cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of indomethacin, prednisolone and Cis-4-hydroxyproline on pulmonary fibrosis produced by butylated hydroxytoluene and oxygen

The purpose of this study was to examine whether development of pulmonary fibrosis in mice could be influenced by indomethacin, prednisolone or a proline analog. Pulmonary fibrosis was produced in mice treated with butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) 400 mg/kg and immediately exposed to 80% oxygen for 3 days. This treatment regimen resulted in 47% mortality. Surviving mice exhibited significant accumulations of pulmonary collagen as evidenced by increases in total lung hydroxyproline levels. The administration of indomethacin (4 mg/kg/day) on days 1–6 after BHT decreased mortality to 14% and diminished the accumulation of collagen in lung tissue. Indomethacin also enhanced survival when administered on days 1–3 after BHT/O2 but had no effect on lung collagen levels. Treatment with indomethacin on days 4–6 after BHT had no beneficial effect. The administration of prednisolone (60 mg/kg/day) on days 1–3, 1–6 or 4–6 after BHT decreased mortality but had no effect on accumulation of lung collagen. Cis-4-hydroxyproline (400 mg/kg/day) also had no effect on pulmonary fibrosis but did enhance survival when given on days 1–3 after BHT. Administering prednisolone (60 mg/kg/day) on days 1–6 after BHT to mice left in room air produced significantly more pulmonary fibrosis than in BHT-treated mice given saline. These data support the use of the BHT/O2 model of pulmonary fibrosis for screening potential antifibrotic agents. The possibility that corticosteroid treatment may enhance pulmonary fibrosis in a damaged lung is also demonstrated.
The Phonemic Approach: Its Uses and Value

Author's Summary— Phonetics and its application to language teaching have enabled us to aim at accurate hearing and imitation; a further development of phonetics, phonemics, “essentializes” and “functionalizes” our understanding of sound-patterns and furnishes the basis for a revised approach to grammatical structure.) Scene: A second-year French class. Teacher: Lisez, s'il vous plait, M. Jones. Johnny Jones (slowly and painfully): Bar mer deet ler vyerz matoo ong mongtraynong voo ong vayrayz byang dohtrayz. Teacher (inwardly): Mon Dieu! (outwardly) Traduisez, s'il vous plait. Jones: Sir? Oh! Bah, said to me the old … er … Teacher: Tom-cat. Jones: In entraining me … Teacher: Leading me away … Jones: You will see the others well.
[12]Annulene radical anions revisited: evaluation of structure assignments based on computed energetic and electron spin resonance data.

We report density functional and coupled cluster calculations on numerous monocyclic and bicyclic (CH)12•— isomers. At the RCCSD(T)/cc-pVDZ//UB3LYP/6-31+G* level, a nearly planar, bond-equalized radical anion of 1,7-di-trans-[12]annulene (4a•—) is lowest in energy; several other isomers and conformations lie within 3 kcal/mol of 4a•—. RCCSD(T)/AUG-cc-pVDZ//UB3LYP/6-31+G* results place the all-cis isomer 3•— slightly below 4a•— in energy. Validation studies on the heptalene radical anion, [16]annulene radical anion, and tri-trans-[12]annulene radical anion indicate that electron spin resonance (ESR) hyperfine coupling constants (aH values) computed at the BLYP/EPR-III level on DFT geometries give much better agreement with experimental values than those computed using B3LYP/6-31G*. We were unable to locate any C12H12•— isomer that could account for the ESR spectrum previously attributed to a highly twisted structure for the 1,7-di-trans-[12]annulene radical anion. Our computed energetic and ESR data for [1...
Particle Diameter Influences Adhesion under Flow

The diameter of circulating cells that may adhere to the vascular endothelium spans an order of magnitude from approximately 2 microm (e.g., platelets) to approximately 20 microm (e.g., a metastatic cell). Although mathematical models indicate that the adhesion exhibited by a cell will be a function of cell diameter, there have been few experimental investigations into the role of cell diameter in adhesion. Thus, in this study, we coated 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-microm-diameter microspheres with the recombinant P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 construct 19.ek.Fc. We compared the adhesion of the 19.ek.Fc microspheres to P-selectin under in vitro flow conditions. We found that 1) at relatively high shear, the rate of attachment of the 19.ek.Fc microspheres decreased with increasing microsphere diameter whereas, at a lower shear, the rate of attachment was not affected by the microsphere diameter; 2) the shear stress required to set in motion a firmly adherent 19.ek.Fc microsphere decreased with increasing microsphere diameter; and 3) the rolling velocity of the 19.ek.Fc microspheres increased with increasing microsphere diameter. These results suggest that attachment, rolling, and firm adhesion are functions of particle diameter and provide experimental proof for theoretical models that indicate a role for cell diameter in adhesion.
A Role for Emerging Obesity Drugs

Obesity is an intractable, global health problem. A variety of strategies, including behavioral programs, surgery, and changes in the built environment and public policy can play an important role but have significant limitations. Medications to promote weight loss have been available for many years, though the number of currently available drugs is very limited. Promising medications have suffered from concerns about serious side effects, as evidenced by market withdrawals of fenfluramine-phentermine, sibutramine, and rimonabant. Emerging weight loss medications include single or combination agents. Single agents include the diabetes drugs exenatide, pramlintide, and liraglutide, all associated with significant weight loss. None of these are currently approved for the treatment of obesity in the absence of diabetes. Combination therapy involves combining two currently available medications whose safety profiles have been well established, with the expectation of a synergistic weight loss effect. Naltrexone SR/buproprion SR and phentermine IR/topiramate CR are two combination drugs closest to approval and widespread availability. No drug is likely to have an extremely important large impact upon weight. Nevertherless, given that even modest weight loss in obese individuals (roughly 5% of body weight) can have a significant impact upon obesity-related illness, emerging weight loss drugs can play a role in supplementing lifestyle modifications, especially in patients who have successfully implemented some modifications but are still struggling to lose weight.
Complicating the concept of culture

Anderson-Levitt, Kathryn M. 2012. "Complicating the Concept of Culture." Comparative Education 48 (4):441-454. doi: 10.2307/23524668.
Control of Albugo Candida race 7 in Brassica campestris cv. Torch by foliar, seed, and soil applications of metalaxyl

(1987). Control of Albugo Candida race 7 in Brassica campestris cv. Torch by foliar, seed, and soil applications of metalaxyl. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology: Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 137-145.
Benzyltriethylammonium Dichloroiodate/Sodium Bicarbonate Combination as an Inexpensive, Environmentally Friendly, and Mild Iodinating Reagent for Anilines

Monoiodinated anilines were prepared in good to excellent yields by the action of benzyltriethylammonium dichloroiodate on anilines in the presence of sodium bicarbonate and methanol. The iodinating reagent was prepared in an environmentally friendly fashion without the use of organic solvents.
Local Rings with Genus Two Zero Divisor Graph

To each commutative ring R we can associate a graph, the zero divisor graph of R, whose vertices are the zero divisors of R, and such that two vertices are adjacent if their product is zero. Presently, we enumerate the local finite commutative rings whose zero divisor graphs have orientable genus 2.
Effective chi in a lattice theory of mixtures.

Using general thermodynamic arguments for an incompressible lattice system, we demonstrate that the effective \ensuremath{\chi} must be a complicated function of temperature, composition, polymerization indices, and the coordination number of the lattice, even though the bare \ensuremath{\chi} is merely a parameter. We go beyond the random mixing approximation and present a lattice theory of mixtures which yields an effective \ensuremath{\chi} consistent with experiments. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Molecular characterization of the TrkA/NGF receptor minimal enhancer reveals regulation by multiple cis elements to drive embryonic neuron expression

Neural development relies on stringent regulation of key genes that mediate specialized function. TrkA is primarily expressed in neural crest-derived sensory and sympathetic neurons where it transmits critical survival information. We have identified a 457 base pair sequence upstream of the murine first TrkA coding exon that is conserved in human and in chick, and is sufficient for expression in the correct cells with appropriate timing. Mutation analysis of consensus transcription factor binding domains within the minimal enhancer reveals a complex positive regulation that includes sites required for global expression and sites that are specifically required for DRG, trigeminal or sympathetic expression. These results provide a foundation for identification of the transcriptional machinery that specifies neurotrophin receptor expression.
A new synthesis of 3‐chloroflavones

The synthesis of a number of 3-chloroflavones by a new method, involving reaction of arylmagnesium bromides with 3,4-dichlorocoumarins, is described. The synthesis of 2-chloro-7-methyl-11H-benzofuro[3,2-b] [1)benzopyran-11-one is also described.
Lost in translation: The acute care nurse practitioners’ use of evidence based practice: A qualitative study

Evidenced based practice (EBP) is a concept that has been widely enveloped by the health care industry. The benefits of EBP include cost savings, improved patient outcomes, and the translation of research findings to the bedside. In spite of the industry’s acceptance of EBP, the literature is devoid of studies exploring the ways in which EBP is integrated into daily practice. This study used a qualitative approach to study the daily use of EBP by Acute Care Nurse Practitioners (ACNPs) which have far reaching implication for all health care providers who use EBP. A total of 10 practicing ACNPs from two large teaching and one community hospitals in a major, southern city in the United States, were interviewed. The transcripts were reviewed and thematic descriptors were identified. The ACNPs were overwhelmingly supportive of the use of EBP. EBP was the preferred method of delivering care, yet it was not regarded as a blanket prescription for care. A wide range of mitigating factors were identified, mandating careful consideration prior to applying EBP recommendations. The mitigating factors included: (1) beyond the barriers and balancing influencing factors, (2) to trust or not to trust, (3) balancing clinical knowledge and evidence in daily practice, (4) the patient is always right. In other words, balancing patient needs and desires often precluded the implementation of EBP tenets. This study's findings document the need for further study, improved instrument development, and educational initiatives that focus on the real world practice of integrating EBP among ACNPs and all health care providers.
High-resolution δ13C stratigraphy of the Chuar Group (ca. 770–742 Ma), Grand Canyon: Implications for mid-Neoproterozoic climate change

A high-resolution C-isotope record based on δ 13 C org from organic-rich shales and δ 13 C carb from dolomites in the ca. 770–742 Ma Chuar Group provides important new data for evaluating the signifi cance of large-magnitude C-isotope anomalies in Neoproterozoic climate change. Three successive, large-magnitude isotopic excursions (8–15‰) are interpreted to represent primary seawater values based on a series of diagenetic tests, and they are not associated with evidence of signifi cant long-term (10 6 –10 7 m.y.) sea-level change nor glaciomarine deposits. Intrabasinal correlation of δ 13 C org values suggests that most Chuar shales record primary values and is consistent with previously reported H/C ratios of >0.49 indicating that Chuar shales experienced minimal thermal alteration. Although some Chuar dolomites reveal early diagenetic alteration, their δ 13 C dol values typically fall near those of coeval “least-altered” dolomites or organic-rich shales (relative to dolomite values). The Chuar carbon record is interpreted to refl ect predominantly primary organic carbon δ 13 C values and contains suf
Information fractals for evidential pattern classification

Proposed is a novel model of belief functions based on fractal theory. The model is first justified in qualitative, intuitive terms, then formally defined. Also, the application of the model to the design of an evidential classifier is described. The proposed classification scheme is illustrated by a simple example dealing with robot sensing. The approach followed is motivated by applications to the design of intelligent systems, such as sensor-based dexterous manipulators, that must operate in unstructured, highly uncertain environments. Sensory data are assumed to be (1) incomplete and (2) gathered at multiple levels of resolution. >
Breaking Empirical Deadlocks in the Study of Partisanship: An Overview of Experimental Research Strategies

The vast literature on party identification has gradually become bogged down by disputes about how to interpret observational data. This paper proposes the use of experimental designs to shed light on the responsiveness of party identification to short term forces such as retrospective performance evaluations. Examples of recent field experiments are used to illustrate two types of experimental designs and the assumptions on which they rest.
Unfolding the event landscape on twitter: classification and exploration of user categories

Social media platforms such as Twitter garner significant attention from very large audiences in response to real-world events. Automatically establishing who is participating in information production or conversation around events can improve event content consumption, help expose the stakeholders in the event and their varied interests, and even help steer subsequent coverage of an event by journalists. In this paper, we take initial steps towards building an automatic classifier for user types on Twitter, focusing on three core user categories that are reflective of the information production and consumption processes around events: organizations, journalists/media bloggers, and ordinary individuals. Exploration of the user categories on a range of events shows distinctive characteristics in terms of the proportion of each user type, as well as differences in the nature of content each shared around the events.
Marmots on the Move? Dispersal in a Declining Montane Mammal

range in the spring of a given year, 16% of 2-year-old males, 50% of 3-year-old males, 17% of 2-year-old females, and 29% of 3-year-old females subsequently dispersed. Dispersal rates for 3-year-olds were slightly lower when all animals were included in the analysis regardless of whether their dispersal history was known. Males dispersed farther than females (median 5 984 m, n 5 14 versus median 5 267 m, n 513) and 69% of females settled within 500 m of their original home range. If the observed dispersal patterns are representative of range-wide patterns and if Olympic marmot densities remain low, successful dispersal may be too infrequent to sustain reliable recolonization of vacant habitats or even genetic or demographic rescue of isolated marmot groups.
Application of Modern Reliability Database Techniques to Military System Data

Abstract This paper focuses on analysis techniques of modern reliability databases, with an application to military system data. The analysis of military system data base consists of the following steps: clean the data and perform operation on it in order to obtain good estimators; present simple plots of data; analyze the data with statistical and probabilistic methods. Each step is dealt with separately and the main results are presented. Competing risks theory is advocated as the mathematical support for the analysis. The general framework of competing risks theory is presented together with simple independent and dependent competing risks models available in literature. These models are used to identify the reliability and maintenance indicators required by the operating personnel. Model selection is based on graphical interpretation of plotted data.
Decentralization of a linear-quadratic control problem by a fixed point algorithm

Under stabilizability-detectability conditions imposed on naturally or artificially defined subsystems, the optimal solution of a linear quadratic control problem can be obtained with required accuracy in terms of reduced order problems by a fixed point type algorithm. This method is recursive in its nature and brings considerable savings in the size of required computations, especially when the system of high order is considered.
An inverse random source problem for the Helmholtz equation

This paper is concerned with an inverse random source problem for the one-dimensional stochastic Helmholtz equation, which is to reconstruct the statistical properties of the random source function from boundary measurements of the radiating random electric field. Although the emphasis of the paper is on the inverse problem, we adapt a computationally more efficient approach to study the solution of the direct problem in the context of the scattering model. Specifically, the direct model problem is equivalently formulated into a two-point spatially stochastic boundary value problem, for which the existence and uniqueness of the pathwise solution is proved. In particular, an explicit formula is deduced for the solution from an integral representation by solving the two-point boundary value problem. Based on this formula, a novel and efficient strategy, which is entirely done by using the fast Fourier transform, is proposed to reconstruct the mean and the variance of the random source function from measurements at one boundary point, where the measurements are assumed to be available for many realizations of the source term. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed method.
London Debating Societies in the 1790s

Of the popular societies that government repressed in the 1790s, the public debating societies in London are probably the least known although some of them had been meeting without interruption for over fifty years. Since these societies admitted all who paid the weekly entrance fee and allowed anyone to stand up and speak, they were quite different from the private, limited debating clubs where new members had to be approved and where the speeches were often prepared orations. Because of their size, the public debating societies attracted men who wanted to practise speaking before a large audience. Burke is said to have gained his first experience in public speaking at one of these debating societies. Pitt not only spoke at them; he helped found one. Boswell and Goldsmith attended them. Most of the speakers and auditors, however, were men of a lower class; and in the 1790sin reaction to the French Revolution, these societies were repressed. Although they constitute a significant social phenomenon, their history has not beenj traced, as has that of the London Corresponding Socie-ty (LCS) or the United! Irishmen (UI). In a sense the debating societies form an adjunct to, and complement the history of the declared reform societies of the 1790s: Members of the Corresponding Society might go from their meeting to a debating society in order to hear an LCS member speak. The few known managers of debating societies were also prominent members of the LCS or the UI or both; 1 and when a political topic was debated, most of the speakers would take a reformist position.
Ovalbumin-Induced Airway Inflammation and Fibrosis in Mice Also Exposed to Ultrafine Particles

A murine model of allergen-induced airway inflammation was used to examine the effects of exposure to ultrafine particles (PM2.5) on airway inflammation and remodeling. Lung inflammation was measured by quantitative differential evaluation of lung lavage cells. Alterations in lung structure (airway remodeling and fibrosis) were evaluated by quantitative biochemical analysis of microdissected airways and by histological evaluation of stained lung sections. The same total number of cells was observed in lavage fluid from animals exposed for 4 wk to ovalbumin alone or to ovalbumin for 4 wk immediately before or after 6 exposures over a period of 2 wk to 235 ug/m3 of PM2.5. Mice exposed to ovalbumin for 6 wk with concurrent exposure to PM2.5 during wk 5–6 had a significant decrease in the total number of cells recovered by lavage as compared with the group exposed to ovalbumin alone. There were no significant differences in the cell differential counts in the lavage fluid from mice exposed to ovalbumin alone ...
Single-event dynamics of high-performance HBTs and GaAs MESFETs

Picosecond charge-collection transients measured for GaAs/AlGaAs HBTs (heterojunction bipolar transistors) following 3.0-MeV alpha -particle and 620-nm picosecond laser excitation reveal charge-collection efficiencies up to 28 times smaller than for GaAs MESFETs, with approximately 90% of the charge collected within 75 ps of the ionizing event. The small charge-collection efficiency of the HBTs is a consequence of the ultrafast charge-collection dynamics in these devices. It is shown that picosecond laser excitation reproduces the ion-induced transients nicely providing a valuable tool for the investigation of charge-collection and SEU (single event upset) phenomena in these devices. >
A Complex Assembly Landscape for the 30S Ribosomal Subunit

The ribosome is a complex macromolecular machine responsible for protein synthesis in the cell. It consists of two subunits, each of which contains both RNA and protein components. Ribosome assembly is subject to intricate regulatory control and is aided by a multitude of assembly factors in vivo, but can also be carried out in vitro. The details of the assembly process remain unknown even in the face of atomic structures of the entire ribosome and after more than three decades of research. Some of the earliest research on ribosome assembly produced the Nomura assembly map of the small subunit, revealing a hierarchy of protein binding dependencies for the 20 proteins involved and suggesting the possibility of a single intermediate. Recent work using a combination of RNA footprinting and pulse-chase quantitative mass spectrometry paints a picture of small subunit assembly as a dynamic and varied landscape, with sequential and hierarchical RNA folding and protein binding events finally converging on complete subunits. Proteins generally lock tightly into place in a 5' to 3' direction along the ribosomal RNA, stabilizing transient RNA conformations, while RNA folding and the early stages of protein binding are initiated from multiple locations along the length of the RNA.
Aspiring to Careers in Male-and Female-Dominated Professions: A Study of Black and White College Women:

In an examination of career aspirations, 101 black and 530 white college women were asked to indicate their occupational and educational plans, important considerations for career choices, and their attitudes toward combining the roles of career and family. Results indicated that women who planned careers in male-dominated occupations had higher career and educational aspirations than women who desired careers in female-dominated occupations. Black women who planned careers in male-dominated professions showed high levels of aspirations, planned more education than was necessary for the desired occupations, and perceived less conflict in combining the roles of career and family than their white counterparts. There were few differences between black and white women in their attitudes toward the traditional roles of men and women. Those choosing female-dominated careers, however, had more traditional attitudes regardless of race. Implications of these findings for the influence of occupational gender domina...
Pedestal crater heights on Mars: A proxy for the thicknesses of past, ice-rich, Amazonian deposits

Abstract Mid-latitude pedestal craters on Mars offer crucial insights into the timing and extent of widespread ice-rich deposits during the Amazonian period. Our previous comprehensive analysis of pedestal craters strongly supports a climate-related formation mechanism, whereby pedestals result from impacts into ice-rich material at mid latitudes during periods of higher obliquity. The ice from this target deposit later sublimates due to obliquity changes, but is preserved beneath the protective cover of the armored pedestal. As such, the heights of pedestals act as a proxy for the thicknesses of the paleodeposits. In this analysis, our measurement of 2300 pedestal heights shows that although pedestals can reach up to ∼260 m in height, ∼82% are shorter than 60 m and only ∼2% are taller than 100 m. Mean pedestal heights are 48.0 m in the northern mid latitudes and 40.4 m in the southern mid latitudes, with the tallest pedestals located in Utopia Planitia, Acidalia Planitia and Malea Planum. We use these data in conjunction with prior climate model results to identify both regional and global trends regarding ice accumulation during obliquity excursions. Our data provide evidence for multiple episodes of emplacement and removal of the mid-latitude ice-rich deposit based on stratigraphic relationships between pedestal craters and the close proximity of pedestals with significantly different heights.
Parallel bin packing using first fit and k-delayed best-fit heuristics

The authors describe the development of parallel implementations for the bin packing problem. Bin packing algorithms are studied to understand various resource allocation issues and the impact of the different packing heuristics on the packing efficiency. The seemingly serial nature of the bin packing simulation has prohibited previous experimentations from going beyond sizes of several thousands bins. The authors show that by adopting fairly simple data parallel algorithms a linear speedup is possible. Sizes of up to hundreds of thousands of bins have been simulated for different parameters and heuristics. The authors focussed on the well known first-fit heuristic. They also considered another potentially superior heuristic, k-delayed best fit. >
The effect of pcb flexural modes on dynamic reliability of ball grid array packages

To enable richer consumer experiences, more IC chipsets with various functionalities and greater memory density have been deployed in the limited phone board area. A new generation of surface mount devices such as fine pitch BGA, package-on-package (POP), and wafer-level packaging, are being introduced to reduce board area for the given feature set. Board level reliability of new packages is one of the most important aspects to system performance under impact loadings. The dynamic reliability characterization of the components has been used as a basis for predicting a system (phone) level reliability. Package characterization methodologies must be designed to capture the interconnect failure modes of the actual IC packages commonly encountered in phone drop conditions for better prediction of phone-level reliability. Strain gage measurements and finite element analysis (FEA) of drop tests performed on portable electronic devices revealed mixed printed circuit board (PCB) flexural modes during impact. Dynamic planar and spherical bend tests were developed to study the effect of PCB bend mode on solder interconnect reliability. In the present study, a planar flexural mode was generated through utilization of a 4-point bend test fixture, and a spherical bend test was developed to achieve an equi-biaxial strain state at the vicinity of a corner solder joint as opposed to predominantly uni-directional strain state in four-point bend test. A failure prediction model based on connector finite element modeling was developed to understand the significantly different solder joint reliability under the two loading conditions. The ability of the new modeling technique to accurately predict failure of solder joints under different loading conditions was appreciated showing excellent agreement to failure analysis of actual test samples. The new methodology can enable efficient and accurate means of assessing package reliability under various conditions that simulate portable electronic devices being dropped in the field.
Mechanisms of Inhibition within the Telencephalon: “Where the Wild Things Are”

In this review, we first provide a historical perspective of inhibitory signaling from the discovery of inhibition through to our present understanding of the diversity and mechanisms by which GABAergic interneuron populations function in different parts of the telencephalon. This is followed by a summary of the mechanisms of inhibition in the CNS. With this as a starting point, we provide an overview describing the variations in the subtypes and origins of inhibitory interneurons within the pallial and subpallial divisions of the telencephalon, with a focus on the hippocampus, somatosensory, paleo/piriform cortex, striatum, and various amygdala nuclei. Strikingly, we observe that marked variations exist in the origin and numerical balance between GABAergic interneurons and the principal cell populations in distinct regions of the telencephalon. Finally we speculate regarding the attractiveness and challenges of establishing a unifying nomenclature to describe inhibitory neuron diversity throughout the telencephalon.
Simulated microgravity impairs respiratory burst activity in human promyelocytic cells

The concept of microgravity (free-fall) influencing cellular functions in nonadherent cells has not been a part of mainstream scientific thought. Utilizing rotating wall vessels (RWVs) to generate simulated microgravity conditions, we found that respiratory burst activity was significantly altered in nonadherent promyelocytic (HL-60) cells. Specifically, HL-60 cells in simulated microgravity for 6, 19, 42, 47, and 49 d had 3.8-fold fewer cells that were able to participate in respiratory burst activity than cells from 1 x g cultures (P = 0.0011, N = 5). The quantity of respiratory burst products from the cells in simulated microgravity was also significantly reduced. The fold increase over controls in mean fluorescence intensities for oxidative products from cells in microgravity was 1.1+/-0.1 versus 1.8+/-0.3 for cells at 1 x g (P = 0.013, N = 4). Furthermore, the kinetic response for phorbol ester-stimulated burst activity was affected by simulated microgravity. These results demonstrate that simulated microgravity alters an innate cellular function (burst activity). If respiratory burst activity is impaired by true microgravity, then recovery from infections during spaceflight could be delayed. Finally, RWVs provide an excellent model for investigating the mechanisms associated with microgravity-induced changes in nonadherent cells.
Lower selectivity can help heavily exploited fish populations

Abstract Large-scale marine fisheries are recognized as one of the main threats to population stability of many commercially important fish species. Selectivity-driven detrimental changes on the population structure (e.g. declines in mean lengths affecting phenotypic traits of the exploited species), and the growing trend toward earlier maturation (reproductive changes); represents a worldwide phenomenon affecting the recovery of several exploited fish species, all which might contribute with a highly unfavourable scenario of exploitation. Large and long-lived individuals are especially (although not restrictively) vulnerable. A lower fishing selectivity (plus other protection measurements) might gradually favour to those heavily exploited fish populations and balance the catch to all exploitable individuals. This approach might also positively contribute to the fishery sustainability, by protecting old, big females, which are important for growth, fecundity, offspring, and survival of the population. All this supposes a major transformation in the universal way for fish exploitation, and a huge challenge, because it will have to deal with other factors such as short-term economic vision that dominates the main fisheries worldwide.
Exact Controllability of a Hybrid System, Membrane with Strings, on General Polygon Domains

We use here HUM (cf. Lions l9r–ll0r) to study the Neumann controllability of a two-dimensional hybrid system membrane with strings on general convex polygon domains (cf. Lee and You l1r, Littman l11r for a related version of this model). This system is governed by utt − Δu e 0 in \Omega \times (0,T), \ \rho u _{tt} - \beta {\partial^2 u \over \partial \tau^2}+ {\partial u \over \partial \nu} = 0 on \Gamma_1 \times (0,T), {\partial u \over \partial \nu} = g_2 on Γ2 × (0,T), u e 0 on Γ3 × (0,T)s u(Aj) e 0 if A_j \in {\overline \Gamma}_1 \ \backslash \ {\overline \Gamma}_2 and 0 \lt t \lt T, \ {\partial u \over \partial \tau_{j+1}} (A_j)=d_j if ej ⊂ Γ2 and ej+1 ⊂ Γ1, 0<t<T, and {\partial \over \partial \tau_j} (A_j)=d_j if ej ⊂ Γ1 and ej+1 ⊂ Γ2, 0<t<T (see Sec. 1 for notations). An inverse inequality of the energy has been derived when Ω satisfies certain geometric conditions and T is sufficiently large. As a consequence, an exact control in (H^1 (0,T; L^2(\Gamma_2))^\prime \times \prod \limits_{A_j \in {\overline \Gamma}_1\cap{\overline \Gamma}_2} (H^1(0,T))^\prime or L^2(0,T;L^2(\Gamma_2)) \times \prod \limits_{A_j \in {\overline \Gamma}_1\cap{\overline \Gamma}_2} L^2(0,T) is respectively obtained. Some other interesting properties (such as the uniqueness of the solution and a Carleman type inequality) of the above problems are also presented.
Acidification stimulates chloride and fluid absorption across frog retinal pigment epithelium.

Radioactive tracers and a modified capacitance-probe technique were used to characterize the mechanisms that mediate Cl and fluid absorption across the bullfrog retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-cho...
Pathology and treatment of giant papillary conjunctivitis. I. The U.S. perspective.

Giant papillary conjunctivitis is a disease we are seeing more and more. I believe it can be avoided with new ways of designing the lenses and new ways of cleaning them. Meanwhile, however, we need to improve cleaning, increase our use of enzymes, irrigate the conjunctiva, change lenses often, and use cromolyn sodium to stabilize the mast cells. These measures should enable our patients to continue using their contact lenses longer.
Homework and Achievement: Using Smartpen Technology to Find the Connection.

There is a long history of research efforts aimed at understanding the relationship between homework activity and academic achievement. While some self-report inventories involving homework activity have been useful for predicting academic performance, self-reported measures may be limited or even problematic. Here, we employ a novel method for accurately measuring students’ homework activity using smartpen technology. Three cohorts of engineering students in an undergraduate statics course used smartpens to complete their homework problems, thus producing records of their work in the form of timestamped digitized pen strokes. Consistent with the time-on-task hypothesis, there was a strong and consistent positive correlation between course grade and time doing homework as measured by smartpen technology (r = .44), but not between course grade and self-reported time doing homework (r = −.16). Consistent with an updated version of the time-on-task hypothesis, there was a strong correlation between measures of the quality of time spent on homework problems (such as the proportion of ink produced for homework within 24 hr of the deadline) and course grade (r = −.32), and between writing activity (such as the total number of pen strokes on homework) and course grade (r = .49). Overall, smartpen technology allowed a fine-grained test of the idea that productive use of homework time is related to course grade. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
Gradient Methylidene-Ethylidene Copolymer via C1 Polymerization: an Ersatz Gradient Ethylene-Propylene Copolymer

We report the first synthesis of a gradient methylidene-ethylidene copolymer via a living C1 polymerization. The copolymer has a similar chemical structure as the corresponding ethylene-propylene copolymer. To achieve this goal a new and convenient source of the ethylide monomer, diethylsulfoxonium ethylide, was developed for the introduction of the methyl branch in the polymer backbone. The gradient copolymer contains a gradual change of instantaneous methyl branch content from 0% on one end of the polymer chain to 63% on the other end. Thermal analysis revealed that the gradient copolymers have a narrow glass transition temperature range with values intermediate between those of linear polyethylene and atactic polypropylene.
Reversals of blood-brain barrier disruption by catalase: a serial magnetic resonance imaging study of experimental optic neuritis.

Purpose. To investigate serially the role of catalase detoxification of endogenous H2O2 in the disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and demyelination of experimental optic neuritis. Methods. Serial contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the optic nerves (Tl weighted) and T2 weighted MRI without contrast were performed on 18 guinea pigs 3 to 14 days after sensitization with central myelin for experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. Sex and age-matched littermates were paired and sensitized with the identical antigenic emulsion. To detoxify endogenous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), animals received daily intraperitoneal injections of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-catalase at a dose of 12,000 U/kg per day for 3 days, then 1,200 U/kg daily for the next week, commencing 3 days after antigenic sensitization. Littermates received an equal volume of preservative-free saline. The intensity of gadoliniumDTPA (Gd-DTPA) enhancement was quantitated by obtaining the value for a region of interest (ROI) of the right optic nerve and the left optic nerve. The effect of H2O2 detoxification by catalase was evaluated by differences in the intensity of Gd-DTPA enhancement and T2 weighted signal in the ROI of the right and the left optic nerves at 7, 10, and 14 days after antigenic sensitization, from the pretreatment value obtained at day 3. The effectiveness of catalase detoxification of H2O2 was assessed with quantitative ultracytochemical localization of electron-dense, H2O2-derived cerium perhydroxide in the optic nerves. Results. With PEG-catalase treatment, mean differences for Gd-DTPA enhancement in the ROI at 7, 10, and 14 days after antigenic sensitization were significantly reduced from the pretreatment values obtained 3 days after antigenic sensitization compared with the comparable interval values for untreated littermates. For T2 weighted signal intensity, only the 7- and 14-day values were significantly less with PEG-catalase compared with values for littermates obtained at comparable intervals. Quantitative ultracytochemical localization of H2O2-derived cerium perhydroxide reaction product revealed significant reductions in the median number of cerium particle counts of the optic nerve head, sheath, and myelinated retrobulbar nerve. Conclusions. PEG-catalase reduced H2Orderived cerium perhydroxide reaction product in the optic nerve but did not eliminate it, reversed disruption of the BBB as measured by Gd-DTPA enhancement, and reduced demyelination and edema as measured by T2 weighted signal intensity, suggesting detoxification of H2O2 as a new treatment strategy for disorders of primary demyelination of the central nervous system. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1994; 35:3456-3465.
The insufficient imagery of top-down, bottom-up in global movements analysis

AbstractScholars have shown various ways in which new types of transnational interdependence influence conflicts and resistance. Conventional conceptualization often depicts movements as emerging from the ‘bottom-up’ efforts of distinctive, individual collectives to challenge the ‘top-down’ hegemony of bureaucratic states, multinational corporations, and some international civil society organizations. But globalization scholars, and particularly those developing a framework of world society studies, place interactions among different levels of action and orientation at the center of conflict analysis and show how mobilization and change occurs across complex, interdependent relationships. In this article, I interrogate the different and often contradictory ways that dimensions of mobilization and social change are commonly denoted in this usage. I then explore alternative global theoretical frameworks that give greater explanatory power to the dynamic global–local interface. To move beyond the constraints...
Output-Feedback Control for Stochastic Systems with Low Sensitivity

The chapter treats the problem of controlling stochastic linear systems with quadratic criteria, including sensitivity variables, when noisy measurements are available. It is proved that the low-sensitivity control strategy with risk aversion can be realized by the cascade of (1) the conditional mean estimate of the current state using a Kalman-like estimator and (2) optimally feedback, which is effectively supported by the mathematical statistics of performance uncertainty as if the conditional mean state estimate was the true state of the system. In other words, the certainty equivalence principle still holds for this statistical optimal control problem.
Simplifying Complex Scaffold Synthesis: Knoevenagel Adduct Allyl Anions as Easily Generated Multifunctional Reagents

Knoevenagel adduct allyl anions are easily generated and can serve as platforms for formal 1,3-difunctionalization. Summarized herein are a variety of reaction pathways that can be harnessed for multistep synthesis with emphasis on carbocycle synthesis. 1 Introduction 2 Formal 1,3-Difunctionalization Reactivity Modes: An Overview 3 γ-Alkylation/Deconjugative α-Alkylation 4 Deconjugative α-Alkylation/Pairing Sequences 5 Deconjugative α-Alkylation/Allylic Substitution 6 Deconjugative α-Alkylation/Allylic Transposition/Deconjugative α-Alkylation 7 Future Directions 8 Conclusions
Increased cytochrome oxidase activity in the diabetic rat retinal pigment epithelium.

We have investigated the effects of diabetes on retinal oxidative metabolism. Since activity of the mitochondrial enzyme, cytochrome oxidase, has been demonstrated to be a reliable indicator of oxidative metabolism and physiological activity, we used cytochemical techniques to study the activity of this enzyme in spontaneously diabetic, streptozotocin-diabetic, and control rat retinas. Light microscope results showed an increase in staining for cytochrome oxidase activity in the diabetic RPE cell layer as compared with the control. Quantitative electron microscope analysis showed a significant increase in RPE cells with highly reactive mitochondria as compared with the controls. Mitochondrial staining within the diabetic photoreceptor and retinal vascular endothelial cells was normal. RPE cell volume and surface area, as well as number and volume of mitochondria, were unchanged. This increase in oxidative enzyme activity is further evidence of RPE cell alteration in diabetes. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 30:591-599,1989 Alterations in blood-retinal barrier functions may contribute to the development of diabetic retinopathy. Changes in the distribution of flourescein across the blood-retinal barrier occur early in the disease in both humans and animals and are thought to be due to increased permeability of the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell layer. 1
Organizational Trust and Fear of Injury and the Correlates of Organizational Trust Among Private Correctional Staff

ABSTRACTThe use of private corrections has grown to over 400 facilities in the United States. The staff are of particular importance in facilities operating on a tight profit margin. Maximizing profitability depends upon minimizing workplace factors that detract from staff performance and/or create costly strain. This study explored organizational trust and its link to fear of being hurt at work. A path model was tested to explore how various workplace variables relate to perceptions of organizational trust as well as how personal characteristics and organizational trust are associated with fear of injury. The results indicate that organizational trust appears to be one variable that influences staff perceptions of fear of injury. Increased levels of organizational trust decrease the fear of being injured at work.
An innovative localized retail electricity market based on energy broker and search theory

This paper aims to propose an innovative local energy market to accommodate localized energy trading and exchange for communities, buildings and campuses, which may own the surplus local energy produced by distributed energy resources (DER). These energy entities can participate in or form a localized trading platform, either buying or selling energy with searching local partners, without necessarily referring to a utility every time. An important new role, named the energy broker (EB), and working as a middleman or trader in this localized retail electricity market is introduced to get buyers and sellers together, serving as a solution to search friction. The trader itself also needs to maximize the transaction efficiency or revenue with consideration for search cost. In this way, the proposed market structure can be modeled based on search theory and an optimal stopping problem (OSP).
Optical Pulse Compression in the Infrared

Methods for generating low-power picosecond pulses, applicable throughout the near-and mid-infrared spectral region, have now been demonstrated, and high-power picosecond sources have been developed covering the CO2 laser wavelengths and its second harmonic. Extension to higher harmonics seems assured. It is now of interest to develop methods of further shortening picosecond pulses that are appropriate to the infrared. The traditional method of optical pulse compression is to use a Kerr-type (η=η0+η2E2) nonlinear medium to chirp an optical pulse and a linear dispersing material for pulse shortening.
Precursors of volatile components in tomato fruit—II

Abstract The composition of tomato fruit at nine different stages of maturity was studied. The dry matter content decreased gradually, whereas the alcohol-soluble material and non-protein nitrogen increased with ripening. Total nitrogen decreased up to the large green stage and then increased during ripening. Starch accumulated until nearly the large green stage and then diminished rapidly. Of the two components of starch, amylose decreased much faster than amylopectin, and the ratios of amylopectin and amylose thus increased during ripening. Among the amino acids, glutamic acid was present in an exceptionally high concentration, and its concentration doubled during ripening. A concomitant decrease in the concentration of several other amino acids was noted. The possibility of amino acids serving as precursors for the synthesis of volatile aroma components in tomato is discussed.