cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temporal regulation and overlap organization of two Caulobacter flagellar genes.

Abstract The biogenesis of the bacterial flagellum and chemotaxis apparatus in both Escherichia coli and Caulobacter crescentus requires the ordered expression of over 40 genes whose expression is controlled by a trans-acting regulatory hierarchy. In C. crescentus, additional control mechanisms ensure that the transcription of these genes is initiated at the correct time in the cell cycle. We demonstrate here that two flagellar genes, flaE and fla Y, whose products function in trans to modulate the level of transcription of other flagellar genes, are themselves temporally controlled. DNA sequence analysis of the 3413 base-pairs encompassing the flaE and fla Y coding sequences and the 5′ regulatory region showed that flaE encodes a protein of 16,000 Mr and fla Y a, protein of 17,000 Mr. Evidence that flaE and fla Y are transcribed as a polycistronic message includes (1) the polar effect of Tn5 insertions; (2) deletion analysis showing that the flaE promoter is essential for complementation of both flaE and fla Y alleles; and (3) nuclease S1 assays showing protection of a transcript spanning both genes. The transcript start site in front of flaE was determined and the −10 region conforms to the E. coli sigma 28 promoter consensus sequence. Nuclease S1 analysis also revealed a protected fragment whose size was consistent with a transcript initiating in vivo at a consensus “nif” promoter sequence in front of the fla Y gene. The entire promoter region and an upstream consensus sequence that might be a regulatory element for the fla Y gene lies within the carboxyl-terminal coding sequence of the flaE gene.
Ring current and radiation belts

Studies performed during 1983-1986 on the ring current, the injection boundary model, and the radiation belts are discussed. The results of these studies yielded the first observations on the composition and charge state of the ring current throughout the ring-current energy range, and strong observational support for an injection-boundary model accounting for the origins of radiation-belt particles, the ring current, and substorm particles observed at R less than about 7 earth radii. In addition, the results have demonstrated that the detection of energetic neutral atoms generated by charge-exchange interactions between the ring current and the hydrogen geocorona can provide global images of the earth's ring current and its spatial and temporal evolution.
A FIELD TEST OF AN ELECTRODELESS ARC DISCHARGE, BOREHOLE SEISMIC SOURCE

Waveforms generated by an impulsive, 1.2 kJ, seven‐conductor wireline electrodeless arc discharge borehole seismic source or sparker at Texaco’s Humble, TX field test site were recorded by three borehole sensor arrays: two free‐hanging hydrophone streamers in in‐line boreholes at 82 m and 170 m from the source well and a grouted, three‐component geophone string in a borehole 110 m from the source well. A repeatability test of the source, consisting of single firings of the source at a rate of 1 firing per 5 s, showed very clean, very strong, Ricker‐like wavelets. Despite a high‐degree of attenuation (exact value of Q is not known), the useful frequency passband of the wavelets was from 200 Hz to 1200 Hz for the data recorded by the 82-m offset hydrophones and 200 Hz to 500 Hz for the 170-m hydrophones. Using 62 single‐firing wavelets recorded in the 82-m offset well gave mean and median crosscorrelations greater than 0.96 with standard deviations less than 0.02. A stack test, consisting of 1, 2, 4, 8, 16,...
Plant species response to ammonium-nitrate concentration ratios.

Abstract Most plants can use either nitrate (NO3) or ammonium (NH4) as a source of nitrogen. However, the degree of effectiveness of these two forms on plant growth and nutrient uptake is dependent on plant species and NH4.: NO3 ratio. The 77: 77 ppm NH4: NO3‐N concentration ratio in solution caused the most growth reduction for cabbage, melon, and corn, with corn being least affected. Bean seems to be well adapted to the use of NH4, and was unaffected by equal concentrations of NH4: NO3‐N. The presence of 28 ppm NH4‐N in the mixture reduced only cabbage growth, whereas growth of melon, bean and com was not affected. All of the species studied responded to the NH4 concentration increase by an increase in anion content in their leaf tissues. The K content in melon and corn leaf was increased with NH4‐N up to 28 ppm. The K content in tomato and cabbage tissue was reduced at 28 ppm NH4. The K content in all the species tested was reduced with 77: 77 ppm NH4: NO3‐N concentration treatment. Calcium composition...
Psychophysiological correlates of aggression and violence: an integrative review

This paper reviews existing psychophysiological studies of aggression and violent behaviour including research employing autonomic, electrocortical and neuroimaging measures. Robust physiological correlates of persistent aggressive behaviour evident in this literature include low baseline heart rate, enhanced autonomic reactivity to stressful or aversive stimuli, enhanced EEG slow wave activity, reduced P300 brain potential response and indications from structural and functional neuroimaging studies of dysfunction in frontocortical and limbic brain regions that mediate emotional processing and regulation. The findings are interpreted within a conceptual framework that draws on two integrative models in the literature. The first is a recently developed hierarchical model of impulse control (externalizing) problems, in which various disinhibitory syndromes including aggressive and addictive behaviours of different kinds are seen as arising from common as well as distinctive aetiologic factors. This model represents an approach to organizing these various interrelated phenotypes and investigating their common and distinctive aetiologic substrates. The other is a neurobiological model that posits impairments in affective regulatory circuits in the brain as a key mechanism for impulsive aggressive behaviour. This model provides a perspective for integrating findings from studies employing different measures that have implicated varying brain structures and physiological systems in violent and aggressive behaviour.
Information ethics in the design and use of metadata

Just as information contains the explicit and implicit values of its creators, so does the metadata that describes, summarizes, or represents that information. Consequently, issues arise in the planned design of metadata; in the creation of surrogates that represent data, text, or objects; as well as in the use and ownership of the metadata content in electronic environments. The intent here is to be illustrative, rather than prescriptive, when discussing issues raised.
Dynamics of emotion regulation in infants of clinically depressed and nondepressed mothers

Background: Emotion regulation (ER) has been conceptualized as an ongoing process of the individual’s emotion patterns in relation to moment-to-moment contextual demands. In contrast to traditional approaches of descriptively quantizing ER, we employed a dynamic approach to ER by examining key transitions in infants of clinically depressed and nondepressed mothers in the context of maternal still-face (SF). Methods: Mothers with (n = 48) and without a clinical diagnosis of depression (n = 68) were seen in a modified SF paradigm with their 5-month-olds. Infant states and self-soothing behaviors were coded in 1-sec time intervals. Results: Infants of nondepressed mothers used attentional regulatory strategies, whereas infants of depressed mothers used internally directed strategies of self-soothing to reduce negativity and maintain engagement with mother. Conclusions: This study advances our understanding of processes underlying infant ER and points to possible mechanisms for the development of long-term maladaptive ER strategies in infants of depressed mothers.
Computation of the GCD of polynomials using gaussian transformations and shifting

Abstract A new numerical method for the computation of the greatest common divisor (GCD) of an m-set of polynomials of R [s], Pm,d of maximal degree d, is presented. This method is based on a recently developed theoretical algorithm (Karcanias 1987) that uses elementary transformations and shifting operations; the present algorithm takes into account the non-generic nature of GCD and thus uses steps, which minimize the introduction of additional errors and defines the GCD in an approximate sense. For a given set Pm,d with a basis matrix Pm, the method defines first, the most orthogonal uncorrupted base Pr from the rows of Pm, where r = rank(Pm) ≤ m. By applying successively gaussian transformations and shifting, on the basis matrix Pr e Rr×(d+1) we produce each time a new basis matrix Pz with z = rank(Pz) < r. The method terminates when the rank of Pz is approximately equal to 1; the coefficient vector of the GCD is then defined as a row of the unit rank matrix Pz. The method defines the exact degree of t...
Physical Activity Promotion in Business and Industry: Evidence, Context, and Recommendations for a National Plan

Background: The contemporary workplace setting is in need of interventions that effectively promote higher levels of occupational and habitual physical activity. It is the purpose of this paper to outline an evidence-based approach to promote physical activity in the business and industry sector in support of a National Physical Activity Plan. Methods: Comprehensive literature searches identified systematic reviews, comprehensive reviews, and consensus documents on the impact of physical activity interventions in the business and industry sector. A framework for action and priority recommendations for practice and research were generated. Key recommendations: Comprehensive, multicomponent worksite programs that include physical activity components generate significant improvements in health, reduce absenteeism and sick leave, and can generate a positive financial return. Specific evidence-based physical activity interventions are presented. Recommendations for practice include implementing comprehensive, multicomponent programs that make physical activity interventions possible, simple, rewarding and relevant in the context of a social-ecological model. The business and industry sector has significant opportunities to improve physical activity among employees, their dependents, and the community at-large and to reap important benefits related to worker health and business performance.
Spanning large workspaces using small haptic devices

Exploring large virtual environments using a small haptic device with limited-workspace capabilities is a challenging task because the user very quickly reaches the borders of the physical workspace of the device. In the case of a computer mouse, this problem is solved by lifting the device off the table and repositioning it at a different location. With most ground-based haptic devices such indexing procedure is not possible and requires the use of an additional switch to decouple the device from the cursor and allow the user to relocate the end-effector at the center of the physical workspace. Below certain physical workspace dimensions such indexing methods become cumbersome to the operator and therefore different control paradigms are required. This paper presents a new approach referred to as workspace drift control which progressively relocates the physical workspace of the device mapped inside the virtual environment towards the area of interest of the operator without disturbing his or her perception of the environment. This technique uses the fact that people are greatly influenced by what they perceive visually and often do not notice small deviations of their hand unless that small deviation has a corresponding visual component.
Fluconazole Penetration into Cerebrospinal Fluid in Humans

One hour after intravenous doses of 50 mg/d fluconazole for 6 days or 100 mg/d for seven days to healthy subjects, the cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of fluconazole were 1.26 mg/L and 2.74 mg/L, respectively. These values were approximately 52% and 62% those of serum. Four patients with an initial clinical diagnosis of meningitis also had significant concentrations of fluconazole in the cerebrospinal fluid.
On the nature of models for time-sensitive remote sensing

Remote sensing employs a range of conceptual and mechanistic models. Several conceptual models have been proposed to explain remote sensing systems (RSSs) and either directly prescribe or elucidate the configuration of such systems based on scene conditions and information requirements. This study interrogates the utility of these models for the design and practical implementation of RSSs to address time-sensitive information requirements and proposes a novel conceptual model, the remote sensing communication model, that places remote sensing within a decision support context.Three pertinent remote sensing conceptual models are critically assessed based on their satisfaction of three basic requirements: (1) prescribe or explicate RSS configuration based on user information requirements, (2) elucidate dependencies between information type, accuracy, and timeliness, and (3) describe the effect of RSS configuration on the effectiveness of users’ decisions. The conceptual remote sensing models that are evalua...
An Anti-Inflammatory Role for Carbon Monoxide and Heme Oxygenase-1 in Chronic Th2-Mediated Murine Colitis

Cigarette smoking is a significant environmental factor in the human inflammatory bowel diseases, remarkably, conferring protection in ulcerative colitis. We previously demonstrated that a prominent component of cigarette smoke, CO, suppresses Th17-mediated experimental colitis in IL-10−/− mice through a heme oxygenase (HO)-1–dependent pathway. In this study, homeostatic and therapeutic effects of CO and HO-1 were determined in chronic colonic inflammation in TCR-α–deficient (−/−) mice, in which colitis is mediated by Th2 cytokines, similar to the cytokine milieu described in human ulcerative colitis. TCRα−/− mice exposed to CO or treated with the pharmacologic HO-1 inducer cobalt protoporphyrin demonstrated amelioration of active colitis. CO and cobalt protoporphyrin suppressed colonic IL-1β, TNF, and IL-4 production, whereas IL-10 protein secretion was increased. CO induced IL-10 expression in macrophages and in vivo through an HO-1–dependent pathway. Bacterial products regulate HO-1 expression in macrophages through MyD88- and IL-10–dependent pathways. CO exposure and pharmacologic HO-1 induction in vivo resulted in increased expression of HO-1 and IL-10 in CD11b+ lamina propria mononuclear cells. Moreover, induction of the IL-10 family member IL-22 was demonstrated in CD11b− lamina propria mononuclear cells. In conclusion, CO and HO-1 induction ameliorated active colitis in TCRα−/− mice, and therapeutic effects correlated with induction of IL-10. This study provides further evidence that HO-1 mediates an important homeostatic pathway with pleiotropic anti-inflammatory effects in different experimental models of colitis and that targeting HO-1, therefore, is a potential therapeutic strategy in human inflammatory bowel diseases.
AN ANALYSIS OF THE RESEARCH ON FACULTY DEVELOPMENT FOR ONLINE TEACHING AND IDENTIFICATION OF NEW DIRECTIONS

This article presents the results of an extensive review of the published literature on faculty development for online teaching. This review included 68 articles and five books, which were reviewed to identify elements of the training and the findings (e.g., theoretical bases, training aims and organization, content of training, nature of sample (number and type of participants), outcome measures used). The emphasis was not on the recommendations of the authors, but the methods of arriving at the findings. The review produced seven insights, from the importance of basing faculty development on theory, the frequency of publications that present models of faculty development for online teaching, the need to disentangle treatments, the need for rigorous evaluations, and the importance of considering individual faculty differences, designing and evaluating faculty development with specific outcome measures, and considering cost (either cost-efficiency or cost-effectiveness) when evaluating faculty development programs.
Slow plants in a fast forest: local dispersal as a predictor of species frequencies in a dynamic landscape

Summary 1 Regional distributions of plants could be determined by local dispersal processes or by extreme long-range dispersal. The importance of dispersal scale was examined by comparing regional frequencies of 36 forest herbs with predicted frequencies generated by a dynamic landscape model that only allowed local dispersal. The model was parameterized to land use turnover in south-eastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware, USA, for the period of 300 years since initial forest clearance. 2 The model successfully predicted the frequencies of fleshy fruited and ant-dispersed forest herbs in the modern landscape, but failed to predict frequencies of adhesive species or of all species considered together. No attempt was made to predict the frequency of wind-dispersed species, which were infrequent in these forests. 3 Frequencies of species in the modern landscape appeared to be controlled by the time available for spread after emerging from a period of low habitat frequency in the 19th century. 4 Species dispersed by ingestion of fruits were more abundant than predicted, probably due to gap-crossing by animal dispersal vectors. Ingested species appear to have spread at a rate only achievable by modelled species in an artificially long time frame. 5 The predictive power of a model based on local dispersal implies that extreme longrange dispersal is rare on the time-scale of human land use and does not significantly influence regional distributions. 6 Predicted frequencies were ≤ 20% for all species, consistent with an observed decline in forest species diversity. Herb species impoverishment can be interpreted as a distinct vegetational condition created by 18th-century forest clearance, which will probably be detectable for at least another century. 7 Seed dispersal ability appears to be critical to the regional survival of forest herb species. At the spatial and temporal scales of human land use, slow-migrating species, and those unable to cross gaps, may be in danger of regional extinction.
Are Sepkoski’s evolutionary faunas dynamically coherent?

For more than two decades, Jack Sepkoski’s hypothesis of three great ‘evolutionary faunas’ has dominated thinking about the Phanerozoic evolution of marine animals. This theory combines pattern description with process modelling: diversity trajectories of major taxonomic groups are sorted into three categories, and the trajectories are predicted by coupled logistic equations. Here I use a re-creation of Sepkoski’s classic three-phase coupled logistic model and an empirical analysis of his genus-level compendium to re-examine his claims about diversity dynamics. I employ a ‘focal-group’ variant of the proportional volatility G-statistic to determine whether variation in turnover rates of focal taxonomic groups can be explained by the average rates for each group through time combined with average rates across all groups within each temporal bin. If growth is exponential and ecological interactions between pairs of groups are always similarly strong, then groups will wax and wane very predictably, and these statistics will always be insignificant. If instead growth is density-dependent and there are no interactions, significant volatility should be confined to periods of rapid radiations, such as those following major mass extinctions. Finally, if unusually strong pairwise interactions directly cause certain groups to succeed or fail, then significant volatility in each competing group should be present during replacement episodes that are not tied to overall radiations or extinctions. Additionally, if clustering groups into faunas is informative, then summed faunal diversity histories will replicate the observed volatility of all groups treated separately. To illustrate the focal-group method, I apply it to diversity data for the major groups of Cenozoic North American mammals. Surprisingly, the tests show that although some orders experience significant radiations and extinctions, orders with visually similar trajectories such as archaic, mostly Paleocene mammals fail to share dynamic properties. Volatility is far greater in Sepkoski’s marine data, with almost every class showing significant and strong deviations from background turnover rates. However, Sepkoski’s three-phase model predicts these patterns inconsistently. As expected, the Cambrian and Paleozoic faunas show high volatility during the hand-off between them. However, the hypothesized twin late Paleozoic and Jurassic/early Cretaceous hand-offs between the Paleozoic and Modern faunas are not marked by excessively rapid declines and increases. Instead, the Modern evolutionary fauna shows highly unusual dynamic behaviour starting in the mid-Cretaceous, coincident with the Mesozoic marine revolution and well after the Paleozoic fauna’s decline. Sepkoski’s categorization also generally fails to summarize overall volatility during long stretches of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic.
Religious Denomination, Religious Involvement, and Modern Contraceptive Use in Southern Mozambique

The relationship between contraceptive use and religion remains a subject of considerable debate. This article argues that this relationship is rooted in context-specific institutional and organizational aspects of religious belonging and involvement. Drawing upon unique recent data from a population-based survey of women conducted in a predominantly Christian high-fertility area of Mozambique, this study examines the connections between religion and contraception from two complementary angles. First, differences in current use of modern contraceptives across main denominational groups are analyzed. The results show higher prevalence of modern contraceptive use among Catholics and, to a lesser extent, traditional Protestants net of other individual- and community-level factors. Second, an analysis of religious involvement reveals that frequent church attendance has a net positive association with modern contraceptive use regardless of denominational affiliation. These findings are situated within the historical context of religious, demographic, and socio-political dynamics of Mozambique and similar sub-Saharan settings.
Comparison of bypass surgery with drug-eluting stents for diabetic patients with multivessel disease.

Abstract Background This retrospective study of prospectively collected data compared coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery to drug‐eluting stenting (DES) in diabetic patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD). Prior randomized trials and clinical studies have suggested that CABG may be the preferred revascularization strategy in diabetic patients with multivessel CAD. Data are limited regarding the impact of DES vs. CABG on clinical outcomes. Methods We included 205 consecutive diabetic patients who underwent either CABG ( n =103) or DES ( n =102). The primary clinical end points were freedom from major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at 30 days and 1 year. Results Baseline characteristics were similar between both groups. At 1 year, the mortality rate was similar in the CABG and DES group (8% vs. 10%, p =0.6) but the MACE rate was lower in the CABG group (12% vs. 27%, p =0.006) due to less repeat revascularization with CABG (3% vs. 20%, p p =0.04). Angiographically‐documented stent thrombosis after DES occurred in 3%. Presentation with acute myocardial infarction (hazard ratio [HR], 2.26, 95% CI, 1.13 to 4.55) and DES (HR, 2.4, 95% CI, 1.23 to 4.77) were positive independent predictors, whereas therapy with a statin was a negative independent predictor of MACE (HR, 0.40, 95% CI, 0.21 to 0.76). Conclusions Bypass surgery was associated with less MACE primarily due to the higher repeat revascularization rate with DES and is therefore superior to DES despite more extensive CAD in CABG patients.
Pautas para la cobertura periodística de actos terroristas. Propuesta de un modelo informativo de responsabilidad democrática

This article proposes an exegetical model, built from journalistic elements of terrorism, with six guidelines for reporting terrorist attacks and to protect democracy and victims´ interests. There are standards to do so, but some of them are confusing or forgotten. The aim of this article is to provide some ideas to reduce ambiguity and suggests that, contrary to the classical criteria, human interest should not be emphasized, terrorism should not be contextualized and images of terrorist violence should be shown to reduce its effects.
Abstract 3734: Modified dietary inflammatory index and increased number of colonic aberrant crypt foci

Pro-inflammatory dietary intake has been linked to the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). There is a paucity of data, however, concerning dietary behavior and prevalence of colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACF), an emerging pre-polyp intermediate endpoint thought to be on the pathway to CRC. We assessed this question in a cross-sectional study of 130 patients (mean age = 57.1 yrs) who received colonoscopy at the Colon Cancer Prevention Program at University of Connecticut Health. Typical diet intake was ascertained from the Brief Block Food Frequency Questionnaire, which provided 29 of the 45 food items in the standard Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII). Using advanced chromoendoscopy imaging, ACF were counted by an endoscopist and external reviewer for consensus. In bivariate analyses between ACF quartiles and mean number of daily servings in four food groups, using the Kruskal-Wallis Non-Parametric test, we found evidence of an inverse dose response with reduced intake of grains (3.9, 3.6, 3.1, 2.7, mean servings per ACF quartile, respectively, p = 0.06) and fruit (1.4, 1.2, 1.0, 1.1, mean servings per ACF quartile, respectively, p = 0.06). We observed little variation in vegetable or dairy intake across ACF quartiles. The association between the modified DII (mod-DII) and ACF number (continuous) was assessed using latent variable modeling controlling for continuous variables of age and waist-hip ratio, and, categorical variables of sex, regular aspirin use (≥ 1 pill per week in past 12 months), regular statin use (≥ 1 pill per week in past 12 months), cigarette smoking (ever, never), polyp history (yes, no) and education level. The final model had a good fit (CFI = 0.92, RMSEA Citation Format: Helen Swede, Masteneh Sharafi, Rong Wu, Valerie B. Duffy, Daniel W. Rosenberg, David A. Drew, Thomas Devers, Richard G. Stevens. Modified dietary inflammatory index and increased number of colonic aberrant crypt foci. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3734. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3734
Rights of Conscience vs. Peer-Driven Medical Ethics: ACOG and Abortion

In 2007, the Ethics Committee of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) published an opinion prescribing the limits of conscientious refusal in reproductive medicine. However, as this article demonstrates, the opinion was heavily slanted in favor of the patient’s right to receive reproductive procedures such as abortion or contraceptives. ACOG is unwilling to acknowledge the full power of healthcare providers’ right of conscience, and it fails to articulate reasonable alternatives when conflict arises. The language of the opinion is prejudicial, flawed, and incomplete. When compared with early American constitutional history, the erroneous reasoning of the opinion becomes even more apparent. There is ample evidence provided by many founding members of the United States about the important and essential place that rights of conscience have been afforded in the Constitution. Healthcare providers’ right of conscience must be respected in society.
Qualitative and quantitative comparison of gated blood pool SPECT using low-energy high-resolution and SMARTZOOM collimation

1736 Objectives To compare gated blood pool (MUGA) SPECT image quality between Siemens IQ•SPECT (SMARTZOOM collimator, Flash 3D OSEM) and low-energy high-resolution (LEHR) collimator SPECT with either Flash 3D or filtered backprojection (FBP) reconstruction, and SPECT ejection fraction (EF) to planar, under conditions of decreased scan time (ST) and/or injected activity (IA). Methods Routine planar MUGA scanning, followed by LEHR and IQ•SPECT in succession, was performed on 10 patients. 16-bin IQ• and LEHR MUGA SPECT scans were acquired on a Siemens dual-head Symbia® T6 SPECT/CT scanner, using: a 128×128 matrix (4.8 mm/pixel); a non-circular orbit (208° and 180°, respectively); 17 and 32 views/head, respectively; and total acquisition time equivalent to our 26-min, two-view 24-bin planar MUGA exam. Six “back and forth” 4-min scans were summed into 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 min ST scans, and reconstructed using Flash 3D (IQ•SPECT: 20 it, 3 ss; and LEHR: 8 it, 8ss, 9.6 mm Gaussian) and FBP (LEHR: Butterworth 0.45 Nyquist/7th order). No attenuation correction was applied (not supported for gated SPECT). Image quality (uniformity, contrast, and wall motion) was assessed qualitatively by a NM physician. SPECT (Cedars QBS) left ventricular EF was compared with planar. Results Visual inspection showed that IQ•SPECT for all STs consistently had the best contrast, uniformity, and wall motion. Furthermore, IQ•SPECT ST of 4, 8 and 16 min had similar image quality to 24-min LEHR FBP, Flash 3D and planar, respectively. The average EF correlations over all STs between IQ•SPECT, LEHR+FLASH and LEHR+FBP vs. planar were 0.68, 0.71 and 0.62, respectively. Only IQ•SPECT correlation improved vs. ST. All were statistically significant (p Conclusions IQ•SPECT visual interpretation is equivalent to or better than planar MUGA at up to a 33% decrease in ST or IA. SPECT EF is higher but correlated to planar. Research Support Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
Potential-Resolved In Situ X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy Study of Sn and SnO2 Nanomaterial Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

This work provides detailed analysis of processes occurring in metallic Sn and SnO2 anode materials for lithium ion batteries during first lithiation, studied in situ with rapid continuous X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra provide information on dynamic changes in the Sn atomic environment, including type and number of neighboring atoms and interatomic distances. A unique methodology was used to model insertion of Li atoms into the electrode material structure and to analyze the formation of SnLi phases within the electrodes. Additionally, analysis of fully lithiated and delithiated states of Sn and SnO2 electrodes in the first two cycles provides insight into the reasons for poor electrochemical performance and rapid capacity decline. Results indicate that use of SnO2 is more promising than metallic Sn as an anode material, but more effort in nanoscale and atomic engineering of anodes is requi...
Path Planning for Targets in Close Proximity with a Bounded Turn-Rate Aircraft

This paper presents a geometric approach to path planning for a UAV under kinematic constraints. The locations that the UAV must visit are all within close proximity, and the footprint of the onboard surveillance sensors is small enough that the UAV is limited to visiting only a subset of locations with each ∞yover of the surveillance area. The goal of this work is not to determine an actual continuous path between all the locations, but rather groupings of the locations that can each be visited with a ∞yover without violating the kinematic constraints. A greedy approach is presented that attempts to minimize the number of groups. It is based on the geometry between the locations and the minimum turn radius of the aircraft.
The Semantics of Spanish Permission Sentences: A Dynamic Account

Abstract. In this paper the formal semantics of Spanish directive verbs, especially permissive deontic verbs, is studied. A dynamic perspective is adopted in which the meaning of an expression is not its truth conditions but its discourse update potential. The paper focuses on the following aspects of directive permission verbs: the analysis of their basic meaning in contrast with other modals; aspectual and temporal restrictions on the complements of permission verbs; restrictions on the subject of permission verbs; combinations of modals; and conjunction and disjunction of permission statements. A unified account is presented in a dynamic modal framework. An action is conceived of as a program expression denoting a set of sequences of states. Each sequence represents an execution of the action.Modal (directive) verbs are treated as operators introducing universal or existential quantification over sequences of states.
Nucleic acid catalysis: metals, nucleobases, and other cofactors.

The discovery of RNA-catalyzed phosphodiester bond cleavage by Cech and Altman in 1982–1983 shattered the paradigm of protein-dependent biological catalysis and opened up new horizons for RNA biology (reviewed in ref (1)). These discoveries ushered in a new era of high activity in RNA biochemistry and structural biology that, in conjunction with developments in genomics, established groundwork for the ensuing explosion in discoveries of other functional but noncoding RNAs. Since the initial discoveries, several classes of naturally occurring and artificially developed ribozymes have been defined. Ribozyme reactions catalyzed in nature include phosphoryl and aminoacyl transfer reactions (Figure ​(Figure1).1). RNA-catalyzed reactions obtained in vitro extend to carbon–carbon bond formation in the Diels–Alderase ribozyme. In vitro selection has also been employed to discover DNA-based enzymes that catalyze a number of different reactions, including RNA cleavage, as in Figure ​Figure11A. Figure 1 Reactions catalyzed by naturally occurring ribozymes. (A) Intramolecular phosphoryl-transfer reaction catalyzed by the “nucleolytic” ribozymes including the hammerhead, hepatitis delta virus (HDV), hairpin, Neurospora VS, and GlmS RNAs. ...
Heat Capacity and Its Variation with Moisture Content for Plywood and Oriented Strand Board Sheathing Produced by North American Mills

Abstract The heat capacity of panels used for house sheathing is an important property that allows the hygrothermal modeling of thermal mass and the calculation of heating and cooling rates of certain types of walls. To our knowledge, this article presents the first data in over four decades for the measurement of heat capacity across a range of moisture content values. Although some estimates of panel heat capacity exist, few, if any, have been reported for mills across North America and across a range of moisture contents. The data clearly show the dependence of heat capacity on moisture content. They also show that solid wood and panel heat capacity values are similar at low moisture contents but diverge as moisture content increases. The variation in heat capacity with moisture content is large enough so that it should be considered when determining hygrothermal efficiency in walls containing plywood or oriented strand board or when developing hygrothermal models.
Application of Lumped RC Thermal Network Method in Transient Temperature Calculation of Oil/SF_6 Bushing

To analyze how internal transient temperature of high voltage condenser bushing varies with its short-time current carrying capacity, we proposed a lumped RC thermal network model applicable to structure of HV bushing. This model considers three heat transfer modes of conduction, convection and radiation and the changing relationship between material properties and temperature, and the thermal network topology is realized based on MATLAB/Simulink. In the example of high voltage bushing, the calculation results of transient temperature thermal network are in good agreement with the actual temperature rise test results,verifying the effectiveness and practicality of lumped RC thermal network. We used thermal network to confirm the periodic transient variation at the hottest spot of an HV bushing and to analyze the shot-time current carrying capacity by step load curve fitting the circadian cycle change load. The study shows that the hot-spot temperature of high voltage bushing locates in the interface layer of the bushing condenser and inner conductor, and the transient temperature at every load step is quite different from the steady-state temperature.We applied the lumped RC thermal network method to calculate the transient temperature of HV bushing, which could reinforce classic bushing design methods only considering rated steady-state operating conditions.The results have theoretical guidance on assessing short-time current-carrying capacity in high voltage bushings.
Application of Lean Thinking Cellular Production Mode in Electrical Appliance Manufacturing Industry

Description was made to the core contents of lean thinking theory. Analysis was made on the concept of cellular production mode and its position and functions in lean thinking theory. How to carry out the application method in electrical appliance manufacturing industry was discussed with solutions given in practical application,so as to give some help while the enterprise carries out production mode transformation.
Measuring Adherence in Clinical Trials

Measuring adherence is an essential, but often overlooked, part of clinical trials. As recognition of the importance of adherence for good outcomes has grown, investigators designing clinical trials have tried to maximize adherence, so that patients’ poor adherence does not make a drug look less efficacious than it actually is. Luckily, clinical trials have some built-in features that tend to keep adherence relatively high: frequent visits contributing to close monitoring (Hawthorne effect [1]) and the way that clinical trials tend to select for more motivated patients [2]. Nonetheless, adherence in clinical trials remains far from perfect, so measuring patients’ use of medication in the trial is helpful to define how well the drug is likely to work in the context of varying adherence patterns [3]. Some drugs have greater “forgiveness” than others, allowing patients to miss occasional doses without significant loss of treatment response [4]. While a drug’s forgiveness is likely to be known from pharmacokinetic studies, measuring adherence will still provide vital data on how the drug is likely to work when patients do not use it perfectly [4].
Devouring Parables: Jotham's Parabolic Curse in Judges 9

“The fable is used to pour scorn on Abimelech … to prepare the way for the pronouncement of Jotham's curse in v. 20.” –Barry G. Webb, The Book of Judges: An Integrated Reading “It will become clear that the primary focus of the chapter is not upon kingship as such, but upon the mutual conflict between Abimelech and the men of Shechem.” –Graham S. Ogden, “Jotham's Fable: Its Structure and Function in Judges 9” Jotham's parable in Judges 9 provides an excellent point of entry into this book's study of Hebrew Bible parables. Jotham is the lone survivor of his brother Abimelech's massacre of 70 of his siblings (v. 5). As with the parables in 2 Samuel 12 and 14, Jotham's parable addresses a conflict, specifically a murder that nearly destroys a kinship network. Yet, clearly, Jotham does not intend his parable to prompt any change of behavior among his addressees, namely the lords of Shechem. Nor does he show any concern for conflict resolution through his parable. He shows no interest in hearing how the Shechemites understand his parable. In fact, after he speaks his parable, he leaves immediately, without even giving them an opportunity to respond (v. 21). Instead, the parable helps strengthen the judgment that Jotham calls down upon Abimelech, the house of Millo, and the lords of Shechem. By comparing their situation to the curse portion of his story, Jotham reinforces the negative judgment that his addressees face.
Heavy metal and junk DNA.

Far from being discarded nucleic acid material, “Junk DNA” i.e. transposable elements (TEs) are a powerful genetic force impacting both genome stability and human disease. Because of the genetic da...
Spatial phenotyping of the endocardial endothelium as a function of intracardiac hemodynamic shear stress.

Despite substantial evidence for the central role of hemodynamic shear stress in the functional integrity of vascular endothelial cells, hemodynamic and molecular regulation of the endocardial endothelium lining the heart chambers remains understudied. We propose that regional differences in intracardiac hemodynamics influence differential endocardial gene expression leading to phenotypic heterogeneity of this cell layer. Measurement of intracardiac hemodynamics was performed using 4-dimensional flow MRI in healthy humans (n=8) and pigs (n=5). Local wall shear stress (WSS) and oscillatory shear indices (OSI) were calculated in three distinct regions of the LV – base, mid-ventricle (midV), and apex. In both the humans and pigs, WSS values were significantly lower in the apex and midV relative to the base. Additionally, both the apex and midV had greater oscillatory shear indices (OSI) than the base. To investigate regional phenotype, endocardial endothelial cells (EEC) were isolated from an additional 8 pigs and RNA sequencing was performed. A false discovery rate of 0.10 identified 1051 differentially expressed genes between the base and apex, and 321 between base and midV. Pathway analyses revealed apical upregulation of genes associated with translation initiation. Furthermore, tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI; mean 50-fold) and prostacyclin synthase (PTGIS; 5-fold), genes prominently associated with antithrombotic protection, were consistently upregulated in LV apex. These spatio-temporal WSS values in defined regions of the left ventricle link local hemodynamics to regional heterogeneity in endocardial gene expression.
Adaptive Disturbance Torque Estimation for Orbiting Spacecraft Using Recursive Least-Squares Methods

This paper develops a novel disturbance torque estimator for an orbiting spacecraft by using the adaptive least-squares parameter estimation technique. The disturbance estimation is first formulated as an adaptive least-squares minimization problem using a set of polynomial functions and then integrated with the feedback momentum estimator. The covariance update law with a variable forgetting factor is used, and it is shown that the convergent rate for estimation errors can be made at the same level as the forgetting factor. The proposed approach is particularly suited for orbiting small or microsatellite applications, where the momentum management capacity is often limited. The onboard estimated disturbance torque input can then be used as a part of control resource for spacecraft momentum management. The simulation results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed concept.
PKK deficiency in B cells prevents lupus development in Sle lupus mice

Abstract Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by the production of autoantibodies that can result in damage to multiple organs. It is well documented that B cells play a critical role in the development of the disease. We previously showed that protein kinase C associated kinase (PKK) is required for B1 cell development as well as for the survival of recirculating mature B cells and B-lymphoma cells. Here, we investigated the role of PKK in lupus development in a lupus mouse model. We demonstrate that the conditional deletion of PKK in B cells prevents lupus development in Sle1Sle3 mice. The loss of PKK in Sle mice resulted in the amelioration of multiple classical lupus-associated phenotypes and histologic features of lupus nephritis, including marked reduction in the levels of serum autoantibodies, proteinuria, spleen size, peritoneal B-1 cell population and the number of activated CD4 T cells. In addition, the abundance of autoreactive plasma cells normally seen in Sle lupus mice was also significantly decreased in the PKK-deficient Sle mice. Sle B cells deficient in PKK display defective proliferation responses to BCR and LPS stimulation. Consistently, B cell receptor-mediated NF-κB activation, which is required for the survival of activated B cells, was impaired in the PKK-deficient B cells. Taken together, our work uncovers a critical role of PKK in lupus development and suggests that targeting the PKK-mediated pathway may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for lupus treatment.
Maternal Socioeconomic Status and the Well-Being of the Next Generation(s)

A rich literature in economics and the social sciences has shown that improvements in women's socio-economic status (SES) can also improve the well-being of their children. This chapter identifies several channels for this effect, drawing on both theoretical and empirical work in economics. Empirical evidence on the effects of maternal SES on child outcomes like health, education, and labor market success is presented, with a focus on recent work using new data sets and methodological innovations that allow for credible identification. The chapter also discusses emerging evidence that shocks to maternal well-being can affect not only a woman's own children, but future generations as well. Finally, the chapter highlights several fertile areas for future work.
Comparing global airline merger experiences from a financial valuation perspective: an empirical study of recent european based airline mergers

Abstract During the past decade, the European airline industry has started a series of consolidations. Although the topics of airlines’ mergers and acquisitions have been discussed in several aspects, the issue of how their stock prices and trading volumes respond to merger announcements has not been well documented. This paper intends to fill this gap by examining how investors reacted to merger announcements. Empirical results indicate that the dependencies between stock returns and trading volumes were positive and investors were in favor of the firms who made the announcements.
In-Hand Manipulative Synthesis Using Velocity Subspaces

The kinematic design of robots for tasks involving positions and its derivatives has been explored in the past in order to shape the trajectory of the robot at a given set of points. This approach has been successful for the synthesis of linkages for grasping applications; however defining a single velocity in the vicinity of a specified location might not be enough for a desired manipulation task. In the synthesis of multi-fingered robotic hands, it is interesting to ask whether a hand can be designed for a certain in-hand manipulation task that ensures contact and at the same time relative motion of the fingertips on the object surface in multiple desired directions. In this article we define a method for designing robotic hands that guide an object through a kinematic task with velocity specifications in the vicinity of key task positions. Given the mobility for a hand topology, the necessary velocities are derived at each task position to fully define a subspace of allowable directions for object manipulation. As an example, a multi-fingered robotic hand for an in-hand manipulation of a body with a known geometry has been designed. The proposed synthesis technique is the first step in creating tangent spaces in the vicinity of positions to successfully guide a body for desired manipulation tasks.