cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sediment trap diatom assemblages from the northern Antarctic Peninsula region

Abstract Quantitative floral analyses were performed on 29 samples collected during ∼24-h deployments of floating sediment traps. Traps were deployed at five sites in the northern Antarctic Peninsula region during December 1986 to March 1987. These analyses and comparison to surface sediment data provide information concerning the influence of primary production, spore formation, post-bloom mass sedimentation, advection, and resuspension on the sinking and sedimented floral assemblage. At three of the five sites, absolute diatom flux decreased by more than an order of magnitude from January to February, the result of the sinking of bloom populations and subsequent decreased levels of primary productivity. These data indicate that at least to 200m, grazing and pelletization did not obscure the primary signal. Relatively low and uniform diatom flux in Drake Passage was indicative of a deeply mixed surface layer in which peak levels of biomass were not permitted to accumulate. Conversely, uniformly high diatom fluxes at a final site may have resulted from initially high productivity followed by a resuspension event during February, perhaps the result of storm mixing that was documented by the increased relative percentage of benthic diatoms. The utility of diatoms as water mass tracers is demonstrated by the distribution of three floral assemblages, both in the sediment traps and surface sediment samples. A distinct circumpolar assemblage dominated by Nitzschia kerguelensis was observed in Drake Passage. A diatom assemblage comprised of moderate to high abundances of Chaetoceros resting spores, Nitzschia curta , and Thalassiosira antarctica was broadly distributed through Bransfield Strait and Livingston Island continental shelf. Diatom flux in Gerlache Strait was dominated by resting spores of Chaetoceros . Northeastward advection distributed these spores into Bransfield Strait where high Chaetoceros fluxes were observed at depth. Chemical data suggest the possibility that spore formation resulted from nutrient depletion. In neritic Antarctic waters, significant production and mass sinking of resting spores appears to be characteristic of the final stages of an intense phytoplankton bloom.
Metric integration architecture for product development

Present-day product development endeavors utilize the concurrent engineering philosophy as a logical means for incorporating a variety of viewpoints into the design of products. Since this approach provides no explicit procedural provisions, it is necessary to establish at least a mental coupling with a known design process model. The central feature of all such models is the management and transformation of information. While these models assist in structuring the design process, characterizing the basic flow of operations that are involved, they provide no guidance facilities. The significance of this feature, and the role it plays in the time required to develop products, is increasing in importance due to the inherent process dynamics, system/component complexities, and competitive forces. The methodology presented in this paper involves the use of a hierarchical system structure, discrete event system specification (DEVS), and multidimensional state variable based metrics. This approach is unique in its capability to quantify designer's actions throughout product development, provide recommendations about subsequent activity selection, and coordinate distributed activities of designers and/or design teams across all design stages. Conceptual design tool implementation results are used to demonstrate the utility of this technique in improving the incremental decision making process.
The human M creatine kinase gene enhancer contains multiple functional interacting domains

Cis-elements (-933 to -641) upstream of the human M creatine kinase gene cap site contain an enhancer that confers developmental and tissue-specific expression to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene in C2C12 myogenic cells transfected in culture. Division of the enhancer at -770 into a 5' fragment that includes the MyoD binding sites (-933 to -770) and a 3' fragment that includes the MEF-2 binding site (-770 to -641) resulted in two subfragments that showed minimal activity but in combination interacted in a position- and orientation-independent fashion to enhance activity of the SV40 promoter in transient transfection experiments. A 5' enhancer construct (-877 to -832) including only one (the low affinity) MyoD binding site was active when present in multiple copies. In contrast, a 3' enhancer construct (-749 to -732) including the MEF-2 binding site was inactive even when present in multiple copies. However, if the 5' construct was extended to include the high-affinity MyoD binding site (-877 to -803) the 5' and 3' constructs interacted in a position- and orientation-independent fashion to activate the SV40 promoter. Thus, the human M creatine kinase enhancer comprises multiple functional interacting domains.
Low Pressure Turbine Blade Separation Control Using Plasma Actuators

Influence of plasma actuators as flow separation control device is investigated in this study. Initial eects of actuation for a quiescent case is examined for the instantaneous, average velocities and for the power developed over a wide range of input parameters. Eects of actuation on a 2D turbine cascade are visualized during actuation and the characteristics of the flow are analyzed with phase lock and pressure measurements on the LPT blade for low Reynolds number. Phase locked PIV performed for dierent forcing frequency reveals the generation of cross-stream vortices providing re-attachment to the separated flow. Several field of views are considered to study the movement of these cross-stream vortices. The generation of continuous vortices impact to an increase in momentum allowing to reduce the separation layer.
Sectoral Patterns Of Technological Change In Services

This article provides a comprehensive picture of the characteristics of innovation in services, using the results of the 1993–95 Italian innovation survey in services. Technological change does play a role in services: around one third of service firms have introduced a technological innovation in the period 1993–95. Process innovation, innovative investment and the acquisition and internal development of software represent the most important channels through which service firms innovate. R&D activities represent an important innovation source only for a small number of science and technology-based service industries. The sectoral analysis highlights the variety of innovative patterns, which should discourage any simple generalization about innovation in services. Accordingly, a sectoral taxonomy is proposed in which service industries are clustered according to the overall innovative performance of firms, the nature of the innovation activities carried out, the different knowledge bases underlying the in...
Acute effect of nicotine on non-smokers: I. OAEs and ABRs

This paper is the first in a series of three investigating the role of cholinergic mechanisms in the auditory system by assessing the acute effects of nicotine, an acetylcholinomimetic drug, on aggregate responses within the auditory pathway. In a single-blind procedure, auditory responses were obtained from 20 normal-hearing, non-smokers (10 male) under two conditions (nicotine, placebo). After the drug session, plasma tests revealed a subject's nicotine concentration. The effects of nicotine on early, exogenous responses of the auditory system (otoacoustic emissions and auditory brainstem potentials) are described in this first paper. Results indicated that transdermal administration of nicotine to non-smokers does not significantly affect cochlear activity but does acutely affect the neural transmission of acoustic information. Overall, otoacoustic emissions were unaffected by transdermal nicotine while wave I of the auditory brainstem response was significantly increased in latency and decreased in amplitude.
Sleep‐related breathing disorder in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: Disease spectrum in the paediatric population

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive neuromuscular disease with death usually occurring because of respiratory failure. Signs of early respiratory insufficiency are usually first detectable in sleep. Objective: To study the presentation of sleep-related breathing disorder (SRBD) in patients with DMD. Method:> A retrospective review of patients with DMD attending a tertiary paediatric sleep disorder clinic over a 5-year period. Symptoms, lung function and polysomnographic indices were reviewed. Results: A total of 34 patients with DMD were referred for respiratory assessment (1-15 years). Twenty-two (64%) reported sleep-related symptomatology. Forced vital capacity (FVC) was between 12 and 107% predicted (n = 29). Thirty-two progressed to have polysomnography of which 15 were normal studies (median age: 10 years) and 10 (31%) were diagnostic of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) (median age: 8 years). A total of 11 patients (32%) showed hypoventilation (median age: 13 years) during the 5-year period and non-invasive ventilation (NIV) was offered to them. The median FVC of this group was 27% predicted. There was a significant improvement in the apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI) (mean difference = 11.31, 95% CI = 5.91-16.70, P = 0.001) following the institution of NIV. Conclusions: The prevalence of SRBD in DMD is significant. There is a bimodal presentation of SRBD, with OSA found in the first decade and hypoventilation more commonly seen at the beginning of the second decade. Polysomnography is recommended in children with symptoms of OSA, or at the stage of becoming wheelchair-bound. In patients with the early stages of respiratory failure, assessment with polysomnography-identified sleep hypoventilation and assisted in initiating NIV.
Electric field effects on nucleation during phase transitions of a dielectric fluid

Abstract Using the thermodynamic theory of phase transitions, it is shown that an electric field increases the critical size and work for bubble nucleation in a superheated liquid and impedes the process; it decreases the critical size and work for liquid droplet formation in a supercooled vapour and enhances the process.
A Note on the Evaluation of Teaching Performance.

The author critically examines “The Evaluation of Teaching Performance” (Journal of Educational Administration. VII 2. October, 1969) by T. J. Moore and W. D. Neale. An examination of the assumptions underlying the selection of certain criteria is made. The author challenges the interpretation of the data alleging a bias within the framework of the Victorian Education Department's inspectorial survey. Moore and Neale's conclusion that their survey showed that little stress is placed by inspectors upon product criteria in teacher assessment is also examined.
Tensor products, symmetric products, and permanents of positive semi-definite Hermitian matrices

Let S k(C n) denote the symmetric complex valued k-linear functions on (C n)k. We prove the inequality where A,C ∈ S n (C m) and B,D ∈ S p(C m). Equality results if and only if there exist λ,u ∈ C such that A=λC and B= μD. If w 1,w 2,…,wk are in C m then G(w 1,w 2,…,wk ) denotes the Gram matrix associated with w 1,w 2,…,wk An application of the above inequality to decomposables yields the inequality where and
Some structural complexities of time-varying sequential machines

Sequential machines with time-variant logic and memory elements are investigated in this paper. Our major efforts are exerted toward considering the isomorphism, minimality, periodicity, time invariance, and convertibility of time-varying sequential machines with an arbitrary set of internal states. It turns out that, if an infinite-state time-varying sequential machine is finite-state realizable, it must eventually bear some sort of a periodic structure and satisfy a time-invariance property on an extended time basis.
Diagnosis of Discrete Event Systems Using Decentralized Architectures

Decentralized diagnosis of discrete event systems has received a lot of attention to deal with distributed systems or with systems that may be too large to be diagnosed by one centralized site. This paper casts the problem of decentralized diagnosis in a new hierarchical framework. A key feature is the exploitation of different local decisions together with appropriate rules for their fusion. This includes local diagnosis decisions that can be interpreted as "conditional decisions." Under this new framework, a series of new decentralized architectures are defined and studied. The properties of their corresponding notions of decentralized diagnosability are characterized and their relationship with existing work described. Corresponding verification algorithms are also presented and on-line diagnosis strategies discussed.
Police Stressors, Negative Outcomes Associated with Them and Coping Mechanisms That May Reduce These Associations

One purpose of the present study was to examine how exposure to police stressors was associated with increased risk for physical, psychological and interpersonal negative outcomes. Another purpose was to identify 'healthy' or 'unhealthy' coping mechanisms that mediate these associations between police stressors and negative outcomes. Participants included 201 police officers from small departments under 100 officers (96% male; mean age = 40.3 years; 91% Caucasian; 55% Patrol Officer rank; mean years of service = 15.0 years), who completed anonymous surveys that included the 25-item Law Enforcement Officer Stress Survey (LEOSS) and measures of health problems, self-esteem and aggression to romantic partners and police partners. They also reported 12 'healthy' and 'unhealthy' coping mechanisms as suggested by the Theory of Threat Appraisal and Coping (exercise, sleep, eating fruit and vegetables, family support, police support, religiosity, alcohol, tobacco, snacks, caffeine, expressed anger, repressed anger). Higher exposure to police stressors was associated with increased risk for health problems, low self-esteem, partner aggression and police aggression. Repressed anger was the 'unhealthy' coping mechanism most significantly associated with officers' reports of police stressors. Mediation analysis revealed that only the removal of repressed anger dropped associations between police stressors and the four negative outcomes to non-significance. Present results demonstrate that the most prevalent coping mechanism used by stressed police officers may not always be associated with improvements in outcomes. Employee assistance programmes for officers with high levels of police stressors should focus on anger-management and anger-expression skills.
Does Mothering A Doll Change Teen's Thoughts About Pregnancy? † 11

Teen pregnancy rates remain high in part because youngsters romanticize parenthood. Efforts to discourage this view include programs that teach about parenting by having teens care for inanimate infant surrogates (eggs/sacks of flour). “Baby-Think-It-Over” (BTIO); a 7 lb, life-like, computerized doll that demands attention randomly & can only be quieted by inserting a key which is attached to the “parent” by a tamper-proof bracelet, is a technologic advance. But it still relies on the characteristicly concrete thinking style of early adolescence & ignores older teens' propensity to rationalize their immunity to the negative aspects of potentially desirable situations (The Personal Fable). We hypothesized that: 1) Girls would find BTIO care harder than anticipated; 2) Older girls would be less apt to equate BTIO care with mothering as they would think of reasons that would make mothering easier for them. To test these hypotheses we had 68, 6th (12±.5 yrs) & 41, 8th (14±.7 yrs) grade girls spend 3 days with BTIO. Most were Hispanic (94%) & 50% knew a teen parent. Each completed pre/post-doll surveys about the desirability of motherhood, difficulty of doll care, & the similarity of this experience to mothering. We found that 65% of the girls thought BTIO was hard to care for; 6th graders had under- & 8th graders had overestimated how hard doll care would be (p=.03). Few equated doll care with mothering. As hypothesized, 8th graders were less apt to equate the two experiences than 6th graders (17% vs 37%; p=.02), but not because they endorsed statements suggesting that specific aspects of mothering a real baby would be easier forthem than caring for BTIO had been. BTIO failed to change the age at which the girls wished to become mothers (23.0±3 yrs) or the proportion wanting to be teen parents (12% v 15%). We conclude that girls find BTIO hard to care for but since most do not equate their doll experience with mothering the efficacy of BTIO alone as a teen pregnancy prevention intervention remains in doubt. Rather then making motherhood less attractive, future efforts might be better directed at making activities & careers which are incompatible with teen pregnancy more attractive & achievable.
Weak solutions for a class of parabolic volterra integrodifferential equations

Abstract We define weak solutions for a class of Volterra integrodifferential equations of the form u′(t) + Au(t) = ∝0t a(t,s) g(s, u(s)) ds + f(t, u(t)), t ⩾ 0, u(0) = 0. The operator A is the negative infinitesimal generator of an analytic semigroup in a Banach space X. The operator g(t, u) is related to A by a special form g(t, u) = A 1 2 q(t, u) , where q(t,u) is an appropriate “lower order” operator. We show the existence and uniqueness of weak solutions and their continuability to infinity under suitable conditions. Using our results we study the asymptotic behavior, as time goes to infinity, of strong solutions of a second order initial-boundary value problem.
Biomimetic and Live Medusae Reveal the Mechanistic Advantages of a Flexible Bell Margin

Flexible bell margins are characteristic components of rowing medusan morphologies and are expected to contribute towards their high propulsive efficiency. However, the mechanistic basis of thrust augmentation by flexible propulsors remained unresolved, so the impact of bell margin flexibility on medusan swimming has also remained unresolved. We used biomimetic robotic jellyfish vehicles to elucidate that propulsive thrust enhancement by flexible medusan bell margins relies upon fluid dynamic interactions between entrained flows at the inflexion point of the exumbrella and flows expelled from under the bell. Coalescence of flows from these two regions resulted in enhanced fluid circulation and, therefore, thrust augmentation for flexible margins of both medusan vehicles and living medusae. Using particle image velocimetry (PIV) data we estimated pressure fields to demonstrate a mechanistic basis of enhanced flows associated with the flexible bell margin. Performance of vehicles with flexible margins was further enhanced by vortex interactions that occur during bell expansion. Hydrodynamic and performance similarities between robotic vehicles and live animals demonstrated that the propulsive advantages of flexible margins found in nature can be emulated by human-engineered propulsors. Although medusae are simple animal models for description of this process, these results may contribute towards understanding the performance of flexible margins among other animal lineages.
Intranasal vaccination with a defined attenuated Francisella novicida strain induces gamma interferon-dependent antibody-mediated protection against tularemia

Francisella tularensis is an intracellular gram-negative bacterium that is the causative agent of tularemia and a potential bioweapon. We have characterized the efficacy of a defined F. novicida mutant (ΔiglC) as a live attenuated vaccine against subsequent intranasal challenge with the wild-type organism. Animals primed with the F. novicida ΔiglC (KKF24) mutant induced robust splenic gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and interleukin-12 (IL-12) recall responses with negligible IL-4 production as well as the production of antigen-specific serum immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) and IgG2a antibodies. BALB/c mice vaccinated intranasally (i.n.) with KKF24 and subsequently challenged with wild-type F. novicida (100 and 1,000 50% lethal doses) were highly protected (83% and 50% survival, respectively) from the lethal challenges. The protection conferred by KKF24 vaccination was shown to be highly dependent on endogenous IFN-γ production and also was mediated by antibodies that could be adoptively transferred to naive B-cell-deficient mice by inoculation of immune sera. Collectively, the results demonstrate that i.n. vaccination with KKF24 induces a vigorous Th1-type cytokine and antibody response that is protective against subsequent i.n. challenge with the wild-type strain. This is the first report of a defined live attenuated strain providing protection against the inhalation of F. novicida.
Software safety analysis of a flight guidance system

An aircraft's flight control system provides the capability to stabilize and control the aircraft. Two key elements of a flight control system are the flight guidance system that generates guidance commands and the auto-pilot that executes them. The flight guidance system is a software function composed of flight control laws, that determine the roll and pitch values needed to achieve the desired flight characteristics, and mode logic that selects the appropriate flight control law for the given situation. We developed a formal, executable model of the requirements for the mode logic of a flight guidance system and conducted a comprehensive software safety analysis on the model. We provide an overview of the safety analysis conducted on the software and summarize progress made to date in the use of formal methods to verify the presence of the required safety properties in the software itself.
Maxonine: Structure correction and synthesis

Abstract The structure for the pentacyclic alkaloid maxonine is revised from 1 to 17 . Compound 17 was prepared by total synthesis and shown identical to the natural product.
The regeneration of spent magnesium perchlorate desiccant

Abstract The regeneration of spent magnesium perchlorate is described. Directions are given for the purification of perchlorate for recovery. Exfoliated vermiculite is employed as carrier base. A description is given of the compounding of a carrier-based granular product by absorption of a saturated aqueous solution of magnesium perchlorate and the dehydration to form a finished product of bulk density 20·5 lb per cu ft. The fraction retained on a 10-mesh sieve and passing through a 5-mesh sieve is approximately 75 % anhydrous magnesium perchlorate in a highly dispersed condition. The testing of carrier-based anhydrous magnesium perchlorate for drying efficiency is described.
A perceived Benefits and Barriers Scale for strenuous physical activity in college students.

Abstract Purpose Due to relatively low physical activity among college students, a standardized, reliable, and valid scale of perceived benefits and barriers for this population is critical. The purpose of this study was to develop a new scale, the Physical Activity Benefits and Barriers Scale, and determine whether the scale was appropriate for college students. Methods An exploratory factor analysis of 26 benefit and 24 barrier items of physical activity was administered to 493 college students, followed by an examination of the relationship between the newly derived factors and physical activity, as well as test-retest reliability. Results Twenty-eight items loaded on 10 factors that accounted for 60% of the variance, and 9 of the 10 factors were moderately associated with strenuous physical activity. Discussion Psychometric properties were acceptable on this new scale, with the low motivation factor accounting for the highest amount of the variance in strenuous physical activity.
Performance Evaluation in Education

The performance of decision making units (DMUs) that provide educational services has been a concern in the academic and policy arenas. The topic is of the utmost importance considering the amount of money that is devoted to this public sector activity. Recent reform initiatives have moved away from equity towards accountability and efficiency. Application of data envelopment analysis (DEA) to the education sector is natural given these recent concerns. Standard DEA models fail, however, due to the heterogeneity of DMUs arising from socioeconomic differences. Models suitable for application to education have been developed and will be discussed in this chapter.
Punitive damage decision making: the decisions of citizens and trial court judges.

Some states have allocated the authority to determine the amount of punitive damages to judges rather than to juries. This study explored the determination of damages by jury-eligible citizens and trial court judges. The punitive damage awards of both groups were of similar magnitude and variability. The compensatory damages of jurors were marginally lower but, in some conditions, were more variable than the compensatory damage awards of judges. Both groups appropriately utilized information about both the actual and potential severity of the harm to the plaintiff in determining punitive damages and used only the actual severity of the injury in determining compensatory damages. The punitive damage awards of both groups were influenced by the wealth of the defendant, but the compensatory damage awards of judges were marginally more influenced by defendant wealth than those of citizens. The results are discussed in the context of proposals for punitive damages reform.
What Is Going on During Vocabulary Lessons? Piloting an Observational Instrument to Unpack Methods and Materials in Today's Classrooms

It has been 9 years since the Congressionally appointed National Reading Panel made recommendations for literacy instruction that comprise a five-component framework of phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Vocabulary, a critical pillar of literacy, has reciprocal and correlational relationships with reading achievement. The researchers piloted an observational instrument to determine the methods and materials K-3 teachers use to teach vocabulary in today’s classrooms. This brief evaluates a vocabulary observation tool the researchers developed to gather information from early childhood classroom settings in the midsouth region of the United States. Understanding materials utilized in various contexts will enable practitioners and researchers to address the significant disparity between vocabulary “haves and have-nots.” An examination of the instrument was conducted (n = 18 raters at 3 ratings apiece for 45 trials) to determine reliability and validity of observations. Reliability was addressed via training with discussion and resolution of ratings from video of vocabulary instruction. Validity was analyzed via multidimensional scaling (MDS) to visually portray ratings along the dimensions of student or teacher control. From this data, we were able to determine the number of possible senses (auditory, visual, kinesthetic, smell, and taste) students used. Results indicated observer ratings (n = 45) clustered or separated materialtype consistently indicating variance along both dimensions. The researchers are currently applying this piloted instrument in a large-scale study to depict teachers’ vocabulary material use. Understanding vocabulary materials and contexts of their use may lead to more effective vocabulary curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
Metatranscriptomics reveal differences in in situ energy and nitrogen metabolism among hydrothermal vent snail symbionts.

Despite the ubiquity of chemoautotrophic symbioses at hydrothermal vents, our understanding of the influence of environmental chemistry on symbiont metabolism is limited. Transcriptomic analyses are useful for linking physiological poise to environmental conditions, but recovering samples from the deep sea is challenging, as the long recovery times can change expression profiles before preservation. Here, we present a novel, in situ RNA sampling and preservation device, which we used to compare the symbiont metatranscriptomes associated with Alviniconcha, a genus of vent snail, in which specific host–symbiont combinations are predictably distributed across a regional geochemical gradient. Metatranscriptomes of these symbionts reveal key differences in energy and nitrogen metabolism relating to both environmental chemistry (that is, the relative expression of genes) and symbiont phylogeny (that is, the specific pathways employed). Unexpectedly, dramatic differences in expression of transposases and flagellar genes suggest that different symbiont types may also have distinct life histories. These data further our understanding of these symbionts’ metabolic capabilities and their expression in situ, and suggest an important role for symbionts in mediating their hosts’ interaction with regional-scale differences in geochemistry.
Assessing the Effects of Trauma in Children and Adolescents in Practice Settings

Assessment is a critical part of understanding and addressing the needs of children and adolescents exposed to trauma. A comprehensive approach to assessment that measures a range of traumatic exposures and domains of impact and uses multiple informants and techniques over time is needed to best capture the complexity of needs and presentations of traumatized youth. This approach provides a pathway to effective treatment planning. The purpose of this article is to offer a comprehensive overview of the assessment of childhood trauma, with a focus on specific tools and techniques, and the use of assessment information in practice settings.
STRONG SELECTION GENOME‐WIDE ENHANCES FITNESS TRADE‐OFFS ACROSS ENVIRONMENTS AND EPISODES OF SELECTION

Fitness trade-offs across episodes of selection and environments influence life-history evolution and adaptive population divergence. Documenting these trade-offs remains challenging as selection can vary in magnitude and direction through time and space. Here, we evaluate fitness trade-offs at the levels of the whole organism and the quantitative trait locus (QTL) in a multiyear field study of Boechera stricta (Brassicaceae), a genetically tractable mustard native to the Rocky Mountains. Reciprocal local adaptation was pronounced for viability, but not for reproductive components of fitness. Instead, local genomes had a fecundity advantage only in the high latitude garden. By estimating realized selection coefficients from individual-level data on viability and reproductive success and permuting the data to infer significance, we examined the genetic basis of fitness trade-offs. This analytical approach (Conditional Neutrality-Antagonistic Pleiotropy, CNAP) identified genetic trade-offs at a flowering phenology QTL (costs of adaptation) and revealed genetic trade-offs across fitness components (costs of reproduction). These patterns would not have emerged from traditional ANOVA-based QTL mapping. Our analytical framework can be applied to other systems to investigate fitness trade-offs. This task is becoming increasingly important as climate change may alter fitness landscapes, potentially disrupting fitness trade-offs that took many generations to evolve.
Chemogenomic identification of Ref-1/AP-1 as a therapeutic target for asthma

Asthma is characterized by an oxidant/antioxidant imbalance in the lungs leading to activation of redox-sensitive transcription factors, nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), and activator protein-1 (AP-1). To develop therapeutic strategies for asthma, we used a chemogenomics approach to screen for small molecule inhibitor(s) of AP-1 transcription. We developed a β-strand mimetic template that acts as a reversible inhibitor (pseudosubstrate) of redox proteins. This template incorporates an enedione moiety to trap reactive cysteine nucleophiles in the active sites of redox proteins. Specificity for individual redox factors was achieved through variations in X and Y functionality by using a combinatorial library approach. A limited array (2 × 6) was constructed where X was either NHCH3 or NHCH2 Ph and Y was methyl, phenyl, m-cyanophenyl, m-nitrophenyl, m-acetylaniline, or m-methylbenzoate. These analogs were evaluated for their ability to inhibit transcription in transiently transfected human lung epithelial A549 cells from either an AP-1 or NF-κB reporter. A small-molecule inhibitor, PNRI-299, was identified that selectively inhibited AP-1 transcription (IC50 of 20 μM) without affecting NF-κB transcription (up to 200 μM) or thioredoxin (up to 200 μM). The molecular target of PNRI-299 was determined to be the oxidoreductase, redox effector factor-1 by an affinity chromatography approach. The selective redox effector factor-1 inhibitor, PNRI-299, significantly reduced airway eosinophil infiltration, mucus hypersecretion, edema, and IL-4 levels in a mouse asthma model. These data validate AP-1 as an important therapeutic target in allergic airway inflammation.
Spring Grazing Impacts on the Vegetation of Reed Canarygrass–Invaded Wetlands

The Rainwater Basin region in Nebraska is critically important stopover habitat for spring waterfowl migrations, but the ability of these sites to produce sufficient food for migrating waterfowl is endangered by the invasion of reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.). This species produces thick litter layers and abundant aboveground biomass, reducing germination and seedling survival of the annual plant species responsible for much of the seed production in the area. Cattle grazing often is used as a management tool in the Rainwater Basin to slow or reverse reed canarygrass invasion and to improve growing conditions for more desirable plant species. However, there has been little research on the impact of grazing on these factors. We studied the impacts of one-time, early-season (between April and June) cattle grazing on the abundance of reed canarygrass, bare ground, and litter. We hypothesized that cattle grazing would result in reduced reed canarygrass by the end of the 2-yr study, and that grazing would increase the abundance of bare ground and decrease the abundance of litter. Because grazing was expected to improve conditions for seed germination, we expected to find higher species richness in grazed areas. We found that grazing did not reduce the abundance of reed canarygrass, but the application of early-season grazing for two consecutive years did reduce litter and increase bare ground. Litter abundance decreased by 7.5% in ungrazed plots and litter increased by 8.6% in grazed plots. Bare ground in grazed plots increased 10.7% in grazed plots but decreased 1.2% in ungrazed plots. Species richness was not affected by grazing during this study. We concluded that grazing, as utilized in this study, is not sufficient to reduce reed canarygrass abundance, but can be used to mitigate some of the negative impacts of reed canarygrass invasion.
Hospital volume is related to clinical and economic outcomes of esophageal resection in Maryland

Abstract Background . Previous studies have documented a relationship between hospital volume and perioperative and economic outcomes. Our objective was to determine the effect of hospital volume on outcomes of esophageal resection. Methods . Statewide database was analyzed for patients who underwent esophageal resection in Maryland (n = 1,136 patients) from 1984 to 1999. Multivariate regression was used to determine the association of hospital volume with in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and charges after adjusting for case mix and time period. Results . Unadjusted in-hospital mortality rates were lower in high volume hospitals (2.7%) than medium (12.7%) and low (16%) volume hospitals ( p p p p Conclusions . Hospitals that perform high volumes of esophageal resection have superior clinical and economic outcomes. By referring these patients to high volume centers, we may improve quality and reduce costs.
DO CHANGES IN PERFUSION DEFECT SIZE ON SERIAL SPECT MYOCARDIAL PERFUSION IMAGING TRACK OUTCOME

The prognostic value of SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is well established. There are limited data on whether changes in perfusion defect size (PDS) on serial MPIs track directional changes in outcome. We studied 698 patients (61±11 yrs, 53% male, 48% diabetes, 25% MI, 49% prior CR) who
Corticotroph (ACTH) Adenomas

Cushing’s disease (CD) caused by an ACTH-secreting pituitary adenoma accounts for 80 % of newly diagnosed cases of Cushing’s syndrome.
Protection of mitochondria prevents high-fat diet-induced glomerulopathy and proximal tubular injury.

Obesity is a major risk factor for the development of chronic kidney disease, even independent of its association with hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. The primary pathologic finding of obesity-related kidney disease is glomerulopathy, with glomerular hypertrophy, mesangial matrix expansion, and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Proposed mechanisms leading to renal pathology include abnormal lipid metabolism, lipotoxicity, inhibition of AMP kinase, and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Here we report dramatic changes in mitochondrial structure in glomerular endothelial cells, podocytes, and proximal tubular epithelial cells after 28 weeks of a high-fat diet in C57BL/6 mice. Treatment with SS-31, a tetrapeptide that targets cardiolipin and protects mitochondrial cristae structure, during high-fat diet preserved normal mitochondrial structure in all kidney cells, restored renal AMP kinase activity, and prevented intracellular lipid accumulation, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and apoptosis. SS-31 had no effect on weight gain, insulin resistance or hyperglycemia. However, SS-31 prevented loss of glomerular endothelial cells and podocytes, mesangial expansion, glomerulosclerosis, macrophage infiltration, and upregulation of proinflammatory (TNF-α, MCP-1, NF-κB) and profibrotic (TGF-β) cytokines. Thus, mitochondria protection can overcome lipotoxicity in the kidney and represent a novel upstream target for therapeutic development.
High exergetic modified Brayton cycle with thermoelectric energy conversion

Abstract A novel concept using thermoelectric direct power generators (TEGs) integrated into a 1 kW scale miniature Brayton cycle is investigated based on an analytical study. The work considers a residential scale application aiming to achieve 40% primary energy efficiency in contrast to the state-of-the-art miniature gas turbine alone, which can only achieve
Statistics of prebreakdown current pulses in n-Hexane

In a stressed liquid dielectric there are electrical, optical, acoustical, mechanical, and chemical processes. As conditions approach those which favor complete electrical breakdown, instabilities are assumed to develop and grow to some ‘point of no return’, which may be the key to understanding breakdown for the purpose of inhibiting it. The events occurring before breakdown have often been considered as “noise”, but almost certainly contain useful information. In these studies, prebreakdown events are observed with state-of-the-art, low-noise electronics and high-speed digital equipment, and are analyzed with mathematical techniques for random processes to reveal the conditions for and mechanisms of the instability inception.
Developing and sustaining a practice-based research infrastructure in a hospital social work department: Why is it important?

ABSTRACTThe future of hospital social work departments depends on their ability to demonstrate their effectiveness, efficiency, and consequently, their value to their host organizations. In order to demonstrate and enhance social work’s contribution, research activities of various kinds must be encouraged. These include research consumption as well as production and utilization by clinicians, supervisors, managers, and administrators. The authors sought to develop a sustainable research environment in a large social work department of an academic health system. Continued work is needed to understand practice-research “best practices” within hospitals and how to ensure their sustainability within an ever changing health care environment.
Economic analysis of woody biomass supply chain in Maine

Abstract An economic biomass supply chain model for Maine was developed to estimate the delivered cost of biomass chips using the stumpage price paid to the landowner, the cost of harvesting and chipping the logging residues, and the cost of transporting the biomass chips to a biorefinery for biofuel production. Harvesting costs were estimated using Maine-specific productivity equations, harvesting assumptions, and hourly costs, but the resulting model is applicable to any region with woody biomass. Transportation costs were estimated using round trip distance to the potential biorefinery. The delivered cost of biomass was estimated for multiple scenarios, including different machine cost rates, variables impacting machine productivity, transport distance, and stand characteristics. When biomass was treated as a waste product (only chipping costs included), the estimated delivered biomass cost was $11/green tonne (GT) (with a sensitivity analysis range of $4 to $24/GT), less than half the current biomass chip price in Maine ($28/GT). When a portion of the harvesting cost was included in the delivered biomass cost, the estimated delivered biomass cost increased three-fold to $30/GT (with a range of $8-$82/GT). The results of this analysis will serve as a portion of an integrated sustainability assessment for a new biofuel pathway. This model can be easily adapted to other geographical regions with different site-specific inputs.
Why female sex workers participate in HIV research: the illusion of voluntariness.

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to examine factors influencing the motivation for and perceived voluntariness of participation in non-intervention HIV research among female sex workers (FSW) in India. FSW (n = 30) who participated in non-intervention HIV studies in the previous three years were recruited from a local community-based organization. Semi-structured qualitative interviews focused on women’s personal and economic motivations for participation and their perceptions of the informed consent process. Interviews were audio-recorded, translated, transcribed, and reviewed for common themes. Content analysis indicated that while many women reported willing participation, reports of obligatory participation were also a common theme. Obligations included money-related pressures and coercion by other FSW, social pressures, not wanting to disappoint the researchers, and perceiving that they had a contractual agreement to complete participation as a result of signing the consent form. Findings sugges...
QUANTITATIVE X-RAY TOMOGRAPHY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PISTON CASTING PROCESS

The development of castings for automotive components [1] can be accelerated by “statistical experimental design” or Taguchi-like methods [2] which use quantitative measures of the component quality to isolate and optimize the casting control parameters. In the present work the internal quality of aluminum pistons is determined using x-ray tomography. This technique allows internal voids such as shrink porosity to be detected. Both these defects occur when the gates or risers supplying molten aluminum freeze before the casting is completely solidified. These voids can be eliminated by carefully selected mold designs and casting conditions which lead to directional solidification. A casting development cycle is illustrated in Fig. 1 and shows how the casting parameters can be optimized during mold-tryout using statistical experimental design methods.
1978 Theory of Mind

When an animal forms hypotheses about what another animal is thinking, that is a theory of mind. In other words, one animal has a theory about another animals thought process. This can be an important element of social cognition.
A tissue-specific role for intraflagellar transport genes during craniofacial development

Primary cilia are nearly ubiquitous, cellular projections that function to transduce molecular signals during development. Loss of functional primary cilia has a particularly profound effect on the developing craniofacial complex, causing several anomalies including craniosynostosis, micrognathia, midfacial dysplasia, cleft lip/palate and oral/dental defects. Development of the craniofacial complex is an intricate process that requires interactions between several different tissues including neural crest cells, neuroectoderm and surface ectoderm. To understand the tissue-specific requirements for primary cilia during craniofacial development we conditionally deleted three separate intraflagellar transport genes, Kif3a, Ift88 and Ttc21b with three distinct drivers, Wnt1-Cre, Crect and AP2-Cre which drive recombination in neural crest, surface ectoderm alone, and neural crest, surface ectoderm and neuroectoderm, respectively. We found that tissue-specific conditional loss of ciliary genes with different functions produces profoundly different facial phenotypes. Furthermore, analysis of basic cellular behaviors in these mutants suggests that loss of primary cilia in a distinct tissue has unique effects on development of adjacent tissues. Together, these data suggest specific spatiotemporal roles for intraflagellar transport genes and the primary cilium during craniofacial development.
Giant taxon-character matrices: the future of morphological systematics.

Simoes et al. (2016) argued that large matrices are linked to the construction of “problematic” characters, and that those characters negatively affect tree topology. In their re-evaluation of two squamate datasets, however, Simoes et al. (2016) simply eliminated what they termed “problematic” characters, rather than recode them. This practice ignores potential sources of phylogenetic information and, if it were to be more widely followed, would inhibit the advancement of the field of systematics. Here, we defend the necessity and inevitability of large morphological (phenomic) datasets and discuss best practices for morphological data collection in contemporary phylogenetics.
Density-independent algorithm for sensing moisture content of sawdust based on reflection measurements

A density-independent algorithm for moisture content determination in sawdust, based on a one-port reflection measurement technique is proposed for the first time. Performance of this algorithm is demonstrated through measurement of the dielectric properties of sawdust with an open-ended half-mode substrate integrated waveguide (HMSIW) sensor. For accurate measurement of the dielectric properties of sawdust, the HMSIW sensor was calibrated by using a three-material calibration technique, with air, water and 25% ethanol aqueous solution. For moisture determination, a density-independent calibration function expressed in terms of the dielectric properties was used. Both moist and dry bulk densities were considered for the complex-plane representation of the dielectric properties. Results of moisture prediction, relative to each complex-plane representation were found to be similar at 5 GHz and 23 °C with the standard errors of performance of 0.955% and 0.957%, respectively.
Exercise as a Positive Modulator of Brain Function

Various forms of exercise have been shown to prevent, restore, or ameliorate a variety of brain disorders including dementias, Parkinson's disease, chronic stress, thyroid disorders, and sleep deprivation, some of which are discussed here. In this review, the effects on brain function of various forms of exercise and exercise mimetics in humans and animal experiments are compared and discussed. Possible mechanisms of the beneficial effects of exercise including the role of neurotrophic factors and others are also discussed.