cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Therapeutic Efficacy of ABT-737, a Selective Inhibitor of BCL-2, in Small Cell Lung Cancer

Bcl-2 is a central regulator of cell survival that is overexpressed in the majority of small cell lung cancers (SCLC) and contributes to both malignant transformation and therapeutic resistance. We compared primary SCLC xenografts prepared from de novo human tumors with standard cell line-based xenografts in the evaluation of a novel and highly potent small molecule inhibitor of Bcl-2, ABT-737. ABT-737 induced dramatic regressions in tumors derived from some SCLC cell lines. In contrast, only one of three primary xenograft SCLC tumors showed significant growth inhibition with ABT-737. Explanations for this apparent dichotomy may include relatively low expression of Bcl-2 in the primary xenografts or inherent differences in the model systems. The addition of etoposide to ABT-737 in the primary xenografts resulted in significant decreases in tumor growth, underscoring the clinical potential of ABT-737 in combination therapy. To identify factors that may contribute to resistance to ABT-737 and related inhibitors, we isolated resistant derivatives of an initially sensitive cell line-based xenograft. Acquired resistance in this model was associated with decreases in the expression of the primary target Bcl-2, of proapoptotic partners of Bcl-2 (Bax and Bim), and of Bcl-2:Bim heterodimers. Expression profiling reveals 85 candidate genes demonstrating consistent changes in gene expression with acquired resistance. Taken together, these data have specific implications for the clinical development of Bcl-2 inhibitors for SCLC and broader implications for the testing of novel anticancer strategies in relevant preclinical models.
CD69, HLA-DR and the IL-2R identify persistently activated T cells in psoriasis vulgaris lesional skin: blood and skin comparisons by flow cytometry.

Many lymphocyte-activation-associated molecules are observed by immunohistochemistry in psoriasis vulgaris lesional skin. Non-T cells in lesional skin also express these molecules. We quantitatively measured the number of T cells expressing cell surface activation-associated molecules (CD69, CD25, CD122, HLA-DR) and co-stimulatory molecules (CD28, CTLA-4, CD80, CD86), including a Type 2 T cell marker (CD30) and CD11b, by flow cytometry of skin and peripheral blood. T cells in single cell suspensions of psoriatic lesional-epidermis-expressed HLA-DR (86%), CD69 (59%), CD25 (55%), CD122 (44%), and CD28 (91%). Dermal T cells showed similar percentages except for CD69 (17%). CD69 was found directly in lesional skin biopsies by immunohistochemistry. Both CD4 and CD8 subsets from lesional skin contained large populations of CD25+ cells with a bias towards CD8 activation in the epidermis and towards CD4 activation in the dermis. CD86, CD80, CTLA-4, CD30 and CD11b were expressed by less than 23% of the T cell populations from both the epidermis and dermis. CD30+CD4+ cells were found two-fold over CD8+ T cells. These results show that the majority of lesional lymphocytes are persistently activated. We also found the majority of Type 2 associated markers primarily on the CD4+ epidermal T cell population. Psoriatic blood contained elevated levels of T cells expressing CD25, primarily within the CD8+ subset. Thus the majority of lesional T cells expressed the three primary activation markers, while psoriatic blood T cells were distinguished by an increase in CD25, specifically within the CTL population.
Mechanisms of Pathogenicity of Influenza A (H5N1) Viruses in Mice

Abstract Avian-like H5N1 influenza viruses isolated from humans in 1997 were shown to have two distinct pathogenic phenotypes in BALB/c mice, after intranasal inoculation and without prior adaptation to this host. To further understand the mechanisms of H5N1 pathogenicity, we investigated the consequences of the route of viral inoculation on morbidity and mortality, viral replication in pulmonary and systemic organs, and lymphocyte depletion. This study demonstrates the importance of extrapulmonary spread and replication, particularly in the brain, for the lethality of H5N1 viruses.
Molecular Epidemiologic Approaches to Urinary Tract Infection Gene Discovery in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most frequently acquired bacterial infections. The vast majority of UTIs are caused by a large, genetically heterogeneous group of Escherichia coli. This genetic diversity has hampered identification of UTI-related genes. A three-step experimental strategy was used to identify genes potentially involved in E. coli UTI transmission or virulence: epidemiologic pairing of a UTI-specific strain with a fecal control, differential cloning to isolated UTI strain-specific DNA, and epidemiologic screening to identify sequences among isolated DNAs that are associated with UTI. The 37 DNA sequences initially isolated were physically located all over the tester strain genome. Only two hybridized to the total DNA of the sequenced E. coli K-12 strain; eight sequences were present significantly more frequently in UTI isolates than in fecal isolates. Three of the eight sequences matched to genes for multidrug efflux proteins, usher proteins, and pathogenicity island insertion sites, respectively. Using population characteristics to direct gene discovery and evaluation is a productive strategy applicable to any system.
Parents’ Versus Children’s Perceptions of Interparental Conflict as Predictors of Children’s Friendship Quality

Grych and Fincham’s (1990) cognitive-contextual model highlights children’s perceptions as potential influences on the extent to which interparental conflict is associated with negative child outcomes. We asked children (n= 40, age 8–12 years), mothers, and fathers to report on multiple dimensions of interparental conflict. As predicted, family members showed greater correspondence in their ratings of the overt properties of conflict than in their ratings of children’s subjective distress in response to the conflict. Compared with parents’ perceptions, children’s perceptions of interparental conflict showed stronger and more consistent associations with multiple dimensions of friendship quality. The results provide further evidence of the utility of assessing children’s perceptions of marital conflict, rather than relying solely on parents’ reports.
The Role of Race and Severity of Abuse in Teachers' Recognition or Reporting of Child Abuse

In the United States, reported child abuse rates vary dramatically with race. We employed a scenario methodology to examine whether teachers, whose professional obligations include reporting suspected instances of abuse, exhibit bias in evaluating a possibly abused child. Each teacher (180 White, 180 Black, and 180 Hispanic) read one of six profiles about a hypothetical elementary school student and then expressed extent of agreement with either a statement that the child is being physically abused or a statement that the child should be reported as being physically abused. Within the set of profiles, race of the child and severity of abuse were manipulated. When the child in the profile was severely abused, responses for the two judgmental tasks were comparable. However, when the child was moderately abused, teachers asked whether the child was abused gave higher responses than their counterparts who were asked whether the child should be reported. No effects of race of the child or race of the teacher were observed.
Peptide targeted lipid nanoparticles for anticancer drug delivery

Encapsulating anticancer drugs in nanoparticles has proven to be an effective mechanism to alter the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of the drugs, leading to clinically useful cancer therapeutics like Doxil and DaunoXome. Underdeveloped tumor vasculature and lymphatics allow these first-generation nanoparticles to passively accumulate within the tumor, but work to create the next-generation nanoparticles that actively participate in the tumor targeting process is underway. Lipid nanoparticles functionalized with targeting peptides are among the most often studied. The goal of this article is to review the recently published literature of targeted nanoparticles to highlight successful designs that improved in vivo tumor therapy, and to discuss the current challenges of designing these nanoparticles for effective in vivo performance.
Innovation Speed: A Conceptual Model of Context, Antecedents, and Outcomes

There is a growing recognition that innovation speed is important to a firm's creating and sustaining competitive advantage amidst rapidly changing business environments. However, there has been little theoretical advancement or model building regarding when innovation speed is appropriate, what factors speed up innovations, and how differences in speed affect project outcomes. In this article, we organize and integrate the innovation speed literature, develop a conceptual framework of innovation speed, and offer researchable propositions relating to the need for and antecedents and outcomes of innovation speed. Specifically, we argue that innovation speed (a) is most appropriate in environments characterized by competitive intensity, technological and market dynamism, and low regulatory restrictiveness; (b) can be positively or negatively affected by strategic-orientation factors and organizational-capability factors; and (c) has an influence on development costs, product quality, and ultimately project ...
A Second Planet Orbiting 47 Ursae Majoris

Precise Doppler velocity measurements during 13 yr at Lick Observatory reveal the presence of two planets orbiting the star 47 UMa. The previously detected inner planet is confirmed by the newer velocities that yield a revised orbital period Pb = 1089.0 ± 2.9 days, M sin i = 2.54 MJ, and eccentricity eb = 0.061 ± 0.014. The residuals to that single-Keplerian fit exhibit a periodicity that is consistent with an additional planetary companion. A simultaneous fit for both planets implies that the outer planet has Pc = 2594 ± 90 days, a = 3.73 AU, 0 < ec < 0.2, and M sin i = 0.76 MJ. Its semimajor axis is the largest yet found for an extrasolar planet, and its angular separation from the host star of 026 makes it a good target for direct detection and astrometry. Hipparcos astrometry places limits on the masses of these planets at less than ~10 MJ, and dynamical modeling places limits on both ec and the orbital inclinations. The outer planet induces a velocity semiamplitude of K = 11.1 m s-1 in the star during its 7 yr orbit, similar to the signal induced on the sun by Jupiter.
Ligand-Independent EGFR Signaling

Constitutive activation of the EGFR is common in cancer due to EGFR wild-type (EGFRwt) overexpression or the presence of mutant EGFR. Signaling by constitutively active NSCLC EGFR mutants or the EGFRvIII mutant in glioblastoma has been studied intensively and the downstream signals are known. Normally, the EGFRwt is activated when it is exposed to ligand, resulting in activation of canonical signals such as ERK and Akt. The EGFRwt also becomes tyrosine phosphorylated and constitutively activated without ligand when it is overexpressed, but downstream signals are unclear. Recent studies have identified a noncanonical form of signaling triggered by EGFRwt exclusively in the absence of ligand that does not involve ERK or Akt activation but, instead, results in activation of the transcription factor IRF3. The addition of ligand turns off IRF3-dependent transcription and activates ERK and Akt. Thus, the EGFR triggers distinct and mutually exclusive signaling networks, depending on the presence of ligand. Furthermore, noncanonical EGFRwt signaling may influence response to treatment in cancer. Also, there are reports of both synergistic and antagonistic interactions between ligand-dependent EGFRwt and EGFRvIII signaling. Here, we discuss ligand-independent EGFR signal transduction by oncogenic EGFR mutants and EGFRwt, and review the interplay between EGFRwt and EGFRvIII.
Buckling of rectangular plates subjected to nonlinearly distributed in-plane loading

Abstract The problem of buckling of a rectangular plate subjected to uniformly distributed in-plane compressive loading at each end goes back to the work of Bryan in 1890–91. The same problem, for the case of linearly varying in-plane compressive loading at each end, was first treated by several European investigators about 90 years ago. The case of loading that is nonlinearly distributed along two opposite plate edges is considerably more complicated in that it requires that first the plane elasticity problem be solved to obtain the distribution of in-plane stresses. Then the buckling problem must be solved. This problem was claimed to have been solved by van der Neut in 1958 for a half-sine load distribution and later by Benoy for a parabolic distribution. However, their work was based on an incorrect in-plane stress distribution. Here is presented a solution for the half-sine load distribution on two opposite sides, based on a more realistic in-plane stress distribution. This distribution shows a decrease (diffusion) in axial stress as the distance from the loaded edges is increased. The buckling loads are calculated using Galerkin method and the results are compared with the inaccurate results in the literature.
Residential Mobility and Voter Turnout

We examine the characteristics of a largely ignored low-turnout group—people who have recently moved. We find that neither demographic nor attitudinal attributes explain their lower turnout. Instead, the requirement that citizens must register anew after each change in residence constitutes the key stumbling block in the trip to the polls. Since nearly one-third of the nation moves every two years, moving has a large impact on national turnout rates. We offer a proposal to reduce the effect of residential mobility on turnout and estimate that turnout would increase by nine percentage points if the impact of moving could be removed. The partisan consequences of such a change would be marginal.
ProBias: a web-server for the identification of user-specified types of compositionally biased segments in protein sequences.

Summary: Most proteins contain compositionally biased segments (CBS) in which one or more amino acid types are significantly overrepresented. CBS that contain amino acids with similar chemical properties can have functional and structural importance. This article describes ProBias, a web-server that searches a protein sequence for CBS composed of user-specified amino acid types. ProBias utilizes the discrete scan statistics to estimate statistical significance of CBS and is able to detect even subtle local deviations from the random independence model. The web-server also analyzes the global compositional bias of the input sequence. In the case of novel proteins that lack functional annotation, statistically significant CBS reported by ProBias can be used to guide the search for potential functionally important sites or domains. Availability: Freely available at http://lcg.rit.albany.edu/ProBias
Management of patellofemoral chondral injuries

Treatment of patellofemoral chondral defects is fraught with difficulty because of the generally inferior outcomes and significant biomechanical complexity of the joint. Noyes and Barber-Westin38 performed a systematic review of large (>4 cm2) patellofemoral ACI (11 studies), PFA (5 studies), and osteochondral allografting (2 studies) in patients younger than 50 years. Respectively, failures or poor outcomes were noted in 8% to 60% after ACI, 22% after PFA, and 53% after osteochondral allograft treatment. As noted in the outcome reviews earlier, unacceptable complication and reoperation rates were reported from all 3 procedures, and it was concluded that each operation had unpredictable results for this patient demographic. This study highlights the importance of strict indications and working to address all concomitant diseases to decrease revision rate. Outcomes are most predictable in young patients with low BMI and unipolar defects lower than 4 cm2.
Suitability of supercontinuum light near 2 μm for coherent dual comb spectroscopy

We evaluate the signal-to-noise ratio penalty for dual comb spectroscopy caused by the excess optical phase noise and relative intensity noise on the long-wavelength supercontinuum of a spectrally broadened Er-fiber laser frequency comb.
The Impact of Women on State Legislative Policies

Do women in public office make a difference? If so, what kind and under what circumstances? This study offers preliminary answers to these questions by examining the relationship between the percentage of women in state legislatures and their policy priorities. It also examines the impact women legislators have on overall legislative policy. Findings reveal that women in states with the highest percentages of female representatives introduce and pass more priority bills dealing with issues of women, children, and families than men in their states and more than their female counterparts in low representation legislatures. Moreover, women can successfully diffuse their priorities throughout the legislative process in one of two ways: through high percentages of women in office or through the presence of a formal women's legislative caucus. These findings suggest that women do indeed make a difference and that their capacity to do so is related to the level of support from colleagues.
Descartes' Doubt of Minds

Early in the Second Meditation Descartes has found grounds to doubt his previous opinions, and following his resolve to reject as false anything not entirely indubitable, he rejects these opinions. He then asks whether there might remain something impervious to doubt that he has not yet considered. One item as yet unconsidered is his own existence:I myself, am I not at least something? But I have already denied that I had senses and body. Yet I hesitate, for what follows from that? Am I so dependent on body and senses that I cannot exist without these? But I was persuaded that there was nothing in all the world, that there was no heaven, no earth, that there were no minds, nor any bodies: was I not then likewise persuaded that I did not exist? (HR I, 150)
Life Cycle Assessment of Algae-to-Energy Systems

Algae-derived bioenergy is being widely discussed as a promising alternative to bioenergy produced from terrestrial crops. Several life cycle assessment (LCA) studies have been published recently in an effort to anticipate the environmental impacts of large-scale algae-to-energy systems. LCA is a useful tool for understanding the environmental implications of technology, but it is very sensitive to modeling assumptions and techniques. In this chapter, the methodological issues surrounding LCA of algae-to-energy systems are reviewed in the context of several of the recent papers with a particular focus on system boundaries, cultivation techniques, metrics, coproduct allocation, and uncertainty. The issues raised here are useful in two regards: (1) they enable an understanding of the differences between the published studies and allow LCA practitioners and others to more directly interpret the results and (2) they serve as a good starting point for future analysis of algae-to-energy technologies.
Neon Wasteland: On Love, Motherhood, and Sex Work in a Rust Belt Town

Through interviews conducted informally over a six-month period, Susan Dewey presents a multidimensional view of female sex workers, a group American society largely dubs invisible. Rather than foc...
Towards automated requirements prioritization and triage

Time-to-market deadlines and budgetary restrictions require stakeholders to carefully prioritize requirements and determine which ones to implement in a given product release. Unfortunately, existing prioritization techniques do not provide sufficient automation for large projects with hundreds of stakeholders and thousands of potentially conflicting requests and requirements. This paper therefore describes a new approach for automating a significant part of the prioritization process. The proposed method utilizes data-mining and machine learning techniques to prioritize requirements according to stakeholders’ interests, business goals, and cross-cutting concerns such as security or performance requirements. The effectiveness of the approach is illustrated and evaluated through two case studies based on the requirements of the Ice Breaker System, and also on a set of stakeholders’ raw feature requests mined from the discussion forum of an open source product named SugarCRM.
Effects of cadmium in vitro on microsomal steroid metabolism in the inner and outer zones of the guinea pig adrenal cortex

Studies were carried out to evaluate the effects of cadmium in vitro on microsomal steroid metabolism in the inner (zona reticularis) and outer (zona fasciculata and zona glomerulosa) zones of the guinea pig adrenal cortex. Microsomes from the inner zone have greater 21-hydroxylase than 17 alpha-hydroxylase activity, resulting in the conversion of progesterone primarily to 11-deoxycorticosterone and of 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone principally to its 21-hydroxylated metabolite, 11-deoxycortisol. Microsomes from the outer zones, by contrast, have far greater 17 alpha-hydroxylase and C17,20-lyase activities than 21-hydroxylase activity. As a result, progesterone is converted primarily to its 17-hydroxylated metabolite, 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone; and 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone is converted principally to delta 4-androstenedione, with only small amounts of 21-hydroxylated metabolites being produced. Addition of cadmium to incubations with inner zone microsomes causes concentration-dependent decreases in 21-hydroxylation and increases in 17 alpha-hydroxylase and C17,20-lyase activities, resulting in a pattern of steroid metabolism similar to that in normal outer zone microsomes. Cadmium similarly decreases 21-hydroxylation by outer zone microsomes but has no effect on the formation of 17-hydroxylated metabolites or on androgen (delta 4-androstenedione) production. In neither inner nor outer zone microsomes did cadmium affect cytochrome P-450 concentrations, steroid interactions with cytochrome(s) P-450, or NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase activities. The results indicate that cadmium produces both quantitative and qualitative changes in adrenal microsomal steroid metabolism and that the nature of the changes differs in the inner and outer adrenocortical zones. In inner zone microsomes, there appears to be a reciprocal relationship between 21-hydroxylase and 17 alpha-hydroxylase/C17,20-lyase activities which may influence the physiological function(s) of that zone.
The effects of urbanization on population density, occupancy, and detection probability of wild felids

Urbanization is a primary driver of landscape conversion, with far-reaching effects on landscape pattern and process, particularly related to the population characteristics of animals. Urbanization can alter animal movement and habitat quality, both of which can influence population abundance and persistence. We evaluated three important population characteristics (population density, site occupancy, and species detection probability) of a medium-sized and a large carnivore across varying levels of urbanization. Specifically, we studied bobcat and puma populations across wildland, exurban development, and wildland-urban interface (WUI) sampling grids to test hypotheses evaluating how urbanization affects wild felid populations and their prey. Exurban development appeared to have a greater impact on felid populations than did habitat adjacent to a major urban area (i.e., WUI); estimates of population density for both bobcats and pumas were lower in areas of exurban development compared to wildland areas, whereas population density was similar between WUI and wildland habitat. Bobcats and pumas were less likely to be detected in habitat as the amount of human disturbance associated with residential development increased at a site, which was potentially related to reduced habitat quality resulting from urbanization. However, occupancy of both felids was similar between grids in both study areas, indicating that this population metric was less sensitive than density. At the scale of the sampling grid, detection probability for bobcats in urbanized habitat was greater than in wildland areas, potentially due to restrictive movement corridors and funneling of animal movements in landscapes influenced by urbanization. Occupancy of important felid prey (cottontail rabbits and mule deer) was similar across levels of urbanization, although elk occupancy was lower in urbanized areas. Our study indicates that the conservation of medium- and large-sized felids associated with urbanization likely will be most successful if large areas of wildland habitat are maintained, even in close proximity to urban areas, and wildland habitat is not converted to low-density residential development.
The conductivity‐density‐salinity‐chlorinity relationships for estuarine waters1

The relative conductivity and density of estuarine waters formed by mixing “world” river water with standard seawater have been determined. The results are used to examine the conductivity-density-salinity-chlorinity relationships of estuarine waters of known composition with seawater diluted with pure water (i.e. the new International Equation of State and Practical Salinity Scale). The maximum difference between the true salinity and the value derived from conductivity was 0.047 in dilute solutions; the maximum density difference between the measured and calculated values was 35 × 10−6 g·cm−3. These results are compared with measurements of waters from the St. Lawrence estuary.
Tools for a new generation of scholarly edition unified by a TEI-based interchange format

We report on experience gained from our ongoing multi-year project to produce an Electronic Variorum Edition of Cervantes' Don Quixote de la Mancha. Initially designed around a custom database representation, the project's evolution has lead to the adoption of a TEI-based format for information interchange among the project's major components. We discuss the mechanics of this approach and its benefits.
RESPONSES OF DIATOM COMMUNITIES TO HEAVY METALS IN STREAMS: THE INFLUENCE OF LONGITUDINAL VARIATION

We investigated longitudinal variation (e.g., from upstream to downstream) in diatom community composition in an unpolluted stream (the Cache la Poudre River, Colorado, USA) and demonstrated how natural variation in community structure and mor- phological growth forms influence responses of diatoms in metal-polluted streams. Upstream communities in the Cache la Poudre River were physiognomically simple and dominated by small, adnate species (Achnanthes minutissima and Fragilaria vaucheriae), which de- creased in relative abundance downstream. Responses of diatom communities to Zn in six metal-polluted streams were influenced by elevation and other variables correlated with the stream's longitudinal gradient (pH, conductivity, alkalinity). Although clear community responses were observed at sites where Zn concentration exceeded 200 VLg/L, effects of metals at moderately polluted sites were not significant. These field results were compared to responses of periphyton communities in experi- mental streams dosed with heavy metals. We hypothesized that communities collected from high elevation sites, which were dominated by early successional species (A. minutissima), would be more tolerant to metals than downstream communities. To test this hypothesis, diatom communities collected from a high elevation site (2340 m) and a low elevation site (1536 m) on the Cache la Poudre River were exposed to a mixture of Cd, Cu, and Zn in experimental streams. Small, adnate species (Achnanthes minutissima and Fragilaria vau- cheriae) were tolerant to metals and increased in abundance in treated streams. In contrast, late successional species, which were found only at the low elevation site (Diatoma vulgare and Melosira varians), were highly sensitive to metals and were eliminated from treated streams after 24 h. These results indicate that natural variation in diatom communities may complicate interpretation of routine biomonitoring studies. We suggest that it may be useful to study periphyton community responses to pollutants in relation to ecological character- istics and morphological growth forms. Conducting research within this framework may improve the predictive ability of periphyton models and provide a theoretical basis for understanding the relationships between community patterns and the evolutionary processes that determine responses to disturbance.
MicroRNAs in cancer: from developmental genes in worms to their clinical application in patients

Several discoveries have paved the way to personalise cancer medicine and a tremendous gain of knowledge in genomics and molecular mechanisms of cancer progression cumulated over the last years. Big stories in biology commonly start in a simple model system. No wonder microRNAs have been identified as regulators of embryonic development in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. From the first identification in worms to the first-in-man microRNA-based clinical trial in humans, almost 20 years passed. In this review we follow the story of understanding microRNA alterations in cancer, describe recent developments in the microRNA field and critically discuss their potential as diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutics factors in cancer medicine. We will explain the rationale behind the use of microRNAs in cancer diagnosis and prognosis prediction, but also discuss the limitations and pitfalls associated with this. Novel developments of combined microRNA/siRNA pharmacological approaches will be discussed and most recently data about MXR34, the first-tested microRNA drug will be described.
Enhanced Redox Transformation Efficiency in Unconjugated Electroactive Polymer/Carbon Nanotube Hybrids

The mechanism for the redox activity of electroactive polymers (EAPs) with unconjugated backbones (e.g., polyvinylferrocene, PVFc) is fundamentally different from that of intrinsically conducting polymers. Here we investigate, for the first time, the redox transformation efficiency (RTE) of unconjugated EAPs with discrete electron donor/acceptors. We find that the RTE of PVFc can be modulated systematically by incorporation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) via a facile and controllable solution process. Furthermore, we show that the improvement in the RTE of PVFc translated to enhanced performance of PVFc-based applications, such as energy storage, electrochemically responsive heterogeneous catalysis, and enzymatic biosensing. Our study provides valuable insights into the charge transport mechanism of unconjugated EAP/nanocarbon hybrids and the accelerated electron transfer kinetics by incorporation of materials with a high density of electronic states near the Fermi level. Moreover, this report suggests a gene...
Impact of Heavy Aircraft Operations on Airport Capacity at Newark Liberty International Airport

Aviation System Performance Metrics (ASPM) departure and arrival rate data is collected for four common airport configurations at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) under Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) for the period 2007-2008. The effect of the number of Heavy (including Boeing 757) operations on overall airport throughput is then investigated. The investigation shows that Heavy departures and arrivals negatively impact overall airport capacity. Mechanisms by which controllers mitigate the effects of Heavy arrivals and departures are also identified. A preliminary quantification of the impact of operations of Heavy aircraft is performed with a parametric estimation of the capacity of the airport. The findings of this empirical study highlight that Heavy aircraft departures introduce a very small efficiency loss in terms of airport departure capacity. By contrast, under some runway configurations, Heavy aircraft arrivals have a more detrimental effect on airport departure capacity.
Intentionality, Normativity and Naturalism

Hutto and Satne (Philosophia, 2015) review current attempts to provide a naturalized content and underline some of the most convincing reasons why they remain inadequate. The authors reframe and update Haugeland’s assessment of this research program, but besides describing the particular challenges facing the different candidate accounts, they also propose what seems to be a promising way to further a debate that has not advanced in recent years. In this paper I argue that a more detailed exploration of some aspects of the neo-behaviorist and neo-pragmatist strategies might be helpful in order to advance the discussion.
Tire wet traction : Explaining performance variation using the 'criticality' concept

Abstract The results of four different wet traction evaluation techniques show that the relative performance for individual candidate tires is a function of the test conditions as well as tire design features. For a given tire, test conditions such as test speed, pavement texture and water depth determine the relative magnitude of two basic footprint lubrication modes (1) boundary layer (BL), with intimate contact and good grip which predominates at low speeds, high texture and minimal water depth, and (2) elastohydrodynamic (EHL), with minimal contact and poor grip which predominates at high speeds, low texture and deeper water. A concept called ‘critically’ is defined as the fraction of the footprint contact area in the EHL mode Knowledge of the test conditions permits an estimate of the relative critically of any testing operation. Definitive wet traction performance interpretation depends on criticallyy information since tests at low critically frequently show minimal differences (among candidate tire...
Three Familiar Formulas for π via Geometry

(1986). Three Familiar Formulas for π via Geometry. The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. 339-339.
Effect of gasifier environment on materials performance

The main purpose of this paper is to review existing knowledge on metal alloy behaviour in contact with highly reducing syngas in coal gasification plants, presently close to commercialization. A secondary purpose is to compare laboratory and plant corrosion data. Present commercial practice indicates that most metal alloys will be used as heat exchangers to evaporate steam at 350–450°C. Smaller but significant future applications may be superheaters or hot-gas clean-up equipment exposed at 500–600°C. The alloys will probably be in contact with non-equilibrium gases quenched from much higher gasification temperatures in the range 1000–1500°C. Under these conditions the formation of chromia- rich protective oxide scales is rarely observed. The growth rate of less protective oxide/sulfide scales varies considerably with temperature, gas composition and alloy composition. For most applications, available Fe-Cr-Ni alloys can be found to provide adequate service life, provided carburization after long exposure...
Proton and Electron Additions to Iron (II) Dinitrogen Complexes Containing Pendant Amines

Protonation of an iron C–H activated complex containing pendant amines in the presence of N2 generated a cis-(H)FeII–N2 complex. Addition of acid protonates the pendant amines. Reduction of the protonated complex results in N2 loss and H2 formation, followed by N2 binding. The origin of H2 formation in this Fe system is compared to proposed mechanisms for H2 loss and N2 coordination in the E4 state of nitrogenase.
Defining Decision Support Systems: An Empirical Assessment Of End-User Satisfaction

AbstractA field study of 201 Decision Support Systems (DSS) managers and practitioners was conducted to demonstrate procedures for obtaining effective measurement of satisfaction with a DSS. Because of the broad and conflicting conceptions of desirable DSS characteristics that exist in the present literature, it is difficult to establish universal criteria on which a DSS can and should be subjectively evaluated. The approach presented here emphasizes user determination of criteria important for DSS evaluation. In particular the paper reports (a) the development of a reliable and valid instrument to evaluate DSS according to criteria deemed important by the respondents; (b) the respondents' judgments of important DSS goals, attributes, and functions, and (c) comparisons of criteria importance ratings from managers and practitioners, and from direct and indirect users. Implications of this approach for using subjective evaluations of a DSS and for further research are discussed.
Independent DC link voltage control of cascaded multilevel PV inverter

For the independent DC link voltage control of the single phase cascaded multilevel PV inverter, this paper proposes an improved control strategy that consists only one total voltage loop and n feed-forward-based weighting factors. Actually, the multiple modulation signals have predictable ratios with each other because the series connection of the outputs of the H-bridges. Utilizing this feature, this proposed control strategy directly generates the weighting factors by the DC link input powers and voltage references which are independent with the output of the voltage feedback loop. The voltage feedback loop controls the sum of the DC link voltages while the feed-forward signals force the ratio between DC link voltages to be equal to the ratio between the references at steady state. Compared with the previous control strategies that contain at least n voltage controllers, the proposed control structure is much simplified. Besides, the small signal modeling and controller design of the inner current and outer voltage loop are also included in this paper. In addition, the adaptive gain is proposed to keep the loop gain unchanged even at the situation of weak irradiation. This control strategy is verified by the simulated and experimental results with accurate DC link control and more than 99.5% MPPT efficiency for each H-bridge even at severe irradiation mismatch conditions.
Teaching Poetry Through Collaborative Art: An Analysis of Multimodal Ensembles for Transformative Learning

This study is anchored on two positions: that every communication is multimodal and that different modalities within multimodal communication have particular affordances. Written and oral language ...
In-situ polymerase chain reaction: foundation of the technology and today's options.

"In situ PCR" is the marriage of two established technologies in molecular genetics, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in situ hybridization (ISH). It is based on the amplification within intact cells or tissue sections of specific gene sequences, or mRNA species, to levels detectable by ISH and/or immunohistochemistry. Methods to achieve in situ PCR, while sharing fundamental steps, have differed between different laboratories. On the basis of our own experience, in situ PCR appears to be best suited for the detection of DNA in single cell preparations, in which fixation and pre-treatments can be optimally controlled. Emphasis is placed on the requirement for appropriate and meaningful controls at the multiple steps involved. It is instructive to the view the emergence of this new technology in perspective. In situ PCR has not developed in isolation and is just one of several creative approaches that have been employed in recent years to study nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) intracellularly. Some approaches are more suitable for detection of mRNA, or viral RNA, while others are more easily applied to chromosomal DNA. Some further techniques, such as the isothermal self-sustained sequence replication (3SR), refined in-situ transcription (PRINS), or high sensitivity histochemical detection systems, will complement or even add to the potential of situ PCR. It is highly probable that tests will emerge, based on investigation of unique genetic markers, with important roles in specialized diagnostic laboratories for the evaluation of viral diseases, as well as hematological and other malignancies.
C-reactive protein level partially mediates the relationship between moderate alcohol use and frailty: the Health and Retirement Study

Background frailty is an indicator of late-life decline marked by higher rates of disability and healthcare utilisation. Research has linked health benefits with moderate alcohol use, including frailty risk reduction. Past work suggests inflammation, measured by C-reactive protein (CRP), as one candidate mechanism for this effect. Objective this study aims to elucidate a possible mechanism - CRP modulation - by which moderate alcohol consumption may protect against frailty. Methods a cross-sectional study using data from the 2008 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) conducted by the University of Michigan. The HRS is a cohort study on health, retirement and aging on adults aged 50 and older living in the USA. A final sample of 3,229 stroke-free participants, over the age of 65 years and with complete data, was identified from the 2008 wave. Alcohol use was measured via self-report. Frailty was measured using the Paulson-Lichtenberg Frailty Index. CRP was collected through the HRS protocol. Results results from structural equation modelling support the hypothesised model that moderate alcohol use is associated with less frailty and lower CRP levels. Furthermore, the indirect relationship from moderate alcohol use to frailty through CRP was statistically significant. Conclusions overall findings suggest that inflammation measured by CRP is one mechanism by which moderate alcohol use may confer protective effects for frailty. These findings inform future research relating alcohol use and frailty, and suggest inflammation as a possible mechanism in the relationship between moderate alcohol use and other beneficial health outcomes.
SU-F-T-118: Characterization of Change in Fractional Anisotropy After Radiation Therapy: Does Nearby Disruption Predict for White Matter Damage?

Purpose: We investigated predictors of fractional anisotropy (FA) change in the corticospinal white matter tract (CST) following radiation therapy (RT). Methods: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a non-invasive modality which models water diffusion properties. FA quantifies the extent of directional bias—a decrease indicates disrupted white matter integrity. Fifteen patients with high-grade glioma underwent DTI scans before, and ten months after RT to 59.4–60 Gy. The CST was segmented using an automated atlas-based algorithm on all DTI images. Treatment planning CT and DTI images were aligned using non-linear registration allowing for baseline FA, follow-up FA, and absorbed dose to be determined in each voxel. Relative FA change was dichotomized into a binary outcome using 25% decrease as cutoff. Three metrics were assessed as predictors: voxel dose, distance from the voxel to the center of the CST (Rc), and the number of neighboring voxels (Nadj from 0 to 26) with ≥25% decrease in FA. Logistic regression and the area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve (AUC) analysis were performed for each patient. Results: Median age of the cohort was 59 years (range: 40–85). The average number of voxels in the CST amongst all patients was 1181 (±172, SD). In logistic regression, the probability of FA change was highly associated with Nadj in all 15 patients with corresponding AUCs between 0.81 and 0.97. With all three metrics included in the logistic regression models, Nadj was highly significant (p<0.001) in all patients, voxel dose significant (p<0.05) in 3/15 patients, and Rc significant in 12/15 patients (p<0.05). Conclusion: The number of neighboring voxels with change in FA was the dominant predictor of FA change at any given voxel. This suggests that the microenvironment of surrounding white matter disruption after radiation therapy may drive local effects along a white matter tract. Pettersson and Cervino are funded by a Varian Medical Systems grant.
Decolonization and African Society: Conclusion: modernity, backwardness, and the colonial state

At the end of World War II, colonial officials in France and Great Britain self-consciously put forth new conceptions and new justifications for colonial policy for the post-war years. A few years later, their policies and the thinking that lay behind them were indeed quite different from pre-war patterns, but not in the way officials expected. They found that they were facing not just a long-run problem of directed social change, but an immediate question of control. The challenge occurred at a time when imperial regimes were unusually open to the intellectual implications of policies and concerned about international scrutiny of their words and actions, and when the metropoles needed the imperial economy more than ever. The challenges combined, at the same moment, colonial officials' best hopes and worst fears. From the Assemblee Nationale Constituante in Paris to the mass meetings of Mombasa and Dakar, officials not only heard their own words turned back at them, but they also saw the possibility that Africa's workers might express themselves through a familiar institution like a trade union. The social movements described in these pages seemed balanced on a knife's edge, taking modern forms but also revealing elements of a truly mass revolt, threatening at times to bring in the riff-raff of the city and the peasants of the countryside. Should the masses be mobilized by a Chege Kibachia or a Kwame Nkrumah, the danger could spill far beyond the context of urban workers and consumers, threatening the colonial state, and worse still its modernizing projects. However much colonial officials feared trade unions as a locus of power, the alternative was worse.
Compression behavior of FRP strengthened bridge timber piles subjected to accelerated aging

Abstract The use of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites has been identified an effective way to strengthen and protect timber piles in many different applications. This experimental study focuses on examining the performance of glass-FRP (GFRP) strengthened bridge timber piles under uniaxial compression after exposure to long-term degradation. Field extracted red oak pile specimens with different degrees of initial deterioration are used in the study. The initial condition of the timber is assessed through stress wave timing. In order to simulate natural degradation in unretrofitted and retrofitted timber piles due to environmental exposure in a short period of time an accelerated aging procedure is used. In total, 24 timber pile specimens are tested in uniaxial compression. The number of FRP layers and type of resin used (polyester, standard epoxy, and moisture tolerant epoxy) are varied. Results show that accelerated aging induces significant deterioration in unretrofitted timber piles but the effects are relatively minor in the FRP wrapped specimens. It is also proven that FRP composite is able to significantly improve the performance of timber piles in terms of peak stress and ductility even after being subjected to extreme degradation.