cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of NGOs in child injury prevention: An organizational assessment of one network of NGOs

Unintentional injuries are estimated to claim the lives of more than 875,000 children each year; millions more live with long-term consequences and permanent disabilities. The epidemiology of injuries has become clearer in the past decade. NGOs need to work in concert with each other to address the global burden of injuries by sharing information. Several NGOs have heeded this call, and the field has seen the emergence of global organizations aimed at highlighting the burden of injuries and streamlining injury prevention activities worldwide. Safe Kids Worldwide Inc. (SKWW) is a global network in 16 countries whose mission is to address the burden of injuries in children under 15 by harnessing the potential of local NGOs. An organizational assessment was conducted of SKWW which included structured organizational assessment, functional organizational mapping and contextual analysis that allowed for an in-depth examination of the strengths and challenges of SKWW's injury prevention approach. Over one year, primary and secondary data were collected and analyzed from headquarters and individual country offices. SKWW appears to be an effective model and has experienced a strong momentum and growth over the last two decades. Global NGOs that address the burden of injuries should start by defining a clear and universal strategic goal, build on local successes, maximize their strengths, and create avenues for stronger country engagement.
Growth, Survival, and Biochemical Composition of Freshwater Prawns Macrobrachium rosenbergii Fed Natural Food Organisms Under Controlled Conditions

Under production conditions freshwater prawns Macrobrachium rosenbergii are supplied nutrients by a combination of prepared diets and natural pond organisms. For maximum production efficiency and profitability it is important that the nutritional contributions of natural foods be identified and quantified. In this study the relative importance of forage organisms previously identified as important natural foods for prawns in ponds were evaluated under controlled conditions. Juvenile prawns (average weight 1.80 ± 0.06 g) were stocked into 18 37.5-L aquaria at a density of 10 prawns per tank. The six dietary treatments tested were: 1) unfed (negative control); 2) commercially prepared diet (positive control); 3) oligo-chaetes; 4) chironomids; 5) zooplankton; and 6) a combination of the latter three. Each treatment was evaluated in triplicate aquaria for 7 wk. The growth rate of prawns in the unfed treatment was statistically lower than in fed treatments (P 0.05) between growth rates and survivals among prawns in the five fed treatments. Selective retention of arachidonic acid (20:4n-6), eicosapentanoic acid (22: 5n-3), and docosahexanenoic acid (22:6n-3) in unfed prawns likely indicates the relative nutritional importance of these fatty acids. Comparisons of whole-body fatty acid and amino acid concentrations of prawns and food organisms indicate that zooplankton and oligochaetes may have the most appropriate biochemical compositions as prawn food sources.
Polar mapping applied to seismology

An Indirect method of mapping is discussed by which the following problems on the surface of a sphere representing the Earth may be transferred to a normal zenithal stereographic projection and solved more readily and simply than by the use of a igonometric functions or other map projections: (a) Determination of great circle bearing of one position from another; (b) determination of great circle distance between two positions; (c) determination of unknown position when bearing and distance from another position are known; and (d) solution of triangulation of bearings problem from two or more positions to an unknown position.
Effect of Curing and Functionalization on the Interface Thermal Conductance in Carbon Nanotube–Epoxy Composites

This study investigates the interface thermal conductance in a functionalized carbon nanotube (CNT)–epoxy composite system and how it is modified when the surrounding matrix is cured. We have used nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations to study the interface thermal conductance in both cured and uncured matrices, based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol F (EPON-862) and diethylenetoluenediamine. The functionalization is modeled using a dynamic crosslinking algorithm and represents a realistic model of the matrix-filler interface. The thermal interface conductance increases linearly with the degree of functionalization up to the studied 2.5% due to stronger thermal coupling between functionalized CNT and the matrix. In addition, it was observed that curing of the matrix increases the interface conductance by 20% relative to the uncured matrix. This increase is attributed to an increase in thermal conductivity of cured epoxy resulting from relative enhancement in nonbonded interactions (originating from volume reduction) and structural rigidity during curing. Our results suggest that the interface conductance can be strongly influenced by the thermal properties of the bulk matrix as well as the interface chemistry of the additives such as CNTs.
Novel Strategies for the Deposition of ? COOH Functionalized Conducting Copolymer Films and the Assembly of Inorganic Nanoparticles on Conducting Polymer Platforms

A method for the preparation of COOH functionalized conducting copolymer films; toward the ultimate goal of developing resistance-based sensing platforms, is presented. The method involved vapor phase copolymerization of pyrrole with a monomer containing the COOH functionality, thiophene-3-acetic acid (TAA). This copolymerization strategy aided in avoiding the need to employ brittle poly(thiophene-3-acetic acid) (PTAA) films in sensing applications. In this strategy, variation in the gas phase feed ratio of pyrrole to TAA allowed for the variation of the composition of the copolymer film and further allowed for the variation of both the conductivity and the amount of COOH functionality in the films. Further, the effect of covalent attachment of silver on the conductivity of the copolymer films is performed and presented. This covalent attachment of silver served the dual purpose of verifying the presence of active COOH groups on the surface, and also allowed for the quantification of the change in conductivity as a result of such attachment. Use of the conjugated ring containing 4-aminothiophenol as the linker material enhanced the conductivities of the films. In contrast, employing cysteamine to link silver nanoparticles to the copolymer films did not result in any enhancement in the conductivities. An enhancement in the conductivities, ranging from 2 to 1000 times, is observed on covalent attachment of silver nanoparticles to the copolymer films using 4-aminothiophenol as the linker material. This increase depended on the amount of TAA in the films and increased with increasing concentrations of TAA in the films. These results clearly indicate the use of these copolymer films in resistance-based sensing. Further, this covalent attachment could be used as a novel strategy to integrate other inorganic nanomaterials on conducting polymer platforms.
Do the best design ideas (really) come from conceptually distant sources of inspiration

Design ideas often come from sources of inspiration (e.g., analogous designs, prior experiences). In this paper, we test the popular but unevenly supported hypothesis that conceptually distant sources of inspiration provide the best insights for creative production. Through text analysis of hundreds of design concepts across a dozen different design challenges on a Web-based innovation platform that tracks connections to sources of inspiration, we find that citing sources is associated with greater creativity of ideas, but conceptually closer rather than farther sources appear more beneficial. This inverse relationship between conceptual distance and design creativity is robust across different design problems on the platform. In light of these findings, we revisit theories of design inspiration and creative cognition.
The Maximal Covering Location Problem with Capacities on Total Workload

The Maximal Covering Location Problem MCLP has been the focus of considerable attention both in research and practice for some time, and numerous extensions have been proposed to broaden its appeal and enhance its applicability. In this paper, we are concerned with the addition of workload limits on the facilities. While not generally difficult to formulate, these capacity constraints make the model substantially more difficult to solve, as well as create certain pathological results, particularly in the assignment of uncovered demand to facilities. First we discuss these pathologies and extend the capacitated MCLP to address them. Then, we present an efficient solution procedure that is applicable to both simple and extended problem formulations. Finally, results of extensive tests on the solution procedure are presented and a "real-world" scale example is solved to explore the implications of the model.
On the shortest path problem for permutation graphs

The authors show that the single-source shortest path problem for permutation graphs can be solved in O(logn) time using O(n/logn) processors on an EREW PRAM. As an application, they show that a minimum connected dominating set of a permutation graph can be found in O(logn) time using O(n/logn) processors. The algorithms are optimal with respect to the time-processor product. >
Protoplanetary disks around Herbig Ae/Be stars: Indications from ISO spectroscopy

An analysis of solid-state features in infrared spectra of 46 Herbig Ae/Be stars is presented. The presence of solid-state emission bands is compared to other indicators of circumstellar material, such as Halpha emission, optical variability and sub-mm continuum fluxes. The correlation between these different indicators is weak, if present at all, in our sample. However, a strong dependence on spectral type of the central star seems to be present: stars with spectral type earlier than B9 show either amorphous silicate in absorption or infrared spectra dominated by PAH emission, whereas more than 70% of the stars of later spectral type show silicate emission. We conclude that the infrared spectrum of Herbig Be stars is in general dominated by emission from the circumstellar envelope, whereas the lower-mass Herbig Ae stars show a spectrum that is dominated by a disk that is passively heated by the central star.
Mechanotransduction in the cortical bone is most efficient at loading frequencies of 5–10 Hz

A dose-response relationship has been shown between loading frequency and cortical bone adaptation for frequencies of up to 10 Hz, and is presumed to persist with further increases in frequency. Studies herein aimed to investigate cortical bone adaptation to loading frequencies of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 30 Hz. Two studies were performed in adult C57BL/6 mice using the ulna axial compression-loading model. In the first study, the histomorphometric response of the ulna was studied when loaded for 120 cycles day(-1) for 3 days at one of the five frequencies and one of two load magnitudes (1.5 or 2.0 N). In the second study, the changes in ulna geometry and mechanical properties were studied following loading for 5 min day(-1), 3 days week(-1) for 4 weeks at one of the five frequencies and one of two load magnitudes (1.0 or 1.6 N). Preliminary strain gauge measurements showed that frequency had no effect on mechanical strain per unit load. In study 1, loading frequency significantly influenced bone adaptation when loading at 2.0 N, with loading at 10 Hz resulting in significantly greater adaptation than with loading at other frequencies. In study 2, loading frequency significantly influenced the change in geometry when loading at 1.6 N, with loading at 5, 10 or 30 Hz resulting in significantly greater change than with loading at 1 Hz. Loading at 5 Hz also resulted in significantly greater change than with loading at 20 Hz. No frequency effect was found on any of the mechanical properties at either load. Overall, we found cortical bone adaptation to mechanical loading to increase with increasing loading frequency up to 5-10 Hz and to plateau with frequencies beyond 10 Hz. The mechanism for this nonlinear frequency response is not known; however, based on strain gauge measurements, we do not believe it resulted from dampening associated with high frequency loading through the flexed carpal joint. The obtained findings may relate to the mechanism of mechanotransduction within the bone. This requires further investigation.
Efficacy of Combination Antiretroviral Therapy

Antiviral therapy with zidovudine has been demonstrated to prolong survival in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and delay the development of AIDS in persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.1–6 However, monotherapy with zidovudine has limitations; with prolonged therapy, patients continue to have progression of HIV disease and develop the associated opportunistic complications.3,4,7,8 As other antiretroviral agents become available, the sequential use of different antiretrovirals and concurrent use of combinations of agents became possible. A therapeutic strategy which emphasized sequential administration of agents was recommended, although combinations of agents have also been widely used in some settings.9 The sequential strategy was recommended for several reasons, including that data from randomized controlled trials supported its utility. In patients with moderate to advanced HIV who had been treated with zidovudine, switching from zidovudine to didanosine or to stavudine has been associated with clinical benefits.10–12 However, despite continued treatment with one nucleoside antiretroviral agent, HIV disease continues to progress. Other limitations recognized for antiretroviral monotherapy include the lack of sustained improvement in immunologic measures. The limitations in efficacy seen with sequential use of nucleoside antiretroviral therapies suggested that other strategies for suppression of HIV disease should be considered.
Potency of naltrexone to reduce ethanol self-administration in rats is greater for subcutaneous versus intraperitoneal injection

Abstract The opioid antagonist naltrexone (NTX) is used to treat alcohol dependence and may reduce alcohol consumption by selectively blocking opioid receptors. In rat experiments, discrepancy exists across studies regarding the potency of NTX to reduce ethanol consumption. One cause of this discrepancy may be the use of different routes of NTX administration (e.g., intraperitoneal vs. subcutaneous). The purpose of this study was to directly compare the effects of intraperitoneal and subcutaneous injections of NTX on ethanol self-administration. Rats pressed a lever for a sweetened ethanol solution (10% wt/vol in 0.1% saccharin) during 20min daily sessions. One group received intraperitoneal injections of 1, 3, 10, and 30mg/kg NTX before the sessions. Another group received subcutaneous injections of 0.03, 0.1, 0.3, and 1mg/kg NTX before the sessions. The group that received subcutaneous NTX was also tested with a single intraperitoneal injection of 0.3mg/kg NTX. Naltrexone significantly reduced ethanol self-administration, and NTX was more potent when administered via subcutaneous injection versus intraperitoneal injection. Ethanol intake (g/kg) was significantly reduced after subcutaneous injection of NTX 0.1mg/kg and higher. In contrast, ethanol intake was significantly reduced after intraperitoneal injection of NTX 3mg/kg and higher. A comparison of the NTX ED 50 values showed that subcutaneous NTX was approximately 30-fold more potent than intraperitoneal NTX. For the subcutaneous 0.3mg/kg NTX dose, a detailed bin analysis showed that responding during the first 2min after injection was similar to that during the first 2min after a saline injection while responding after NTX decreased in subsequent bins. These findings suggest that researchers should carefully consider the route of NTX administration when discussing potency and selectivity of NTX's effects on ethanol-related behaviors in rats. These findings further support the notion that NTX acts by terminating responding early rather than reducing the initial responding.
DYNAMIC SIMULATION AND ANALYSIS OF A PASSIVELY SELF-STABILIZING HEXAPEDAL RUNNING ROBOT

The Sprawl family of robots have demonstrated that fast and robust locomotion is possible over uneven terrain with only feed-forward control. In the absence of feed-back, the speed, efficiency, and stability of the system are largely functions of how well the physical system is tuned. This work describes the development of a dynamic model used to investigate the effects of design changes on system stability and performance. Simulation results show the surprisingly large region of configurations that result in stable locomotion, and how the shape of this region changes as a function of the passive properties of the hips. Understanding of this is critical since peak performance, as measured by running speed, tends to occur on the boundary of stable configurations. Simulation results were used to quantitatively redesign the legs of a version of the robot configured to run outdoors. Implementation of the design changes resulted in doubling the robot’s speed.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
An ab initio molecular orbital study of the structures and energies of neutral and charged bimolecular complexes of NH3 with the hydrides AHn (A = N, O, F, P, S, and Cl)

Hartree-Fock 6-31G(d) structures for the neutral, positive ion, and negative ion bimolecular complexes of NH3 with the first- and second-row hydrides AHn (AHn = NH3, OH2, FH, PH3, SH2, and ClH) have been determined. All of the stable neutral complexes except (NH3)2, the positive ion complexes with NH3 as the proton acceptor, and the negative ion complexes containing first-row anions exhibit conventional hydrogen bonded structures with essentially linear hydrogen bonds and directed lone pairs of electrons. The positive ion complex NH4+ … OH2 has the dipole moment vector of H2O instead of a lone pair directed along the intermolecular line, while the complexes of NH4+ with SH2, FH, and ClH have structures intermediate between the lone-pair directed and dipole directed forms. The negative ion complexes containing second-row anions have nonlinear hydrogen bonds. The addition of diffuse functions on nonhydrogen atoms to the valence double-split plus polarization 6-31G(d,p) basis set usually decreases the computed stabilization energies of these complexes. Splitting d polarization functions usually destabilizes these complexes, whereas splitting p polarization functions either has no effect or leads to stabilization. The overall effect of augmenting the 6-31G(d,p) basis set with diffuse functions on nonhydrogen atoms and two sets of polarization functions is to lower computed stabilization energies. Electron correlation stabilizes all of these complexes. The second-order Moller–Plesset correlation term is the largest term and always has a stabilizing effect, whereas the third and fourth-order terms are smaller and often of opposite sign. The recommended level of theory for computing the stabilization energies of these complexes is MP2/6-31+G(2d,2p), although MP2/6-31+G(d,p) is appropriate for the negative ion complexes.
The great transition of scholarly communication at the thomas G. Carpenter library

The library’s place in scholarly communication can be emphasized in many different ways. At the Thomas G. Carpenter Library at the University of North Florida (UNF), librarians have been able to preserve, organize, and promote community and academic resources very creatively. The UNF Digital Commons is used as a way to showcase faculty, staff, and university special collections and make them accessible to all users. Library space is also changing to invite faculty collaboration in areas previously devoted to print periodicals.
Adiposity-related protection of intestinal tumorigenesis: interaction with dietary calcium.

Abstract Although high-calcium diets have been reported to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, our preliminary data with the adenomatous polyposis coli (Apc) Min mutation (Min/+;ApcMin/+) mouse shows a paradoxical increase in intestinal tumor loads (> 65%) with high calcium diets. Since we previously demonstrated that increasing dietary calcium reduces adiposity, and ApcMin/+ mice on high calcium diets exhibited profound loss of adipose tissue, we hypothesized that loss of an adipose tissue-derived tumor suppressor factor(s) resulted in increased tumor susceptibility in animals on the high calcium diet. Accordingly, tumor prone ApcMin/+ mice were crossed with obesity prone lethal yellow agouti (A y /a) mice to generate obese Ay/ApcMin/+ mice. Low (0.2%), normal (0.5%), and high (1.2%) calcium diets were fed to both Ay/Apc Min/+ mice and ApcMin/+ mice from 35–40 days until 90 days of age (n = 21/strain, n = 7/diet group). The high calcium diet reduced weight gain in both strains (P < 0.01) and reduced fa...
Surface haptic feature attenuation due to contact on opposing surface

In fingertip interaction with a virtual surface, the illusion of a protruding bump can be created even in the absence of out-of-plane forces or motions, by presenting just the lateral forces associated with sliding over a bump [19]. We found that when a virtual bump on one side of a planar haptic display surface is explored with a fingertip, adding contact with the opposing side of that surface as well (pinch grip) decreases the virtual bump's perceived height. Using two motor-driven sliding contact surfaces (one for either side of the display plane), we determined when a bump traversed with the index finger alone subjectively matched a comparison bump explored with simultaneous thumb contact on the opposing side (the point of subjective equality, or PSE). The decrease in perceived bump height due to opposing surface contact was on the order of 10%.
Electromagnetic induction in a generalized 3D anisotropic earth, Part 2: The LIN preconditioner

A practical limitation in the use of generalized 3D forward modeling algorithms for inversion of electromagnetic data is the high computational cost of solving large, ill‐conditioned systems of linear equations arising from the discretization of the governing Maxwell equations. To address this problem, a new class of preconditioners has recently been proposed which is based on a Helmholtz decomposition of the electric field in the low induction number (LIN) regime. This paper further develops that idea and introduces a LIN preconditioner which can be applied to problems characterized by a fully generalized anisotropic medium. Included are sample calculations demonstrating a reduction by two orders of magnitude in the number of “quasi‐minimal residual” iterates and a speedup by a factor of approximately four in the solution time for one forward calculation. Also included are results previously unobtainable by standard Jacobi preconditioning for simulating multicomponent induction sonde response in a horizo...
Social Media Use and Perceived Emotional Support Among US Young Adults

Low emotional support is associated with poor health outcomes. Engagement with face-to-face social networks is one way of increasing emotional support. However, it is not yet known whether engagement with proliferating electronic social networks is similarly associated with increased emotional support. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess associations between social media use and perceived emotional support in a large, nationally-representative sample. In October 2014, we collected data from 1796 U.S. adults ages 19-32. We assessed social media use using both total time spent and frequency of visits to each of the 11 most popular social media platforms. Our dependent variable was perceived emotional support as measured by the brief Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) emotional support scale. A multivariable model including all sociodemographic covariates and accounting for survey weights demonstrated that, compared with the lowest quartile of time on social media, being in the highest quartile (spending two or more hours per day) was significantly associated with decreased odds of having higher perceived emotional support (AOR 0.62, 95 % CI 0.40, 0.94). However, compared with those in the lowest quartile, being in the highest quartile regarding frequency of social media use was not significantly associated with perceived emotional support (AOR 0.70, 95 % CI 0.45, 1.09). In conclusion, while the cross-sectional nature of these data hinder inference regarding directionality, it seems that heavy users of social media may actually feel less and not more emotional support.
Cure State by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)

Abstract Phase shift angle measurements were made on ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM), polypropylene (PP), and thermoplastic elastomers (TPVs) using TappingMode™ phase imaging technique by atomic force microscopy (AFM). In this work, the phase shift angle for rubber or elastomer is independent of penetration depth for setpoint ratio (rsp) below 0.6, which indicates elastic behavior of the materials. Thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) containing different amount of curative show that phase shift angle increases with increasing curative content. Our study shows that phase shift angle measurement can be used to evaluate cure state of elastomer phase for model TPVs.
Chromatin immunoprecipitation and gene expression analysis of neuronal subtypes after fluorescence activated cell sorting

Abstract Background With advances in cell capture, gene expression can now be studied in neuronal subtypes and single cells; however, studying epigenetic mechanisms that underlie these changes presents challenges. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) protocols optimized for low cell number do not adequately address technical issues and cell loss while preparing tissue for fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). Developing a reliable FACS–ChIP protocol without the need for pooling tissue from multiple animals would enable study of epigenetic mechanisms in neuronal subtypes. Methods FACS was used to isolate dopamine 1 receptor (D1R) expressing cells from the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of a commercially available BAC transgenic mouse strain. D1R+ cells were used to study gene expression as well as histone modifications at gene promoters using a novel native ChIP protocol. Results Isolated cells had enrichment of the dopamine 1 receptor (D1R) mRNA and nearly undetectable levels of GFAP and D2R mRNA. ChIP analysis demonstrated the association of activating or repressive histone modifications with highly expressed or silent gene promoters, respectively. Comparison with existing methods The ChIP protocol developed in this paper enables characterization of histone modifications from ∼30,000 FAC-sorted neurons. Conclusions We describe a one day FACS–ChIP protocol that can be applied to epigenetic studies of neuronal subtypes without pooling tissue.
MAKEDB: a low cost alternative to sci-mate, Procite, et al. ...usable with free “generic” retrival systems

Dans les bibliotheques, les utilisateurs desirent, apres avoir effectue une recherche bibliographique, que les donnees retenues soient teledechargees sur disquette ou a l'aide d'un logiciel de gestion de fichiers (ici BASIC et DBASE III) elles seront manipulees. La conversion de formats de BRS a dBASE III est effectuee a l'aide du programme Make DB dont les caracteristiques sont ici detaillees
Identity Rivalry and the Group Endowment Effect

The present study examined endowment effects for group-owned property where the property had rival group-based identity features and where the relationships were defined as either cooperative or competitive. The data indicated once again a group endowment effect: sellers set higher prices than buyers for group-owned property. Identity rivalry tended to increase both buyer and seller prices when there was a competitive relationship. When there was a cooperative relationship, identity rivalry lowered buyer prices, which resulted in a larger endowment effect. The data suggest the presence of a "gain attraction" effect as well as a "loss aversion" effect. People in cooperative relationships are more willing to let their partners take possession of objects that have shared identity; people in competitive relationships are less likely to let their opponents do this.
Economic Impact of Midges on Guar Seed Production in the Texas Rolling Plains

Guar, Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub., is a summer annual legume that is grown commercially in Texas and Oklahoma for its seed. Cecidomyia texana (Felt) and Asphondylia sp. were first observed attacking guar in the Texas Rolling-Plains in 1969 and 1970, respectively. Infestation by C. texana larvae effect bud abortion, whereas infestation by Asphondylia sp. induces bud and young pod gall formation. The result in each case precludes pod maturation and seed production. Since 1969, C. texana has caused a 20--30% annual loss (equivalent to ca. 1.5-1.9 million) to guar-seed producers in the Texas Rolling Plains alone. Asphondylia sp. restricts its attack to late-maturing guar and is currently of little economic importance.
Monoclonal antibodies directed against protoplasts of soybean cells : Generation of hybridomas and characterization of a monoclonal antibody reactive with the cell surface.

Splenocytes, derived from mice that had been immunized with protoplasts prepared from suspension cultures of root cells of Glycine max (L.) Merr. (SB-1 cell line), were fused with a murine myeloma cell line. The resulting hybridoma cultures were screened for the production of antibodies directed against the soybean protoplasts and were then cloned. One monoclonal antibody, designated MVS-1, was found to bind to the outer surface of the plasma membrane on the basis of several criteria: (a) agglutination of the protoplasts; (b) binding of fluorescence-labeled immunoglobulin on protoplasts yielding a ring staining pattern with prominent intensity at the edges; and (c) saturable binding by protoplasts of 125I-labeled Antibody MVS-1. The antigenic target of Antibody MVS-1, identified by immunoblotting techniques, contained a polypeptide of relative molecular mass (Mr) approx. 400000 under both reducing and non-reducing conditions. When the antigenic target of Antibody MVS-1 was chromatographed in potassium phosphate buffer, the position of elution corresponded to that of a high-molecular-weight species (Mr 400000). These results provide the protein characterization required for the analysis of the mobility of Antibody MVS-1 bound to the plasma membrane of SB-1 cells.
Rapid Entry Corridor Trajectory Optimization for Conceptual Design

mission requirements. In many applications, this process is performed using computationally intensive direct methods. In this investigation, an automated process has been developed to perform rapid trajectory optimization using indirect methods. This process combines and advances disparate trajectory optimization techniques developed over the previous century into a unied framework that is capable of solving a wide range of design problems. Specically, this framework implements discrete dynamic programming, nonlinear inversion, pseudospectral methods, indirect methods, and continuation. The results from pseudospectral methods identify challenges in the formulation of corner conditions and switching structure associated with indirect methods. Examples demonstrate that families of optimal trajectories can be quickly constructed for varying trajectory parameters, vehicle shape, atmospheric properties, and gravity. These results validate the hypothesis that many entry trajectory solutions are linked through indirect methods. This framework enables rapid trajectory optimization and design space exploration, rapid sensitivity and robustness analysis, and rapid vehicle requirements denition.
Scintillation of Un-doped ZnO Single Crystals

Scintillation properties are often studied by photo-luminescence (PL) and scintillation measurements. In this work, we combine X-ray-induced luminescence (XRIL) spectroscopy [Review of Scientific Instruments 83, 103112 (2012)] with PL and standard scintillation measurements to give insight into the scintillation properties of un-doped ZnO single crystals. XRIL revealed that ZnO luminescence proportionally increases with X-ray power and exhibits excellent linearity - indicating the possibility of developing radiation detectors with good energy resolution. By coupling ZnO crystals to fast photomultiplier tubes and monitoring the anode signal, rise times as fast as 0.9 ns were measured.
Leaf nutrients(N,P,K,Ca and Mg) in selected Populus tomentosa triploid clones

Concentrations of nutrients(N,P,K,Ca,and Mg) in leaves of triploid Populus tomentosa were studied with 12 treatments(11 triploid clones:S1, S2, S3,S4,S5,S6,S7,S8,S9,S11,S12)and a duple clone(S10) as a control.The results showed that compared to the control,concentrations of N in clones S11,S1,S6,S3,S7,S8 and S4 were significantly greater(P0.05,n=36),concentrations of K in all triploid clones were significantly greater(P0.01),concentrations of Ca in all triploid clones were significantly less(P0.01),and concentrations of P and Mg were not significantly different.N concentrations excluding the control ranged from 24.56 g·kg-1(S11) to 21.23 g·kg-1(S9);P concentrations from 1.81 g·kg-1(S5) to 1.24 g·kg-1(S2);K concentrations ranged from 19.46 g·kg-1(S4) to 15.20 g·kg-1(S10);and Ca concentrations ranged from 11.35 g·kg-1(S10) to 5.93 g·kg-1(S8).Nutrient concentrations in leaves of triploid P.tomentosa were in the following order: N K Ca Mg P.[Ch,5 fig.1 tab.15 ref.]
The effects of wildness training giant pandas grazing and artificial harvesting on the regeneration of umbrella bamboo(Fargesia robusta) clone population

99% of the giant panda's (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) diet consists of the subalpine bamboo species. Thus,the life span of the giant panda is directly related to the life span of the bamboo it feeds upon. The regeneration of bamboo is linked directly to the giant panda's survival and conservation. Our goal was to find out whether giant panda grazing or human harvesting would best promote clonal regeneration of bamboo. From 2003 to 2007,using the plot sample and positioning observation methods,clonal regeneration of umbrella bamboo (Fargesia robusta) was studied in the Wolong Natural Reserve of China. Three types of plots were located in the reserve:grazed (bamboo in the wild training enclosure from July 2003 to Sept. 2004),harvested (bamboo cut in the spring of 2004),and control. Results showed that under similar demographic and environmental conditions (p0.05),the grazing and death rates of bamboo for the grazed plot were 67.07% and 29.07%; vs. the harvested plot of 65.67% and 46.68%. Compared to giant panda grazing,harvesting strongly restricted the viability of the umbrella bamboo population. The result of analysis on the bamboo shoots indicated that grazing and harvesting promoted the shooting rate of umbrella bamboo (p0.05). The quality of bamboo shoots (length and diameter) in the harvested plots was no better than that of the grazed and control plots (p0.05),and giant pandas were inclined to feed on the bamboo shoots in the harvested plots (p0.05). The fecundity of the bamboo shoots varied over the years in the grazed and harvested plots (p=0.006-0.035). After a long period of renewal,the densities of the bamboo shoots converged in all plots. Apart from 2007,annual culm recruitment of the umbrella bamboo clone population was significantly different among the three plot types from 2003-2006 (p0.05). Annual culm mortality was significantly different among the three plot types during 2003 and 2004 (p0.05),but no significance from 2005 to 2007. In the grazed and harvested plots,the mortality rate was significantly lower than the recruitment rate in 2003,2004,2006,and 2007 (p0.05). However,the mortality rate of the grazed plot in 2004 and 2005 along with the harvested and control plots in 2005 showed an increase in the recruitment rate. There was no significant difference between the recruitment and mortality rates (p0.05). Overall,both grazing and harvesting measures had the potential to improve the umbrella bamboo fecundity,and results suggested that clonal regeneration of umbrella bamboo was actively affected by giant panda grazing and proper harvesting.
Persistent cloaca and phallic urethra.

AbstractDuring the last 8 years 54 children with a persistent cloaca have been treated by one of us (A.P.). The most common associated anomalies involved the urinary tract, with renal agenesis, renal dysplasia, vesicoureteral reflux and megaureter encountered most frequently. Four patients demonstrated the rare entity of an opening at the tip of a pseudophallus and 2 also had an accessory urethra in association with the cloacal malformation. These children exhibited some form of masculinization of the external genitalia with the accessory urethra or cloacal channel assuming a phallic position in an enlarged clitoris. No adrenal, metabolic or chromosomal abnormalities were detected and virilization was limited to the genitalia. These cases illustrate the greater predilection of these patients to more complex congenital malformations than patients with an isolated cloaca. The posterior sagittal approach has been used effectively for repair of these congenital malformations.
Methods for generating paired competing risks data

Background and objectivesClustered competing risks data arise often in genetic studies, multicenter investigations, and matched-pairs studies. In the last two decades, major advances in competing risks theory had been made. Many new statistical methods need to be evaluated via simulation studies. Some mechanisms for simulating clustered competing risks data have been considered in the literature. However, most of them produce data where the strength of the dependence between individuals within a cluster is not clear. In this article, we aim to examine various techniques for generating bivariate competing risks data. MethodsTheoretical framework for simulating dependent competing risks data using latent failure time approach, multistate models, and shared frailty models is described. The steps needed to implement each method are outlined. Properties of each technique are discussed and standard measures of association are provided in order to assess the degree of dependence in simulated paired competing risks data. Results and conclusionsIn addition to describing a variety of techniques to generate dependent competing risks data, the cross-hazard ratios from multiple scenarios for each method are computed. The cross-hazard ratios provide a means to compare the level of dependence of the generated data across methods. This acts as a guide for researchers to select an approach and the parameters needed to achieve the desired degree of dependence for their simulation studies.
Evaluation of Freezing-Thawing Cycles for Foundation Soil Stabilization

Freezing-thawing cycles in soils reduce considerably the foundation capacity of buildings and infrastructure. In recent years, development of nontraditional stabilizers has created hundreds of new products for soil stabilization. Fiber portions of biomass (such as lignin) can be considered as byproducts of the conversion process, and these byproducts are generally used to produce octane booster fuels, bio-based products, and other chemical products. The use of lignin-based biofuel co-products (BCPs) to stabilize pavement subgrade soil is an innovative idea and satisfies the needs of sustainable development in construction. A series of laboratory tests, including unconsolidated undrained direct shear test, freeze-thaw durability test, and scanning electron microscope tests, was conducted to evaluate the effect of BCP addition on shear strength performance for four different soils encountered in Iowa. The results of this study indicate that BCPs are beneficial in the soil stabilization of low-quality materials for use in road construction.
Selected Aspects of Implementation of “EU Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Strategic Framework 2014–2020” Connected with Automation & Robotics

The European Commission has adopted a Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2014–2020. This document identifies three major challenges for health and safety at work. The first is improvement of implementation of existing health and safety rules, in particular by enhancing the capacity of Micro and Small Enterprises (SME) to put in place effective and efficient risk prevention strategies. Next is improvement of the prevention of work-related diseases by tackling new and emerging risks without neglecting existing risks. The third challenge is tackling demographic change. This article shows selected aspects and tools connected with introduce the Strategic Framework in the industrial environment, with high level of automation & robotics. The Online Interactive Risk Assessment (OiRA), a web platform providing sectoral risk assessment tools, is presented. Authors propose an approach for creation of OHS trainings, dedicated for A&R manufacturing installations. There are discussed training curriculum and dedicated ICT training solution.
Spillovers of Cross-Border Strategic Alliances on Rivals’ Values in Emerging Economies

While there are many studies on the impact of cross-border strategic alliances (SAs) on market values of focal firms, studies on the impacts of cross-border SAs on market values of local rivals in ...
Search-based Neural Structured Learning for Sequential Question Answering

Recent work in semantic parsing for question answering has focused on long and complicated questions, many of which would seem unnatural if asked in a normal conversation between two humans. In an effort to explore a conversational QA setting, we present a more realistic task: answering sequences of simple but inter-related questions. We collect a dataset of 6,066 question sequences that inquire about semi-structured tables from Wikipedia, with 17,553 question-answer pairs in total. To solve this sequential question answering task, we propose a novel dynamic neural semantic parsing framework trained using a weakly supervised reward-guided search. Our model effectively leverages the sequential context to outperform state-of-the-art QA systems that are designed to answer highly complex questions.
Estimation of cylinder orientation in three-dimensional point cloud using angular distance-based optimization

Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) has become a widely used tool in remote sensing for mapping, surveying, modeling, and a host of other applications. The motivation behind this work is the modeling of piping systems in industrial sites, where cylinders are the most common primitive or shape. We focus on cylinder parameter estimation in three-dimensional point clouds, proposing a mathematical formulation based on angular distance to determine the cylinder orientation. We demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of the technique on synthetically generated cylinder point clouds (where the true axis orientation is known) as well as on real LIDAR data of piping systems. The proposed algorithm is compared with a discrete space Hough transform-based approach as well as a continuous space inlier approach, which iteratively discards outlier points to refine the cylinder parameter estimates. Results show that the proposed method is more computationally efficient than the Hough transform approach and is more accurate than both the Hough transform approach and the inlier method.
Fluid Volumes, Glomerular Filtration, and Clearance

This chapter presents various problem sets related to fluid volumes, glomerular filtration, and clearance, which include the amount of filtration coefficient and its magnitude when the average glomerular capillary pressure is about 55 mmHg, plasma oncotic pressure is about 28 mmHg, the hydrostatic pressure within Bowman's space is 20 mmHg, ultrafiltrate oncotic pressure is 0 mmHg, the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is 120 mL min21, and each kidney weighs 125 g; the lean body mass of a person weighing 105 kg and having total body water of 48 L; and the calculation of the percentage of body fat in excess of the lean body mass when the person weighs 105 kg and has total body water of 48 L.
Forging our understanding of lncRNAs in the brain

During both development and adulthood, the human brain expresses many thousands of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and aberrant lncRNA expression has been associated with a wide range of neurological diseases. Although the biological significance of most lncRNAs remains to be discovered, it is now clear that certain lncRNAs carry out important functions in neurodevelopment, neural cell function, and perhaps even diseases of the human brain. Given the relatively inclusive definition of lncRNAs-transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides with essentially no protein coding potential-this class of noncoding transcript is both large and very diverse. Furthermore, emerging data indicate that lncRNA genes can act via multiple, non-mutually exclusive molecular mechanisms, and specific functions are difficult to predict from lncRNA expression or sequence alone. Thus, the different experimental approaches used to explore the role of a lncRNA might each shed light upon distinct facets of its overall molecular mechanism, and combining multiple approaches may be necessary to fully illuminate the function of any particular lncRNA. To understand how lncRNAs affect brain development and neurological disease, in vivo studies of lncRNA function are required. Thus, in this review, we focus our discussion upon a small set of neural lncRNAs that have been experimentally manipulated in mice. Together, these examples illustrate how studies of individual lncRNAs using multiple experimental approaches can help reveal the richness and complexity of lncRNA function in both neurodevelopment and diseases of the brain.
Toward Perceptually-Consistent Stereo: A Scanline Study

Two types of information exist in a stereo pair: correlation (matching) and decorrelation (half-occlusion). Vision science has shown that both types of information are used in the visual cortex, and that people can perceive depth even when correlation cues are absent or very weak, a capability that remains absent from most computational stereo systems. As a step toward stereo algorithms that are more consistent with these perceptual phenomena, we re-examine the topic of scanline stereo as energy minimization. We represent a disparity profile as a piecewise smooth function with explicit breakpoints between its smooth pieces, and we show this allows correlation and decorrelation to be integrated into an objective that requires only two types of local information: the correlation and its spatial gradient. Experimentally, we show the global optimum of this objective matches human perception on a broad collection of wellknown perceptual stimuli, and that it also provides reasonable piecewise-smooth interpretations of depth in natural images, even without exploiting monocular boundary cues.
Effects of Career Preparation Experiences on the Initial Employment Success of College Graduates

The effectiveness of supplementary career preparation experiences is conceived as universal or conditional, the latter either enhancing existing assets such as ability or overcoming deficits such as lack of specialized preparation. Logistic regression was used to analyze the responses of 1,012 baccalaureate graduates to a questionnaire survey one month following graduation. Effectiveness was defined as securing baccalaureate level employment. Work experience related to career goals was the only experience of universal effectiveness, with participation in student organizations of marginal significance. Positive conditional effects, however, were found for internships, work experiences related to career goals, advanced skills courses in quantitative analysis and writing, and participation in student organizations. These latter experiences were primarily asset enhancers for those with specialized preparation. An interpretation is offered incorporating labor market conditions and employer behavior as constructs.