Such estimates of bb and β(α), which are based on the diffuse light field existing over volumes of the order of 10–1,000 m3, are important in assessing the applicability of measurements made with classical scattering instruments (sampling volume ∼ 1 cm3) to predicting radiative transfer in the upper layers of the ocean. Direct application of the method is limited to situations in which the mixed layer is sufficiently deep and in which inelastic processes, e.g. Raman scattering and fluorescence, make negligible contributions to Kd and R near the sea surface.
Purification of Recombinant Proteins Based on the Interaction between a Phenothiazine‐Derivatized Column and a Calmodulin Fusion Tail

A method to purify proteins by fusing them to the Ca2+-dependent protein calmodulin is described by using glutathione-S-transferase (GST) from Schistosoma japonicum as a model. Glutathione-S-transferase was genetically fused to calmodulin (CaM). The designed GST-CaM fusion protein has a selective factor Xa cleavage site located between the C-terminus of GST and the N-terminus of CaM. The recombinant fusion protein was expressed in Escherichia coli, and the crude cell extract was loaded onto a phenothiazine affinity column in the presence of Ca2+. Calmodulin was used as an affinity tail to enable binding of the fusion protein to the phenothiazine column. Removal of Ca2+ with a calcium-complexing solution causes elution of the fusion protein. The GST-CaM fusion protein was then digested with factor Xa, and the target protein GST was isolated. The purity of the isolated GST was verified by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE).
Disease Risk of Potting Media Infested with Phytophthora ramorum Under Nursery Conditions

Phytophthora ramorum has been found in potting media of containerized plants; however, the role of infested media on disease development under nursery conditions is unknown. This study assesses pathogen survival, sporulation, and infectivity to rhododendron plants in nursery pots with infected leaf litter that were maintained under greenhouse and field conditions. The influence of environmental conditions and irrigation method on disease incidence was also assessed. Infected leaf disks were buried below the soil surface of potted rhododendrons and retrieved at approximately 10-week intervals for up to 66 weeks. Pathogen survival was assessed by either isolation or induction of sporulation in water over three experimental periods. P. ramorum was recovered from infected leaf disks incubated in planted pots for longer than 1 year. Chlamydospores and sporangia formed on hydrated leaf disks but relative production of each spore type varied with the duration of incubation in soil. Root infections were detected after 40 weeks in infested soil. Foliar infections developed on lower leaves but only after spring rain events. Sprinkler irrigation promoted the development of foliar infections; no disease incidence was observed in drip-irrigated plants unless foliage was in direct contact with infested soil. Management implications are discussed.
Technical Note-On Generating Cutting Planes from Combinatorial Disjunctions

This paper develops a technique for generating deep valid inequalities based on combinatorial disjunctions that state that at least p out of some qâ¥p constraints must be satisfied. This technique provides a general framework, which subsumes existing methods, for generating cutting planes based on such disjunctions. It has potential applications, for example, in multiple choice and generalized lattice point programming problems, including mixed-integer zero-one programming problems and the extreme point mathematical programming problem.
BREEDING DISPERSAL AND PHILOPATRY IN THE TREE SWALLOW

Abstract To study the patterns and determinants of philopatry and breeding dispersal in the Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) we analyzed the records of 356 males and 1459 females captured in more than one breeding year around Ithaca, New York. Of these captures, only 4% of male and 14% of female breeders dispersed to a new site for breeding. With our combination of intensive study areas in Tompkins County, New York, and the efforts of volunteer banders throughout New York and surrounding states, we could have detected dispersal in excess of 400 km from the initial breeding site. Randomization tests revealed, however, that breeders dispersed much shorter distances than they could have been detected. Detailed analyses of recaptures in Tompkins County showed that over a 22-km range of distances, the chances of dispersal to a new breeding site declined with the distance from the original breeding site. Females that failed to fledge any offspring were much more likely to disperse than females that reproduced...
Change in Pragmatic Language in Infant-Toddlers With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Retrospective Study

This study examined the unique effects of child age at entry to services, autism severity, and cognitive ability, as well as intervention intensity, and total hours in predicting change in language of toddlers with autism receiving birth-to-three services. Only age at entry to services was found to have a large effect on language change.
Context Sensitivity and Indirect Reports

In this paper, I argue that Contextualist theories of semantics are not undermined by their purported failure to explain the practice of indirect reporting. I adopt Cappelen & Lepore’s test for context sensitivity to show that the scope of context sensitivity is much broader than Semantic Minimalists are willing to accept. The failure of their arguments turns on their insistence that the content of indirect reports is semantically minimal.
Detemir is non-inferior to NPH insulin in women with pregestational type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes mellitus.

Commentary on: Herrera KM, Rosenn BM, Foroutan J, et al. Randomized controlled trial of insulin detemir versus NPH for the treatment of pregnant women with diabetes. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2015;213:426.e1–7.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2] Pregestational diabetes (pre-GDM) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affect as many as 1.3% and 9.2% of pregnancies, respectively.1 ,2 Hyperglycaemia during pregnancy has been associated with a two to three times increased risk of congenital defects and with the rate of macrosomia and stillbirth in the fetus and preeclampsia in the mother compared with pregnancies in a non-diabetic population.3 The risk of maternal and fetal complications is closely related to poor glycemic control, in particular postprandial hyperglycaemia.3 Current guidelines recommend intensification of glycemic control for at least 3 months before pregnancy in women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.3 To achieve these goals, most patients are treated with multidose insulin injections with a combination of basal and prandial … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DAm%2BJ%2BObstet%2BGynecol%26rft.volume%253D213%26rft.spage%253D426.e1%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1016%252Fj.ajog.2015.06.010%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1016/j.ajog.2015.06.010&link_type=DOI
Accident Investigations (Explosions)

Each accident involving cryogenic fluids should be investigated to determine the cause of the accident and the procedure to be used to prevent a recurrence. The following steps have been found especially useful in conducting investigations of explosions: 1. Obtain plot plans of the accident area. 2. Obtain process flow diagrams, operating procedures, control charts, etc. 3. Inspect the accident area; label but do not disturb debris unless it presents a hazard. 4. Interrogate all witnesses and those who arrived at the site shortly after the accident (determine what they saw, heard, felt, and did). 5. Construct maps to show: (a) location of all hazardous materials before the accident; (b) locations of witnesses and of injured and deceased; (c) weight and initial and final locations of all missiles (use vectors to show directions of resultant motions); (d) locations of broken windows; (e) locations of damaged structures; (f) fire area (if any); (g) crater dimensions.
M3Ag17(SPh)12 Nanoparticles and Their Structure Prediction

Although silver nanoparticles are of great fundamental and practical interest, only one structure has been determined thus far: M4Ag44(SPh)30, where M is a monocation, and SPh is an aromatic thiolate ligand. This is in part due to the fact that no other molecular silver nanoparticles have been synthesized with aromatic thiolate ligands. Here we report the synthesis of M3Ag17(4-tert-butylbenzene-thiol)12, which has good stability and an unusual optical spectrum. We also present a rational strategy for predicting the structure of this molecule. First-principles calculations support the structural model, predict a HOMO-LUMO energy gap of 1.77 eV, and predict a new "monomer mount" capping motif, Ag(SR)3, for Ag nanoparticles. The calculated optical absorption spectrum is in good correspondence with the measured spectrum. Heteroatom substitution was also used as a structural probe. First-principles calculations based on the structural model predicted a strong preference for a single Au atom substitution in agreement with experiment.
What Is the Relation between the Moral Dimension of Obligation and Religious Belief

“Without God, everything is permitted.” So, famously, spoke Dostoyevsky's Ivan Karamazov. One who would make a statement like Ivan's (whatever his or her religious persuasion) would likely also intend it to imply, as a corollary, “ With God, some things are not permitted.” Taken together, the assertion is that religiously grounded morality rests on a firm foundation, but that philosophically grounded (secular) morality cannot. This chapter explores the meaning of such an assertion, its truth (or falsity), and its implications. It also considers what it is that makes it appropriate to term a belief or worldview “religious” (or “secular”). UNSPEAKABLE ETHICS, UNNATURAL LAW ARTHUR ALLEN LEFF Duke L. J . 1229 (1979) Consider what a “finder” of law must do. He must reach for a set of normative propositions in the form “one ought to do X,” or “it is right to do X,” that will serve as the foundation for a legal system. Once found, these propositions must themselves be immune from further criticism. Of course, once the finder finds what it is he is looking for, his work is not necessarily over. He may still work with the propositions, show their interactions, argue about their reach and implications, rationalize, restate, and reflect. But the propositions he has found are the premises of his system, and once found they cannot just be dispensed with. That which is found becomes a given for the system, however the system may be systematically manipulated. It is not created by the finder, and therefore it cannot be changed by him, or even challenged.
Neorealism and Literature

This chapter clarifies how in the period after World War II, Italian narrative was strongly motivated by the authors’ aspiration to narrate the astonishing happenings of the war and the fight against Fascism and the Nazi occupation. Like cinematographic artists, many Italian neorealist writers, oriented toward leftist ideals, wanted to offer a testimony to the extraordinary circumstances and to express their social obligation toward the cultural reconstruction of the country. The representation of local identities by authors such as Primo Levi or Ignazio Silone and the condition of women by Anna Banti and Elsa Morante are two significant neorealist subjects briefly examined in this chapter.
Principals’ Data-Driven Practice and Its Influences on Teacher Buy-in and Student Achievement in Comprehensive School Reform Models

ABSTRACTThis study investigates: (1) how principals’ data-driven practices may vary by principals’ and school backgrounds and how that changes over time; (2) how principals’ data-driven practices influence teacher buy-in; and (3) how principals’ data-driven practices and teachers’ buy-in influence student outcomes. This study uses data from the Study of Instructional Improvement (SII). More-experienced principals tend to be less data-driven than less-experienced principals. The more likely principals are to use data in their practices, the more teachers buy into the programs, and experienced principals tend to improve school-level teacher buy-in. Collective teacher buy-in improves over three years and is positively associated with students’ reading achievement.
Grade repetition and parents' perception of hearing loss: An analysis of data from children in the United States

Objectives/Hypothesis To determine whether parent-perceived hearing problems are associated with grade repetition among children in the United States. Study Design Retrospective cohort analysis of a contemporary national database. Methods The National Survey of Children's Health 2011 to 2012 was analyzed. Hearing loss, as perceived and reported by parents, was categorized as: no hearing problem, history of a hearing problem, or current hearing problem. Children never repeating a grade versus repeating one or more grades (kindergarten–high school) were identified. Univariate statistics and multivariate logistic regression analyzed the association of hearing problems with grade repetition. Patients with mental retardation, autism, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were excluded from the analysis. After adjusting for race, sex, and poverty level, odds ratios for grade repetition were computed. Results Among 66.1 million (average age, 8.3 years, 49.0% male) children, 97.3% never had a hearing problem, 1.7% had a history of a hearing problem, and 1.0% had a current hearing problem. Overall, 7.1% repeated a grade. Grade repetition was reported in 6.9% of children without a hearing problem versus 9.4% with a history of a hearing problem and 19.3% with a current hearing problem (P < 0.001). After adjustment for race, poverty level, and sex, a history of a hearing problem demonstrated an odds ratio of 1.9 (95% confidence interval 0.82–4.13) for grade repetition, whereas a current hearing problem demonstrated an odds ratio of 3.0 (1.90–4.80). Conclusion Parents' perception of children's hearing problems is strongly associated with grade repetition. This trend is noticed in elementary school more than in high school. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 2016
Cyclic Loading Experiment for Characterizing Foam Viscoelastic Behavior

Several open-cell flexible foams, including aged polyurethane foams, were mechanically characterized over a temperature range of −40 to 20 °C. Quasi-static compression was performed to obtain the stress-strain behavior of the foams. The stress-strain relation is nonlinear, but typically there is a small range of linear behavior initially. Compressive cyclic loading at different amplitudes and frequencies of interest (20–60 Hz) were applied to measure foam’s hysteresis properties, i.e. stiffness and energy dissipation. The cyclic characterization includes foams with different amount of pre-strains, some are beyond the initial linear range as occurred in many applications.
Ruthenium-Catalyzed Ammonia Borane Dehydrogenation: Mechanism and Utility.

ConspectusOne of the greatest challenges in using H2 as a fuel source is finding a safe, efficient, and inexpensive method for its storage. Ammonia borane (AB) is a solid hydrogen storage material that has garnered attention for its high hydrogen weight density (19.6 wt %) and ease of handling and transport. Hydrogen release from ammonia borane is mediated by either hydrolysis, thus giving borate products that are difficult to rereduce, or direct dehydrogenation. Catalytic AB dehydrogenation has thus been a popular topic in recent years, motivated both by applications in hydrogen storage and main group synthetic chemistry. This Account is a complete description of work from our laboratory in ruthenium-catalyzed ammonia borane dehydrogenation over the last 6 years, beginning with the Shvo catalyst and resulting ultimately in the development of optimized, leading catalysts for efficient hydrogen release.We have studied AB dehydrogenation with Shvo’s catalyst extensively and generated a detailed understandin...
Exploring the role of values and norms towards consumers’ intentions to patronize retail apparel brands engaged in corporate social responsibility (CSR)

This study provides understanding of factors that affect US consumers’ intentions to patronize retail apparel brands engaged in corporate social responsibility (CSR). The study utilizes a dual theoretical framework comprised of the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and Schwartz’s value theory. Data were collected via a web-based survey from a national sample of 407 US consumers. Findings revealed that moral norms, subjective norms, and attitudes were all important predictors of US consumers’ intentions to patronize retail apparel brands engaged in CSR. Overall, the results of this study provide important theoretical implications for extending the TRA to include measures of self-transcendent values (universalism and benevolence) and moral norms in the context of consumers’ ethical decision making. The findings also provide important practical implications for retail apparel brands planning to incorporate CSR policies in their corporate agenda. It is proposed that retail apparel brands should integrate CSR related information in their strategic marketing activities to increase consumer awareness of its socially responsible business practices, which in turn may enhance brand image.