cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
AI-05 Response gene to complement-32 promotes plasma cell differentiation and enhances lupus-like chronic graft versus host disease

Background Response Gene to Complement (RGC)−32 is an intracellular protein that plays a role in cell growth and promotes cell cycle activation and Akt phosphorylation. RGC-32 is also a downstream target of TGF-β in fibroblasts and renal proximal tubular cells and plays a role in renal fibrogenesis. In immune cells, RGC-32 is expressed by both T and B lymphocytes. Our prior studies showed that RGC-32 promotes Th17 differentiation of mouse CD4 T cells and is highly expressed in human IL-17 CD4 cells. Whether RGC-32 plays a role in the activation and differentiation of B cells and the development of autoimmunity is not known. We used WT and RGC-32 KO mice to determine whether lack of RGC-32 impairs B cell differentiation and activation and alters autoimmune parameters in the chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) model of lupus. Materials and methods B cells were cultured with lps, anti-CD40 mAb, IL-21 and IL-6, IL-4 or TGFβ and RGC-32 mRNA and protein expression was determined. TLR-dependent and T dependent B cell differentiation to plasma cells (PC) was induced with lps and with CD40mAb plus IL-4. cGVHD was induced with 100×10 6 Bm12 splenocytes injected into WT or RGC-32 KO recipients. Host B cell number and activation, anti-dsDNA Ab production, germinal centre (GC) B cell number and proliferation, PC number, expression of transcription factors IRF4 and Blimp1 were assessed at 2 and 4 weeks. Results RGC-32 mRNA was upregulated in B cells by lps, anti-CD40 mAb, IL-21 and IL-6. RGC-32 KO B cells failed to differentiate normally to PC as demonstrated by a 2-fold reduction in PC numbers generated after lps and anti-CD40+ IL-4 stimulation and impaired upregulation of Prdm1 and IRF4 mRNA. RGC-32 transcripts were upregulated in spleen cells from cGVHD mice and protein expression was detected in B cells and GC cells. RGC-32KO hosts displayed an attenuated autoimmune phenotype as demonstrated by: 1) decreased production of anti-dsDNA autoAb. 2) decreased number and proliferation of GC B cells. 3) decreased number of IgG anti-dsDNA secreting PC and 4) decreased IRF4 and Prdm1 mRNA expression. Conclusions These results suggest that expression of RGC-32 in B cells is critical for optimal GC proliferation, PC differentiation and autoantibody production in a murine model of lupus. These data support the idea that RGC-32 blockade has the potential to attenuate autoimmune parameters of cGVHD and possibly reverse abnormalities in the T and B cell pathways that contribute to lupus pathogenesis.
Improving Girls’ Sense of Fit in Science: Increasing the Impact of Role Models

A field experiment tested the effect of choosing a “favorite” role model on sense of fit in science among middle school girls. The girls participated in a 1-day science outreach event where they were exposed to multiple female role models. At the end of the event, participants were randomly assigned to choose and write about a favorite role model or to choose and write about their best friend. Girls in the role model choice condition experienced a significant increase in sense of fit in science, whereas girls in the control condition did not. Girls in the role model choice condition also tended to have stronger role model identification than girls in the control condition, and role model identification was correlated with sense of fit in science. Encouraging girls to actively choose and write about a favorite role model may help to maximize the impact of exposure to role models.
Augmented reality for breast tumors visualization

3D visualization of breast tumors are shown to be effective by previous studies. In this paper, we introduce a new augmented reality application that can help doctors and surgeons to have a more accurate visualization of breast tumors; this system uses a marker-based image-processing technique to render a 3D model of the tumors on the body. The model can be created using a combination of breast 3D mammography by experts. We have tested the system using an Android smartphone and a head-mounted device. This proof of concept can be useful for oncologists to have a more effective screening, and surgeons to plan the surgery.
Wetland methane emissions altered by vegetation disturbance: An interaction between stem clipping and nutrient enrichment

Abstract Plant-mediated transport is the dominant means of methane release from vegetated wetlands. Whether aboveground plant disturbances affect the emission of methane is largely unknown. We tested the effects of stem clipping on methane emissions from freshwater wetland mesocosms vegetated with Sagittaria lancifolia, Panicum hemitomon, Echinochloa walteri, or Eleocharis macrostachya under different nutrient regimes. Mesocosms vegetated with E. macrostachya showed an effect of treatments on CH4 emission which was elevated in high nutrient level treatment and suppressed in mid nutrient level treatment as compared to controls when the plant was clipped to 3 cm above water line. S. lancifolia and P. hemitomon showed a similar pattern, and E. walteri showed no response to treatments. Mean CH4 emission significantly differed between species, being up to 56% higher in mesocosms vegetated with P. hemitomon. Treatments where plants were clipped below the water line had low initial emission rates, but these increased after three days. Sediment samples were analyzed for patterns in the microbial functional genes mcrA (methanogens) and pmoA (methanotrophs), but no changes in microbial communities in response to treatments were observed. Changes in methane emissions due to plant disturbances in wetlands warrant further investigation, but this study demonstrates that the available nutrient pool must also be considered. Additionally, initial responses to treatments were observed, but these responses tended to dissipate after three days, emphasizing the importance of monitoring CH4 emissions over time rather than only observing initial responses. Our results suggest that nutrient enrichment alone can suppress CH4 emission, however interactions with plant disturbances can be of equal importance.
Peroxidase-like properties of Ruthenium nanoframes

This work reports the inherent peroxidase-like properties of Ruthenium (Ru) nanoframes. After templating with Palladium (Pd) seeds, Ru nanoframes with an octahedral shape, average edge length of 6.2 nm, and thickness of 1.8 nm were synthesized in high purity (>95 %) and good uniformity. Using the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by H2O2 as a model catalytic reaction, the Ru frames were demonstrated to be approximately three times more active than natural peroxidases in catalyzing the formation of colored products. As compared to their natural counterparts, Ru frames have a stronger binding affinity to TMB as well as a weaker binding affinity to hydrogen peroxide during the catalysis. The Ru frames as peroxidase mimics proved to be chemically and thermally stable. This work represents the first demonstration of Ru nanostructure-based peroxidase mimics and is therefore expected to inspire future research on bio-applications of Ru nanomaterials.
Towards exploiting duality in approximate linear programming for MDPs

A weakness of classical methods for solving Markov decision processes is that they scale very poorly because of the flat state space, which subjects them to the curse of dimensionality. Fortunately, many MDPs are well-structured, which makes it possible to avoid enumerating the state space. To this end, factored MDP representations have been proposed (Boutilier, Dearden, & Goldszmidt 1995; Koller & Parr 1999) that model the state space as a cross product of state features, represent the transition function as a Bayesian network, and assume the rewards can be expressed as sums of compact functions of the state features. A challenge in creating algorithms for the factored representations is that well-structured problems do not always lead to compact and well-structured solutions (Koller & Parr 1999); that is, an optimal policy does not, in general, retain the structure of the problem. Because of this, it becomes necessary to resort to approximation techniques. Approximate linear programming (ALP) has recently emerged as a very promising MDP-approximation technique (Schweitzer & Seidmann 1985; de Farias & Roy 2003). As such, ALP has received a significant amount of attention, which has led to a theoretical foundation (de Farias & Roy 2003) and efficient solution techniques (e.g., (de Farias & Roy 2004; Guestrin et al. 2003; Patrascu et al. 2002)). However, this work has focused only on approximating the primal LP, and no effort has been invested in approximating the dual LP, which is the basis for solving a wide range of constrained MDPs (e.g., (Altman 1999; Dolgov & Durfee 2004)). Unfortunately, as we demonstrate, linear approximations do not interact with the dual LP as well as they do with the primal LP, because the constraint coefficients cannot be computed efficiently (the operation does not maintain the compactness of the representation). To address this, we propose an LP formulation, which we call a composite ALP, that approximates both the primal and the dual optimization coordinates (the value function and the occupation measure), which is equivalent to approximating both the objective functions and the feasible regions of the LPs. This method provides a basis for efficient approximations of constrained MDPs and also serves as a new approach to a widely-discussed problem of dealing with exponentially many constraints in ALPs, which plagues both the primal
Patient-centered and visual quality outcomes of premium cataract surgery: a systematic review.

PurposeOver 8 million cataract surgeries are performed in the United States and the European Union annually, with many patients choosing to pay out of pocket for premium options including premium i...
The influence of herbivory and weather on the vital rates of two closely related cactus species

Herbivory has long been recognized as a significant driver of plant population dynamics, yet its effects along environmental gradients are unclear. Understanding how weather modulates plant-insect interactions can be particularly important for predicting the consequences of exotic insect invasions, and an explicit consideration of weather may help explain why the impact can vary greatly across space and time. We surveyed two native prickly pear cactus species (genus Opuntia) in the Florida panhandle, USA, and their specialist insect herbivores (the invasive South American cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum, and three native insect species) for five years across six sites. We used generalized linear mixed models to assess the impact of herbivory and weather on plant relative growth rate (RGR) and sexual reproduction, and we used Fisher's exact test to estimate the impact of herbivory on survival. Weather variables (precipitation and temperature) were consistently significant predictors of vital rate variation for both cactus species, in contrast to the limited and varied impacts of insect herbivory. Weather only significantly influenced the impact of herbivory on Opuntia humifusa fruit production. The relationships of RGR and fruit production with precipitation suggest that precipitation serves as a cue in determining the trade-off in the allocation of resources to growth or fruit production. The presence of the native bug explained vital rate variation for both cactus species, whereas the invasive moth explained variation only for O. stricta. Despite the inconsistent effect of herbivory across vital rates and cactus species, almost half of O. stricta plants declined in size, and the invasive insect negatively affected RGR and fruit production. Given that fruit production was strongly size-dependent, this suggests that O. stricta populations at the locations surveyed are transitioning to a size distribution of predominantly smaller sizes and with reduced sexual reproduction potential.
The effect of obesity on fatty infiltration of the rotator cuff musculature in patients without rotator cuff tears.

BackgroundThe modified Goutallier classification system describes the fatty infiltration of rotator cuff musculature (RCM) seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assist with surgical decision-...
Estimation of population size and trends for highly mobile species with dynamic spatial distributions

Aim To develop a more ecologically realistic approach for estimating the population size of cetaceans and other highly mobile species with dynamic spatial distributions. Location California Current Ecosystem, USA. Methods Conventional spatial density models assume a constant relationship between densities and habitat covariates over some time period, typically a survey season. The estimated population size must change whenever total habitat availability changes. For highly mobile long-lived species, however, density–habitat relationships likely adjust more rapidly than population size. We developed an integrated population-redistribution model based on a more ecologically plausible alternative hypothesis: (1) population size is effectively constant over each survey season; (2) if habitat availability changes, then the population redistributes itself following an ideal free distribution process. Thus, the estimated relationship between densities and habitat covariates adjusts rather than population size. We constructed Bayesian hierarchical models corresponding to the conventional and alternative hypotheses and applied them to distance sampling data for Dall's porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli), a highly mobile cetacean with distribution patterns closely tied to cool sea-surface temperatures. Results The Dall's porpoise data provided strong support for the hypothesis based on an ideal free redistribution process. Our results indicate that the population size of Dall's porpoise within the survey region was relatively stable over each summer/fall survey season, but the distribution expanded and contracted with the extent of suitable habitat. Over multiple survey seasons, the model partitioned variation in observed densities among three sources: variation in population size, the density–habitat relationship and measurement error, leading to lower and more ecologically plausible estimates of interannual variation in population size. Main conclusions We conclude that the integrated population-redistribution model (IPRM) presented here represents an ecologically plausible model for use in future assessments of the population size and dynamics of cetaceans and other highly mobile long-lived species with variable spatial distributions.
Shielding verification and neutron dose evaluation of the Mevion S250 proton therapy unit.

For passive scattering proton therapy systems, neutron contamination is the main concern both from an occupational and patient safety perspective. The Mevion S250 compact proton therapy system is the first of its kind, offering an in-room cyclotron design which prompts more concern for shielding assessment. The purpose of this study was to accomplish an in-depth evaluation of both the shielding design and in-room neutron production at our facility using both Monte Carlo simulation and measurement. We found that the shielding in place at our facility is adequate, with simulated annual neutron ambient dose equivalents at 30 cm outside wall/door perimeter ranging from background to 0.07 mSv and measured dose equivalents ranging from background to 0.06 mSv. The in-room measurements reveal that the H*/D decreases when the distance from isocenter and field size increases. Furthermore, the H*/D generally increases when the angle around isocenter increases. Our results from in-room measurements show consistent trends with our Monte Carlo model of the Mevion system.
Dermatitis from Paints and Coatings

Contact dermatitis among painters and paint factory workers is most commonly induced by irritation from solvents injudiciously used for skin cleaning. The most common sensitizers are synthetic resins (epoxy, phenolformaldehyde, polyfunctional acrylates), resin-curing agents, cobaltous drying agents, chromate-containing pigments, and biocidal preservatives. Any reasonable patch test investigation must be aimed, as much as possible, at the particular constituents of the paints and coatings to which an individual is actually exposed.
The impact of alcohol use disorders on pulmonary immune cell inflammatory responses to Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Abstract Community-acquired pneumonia due to Streptococcus pneumoniae occurs commonly in alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Pneumonia in the AUD patient is associated with poorer outcomes, and specific therapies to mitigate disease severity in these patients do not exist. Numerous investigations have attributed increased severity of pneumonia in AUDs to aberrant function of the alveolar macrophage (AM), a lung immune cell critical in host defense initiation. No studies have examined the response of human AMs to S. pneumoniae in AUDs. We hypothesized that the inflammatory mediators released by AMs after S. pneumoniae stimulation would differ quantitatively in individuals with AUDs compared to non-AUD participants. We further postulated that AM inflammatory mediators would be diminished after exposure to the antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine (NAC). For comparison, responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to pneumococcal protein were also examined. Otherwise healthy participants with AUDs and smoking-matched controls underwent bronchoalveolar lavage and peripheral blood sampling to obtain AMs and PBMCs, respectively. Freshly collected cells were cultured with increasing doses of heat-killed S. pneumoniae protein, with and without exposure to N-acetylcysteine. Cell culture supernatants were collected, and inflammatory mediators were measured, including interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. IFN-γ and IL-6 were significantly higher in unstimulated AM cell culture supernatants from subjects with AUDs. After stimulation with pneumococcal protein, a dose–response and time-dependent increase in pro-inflammatory cytokine production by both AMs and PBMCs was also observed; differences were not observed between AUD and non-AUD subjects. Addition of NAC to pneumococcal-stimulated AMs and PBMCs was generally associated with diminished cytokine production, with the exception of IL-1β that was elevated in AM culture supernatants from subjects with AUDs. Our observations suggest that AUDs contribute to basal alterations in AM pro-inflammatory cytokine elaboration, but did not support consistent differences in pneumococcal-stimulated AM or PBMC inflammatory mediator secretion that were referable to AUDs.
ANALISIS PENGARUH MODERASI KUALITAS AUDIT PADA HUBUNGAN HARGA PASAR SAHAM DAN GOODWILL DI INDONESIA

The study on intangible assets, g oodwill in particular, becomes an interesting topic to reinvestigate since question about the relevance value is often discussed recently. This research aims to test the relevance value of g oodwill information and see the effect of moderation variable of audit quality on the relevance value of g oodwill. The research was conducted on the companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange with regression analysis. The value model of stock exchange as the function from Book Value and Earnin g was used and the content analysis was conducted when assessing the g oodwill of company. With 71 non-financial companies in Indonesia as the samples, this research shows the result that the g oodwill has a significant negative relation on stock price. It was also proven that the audit quality improves the relevance value of g oodwill. This improvement makes the role of auditor important in assessing the accurate g oodwill value.
Protein Acetylation Induced by Dichloroacetate (DCA) Treatment is Associated with Decreased Respiration in Cultured Hepatocytes: Preliminary Results

Abstract Protein post-translational modification (PTM) by acetylation at the e-amine on lysine residues in proteins regulates various cellular processes including transcription and metabolism. Several metabolic and genetic perturbations are known to increase acetylation of various proteins. Hyper-acetylation can also be induced using deacetylase inhibitors. While there is much interest in discovering drugs that can reverse protein acetylation, pharmacological tools that increase non-enzymatic protein acetylation are needed in order to understand the physiological role of excess protein acetylation. In this study, I assessed whether inhibition of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDHK) could cause protein hyper-acetylation due to excess production of acetyl-CoA by pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH). Western blot of total protein from dichloroacetate (DCA) treated hepatocytes with anti-acetyl-lysine antibody showed increased protein acetylation, and seahorse respirometry of DCA pretreated hepatocytes indicated a subtle decrease in basal and maximal respiratory capacity.
Kingella kingae Surface Polysaccharides Promote Resistance to Neutrophil Phagocytosis and Killing.

ABSTRACT Bacterial pathogens have evolved strategies that enable them to evade neutrophil-mediated killing. The Gram-negative coccobacillus Kingella kingae is an emerging pediatric pathogen and is increasingly recognized as a common etiological agent of osteoarticular infections and bacteremia in young children. K. kingae produces a polysaccharide capsule and an exopolysaccharide, both of which are important for protection against complement-mediated lysis and are required for full virulence in an infant rat model of infection. In this study, we examined the role of the K. kingae polysaccharide capsule and exopolysaccharide in protection against neutrophil killing. In experiments with primary human neutrophils, we found that the capsule interfered with the neutrophil oxidative burst response and prevented neutrophil binding of K. kingae but had no effect on neutrophil internalization of K. kingae. In contrast, the exopolysaccharide resisted the bactericidal effects of antimicrobial peptides and efficiently blocked neutrophil phagocytosis of K. kingae. This work demonstrates that the K. kingae polysaccharide capsule and exopolysaccharide promote evasion of neutrophil-mediated killing through distinct yet complementary mechanisms, providing additional support for the K. kingae surface polysaccharides as potential vaccine antigens. In addition, these studies highlight a novel interplay between a bacterial capsule and a bacterial exopolysaccharide and reveal new properties for a bacterial exopolysaccharide, with potential applicability to other bacterial pathogens. IMPORTANCEKingella kingae is a Gram-negative commensal in the oropharynx and represents a leading cause of joint and bone infections in young children. The mechanisms by which K. kingae evades host innate immunity during pathogenesis of disease remain poorly understood. In this study, we established that the K. kingae polysaccharide capsule and exopolysaccharide function independently to protect K. kingae against reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, neutrophil phagocytosis, and antimicrobial peptides. These results demonstrate the intricacies of K. kingae innate immune evasion and provide valuable information that may facilitate development of a polysaccharide-based vaccine against K. kingae.
Beyond Gold: Spin‐Coated Ti3C2‐Based MXene Photodetectors

2D transition metal carbides, known as MXenes, are transparent when the samples are thin enough. They are also excellent electrical conductors with metal-like carrier concentrations. Herein, these characteristics are exploited to replace gold (Au) in GaAs photodetectors. By simply spin-coating transparent Ti3 C2 -based MXene electrodes from aqueous suspensions onto GaAs patterned with a photoresist and lifted off with acetone, photodetectors that outperform more standard Au electrodes are fabricated. Both the Au- and MXene-based devices show rectifying contacts with comparable Schottky barrier heights and internal electric fields. The latter, however, exhibit significantly higher responsivities and quantum efficiencies, with similar dark currents, hence showing better dynamic range and detectivity, and similar sub-nanosecond response speeds compared to the Au-based devices. The simple fabrication process is readily integratable into microelectronic, photonic-integrated circuits and silicon photonics processes, with a wide range of applications from optical sensing to light detection and ranging and telecommunications.
Air Leak Syndrome: Pneumoperitoneum in a Ventilated Neonate

Air leak syndrome has several manifestations and is common in neonates with meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) due to air trapping. While pneumoperitoneum is classically a result of intestinal perforation, intra-abdominal free air may be a less common presentation of air leak syndrome. In the ventilated neonate, there is insufficient clinical evidence outlining management of pneumoperitoneum in this situation. We report a case of a term neonate with MAS and air leak syndrome who developed benign pneumoperitoneum (BPPT).
In vivo analysis of formin dynamics in the moss P. patens reveals functional class diversification

Formins are actin regulators critical for diverse processes across eukaryotes. With many formins in plants and animals, it has been challenging to determine formin function in vivo. We found that phylogenetically distinct that P. patens class I integral membrane formins enrich at sites of membrane turnover with For1D more tightly associated with the plasma membrane than For1A. To probe formin function, we generated formin null lines with greatly reduced formin complexity. We found that For1A and For1D help to anchor actin near the cell apex, with For1A contributing to formation of cytosolic actin, while For1D contributes to plasma membrane associated actin. At the cortex For1A and For1D localized to motile puncta and differentially impacted actin dynamics. We found that class I cortical formin mobility depended on microtubules and only moderately on actin, whereas class II mobility solely depended on actin. Moreover, cortical For2A tightly correlated with FM4-64 puncta and null mutants in class I formins did not affect FM1-43 uptake, suggesting that class I and II formins are involved in distinct membrane trafficking pathways.
Understanding the role of crystallographic shear on the electrochemical behavior of niobium oxyfluorides

The effects of shear planes in perovskite materials have been studied in order to identify their role in the electrochemical behavior of Li+ intercalation hosts. These planes modulate the structural stability and ionic transport pathways and therefore play an intimate role in the characteristics and performance of shear compounds. Herein, two Nb-based compounds, NbO2F and Nb3O7F, were chosen as representative perovskite and shear derivatives respectively to investigate the role of crystallographic shear. A series of operando measurements, including X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, in conjunction with structural analysis, Raman spectroscopy, and detailed electrochemical studies identified the effect of shear planes. It was found that shear planes led to increased structural stability during Li+ (de)intercalation with shear layers being maintained, while perovskite layers were seen to degrade rapidly. However, disordering in the shear plane stacking introduced during delithiation ultimately led to poor capacity retention despite structural maintenance as Li+ diffusion channels are disrupted.
Anaerobic microbiota derived from the upper airways impact Staphylococcus aureus physiology

Staphylococcus aureus is associated with the development of persistent and severe inflammatory diseases of the upper airways. Yet, S. aureus is also carried asymptomatically in the sinonasal cavity of ∼50% of healthy adults. The causes of this duality and host and microbial factors that tip the balance between S. aureus pathogenesis and commensalism are poorly understood. We have shown that by degrading mucins, anaerobic microbiota support the growth of airway pathogens by liberating metabolites that are otherwise unavailable. Given the widely reported culture-based detection of anaerobes from individuals with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), here we tested our hypothesis that CRS microbiota is characterized by a mucin-degrading phenotype that alters S. aureus physiology. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we indeed observed an increased prevalence and abundance of anaerobes in CRS relative to non-CRS controls. PICRUSt2-based functional predictions suggested increased mucin degradation potential among CRS microbiota that was confirmed by direct enrichment culture. Prevotella, Fusobacterium, and Streptococcus comprised a core mucin-degrading community across CRS subjects that generated a nutrient pool that augmented S. aureus growth on mucin as a carbon source. Finally, using transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq), we observed that S. aureus transcription is profoundly altered in the presence of mucin-derived metabolites, though expression of several key metabolism- and virulence-associated pathways varied between CRS-derived bacterial communities. Together, these data support a model in which S. aureus metabolism and virulence in the upper airways are dependent upon the composition of cocolonizing microbiota and the metabolites they exchange.
Identification and antimicrobial resistance of Bibersteinia trehalosi

Bibersteinia trehalosi, (formally Pasteurella trehalosi and Pasteurella haemolytica complex biovar T) is a known cause of disease in ruminants worldwide. Typically, B. trehalosi is associated with pneumonia or septicemia in sheep. Although infection with B. trehalosi is rare in cattle, it is a potential agent responsible for bovine respiratory disease (BRD). Anecdotal reports of increasing prevalence of B. trehalosi in cattle with severe disease have heightened producer and veterinary awareness. Proper identification of B. trehalosias as a source of an infection is important for making treatment and prevention management decisions. Misidentification of respiratory pathogens is possible without utilization of the proper diagnostic tools. Traditionally, laboratories have relied solely on colony morphology, hemolysis patterns, and sugar fermentation to identify B. trehalosi. The aim of the study was to properly identify B. trehalosi on the basis of phenotypic and biological characterization. Additionally, evaluation of the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of B. trehalosi from bovine respiratory cases were used to determine the impact of antimicrobial resistance on pathogenicity.
Attitudes Toward the Amish: Contact, Social Dominance, and Beliefs in Equality

This study measured prejudice toward the Amish among the non-Amish using the Attitude Toward Amish scale. A sample of university students in the state of Indiana ( N = 107) responded to an online survey instrument that was designed to replicate a previous study on what factors predict prejudice toward the Amish. The findings support some but not all of the predictors of anti-Amish prejudice found in the prior study. This study also measured knowledge of anti-Amish abusive behavior carried out by nonAmish. It was discovered that, as contact with the Amish increased, the odds of a respondent either hearing about or directly knowing of such conduct increased. The full findings are discussed, along with study strengths and weaknesses, potential application of the findings, and future research.
Use of data from on-board data recorders for acceptance tests of avionic driving units

The paper explains how information stored in on-board recorders of flight parameters can be used for acceptance tests, also referred to as qualification tests. The disclosed example refers to the An-28 ‘Bryza’ aircraft where an old airscrew was substituted with the new generation Hartzell airscrew of the HC-B5 MP-3D type. The airscrew is an integral part of the driving system for the airscrew propelled aircraft that is provided with the TWD-10B engine. After revamping of the airscrew, the aircraft was named as TWD-10B/PZL-10S. The follow-up investigations were carried out with the aim to find out how much the airscrew substitution affected the alteration of key performance characteristics achieved by the driving unit of the aircraft. The investigations comprised both ground and in-flight tests and have led to determination of the essential characteristics for the engine operation as well as variations of the operational parameters in time. In some cases also so called phase portraits were found out for parameters of the engine operation so that to reflect dynamic properties of the engines. Such investigations are indispensable since the aircrafts are subject to operational limitations and technical conditions that must be mandatory fulfilled due to requirements of flight safety. The paper demonstrates that the data stored in on-board recorders of flight parameters can be really useful for execution of such acceptance (qualification) tests.
Land pricing and its impact on land use efficiency in post-land-reform China: A case study of Beijing

Abstract This paper analyzes how the newly introduced land pricing system affects urban land productivity in China, taking post-land-reform Beijing as an example. China has been developing its urban land market by building an effective pricing system. This study indicates that the effects of such pricing system on urban land productivity have evolved with the progress of land reform. It is only since 2004, when land granting by negotiation was at last totally prohibited for profit-oriented developments, that the land pricing system has started to positively and significantly improve urban land productivity; the land pricing system also promotes more productive urban land usage by stimulating more intensive investment and better business management.
Automated alignment of the Advanced Radiographic Capability(ARC)-Target Area at the National Ignition Facility

The Advanced Radiographic Capability (ARC) at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) is a petawatt-class, short-pulse laser system designed to provide x-ray backlighting of NIF targets. ARC uses four NIF beamlines to produce eight beamlets to create a sequence of eight images of an imploding fuel capsule using backlighting targets and diagnostic instrumentation. ARC employs a front end that produces two pulses, chirps the pulses out to 2 ns, and then injects the pulses into the two halves of each of four NIF beamlines. These pulses are amplified by NIF pre- and main amplifiers and transported to compressor vessels located in the NIF target area. The pulses are then compressed and pointed into the NIF target chamber where they impinge upon an array of backlighters. The interaction of the ARC laser pulses and the backlighting material produces bursts of high-energy x-rays that illuminate an imploding fuel capsule. The transmitted x-rays are imaged by diagnostic instrumentation to produce a sequence of radiograph images. A key component of the success of ARC is the automatic alignment system that accomplishes the precise alignment of the beamlets to avoid damaging equipment and to ensure that the beamlets are directed onto the tens-of-microns scale backlighters. In this paper, we describe the ARC automatic alignment system, with emphasis on control loops used to align the beampaths. We also provide a detailed discussion of the alignment image processing, because it plays a critical role in providing beam centering and pointing information for the control loops.
Lambda: A Basic Program for Calculating Random Data Eigenvalues

A BASIC program for the IBM Personal Computer that calculates random data eigenvalues is presented. The output of this program provides a basis for establishing an upper bound for the number of factors to rotate in exploratory factor analysis.
On the Factors Influencing Return-earnings Relationship

Many studies have attempted to identify firm specific characteristics that influence the return-earnings relationship. The R-squared reported in these studies, however, are generally low and the earnings response coefficients are less than the theoretical value. Three factors have contributed to the low R-squared and the varying estimates of the earnings response coefficients: (1) violation of the OLS regression assumptions, particularly the linearity assumption, (2) omission of important (and correlated) variables, and (3) subjective specification of what variables (and interaction terms) to include in the earnings response regression. This study attempts to avoid these problems. Specifically, I examine all firm-specific characteristics that are known to influence the relationship between earnings and security return. This reduces the likelihood of an omitted correlated variable problem. More importantly, I use the recursive partitioning technique developed by Breiman et al. (1984), thus avoiding the subjectivity in specifying the earnings response regression model as well as the problems resulting from the distributional assumptions of the ordinary regression analysis. The recursive partitioning analysis indicates that five factors - size, market to book, earnings predictability, earnings persistence, and book value per share - affect the return-earnings relationship either individually and/or in interaction with each other and unexpected earnings. When included in the earnings response regression, these factors and their interactions explain a large percentage of the cross-sectional variations in return. Sensitivity tests are performed for alternate return windows and measure of earnings.
Insuring Against a Derivative Disaster: The Case for Decentralized Risk Management

This Article makes the case for a decentralized risk- management strategy for identifying and defusing future bubble markets. It suggests how the government can enlist private "gatekeeper guarantors" to provide integrated insurance and monitoring roles to complement the government's management of systemic risk. It proposes the enactment of a federal mandate that requires systemically significant financial entities (or participants in systemically significant financial sectors) to secure private guarantees to cover a percentage of their potential liabilities above a loss threshold. Gatekeeper guarantors would act as "circuit breakers" of systemic risk by serving as self-interested monitors of risk taking and tying clients' coverage to ongoing constraints on risk taking. Gatekeeper guarantors would serve as "bailout buffers" by providing financial backing in the event of defaults and thereby mitigating the government's potential liability exposure. This expansive role would come with government oversight to ensure that gatekeeper guarantors satisfy reserve requirements, so that they can credibly serve as sea walls in the face of future financial tsunamis. This Article will illustrate the potential for decentralized risk management by showing how a mandate for private reinsurance (or its functional equivalent) may reduce systemic risk in the over-the-counter derivatives market. Reinsurers would bear a percentage of derivatives participants' liability, which would incentivize reinsurers to charge premiums reflecting their risk assessments and to monitor and condition clients' liability exposure. The repeat-player status of reinsurers would position them to force derivatives participants to change their risk exposure as market conditions unfold. Reinsurers would have leverage to push insured parties to demand disclosures from counterparties, thereby heightening transparency and reducing risks for their clients and the market as a whole. Government monitoring could build on existing state oversight of reinsurers, but it would
The Validity of Treaties in Japan

T is established in the United States that treaties are a part of the "supreme law"' and rank with the Constitution and Acts of Congress. The Constitution, with the twenty-one amendments which have successively been added to it, is the highest of the three, and numerous laws, especially of late years, have been made of no effect when found by the Supreme Court to be in conflict with the Constitution.2 No treaty has ever been expressly declared unconstitutional, and the theory that that might be done rests on the reasoning and assurances of Secretaries of State, court dicta, and text writers only.3 A treaty, with the appropriate legislation for its execution, may change the accepted content of a constitutional power expressly granted; as, for example, the interstate commerce clause, so as to bring lawfully within federal jurisdiction subject matter which, without the treaty, was reserved to the states.4 As between a treaty and a federal law, the United States doctrine, differing from that of Great Britain, where an Act of Parliament (though usually expressly reserving treaty rights) is always supreme,5 is that they are of equal standing; and according to the accepted rule of legislative interpretation, the later in date prevails over the earlier,6 especially if the Act of Congress clearly expresses
Happiness and Democratic Practices: William Thompson's Radical Democracy

Happiness doesn’t get much attention in political theory. However, in this paper, I argue that it plays an important role as the basis for William Thompson’s radical democratic theory. I show how his conception of happiness differs in important respects from that of his mentor, Jeremy Bentham. Thompson escapes the hedonism at the heart of Bentham’s theory by arguing that happiness is as much a matter of the structure of social institutions as an individual pursuit. In order to promote the greatest happiness, Thompson argues that social institutions must be based on principles of security, equality and voluntarism that can only be fulfilled within a system that incorporates united effort/common property and democratic practices. Democracy, in Thompson’s theory, can be understood as a principle of social interaction as well as a method of governance, as self-government becomes a practice for both individuals and communities. Establishing institutions that lack the primary inhibitors to happiness - competition and private property - enables the development of a benevolent society that can lead to the greatest happiness.
Phospholipase C-β1 Directly Accelerates GTP Hydrolysis by Gαq and Acceleration Is Inhibited by Gβγ Subunits

Abstract Phospholipase C-β, the principal effector protein regulated by Gαq, has been shown to increase the agonist-stimulated, steady-state GTPase activity of Gq in proteoliposomes that contain both heterotrimeric Gq and m1 muscarinic receptor. We now use a moderately stable complex of R183C Gαq bound to GTP to show that PLC-β1 acts directly as a GTPase-activating protein (GAP) for isolated Gαq in a membrane-free system. PLC-β1 accelerated the hydrolysis of GαqR183C·GTP up to 20-fold. The K m was 1.5 nm, which is similar both to the EC50 with which R183C and wild type Gαq activate PLC-β1 and to the EC50 with which PLC-β1 acts as a Gq GAP in the vesicle-based assay. The Gαq GAP activity of RGS4 can also be quantitated by this assay; it accelerated hydrolysis of bound GTP about 100-fold. The Gq GAP activities of both PLC-β1 and RGS4 are blocked by Gβγ subunits, probably by a competitive mechanism. These data suggest either that the Gβγ subunits are not continuously required for receptor-catalyzed GDP/GTP exchange during steady-state GTP hydrolysis or that GAPs, either PLC-β or RGS proteins, can substitute for Gβγ in this set of reactions.
Dislocation energetics in alpha titanium

Stress relaxation measurements in commercially pure α-Ti (A-55) were performed at a plastic strain of 2×10−3 in the temperature range 300° to 500°K. The long range component of the flow stress (τinternal) was measured as a function of temperature over the entire range studied. Contrary to the normal assumption of its temperature independence, this parameter was observed to increase approximately 80 pct as the temperature declined from 500° to 300°K. Measurements of the temperature and strain rate dependence of the effective stress (τ*) indicated that two distinct thermally activated dislocation motion processes control this mode of deformation in the temperature range studied. A low temperature process governs dislocation motion below 380°K and is characterized byH(τ*→0)=0.3 ev. The high temperature process controls plastic flow above 400°K and is characterized byH(τ*→0)≅1.1 ev. The preexponential factor appearing in the Arrhenius equation\((\dot \gamma _0 )\) was also determined for both processes and found to be a sensitive function of the effective stress. Activation volume (ν*): effective stress relationships for both processes were also obtained. The experimental findings quoted above will be discussed in terms of our current understanding of thermodynamics of plastic deformation and hypotheses will be introduced to account for the observed large variations of τinternal with temperature and\(\dot \gamma _0 \) with τ*. Mechanistic suggestions for both high and low temperature processes will also be offered.
Caregivers in day-care centers: Does training matter?

Abstract Training for caregivers in day-care was investigated for its relationship to caregivers' attitudes toward children and their behavior in interactions with children. The sample consisted of 59 caregivers in 22 day-care centers on the island of Bermuda. Four different levels of training were included: 1) no training; 2) two courses of the Bermuda College training program; 3) the entire four-course Bermuda College training program; and 4) a 4-year college degree in Early Childhood Education. Caregivers with half or all the Bermuda College training were less authoritarian in their childrearing attitudes than caregivers with no training, and were rated higher on Positive Interaction and lower on Detachment in their interactions with children. Caregivers with a 4-year ECE degree were different from the other three groups; their childrearing attitudes were less authoritarian, and in interactions with children they were rated higher on Positive Interaction and lower on Punitiveness and Detachment.