cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
N-Acetyl Cysteine Mediates Protection from 2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate Induced Apoptosis via Nuclear Factor Kappa B–Dependent and Independent Pathways: Potential Involvement of JNK

The mechanisms by which resin based materials induce adverse effects in patients have not been completely elucidated. Here we show that 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) induces apoptotic cell death in oral keratinocytes. Functional loss and cell death induced by HEMA was significantly inhibited in the presence of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) treatment. NAC also prevented HEMA mediated decrease in vascular endothelial growth factor secretion. The protective effect of NAC was partly related to its ability to induce NF-κB in the cells, since HEMA mediated inhibition of nuclear NF-κB expression and function was significantly blocked in the presence of NAC treatment. Moreover, blocking of nuclear translocation of NF-κB in oral keratinocytes sensitized these cells to HEMA mediated apoptosis. In addition, since NAC was capable of rescuing close to 50% of NF-κB knockdown cells from HEMA mediated cell death, there is, therefore, an NF-κB independent pathway of protection from HEMA mediated cell death by NAC. NAC mediated prevention of HEMA induced cell death in NF-κB knockdown cells was correlated with a decreased induction of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activity since NAC inhibited HEMA mediated increase in JNK levels. Furthermore, the addition of a pharmacologic JNK inhibitor to HEMA treated cells prevented cell death and restored NF-κB knockdown cell function significantly. Therefore, NAC protects oral keratinocytes from the toxic effects of HEMA through NF-κB dependent and independent pathways. Moreover, our data suggest the potential involvement of JNK pathway in NAC mediated protection.
Retirement Expectations: Differences by Race, Ethnicity, and Gender

Analyses by race and ethnicity of several important dimensions of labor market behavior have been constrained in the past by limited samples of the African American and Hispanic populations. This article uses data from the first wave of the Health and Retirement Survey, which oversamples these populations, to compare the retirement plans of African American, Hispanic, and white married men and women. Findings suggest that retirement expectations may accurately forecast retirement behavior and that the differences by race and ethnicity, as well as by gender, that are evident in retirement plans are likely to be reflected in retirement outcomes.
Three variations of translational research: Comments on Critchfield (2011)

I agree with Critchfield's (2011) thesis (to paraphrase): Behavior analysis must adapt; we cannot simply will ourselves into greater social relevance. Critchfield focused on the survival of the basic research arm of behavior analysis, known as the experimental analysis of behavior (EAB). Herein I will briefly categorize three general variations of translational research to make a case that translational research is an essential part of both our history and our future as a field, whether basic or applied or at any point along that continuum. I will attempt to relate these categories to comments and concepts presented by Critchfield, and my point about his thesis is that we should support and conduct translational research because it is genuinely useful to do so.
WRANGLING SOFTWARE: Computing Professionals and the Interpretation of Software Ownership in the University Computing Environment

University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. Feb. 2011. Major: Sociology. Advisor: Joachim J. Savelsberg. 1 computer file (PDF); vi, 269 pages, appendices A-C.
Rebirth and Renewal Through Research—New Evidence and Strategies for Improving the Quality of Pediatric Nursing Care

NEW EVIDENCE AND strategies specific to children are designed to improve the quality of pediatric nursing care through research. Without new evidence, pediatric nursing care stagnates, resulting in poor quality of care for children and their families. In effect, new developmentally-appropriate research evidence provides the promise of change and improvement in pediatric nursing practice—that is, the promise of rebirth and renewal through research. New evidence and strategies are created through the development of new knowledge generated from research; the innovative interventions specifically designed for children, their parents, and pediatric healthcare providers; translation of new research methods to practice; and the creative application of new strategies to improve pediatric clinical practice. Clinical nursing research is conducted to generate and
The Plate-Washing Assay: A Simple Test for Filamentous Growth in Budding Yeast

Filamentous growth is a foraging response that occurs in fungal species. It allows fungal pathogens to invade cells and tissues of a host organism. Budding yeast undergoes filamentous growth and can invade semisolid agar plates, penetrating the agar surface. These cells cannot be removed by rinsing with water and form an invasive scar. The plate-washing assay is an easy first test for filamentous growth and is performed at low cost with minimal reagents. The assay is versatile: It can be used as a teaching tool, is amenable to high-throughput genetic analysis, and is used to evaluate filamentous growth in different fungal species, including pathogens like Candida albicans.
Spherical Indentation and Flow Property Measurement-Finite Element Simulation

Finite element simulations of ball indentation tests were performed and analyzed using the automated ball indentation method. The accuracy and reliability of this methods were assessed.
TaPuMa: tangible public map for information acquirement through the things we carry

The vast improvement in classical methods of information access and information retrieval has resulted from the invention of keyword-based search mechanism. Keywords serve as filters for desired information when users search in structured knowledge bases or with search engines such as Yahoo! or Google. In this paper we introduce TaPuMa, a Tangible Public Map, which allows people to use their own belongings, the objects they usually carry with them to access relevant, just-in-time information and to find locations of places or people from a public map. The paper also outlines and analyzes the advantages and challenges of this novel interaction mechanism, where real life objects serve as interfaces for information acquirement. At the end of the paper we briefly discuss the broad concept behind the project TaPuMa, 'Object Amelioration', where the functions of everyday objects can be expanded by using their affordances or functionalities in a variety of different contexts.
Sponge-Derived Fijianolide Polyketide Class: Further Evaluation of Their Structural and Cytotoxicity Properties

The sponge-derived polyketide macrolides fijianolides A (1) and B (2), isolaulimalide and laulimalide, have taxol-like microtubule-stabilizing activity, and the latter exhibits potent cytotoxicity. Insight on the biogeographical and phenotypic variations of Cacospongia mycofijiensis is presented that will enable a future study of the biosynthetic pathway that produces the fijianolides. In addition to fijianolides A and B, six new fijianolides, D−I (7−12), were isolated, each with modifications to the C-20 side chain of the macrolide ring. Compounds 7−12 exhibited a range of in vitro activities against HCT-116 and MDA-MB-435 cell lines. Fijianolides 8 and 10 were shown to disrupt interphase and mitotic division, but were less potent than 2. An in vivo evaluation of 2 using tumor-bearing severe combined immuno-deficiency mice demonstrated significant inhibition of growth in HCT-116 tumors over 28 days.
Geomorphic Analysis of Tidal Creek Networks

[1] The purpose of this study is to determine if concepts in terrestrial channel network analysis provide insight on intertidal creek network development and to present new metrics for their analysis. We delineated creek network geometry using high-resolution digital images of intertidal marsh near Georgetown, South Carolina. Analyses reveal that intertidal creek networks may be topologically random. Length-area relationships suggest that salt marsh and terrestrial networks have similar scaling properties, although the marsh networks are more elongate than terrestrial networks. To account for recurrent water exchange between creek basins at high tide, we propose that the landscape unit of geomorphic analyses should be the salt marsh island as opposed to salt marsh creek drainage basin area. Using this approach, the relationship between maximum channel length per island and island area is well described by a power function. A similar power relationship exists for cumulative channel length versus island area, giving a nearly unit slope; this implies that marsh islands have a spatially uniform drainage density. Since the island boundaries are easily identified in remote sensing, taking the island as the unit of geomorphic analysis will eliminate discrepancies in delineating basin boundaries and preclude the need for defining basin area in intertidal landscapes. Analyses and results presented here may be used to quantify salt marsh reference condition and provide indicator variables to assess salt marsh disturbance.
Flow Visualization and Acoustic Consequences of the Air Moving Through a Static Model of the Human Larynx

Flow visualization with smoke particles illuminated by a laser sheet was used to obtain a qualitative description of the air flow structures through a dynamically similar 7.5x symmetric static scale model of the human larynx (divergence angle of 10 deg, minimal diameter of 0.04 cm real life). The acoustic level downstream of the vocal folds was measured by using a condenser microphone. False vocal folds (FVFs) were included. In general, the glottal flow was laminar and bistable. The glottal jet curvature increased with flow rate and decreased with the presence of the FVFs. The glottal exit flow for the lowest flow rate showed a curved jet which remained laminar for all geometries. For the higher flow rates, the jet flow patterns exiting the glottis showed a laminar jet core, transitioning to vortical structures, and leading spatially to turbulent dissipation. This structure was shortened and tightened with an increase in flow rate. The narrow FVF gap lengthened the flow structure and reduced jet curvature via acceleration of the flow. These results suggest that laryngeal flow resistance and the complex jet flow structure exiting the glottis are highly affected by flow rate and the presence of the false vocal folds. Acoustic consequences are discussed in terms of the quadrupole- and dipole-type sound sources due to ordered flow structures.
Automated detection of white matter fiber bundles

White matter (WM) fiber bundles of the brain can be delineated by diffusion tractography utilizing anatomical regions-of-interest (ROI). These ROIs can specify seed regions in which tract generation algorithms are initiated. Interactive identification of such anatomical ROIs enables the detection of the major WM fiber tracts, but suffers from inter-rater and intra-rater variability, and is time consuming. We developed and compared three techniques for automated delineation of ROIs for the detection of two major WM fiber tracts in 12 healthy subjects. Tracts identified automatically were compared quantitatively to reference standard tracts derived from carefully hand-drawn ROIs. Based on comparative performance of the experimental techniques, a multi-template label fusion algorithm was found to generate tracts most consistent with the reference standard.
SS12 Prospective Analysis of Wound Characteristics and Degree of Ischemia on Time to Wound Healing and Limb Salvage: An Early Validation of the Society for Vascular Surgery Lower Extremity Threatened Limb Classification System

Objectives: The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) recently established the Lower Extremity Threatened Limb Classification System, a staging system using Wound characteristic/Ischemia/foot Infection (WIfI) to stratify the risk of limb amputation at 1 year. Although intuitive in nature, the new system has not been validated. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the WIfI system is predictive of limb loss/wound healing. Methods: Between 2008 and 2010, we prospectively scored 139 patients with foot wounds (158 revascularizations) at the time of the revascularization procedure using a novel wound classification grading system similar to WIfI. The ischemic component of the grading system was obtained immediately postprocedure. Adapting our data to the WIfI classification, the influence of grading system factors on time to wound healing was analyzed. Empirical Kaplan-Meier survival curves were compared with theoretical outcomes predicted by WIfI expert consensus opinion. Results: Seventy-nine percent (125 of 158) of the foot wounds healed. The median time to wound healing was 4 months (range, 1-18 months). Factors associated with wound healing included presence of diabetes mellitus (P 1⁄4 .013), wound location (P 1⁄4 .049), wound size (P 1⁄4 .007), wound depth (P 1⁄4 .004), and degree of ischemia (P < .001). A comparison of observed vs theoretical outcomes is shown in the Table. Conclusions: The theoretical framework for risk stratification among patients with critical limb ischemia provided by
Diversity in Collection Development: Comparing Access Strategies to Alternative Press Periodicals

This study compares methods of providing access to diverse points of view as represented by journals indexed in Alternative Press Index ( API ). To determine University at Albany patron access to nonmainstream periodicals, local print subscriptions, expedited interlibrary loan through resource-sharing consortia, and electronic full-text packages were compared to periodicals listed in API . Electronic full-text packages provide some added access to nonmainstream journals. However, much greater access was found to be provided by participation in resource-sharing networks.
Enhanced photodegradation of titania loaded polyethylene films in a humid environment

Abstract Common plastic goods, in general, and plastic shopping bags, that are generally made from polyethylene (PE), in particular, are a cause of considerable environmental nuisance. Development of a material that would degrade due to sunlight, in the open environment is, therefore, of considerable interest. In this study, for the first time ever, photocatalytic degradation of polyethylene, using titania nanoparticles, up to the maximum holding capacity of PE matrix (20% w/w), has been investigated under UV and visible light. The effect of water and air on the degradation of PE films was also studied. Materials were characterized using SEM, XRD, EDS, FTIR, TGA, Tensile Strength and Profilometry. Surface morphology of the exposed films was observed using light microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Formation of intermediate carbonyl species was investigated using the FTIR technique. It is conclusively demonstrated that the photocatalytic reaction rate constant was linearly dependent on the concentration of titania contained in the polymer matrix, with the degradation in the visible light about one-third slower than that under UV light. PE films containing 20% TNPs showed a maximum of 33% and 60% weight loss after 90 days exposed to visible light and UV light respectively. It was observed that highest weight loss of 21% was achieved when both air and water was available in the system. Presence of oxygen is very important for the initiation of degradation process however, the process cannot be sustained in the absence of moisture. The results of the study could be used to develop polyethylene films of the desired half-life, by changing the titania concentration.
Novel Osteogenic Factors derived from Functional Food:Role in Prevention of Osteoporosis

Bone homeostasis is maintained through a delicate balance between osteoblastic bone formation and osteoclastic bone resorption. Bone loss is caused by decreasing in osteoblastic bone formation and increase in osteoclastic bone resorption, thereby leading to osteoporosis. Functional food factors may play a role in the prevention of osteoporosis. Functional food factors including genistein, menaquinone-7 (vitamin K2) and I²-cryptoxanthine have been shown to possess a potential osteogenic effect. These factors have been shown to reveal stimulatory effects on osteoblastic bone formation and suppressive effects on osteoclastic bone resorption. Dietary intake of these factors has been shown to reveal preventive effects on bone loss in animal models of osteoporosis and human subjects. This review will introduce our findings concerning roles of functional food factors in regulation of bone homeostasis and prevention of osteoporosis.
Teaching Trauma: A True Story

Teaching about psychological trauma presents many challenges for the instructor, including creating an atmosphere of safety and confidentiality in the classroom, as well as handling student reactio...
Frequency of Rolandic Spikes in ADHD

The frequency of rolandic spikes in nonepileptic children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was compared with a control group of normal school-aged children in a study at the University of Frankfurt, Germany.
Determining viability of endogonaceous spores with a vital stain

Spores of endogonaceous fungi are often isolated and counted in studying the ecology of these fungi in natural soils or in standardizing inoculum for experiments. The value of these counts is limited because the viability of spores is not known. Spores killed by soil fumigation and known to be nonviable, as determined by Most Probable Number bioassay, may persist in a field soil and appear normal upon isolation for at least several months (McGraw and Hendrix, 1986). The current methods for determining viability, assessing germinability and ability to infect plants, are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and imprecise. Germination assays may be inaccurate because of dormancy of spores (Tommerup, 1983), and research on dormancy is hampered by lack of an independent measure of viability. Vital stains have been little used in determining the viability of endogonaceous spores. Daniels Hetrick (cited as a personal communication by Menge and Timmer, 1982) tested triphenyl tetrazolium chloride and rose bengal and found it difficult to differentiate living from dead spores. Living spores placed in 1% aqueous thionin for 30 min stained deep blue, whereas dead spores accumulated stain only in the walls. This method has had limited use because some experience was required to use it effectively (Menge and Timmer, 1982). The stain used in the present experiments was 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT), a compound used successfully to determine viability of oospores of Phytophthora (Cohen, 1984; Sutherland and Cohen, 1983). The chemistry of tetrazolium salts was reviewed by Altman (1976). Briefly, the salt is reduced by cellular dehydrogenase(s) to form a colored formazan product (Gahan and Kalina, 1968; Kalina and Palmer, 1968). Spores were isolated by wet-sieving and sucrose centrifugation (Fang et al., 1983). Spores were either freshly isolated from a pot culture or st red as dry soil inoculum at 3 C [5 years for Glomus macrocarpum Tul. & Tul. or 3 years for Glom s mosseae (Nicol. & Gerd.) Gerdemann & Trappe]. Spores killed with 70% ethanol were treated for 30 min. Spores killed by heat were autoclaved for 15 min.
What Have Firms Been Doing? Exploring What KLD Data Report About Firms’ Corporate Social Performance in the Period 2000-2010

With the blossoming of research on corporate social performance (CSP), the data produced by Kinder, Lydenberg, Domini (KLD) have become the standard to measure firms’ social and stakeholder actions. However, to date, only a few studies have focused on examining the data directly, and have done so largely in terms of validating the concepts and methods in the data set’s construction. The present study seeks to complement these efforts by contributing knowledge about what the KLD data report on firms’ actions toward primary and secondary stakeholders, and the dimensions of CSP that firms generally engage in, together or sequentially. With data on 3,073 firms over the period 2000-2010, results show that firms expend more resources on garnering strengths in primary stakeholder dimensions, although this trend is sharply deteriorating to the benefit of secondary stakeholders—notably the natural environment. Results also show that firms generally approach CSP with a mixed behavior, with strengths and concerns in...
APPLICATION OF ELECTRO-DEIONIZATION TECHNOLOGY IN POWER PLANT

The boiler's make-up water treatment technology as well as the principle and operation featurs of electro-deionization(EDI)technology in Jinzhou Straw Power Plant has been briefly presented,and the influence of intaking water quality,the flowrate and conductivity of concentrated water,as well as operating current upon the operation effect of EDI being analysed.Results show that each operation parameter has to be timely adjusted according to actual operation situation of the system,so as to satisfy the requirements of make-up water quality.
Fuel Oil Pipe Surface Treatment

The surface of the fuel oil pipe were treat with 3 treatment process,galvanized,Dacrotized and powder coating,will get the available elements,organization,performance of different colors and a variety of different protective coating,both to meet the different decorative condition and appearance requirements,and improve product reliability 、service life and market competitiveness of the entire fuel system to ensure reliable basis for sealing technology,will supply professional designers with reference.
Assessing the Risk of Kernicterus Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Multiple factors may contribute to bilirubin neurotoxicity, and serum bilirubin levels alone are poor predictors of brain injury; however, bilirubin impairs cerebral energy metabolism in a way that can be detected noninvasively with 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (31P NMR) spectroscopy. This article reviews recent research showing that hyperbilirubinemia, in association with an open blood brain barrier, disrupts cerebral energy metabolism. It is possible that 31P NMR spectroscopy could be used ultimately to identify infants who are at risk for bilirubin encephalopathy and need immediate intervention.
Inhibition of fast axoplasmic transport by delayed neurotoxic organophosphorus esters: a possible mode of action.

Several insecticides known to cause delayed neurotoxicity were examined for antitransport activity. The rat optic nerve served as the means to measure fast axoplasmic transport of proteins when the following chemicals were injected: O-methyl O-4-bromo-2,5-dichlorophenyl phenylphosphonothioate (leptophos); O-methyl O-2,5-dichlorophenyl phenylphosphonothioate; O-ethyl O-4-nitrophenyl phenylphosphonothioate; O-ethyl O-4-cyanophenyl phenylphosphonothioate (cyanofenphos); and O-methyl O-2,4-dichlorophenyl phenylphosphonothioate (S-Seven). Tri-o-cresyl phosphate and O,O-diethyl O-4-nitrophenyl phosphorothioate (parathion) were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. L-[3H]Proline (50 µCi) and 5 µl of the compound of interest (0.3 µmol) were injected into the vitreous humor of one eye (in dimethyl formamide/saline solution v/v) and a similar solution lacking the drug was introduced into the contralateral eye as a control. Marked inhibition of fast axoplasmic transport was observed by all phenylphosphonothioate esters and tri-o-cresyl phosphate. No antitransport activity was observed with parathion. The 40-50% lower transport activity in animals treated with delayed neurotoxins, as compared with activity in the negative control (parathion-treated) animals, offers preliminary support to the hypothesis that impairment of fast axoplasmic transport may be involved in the mechanism of action of neurotoxic organophosphorus esters.
Antibiotic Agents in Critical Care

The practice of infectious disease and the use of antibiotics are becoming more and more complex in the critical care patient. Critical care nurses continue to play an important role in the safe administration and the postadministration monitoring of antibiotics. Important issues include the choice of drug for specific infections, the effect of pharmacokinetics, methods for safe administration, and the postadministration monitoring for effectiveness and for adverse effects.
Development of monoclonal antibodies and serological assays including indirect ELISA and fluorescent microsphere immunoassays for diagnosis of porcine deltacoronavirus

A novel porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV), also known as porcine coronavirus HKU15, was reported in China in 2012 and identified in the U.S. in early 2014. Since then, PDCoV has been identified in a number of U.S. states and linked with clinical disease including acute diarrhea and vomiting in the absence of other identifiable pathogens. Since PDCoV was just recently linked with clinical disease, few specific antibody-based reagents were available to assist in diagnosis of PDCoV and limited serological capabilities were available to detect an antibody response to this virus. Therefore, the overall objective of this project was to develop and validate selected diagnostic reagents and assays for PDCoV antigen and antibody detection. The nucleoprotein of PDCoV was expressed as a recombinant protein and purified for use as an antigen to immunize mice for polyclonal, hyperimmune sera and monoclonal antibody (mAb) production. The resulting mAbs were evaluated for use in fluorescent antibody staining methods to detect PDCoV infected cells following virus isolation attempts and for immunohistochemistry staining of intestinal tissues of infected pigs. The same antigen was used to develop serological tests to detect the antibody response to PDCoV in pigs following infection. Serum samples from swine herds with recent documentation of PDCoV infection and samples from expected naive herds were used for initial assay optimization. The tests were optimized in a checkerboard fashion to reduce signal to noise ratios using samples of known status. Statistical analysis was performed to establish assay cutoff values and assess diagnostic sensitivities and specificities. At least 629 known negative serum samples and 311 known positive samples were evaluated for each assay. The enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) of 96.1 % and diagnostic specificity (DSp) of 96.2 %. The fluorescent microsphere immunoassay (FMIA) showed a DSe of 95.8 % and DSp of 98.1 %. Both ELISA and FMIA detected seroconversion of challenged pigs between 8–14 days post-infection (DPI). An indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test was also developed using cell culture adapted PDCoV for comparative purposes. These new, specific reagents and serological assays will allow for improved diagnosis of PDCoV. Since many aspects of PDCoV infection and transmission are still not fully understood, the reagents and assays developed in this project should provide valuable tools to help understand this disease and to aid in the control and surveillance of porcine deltacoronavirus outbreaks.
Creating exhibits in the smaller academic library

C'est un defi difficile a relever que de monter une exposition dans une petite bibliotheque universitaire dont le budget est tres faible. Des conseils sont donnes pour mettre en valeur les pieces particulierement interessantes de la collection lors d'une exposition
Converse Magneto-Electric Coefficient of Composite Multiferroic Rings

Composite multiferroic materials for magneto-electric coupling have been investigated in the past decade as an alternative for intrinsic materials especially at room temperature. In this configuration, the magneto-electric coupling is based on the transduction of the strain between laminated piezoelectric and magnetostrictive layers. Thus, the mechanical interface plays a crucial role in the converse magneto-electric coefficient (CME). The focus of this research is to understand the dependence of CME on the bonding interface of a composite annulus with an outer axially or radially polarized piezoelectric and an inner magnetostrictive (Terfenol-D, TD) rings. The rings were epoxy-bonded in one arrangement and shrink-fitted in another. This resulted in three different sample arrangements: axially-poled PZT/epoxy/TD, axially-poled PZT/shrink/TD, and radially-poled PZT/epoxy/TD. The shrink-fit arrangement for the radially poled PZT was forfeited since the shrink-fit bonding interface under performed in axially poled configuration. The composite rings were characterized by changing the electric field from 20 to 80 kV/m, varying the frequency between 4 and 50 kHz, and the bias magnetic field between 0 and 2300 Oe. The maximum CME for epoxy-bonded rings was found to occur at lower bias magnetic field than for the shrink-fitted rings. The results show that the resonance frequency of the composite ring shifted due to change in the interface. Finally, it was found that the CME of an axially poled PZT ring arrangement is higher than a radially poled one due to saturation.
Communicating Organizational Identity as Part of the Legitimation Process: A Case Study of Small Firms in an Emerging Field:

The purpose of this study is twofold: (a) to assess how small firms communicate their organizational identity (OI) as part of the legitimation process and (b) to explore communicated values as expressions of OI. Using nanotechnology as an emerging field context, the authors conducted interviews with managers from 23 small firms and analyzed the identity values expressed in company communication materials using computerized content analysis. The findings demonstrated a clear focus on gaining legitimacy by emphasizing social recognition and fitting in. Three paradoxes emerged as follows: being adaptable yet focused; being cutting edge yet traditional; and developing new products, yet ones that fit in with existing products. We propose that in addition to serving as expressions of firms’ OI, values can also drive the strategic communication of OI and may provide resolutions to these paradoxes. We introduce the term complex dynamic organizational identity to describe the way firms use multiple, fluid, and dyn...
Numerical method for angle-of-incidence correction factors for diffuse radiation incident photovoltaic modules

Abstract A numerical method is provided for solving the integral equation for the angle-of-incidence (AOI) correction factor for diffuse radiation incident photovoltaic (PV) modules. The types of diffuse radiation considered include sky, circumsolar, horizon, and ground-reflected. The method permits PV module AOI characteristics to be addressed when calculating AOI losses associated with diffuse radiation. Pseudo code is provided to aid users in the implementation, and results are shown for PV modules with tilt angles from 0° to 90°. Diffuse AOI losses are greatest for small PV module tilt angles. Including AOI losses associated with the diffuse irradiance will improve predictions of PV system performance.
Abstract 5261: Tocopherols inhibit the estrogen-stimulated expansion of cancer stem cells via down-regulation of OCT4 and NFκB

Cancer stem cells have been suggested to play a role in tumor initiation, maintenance, resistance, and metastasis. Breast cancer stem cells are defined as CD44+/CD24- cell populations that have the properties of tumor-initiating ability, self-renewal and differentiation. Although the importance of estrogen in breast cancer is well established, the effects of estrogen on breast cancer stem cells are not fully understood. Vitamin E, which is consisted of different forms of tocopherols and tocotrienols, has anti-tumor effects in various cancers, including breast cancer. In the present study, we examined the effects of α-, γ-, and δ-tocopherol against estrogen-stimulated expansion of cancer stem cells. To determine the effects of tocopherols on breast cancer stem cells, the MCF-7 tumorsphere cell culture system, which enriches for mammary progenitor cells and putative breast cancer stem cells, was utilized. Treatment of MCF-7 tumorsphere with estrogen for four days resulted in an increase in CD44+/CD24- stem cell populations in tumorspheres as well as the number and size of tumorspheres. Tocopherols at 1 and 10 μM inhibited formation of estrogen-induced stem cell enriched tumorspheres, indicating that tocopherols reversed estrogen-induced expansion of breast cancer stem cells. Tocopherols decreased the expression of estrogen-related genes such as TFF/pS2, cathepsin D, progesterone receptor and SerpinA1 in estrogen-stimulated tumorspheres. In addition, the mRNA levels of stem cell markers, including OCT4, NFκB, SOX-2 and CD44, were upregulated by estrogen, which were downregulated by the treatment with tocopherols. Our results suggest that tocopherols repress the expansion of breast cancer stem cell population by regulating OCT4 and NFκB signaling. Tocopherols could be effective natural agents for the prevention and treatment of estrogen-induced breast cancer. (This work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health grant R01 AT007036.) Citation Format: Min Ji Bak. Tocopherols inhibit the estrogen-stimulated expansion of cancer stem cells via down-regulation of OCT4 and NFκB [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5261. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5261
Opioid Substance Abuse Among Occupational Therapy Clients

This study examined opioid substance abuse among clients of occupational therapists. A sample of 500 occupational therapists, representing five targeted clinical practice areas, was randomly select...
Gene Acquisition by a Distinct Phyletic Group within Streptococcus pneumoniae Promotes Adhesion to the Ocular Epithelium.

ABSTRACT Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) displays broad tissue tropism and infects multiple body sites in the human host. However, infections of the conjunctiva are limited to strains within a distinct phyletic group with multilocus sequence types ST448, ST344, ST1186, ST1270, and ST2315. In this study, we sequenced the genomes of six pneumococcal strains isolated from eye infections. The conjunctivitis isolates are grouped in a distinct phyletic group together with a subset of nasopharyngeal isolates. The keratitis (infection of the cornea) and endophthalmitis (infection of the vitreous body) isolates are grouped with the remainder of pneumococcal strains. Phenotypic characterization is consistent with morphological differences associated with the distinct phyletic group. Specifically, isolates from the distinct phyletic group form aggregates in planktonic cultures and chain-like structures in biofilms grown on abiotic surfaces. To begin to investigate the association between genotype and epidemiology, we focused on a predicted surface-exposed adhesin (SspB) encoded exclusively by this distinct phyletic group. Phylogenetic analysis of the gene encoding SspB in the context of a streptococcal species tree suggests that sspB was acquired by lateral gene transfer from Streptococcus suis. Furthermore, an sspB deletion mutant displays decreased adherence to cultured cells from the ocular epithelium compared to the isogenic wild-type and complemented strains. Together these findings suggest that acquisition of genes from outside the species has contributed to pneumococcal tissue tropism by enhancing the ability of a subset of strains to infect the ocular epithelium causing conjunctivitis. IMPORTANCE Changes in the gene content of pathogens can modify their ability to colonize and/or survive in different body sites in the human host. In this study, we investigate a gene acquisition event and its role in the pathogenesis of Streptococccus pneumoniae (pneumococcus). Our findings suggest that the gene encoding the predicted surface protein SspB has been transferred from Streptococcus suis (a distantly related streptococcal species) into a distinct set of pneumococcal strains. This group of strains distinguishes itself from the remainder of pneumococcal strains by extensive differences in genomic composition and by the ability to cause conjunctivitis. We find that the presence of sspB increases adherence of pneumococcus to the ocular epithelium. Thus, our data support the hypothesis that a subset of pneumococcal strains has gained genes from neighboring species that enhance their ability to colonize the epithelium of the eye, thus expanding into a new niche.
Estradiol Protects White Matter of Male C57BL6J Mice against Experimental Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion.

Background and Purpose Estradiol is a sex steroid hormone known to protect the brain against damage related to transient and global cerebral ischemia. In the present study, we leverage an experimental murine model of bilateral carotid artery stenosis (BCAS) to examine the putative effects of estradiol therapy on chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. We hypothesize that long-term estradiol therapy protects against white matter injury and declarative memory deficits associated with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. Methods Adult male C57BL/6J mice underwent either surgical BCAS or sham procedures. Two days after surgery, the mice were given oral estradiol (Sham+E, BCAS+E) or placebo (Sham+P, BCAS+P) treatments daily for 31-34 days. All mice underwent Novel Object Recognition (NOR) testing 31-34 days after the start of oral treatments. Following sacrifice, blood was collected and brains fixed, sliced, and prepared for histological examination of white matter injury and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) expression. Results Animals receiving long-term oral estradiol therapy (BCAS-E2 and Sham-E2) had higher plasma estradiol levels than those receiving placebo treatment (BCAS-P and Sham-P). BCAS-E2 mice demonstrated less white matter injury (Kluver–Barrera staining) and performed better on the NOR task compared to BCAS-P mice. ERK expression in the brain was increased in the BCAS compared to sham cohorts. Among the BCAS mice, the BCAS-E2 cohort had a greater number of ERK + cells. Conclusion This study demonstrates a potentially protective role for oral estradiol therapy in the setting of white matter injury and declarative memory deficits secondary to murine chronic cerebral hypoperfusion.
Revisiting the U.S.-Soviet space race: Comparing two systems in their competition to land a man on the moon

Abstract The Cold War space competition between the U.S. and the USSR, centered on their race to the moon, offers both an important historical case and larger implications for space and technology development and policy. In the late 1950s, under Premier Nikita Khrushchev's direction and Chief Designer Sergei Korolev's determined implementation, Moscow's capabilities appeared to eclipse Washington's. This called the international system's very nature into question and prompted President John F. Kennedy to declare a race to the moon. Despite impressive goals and talented engineers, in the centralized but under-institutionalized, resource-limited Soviet Union feuding chief designers playing bureaucratic politics promoted a cacophony of overambitious, overlapping, often uncompleted projects. The USSR suffered from inadequate standardization and quality control at outlying factories and failed to sustain its lead. In marked contrast, American private corporations, under NASA's well-coordinated guidance and adjudication, helped the United States overtake from behind to meet Kennedy's deadline in 1969. In critical respects, Washington's lunar landing stemmed from an effective systems management program, while Moscow's moonshot succumbed to the Soviet system, which proved unequal to the task. In less than a decade, Soviet space efforts shifted from one-upping, to keeping up, to covering up. This article reconsiders this historic competition and suggests larger conclusions.
Coinductive constraint logic programming

Constraint logic programming (CLP) has been proposed as a declarative paradigm for merging constraint solving and logic programming. Recently, coinductive logic programming has been proposed as a powerful extension of logic programming for handling (rational) infinite objects and reasoning about their properties. Coinductive logic programming does not include constraints while CLP's declarative semantics is given in terms of a least fixed-point (i.e., it is inductive) and cannot directly support reasoning about (rational) infinite objects and their properties. In this paper we combine constraint logic programming and coinduction to obtain co-constraint logic programming (co-CLP for brevity). We present the declarative semantics of co-CLP in terms of a greatest fixed-point and its operational semantics based on the coinductive hypothesis rule . We prove the equivalence of these two semantics for programs with rational terms.
The localization phenomenon

This chapter provides an overview of the localization phenomenon. Localization is the phenomenon of precocious specification of future cell fate and precocious limitation of morphogenetic potential very early in embryogenesis, long before the cells in question manifest their morphogenetic fates. In cases of localization, the differentiation of a given line of cells can be regarded as a function of the particular areas of cytoplasm inherited early in embryogenesis by the stem cells of that cell lineage. Localized areas of future cell fate can often be mapped out on the uncleaved egg cytoplasm and can be tested for at the earliest cleavage stages; where localization precedes fertilizatio; this is sometimes referred to as prelocalization. [A5]
Acid-Compatible Halide Perovskite Photocathodes Utilizing Atomic Layer Deposited TiO2 for Solar-Driven Hydrogen Evolution

Although solution-processable halide perovskite semiconductors exhibit optoelectronic performance comparable to the best photoabsorbers for solar fuel production, halide perovskites rapidly decompose in the presence of water or even humid air. We show that a hybrid electron transport layer, a PC61BM + TiO2 film (18–40 nm thickness) grown over the sensitive absorber by atomic layer deposition, enables photoassisted proton reduction without further encapsulation. These semitransparent photocathodes, when paired with a Pt catalyst, display continuous reduction of H+ to H2 for hours under illumination, even while in direct contact with a strongly acidic aqueous electrolyte (0.5 M H2SO4). Under 0.5 Sun illumination, a photocurrent density of >10 mA cm–2 is observed, and a photovoltage of 0.68 V assists proton reduction, consistent with a structurally related photovoltaic (PV) device. Submersible halide perovskite photoelectrodes point the way to more efficient photoassisted overall water splitting and other so...
The isotopic composition of meteoric water along altitudinal transects in the Tian Shan of Central Asia

Abstract The Tian Shan in Central Asia are a unique mountain range in that they are in the world's most continental location. Seasonal precipitation in the northern Tian Shan is segregated into distinct elevation bands where high elevations receive precipitation primarily during summer and low elevations to the north receive precipitation primarily during the late winter and spring. In this study, we sampled stream water along multiple altitudinal transects to determine the effect unique seasonal patterns of precipitation have on the isotopic composition of surface water. Our results suggest that the northern Tian Shan exhibits an isotopic lapse rate for waters sampled in late spring, but not for those sampled in late summer, when stream water budgets are dominated by high elevation precipitation and snow melt. Deuterium excess results suggest that subcloud evaporation significantly affects the isotopic composition of precipitation at low elevations in spring and that sublimation of snow has a minor impact on δ18O values of summer melt water. Because high and low elevation δ18O values are similar, conventional paleoaltimetry based on Rayleigh distillation of an air mass is not applicable to the Kyrgyz Tian Shan. Stream water proxies from the rock record are likely to reflect changes in the seasonal distribution of precipitation which occur on the same spatial scale as altitudinal changes. These results highlight the need to understand modern controls on local stable isotopes of meteoric water in reconstructions of past climate or topography using geologic proxy materials.
Evaluation of an Ultrasonic Method for Damage Characterization of Brittle Rocks

An intact rock specimen, when subjected to uniaxial compression, experiences multiple stages of deformation. This begins with the nucleation of microcracks at low stresses (crack initiation—CI) and their subsequent transition into unstable crack propagation (crack damage—CD) close to the ultimate strength. In the present study, an active ultrasonic monitoring method was used during uniaxial compression testing of Lyons sandstone specimens to evaluate the potential of the technique for damage characterization. The sensitivity of ultrasonic monitoring in relation to the input excitation frequency was also analyzed using four ultrasonic transducers with different central frequencies. A LabVIEW-controlled active ultrasonic system was used to acquire active seismic waveforms, which were made to propagate perpendicular to the direction of uniaxial stress. With increasing deformation, the corresponding changes in amplitude, frequency, and velocity of the active seismic signals were analyzed to characterize the CI and CD stress thresholds. Using statistical analysis, it was concluded that the changes in the amplitude and frequency of the active signals could be potential indicators of CI and CD. The comparison of wave characteristics corresponding to different input excitations also indicated that appropriate selection of transducer frequency is crucial for a representative interpretation of damage processes.
Outcome analysis of surveillance on iodine deficiency disorders in Longyan City in Fujian Province in the year 2006 and 2007

Objective To understand the current situation of iodine deficiency diserders(IDD) in Longyan City and to evaluate the effect of prevention and control measures of IDD in order to provide evidence for formulating prevention and control tactics. Methods During the year of 2006 and 2007, the 30 primary schools were screened by population proportion survey(PPS) from the 7 counties of Longyan City. Forty children aged 8-10 years in each school were randomly selected as a group to examine thyroid, and 7 children in each group were selected to measure the urine iodine and the salt iodine at the same time. The goiter rote, the median urinary iodine, the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt, the iodine salt coverage rate, the rate of qualified iodized salt and the non-iodized rate were detected. Results The goiter rate of children aged 8-10 years old in Longyan City was 0.94%(79/8438). The median urinary iodine was 259.12 μg/L. The consumption rate of qualified iodized salt was 97.86% (1462/1494). The iodine salt coverage rate was 99.46%(1486/1494). The rate of qualified iodized salt was 98.38 (1462/1486), and the non-iodized rate was 0.54% (8/1494). Conclusions All indicators have reached the national standard of eliminating IDD in Longyan City. Key words: Iodine; Deficiency diseases; Data collection