cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prescribing trends and clinical characteristics of patients starting antiobesity drugs in the United States

Aim To assess the trends in the prescribing of antiobesity medications and the characteristics of patients recently initiating antiobesity drugs. Materials and methods We conducted a population-based cohort study using claims data from commercial health insurances in the United States. Patients initiating an antiobesity drug between January 2004 and December 2018 were included. Trends in the utilization of antiobesity medications were plotted by year, as a proportion of any antiobesity treatment, and as initiation rates per 100 000. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the characteristics of antiobesity initiators. Results From 2004 to 2018, 626 216 patients started an antiobesity medication (two per 100 000). Phentermine was the most frequently prescribed (50% in 2018). In recent years (2015-2018), among 227 692 patients who initiated an antiobesity drug, 51% started phentermine, 19% naltrexone-bupropion, and 13% liraglutide 3.0 mg. Compared to other agents, the use of liraglutide 3.0 mg increased between 2015 and 2018. The average age of initiators was 45 years, 81% of initiators were female, 32% had hypertension, 25% had dyslipidaemia, and 6% had type 2 diabetes. Time on treatment was generally short (mean 81 days). Conclusion The overall use of antiobesity medications remained low over the past 15 years and phentermine was the preferred antiobesity agent. Although the use of potentially safer antiobesity agents, for example, liraglutide 3.0 mg, has increased in recent years, phentermine remained the most frequently prescribed agent among middle-aged adults with a moderate burden of comorbidities.
Experimental Film Cooling Effectiveness of Three-Hole-Branch Circular Holes

A three-hole-branch geometry for film cooling is proposed. Each branch is made up of a streamwise 30°-angled circular hole with a circular hole of the same diameter on each side of it. These three holes share the same inlet area on the coolant supply side. Three side hole inclination angles of 30°, 37.5°, and 45° and three branch angles (the angle between the main and side holes) generated nine configurations that were tested for four blowing ratios of 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2. To their benefits, these straight-through circular holes could easily be laser drilled on the airfoils or other gas turbine hot section surfaces. For comparative evaluation of these film hole geometries, the commonly used 7°-7°-7° diffusion hole geometry with the same inlet hole diameter was tested as a baseline under otherwise identical conditions. The pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) technique was utilized to test these geometries for their film cooling effectiveness. Depending on the branch geometry, for the same amount of coolant, some configurations were found to be superior to the baseline case for stream- or spanwise film cooling distributions while for the steeper side hole angles, these branched holes did not perform as well as the baseline case. The main conclusion is that the three holes with the same inclination angle of 30° exhibited the best film cooling effectiveness performance including the baseline geometry.
Industrial Engineering Lifts Off at Kennedy Space Center

When the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) began the Space Shuttle Program, it did not have an established industrial engineering (IE) capability for several probable reasons. For example, it was easy for some managers to dismiss IE principles as being inapplicable at NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC). When NASA was formed by the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, most industrial engineers worked in more traditional factory environments. The primary emphasis early in the shuttle program, and during previous human space flight programs such as Mercury and Apollo, was on technical accomplishments. Industrial engineering is sometimes difficult to explain in NASA's highly technical culture. IE is different in many ways from other engineering disciplines because it is devoted to process management and improvement, rather than product design. Images of clipboards and stopwatches still come to the minds of many people when the term industrial engineering is mentioned. The discipline of IE has only recently begun to gain acceptance and understanding in NASA. From an IE perspective today, the facilities used for flight hardware processing at KSC are NASA's premier factories. The products of these factories are among the most spectacular in the world: safe and successful launches of shuttles and expendable vehicles that carry tremendous payloads into space.
Winter Rye Cover Crop Following Soybean Under Conservation Tillage: Residual Soil Nitrate

Use of a winter rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crop following soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] has been shown to reduce the soil erosion potential in a corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean rotation system, but little is known about the effect of rye on residual soil NO 3 -N (RSN). An irrigated field study was conducted for 4 yr on a Sharpsburg silly clay loam (fine, smectitic, mesic Typic Argiudoll) to compare crop rotation and winter rye cover crop following soybean effects on RSN under several tillage practices and N fertilization rates. Treatments each year were (i) tillage: no-till or disk; (ii) rotation: corn following soybean/rye (Cbr) or soybean/rye following corn (BRc), corn following soybean (Cb) or soybean following corn (Bc), and corn following corn (Cc); and (iii) N rate: 0, 100, and 300 kg N ha 1 (applied to corn). Rye in the Chr/BRc rotation was planted in the fall following soybean harvest and chemically killed in the spring of the following year prior to corn planting. Each spring, before tillage and N application, RSN was determined to a depth of 1.5 m, at 30-cm intervals. The net spring-to-spring change in RSN between subsequent spring seasons was computed for each plot, and annual aboveground N uptake for rye, corn, and soybean were determined. Rye, rotation, N rate, and tillage significantly influenced RSN in the top 1.5 m of soil. The presence of rye (BRc) reduced total spring RSN between 18 and 33% prior to corn planting in 2 of the 3 yr, compared with the no-rye system (Bc), as rye immobilized from 42 to 48 kg N ha ' in aboveground dry matter. Recycling of N in high-yielding rye cover crop residues led to an increase in RSN accumulation after corn in the succeeding spring. Up to 277 kg RSN ha 1 accumulated at high rates of N following corn in the Cbr rotation, compared with 67 kg RSN ha 1 in the norye system (Cb) in 1992. Regardless of the presence of rye, significant accumulation of RSN occurred following corn in the rotation sequence, while RSN declined following soybean, Less RSN was found in the top 1.5 m of soil under continuous than rotation corn, and disking tended to increase NO 3 accumulation in rotation systems at high rates of N application. Although RSN declines following a rye cover crop, the ready release of this immobilized N suggests that some N credit should be given, reducing N recommendation for corn following winter rye cover, to minimize potential NO 3 leaching under corn-soybean/rye rotations.
Binocular interactions in striate cortical neurons of cats reared with discordant visual inputs

The postnatal development of cortical binocularity is known to be adversely affected by early abnormal visual experience. However, little information exists on how the signals from the two eyes are combined in individual cortical neurons of animals reared with early discordant binocular visual experience. Since this is a fundamental issue in understanding visual cortical development, we used extracellular single-unit recording methods to study binocular integration in striate cortical neurons of strabismic cats. Specifically, we measured the sensitivity of individual cells to the relative interocular spatial phase of dichoptically presented drifting sinusoidal gratings (i.e., to binocular retinal image disparity). Clear alterations in ocular dominance were observed in all strabismic subjects. Nevertheless, the majority of cortical neurons exhibited some form of binocular interactions when both eyes were stimulated together. The most prominent aspect of cortical physiology in the strabismic animals was the relatively high prevalence of suppressive binocular interactions. Suppression was most frequently found in kittens reared with 2 weeks of early optical dissociation and among adult cats that received 2 weeks of early optical dissociation and a prolonged recovery period. However, substantial excitatory binocular interactions were also maintained in these animals. With an extended period of interocular misalignment (3 or 8 months), all forms of binocular interactions, excitatory and suppressive, were drastically reduced and a greater number of neurons were truly monocular. Although the reduction in the strength of binocular interactions occurred in all units irrespective of their monocular spatial properties, the effect was more pronounced among those units tuned to higher spatial frequencies and this spatial-frequency-dependent effect was larger in the subjects receiving longer periods of binocular dissociation. The results suggest that the "breakdown" of cortical binocular properties in strabismic subjects is not an all-or-none process, and that suppressive binocular interactions may be closely associated with the abnormal binocular interactions exhibited by strabismic humans. Furthermore, our findings are consistent with the notion that cortical disparity-detecting mechanisms are spatial-frequency dependent and, thus, can be selectively altered depending on an animal's early visual experience.
Gamification of task performance with leaderboards

The use of leaderboards is a common approach to the gamification of employee performance, but little is known about the specific mechanisms and mediating processes by which leaderboards actually affect employee behavior. Given the lack of research in this domain, this study proposes goal-setting theory, one of the most well-established motivational theories in psychology, as a framework by which to understand these effects. In this study, a classic brainstorming task is gamified with a leaderboard in order to explore this. Participants were randomly assigned to four classic levels of goal-setting (do-your-best, easy, difficult and impossible goals) plus a leaderboard populated with initials and scores representing identical goal-setting conditions. The presence of a leaderboard was successful in motivating participants to performance levels similar to that of difficult and impossible goal-setting, suggesting participants implicitly set goals at or near the top of the leaderboard without any prompting to do so. Goal commitment, a common individual difference moderator in goal-setting theory, was also assessed and behaved similarly in the presence of the leaderboard as when traditional goals were provided. From these results, we conclude that goal-setting theory is valuable to understand the success of leaderboards, and we recommend further exploration of existing psychological theories, including goal-setting, to better explain the effects of gamification. Goal-setting theory was offered as an explanatory framework for leaderboards.An experiment found addition of a leaderboard on a task increased performance.Leaderboards performed similarly to traditional difficult and impossible goals.Individual goal commitment moderated the success of leaderboards as with goals.Goal-setting and other psychological theories should be explored in gamification.
A contemporary protocol to assist primary care physicians in the treatment of panic and generalized anxiety disorders

Abstract Anxiety disorders are prevalent in primary care practice and generate a significant excess of morbidity, health services utilization, and health care expenditures. Complexities in delivering effective care for such disorders have led to stepped collaborative care models that involve nonphysician care managers following guideline-based protocols under the direction of patients' primary care physicians and a medical specialist. With the goal of aiding colleagues attempting to improve the primary care for panic and generalized anxiety disorders, we detail the collaborative care strategy for treatment of these conditions used by our National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded clinical trial in which a telephone-based care manager performs timely, patient-specific clinical and case management tasks. We illustrate the clinical considerations underlying the steps taken to implement and then sustain our care manager intervention at four geographically dispersed primary care practices linked by a common electronic medical record system and the modifications made as we encountered clinical situations common to typical practice settings. This report serves to familiarize physicians contemplating use of a similar strategy for improving the quality of primary care for an anxiety disorder or any other chronic mental health condition.
Foliar sclereids in the Magnoliaceae

The foliar sclereids in 136 species representing 11 of the 12 genera of Magnoliaceae were studied and compared. Sclereids occur in four different cell assemblages within the leaf: diffuse idioblasts, mesophyll, dermal system, and the vein sheath including terminal elements. Tropical members tend to have the most highly sclerified leaves. In species of Manglietia the leaves have sclerified spongy mesophyll and either sclerified epidermis or hypodermis. In Talauma, sclerification affects the vein sheath and terminal cells of veinlets, with a specialized thick marginal vein in the Asian taxa but not in the American ones. Liriodendron and the magnolias native to the north temperate zone have only minimal sclerification, which usually is confined to the vein sheath of the midrib and the main lateral veins, and as idioblastic sclereids in the petiole and the midrib near the base of the blade. The two largest genera Magnolia and Michelia are heterogeneous and include species which vary as to their combinations of sclerified elements among the four possible types.
Neuroregulation of growth hormone secretion in domestic animals

Growth hormone (GH) is essential for postnatal somatic growth, maintenance of lean tissue at maturity in domestic animals and milk production in cows. This review focuses on neuroregulation of GH secretion in domestic animals. Two hormones principally regulate the secretion of GH: growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) stimulates, while somatostatin (SS) inhibits the secretion of GH. A long-standing hypothesis proposes that alternate secretion of GHRH and SS regulate episodic secretion of GH. However, measurement of GHRH and SS in hypophysial-portal blood of unanesthetized sheep and swine shows that episodic secretion of GHRH and SS do not account for all episodes of GH secreted. Furthermore, the activity of GHRH and SS neurons decreases after steers have eaten a meal offered for a 2-h period each day (meal-feeding) and this corresponds with reduced secretion of GH. Together, these data suggest that other factors also regulate the secretion of GH. Several neurotransmitters have been implicated in this regard. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone, serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid stimulate the secretion of GH at somatotropes. Growth hormone releasing peptide-6 overcomes feeding-induced refractoriness of somatotropes to GHRH and stimulates the secretion of GHRH. Norepinephrine reduces the activity of SS neurons and stimulates the secretion of GHRH via alpha(2)-adrenergic receptors. N-methyl-D,L-aspartate and leptin stimulate the secretion of GHRH, while neuropeptide Y stimulates the secretion of GHRH and SS. Activation of muscarinic receptors decreases the secretion of SS. Dopamine stimulates the secretion of SS via D1 receptors and inhibits the secretion of GH from somatotropes via D2 receptors. Thus, many neuroendocrine factors regulate the secretion of GH in livestock via altering secretion of GHRH and/or SS, communicating between GHRH and SS neurons, or acting independently at somatotropes to coordinate the secretion of GH.
Area determination in fractal surfaces of Pt and PtRu electrodes

Abstract A fractal approach using corrugation data to calculate surface area is offered as an alternative to gas adsorption technique. The surfaces of mechanically polished polycrystals of pure Pt and Pt Ru(40%) alloy were examined using scanning tunneling microscopy. Over a range of 0.01–10 μm lengths, three fractal dimensions were identified. Measurements made at randomly selected locations separated by distances 0.1mm showed the existence of the three domains everywhere. However, in each domain, the fractal dimensions, D , varied from one location to another, suggesting a stochastic distribution of D . The stochastic data was used to calculate the surface area. In the pure Pt case, the area calculated on this basis correlated well with the area measured by the anodic stripping of adsorbed hydrogen. The usefulness of the fractal approach to area calculation in the Pt Ru alloy, where the hydrogen absorption technique cannot be used, is demonstrated.
Neurosurgical oncology: advances in operative technologies and adjuncts

Modern glioma surgery has evolved around the central tenet of safely maximizing resection. Recent surgical adjuncts have focused on increasing the maximum extent of resection while minimizing risk to functional brain. Technologies such as cortical and subcortical stimulation mapping, intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging, functional neuronavigation, navigable intraoperative ultrasound, neuroendoscopy, and fluorescence-guided resection have been developed to augment the identification of tumor while preserving brain anatomy and function. However, whether these technologies offer additional long-term benefits to glioma patients remains to be determined. Here we review advances over the past decade in operative technologies that have offered the most promising benefits for glioblastoma patients.
Effects of Glucose on Proinsulin Messenger RNA in Rats In Vivo

The purpose of these studies was to determine whether glucose, the principal regulator of insulin biosynthesis in mammals, controls synthesis through alterations in levels of proinsulin mRNA in whole animals. Rats were starved for 3 days and then either refed or injected with glucose or saline for 24 h. Glucose injection raised plasma glucose levels equivalent to levels seen with refeeding but provided less than 20% of caloric replacement. Pancreatic RNA was extracted and the relative concentration of proinsulin mRNA was determined by blot hybridization with a cloned rat proinsulin cDNA probe. In starved animals proinsulin mRNA levels were 15–20% that of fed controls. Glucose injection produced a specific three- to fourfold increase in proinsulin mRNA levels relative to total pancreatic RNA, within 24 h. The effect was measurable 2 h after glucose injection and appeared largely complete by 12 h. Actinomycin D blocked the glucose-induced increase in proinsulin mRNA. These studies demonstrate effects of changes of plasma glucose on levels of proinsulin mRNA. Their rapidity of onset and large magnitude are comparable to effects of glucose on rates of insulin biosynthesis in isolated islets and suggest that insulin biosynthesis is regulated at least in part by levels of proinsulin mRNA.
Factors Contributing to Variation in Reported Milk Component Percentage in Holstein and Jersey Milk

Abstract Precision of milk fat, protein, and lactose determinations by Multi-Spec operators in the state DHIA laboratory was studied and milk fat values were compared with Babcock determinations and with pay plant reports. Also, day-to-day variation in milk component content was examined in sample herds of 24 Holstein and 24 Jersey cows for a 10-d period. Repeatabilities from 12 sets of 6 blind samples showed Multi-Spec technicians varied in precision of milk fat results (range: r=.944 to .999). Precision of Babcock results were similar to the best Multi-Spec results (r = .998). Mean Babcock results were .065% greater than Multi-Spec results. Across both breeds, mean within-cow repeatabilities for day-to-day milk fat (r = .75) was lower than for protein (r = .90) and lactose (4 = .87) and was higher for Holsteins (r = .80) than for Jerseys (r = .69). Proportions of Multi-Spec determinations of composite milk components that failed to measure between component values from morning and afternoon samples were 16.5, 32.9, and 44.2%, respectively for fat, protein, and lactose. Mean pay plant test on bulk tank milk was .02% higher than Multi-Spec test and .03% lower than Babcock results. These data indicate that variation in herd milk component tests results from variation in determinations as well as from biological variation in milk component content of cattle.
Rebuilding the Boat While Staying Afloat: The Modeling Challenge for Behavioral Economics:

Abstract The author comments on the article by Ho, Lim, and Camerer (2006), which showcases the potential of the new behavioral economics approach to marketing with six theoretical “case studies.” Each case study describes a new model of consumer behavior or competitive marketing interactions. The author raises two general questions about such models. The first question is whether behavioral economics is, in reality, a new form of theoretical psychology, competing with existing psychological models and theories and subject to the same vulnerability to evidence as applies to psychological theory. The author argues that behavioral economists are ambivalent about this point, sometimes claiming psychological realism or plausibility as a necessary modeling requirement and other times introducing assumptions for modeling convenience. The second question is whether the impact of behavioral economics on marketing will be experienced more strongly through the development of new quantitative models or through the e...
Nodular Dermatofibrosis and Renal Cystadenomas in a Golden Retriever

— The clinical and histologic features of a 2-year-old intact male golden retriever with nodular dermatofibrosis and renal cystadenomas are described. The skin lesions failed to respond to antibiotic and glucocorticoid therapy. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a wedge-shaped area of hyperechoic mottled echogenicity at the cranial pole of the left kidney and a small right kidney. Euthanasia was performed thirty-six months following initial presentation, owing to progressive enlargement of the dermal and subcutaneous nodules and gross deformity of the left hind limb secondary to fibrous tissue deposition and lymphatic obstruction. Necropsy confirmed the presence of bilateral renal cystic hyperplasia and multifocal renal cystadenomas. This is the first confirmed report of nodular dermatofibrosis and renal cystadenomas in a breed other than the German shepherd dog.
Lunar Surface Strength Estimate from Orbiter II Photograph.

Lunar Orbiter II photographed a 13-meter boulder which has rolled down the inner slope of a 3-kilometer crater leaving a track 6 meters wide. A static-bearing . strength of 4 x 10(6) dynes per square centimeter at 75-centimeter depth is estimated from these data if certain assumptions are made.
Non-glucan attached proteins of Candida albicans biofilm formed on various surfaces

Non-glucan attached proteins of the cell surface and extracellular matrix of Candida albicans biofilms formed on two catheter surfaces and denture acrylic were examined. The SDS-PAGE protein profiles of these proteins compared with that obtained from planktonic yeast cells and germ tubes were generally similar. This observation suggested that this class of biofilm surface proteins is not composed of a unique set of extracellular proteins or that one or a few proteins dominate the non-glucan attached proteins of biofilm. However, differences were observed in the proteins obtained from biofilm formed on one catheter surface and two proteins, Grp2p and ORF19.822p, identified by mass spectrometry following two-dimensional separation. These proteins have previously been associated with drug resistance and their presence or abundance appeared to be influenced by the surface on which the biofilm was formed.
High-throughput sequencing of Arabidopsis microRNAs: Evidence for frequent birth and death of MIRNA genes

In plants, microRNAs (miRNAs) comprise one of two classes of small RNAs that function primarily as negative regulators at the posttranscriptional level. Several MIRNA genes in the plant kingdom are ancient, with conservation extending between angiosperms and the mosses, whereas many others are more recently evolved. Here, we use deep sequencing and computational methods to identify, profile and analyze non-conserved MIRNA genes in Arabidopsis thaliana. 48 non-conserved MIRNA families, nearly all of which were represented by single genes, were identified. Sequence similarity analyses of miRNA precursor foldback arms revealed evidence for recent evolutionary origin of 16 MIRNA loci through inverted duplication events from protein-coding gene sequences. Interestingly, these recently evolved MIRNA genes have taken distinct paths. Whereas some non-conserved miRNAs interact with and regulate target transcripts from gene families that donated parental sequences, others have drifted to the point of non-interaction with parental gene family transcripts. Some young MIRNA loci clearly originated from one gene family but form miRNAs that target transcripts in another family. We suggest that MIRNA genes are undergoing relatively frequent birth and death, with only a subset being stabilized by integration into regulatory networks.
High-speed extraction of line segment features

A high-speed algorithm for extracting line segment features in an image is described. The extracted line segments are used as the geometric features for identifying and locating objects of interest, specifically in a Model Based Vision system. The algorithm is divided into two parts with each part being performed using separate computer hardware. The first part of the algorithm involves locating pixels in an image which correspond to edges. This part of the algorithm was implemented on the Datacube MaxVideo-20 pipelined image processing hardware executing in real time. The second part of the algorithm involves the extraction of the edge pixels in a connected manner so that line segments can be identified. This part of the algorithm was implemented in software on a Sun Sparc 2 workstation using a run-length encoded image and a chain-code mapped image generated by the Datacube MaxVideo-20 hardware.
Low-profile twist reflector design using genetic algorithms

A novel low-profile twist reflector is genetically engineered For a linear polarized incident wave, a perpendicular linear polarized wave can be achieved upon reflection. Unlike the typical twist reflector, which requires at least a quarter-wavelength space between the top metal strip and main reflector, the proposed structure is built on a 0.08lambda thick substrate, still enhancing about 20% bandwidth. Finally, there is good agreement between the measured and the simulated results promising that the twist reflector can be used to alter the antenna polarization response.
Both a monoclonal antibody and antisera specific for determinants unique to individual cloned helper T cell lines can substitute for antigen and antigen-presenting cells in the activation of T cells.

Two antisera and a monoclonal antibody raised in BALB.K mice against cloned, major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted, antigen-specific helper T cell lines are described. These antibodies are specific for individual cloned T cell lines and are potent inducers of T cell proliferation. The induction of T cell proliferation by these antibodies requires the presence of an adherent accessory cell. There is no H-2 restriction between this accessory cell and the cloned T cell, nor is this antibody-induced proliferation blocked by a monoclonal anti-Fc receptor antibody. The requirement for an accessory cell, however, is eliminated in the presence of an IL-1- or IL-2-rich supernatant. Thus this system allows the analysis of helper T cell activation with only a single cell type present. Anti-T cell sera also induce T cell-dependent B cell proliferation and immunoglobulin secretion. The induction of T cell-dependent B cell activation by these sera does not require H-2-matched T cells and B cells. The specificity of these antibodies and their ability to stimulate cloned helper T cells in the absence of antigen and antigen-presenting cells strongly suggest that these antibodies are directed against antigen and/or Ia recognition sites on the T cell.
The 2004-2008 mean and annual cycle of temperature, salinity, and steric height in the global ocean from the Argo Program

Abstract The Argo Program has achieved 5 years of global coverage, growing from a very sparse global array of 1000 profiling floats in early 2004 to more than 3000 instruments from late 2007 to the present. Using nearly 350,000 temperature and salinity profiles, we constructed an upper-ocean climatology and monthly anomaly fields for the 5-year era, 2004–2008. A basic description of the modern upper ocean based entirely on Argo data is presented here, to provide a baseline for comparison with past datasets and with ongoing Argo data, to test the adequacy of Argo sampling of large-scale variability, and to examine the consistency of the Argo dataset with related ocean observations from other programs. The Argo 5-year mean is compared to the World Ocean Atlas, highlighting the middle and high latitudes of the southern hemisphere as a region of strong multi-decadal warming and freshening. Moreover the region is one where Argo data have contributed an enormous increment to historical sampling, and where more Argo floats are needed for documenting large-scale variability. Globally, the Argo-era ocean is warmer than the historical climatology at nearly all depths, by an increasing amount toward the sea surface; it is saltier in the surface layer and fresher at intermediate levels. Annual cycles in temperature and salinity are compared, again to WOA01, and to the National Oceanography Center air–sea flux climatology, the Reynolds SST product, and AVISO satellite altimetric height. These products are consistent with Argo data on hemispheric and global scales, but show regional differences that may either point to systematic errors in the datasets or their syntheses, to physical processes, or to temporal variability. The present work is viewed as an initial step toward integrating Argo and other climate-relevant global ocean datasets.
On negotiating White science : a call for cultural relevance and critical reflexivity

This article is a response to Randy Yerrick and Joseph Johnson’s article “Negotiating White Science in Rural Black America: A Case for Navigating the Landscape of Teacher Knowledge Domains”. They write about research conducted by Yerrick in which videos of his teaching practice as a White educator in a predominately Black rural classroom were examined. Their analysis is framed through Shulman’s (1986) work on “domains of teacher knowledge” and Ladson-Billings’ (1999) critical race theory (CRT). Although we appreciate a framework that attends to issues of power, such as CRT, we see a heavier emphasis on Shulman’s work in their analysis. We argue that a culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) framework has the potential to provide a more nuanced analysis of what occurred in Yerrick’s classroom from a critical lens. Thus we examine Yerrick and Johnson’s work through the five main CRP components (as defined by Brown-Jeffy and Cooper 2011) and ultimately argue that science educators who want to promote equity in their classrooms should engage in continuous critical reflexivity, aid students in claiming voice, and encourage students to become not only producers of scientific knowledge but also users and critics of such knowledge.
Persistent pulmonary hypertension complicating cystic adenomatoid malformation in neonates

Abstract Neonates with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) are known to be susceptible to stress-induced persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN). Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformations (CCAMs) may also present as respiratory distress in the newborn. Intubation and mechanical ventilation cause clinical deterioration because of air trapping within cystic spaces; these patients require prompt lobectomy. PPHN has not been commonly associated with CCAM. Three patients with CCAM were encountered who developed PPHN postiobectomy. Three newborns, 36 to 38 weeks' gestation, presented with respiratory distress. Two had diagnosis of thoracic tumors on fetal ultrasound (22 and 33 weeks). Chest x-ray at birth confirmed cystic intrathoracic tumors in all and they underwent immediate thoracotomy and lobectomy (1 right upper, 1 left lower, 1 left upper). The patients were stable for 4 hours to 5 days postoperatively and then developed findings consistent with PPHN by cardiac echocardiography and required extracorporeal membrane oxygen (ECMO) support. ECMO was required for 66.5 to 120 hours. Each patient was successfully weaned to conventional ventilatory support. The clinical course of these patients was similar to those with CDH who undergo immediate surgery. The stress of surgical intervension combined with hypoxia and hypercarbia stimulates a hyperactive pulmonary vasculature and the development of PPHN. ECMO provides an effective adjunct to support patients with PPHN on the basis of congenital cystic adenomatoid malformations.
The Relative Merits of an Inviscid Euler 3-D and Quasi-3-D Analysis for the Design of Transonic Rotors

It is the purpose of this paper to examine the flow fields in an advanced modern transonic rotor design using both axisymmetric and three dimensional techniques. Also, to determine the deviation of the axisymmetric flow from three-dimensional flow field and whether this seriously affects the results. Inviscid Euler solvers are now widely used to analyze transonic flows through turbomachines giving a reasonably accurate indication of the flow field in blade passages. Although viscous effects are important, the inviscid analysis provides significant knowledge of the flow field which is essential to transonic design. The blade-to-blade loading and work distributions are determined quite realistically by the 3-D and quasi-3-D inviscid analyses. Through-flow and blade-to-blade inviscid solutions are presented for a highly loaded transonic rotor. Numerical solutions for various transonic rotor designs operating at peak efficiency are also compared with test data.Copyright © 1988 by ASME
Physiological Effects of Cornexistin on Lemna pausicostata

Abstract Cornexistin, a microbial product isolated from the fungus Paecilomyces variotii SANK 21086, has postemergence herbicidal activity on several important weeds at rates (0.5 kg/ha) that do not affect maize (Zea mays L.). In a duckweed (Lemna pausicostata Hegelm. 6746) bioassay, cornexistin at 333 nM caused pronounced inhibition of growth within 72 hr. At the ultrastructural level, the first symptom was shrinkage and then disappearance of chloroplast starch grains, followed by plasma membrane and tonoplast disruption. Carbon dioxide fixation, as measured by infrared gas analysis, was reduced in a linear fashion by 10 μM cornexistin, resulting in complete inhibition after 24 hr. Photosynthetic parameters more directly associated with light reactions, P-515 electrochromic transient and variable chlorophyll fluorescence, were more slowly affected by cornexistin. Five hundred micromolars each of L-aspartate, L-glutamate, or the TCA cycle intermediates, succinate, citrate, malate, oxaloacetate, and α-ketoglutarate prevented cornexistin phytotoxicity when these compounds were incorporated into the culture medium at the time of first exposure to the herbicide. D-Aspartate and D-glutamate had little or no effect on phytotoxicity. Sucrose at 15 mM was also very effective in reducing the phytotoxicity of cornexistin, whereas concentrations of 1 mM or lower were ineffective. Aminooxyacetic acid (AOA) at 3.33 μM caused phytotoxicity effects similar to those of cornexistin. AOA effects were overcome by the same compounds that prevented cornexistin phytotoxicity. Cornexistin inhibited aspartate amino transferase (AAT) in vitro by only 20-30% at high concentrations, only after incubation in a cell extract. In vitro incubation of these L. pausicostata protein extracts also caused changes in AAT activity stain patterns on polyacrylamide gels. Cornexistin may be metabolized to an inhibitor of one or more AAT isozymes in vivo.
The heat-induced gamma-H2AX response does not play a role in hyperthermic cell killing.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to determine whether the heat-induced formation of γ-H2AX foci is involved in hyperthermic cell killing.Materials and methods: The heat-induced γ-H2AX response was determined in cells exhibiting various degrees of heat sensitivity. The panel of cells tested included cells that are transiently thermotolerant, permanently heat resistant, permanently heat sensitive, and permanently resistant to oxidative stress. Cells exposed to non-thermal environmental conditions that lead to protection from, or sensitization to, heat were also tested. The heat sensitivity of cells in which H2AX was knocked out was also ascertained.Results: The protein synthesis independent state of thermotolerance, but not the protein synthesis dependent state of thermotolerance, was found to be involved in the attenuation of the γ-H2AX response in thermotolerant cells. The initial magnitude of the γ-H2AX response was found to be the same in all cell lines with altered heat sensitivity. Furthermore, no ...
Optimized punctured ZCZ sequence-pair set: design, analysis, and application to radar system

Based on the zero correlation zone (ZCZ) concept, we present the definitions and properties of a set of new ternary codes, ZCZ sequence-Pair Set (ZCZPS), and propose a method to use the optimized punctured sequence-pair along with Hadamard matrix to construct an optimized punctured ZCZ sequence-pair set (OPZCZPS) which has ideal autocorrelation and cross-correlation properties in the zero correlation zone. Considering the moving target radar system, the correlation properties of the codes will not be severely affected when Doppler shift is not large. We apply the proposed codes as pulse compression codes to radar system and the simulation results show that optimized punctured ZCZ sequence-pairs outperform other conventional pulse compression codes, such as the well-known polyphase code--P4 code.
Online atmospherics: the impact of colour and music on purchase intention

This study examines the online atmospheric cues of colour and music and their impact upon feeling and purchase intention of consumers in the online environment. The research design was experimental and used data from a questionnaire. A pilot test of the instrument was conducted. The final questionnaire contained 39 items and a demographic section. A total of 200 questionnaires were collected. Participants were exposed to a specific set of online atmospheric elements. Results indicated a difference in regard to purchase intention when exposed to different colour. Results also found a correlation between feeling and internet purchase intention. Managerial and theoretical implications are discussed along with future research suggestions.
Monomeric IgG2a promotes maturation of bone-marrow macrophages and expression of the mannose receptor

The macrophage mannose receptor, a 172-kDa lineage-specific glycoprotein, partakes in nonopsonin-mediated phagocytosis by recognition of terminal mannose residues on targeted particles. Because appearance of the receptor progresses with monocyte/macrophage differentiation, its expression is indicative of the maturational state of the cell. Monomeric IgG2a and IgG2b up-regulate mannose-receptor surface expression and biosynthesis by murine bone-marrow macrophage precursors as much as 7- to 12-fold in a dose-dependent manner. IgG2a accelerates macrophage mannose-receptor expression by several days during in vitro bone-marrow differentiation; however, treated and control cells ultimately express equivalent levels of receptor. Moreover, the effect is independent of cell cycle or ambient levels of colony-stimulating factor 1. The coinduction of another maturation-dependent lineage-specific antigen, F4/80, and the fact that macrophage precursors respond to IgG2a only within the first day of culture, indicate that the targeted cell is an early myelomonocytic precursor, responsive only during a short, early developmental window. The effect is specific for immunoglobulin molecules of the IgG2a and IgG2b subclasses and probably involves an Fc gamma-receptor signal-transduction pathway but not macrophage priming or activation. Most importantly, a paracrine mechanism of immunoglobulin-mediated bone-marrow macrophage differentiation is suggested by experiments in which basal levels of mannose-receptor expression are reduced by continual removal of B-cell-generated IgG from marrow cultures. Thus, IgG2a and IgG2b prompt mannose-receptor synthesis and bone-marrow macrophage differentiation and may, therefore, play a role in the regulation of macrophage differentiation in host defense.
Investigation of the de-embedding issue of CPWs on silicon substrates at high frequency

In this paper, coplanar waveguide (CPW) transmission lines that require pads and transitions are fabricated on 8000 Ω-cm and 15 Ω-cm silicon substrates and measured up to 220 GHz using 50 μm pitch probes. Several deembedding methods are applied to the raw measured data, and then compared with the simulated lines without the pads and transitions. The open-short de-embedding method loses its accuracy when the frequency is greater than 60GHz. The twoline, thru-line and EM-simulated pad de-embedding methods lose precision in the 140-220GHz range. The TRL calibration is the most accurate method compared to others up to 220GHz.
Interactions With Imidazole Side Groups As A Mechanism To Block The Alzheimer'S Aβ Peptide-induced Intracellular Calcium Increase

We have proposed the formation of Aβ ion channels as a mechanism to explain the intracellular calcium increase which occurs after cells are exposed to the cytotoxic Alzheimer's Aβ peptide. We developed highly effective and specific histidine-related Aβ channel blockers which prevent the Aβ-induced intracellular calcium response. Substitution experiments showed that histidine is essential for the blocking process. We hypothesized that the blocking efficiency of these compounds was related to imidazole side chains in the histidine residues. We rationalized that the resonance structure of the imidazole ring would be attracted to a full or partial positively charged form of the Histidine in the Aβ subunits of the Aβ channels. This investigation studied the intracellular calcium increase which occurs after cells are exposed to the Aβ peptide. The role of the imidazole side chains in mechanism of action was determined using histidine-related Aβ channel blockers in which the imidazole side chains were methylated. Additionally, we studied these compounds when modified by amidation and acetylation of the carboxyl and amine end groups, respectively. Our results showed that the efficacy to prevent the Aβ-induced intracellular calcium increase, and the capacity to protect cells from the toxic action of Aβ, is completely abolished when the imidazole side chains of the histidine-related Aβ channel blockers are methylated. On the other hand, the efficacy of the Aβ channel blockers is significantly improved when the ends of the molecules are capped leaving the imidazole side chain as the sole group available for interaction. We conclude that aromatic interactions between the imidazole side chains in the histidine-related blockers, and the charged form of the His residues in the Aβ channels, constitutes a blocking mechanism for the Aβ peptide-induced intracellular calcium increase.
Emergent Functionality of Nucleobase Radical Cations in Duplex DNA: Prediction of Reactivity Using Qualitative Potential Energy Landscapes

The one-electron oxidation of a series of DNA oligonucleotides was examined. Each oligomer contains a covalently linked anthraquinone (AQ) group. Irradiation of the AQ group with near-UV light results in a one-electron oxidation of the DNA that generates a radical cation (electron "hole"). The radical cation migrates through the DNA by a hopping mechanism and is trapped by reaction with water or molecular oxygen, which results in chemical reaction at particular nucleobases. This reaction is revealed as strand cleavage when the irradiated oligonucleotide is treated with piperidine. The specific oligomers examined reveal the existence of three categories of nucleobase sequences: charge shuttles, charge traps, and barriers to charge migration. The characterization of a sequence is not independent of the identity of other sequences in the oligonucleotide, and for this reason, the function of a particular sequence emerges from an analysis of the entire structure. Qualitative potential energy landscapes are introduced as a tool to assist in the rationalization and prediction of the reactions of nucleobases in oxidized DNA.
Infra-red tunneling absorption in semiconductor double quantum wells in tilted magnetic fields

Using a linear response theory, interwell-tunneling absorption is calculated in a double-quantum-well structure with a wide center barrier in tilted magnetic fields. Tunneling absorption of infra-red photons occurs between the ground sublevels of the two quantum wells, with an energy difference that is tunable. In zero magnetic field, the absorption intensity decreases significantly as the linewidth increases with temperature. The absorption also depends strongly on the carrier densities of the wells. In magnetic fields, both the in-plane and perpendicular components of the field sensitively control and tune the absorption lineshape in very different ways, affecting the absorption threshold, the resonance energy of absorption, and the linewidth.