cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interactions of Staphylococcus aureus with ultrasoft hydrogel biomaterials.

Ultrasoft biomaterials-polymers, gels, and human soft tissues with an elastic modulus less than ∼100 kPa-are increasingly used in medical devices. While bacterial interactions (adhesion and biofilm formation) have been extensively studied on stiffer materials, little is known about how bacteria colonize ultrasoft materials as a nidus for infection. The goal of this work was to determine how material properties of ultrasoft hydrogels used for dermal fillers might affect pathogenesis of associated infections. We first synthesized a range of polyacrylamide hydrogels (PAAm) with moduli similar to clinically used dermal fillers and characterized the rheological, morphological and porous properties. We then developed a novel microfabricated insert to contain the PAAm in a flow system for quantification of bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. The rate of adhesion and numbers of adherent Staphylococcus aureus on the surface of PAAm both decreased as the modulus increased. Adhesion was reduced by 3 logs (from 93 × 10(4)/cm(2) to 0.083 × 10(4)/cm(2)) with increasing modulus (from 17 Pa to 654 Pa). However, the number of bacteria in the bulk was the highest within the stiffest gels. This trend was further amplified in subsequent biofilm studies, where interfacial coverage of biofilm decreased as the modulus increased, while the fraction of biofilm in the bulk was the highest within the stiffest gel. The results show significant differences in bacterial colonization of PAAm based on material properties, and reveal how the injection process may unexpectedly create discontinuities that provide a microenvironmental niche for bacterial colonization.
Mechanisms of cardioprotection by peroxynitrite in myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury.

Peroxynitrite (ONOO−), an intermediate formed from the equimolar interaction of nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide, is thought to be an important mediator of tissue injury in myocardial ischemia-repe...
Patients' Responses to a Drawing Experience Hemodialysis Unit: A Step Towards Healing

People on hemodialysis live longer because of advances in technology; however, there are concerns about the diminished quality of life and the emotional problems these patients experience. During hemodialysis patients rarely engage in any meaningful activity. The purpose of this study is to investigate eight patients' responses to drawing experiences while in a hemodialysis unit. The inquiry involved a series of drawings and a series of interviews conducted before and after the drawings. By introducing a meaningful activity such as drawing, it was postulated that patients would be stimulated to talk about issues and experiences and improve their confidence and self-esteem. This inquiry describes how patients perceived the situation before and during hemodialysis and explores the relationship between drawing and feelings of well-being. The results indicate that all patients enjoyed the experience of drawing; they became focused on doing the drawings and the hours passed more quickly.
Abstract 553: Ibrutinib, a BTK inhibitor, impairs the generation and function of myeloid derived suppressor cells

Myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC) interfere with anti tumor immune responses. MDSC have also been shown to antagonize the effectiveness of immune based therapies including immune checkpoint blockade. As a result, MDSC have received attention as potential targets for immune based combination therapies. There has been limited success in the identification of clinically active agents with the ability to inhibit the function or generation of MDSC. Ibrutinib is an orally available irreversible inhibitor of Bruton9s tyrosine kinase (BTK) that is FDA approved for the treatment of B cell malignancies. In addition to B cells, cells of the myeloid lineage including monocytes and macrophages express BTK, and treatment with ibrutinib has been shown to alter their function and differentiation. As a result, it was hypothesized that ibrutinib would interfere with the function or generation of MDSC in the setting of cancer. MDSC isolated from the spleens of multiple murine tumor models (EMT6, 4T1, and C26) as well as MDSC from patients with metastatic melanoma expressed BTK. Treatment with ibrutinib at doses ranging from 0.1-5 μM inhibited the phosphorylation of BTK in both murine and human MDSC. Ibrutinib treatment of murine and human MDSC resulted in a significant reduction in nitric oxide (NO) production (p Citation Format: Andrew R. Stiff, Prashant Trikha, Robert Wesolowski, Kari Kendra, Sarvani Uppati, David Abood, Elizabeth McMichael, Megan Duggan, Amanda Campbell, Natarajan Muthusamy, Susheela Tridandapani, Michael Caliguiri, John C. Byrd, William E. Carson. Ibrutinib, a BTK inhibitor, impairs the generation and function of myeloid derived suppressor cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 553.
Dysmetric Eye Movements in Tourette Syndrome

A 13-year-old boy with an 11 year history of Tourette syndrome and progressively worsening tics, both motor and vocal, was referred to the Department of Ophthalmology, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, because of visual symptoms and reading problems.
Multi-day diurnal measurements of Ti-containing nanoparticle and organic sunscreen chemical release during recreational use of a natural surface water

Clear Creek in Golden, Colorado sees a large number of recreational users during summer, which is expected to result in release of sunscreen chemicals to the water. In this study, water samples were collected hourly for 72 hours over a busy holiday weekend, and were analyzed for the organic chemical – based (oxybenzone) and inorganic colloidal (titanium dioxide) active sunscreen constituents. An increase in oxybenzone concentration was observed daily during each day's peak recreational use, approximately 12:00 to 19:00 h. This corresponded with an increase in titanium concentration. Metals naturally co-occurring with titanium such as aluminum and iron also showed an increase of these elements during bathing periods as well, suggesting the titanium increase may also be partially the result of sediment resuspension, consistent with the shallow water depth. The ratio of titanium to both aluminum and iron increases relative to the background elemental ratios during peak recreational use. Estimates of titanium mass loading suggested that sunscreen use only could not explain the observed Ti : Al and Ti : Fe ratios and that resuspended sediments likely have an elevated titanium metal ratio compared to natural suspended sediments. Single particle ICP-MS (spICP-MS), used to analyze water samples for Ti-containing particles, did not show diurnal trends in total particle number. Overall, this is the first consecutive-multi-day monitoring study for compounds released from sunscreen to a natural water system, and it highlights the challenges in dealing with detection of NPs above a natural background.
Development of a solar-power-based nanogrid system for village huts in Haiti mountain area

Most people living in the mountain areas of Haiti suffer from lack of electricity. In this paper, a nanogrid system based on solar power is designed to im prove their living conditions by enabling lighting and cell phone charging inside their residential huts. The nanogrid system consists of a controller board that routes power from the solar panel to separate loads through USB ports. Simulation and experimental validation of the system have been demonstrated and the authors have implemented the designed system in two huts in Haiti with satisfactory performance. The project helps with addressing the daily needs of people and provides an example of constructing nanogrid systems in areas with no access to the power grid.
Example Problems Related to Compaction of Soils

Abstract This chapter considers the process of compaction, which densifies a soil through the expulsion of air from the voids. Compaction is one of the most popular techniques for improving soils.
Theoretical and empirical comparison of big data image processing with Apache Hadoop and Sun Grid Engine

The field of big data is generally concerned with the scale of processing at which traditional computational paradigms break down. In medical imaging, traditional large scale processing uses a cluster computer that combines a group of workstation nodes into a functional unit that is controlled by a job scheduler. Typically, a shared-storage network file system (NFS) is used to host imaging data. However, data transfer from storage to processing nodes can saturate network bandwidth when data is frequently uploaded/retrieved from the NFS, e.g., "short" processing times and/or "large" datasets. Recently, an alternative approach using Hadoop and HBase was presented for medical imaging to enable co-location of data storage and computation while minimizing data transfer. The benefits of using such a framework must be formally evaluated against a traditional approach to characterize the point at which simply "large scale" processing transitions into "big data" and necessitates alternative computational frameworks. The proposed Hadoop system was implemented on a production lab-cluster alongside a standard Sun Grid Engine (SGE). Theoretical models for wall-clock time and resource time for both approaches are introduced and validated. To provide real example data, three T1 image archives were retrieved from a university secure, shared web database and used to empirically assess computational performance under three configurations of cluster hardware (using 72, 109, or 209 CPU cores) with differing job lengths. Empirical results match the theoretical models. Based on these data, a comparative analysis is presented for when the Hadoop framework will be relevant and non-relevant for medical imaging.
Performance Analysis and Metrics Development for Roadway Striping Operation Using Telematics Technology

This study utilized telematics technology to automatically collect data that could then be used to improve striping performance without the need for additional staff or equipment. This paper presents the telematics data collection and implementation in two areas: (1) providing performance analyses using telematics data and (2) developing performance metrics for future performance measurement. Striping is a continuous maintenance operation for all roadway O&M managers and it requires substantial resources and financial investment if good or excellent striping condition is to be maintained. Striping mileage per day was used to represent productivity in this study. The average striping mileage in 2012 comprised only 15–25% of the total average driving miles per day. The utilization analysis indicated that centerline trucks were utilized at significantly higher levels than edgeline trucks, although the overall utilization ratio only ranged between 20 and 30%. Three levels of productivity metrics were developed from normal distribution probability density functions and appropriate parameters obtained from the Monte Carlo simulation results. Measured in terms of striping miles per day, low productivity was taken to be any value less than or equal to 30%, medium productivity any value more than 30% and less than or equal to 70%, and high productivity any value over 70%. As a result of the study, performance analyses revealed that there was sufficient room for improvement and several recommendations were made. Multiple operational scenarios reveal that productivity and utilization can be increased up to 47 percent while eliminating several striping trucks. Performance metrics were provided using Monte Carlo and triangular distribution.
Transforming Growth Factor-β Receptors and Smads: Regulatory Complexity and Functional Versatility

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β family proteins control cell physiology, proliferation, and growth, and direct cell differentiation, thus playing key roles in normal development and disease. The mechanisms of how TGF-β family ligands interact with heteromeric complexes of cell surface receptors to then activate Smad signaling that directs changes in gene expression are often seen as established. Even though TGF-β-induced Smad signaling may be seen as a linear signaling pathway with predictable outcomes, this pathway provides cells with a versatile means to induce different cellular responses. Fundamental questions remain as to how, at the molecular level, TGF-β and TGF-β family proteins activate the receptor complexes and induce a context-dependent diversity of cell responses. Among the areas of progress, we summarize new insights into how cells control TGF-β responsiveness by controlling the TGF-β receptors, and into the key roles and versatility of Smads in directing cell differentiation and cell fate selection.
Multilingual Information Retrieval Using Open, Transparent Resources in CLEF 2003

Corpus-based approaches to cross-lingual information retrieval (CLIR) have been studied and applied for many years. However, using general-purpose commercial MT systems for CLEF has been considered easier and better performing, which is to be expected given the non-domain specific nature of newspaper articles we are using in CLEF. Corpus based approaches are easier to adapt to new domains and languages; however, it is possible that their performance would be lower on a general test collection such as CLEF. Our results show that the performance drop is not large enough to justify the loss of control, transparency and flexibility. We have participated in two bilingual runs and the small multilingual run using software and data that are free to obtain, transparent and modifiable.
A novel approach to generate LIGHT mutants with selectivity to binding partners (TECH2P.925)

LIGHT is a member of TNF superfamily, which participates in interactions with many TNF receptors, including membrane-anchored HVEM and LTβR, as well as solely soluble DcR3. Interaction of LIGHT with HVEM and LTβR directly triggers intracellular signaling, which regulates a wide range of immune response, such as T cell proliferation, thymocyte differentiation and lymphocyte trafficking and migration. LIGHT:DcR3 interaction tends to attenuate the immune response. Besides LIGHT, DcR3 also neutralizes two critical inflammatory molecules TL1A and FasL. The mechanisms that support the broad specificity of LIGHT need to be defined and the functions of LIGHT interacting with different receptors await to be dissected. We have solved the crystal structures of LIGHT:HVEM and LIGHT:DcR3 complexes, revealing the critical residues involved in the interactions of LIGHT with HVEM and DcR3. We have also developed a novel approach to generate LIGHT mutants with altered binding selectivities to different receptors, which allow the further dissection of the functions of LIGHT. This novel method creates LIGHT mutants by transplanting the loops responsible for receptor recognition from TL1A to the corresponding positions of LIGHT. The generated LIGHT chimeras still possesses the wild-type like binding abilities with DcR3 and LTβR, but dramatically compromise the binding affinities with HVEM. Applications of the LIGHT chimeras reveal cooperative signaling of LIGHT through HVEM and LTβR.
Higher aortic stiffness is related to lower cerebral blood flow and preserved cerebrovascular reactivity in older adults

Background: Mechanisms underlying the association between age-related arterial stiffening and poor brain health remain elusive. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) homeostasis may be implicated. This study e...
Near Infrared Light Treatment Reduces Synaptic Levels of Toxic Tau Oligomers in Two Transgenic Mouse Models of Human Tauopathies

Tau oligomers are emerging as a key contributor to the synaptic dysfunction that drives cognitive decline associated with the clinical manifestation and progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Accordingly, there is ample consensus that interventions that target tau oligomers may slow or halt the progression of AD. With this ultimate goal in mind, in the present study, we investigated tau oligomer accumulation and its synaptic and behavioral consequences after an in vivo treatment with near infrared (NIR) light (600–1000 nm) in two transgenic mouse models, overexpressing human tau either alone (hTau mice) or in combination with amyloid beta (3xTgAD mice). We found that a 4-week exposure to NIR light (90 s/day/5 days a week) significantly reduced levels of endogenous total and oligomeric tau in both synaptosomes and total protein extracts from the hippocampus and cortex of hTau mice and improved deteriorating memory function. Similar results were observed in the 3xTgAD mice, which further displayed reduced synaptic Aβ after NIR light treatment. On the other hand, ex vivo binding of tau oligomers in isolated synaptosomes as well as tau oligomer-induced depression of long-term potentiation (LTP) in hippocampal slices from NIR light-treated wt mice were unaffected. Finally, levels of proteins critically involved in two mechanisms associated with clearance of misfolded tau, inducible HSP70 and autophagy, were upregulated in NIR light treated mice. Collectively, these results show that NIR light decreases levels of endogenous toxic tau oligomers and alleviate associated memory deficits, thus furthering the development of NIR light as a possible therapeutic for AD.
Moving Microbiome Science from the Bench to the Bedside: a Physician-Scientist Perspective

ABSTRACT The recognition over the past decade that nearly all diseases are associated with changes in the microbiome has raised hope that microbiome-based therapeutics may cure many human ailments. Billions of dollars are being poured into microbiome-oriented biotech companies, and the coming years will undoubtedly witness the approval of the first generation of these products. However, significant hurdles remain in expanding the pipeline and advancing these first-generation therapies. In this perspective, I will discuss the challenges related to identifying causal microbes, determining their mechanism of action, and characterizing the specific bacterial molecules required for disease protection. We are approaching these issues through a combination of clinical sampling, animal models, classic microbiology methodologies, and systems-based approaches. The field of microbiome research is on the cusp of being able to identify clinically actionable host-microbe relationships; increasing attention on identifying causal microbes and their bioactive factors will usher in the next generation of microbiome-based therapies.
Effect of Electrode Design on Frequency Tuning in Shell Resonators

The fabrication of shell resonators for vibratory gyroscopes is often accompanied by a split between drive and sense mode frequencies. To tune these frequencies and reduce the frequency split, a voltage can be applied between the shell and electrodes placed around it. This paper investigates electrostatic frequency tuning in shell resonators as a function of voltage, capacitive gap between the shell and electrode, electrode span angle and height, and electrode placement and configuration using a numerical approach. The results of this investigation show that conformal electrodes placed around the shell rim with a uniform gap provide the best tuning capability. Considering fabrication challenges and shell aspect-ratio, other electrode configurations might be more practical in some devices, although they have worse tuning capability.
We’ve Selected a Candidate Who More Closely Fits Our Current Needs: A Genre Analysis of Academic Job-Refusal Letters:

For many, the academic job-search process involves experiencing rejection, self-doubt, and depression. And a common form of communication during this process—job-refusal letters—can reinforce these...
“Pig” or “Fig?”: Grimm’s Law, Phonemic Difference, and Linguistic Agency in ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND

In Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the Cheshire Cat inquires after the screaming baby that the Duchess had left in Alice’s care. Alice replies, “‘It turned into a pig.’” After dis...
Taking Memory Management to the Next Level: Unified Shared Memory in Action

This Technical Presentation will describe Unified Shared Memory (USM), an extension to OpenCL™ and SYCL™ that enables memory allocations to be represented using pointers rather than API-specific handles.Unified Shared Memory enables representation of memory allocations as pointers, with full support for pointer arithmetic, to ease integration into existing application codebases. USM provides fine-grain control over ownership and accessibility of memory allocations, to optimally choose between performance and programmer convenience. Additionally, USM provides a simpler programming model, by automatically migrating some allocations between devices and the host.Our presentation will compare USM to Shared Virtual Memory (SVM). We will describe how USM addresses the shortcomings we found in SVM, to take memory management to the next level. We are hopeful that USM will become a standard feature in OpenCL and in SYCL.
Abstract 65: Intrathecal Nicardipine for Cerebral Vasospasm Post Subarachnoid Hemorrhage - A Single Center Experience

Introduction: Cerebral vasospasm leading to delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) is one of the most significant factors impacting functional outcome in patients diagnosed with non-traumatic subarachnoid...
Potential COVID-19 Outbreak in Fire Camp: Modeling Scenarios and Interventions

The global COVID-19 pandemic will pose unique challenges to the management of wildland fire in 2020. Fire camps may provide an ideal setting for the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. However, intervention strategies can help minimize disease spread and reduce the risk to the firefighting community. We developed a COVID-19 epidemic model to highlight the risks posed by the disease during wildland fire incidents. Our model accounts for the transient nature of the population on a wildland fire incident, which poses unique risks to the management of communicable diseases in fire camps. We used the model to assess the impact of two types of interventions: the screening of a firefighter arriving on an incident, and social distancing measures. Our results suggest that both interventions are important to mitigate the risks posed by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, screening is relatively more effective on short incidents, whereas social distancing is relatively more effective during extended campaigns. We conclude with a discussion of model limitations and potential extensions to the model.
Community Concept Drawing: A Participatory Visual Method for Incorporating Local Knowledge into Conceptualization:

Concepts can provide researchers and communities with common ground for communicating and building understandings about the world. However, researchers who engage with communities often encounter u...
Optical coherence tomography imaging of normal, chronologically aged, photoaged and photodamaged skin: A systematic review

Background Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is capable of providing a noninvasive real-time cross-sectional image of the skin through light-based interferometry, a method sometimes described as "light-based ultrasound." One key application of OCT in dermatology is the visualization of dermal collagen during chronological aging, photoaging, or photodamage. These skin conditions are typically managed by the practitioner's subjective assessment of severity and response to therapy. Objective The purpose of this review is to present available evidence on the ability of OCT to image normal, chronologically aged, photoaged and photodamaged skin in human subjects. Methods and materials The authors have searched Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library databases for published literature on the imaging of skin collagen by OCT using the following search terms: "optical coherence tomography," "OCT," "skin," "collagen," "photoaging," "wrinkles," and "photodamage." Results The search resulted in 23 articles investigating OCT-based skin collagen imaging, which met their search criteria. Conclusion The authors anticipate tremendous growth in the field of OCT-based skin imaging that will parallel the development ultrasound technology has experienced over the past 30 years. They foresee that the use of OCT imaging to evaluate skin aging will not only help identify pathological changes earlier, but will also assist in the evaluation of the response to therapy longitudinally without biopsy.
Asymmetries Reconfigured: South American Television Flows in the 1990s

Abstract: An analysis of the television programming flows in 10 South American countries shows that the television landscape has been reconfigured to include new subregional centres and new kinds of asymmetries, particularly in the Southern Cone. The volume of regional television has increased, having more than tripled in the last 20 years. This growth has occurred at the expense of U.S. programming, which still remains the dominant source of imports. In the larger, exporting countries domestic producers have elbowed out both regional and international players. In the smaller, importing countries domestic, regional, and global programs compete for the dominance of the television schedules. Considering the articulation of cultural audiovisual policies has been neglected, it is early to assess whether regional exchanges in television might contribute to the articulation of a regional cultural identity. Resume: Une analyse de la circulation de programmes de television dans dix pays sud-americains montre que la carte de la television a ete redessinee pour inclure de nouveaux centres sous-regionaux et de nouvelles asymetries, particulierement dans le Cone sud. Le volume de la television regionale a augmente, ayant triple dans les vingt dernieres annees. Cet accroissement a eu lieu au detriment de la programmation americaine, quoique les Etats-Unis demeurent la plus grande source d'importations. Dans les plus grands pays exportateurs, la production domestique a deplace la programmation regionale aussi bien que l'internationale. Dans les plus petits pays importateurs, les programmes etrangers, regionaux et domestiques se font concurrence pour la domination des horaires televisuels. L'articulation de politiques audiovisuelles culturelles ayant ete negligee, il est trop tot pour savoir si les echanges regionaux televisuels contribueront a l'articulation d'une identite culturelle regionale.
Mark D. Duda, Martin F. Jones, and Andrea Criscione The Sportsman's Voice: Hunting and Fishing in America

As stated in its preface, the purpose of The Sportsman's Voice is to “provide federal and state legislators, policy makers, fish and wildlife professionals and students, conservation organizations,...
The influence estrogens, progestins, and pregnancy on the liver.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the biological effects produced in the liver of man and experimental animals by estrogens and progestins. In addition, the effects of pregnancy on the liver are reviewed in the chapter, because during normal gestation the mother and fetus are exposed to high concentrations of these hormones. Inclusion in this review of studies dealing with changes in the liver associated with pregnancy does not imply that these changes are attributable solely to the individual effects of estrogens and progestins. Although these steroid hormones can be implicated as causative agents in a number of pregnancy-induced alterations in liver function, their relation to other instances of such alterations must still be considered presumptive. The effects of pregnancy on the liver are, therefore, considered as independent phenomena, and their relationship to estrogens and progestins is analyzed where experimental data are available. The same considerations apply to certain hepatic effects associated with the clinical use of oral contraceptives containing synthetic estrogens and progestins. In addition to the effects on the liver itself, certain alterations in the constituents of circulating plasma are also reviewed in the chapter, in cases where such alterations are considered a secondary, but physiologically or clinically meaningful, manifestation of hormonal actions on the liver.
Applications of chiral perturbation theory in reactions with heavy particles

Effective field theory techniques are used to describe the interaction of heavy hadrons in a model independent way. Predictability is obtained by exploiting the symmetries of QCD. Heavy hadron chiral perturbation theory is reviewed and used to describe D* decays. The phenomenologically important D*Dπ coupling is extracted from data working to first order in the chiral and heavy quark symmetry breaking parameters. A method is described for determining |V ub | from exclusive semileptonic B and D decays with 10% uncertainty. An effective field theory for two-nucleon systems is then discussed. The large S-wave scattering lengths necessitate expanding around a non-trivial fixed point. A detailed discussion of the interplay between renormalization and the power of counting is given. In power counting pion interactions with nucleons it is useful to consider three classes of pion: potential, radiation, and soft. A power counting for massive radiation is developed. Finally, it is shown that the leading terms in the effective theory for nucleon-nucleon interactions are invariant under Wigner's SU(4) spin-isospin symmetry in the infinite scattering length limit.
A principal component noise filter for high spectral resolution infrared measurements

[1] This paper describes the application of principal component analysis to reduce the random noise present in the hyperspectral infrared observations. Within a set of spectral observations the number of components needed to characterize the atmosphere is far less than the number of wavelengths observed, typically by a factor between 50 and 70. The higher-order components, which mainly serve to characterize noise, can be eliminated along with the noise that they characterize. The results obtained depend on the variability of the selected sets of observations and on specific instrument characteristics such as spectral resolution and noise statistics. For a set of 10,000 Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) simulated spectra, whose standard deviation is about 10% of the mean, we were able to obtain noise reduction factors between 5 and 8. Results obtained from real FTS, with standard deviation of about 10% of the mean, indicated practical noise reduction between 5 and 6. To avoid loss of information in the presence of highly deviant observations, it is necessary to use a conservative number of principal components higher than the optimum to maximum noise reduction. However, even then, noise reduction factors of 4 are still achievable.
The nature of complex organizations: The case of Cooperative Extension

The authors provide an overview of the Cooperative Extension System and its program evaluation challenges. Part of the historic land-grant system, Extension exists in all states and territories of the United States and is funded through federal, state, and local (usually county) appropriations, as well as competitive grants and other sources. Complex funding, staffing, and accountability structures combined with widely varying programs and delivery methods make program development and evaluation challenging for Extension. Although each state's Extension service operates autonomously, they all share a need to communicate program impacts and public value, which has become the main driver for program evaluation. Further, organizational factors such as variation in program evaluation support across states, widely varied evaluation cultures, and the grassroots nature of including stakeholders in program development add even more complexity to evaluating Extension programs. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
IRIS PRA Preliminary Results and Future Direction

Westinghouse is currently conducting the pre-application licensing of the International Reactor Innovative and Secure (IRIS) on behalf of the IRIS Consortium. One of the key aspects of the IRIS design is the concept of safety-by-design. The PRA is being used as an integral part of the design process. As part of this effort, a PRA of the initial design was generated to address two key areas. First, the IRIS PRA supported the evaluation of IRIS design issues by providing a solid risk basis for design and analyses required for the pre-licensing evaluation of the IRIS design. The PRA provides the tool for quantifying the benefit of the safety-by-design approach. Second, the current PRA task is beginning the preparation of the more complete PRA analyses and documentation eventually required for Design Certification. One of the key risk-related goals for IRIS is to reduce the EPZ to within the exclusion area by demonstrating that the off-site doses are consistent with the US Protective Action Guidelines (PAGs) for initiation of emergency response so that the required protective actions would be limited to the exclusion area. The results of the preliminary PRA indicated a core damage frequency of 1.2E−08 for internal initiators. This is a very good result but much work is needed to meet the ambitious goal of no emergency response. The next phase of the PRA analyses will involve a two-fold expansion of the PRA. First, as the design and analyses approach a greater level of detail, the assumptions used for the initial PRA will be reviewed and the models will be revised as needed to reflect the improved knowledge of the system design and performance. Furthermore, as the full plant design advances, the PRA will be expanded to incorporate risk associated with external challenges such as seismic and fire, and to address low power and shutdowns modes of operation. As with the initial work, the PRA will serve as a tool to help improve, not just to evaluate the design.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Spectroscopic determination of the binding affinity of Zinc to the DNA-binding domains of nuclear hormone receptors

Zinc binding to the two Cys(4) sites present in the DNA-binding domain (DBD) of nuclear hormone receptor proteins is required for proper folding of the domain and for protein activity. By utilizing Co(2+) as a spectroscopic probe, we have characterized the metal-binding properties of the two Cys(4) structural zinc-binding sites found in the DBD of human estrogen receptor alpha (hERalpha-DBD) and rat glucocorticoid receptor (GR-DBD). The binding affinity of Co(2+) to the two proteins was determined relative to the binding affinity of Co(2+) to the zinc finger consensus peptide, CP-1. Using the known dissociation constant of Co(2+) from CP-1, the dissociation constants of cobalt from hERalpha-DBD were calculated: K(d1)(Co) = 2.2 (+/- 1.0) x 10(-7) M and K(d2)(Co) = 6.1 (+/- 1.5) x 10(-7) M. Similarly, the dissociation constants of Co(2+) from GR-DBD were calculated: K(d1)(Co) = 4.1 (+/- 0.6) x 10(-7) M and K(d2)(Co) = 1.7 (+/- 0.3) x 10(-7) M. Metal-binding studies conducted in which Zn(2+) displaces Co(2+) from the metal-binding sites of hERalpha-DBD and GR-DBD indicate that Zn(2+) binds to each of the Cys(4) metal-binding sites approximately 3 orders of magnitude more tightly than Co(2+) does: the stoichiometric dissociation constants are K(d1)(Zn) = 1 (+/- 1) x 10(-10) M and K(d2)(Zn) = 5 (+/- 1) x 10(-10) M for hERalpha-DBD and K(d1)(Zn) = 2 (+/- 1) x 10(-10) M and K(d2)(Zn) = 3 (+/- 1) x 10(-10) M for GR-DBD. These affinities are comparable to those observed for most other naturally occurring structural zinc-binding sites. In contrast to the recent prediction by Low et. al. that zinc binding in these systems should be cooperative [Low, L. Y., Hernandez, H., Robinson, C. V., O'Brien, R., Grossmann, J. G., Ladbury, J. E., and Luisi, B. (2002) J. Mol. Biol. 319, 87-106], these data suggest that the zincs that bind to the two sites in the DBDs of hERalpha-DBD and GR-DBD do not interact.
The Perceptual Level Functioning of Dysphasic Children: A Follow-Up Study

As part of the second stage of a longitudinal investigation of the language and language-related behavior of dysphasic children, seven experimental and seven normal control subjects were retestecf ...
Thioredoxin Peroxidase Is a Novel Inhibitor of Apoptosis with a Mechanism Distinct from That of Bcl-2

Thioredoxin peroxidase (TPx) is a member of a newly discovered family of proteins that are conserved from yeast to mammals and to which natural killer enhancing factor belongs. These proteins are antioxidants that function as peroxidases only when coupled to a sulfhydryl reducing system. The physiological function of TPx in cells is not yet known. Here we demonstrate that when the human TPx II, a member of this family, is stably overexpressed in Molt-4 leukemia cells, it protects from apoptosis induced by serum deprivation, ceramide, or etoposide. TPx II, like Bcl-2, is able to inhibit release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytosol, and it inhibits lipid peroxidation in cells. TPx II, unlike Bcl-2, could prevent hydrogen peroxide accumulation in cells, suggesting that it functions upstream of Bcl-2 in the protection from apoptosis and may be implicated as an endogenous regulator of apoptosis.
Computation of undulator tuning curves

Computer codes for fast computation of on-axis brilliance tuning curves and flux tuning curves have been developed. They are valid for an ideal device (regular planar device or a helical device) using the Bessel function formalism. The effects of the particle beam emittance and the beam energy spread on the spectrum are taken into account. The applicability of the codes and the importance of magnetic field errors of real insertion devices are addressed. The validity of the codes has been experimentally verified at the APS and observed discrepancies are in agreement with predicted reduction of intensities due to magnetic field errors. The codes are distributed as part of the graphical user interface XOP (X-ray OPtics utilities), which simplifies execution and viewing of the results.
The Hepatitis B Virus Seroconversion to Anti-HBe Is Frequently Associated with HBV Genotype Changes and Selection of preS2-Defective Particles in Chronically Infected Children

Abstract In order to investigate the generation and selection of hepatitis B virus mutants and the influence of interferon on their evolution, a longitudinal study including 22 patients was performed. The complete preS1/S2 open reading frame was analyzed by direct sequencing from serum samples obtained before and after seroconversion to anti-HBe in 11 children without α-interferon treatment. Furthermore, in 11 cases with therapy additional samples obtained during interferon therapy were investigated. The comparison of each patient's preS sequences analyzed before and during therapy did not show any nucleotide change, while in both groups numerous silent and missense mutations were found immediately after seroconversion. Surprisingly, in 7 cases the hepatitis B virus changed genotype from A to D (subtype adw to ayw) after seroconversion. Additional rearrangements were observed in 4 patients. In 3 cases the selection of preS2 start codon mutants was detected after seroconversion and in 1 individual a 183-nucleotide deletion was found during and after HBeAg positivity. In conclusion, the emergence of preS rearrangements and numerous base exchanges provide evidence for a strong selection process focused against the preS region. Moreover, the appearance of genotype changes after anti-HBe seroconversion reveales a thus far unrecognized event during the natural course of HBV infection in childhood.
Inverse technique for combined model and sparse data estimates of brain motion

Model-based approaches to correct for brain shift in image-guided neurosurgery systems have shown promising results. Despite the initial success of such methods, the complex mechanical behavior of the brain under surgical loads makes it likely that model predictions could be improved with the incorporation of real-time measurements of tissue shift in the OR. To this end, an inverse method has been developed using sparse data and model constraints to generate estimates of brain motion. Based on methodology from ocean circulation modeling, this computational scheme combines estimates of statistical error in forcing conditions with a least squares minimization of the model-data misfit to directly estimate the full displacement solution. The method is tested on a 2D simulation based on clinical data in which ultrasound images were co-registered to the preoperative MR stack. Calculations from the 2D forward model are used as the 'gold standard' to which the inverse scheme is compared. Initial results are promising, though further study is needed to ascertain its value in 3D shift estimates.
Dose-response and failure pattern for bulky or barrel-shaped stage IB cervical cancer treated by combined photon irradiation and extrafascial hysterectomy

From 1975 to 1987, 80 patients with bulky or barrel-shaped Stage IB cervical cancer were treated with preoperative irradiation and Cs-137 intracavitary implant therapy, before a planned extrafascial abdominal hysterectomy, using a consistent treatment policy. Of the hysterectomy specimens obtained, 37% were positive histologically at 89 +/- 2.3 days after the start of radiotherapy and at 4 to 6 weeks after the completion of radiation therapy. Sixty-three percent were negative after a total external and internal cervix irradiation dose of 9642 cGy at point T. The average point A dose contributed by intracavitary therapy was 2104 cGy. The survival rate at 5 years was 84%: At 10 years the survival rate was 78%. The failure pattern was analyzed for patients who had positive and negative specimens. The patients with positive specimens failed pelvically or pelvically and distantly. Patients with negative specimens failed in extrapelvic or distant metastatic sites. Preoperative radiotherapy led to excellent local and pelvic control of tumor, and the failures became predominantly distant metastases. The combined radiosurgical therapy was tolerated well and allowed surgical staging of disease. This permitted earlier and selective consideration of adjunctive therapy (i.e., paraaortic irradiation, chemotherapy, or chemoradiotherapy). The dose-response data give insight intomore » the effects of photon radiotherapy on bulky or barrel Stage IB cervical cancers and correlate histologic status with failure pattern, outcome, and long-term survival.« less
Overcoming Liability of Foreignness: An Analysis of Early Foreign Investment in China

This study examines the liability of foreignness (LOF) faced by multinational enterprises (MNEs), and the effects of strategies employed to overcome the liability. Based on a sample of 3,085 Sino-foreign joint ventures formed in manufacturing sectors in China, the authors find that Hong Kong investors, who are often perceived to have lower LOF than investors from other countries, are more actively engaged in strategies to overcome the LOF. Specifically, Hong Kong investors actively adopt strategies to seek local markets, maintain investment flexibility, utilize their competitive advantages in labor-intensive industries, and leverage cooperative synergism to improve their performance. Investors from other countries adopt market seeking and cooperative synergy approach to improve performance.
Designed synthesis of 3D covalent organic frameworks.

Three-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (3D COFs) were synthesized by targeting two nets based on triangular and tetrahedral nodes: ctn and bor. The respective 3D COFs were synthesized as crystalline solids by condensation reactions of tetrahedral tetra(4-dihydroxyborylphenyl) methane or tetra(4-dihydroxyborylphenyl)silane and by co-condensation of triangular 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexahydroxytriphenylene. Because these materials are entirely constructed from strong covalent bonds (C-C, C-O, C-B, and B-O), they have high thermal stabilities (400° to 500°C), and they also have high surface areas (3472 and 4210 square meters per gram for COF-102 and COF-103, respectively) and extremely low densities (0.17 grams per cubic centimeter).
Demonstration of Distributed Bragg Reflectors for Deep Ultraviolet Applications

AlGaN/AlGaN distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) have been developed for potential use in deep-UV light emitting diodes (LEDs) and exceed the performance of all previously reported nitride DBRs for deep-UV wavelengths. The DBRs were grown on 4H-SiC by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. All layers had Al content exceeding 50% thus minimizing light absorption within the structure. DBRs are demonstrated with 19.5 periods to be 80% reflective at 254 and 280 nm, with clear routes for improvement.
Visualization of capillaries in skeletal muscle by the ATPase reaction.

A simple and reliable technique for the visualization of capillaries in skeletal muscle of dogs, guinea pigs and rats is described. 10–20 μm frozen sections were incubated in a medium containing Ca2+ and ATP following acid preincubation (pH 3.8–4.2). The capillaries stained in black and were readily seen surrounding the muscle fibers. Serial sections were also treated for alkaline phosphatase. Values for capillary density using both methods were not different.
Advances in Proline Ligation

Application of native chemical ligation logic to the case of an N-terminal proline is described. Two approaches were studied. One involved incorporation of a 3R-substituted thiyl-proline derivative. Improved results were obtained from a 3R-substituted selenol function, incorporated in the context of an oxidized dimer.
An Investigation of Turbulence Generation Mechanisms above Deep Convection

Abstract An investigation of the generation of turbulence above deep convection is presented. This investigation is motivated by an encounter between a commercial passenger aircraft and severe turbulence above a developing thunderstorm near Dickinson, North Dakota, on 10 July 1997. Very high-resolution two- and three-dimensional numerical simulations are used to investigate the possible causes of the turbulence encounter. These simulations explicitly resolve the convection and the turbulence-causing instabilities. The configurations of the models are consistent with the meteorological conditions surrounding the event. The turbulence generated in the numerical simulations can be placed into two general categories. The first category includes turbulence that remains local to the cloud top, and the second category includes turbulence that propagates away from the convection and owes its existence to the breakdown of convectively generated gravity waves. In both the two- and three-dimensional calculations, th...
n-Butane dehydrogenation over Pt/Mg(In)(Al)O

Abstract The thermal dehydrogenation of butane to butene and hydrogen was investigated over Pt nanoparticles supported on calcined hydrotalcite containing indium, Mg(In)(Al)O. Prior work has shown that upon reduction in H 2 at temperatures above 673 K, bimetallic Pt-In particles of are formed, as evidenced by XANES and EXAFS. The performance of Pt/Mg(In)(Al)O for butane dehydrogenation was found to be highly dependent on the bulk In/Pt ratio. The optimal ratio was found to be between 0.33 and 0.88, yielding >95% selectivity to butenes. Hydrogen co-fed with butane was shown to suppress coke formation and catalyst deactivation, a ratio of H 2 /C 4 H 10 = 2.5 providing the best catalytic performance. Regeneration of catalysts after removal of accumulated carbon and reduction in H 2 restored the original catalyst activity and selectivity. Butane dehydrogenation above 803 K resulted in higher formation of butadiene, a known precursor to coke. No evidence for butane cracking was found to occur on Pt/Mg(In)(Al)O due to moderately basic nature of the support. The present study shows that Pt/Mg(In)(Al)O exhibits superior performance for butane dehydrogenation compared to supported Pt catalysts promoted with Sn, Ge, Pb, and In prepared by successive incipient wetness impregnation of the Pt and promoter precursors.