cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ASSESSING STUDENT PERCEPTION OF PRACTICE EVALUATION KNOWLEDGE IN INTRODUCTORY RESEARCH METHODS

The authors explored the use of the Practice Evaluation Knowledge Scale (PEKS) to assess student perception of acquisition and retention of practice evaluation knowledge from an undergraduate research methods class. The authors sampled 2 semesters of undergraduate social work students enrolled in an introductory research methods course. Thirty-four students completed PEKS prior to the course (T1) and at the conclusion of the course (T2). Finally, 25 students completed PEKS 2 semesters after course completion (T3). Significant differences with small to medium effect sizes were found between T1 and T2 scores and T1 and T3 scores. Findings indicate that the scale may be a useful tool in assessing perception of knowledge acquisition and retention within this population.
Life in the ‘Hood: Postwar Suburban Literature and Films

This article examines the postwar suburb and its representation in literature and films, which shares responsibility with the housing boom for propagating the suburban myth, as Herbert Gans coined the term in his seminal sociological study, The Levittowners (1963), whereby ‘the suburbs were breeding a new set of Americans, as mass produced as the houses, driven into a never ending round of group activity ruled by the strictest conformity’ yet which also revolved around ‘a matriarchal family of domineering wives, absent husbands, and spoiled children, and with it, rising marital friction, adultery, divorce, drunkenness, and mental illness’ (xxviii). This myth, contradictory but enduring, was propagated by the competing sensibilities of business interests intent on selling the ‘suburbs-as-lifestyle’ and by urban intellectuals who located there all that they disdained about middlebrow culture. This suburban aesthetic has remained largely unaltered despite the radical changes that the suburbs themselves are now undergoing: the majority of all Americans, including immigrants and people in poverty, now live in the suburbs, rendering obsolete the notion of the suburbs as the exclusive playground of the white middle class. Recent suburban literature and films work within the suburban literary tradition yet point toward a new suburban aesthetic that reflects and renegotiates this changing, fraught landscape.
TU-B-203-01: QA of Radiation Delivery Systems: TG-142 Quality Assurance of Medical Accelerators

The task group (TG) for quality assurance of medical accelerators was constituted by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine's Science Council, under the direction of the Radiation Therapy Committee and the Quality Assurance and Outcome Improvement Subcommittee. The report was published in the Journal of Medical Physics in September of 2009. [http://aapm.org/pubs/reports/RPT_142.pdf] The task group (TG #142) had two main charges. First to update, as needed, recommendations of Table II of the AAPM TG‐40 Report on Quality Assurance, and second, to add recommendations for Asymmetric Jaws, Multileaf Collimation(MLC), and Dynamic/Virtual Wedges. The TG accomplished the update to TG‐40, specifying new test and tolerances, and has added recommendations for not only the new ancillary delivery technologies, but also for imaging devices that are part of the linear accelerator. The imaging devices include x‐ray imaging, photon portal imaging, and cone‐beam CT. The TG report was designed to account for the types of treatments delivered with the particular machine. For example, machines that are used for radiosurgery treatments, or intensity modulated radiotherapy(IMRT) require different tests and/or tolerances. There are specific recommendations for MLCquality assurance for machines performing IMRT. There are specific tables according to daily, monthly, and annual reviews, along with unique tables for wedge systems, MLC, and imaging checks. The report is geared to be flexible for the physicist to customize the QA program depending on clinical utility. This is consistent with the philosophy of TG‐100, “Method for Evaluating QA Needs in Radiation Therapy.” The report also gives recommendations as to action levels for the physicists to implement particular actions, whether they are inspection, scheduled action, or immediate and corrective action. The report also gives specific implementation recommendations regarding setup of a QA program by the physicist, such as; building a QA team, establishing procedures, training of personnel, documentation, and end‐to‐end system checks. The tabulated items of this report have been considerably expanded as compared with the original TG 40 report and the recommended tolerances accommodate differences of the intended functionality (i.e., non‐IMRT, IMRT, or Stereotactic Delivery). Learning Objectives: 1. To understand the updates to TG‐40 in the new TG‐142 report. 2. To understand the recommend QA tests for wedge, MLC, and imaging systems as they pertain to accelerator type and procedures performed (i.e. IMRT). 3. To understand the implementation plan and action level and response recommendations.
Influence Of The Atmosphere On Remotely Sensed Data

Factors which influence the effects of the atmosphere on the data of remote sensing are examined. A radiative-transfer model is considered and effects of varied optical thickness of the atmosphere are investigated. Effects of varied surface albedo are discussed along with the effects of the sun angle, the effects of the scan angle, and questions regarding the atmospheric effects on the recognition performance. It is found that a multiplicative factor involving the sun angle alone is not sufficient for the correction of space data.
Life situations, emotions, and disease

A series of studies are described in which the author and other investigators have sought to clarify the influence of emotions, psychosocial factors, and life changes on the onset and course of disease.
Teaching Abnormal Psychology Concepts Using Popular Song Lyrics

(1982). Teaching Abnormal Psychology Concepts Using Popular Song Lyrics. Teaching of Psychology: Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 233-234.
Temporal Scale of Processes in Dynamic Networks

Temporal streams of interactions are commonly aggregated into dynamic networks for temporal analysis. Results of this analysis are greatly affected by the resolution at which the original data are aggregated. The mismatch between the inherent temporal scale of the underlying process and that at which the analysis is performed can obscure important insights and lead to wrong conclusions. To this day, there is no established framework for choosing the appropriate scale for temporal analysis of streams of interactions. Our paper offers the first step towards the formalization of this problem. We show that for a general class of interaction streams it is possible to identify, in a principled way, the inherent temporal scale of the underlying dynamic processes. Moreover, we state important properties of these processes that can be used to develop an algorithm to identify this scale. Additionally, these properties can be used to separate interaction streams for which no level of aggregation is meaningful versus those that have a natural level of aggregation.
Fine particulate formation during switchgrass/coal cofiring

Experiments to examine the effects of bioinass/coal cofiring on fine particle formation were performed in the Sandia Multi-Fuel Combustor using fuels of pure coal, three combinations of switchgrass and coal, and pure switchgrass. For this work, fine particles with aerodynamic diameter between 10 nm and I μm were examined. A constant solid-fuel thermal input of 8 kW was maintained. The combustion products were cooled from 1200 to 420°C during passage through the 4.2 m long reactor to simulate the temperatures experienced in the convection pass of a boiler. Fine particle number densities, mass concentrations, and total integrated number and mass concentrations at the reactor exit were determined using a scanning mobility particle sizer. The fine particle number concentrations for cofiring were much higher than those achieved with dedicated coal combustion However, the total integrated mass concentration of particles remained essentiall constant for all levels of cofiring from 0% coal to 100% coal. The constant mass concentration is significant because pending environmental regulations are likely to be based on particle mass rather than particle size.
Activity of purified milk lipase in the presence of milk constituents

Abstract The effects of varying concentrations of nonfat dry milk solids, purified proteins, lactose, and salts upon the activity of purified milk lipase were investigated. Milk solids inhibited the enzymic activity, and there was a direct but not proportional relationship between the concentration of the solids and the enzyme inhibition. The inhibition of the enzyme by milk solids followed the Freundlich adsorption isotherm, indicating that the inhibition of the enzyme involved adsorption. Purified α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, acid casein, Hammersten casein, α-casein, α s -casein, β-casein, and γ-casein inhibited the enzyme up to 90%. Usually, the higher the concentration of caseins, the greater the enzyme inhibition. On the other hand, κ-casein, pseudoglobulin, euglobulin, lactalbumin, blood serum albumin, and bovine plasma albumin stimulated the enzyme up to 60%. At higher concentration, however, some of the stimulating proteins inhibited the enzyme. The ultracentrifugal data indicated that the mode of inhibition of the enzyme by β-casein involved the formation of a complex between the protein and the enzyme. Lactose did not inhibit the enzyme significantly, but salts of calcium or magnesium inhibited the enzyme up to 50%. Ca(OH) 2 was the most inhibitory and MgSO 4 was the least inhibitory. These data suggest that in milk the observed lipase activity is the net result of the inhibitory and stimulatory action of the various milk constituents upon the enzyme.
Difficult pancreatic mass FNA: tips for success.

Pancreatic cancer is now the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, and its incidence appears to be increasing. Cancer of the pancreas develops in approximately 30,000 people in the United States annually. The disease is associated with a high mortality rate and a median survival of approximately 4 months in untreated patients. Data from the National Cancer Database show the 5-year survival after surgery (pancreaticoduodenectomy) to be 3%.1 However, if surgery achieves clear margins and negative lymph nodes, the 5-year survival approaches 25%. Unfortunately, most patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer display clinical symptoms at an advanced stage of the disease when surgical cure is no longer possible. When unresectable, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and a combination of the two may improve overall survival and quality of life. EUS was developed in the early 1980s to overcome limitations to transabdominal US imaging of the pancreas caused by intervening gas, bone, and fat. The ability to position the transducer in direct proximity to the pancreas by means of the stomach and duodenum, combined with the use of high-frequency transducers, produces detailed high-resolution images of the pancreas that far surpasses that of CT or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A logical progression of diagnostic EUS was fine-needle aspiration (FNA). The echoendoscope itself serves as the vehicle to deliver the needle to the target site of puncture. The FNA needle is passed through the instrumentation channel of the echoendoscope and into the pancreatic target lesion under endosonographic guidance. With the availability of EUS and EUS-guided FNA procedures in major medical centers around the world, earlier diagnosis and more accurate staging have improved the management of pancreatic cancer. This article will review EUS-guided FNA of the pancreas and tips to achieve successful results.
Soluble phosphatidylserine binds to a single identified site in the C2 domain of human factor Va.

Factor Va (FVa) is a cofactor for the serine protease factor Xa that activates prothrombin to thrombin in the presence of Ca2+ and a membrane surface. FVa is a heterodimer composed of one heavy chain (A1 and A2 domains) and one light chain (A3, C1, and C2 domains). We use fluorescence, circular dichroism, and equilibrium dialysis to demonstrate that (1) the FV C2 domain expressed in Sf9 cells binds one molecule of C6PS with a kd of ∼2 μM, (2) stabilizing changes occur in the FV C2 domain upon C6PS binding, (3) the C6PS binding site in the FV C2 domain is located near residue Cys2113, which reacts with DTNB, and (4) binding to a PS-containing membrane is an order of magnitude tighter than that to soluble C6PS. Coupled with a recently published crystal structure of the C2 domain, these results support a model for the mechanism of C2−membrane interaction.
Dipole–dipole interaction directed liquid crystalline polymers. I. Aliphatic poly(carbonate‐sulfone)s based on 1,3‐bis(3‐hydroxypropylsulfonyl)propane

Aliphatic poly(carbonate-sulfone) homo- and copolymers were prepared from 1,3-bis(3-hydroxypropylsulfonyl)propane (Diol-333) and various alkanediols. The copolymers are random in nature since they were prepared by melt copolymerization. Both the homopolymer and the copolymers exhibited multiple reproducible first-order transitions during differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) heating scans, but most of them exhibited only single exotherm during cooling scans. Typical schlieren textures were observed when these polymers were cooled from their isotropic melts. The copolymers have wide-angle x-ray diffraction (WAXD) patterns almost identical to that of the homopolymer except in the low-angle spacing, indicating their packing in the crystalline domain in similar. DSC, cross-polarized optical microscopy, and WAXD revealed that these polymers were smectic liquid crystalline at room temperature. Since aliphatic poly(carbonate-sulfone)s are flexible linear polymers with no rigid rod components, the liquid crystalline phase formation is probably directed by the dipole–dipole interactions between sulfone groups in adjacent chains. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Irrigation Outreach in Afghanistan: Exposure to Afghan Water Security Challenges

: The authors, from Colorado State University were invited by the United Sates Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agriculture Service and Afghanistan's Ministry for Agriculture Irrigation and Livestock to lead a “train-the-trainer” workshop with Afghanistan's best and brightest irrigation outreach professionals. The six day workshop on the outskirts of Kabul helped clarify that prolonged conflict has damaged agriculture's access to what should be a plentiful supply of irrigation water. The violence of two wars still lingers today continuing to inhibit foreign aid's ability to rebuild Afghanistan's water resources infrastructure. In spite of these challenges participants in the workshop demonstrated remarkable resourcefulness and courage helping producers throughout Afghanistan take advantage of improvements as they came online. With continued assistance from Western researchers and extension professionals that is sensitive to the traditional methods of water administration, there is reason to be hopeful for the future success of Afghanistan's agricultural sector.
Assessment of fire resistance requirements

The calculation of normalized heat load, a succinct quantifier of the potential of compartment fires to spread by destruction, is greatly simplified by the introduction of two semi-empirical equations. These afford direct insight into the relation between the destructive potential of fire and the principal characteristics of the fire compartment and its contents of combustibles.
The role of latent heat release in baroclinic waves - Without beta-effect

An attempt is made to understand the role of latent heat release in the development of baroclinic waves by developing the analytical theory of two-level, quasi-geostrophic baroclinic waves proposed by Phillips (1954) without beta effect, for the case of an atmosphere initially saturated with water vapor and subject to pseudo-adiabatic lifting and dry adiabatic subsistence. The saturated atmosphere condition precludes consideration of conditional convective instability. A consideration of disturbances at each level which depends only on the zonal coordinates and time results in a set of differential equations which is linear in all respects except for the latent heating term in the thermodynamic energy equation. A fundamental nonlinearity is present in this model which is due to heating via the release of latent heat when vertical motion is upward.
Metabolic fate of gossypol: The metabolism of gossypol-14C in laying hens

Abstract Orally administered formyl-14C-labeled gossypol was rapidly excreted by laying hens into the urine and feces. Only a small portion was deposited in the tissues. A major part of the absorbed gossypol was concentrated in the eggs. The excretion of gossypol into the intestine via the bile seemed to be a major pathway by which absorbed gossypol was excreted. The decarbonylation of gossypol to carbon dioxide and apogossypol was not a major route for gossypol metabolism in the laying hen. The time necessary to eliminate one-half of the radioactive gossypol (10 mg, 0.35 μCi) from the bird body (1 kg) under the conditions used was found to be 30 hr.
Prevalence and reversibility of lower airway obstruction in children with sickle cell disease

Abstract Objective: To determine the prevalence and reversibility of lower airway obstruction (LAO) in children and adolescents with hemoglobin SS sickle cell disease (HbSS SCD). Study Design: Retrospective evaluation of lung function in a cross-section of 35 African American and 28 Hispanic children and adolescents with HbSS SCD. Lung function was evaluated with maximal respiratory flow-volume curves and body plethysmography. Each patient was assigned to 1 of 3 patterns of lung function (normal, obstructive, or restrictive). Airway hyperresponsiveness was assessed by means of a trial with bronchodilator. Results: Normal pattern was detected in 57% of the patients, LAO in 35%, and restrictive lung disease in 8%. Positive response to bronchodilator was documented in 30% of those with normal pattern of lung function, 78% in those with LAO, and 67% of those with restrictive lung disease. The pattern of lung function was not associated with race or with history of vaso-occlusive crises, acute chest syndrome, reactive airways disease/asthma, or long-term transfusion therapy. Conclusion: Obstructive lung disease possibly precedes the development of restrictive lung disease, and airway reactivity may be part of the pathogenic mechanism. (J Pediatr 2001;138:188-92)
Association of 6% hetastarch resuscitation with adverse outcomes in critically ill trauma patients

BACKGROUND: Six percent hetastarch is used as a volume expander but has been associated with poor outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate trauma patients resuscitated with hetastarch. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of adult trauma patients. Demographics, injury severity, laboratory values, outcomes, and hetastarch use were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 2,225 patients were identified, of whom 497 (22%) received hetastarch. There were no differences in age, gender, injury mechanism, lactate, hematocrit, or creatinine. The mean injury severity score was different: 29.7 12.6 with hetastarch versus 27.5 12.6 without hetastarch. Acute kidney injury developed in 65 hetastarch patients (13%) and in 131 (8%) without hetastarch (relative risk, 1.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30‐2.28). Hetastarch mortality was 21%, compared with 11% without hetastarch (relative risk, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.48‐2.29). Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated hetastarch use (odds ratio, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.49‐2.58) as independently significant for death. Hetastarch use was independently significant for renal dysfunction as well (odds ratio, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.22‐2.36). CONCLUSIONS: Because of the detrimental association with renal function and mortality, hetastarch should be avoided in the resuscitation of trauma patients.
Renal artery calcification and mortality among clinically asymptomatic adults

Objectives The goal of this study was to assess the associations between renal artery calcification (RAC) and mortality in a healthy outpatient cohort with no known cardiovascular disease (CVD). Background Studies in individuals with known diabetes and kidney disease have suggested that RAC confers additional mortality risk independent of coronary artery calcification, but this hypothesis has not been explored in healthier populations. Methods RAC was assessed by using computed tomography scan in healthy outpatients with no known CVD. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association of RAC with mortality. Results The mean age of participants was 57 years; 42.6% were women. RAC was present in 622 (14%) of 4,450 participants. Over a median follow-up of 8.2 years, there were 178 deaths. After adjustment for age, sex, diabetes, smoking, cholesterol, and family history of CVD, the presence of RAC conferred a >60% increased hazard for all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.63 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17 to 2.29]). Adjustment for calcification in other vascular beds attenuated this association (HR: 1.40 [95% CI: 0.99 to 1.97]). Adjustment for hypertension, a potential mediator of the association, did not substantially change the results (HR: 1.44 [95% CI: 1.02 to 2.03]). Adding RAC to a model including Framingham risk and coronary artery calcification improved the predictive ability of the model, from 0.73 to 0.77 (p = 0.0002); the net reclassification index was 14.4% for the addition of RAC. Results for cardiovascular mortality were not significant and were limited by the small number of cardiovascular deaths. Conclusions RAC was associated with an increased risk of subsequent all-cause mortality in healthy outpatient individuals, independent of traditional cardiac risk factors. The risk was modestly attenuated by adjustment for vascular calcification in other vascular beds, suggesting partial confounding by systemic calcified atherosclerosis. The effect did not seem to be mediated by hypertension.
Why do popular mechanisms lack efficiency in random environments

We consider the problem of randomly assigning n indivisible objects to n agents. Recent research introduced a promising mechanism, the probabilistic serial that has superior e¢ ciency properties than the most common real-life mechanism random priority. On the other hand, mechanisms based on Gale’s celebrated top trading cycles method have long dominated the indivisible goods literature (with the exception of the present context) thanks to their outstanding e¢ ciency features. We present an equivalence �
John Barth's the Sot-Weed Factor and the Kinzua Dam controversy

The highly self-reflexive and parodic nature of John Barth's work was initially considered by critics to be unsuited to social or historical engagement. As John T. Matthews has noted, “Barth's stea...
Predicting the reliability of a complex military system

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the reliability projection for a complex military system. For the purposes of this paper we will consider this a mobile system with standalone subsystems integrated onto the platform. The reliability of the overall system is determined by these subsystems as well as the reliability of the mobile platform itself. At the time the reliability projection was made, the system had been previously tested in developmental and operational environments. Following the first developmental test (DT), the system entered into operational testing (OT). After completion of the initial DT and OT testing, the system underwent corrective actions to address issues uncovered in testing. After correction, the system underwent additional developmental testing. After the last phase of developmental testing, analysis was done to project the system's reliability prior to entering the second OT. While taking into consideration the subsystems and their impact on the overall affect on the platforms reliability, the analysis concluded the reliability of a specific component greatly affected the projected reliability of the platform in an operational environment.
Taurine chloramine-induced inactivation of cofilin protein through methionine oxidation

Cofilin regulates reorganization of actin filaments (F-actin) in eukaryotes. A recent finding has demonstrated that oxidation of cofilin by taurine chloramine (TnCl), a physiological oxidant derived from neutrophils, causes cofilin to translocate to the mitochondria inducing apoptosis (F. Klamt et al. Nat. Cell Biol.11:1241-1246; 2009). Here we investigated the effect of TnCl on biological activities of cofilin in vitro. Our data show that TnCl-induced oxidation of recombinant human cofilin-1 inhibits its F-actin-binding and depolymerization activities. Native cofilin contains four free Cys and three Met residues. Incubation of oxidized cofilin with DTT does not lead to its reactivation. A double Cys to Ala mutation on the two C-terminal Cys shows similar biological activities as the wild type, but does not prevent the TnCl-induced inactivation. In contrast, incubation of oxidized cofilin with methionine sulfoxide reductases results in its reactivation. Phosphorylation is known to inhibit cofilin activities. We found that Met oxidation also prevents phosphorylation of cofilin, which is reversed by incubating oxidized cofilin with methionine sulfoxide reductases. Interestingly, intact protein mass spectrometry of the oxidized mutant indicated one major oxidation product with an additional mass of 16 Da, consistent with oxidation of one specific Met residue. This residue was identified as Met-115 by peptide mapping and tandem mass spectrometry. It is adjacent to Lys-114, a known residue on globular-actin-binding site, implying that oxidation of Met-115 disrupts the globular-actin-binding site of cofilin, which causes TnCl-induced inactivation. The findings identify Met-115 as a redox switch on cofilin that regulates its biological activity.
AN INCLUSIVE ETHICS FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY: IMPLICATIONS FOR STEM CELL RESEARCH

An important contribution of Christian ethics in the pluralistic world of the twenty-first century is to emphasize inclusivity. Rather than promoting the interests of certain groups at the expense of the most vulnerable, society does well to prioritize ways forward that benefit all. For stem cell research, inclusivity entails benefiting or at least protecting the beneficiaries of treatment, the sources of materials, and the subjects of research. Adult stem cells are already benefiting many ill patients without causing harm, and select adult cells may prove even more beneficial in the future. Other types of stem cells require other bodily materials such as eggs and somatic cells that should be obtained without unduly harming those who provide them. Research subjects, especially the most vulnerable, require protection as well. Should human embryos be included among them? Considerations of location, formation, individuation, and intention are here examined. Ultimately, for safety reasons as well as workability, pluripotency, and compatibility, relatively new types of pluripotent stem cells, especially induced pluripotent stem cells, warrant special priority according to an inclusive ethics.
Elementary Students' Retention of Environmental Science Knowledge: Connected Science Instruction versus Direct Instruction.

This study compares 3rd-grade elementary students’ gain and retention of science vocabulary over time in two different classes—connected science instruction versusdirect instruction. Data analysis yielded that students who received connected science instruction showed less gain in science knowledge in the short term compared to students who received direct instruction. On the other hand, the growth curve demonstrated a lower rate of loss of science knowledge among students in connected science classes compared to students in direct instruction classes.
A photographic method for the visualization of mass uptake patterns in aqueous systems

Abstract A new method utilizing the flow of dilute developer solution over an exposed photographic film was employed for visualizing mass uptake patterns at a solid surface. For flow around a backward-facing step, the developed film revealed mass transfer from a corner eddy, circulating stall and reattachment point. Along the floor of a rectangular channel containing a vertical cylinder or a vertical square plate, the developed film displayed a horseshoe-shaped high mass transfer region upstream of the obstruction and a wake-like high mass transfer region downstream of the obstruction.
Homology and fibrations I Coalgebras, cotensor product and its derived functors

The s tudy of the relations between the homology structure of the base space, the total space and the fiber of a fibration offers ample opportunity for application of homological algebra. This series of papers develops some of this algebra and derives its relations with the geometric situations. In this paper the basic notion is that of a (graded differential) coalgebra A over a commutative ring K . Left and right (graded differential) A-comodules are defined as well as a cotensor product A DAB of a right A-comodule A and a left A-comodule B. Using a suitable relative notion of an injective resolution the derived functor Cotor A (A, B) (which is a graded K-module) is defined. This functor is the target of a spectral sequence {Er(A, A, B), d r} and under some flatness conditions (which are always satisfied if K is a field) the term E~(A, A, B) is isomorphic with Cotor R(A)(H (A), H (B)). This algebraic apparatus is developed in w w 2-10. The contact with geometry is established in the following way. We consider a commuting diagram E' 9~E
Verification of Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) shell growth rings by tracking cohorts in fishery closed areas

We tracked the growth of large cohorts of sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus) at four sites located in areas closed to scallop fishing and compared the observed growth with that inferred from r...
Monolithic fabrication of three-dimensional microfluidic networks for constructing cell culture array with an integrated combinatorial mixer

Abstract We present a novel method to monolithically fabricate three-dimensional (3-D) microfluidic networks and based on this fabrication technology, we have constructed the first cell culture device with an integrated combinatorial mixer. The device is designed for screening the combinatorial effects of multiple compound exposure on cultured cells, and a 1 cm × 1 cm proof-of-concept chip having a three-input combinatorial mixer and eight individually isolated micro culture-chambers has been fabricated. The 3-D microfluidic networks are fabricated utilizing the surface micromachining of parylene C (poly(chloro- p -xylylene)), and the monolithic method enables the device to achieve precise alignment in between microchannels and favorably obviates multilayer bonding processes. By incorporating several microfluidic “overpass” structures to allow one microfluidic channel to cross over other microfluidic channels, the combinatorial mixer is able to simultaneously generate all the combinations of the input fluidic streams for output to the microchambers. Cell culturing inside parylene C micro culture-chambers has been successfully performed, and the ability to simultaneously treat arrays of cells with different combinations of compounds has been demonstrated with experiments using three different cell stains. Our scaleable process can enable the fabrication of devices with a high-input combinatorial mixer with applications not only for high-throughput cell-based assays but also for conducting researches in combinatorial chemistry or the pharmaceutical industry. At the same time, the fabrication technique will have general applicability for building complex 3-D microfluidic devices, which can broaden the applications for current lab-on-a-chip systems.
Towards a design model for women's empowerment in the developing world

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof argues that in this century the paramount moral challenge will be the struggle for gender equality around the world. In this paper, we present a design model for empowering low-income women in the developing world, in ways that cut across individual application areas. Specifically, this model characterizes a possible trajectory for NGOs and women to engage with each other and among themselves potentially augmented by technology to help women escape from poverty. The fieldwork components in this study took place over 15 weeks in three phases, with a total of 47 NGO staff members and 35 socio-economically challenged women in rural and urban India. Interviews and co-design sessions with seven proof-of-concept prototypes showed that women appeared to belong to five distinct stages of growth in striving towards independence. We report the technology design lessons from our co-design sessions to illustrate how user readiness, relationship building at the community and family levels, and integration with state, national and international level programs, should be taken into account in the broader context of intervention design.
Radiofrequency Ablation for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunts.

Purpose To assess radiofrequency (RF) ablation efficacy, as well as the patency of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPSs), in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Ontogeny of Parent-Contacting in Young Cichlasoma Citrinellum (Pisces, Cichlidae)

Adult Cichlasoma citrinellum are polychromatic. About 92% of the adults of the population studied have a species-typical gray and black color pattern. The other 8%o are partially or completely xanthic. During the parental phase young nibble at the parents' bodies, apparently eating material from the surface. Such contacting behavior was also observed in nature as a regular phenomenon. Field observations suggested that the young were contacting the male parent more than the female, and that the amount of contacting was inversely related to the availability of food for the young. Contacting is not essential for survival in aquaria. Young raised in isolation from parents have survival and growth not significantly different from those raised with parents. The amount of contacting by young in aquaria is inversely related to their feeding: Hunger increases the amount of contacting. There is no apparent diurnal rhythm of contacting. Variations are related to the time of feeding. Contacting is shown by all young in aquaria. Initially young contact male and female parents about equally, regardless of color. At this stage contacting appears to be in proportion to the surface area available on each parent. Contacting changes with the age of the young. With increasing age, they contact a gray parent progressively more than a xanthic one. Also, they contact the male parent increasingly more than the female. These two preferences are apparently independent. Young, isolated from their parents in all respects but visually, did not develop preferences in contacting: When first exposed to parents, young fish, regardless of age, contacted each parent relatively the same amount. The continuous sight of their parents and of their siblings developing the contacting preferences was not sufficient for these semi-isolated young to develop the preferences. Hence, this development is not due just to changes in the young and/or the parents, but must involve direct experience. The experience of contacting a particular set of parents has an effect, of relatively short duration, on subsequent contacting preferences of the young. They learn the color and sex correlated factor of each parent. When tested against other parents, both sex and color play a role, but the natural banded color pattern appears to be more important than maleness. Parents, in pairs or individually, will accept other young of their species that are the same age or younger than their own. Older young are chased and eaten. Young can be raised in isolation and successfully re-introduced to their parents. And parents can be exchanged between families. In both such situations, both parents and young soon settle down and behave in typical fashion toward each other. The discussion centers on the possible bases for these preferences of the young and their development. Also considered are the origin of contacting as an alternate source of nutriment for the young, and its evolution within the Cichlidae.
Laparoscopic mesh herniorrhaphy: impact on outcomes associated with radical retropubic prostatectomy.

Abstract Objectives Laparoscopic herniorrhaphy employing non-absorbable mesh (LMH) is a frequently performed procedure for groin hernia. Multiple case reports in the urologic literature have identified LMH as a complicating factor in patients undergoing open radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) for prostate cancer. The purpose of this study was to review our experience and outcomes in patients with a prior LMH undergoing open RRP. Methods After institutional review board approval, a retrospective review of all open RRPs performed by a single surgeon between 2003 and 2008 was used to identify patients with a history of a prior LMH. The outcomes of these patients were compared with a contemporary cohort of patients undergoing RRP by the same surgeon. Results Eighteen patients with a prior LMH underwent RRP. Five of the 18 had bilateral LMH, with unilateral LMH in the remainder. Outcomes in this group were compared with 38 patients without prior LMH. There was no difference between the groups in terms of age, preoperative PSA, prostate size, preoperative Gleason score, or body mass index, and RRP was successfully performed in all 18 LMH patients. One of 18 patients had a postoperative complication (persistent JP drainage). Compared with the control group, differences in operative time and blood loss bordered on statistical significance. Conclusions Prior LMH is not a contraindication to RRP. While resulting in slightly longer operating times and higher blood loss, our experience suggests that RRP can be safely performed in these patients.
Attenuation of the development of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats by the thromboxane synthetase inhibitor, 4'-(imidazol-1-yl) acetophenone.

Abstract The compound 4′-(imidazol-1-yl) acetophenone was demonstrated to be a selective thromboxane (Tx) synthetase inhibitor in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Serum TxB 2 concentrations (from clotted blood) were supressed by 89.1% (p 1α levels were not signinficantly altered at 3 following injection - a time when supression of TxB 2 was maximal. From 4 to 10 weeks of age, SHR were treated with daily injections of either 4′-(Imidazol-1-yl) acetophenone (100 mg/kg) in olive oil or olive oil alone. By 8 weeks of age systolic blood pressures in the treated group were 140.6 ± 3.2 vs 156.6 ± 4.5 mmHg in the control group (p
Nucleoside uptake during the germination of Neurospora crassa conidia.

Abstract The capacity of germinating Neurospora crassa conidia to take up thymidine from the medium increased 4-fold during the first 2.5 h of germination, then decreased until at 10 h it was reduced to less than the original value of 0-h cells. Deoxyadenosine uptake capacity reached a temporary maximum after 2.5 h, then increased to a second plateau at 8 h. Competition experiments suggest that at least two separate nucleoside transport sites are generated in germinating N. crassa conidia. One of the sites is specific for purine nucleosides and the other is a common system for purine and pyrimidine nucleosides. The two systems were characterized in terms of saturation kinetics, pH and temperature dependence, inhibition by NaCN and 2,4-dinitrophenol and cycloheximide arrestment during development.
Frequency of major adverse cardiac events within one month of coronary angioplasty: a useful measure of operator performance.

Abstract OBJECTIVES To test one-month outcomes in a single center for their statistical power to corroborate conclusions derived from large multicenter databases. BACKGROUND Only with large, multicenter databases has it been possible to demonstrate more frequent occurrences of complications in patients treated by “low-volume operators.” Critics feel that such analyses mask excellent performance by many “low-volume operators.” METHODS In a high-volume cardiac catheterization laboratory in a large, nonuniversity teaching hospital, baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics were collected for a consecutive series of 1,029 patients treated by 37 percutaneous transluminal coronary intervention (PTCI) operators over a four-month period. One-month follow-up was obtained in 967 (94%) patients who form the basis for this analysis. RESULTS Only the group of operators performing CONCLUSIONS As is true of analyses of large multicenter databases, lower volume operators as a group have less good outcomes than those performing more. The greater statistical power provided by one-month MACE rate offers advantages over the use of in-hospital complications for the analysis of operator performance.
Effective range theory and the low energy hyperon-nucleon interactions☆

Abstract The effective range theory is treated in the case of coupled channels where allowance is made for channels with higher l-waves. Also it is shown how to take the Coulomb interaction into account. A shape-independent relation connecting the volume integral of the potential and the scattering length is derived. Applying this to the analyses of the light hyperfragments leads to the estimates of the Λ-nucleon scattering lengths: a 0 =− 3.6 +3.6 −1.8 f for S=0 and a 1 =−(0.53±0.12)f for S=1 The low energy Σ−-proton reactions are considered. It is shown how one can take account of the kinematical effects due to the mass differences between the members of the same isomultiplet. We have calculated the effective range parameters for three different potentials corresponding to global (gNNπ = gΣΣπ = gΛΣπ) and antiglobal (gNNπ = −gΣΣπ = −gΛΣπ) symmetry. These are then applied to the Σ−-proton reactions. It is shown that the global symmetry assumption is consistent with the Λ-nucleon scattering lengths, the ratio r R = Σ 0 (Σ 0 + Λ 0 ) obtained in the Σ−-proton reactions and with the data in the K− absorption in deuterium. Also it is shown that the same data rule out the antiglobal symmetry assumption.
Nanostructured hydroxyapatite/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) composite coating for controlling magnesium degradation in simulated body fluid

Biodegradable magnesium (Mg) and its alloys have many attractive properties (e.g. comparable mechanical properties to cortical bone) for orthopedic implant applications, but they degrade too rapidly in the human body to meet clinical requirements. Nanostructured hydroxyapatite (nHA)/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) composite coatings provide synergistic properties for controlling degradation of Mg-based substrates and improving bone–implant integration. In this study, nHA/PLGA composites were spin coated onto Mg-based substrates and the results showed that the nHA/PLGA coatings retained nano-scale features with nHA dispersed in PLGA matrix. In comparison with non-coated Mg, the nHA/PLGA composite coated Mg increased the corrosion potential and decreased the corrosion current in revised simulated body fluid (rSBF). After 24 h of immersion in rSBF, increased calcium phosphate (CaP) deposition and formation of Mg-substituted CaP rosettes were observed on the surface of the nHA/PLGA coated Mg, indicating greater bioactivity. In contrast, no significant CaP was deposited on the PLGA coated Mg. Since both PLGA coating and nHA/PLGA coating showed some degree of delamination from Mg-based substrates during extended immersion in rSBF, the coating processing and properties should be further optimized in order to take full advantage of biodegradable Mg and nHA/PLGA nanocomposites for orthopedic applications.
Geostrophic drag coefficients for the central Arctic derived from Soviet drifting station data

Based on 4 years of central arctic atmospheric sounding data and 10 years of surface wind data from Soviet drifting stations, combined with geostrophic winds from the arctic buoy program, the following relation between air-ice stress, τ, and the surface geostrophic wind speed, g , can be recommended If the spacing between sea level pressure values from buoys is greater than 400 km, such as in the arctic buoy array, a speed enhancement factor of γ = 1.3 should be applied to correct for insufficient sampling and smoothing in generating the geostrophic wind field. If the spacing is of order 100 km or less, then γ = 1.0. An inflow angle α , the angle between the geostrophic wind and the surface wind, of 33° is recommended for winter and 23° for summer. Values for the transition months April, May, September and October can be interpolated between winter and summer values. The winter value of C g is calculated 3 ways: from the Soviet station surface windgeostrophic wind speed ratio using suitable 10 m drag coefficients, from regression equations based on surface-900 mb stability, and from the AIDJEX analyses. The summer values are based on the surface wind-geostrophic wind ratio, model, and AIDJEX derived values. There is considerable day-to-day variability in atmospheric stability and geostrophic coefficients, but no statistically significant variation in the within-season monthly mean and median values; month-to-month variability is within 5% for C g and 5 ° for α for the winter and summer seasons. Neglect of stability variations for daily cases can contribute an error of ± 40% in the relation between surface stress and geostrophic wind speed squared compared with using constant winter values. Use of atmospheric temperature profiles from satellites may increase the accuracy of C g for daily cases by providing an estimate of lower-atmospheric inversion strength. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0870.1994.t01-4-00007.x
Protein Kinase G I and Heart Failure Shifting Focus From Vascular Unloading to Direct Myocardial Antiremodeling Effects

The cyclic GMP (cGMP) signaling pathway is a ubiquitous second messenger system that regulates diverse cellular functions. The cGMP-dependent protein kinase G (PKG) is a primary direct cGMP effector in multiple cell types. cGMP-PKG signaling plays critical roles throughout the cardiovascular system, although the best understood function of PKG is as an inducer of vascular smooth muscle relaxation, leading to arteriolar vasodilation (see Munzel et al1 for an extensive review on the subject). However, during the past decade, multiple studies have revealed important functions of cGMP and PKG signaling in the myocardium, and particularly in the attenuation of pathological cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling. This has created great interest in targeting this pathway to treat heart failure. Multiple cGMP-generating compounds have now been investigated for the treatment of heart failure. Although these agents target different upstream components of the cGMP pathway, they all ultimately function as PKG I (PKGI) activators (Figure). Because of the rapid induction by PKG of vascular relaxation, most clinical trials to date have studied these agents in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). However, more recent clinical studies, informed by basic data, have begun to explore a role for these agents as chronic myocardial antiremodeling therapies, which, ironically, are being limited in many cases by undesired excessive vasodilation and hypotension resulting from PKG activation in the vasculature. Figure. Summary of PKGI activation pathway in cardiovascular tissues. Currently available pharmacological agents targeting specific components of the pathway are shown in red. Also represented are the hypothesized overlapping, but nonidentical, protein kinase G I (PKGI) substrates in the vascular smooth muscle cell and cardiac myocyte, which may mediate vasodilation and attenuation of cardiac remodeling, respectively. ANP indicates atrial natriuretic peptide; BNP, B-type natriuretic peptide; LZ, leucine zipper domain; NEP, neutral endopeptidase (neprilysin); pGC, particulate guanylate cyclase (NP receptor); and sGC, …