cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does Prior Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Affect Outcomes of Subsequent Total Knee Arthroplasty? A Systematic Review:

Background:Anterior cruciate ligament injury may accelerate knee osteoarthritis, and patients with a history of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) tend to undergo total knee arthropla...
A fundamental look at models and intelligence: abstract of keynote

Comprehensible and analyzable models are central to building confidence in cyber-physical systems. Hybrid systems theories, interface theories, formal semantics, concurrent models of computation, component models, and ontologies all augment classical software engineering techniques such as object-oriented design to catch errors and to make systems more modular and composable. However, as systems integrate self-adaptive capabilities and learning algorithms, keeping models comprehensible and analyzable gets challenging. Every model lives within a modeling framework, ideally giving semantics to the model, and many modeling frameworks have been developed that enable rigorous analysis and proof of properties. But every such modeling framework is an imperfect mirror of reality. An engineered system operating in the physical world may or may not accurately reflect behaviors predicted by a model, and the model may not reflect behaviors that are critical to correct operation of the system. Software in a cyber-physical system, for example, has timing properties that are rarely represented in formal models. As artificial intelligence gets more widely used, the problem gets worse, with predictability and explainability seemingly evaporating. In this keynote talk, I examine the strengths and limitations in the use of models. I will show that two very different classes of models are used in practice, classes that I call "scientific models" and "engineering models" [1]. These two classes have complementary properties, and many misuses of models stem from confusion about which class is being used. Scientific models of intelligent systems are very different from engineering models. I will argue that rigorous and analyzable engineering models are useful even in the face of uncertainty and can be used to regulate adaptation and circumscribe the behaviors of learning-based systems.
Direct Cost Savings Analysis of Nurse Practitioner for Inpatient Urology Practice

AbstractIntroduction:A 2015 survey of members of the American Urological Association found the majority of urologists (62.7%) work with an advanced practice provider. The aim of this study was to a...
Emergent Surface Topography Enabled by Concurrent Crystallization and Polymerization

Materials with dynamic surface topography may enable a variety of new technologies from smart coatings to biomaterials with controlled cell–material interaction. However, current approaches to crea...
MOOCs and open education in the Global South: edited by Ke Zhang, Curtis J. Bonk, Thomas C. Reeves and Thomas H. Reynolds, London, Routledge, 2020, 358 pp., $49.95 (paperback), (hbk), ISBN 978-0-367-02576-2; (pbk), ISBN 978-0-367-02577-9; (e-book), ISBN 978-0-429-39891-9

Since the term massive open online course (MOOC) was first introduced in 2008 (Siemens, 2013), MOOCs have attracted wide attention including the emergence of a variety of related online platforms, ...
Particulate matter concentrations and fluxes within an urban park in Naples

Abstract Airborne particulate matter can represent a serious issue for human health, especially in densely populated urban areas. Moreover, the inhalation of particulate can be more harmful with decreasing particles diameter. Vegetation can provide many ecosystem services to the citizens, including the removal of many different pollutants in the air, but while the effect on many gaseous compounds has already been widely proved, the capability of particulate matter (PM) sequestration driven by vegetation and its resulting benefit on air quality has not been deeply investigated yet at larger spatial scale, especially in Mediterranean environment. This study was conducted in the Real Bosco di Capodimonte, a green area of about 125 ha located inside the urban area of Naples (Italy) containing different species typical of the Mediterranean forest ecosystem. To better understand the interaction between PM and the park area, we measured fluxes of PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 with a fast acquisition analyser, according to the Eddy Covariance technique. We found that the particle deposition was higher during the central hours of the day and it was more evident for smaller size particles. Furthermore, the daily PM fluxes found accorded with evapotranspiration and carbon sequestration operated by plants, suggesting a possible active role of vegetation on the particulate deposition.
Active Learning Approach for an Intuitive Understanding of the Boltzmann Distribution by Basic Computer Simulations

The Boltzmann distribution lies at the heart of essentially all of statistical thermodynamics. In most textbooks, this distribution is introduced either ad hoc or it is mathematically derived by co...
Design and Detailing of Bridge Approach Slabs: Cast-in-Place and Precast Concrete Options

Approach slab is a structural concrete slab that spans from the back wall of the abutment (i.e. end of the bridge floor) to the beginning of the paving section. The purpose of the approach slab is to carry the dead and live loads over the backfill behind the abutments to avoid differential settlement that causes bumps at the bridge ends. Cast-in-place (CIP) concrete approach slab is the current practice in most of the states in US with various spans, reinforcement, thicknesses, and concrete covers. However, it has been reported that most approach slabs experience cracking and settlement, which result in premature deterioration and shorter service life. The replacement of deteriorated approach slabs causes costly and long traffic closure and detouring. Precast concrete (PC) approach slabs is a promising solution that could provide longer service life and accelerated construction/replacement. This paper presents a literature on current approach slab practices and innovative precast concrete solutions. Also, an analytical investigation is conducted using finite elements to evaluate the performance of the current approach slab practices in the state of Nebraska. Several parameters are considered in this investigation, such as volume changes due to shrinkage and temperature changes as well as skew angle and bridge width. Analysis results indicate that volume changes cause high tensile stresses along abutment line, which results in longitudinal cracks. Also, high skew angles result in stress concentrations at the slab corners and the increase in slab width increases the stresses in transverse direction.
The association between diuretic class exposures and enteral electrolyte use in infants developing grade 2 or 3 bronchopulmonary dysplasia in United States children's hospitals.

To evaluate the association between chronic diuretic exposures and enteral electrolyte use in infants developing severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (sBPD). Retrospective longitudinal cohort study in infants admitted to United States children’s hospitals. We identified diuretic exposures and measured enteral NaCl and KCl use during pre-defined exposure risk-interval days. We used mixed-effects logistic regression to model the association between diuretic exposures and electrolyte use. We identified 442,341 subject-days in 3252 infants. All common diuretic classes and class combinations were associated with increased NaCl and KCl use. Thiazide monotherapy was associated with greater electrolyte use than loop monotherapy. The addition of potassium-sparing diuretics was associated with a limited reduction in KCl use compared to thiazide monotherapy. Chronic diuretic exposures are associated with increased NaCl and KCl use. Presumptions about the relative impact of different diuretic classes on electrolyte derangements may be inaccurate and require further study.
Epidemiology and outcomes of primary pediatric lung malignancies: Updates from the SEER database.

Abstract Background Primary pediatric lung malignancies are rare tumors. We provide an updated analysis of the epidemiology and prognosis of these tumors since the last SEER series published in 2009. Methods The SEER 18 database from 1975 to 2016 was analyzed for patients ages 0–19 years with primary lung and/or bronchus neoplasms. Results 348 patients met inclusion criteria. The majority were white and ≥12 years of age. The most common histologies were neuroendocrine (41.4%) and blastoma (16.4%). 75.4% of patients had local-regional disease and 81.4% underwent surgery. Significant differences between histologies were seen for age, year at diagnosis, tumor laterality and location, stage, and treatment type. Median survival was 36.6 years (95% CI 33.3–37.4). Blastoma (HR 3.47) and squamous cell (HR 6.26) carried a significantly higher risk of death than neuroendocrine cancer diagnosis. Conclusion Primary pediatric lung malignancies are rare, long-term survival is favorable but histology-dependent. Surgery continues to be an important treatment modality.
Debates on Pessimism in Late Nineteenth-Century France

This chapter traces debates on pessimism in nonfiction writers in the second half of the nineteenth century in France. A shift of epistemological frameworks emerges that highlights the construction of meaning from experience. Writers such as Paul Challemel-Lacour complicate the discourse on pessimism as illness by blurring sickness and health and asking whether pessimism’s lucidity might be the healthy antidote to the social sickness of optimism. Such discussions pave the way for engagement with pessimism, steering the conversation toward how best to achieve a balance between lucidity and conceptions of the world that allow us to denounce suffering but still find a way to live well. The quest for generating meaning from experience requires an imaginative act that frees pessimism from the accusation of quietism or despair and paves the way for living in an “as if,” a reflective consciousness that makes room for dialectical interplay between fiction and reality.
Virtual Cleaning of Works of Art Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks

A varnish layer that is applied to a painting, generally to protect it, yellows over time, deteriorating the original look of the painting. This prompts conservators to undertake a cleaning process to remove the old varnish and apply a new one. Providing the conservators with the likely appearance of the painting before the cleaning process starts can be helpful to them, which can be done through virtual cleaning. Virtual cleaning is simply the simulation of the cleaning process. Previous works in this area required the method to have access to black and white paint regions, or physically removing the varnish first at a few spots. Through looking at the problem of virtual cleaning differently, we try to address those shortcomings. To do so, we propose using a convolutional neural network (CNN) to tackle the problem of virtual cleaning. The CNN is trained on artificially yellowed images of people, urban and rural areas, and color charts, as well as their original versions. The network is then applied to various paintings with similar scene content. The results of the method are first compared to the only physical model in the virtual cleaning field. We compare the outputs from the proposed method and the physical model by visualization as well as a quantitative measure that calculates the spectral similarity between the outputs and the reference images. These results show that the proposed method outperforms the physical model. The CNN is also applied to images of the Mona Lisa and The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, both painted by Leonardo da Vinci. Results show both a qualitative and quantitative improvement in the color quality of the resulting image compared to their reference images. The CNN developed here is also compared to a CNN that has been developed for the purpose of image colorization in the literature to demonstrate the effectiveness of the CNN devised here, showing that the CNN architecture herein leads to a better result. The novelty of the work proposed herein lies in two premises. First, the accuracy of the method, which is demonstrated through comparison with the only physical approach derived until now. Second is the generalizability of the method which is shown through blindly applying the method to two famous works of art for which no information but an RGB image of the uncleaned artwork is known.
The Last Mile: COVID-19, Telehealth, and Broadband Disparities in Rural Indiana

This critical review of literature evaluates the impact of COVID-19 on health and mental health care delivery in rural Indiana, specifically the move to increased telehealth services. Telehealth has been a mostly positive experience for patients and providers. However, many Indiana residents are without the option of telehealth due to underdeveloped infrastructure that is necessary to support broadband access. This disparity is evidence of a larger social and health justice issue and illuminates a call to action for social workers on all levels to collaborate with community members, government agencies, and local programs to push the issue towards the public health arena and to promote broadband access as a human right.
Photo Sequences of Varying Emotion: Optimization with a Valence-Arousal Annotated Dataset

Synthesizing photo products such as photo strips and slideshows using a database of images is a time-consuming and tedious process that requires significant manual work. To overcome this limitation, we developed a method that automatically synthesizes photo sequences based on several design parameters. Our method considers the valence and arousal ratings of images in conjunction with parameters related to both the visual consistency of the synthesized photo sequence and the progression of valence and arousal throughout the photo sequence. Our method encodes valence, arousal, and visual consistency parameters as cost terms into a total cost function while applying a Markov chain Monte Carlo optimization techniques called simulated annealing to synthesize the photo sequence based on user-defined target objectives in a few seconds. As our method was developed for the synthesis of photo sequences using the valence-arousal emotional model, a user study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the synthesized photo sequences in triggering valence-arousal ratings as expected. Our results indicate that the proposed method synthesizes photo sequences in which valence and arousal dimensions are perceived as expected by participants; however, valence may be more appropriately perceived than arousal.
Dietary Inflammatory Index and Cardiometabolic Risk in Ecuadorian Women

Low-grade systemic inflammation is implicated in metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cardiometabolic diseases. Diet is hypothesized to be an important low-grade inflammation modifier. However, few studies have examined the association of dietary inflammation with MetS and cardiometabolic risk in Latin American populations and their findings are inconsistent. Our cross-sectional study examined the association of dietary inflammatory potential with MetS and cardiometabolic risk components in 276 urban Ecuadorian women. Dietary inflammation was evaluated using an energy-adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index (E-DII), divided into quartiles (Q). E-DII scores ranged from -4.89 (most anti-inflammatory) to 4.45 (most pro-inflammatory). Participants in the most pro-inflammatory (Q4) compared to the least inflammatory E-DII quartile (Q1) had a 4.4 increased adjusted odds for MetS (95% C.I. = 2.0, 9.63; p < 0.001). Every one-unit increase in E-DII was associated with a 1.4 increase in MetS (95% CI = 1.22, 1.52; p < 0.001). In other adjusted models, the most pro-inflammatory E-DII quartile (Q4) was positively associated with total blood cholesterol and triglycerides (p < 0.001), LDL-c (p = 0.007), diastolic blood pressure (p< 0.002), mean arterial pressure (p < 0.006), waist circumference (p < 0.008), and Framingham risk score (p < 0.001). However, the previously identified associations with pulse wave velocity and BMI were no longer evident in the models. These findings suggest that more pro-inflammatory diets may contribute to poorer cardiometabolic health. Promoting healthier diets with a lower inflammatory potential may help to prevent or slow development of cardiometabolic disorders.
Increased Expression of Long Non-coding RNA H19 is Associated With Colon Cancer Recurrence.

ABSTRACT Background Colon cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death. Long non-coding (Lnc) RNAs are critical mediators of tumor biology. H19 is a well-characterized lncRNA involved in p53 regulation and cancer progression. A specific colon cancer data set was utilized to determine if tumor H19 expression is associated with recurrence-free and overall survival. Methods Clinical patient data from The Cancer Genome Atlas colon adenocarcinoma data set was downloaded using FirebrowseR and normalized H19 expression from the associated RNA-seq data set downloaded using cBioportal. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional regression analyses were used to identify an association between H19 expression in colon cancer tissue and recurrence-free, and overall survival. Results Three hundred eight patients were studied. Median age was 68 years (interquartile range: 58-77 years) and 156 patients (51%) were men. Increased H19 expression was associated with KRAS mutation status (P= 0.016). There was no difference in overall survival between the low and high H19 expression groups (log rank = 0.481); however, increased H19 expression was associated with reduced recurrence-free survival (Log-Rank = 0.012). On multivariable regression analysis, increased H19 expression (Hazard ratio = 1.83, 95%CI: 1.02-3.27, P= 0.042), and stage III or IV disease (Hazard ratio = 2.39, 95%CI: 1.34-4.27, P= 0.003) were risk factors for reduced recurrence-free survival. Conclusions Colon cancer H19 expression is associated with advanced stage of tumor disease and is a significant risk factor for reduced recurrence-free survival. Tumor expression of H19 may have potential for both prognostic and therapeutic uses in the future.
Protocol for DRAUP: a deimplementation programme to decrease routine chest radiographs after central venous catheter insertion.

Introduction Avoiding low value medical practices is an important focus in current healthcare utilisation. Despite advantages of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) over chest X-ray including improved workflow and timeliness of results, POCUS-guided central venous catheter (CVC) position confirmation has slow rate of adoption. This demonstrates a gap that is ripe for the development of an intervention. Methods The intervention is a deimplementation programme called DRAUP (deimplementation of routine chest radiographs after adoption of ultrasound-guided insertion and confirmation of central venous catheter protocol) that will be created to address one unnecessary imaging modality in the acute care environment. We propose a three-phase approach to changing low-value practices. In phase 1, we will be guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research framework to explore barriers and facilitators of POCUS for CVC confirmation in a single centre, large tertiary, academic hospital via focus groups. The qualitative methods will inform the development and adaptation of strategies that address identified determinants of change. In phase 2, the multifaceted strategies will be conceptualised using Morgan's framework for understanding and reducing medical overuse. In phase 3, we will locally implement these strategies and assess them using Proctor's outcomes (adoption, deadoption, fidelity and penetration) in an observational study to demonstrate proof of concept, gaining valuable insights on the programme. Secondary outcomes will include POCUS-guided CVC confirmation efficacy measured by time and effectiveness measured by sensitivity and specificity of POCUS confirmation after CVC insertion.With limited data available to inform interventions that use concurrent implementation and deimplementation strategies to substitute chest X-ray for POCUS using the DRAUP programme, we propose that this primary implementation and secondary effectiveness pilot study will provide novel data that will expand the knowledge of implementation approaches to replacing low value or unnecessary care in acute care environments. Ethics and dissemination Approval of the study by the Human Research Protection Office has been obtained. This work will be disseminated by publication of peer-reviewed manuscripts, presentation in abstract form at scientific meetings and data sharing with other investigators through academically established means. Trial registration number ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier, NCT04324762, registered on 27 March 2020.
Virtual rounding in stroke care and neurology education during the COVID-19 pandemic - a residency program survey

Background and purpose During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we instituted virtual inpatient stroke rounds and acute stroke evaluations via telemedicine in the emergency department. We sought to explore trainees' and experienced providers' views on stroke care and education. Methods The implementation and the survey took place at a single academic comprehensive stroke center in northeast Ohio in the United States. "Virtual rounding" consisted of patient presentation and discussion in the morning in on-line virtual team format followed by in-person patient rounds in small groups. Acute stroke evaluations in the emergency department included direct in-person evaluation by neurology residents with supervision over telemedicine.The neurology residents, stroke fellows, stroke nurse practitioners, and stroke staff physicians were surveyed 2 months after implementation. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis, written responses in comment sections were analyzed using content analysis. Results Thirty-two of 42 (73%) surveys were completed. Nine (45%) residents and 5 (42%) experienced providers responded that virtual rounds did not compromise learning and education on stroke service. Fifteen (75%) residents and all experienced providers agreed that virtual rounds protected caregivers from exposure to the virus. While more than a third of residents (37%) did not feel comfortable utilizing telemedicine in ED, the majority of experienced providers (89%) were at ease with it. A total of 58% of residents and 67% of experienced providers felt that they were spending less time at the bedside, and 42% of residents and 58% of experienced providers felt less connected to patients during the pandemic. Conclusion Majority of neurology residents' experience was not positive utilising telemedicine as compared to other staff providers. This is likely attributed to lack of prior exposure and unpreparedness. Incorporation of telemedicine curricula in medical school and residency training could prepare the next generation physicians to effectively use these technologies and meet the growing need for telehealth services for current and future pandemics.
Volumetric parameters changes of sequential 18F-FDG PET/CT for early prediction of recurrence and death in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy.

The goal of the present study was to determine whether volumetric parameters such as metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) measured by sequential 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging could be used as prognostic factors in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) who received pr
Reversal of phosphate induced decreases in force by the benzimidazole pyridazinone, UD-CG 212 CL, in myofilaments from human ventricle

UD-CG 212 Cl, (Fig. 1: 4, 5-dihydro-6-[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1H-benzimidazole-5-yl-methyl-3(2H)-pyriazinone), is the primary metabolite of the positive inotropic agent pimobendan (UDCG 115 BS, Acardi®). Our previous studies [16] showed in detergent extracted preparations of canine ventricular muscle that sub-nanomolar concentrations of UD-CG 212 Cl increased submaximal myofilament force, but only when the activation state had been altered by relatively high (5–10 mM) concentrations of inorganic phosphate (Pi) or relatively low (20 μM) concentrations of MgATP. In the present study, we investigated the effects of UD-CG 212 Cl on the pCa-force relationship of detergent extracted bundles of human cardiac fibers before and after addition of Pi. As expected, treatment with 5 mM Pi depressed maximal force at pCa 4.5 by 27.0 ± 0.4% (mean ± SEM). Force generated at the half-maximally activating Ca2+ concentration (pCa50) of control fibers (5.98 ± 0.2) was significantly (p <. 05) reduced following the addition of 5 mM Pi (pCa50 = 5.69 ± 0.3). The addition of UD-CG 212 Cl over a range of concentrations (10-11–10-6 M) had no effect on Ca2+-sensitivity under control conditions, but in the presence of 5 mM Pi, there was a 23.1 ± 0.1% increase in the percent maximal force at pCa5.9. Ca2+-sensitivity was also significantly increased in the presence of Pi and 10-8 MUD-CG 212 Cl (pCa50 = 5.74 ± 0.3, p <. 05). We conclude that UD-CG 212 Cl potentially increases sub-maximal force of human ventricular myofilaments with an inotropic action depending on a state of myofilament activation associated with ischemic conditions. (Mol Cell Biochem 176: 83–88, 1997)
Cultural futures for thailand: An ethnographic enquiry

Abstract The author outlines an ethnographic and cultural approach developed during a study of Thailand's future-a study which necessitated different approaches from those commonly used in futures research in dealing with the developed world. The study was based on interviews with Thais currently living in California and shows widespread agreement among the interviewees, particularly on the possibility of large-scale violence in Thailand in the 1980s.
Postprostatectomy adjuvant versus salvage radiotherapy : A complication-adjusted number-needed-to-treat analysis

BACKGROUND Radiotherapy (RT) has been used with success after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP), both in the adjuvant and salvage settings. The purpose of the current investigation was to systematically compare adjuvant versus salvage RT in a manner that incorporates both treatment efficacy and complications. METHODS A literature review was performed of reports of post-RRP salvage and adjuvant RT, and 12 trials comprising 1060 patients met the appropriate inclusion criteria. The biochemical failure-free survival in each study/arm was tabulated, and these values were entered into a model to compute an unadjusted number-needed-to treat (NNT). RT complications were then considered, accounting for differences in toxicity incidences in the salvage versus adjuvant setting, to compute complication-adjusted NNTs. In all the trials, the signs and magnitudes of the NNTs obtained were used to compare adjuvant with salvage RT. RESULTS The absolute NNT analysis showed an advantage of adjuvant compared with salvage RT. After adjustment for RT complications, however, the advantage shifted to salvage RT. This transition point from superiority of adjuvant RT to superiority of salvage RT was sensitive to the estimated incidence and severity of RT side effects. CONCLUSIONS Adjuvant post-RRP RT was advantageous in comparison to salvage RT if the side effects of RT were estimated to be negligible. However, with moderate incidence/severity of RT side effects, salvage RT was advantageous. The findings herein must be tested in a prospective study in which both health-related quality of life and cancer control are documented in patients receiving adjuvant versus salvage post-RRP RT. Further work is needed to better estimate parameters entered into the model to determine the precise transition point between adjuvant and salvage RT with modern RT techniques. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
The relationship of hope to self-compassion, relational social skill, communication apprehension, and life satisfaction

Hope is a habitual way of thinking about goals, the potential pathways of achieving them and the motivated agency for their accomplishment. Past research shows the beneficial behavioral outcomes of having hope, but little research investigates the relationship of hope to indicators of psychological, relational, communicative, or subjective wellbeing. The present study takes an interdisciplinary approach to test a model of the relationship between hope and wellbeing, as expressed through self-compassion, relational social skill, communication apprehension, and life satisfaction. Results show a pattern of relationships that suggest intervention programs designed to change thinking habits can encourage not only more hopeful thought but also enhanced self-compassion, greater skill in personal relationships, less communication apprehension, and heightened life satisfaction.
Escherichia coli Fis and DnaA proteins bind specifically to the nrd promoter region and affect expression of an nrd-lac fusion.

The Escherichia coli nrd operon contains the genes encoding the two subunits of ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase. The regulation of the nrd operon has been observed to be very complex. The specific binding of two proteins to the nrd regulatory region and expression of mutant nrd-lac fusions that do not bind these proteins are described. A partially purified protein from an E. coli cell extract was previously shown to bind to the promoter region and to regulate transcription of the nrd operon (C. K. Tuggle and J. A. Fuchs, J. Bacteriol. 172:1711-1718, 1990). We have purified this protein to homogeneity by affinity chromatography and identified it as the E. coli factor for inversion stimulation (Fis). Cu-phenanthroline footprinting experiments showed that Fis binds to a site centered 156 bp upstream of the start of nrd transcription. Mutants with deletion and site-directed mutations that do not bind Fis at this site have two- to threefold-lower expression of an nrd-lac fusion. The previously reported negative regulatory nature of this site (C. K. Tuggle and J. A. Fuchs, J. Bacteriol. 172:1711-1718, 1990) was found to be due to a change in polarity in the vectors used to construct promoter fusions. Two nine-base sequences with homology to the DnaA consensus binding sequence are located immediately upstream of the nrd putative -35 RNA polymerase binding site. Binding of DnaA to these sequences on DNA fragments containing the nrd promoter region was confirmed by in vitro Cu-phenanthroline footprinting. Footprinting experiments on fragments with each as well as both of the mutated 9-mers suggests cooperativity between the two sites in binding DnaA. Assay of in vivo expression from wild-type and DnaA box-mutated nrd promoter fragments fused to lacZ on single-copy plasmids indicates a positive effect of DnaA binding on expression of nrd. Images
Neurotrophins and the neuroendocrine brain: different neurotrophins sustain anatomically and functionally segregated subsets of hypothalamic dopaminergic neurons

Hypothalamic neurons control a variety of important hormonal and behavioral functions. Little is known, however, about the neurotrophic factors that these neurons may require for survival and/or maintenance of their differentiated functions. We conducted experiments to examine this issue, utilizing a combination of immunohistochemical, in situ hybridization and cell culture approaches. We found that the low affinity receptor for nerve growth factor (p75 NGFR) is present in small subsets of hypothalamic peptidergic neurons identified as such by their content of galanin, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) and vasointestinal peptide (VIP). More prominently, however, examination of hypothalamic dopaminergic (DA) neurons for the presence of p75 NGFR-like immunoreactivity revealed that the receptor was present on tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons of the zona incerta and periventricular region, but not on neuroendocrine DA neurons of the tuberoinfundibular region. In situ hybridization experiments using a p75 NGFR cRNA confirmed this distribution. Regardless of the presence or absence of p75 NGFR, neither DA group expresses trkA mRNA, indicating that these two major hypothalamic subsets of DNA neurons are NGF-insensitive. A substantial fraction of TH mRNA-positive cells in the zona incerta expresses trkB mRNA, which encodes the receptor for brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF); in turn BDNF supports the in vitro survival of hypothalamic TH neurons bearing p75-NGFR, suggesting that BDNF is trophic for DNA neurons of the zona incerta. In contrast, tuberoinfundibular DA neurons do not express trkB mRNA, but some have trkC mRNA, which encodes the receptor for neurotrophin-3 (NT-3). The in vitro survival of TH neurons devoid of p75-NGFR is supported by NT-3, implying that NT-3 may be trophic for a subset of tuberoinfundibular DA neurons. These results suggest that, in spite of expressing an identical neurotransmitter phenotype, anatomically and functionally segregated DA neurons of the neurodendocrine brain are sustained by different neurotrophic factors.
A Microsoft Excel Simulation Illustrating The Central Limit Theorems Appropriateness For Comparing The Difference Between The Means Of Any Two Populations

Using Microsoft Excel, several interactive, computerized learning modules are developed to illustrate the Central Limit Theorems appropriateness for comparing the difference between the means of any two populations. These modules are used in the classroom to enhance the comprehension of this theorem as well as the concepts that provide the foundation for inferences involving the comparison of two population means.
Prenatal serodiagnosis of blood group sensitization

Abstract The incidence and identity of blood group antibodies among 4,653 gravid women and in about 9,000 male and 21,000 male and female recipients of blood transfusions were compared. Pregnant women included were all available obstetric patients referred for an attempt at universal prenatal serodiagnosis in a 5 year period and were unselected for their D (Rh o ) blood group. There were 3.8 per cent of gravid women, 0.92 per cent of males, and 1.3 per cent of all transfusion recipients who were isosensitized to blood troup antigens. This almost threefold increase in blood group antibody production by obstetric patients was not attributable only to transplacental D (Rh o ) sensitization common to them, as 0.9 per cent pregnant subjects and 0.39 per cent male transfusion candidates formed isoantibodies other than anti-D (anti-Rh o ). The D (Rh o )-negative maternity patients produced predominantly anti-D or anti-C + D antibodies, but some also formed antibodies of anti-Lewis, anti-Kell, and anti-Duffy specificity. Within the group of D (Rh o )-positive pregnancies, one mother produced anti-D, and others most often made anti-Lewis, anti-E, anti-c, anti-Kell, or anti-Duffy isoantibodies. All of these immunoglobulins among pregnant women were capable of inducing hemolytic transfusion reactions and some were responsible for instances of erythroblastosis due to maternal blood group sensitizations other than D (Rh o ), to be reported subsequently. No maternal transfusions were delayed while seeking compatible blood in the sensitized women and no hemolytic transfusion reactions occurred. It is suggested that the gravid woman is at greater risk for blood group sensitization due to transplacental immunizations from incompatible pregnancies, frequent challenges by red cell antigens in transfusions, and enhanced sensitization by the combined antigenic stimuli of incompatible transfusions followed by fetomaternal blood group incompatible pregnancies. The advantages of prenatal serodiagnosis are that compatible blood for the isosensitized mother and her infant is available promptly at delivery, unsuspected erythroblastosis is detected, and maternal hemolytic transfusion reactions are averted. The results suggest that prenatal serodiagnosis is optimal preventive medicine that should be prescribed by the obstetrician—in every pregnancy.
Empirical validation of integrated learning performances for hydrologic phenomena: 3rd‐grade students' model‐driven explanation‐construction

Water is a crucial topic that spans the K-12 science curriculum, including the elementary grades. Students should engage in the articulation, negotiation, and revision of model-based explanations about hydrologic phenomena. However, past research has shown that students, particularly early learners, often struggle to understand hydrologic phenomena and that scientific modeling remains underemphasized in elementary science learning environments. More research is, therefore, needed to understand and promote early learners' engagement in domain-specific modeling practices. To address this need, we are engaged in design-based research to foster and investigate 3rd-grade students' model-based explanations for the water cycle. Here, we report on the development of a set of empirically based learning performances that integrate core discipline-specific concepts and the practice of scientific modeling. This framework (i) grounds the iterative adaptation and enhancement of a commonly used curricular unit focused on water and (ii) lays the foundation for ongoing development of an associated learning progression that spans K-12 grades. Second, we report on findings from research investigating 3rd-grade students' model-based explanations within the context of the water cycle. Results illustrate epistemic features of mechanism-based causal claims elementary students generate and highlight both target concepts and modeling practices emphasized in students' model-based explanations for hydrologic cycling. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 52: 895–921, 2015.
High‐resolution global magnetohydrodynamic simulation of bursty bulk flows

A high-resolution global magnetohydrodynamic simulation is conducted with the Lyon-Fedder-Mobarry (LFM) model for idealized solar wind conditions. Within the simulation results high-speed flows are seen throughout the magnetotail when the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) is southward. Case study analysis of these flows shows that they have an enhancement in BZ and a decrease in density preceding a peak in the flow velocity. A careful examination of the structure within the magnetotail shows that these features are driven by bursts of magnetic reconnection. In addition to the case study, a superposed epoch analysis of flows occurring during a 90 min interval of southward IMF yields statistical properties that are in qualitative agreement with observational analysis of bursty bulk flows (BBFs). For the idealized simulation conditions, the most significant differences with the observational results are a broader velocity profile in time, which becomes narrower away from the center of the current sheet, and a larger density drop after flow passage. The peak BZ amplitude is larger than in observations and precedes the peak in the flow velocity. We conclude that the LFM simulations are reproducing the statistical features of BBFs and that they are driven by spatially and temporally localized reconnection events within the simulation domain.
Application of the Ffowcs Williams/Hawkings equation to two-dimensional problems

This paper discusses the application of the Ffowcs Williams/Hawkings equation to two-dimensional problems. A two-dimensional version of this equation is derived, which not only provides a very efficient way for numerical implementation, but also reveals explicitly the features of the source mechanisms and the characteristics of the far-field noise associated with two-dimensional problems. It is shown that the sources can be interpreted, similarly to those in three-dimensional spaces, as quadrupoles from turbulent flows, dipoles due to surface pressure fluctuations on the bodies in the flow and monopoles from non-vanishing normal accelerations of the body surfaces. The cylindrical spreading of the two-dimensional waves and their far-field directivity become apparent in this new version. It also explicitly brings out the functional dependence of the radiated sound on parameters such as the flow Mach number and the Doppler factor due to source motions. This dependence is shown to be quite different from those in three-dimensional problems. The two-dimensional version is numerically very efficient because the domains of the integration are reduced by one from the three-dimensional version. The quadrupole integrals are now in a planar domain and the dipole and monopole integrals are along the contours of the two-dimensional bodies. The calculations of the retarded-time interpolation of the integrands, a time-consuming but necessary step in the three-dimensional version, are completely avoided by making use of fast Fourier transform. To demonstrate the application of this, a vortex/airfoil interaction problem is discussed, which has many practical applications and involves important issues such as vortex shedding from the trailing edge.
In Situ Localization and Quantification of mRNA for 92-kD Type IV Collagenase and Its Inhibitor in Aneurysmal, Occlusive, and Normal Aorta

Ninety-two-kilodalton type IV collagenase (MMP-9) is present in aortic aneurysms and may be important to the pathogenesis of this disease. Alteration in expression of MMP-9 or its inhibitor, the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase type 1 (TIMP-1), could increase degradation of extracellular matrix and lead to aneurysm formation. The purpose of this study was (1) to measure tissue levels of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 mRNA in aneurysmal (AAA), atherosclerotic occlusive (AOD), and normal (NL) human infrarenal aorta; (2) to test for their expression by cultured AAA and NL vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs); and (3) to locate in situ the cells responsible for mRNA production within AAA, AOD, and NL aortic wall. Total RNA extracted from AAA (n = 8), AOD (n = 8), and NL (n = 7) tissue was subjected to Northern analysis. Signals for MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were normalized to alpha-tubulin. Mean values +/- SEM were compared by ANOVA. NL and AAA VSMCs were cultured, passaged, and grown to confluence before RNA extraction and Northern analysis. In situ hybridization with digoxigenin-labeled RNA probes localized cells responsible for MMP-9 and TIMP-1 mRNA expression within sections of AAA (n = 5), AOD (n = 2), and NL (n = 2) aorta. MMP-9 mRNA levels were significantly greater in AAA (0.855 +/- 0.180) than NL (0.046 +/- 0.23) (P < .02), but differences between AOD (0.406 +/- 0.196) and AAA or AOD and NL were not significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Duality and multiplication operators

We describe a space of functions contained inxxLx℞(D)⋂C(D ⋃G) but not necessarily inU. We give a representation of these functions as bounded multiplication operators on the Bergman spacexxLxa2 and identify the subspace consisting of functions which induce compact multiplication operators. We also describe a newC*-subalgebra ofxxLx℞(D) which we conjecture to be a proper super-set ofU.
Gastric H+ secretion: histamine (cAMP-mediated) activation of protein phosphorylation

Activation of H+ secretion by the gastric parietal cell involves major changes in morphology, metabolic activity and ion pathways of the secretory membrane. These changes are elicited by histamine binding to the H2 receptor, raising cAMP levels and presumably activating cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Concomitantly, the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration, [Ca2+]i, increases. Studies were performed to determine whether cAMP-mediated protein phosphorylation accompanies histamine activation of H+ secretion and to catalogue the major protein species serving as substrates for cAMP-dependent protein kinase in the parietal cell. 80% pure rabbit parietal cells, prepared by Nycodenz bouyant density centrifugation, were used. To investigate only cAMP-mediated effects, histamine-dependent changes in [Ca2+]i in these cells were abolished by depleting intracellular Ca2+ stores and performing experiments under Ca2+-free conditions. Acid secretion and steady-state levels of protein phosphorylation were then measured in unstimulated (cimetidine-treated) and histamine-stimulated cells. In intact parietal cells, concommitant with histamine stimulation of H+ secretion, increases in the level of protein phosphorylation were observed. Significantly changing phosphoproteins found in supernatant fractions showed apparent subunit sizes of approx. 148, 130, 47 and 43 kDa, and in microsomal fractions included those at approx. 130, 51 and 47 kDa. In parietal cell homogenates, using [gamma-32P]ATP, cAMP elicited significant phosphorylation of eight supernatant proteins and twelve microsomal proteins, which included the histamine-dependent phosphoproteins found in the intact parietal cell, except for the 51 kDa microsomal protein. As a working hypothesis, these proteins are involved in stimulus-secretion coupling in the parietal cell.
Paley graphs satisfy all first‐order adjacency axioms

A graph satisfies Axiom n if, for any sequence of 2n of its points, there is another point adjacent to the first n and not to any of the last n. We show that, for each n, all sufficiently large Paley graphs satisfy Axiom n. From this we conclude at once that several properties of graphs are not first order, including self-complementarity and regularity.
NiW and NiRu Bimetallic Catalysts for Ethylene Steam Reforming: Alternative Mechanisms for Sulfur Resistance

Previous investigations of Ni-based catalysts for the steam reforming of hydrocarbons have indicated that the addition of a second metal can reduce the effects of sulfur poisoning. Two systems that have previously shown promise for such applications, NiW and NiRu, are considered here for the steam reforming of ethylene, a key component of biomass derived tars. Monometallic and bimetallic Al2O3-supported Ni and W catalysts were employed for ethylene steam reforming in the presence and absence of sulfur. The NiW catalysts were less active than Ni in the absence of sulfur, but were more active in the presence of 50 ppm H2S. The mechanism for the W-induced improvements in sulfur resistance appears to be different from that for Ru in NiRu. To probe reasons for the sulfur resistance of NiRu, the adsorption of S and C2H4 on several bimetallic NiRu alloy surfaces ranging from 11 to 33 % Ru was studied using density functional theory (DFT). The DFT studies reveal that sulfur adsorption is generally favored on hollow sites containing Ru. Ethylene preferentially adsorbs atop the Ru atom in all the NiRu (111) alloys investigated. By comparing trends across the various bimetallic models considered, sulfur adsorption was observed to be correlated with the density of occupied states near the Fermi level while C2H4 adsorption was correlated with the number of unoccupied states in the d-band. The diverging mechanisms for S and C2H4 adsorption allow for bimetallic surfaces such as NiRu that enhance ethylene binding without accompanying increases in sulfur binding energy. In contrast, bimetallics such as NiSn and NiW appear to decrease the affinity of the surface for both the reagent and the poison. .
The synthesis and spectral properties of manganese pentacarbonyl phosphine and phosphite cation derivatives and related complexes

Abstract The preparations of a variety of monosubstituted manganese carbonyl cationic species of the form [Mn(CO) 5 L][PF 6 ] are reported. Infraredspectral (including C- K force constant calculations) and reactivity properties of these derivatives are discussed as well.
Revisiting Polya's approach to foster problem solving skill development in software engineers

A cardinal responsibility of a software engineer is to analyze a given problem and through semantic mapping, apply apropos techniques and constructs to develop viable software solutions. The dominant curriculum models for software engineers has focused on the solution space's declarative knowledge and has mostly relegated problem solving skills to that of a consequence of the primary educational process.