cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Library Design for the Commons

The creative city urban development model seeks to attract visitors and residents from the creative class to experience the city in unique ways through the branding of the city anchored in the services provided by specific cultural institutions. As an anchor institution, the public library is also branded in an effort to contribute to the revitalization of urban areas where the services and the architecture of the public library are elements that highlight a specific image of the city. In the selection of libraries for this book, public libraries contribute to and are part of branding efforts to make these cities unique by utilizing iconic architecture to complement efforts that can score a higher ranking along with different indicators which has increasingly emerged as a tool to qualify and quantify comparatively, different cities around the world. The competition among cities to attract different groups from the service and knowledge economy as well as investors and tourists to enticing public spaces and cultural services highlights public libraries significance in their role as added value to an attractive image of the city. The main square and the plazas connect the libraries to their respective cities in productive ways by setting themselves as meaningful stages for democratic practices of global access, skills development, and bridges to supportive learning services to the communities they serve. This chapter will address issues of public space in the city to highlight the meaning of the library, the relationship between the public library and the city, and unique aspects of the library design that seek to enhance the urban experience from the perspective of staff who work, architects who designed, and users to the public libraries in Seattle, Salt Lake City, New York City, Medellin, Alexandria, and Halifax as a public domain or commons.
Developing support networks for successful implementation of innovative education-al programmes: the case of “evidence-based practice in nursing” continuing education programme in Greece

Developing and evaluating programmes of continuing education in nursing proved to be a challenging and yet a complex task. Nurse educators and evaluators confront a number of demanding issues regarding the development and implementation of continuing education programmes. Exploration of peers’ and stakeholders’ experience in programme development and evaluation appeared to be a valuable source of knowledge in the field. The aim of the present paper is to share the experience of planning and evaluating the stage of developing support networks during the implementation of an innovative continuing educational programme in nursing. Throughout the development and evaluation of different programme stages, several issues evolved that attracted programme planners’ attention. Development of support networks, group dynamics and communication appeared to be of critical importance for the successful implementation of continuing education programmes in nursing.
Complications Secondary to Nonsurgical Rhinoplasty: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

ObjectiveThe popularity of nonsurgical rhinoplasty with injectable fillers continues to rise, and it is important to understand the scope of potential adverse outcomes. The purpose of our study is ...
Molecular Dissection Of Human Antibody Responses Following Prefusion-Stabilized RSV F Vaccination

An effective vaccine for RSV is an unrealized public health goal. Recently, a single dose of the prefusion-stabilized fusion (F) glycoprotein subunit vaccine (DS-Cav1) was shown to substantially increase serum neutralizing activity in healthy adults. To understand the induced B-cell repertoire at the single-cell level, we evaluated RSV F-specific B-cell responses before and after vaccination in six participants and identified 555 clonal lineages. DS-Cav1-induced lineages recognized the prefusion conformation of F (pre-F) and were genetically diverse. Expressed antibodies recognized all six previously defined antigenic sites on the pre-F trimer. Among the six vaccinees, we identified 34 public clonotypes. Structural analysis of two antibodies from a predominant clonotype revealed a common mode of recognition. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that vaccination with DS-Cav1 generates a diverse polyclonal response targeting all known antigenic sites present on pre-F.
“I am sorry if I have ever given you guys any crap”: the communicative practices within Telltale Games’ online forums

This study is an interpretative, qualitative content analysis of the communicative practice within Telltale Games’ online forums for The Walking Dead video game, a choice-based game with non-stereo...
Facial Suture Pathology in Syndromic Craniosynostosis: Human and Animal Studies.

Background Facial deformities in syndromic craniosynostosis are not only functionally, psychosocially, and aesthetically impairing but also notoriously challenging to reconstruct. Whether facial suture synostosis plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of these deformities is inadequately studied in human patients. Methods The MEDLINE database was queried using a methodologically generated search term inventory. Article inclusion was adjudicated by 2 authors after independent review. Articles provided insight into facial suture involvement in either syndromic craniosynostosis patients or animal models of disease. Results Comprehensive review yielded 19 relevant articles meeting inclusion criteria. Mid-20th century craniofacial biologists characterized how patent facial sutures are essential for normal postnatal facial development. They also posited that premature ossification disrupts growth vectors, causing significant dysmorphologies. Recently, facial suture synostosis was found to cause midfacial deformities independent of cranial base pathology in mouse models of syndromic craniosynostosis. Few recent studies have begun exploring facial suture involvement in patients, and although they have paved the way for future research, they bear significant limitations. Conclusions The hypothesis that facial suture synostosis acts in conjunction with cranial base pathology to produce the prominent, multifocal facial deformities in syndromic craniosynostosis may fundamentally alter surgical management and warrants further investigation. Methodically evaluating the literature, this review synthesizes all basic science and human clinical research thus far on the role of facial sutures in syndromic craniosynostosis and elucidates important topics for future research. We ultimately identify the need for rigorous imaging studies that longitudinally evaluate facial osteology across patients with various craniosynostosis syndromes.
Sartre’s imaginary and the problem of whiteness:

Jean-Paul Sartre’s failures in Black Orpheus have been widely and rightly explicated by a number of theorists, most notably Frantz Fanon and Aime Cesaire. Sartre has rightly been criticized for imp...
Review Essay: The Dubious Morality of Modern Administrative Law by Richard Epstein

Philip Hamburger published Is Administrative Law Unlawful? in 2014. That book triggered responses by several famous scholars, including Gillian Metzger, Cass Sunstein and Adrian Vermeule, that attempted to justify and defend administrative law. Sunstein and Vermeule, in particular, published an article and then a book. They argued that administrative law is “moral,” using the approach of Lon Fuller’s classic work of legal philosophy The Morality of Law. Jumping into the fray, Richard Epstein has written an important new book, The Dubious Morality of Modern Administrative Law. Perhaps surprisingly, Epstein comes off as a bit of centrist, compared to the other authors writing on the topic. In his book Epstein propounds a positive thesis that the current structure of judicial review of administrative actions scrutinizes the agency choice of policy far more intensively than agency interpretation of law. Epstein also advances the normative thesis that this is backwards, and that courts should review agency interpretations of law de novo, while giving some deference to agency policy choice. I show that whereas Epstein’s normative claim may have some bite, his positive claim is unproven. Epstein’s analytical approach might be more interesting than his thesis but is also far more cumbersome. There are three core elements to his analytical style. First, as he explicitly states, he thinks the right way to do administrative law is to evaluate the substantive policy choices at issue. Second, when discussing adjudication or the role of guidance documents Epstein writes like a traditional administrative law scholar. He spends most of his words concentrating on process and fairness. But when Epstein discusses most other topics he sounds like a regulation scholar, approaching administrative law by considering in detail whether the administrative agency’s choice of a substantive regulation is good or not. Third, Epstein argues that when one evaluates a regulation to see whether it comports with the rule of law one should apply the eight criteria of legal morality from Lon Fuller’s work, augmented by the right to an unbiased decisionmaker and a right to be heard, plus the substantive values protected by the classical liberal legal order of contract, property, and protections against eminent domain, leavened with some measure of Burkean respect for administrative institutions that have operated successfully for decades. This approach allows Epstein to talk about almost everything when discussing the morality of administrative law. However, the huge number of moving parts in his methodology renders it both impossible to predict what Epstein will think about any particular case, and also wildly impractical for anyone else to use.
Barriers to the Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis in Sub-Saharan Africa

This paper examines barriers to the elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) in Sub-Saharan Africa. Caused predominantly by the filarial worm Wuchereria bancrofti, LF infects 120 million people worldwide, with about 40 million people showing symptoms like hydrocele, lymphedema, or elephantiasis. In 2000, the World Health Organization established the Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) with the ultimate goal of eliminating LF by 2020. However, many obstacles persist throughout Sub-Saharan Africa that will make this goal difficult to achieve. This paper relies on a range of research studies to present a comprehensive picture of the current barriers to LF elimination in Sub-Saharan Africa. Species-specific barriers include heterogeneity in the vector distribution, varying ability to pick up and transmit LF and different feeding and resting behaviors. In addition, variations in habitat and weather, urban transmission, and the impact of human behavior are general barriers that contribute to ongoing transmission.
Science in School: Transforming K-12 Outreach through Scientist Teacher Partnerships

The Scientist in Every Florida School (SEFS) program was started in 2019 with a long-term vision to connect Earth systems scientists with public K-12 schools in Florida and therefore create long-term scientist-teacher partnerships. SEFS fulfills personalized requests to create meaningful and impactful interactions to support teacher pedagogy and student learning. We have as part of our mission a focus on mainstream public schools, and in particular, those that are Title I. We also are committed to working with at-risk teachers. The major components of our program include the scientist-teacher partnerships, focused professional development workshops on Florida9s Earth systems (air, water, land, and life), classroom visits, and other web-based activities. Although still only in its first few years, the project and its more than 600 scientists have a wide reach with over 850 teachers and 53,000 students participating in our programs, which were delivered virtually in the 2020-2021 school year covering about 60% of Florida9s 67 counties. In this article, we describe our programmatic features as well as recommendations for those who could implement similar programs.
Correspondence on SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in rituximab-treated patients: evidence for impaired humoral but inducible cellular immune response" by Bonelli et al ."

Bonelli et al recently reported reduced humoral responses to the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in five patients on rituximab therapy; in two patients with repopulated B cells, a low-level Spike protein antibody response occurred, but three patients with no detectable B-cells had no measurable antibody response to the vaccine.1 Of great interest, they reported that interferon-γ T-cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 Spike peptides were present in all five patients, irrespective of the antibody response to the vaccine. It has been reported that patients on B-cell depleting therapy are at increased risk for hospitalisation and death from SARS-CoV-2 infection.2 In February 2021, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) COVID-19 Taskforce published consensus guidelines regarding vaccine timing in immunosuppressed patients, despite the paucity of data available at that time on vaccine efficacy in patients on targeted B cell therapy.3 Moreover, the guidelines specifically …
Mapping the local modulus of Sylramic silicon carbide fibers by nanoindentation

Abstract Silicon carbide (SiC) fibers are an important component of SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites (CMC). Service requirements for SiC/SiC CMC components in turbine engines are several hundreds of hours in pertinent combustion gas environments. This inflicts great challenges in terms of testing and in validating components under the required service hours. Modeling and computational methods are a cost-effective approach to explore CMC performance. However, there is still a need of experimental data on local variations in modulus that can be used to feed more realistic models. In this letter, the local modulus of Sylramic fibers is mapped by nanoindentation analysis. It is shown that while average modulus values of fibers maybe identical, its local modulus mapping are quite different.
Susceptibility of Yeast‐Like Fungi to a New Antifungal Agent, LY 121019

Summary: LY 121019, a new antifungal antibiotic agent, was tested for activity against 200 clinical isolates of Candida and other yeast-like fungi. LY 121019 had its greatest inhibitory effect on C. albicans, and C. tropicalis. C. glabrata and most other Candida species were not as sensitive. Cryptococcus and other yeast-like fungi, with the exception of a few strains, were not susceptible to LY 121019. Zusammenfassung: LY 121019, ein neues Antimyzetikum, wurde auf seine Aktivitat gegen 200 klinische Isolate von Candida und anderen, hefeahnlichen Pilzen untersucht. LY 121019 hat seine groste Hemmwirkung gegen C. albicans und C. tropicalis. C. glabrata und die meisten anderen Candida-Arten waren nicht so empfindlich. Cryptococcus und andere, hefeahnliche Pilze waren, mit Ausnahme weniger Stamme, nicht fur LY 121019 empfindlich.
Discrete differential geometry of thin materials for computational mechanics

Instead of applying numerical methods directly to governing equations, another approach to computation is to discretize the geometric structure specific to the problem first, and then compute with the discrete geometry. This structure-respecting discrete-differential-geometric (DDG) approach often leads to new algorithms that more accurately track the physically behavior of the system with less computational effort. Thin objects, such as pieces of cloth, paper, sheet metal, freeform masonry, and steel-glass structures are particularly rich in geometric structure and so are well-suited for DDG. I show how understanding the geometry of time integration and contact leads to new algorithms, with strong correctness guarantees, for simulating thin elastic objects in contact; how the performance of these algorithms can be dramatically improved without harming the geometric structure, and thus the guarantees, of the original formulation; how the geometry of static equilibrium can be used to efficiently solve design problems related to masonry or glass buildings; and how discrete developable surfaces can be used to model thin sheets undergoing isometric deformation.
Mining the Dynamics of Student Utility and Strategy Use during Vocabulary Learning

This paper describes the development of a dynamical systems model of motivation and metacognition during learning, which explains some of the practically and theoretically important relationships among three studentengagement constructs and performance metrics during learning. In order to better calibrate and understand the model, the model was also fit with additional fixed factor predictors determined from the factor scores from a factor analysis of the pre-survey given to students. This work mined data from computerized adaptive flashcard learning system to create the dynamical systems model. This flashcard practice included pop-up survey questions on the student’s experience of recent easiness, strategy use, and usefulness, in addition to the correctness performance data for the practice. The dynamical systems model of this data was then used to simulate various student profiles to predict how they would experience the flashcard system. These simulations show how strategy use in this task is crucial because of the ways it influences performance and perceived usefulness. In the model, this result is shown by a bifurcation for higher and lower strategy use, where the higher strategy use equilibrium is accompanied by performance predictions suggesting learning that is more efficient. In addition, we examined the implications of our data for the flow theory of optimal experience by testing models of this theory and comparing it to a Vygotskian perspective on the results.
Differential regulation of adipokine levels after Bariatric surgery (LB345)

Bariatric surgery is known to cause significant weight loss, reduction in insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease and mortality. We hypothesized that adipose and systemic inflammation will be de...
Organizational Irrationality and Corporate Human Rights Violations

Because international law has traditionally been limited to state actors, the literature on business and human rights largely focuses on whether transnational corporations can be held responsible under international law. Less attention is paid to the question of what leads corporations to violate human rights in the first place. When they do address that question, most writers assume that violations occur because corporations make rational decisions to pursue profits without regard to potential victims.This Note aims to provide a more nuanced account of the reason for corporate human rights violations, drawing from social science research on organizational irrationality. It may well be possible to explain many human rights violations as rational profit-maximizing behavior: if detection is unlikely and enforcement is weak, then a company may perceive a violation to be in its self-interest. However, the literature on organizational irrationality suggests that violations that are against a company’s self-interest may also take place. If corporations do not always act rationally, then current efforts to change the self-interest calculation by increasing sanctions or inculcating norms will not suffice to achieve full compliance. Thus, a comprehensive human rights agenda should include assistance to corporations in overcoming irrational tendencies.Part I of this Note provides an introduction to and an initial critique of the rational choice model as applied to business and human rights. Part II explores how concepts from the study of organizational behavior can shed light on the problem of human rights violations by transnational corporations. Part III uses this nuanced understanding of irrational organizational decisionmaking to evaluate existing compliance mechanisms and to suggest ways in which they might be improved.
Autonomously learning an action hierarchy using a learned qualitative state representation

There has been intense interest in hierarchical reinforcement learning as a way to make Markov decision process planning more tractable, but there has been relatively little work on autonomously learning the hierarchy, especially in continuous domains. In this paper we present a method for learning a hierarchy of actions in a continuous environment. Our approach is to learn a qualitative representation of the continuous environment and then to define actions to reach qualitative states. Our method learns one or more options to perform each action. Each option is learned by first learning a dynamic Bayesian network (DBN). We approach this problem from a developmental robotics perspective. The agent receives no extrinsic reward and has no external direction for what to learn. We evaluate our work using a simulation with realistic physics that consists of a robot playing with blocks at a table.
Evidence of distinct populations of hepatitis C virus in the liver and plasma of patients co‐infected with HIV and HCV

Viral diversity is an important predictor of hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment response and may influence viral pathogenesis. HIV influences HCV variability in the plasma; however, limited data on viral variability are available from distinct tissue/cell compartments in patients co-infected with HIV and HCV. Thus, this exploratory study evaluated diversity of the hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) of HCV in the plasma and liver for 14 patients co-infected with HIV and HCV. Median intra-patient genetic distances and entropy values were similar in the plasma and liver compartments. Positive immune selection pressure was observed in the plasma for five individuals and in the liver for three individuals. Statistical evidence supporting viral compartmentalization was found in five individuals. Linear regression identified ALT (P = 0.0104) and AST (P = 0.0130) as predictors of viral compartmentalization. A total of 12 signature amino acids that distinguish liver from plasma E1/HVR1 were identified. One signature amino acid was shared by at least two individuals. These findings suggest that HCV compartmentalization is relatively common among patients co-infected with HIV and HCV. These data also imply that evaluating viral diversity, including drug resistance patterns, in the serum/plasma only may not adequately represent viruses replicating with in the liver and, thus, deserves careful consideration in future studies. J. Med. Virol. 86:1332–1341, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A new view of phase distortion in a traveling wave tube

The paper deals about the phase distortion in a Traveling Wave Tube. It is based on unique insights afforded by the MUSE model of a TWT. The phase distortion on dc and harmonic frequencies is studied via MUSE simulations. An approximate analytic solution to the S-MUSE model reveals that phase distortion up to the 1 dB gain compression point is due to the fact that the fundamental frequency is an intermodulation product of itself. Simulations are also compared to the large signal code LATTE. The majority of the phase distortion prior to gain compression is not due to the average slowing down of electrons was been analysed.
Influence of auxin type and concentration on peanut somatic embryogenesis

Somatic embryogenesis in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) using immature cotyledonary explants was induced on a wide range of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) (5 to 60mg l−1) and naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) (20 to 50 mg l−1) levels. Percent embryogenesis ranged from 31 to 94%. As auxin level increased in induction medium, percent embryogenesis decreased and was associated with browning of explants. However, with higher 2,4-D induction levels (40 mg l−1 and over), embryogenic explants had dense masses of embryogenic areas and repetitive embryogenesis was enhanced. Higher auxin concentrations during induction decreased precocious germination of embryos, but had no marked effect on somatic embryo morphology. The use of 2,4-D compared to NAA in the induction medium resulted in greater per cent embryogenesis and mean number of embryos. Embryos induced on NAA were harder, less pliant, and less succulent; cultures exhibited more extensive root development and nonembryogenic callus proliferation.
Phospholipid fatty acid modification of rat liver microsomes affects acylcoenzyme a: Cholesterol acyltransferase activity

Abstract The effect of phospholipid fatty acyl composition on the activity of acylcoenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransf erase was investigated in rat liver microsomes. Specific phosphatidylcholine replacements were produced by incubating the microsomes with liposomes and bovine liver phospholipid-exchange protein. Although the fatty acid composition of the microsomes was modified appreciably, there was no change in the microsomal phospholipid or cholesterol content. As compared to microsomes enriched for 2 h with dioleoylphosphatidylcholine, those enriched with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine exhibited 30–45% less acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase activity. Enrichment with 1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoylphosphatidylcholine increased acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase activity by 20%. By contrast, dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine abolished microsomal acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase activity almost completely. Addition of cofactors that stimulated microsomal lipid peroxidation inhibited acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase activity by only 10%, however, and did not increase the inhibition produced by submaximal amounts of dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine. Certain of the phosphatidylcholine replacements produced changes in palmitoyl-CoA hydrolase, NADPH-dependent lipid peroxidase, glucose-6-phosphatase and UDPglucuronyl transferase activities, but they did not closely correlate with the alterations in acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase activity. Electron spin resonance measurements with the 5-nitroxystearate probe indicated that microsomal lipid ordering was reduced to a roughly similar extent by dioleoyl- or by dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine enrichment. Since these enrichments produce widely different effects on acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase activity, changes in bulk membrane lipid fluidity cannot be the only factor responsible for phospholipid fatty acid compositional effect on acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase. The present results are more consistent with a modulation resulting from either changes in the lipid microenvironment of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase or a direct interaction between specific phosphatidylcholine fatty acyl groups and acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase.
An Advocacy Coalition Framework Approach to Stakeholder Analysis: Understanding the Political Context of California Marine Protected Area Policy

There is a growing recognition that public policy controversies are driven more by value differences than by technical deficiencies. Unfortunately, we have yet to develop, test, and refine systematic approaches for understanding political systems. In this article I explain how the advocacy coalition framework (ACF) can be used as a theoretical basis for understanding political context via a stakeholder analysis. An ACF stakeholder analysis widens the attention of policy analysts toward subsystem-wide dynamics with multiple actors who are motivated by their beliefs, structure their relationships into advocacy coalitions, and try to influence policy through utilizing multiple resources and venues. I illustrate an ACF approach to stakeholder analysis in a scientifically contentious political conflict over the establishment of marine protected areas in California. I conclude with a summary of contributions to the ACF literature and the strengths and limitations of conducting an ACF stakeholder analysis.
SIMULATOR EVALUATION OF HEAVY-VEHICLE DRIVER WORKLOAD..

Six primary-task and four secondary-task workload measures were investigated in a fixed-base truck simulator. Twelve commercial drivers each drove twelve simulator modules, each 55,000 feet in leng...
Magellan: electrical and physical properties of venus' surface.

Magellan probes Venus' surface by 12.6-cm-wavelength vertical and oblique radar scattering and measures microwave thermal emission. Emissivity and root-meansquare slope maps between 330° and 30°E and 90°N and 80°S are dissimilar, although some local features are exceptions. Inferred surface emissivities typically are ∼0.85, but vary from ∼0.35 at Maxwell to ∼0.95 northeast of Gula Mons and other locations. Lowest emissivities appear in topographically high areas; this relation suggests that a phase change or differences in chemical weathering occur at about 6055-kilometer radius. Initial results indicate that there are significant variations in the surface scattering function.
Novel chemistry of alpha-tosyloxy ketones: applications to the solution- and solid-phase synthesis of privileged heterocycle and enediyne libraries.

New synthetic technologies for the preparation and elaboration of α-tosyloxy ketones in solution- and on solid-phase are described. Both olefins and ketones serve as precursors to these relatively stable chemical entities: olefins via a novel one-pot epoxidation, arylsulfonic acid displacement, and oxidation sequence, and ketones by direct exposure to arylsulfonic acids in the presence of diacetoxy iodobenzene. Reaction of these substrates with O-, S-, or N-centered nucleophiles leads to incorporation of the nucleophile with concomitant expulsion of the sulfonate, while exposure to bis-functional nucleophiles furnishes annulated heterocyclic systems. In addition, the reactions of carbon-centered nucleophiles with α-tosylyloxy ketones are also explored. The collated data for all these nucleophiles provide compelling evidence for the proposal that different reaction pathways are followed when α-tosyloxy ketones are engaged by “hard” versus “soft” nucleophiles. The accessibility and site-selectivity of the ...
Following the Leader? Presidential Influence Over Congress in the Passage of Federal Crime Control Policy

This study explores the relationship between the president, Congress, and the passage of federal crime control legislation in the United States from 1946 to 1996. The theory of presidential influen...
IODINE CONTENT OF U.S. WEIGHT-LOSS FOOD

Objective: The recommended iodine intake is 150 μg/day in adults, 220 μg/day during pregnancy, and 290 μg/day during lactation. Individuals exclusively consuming restricted diets as part of a weight-loss program may be at risk for mild to moderate iodine deficiency. The purpose of this study was to assess the iodine content in meals and snacks from 3 U.S. commercial weight-loss programs, all of which are intended to be the sole source of dietary intake during the desired weight-loss period.Methods: The iodine contents in the products representing 1 week of all meals and snacks from 3 U.S. commercial weight-loss programs were measured by spectrophotometry. The measured total iodine content in 1 week's worth of food from each program is reported as an average level per day.Results: A total of 53 total items were analyzed (29 different items [7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners, 6 snacks, 2 desserts] from Jenny Craig®, 21 different items [7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners] from Nutrisystem®, and 3 different ...
The Alternative Splicing Regulator Tra2b Is Required for Somitogenesis and Regulates Splicing of an Inhibitory Wnt11b Isoform

Alternative splicing is pervasive in vertebrates, yet little is known about most isoforms or their regulation. transformer-2b (tra2b) encodes a splicing regulator whose endogenous function is poorly understood. Tra2b knockdown in Xenopus results in embryos with multiple defects, including defective somitogenesis. Using RNA sequencing, we identify 142 splice changes (mostly intron retention and exon skipping), 89% of which are not in current annotations. A previously undescribed isoform of wnt11b retains the last intron, resulting in a truncated ligand (Wnt11b-short). We show that this isoform acts as a dominant-negative ligand in cardiac gene induction and pronephric tubule formation. To determine the contribution of Wnt11b-short to the tra2b phenotype, we induce retention of intron 4 in wnt11b, which recapitulates the failure to form somites but not other tra2b morphant defects. This alternative splicing of a Wnt ligand adds intricacy to a complex signaling pathway and highlights intron retention as a regulatory mechanism.
Gender variation in oesophageal motor function: analysis of 129 healthy individuals.

Background Oesophageal manometry is the standard for diagnosis of oesophageal motor disorders. Minimal data exist assessing the effect of gender on normal oesophageal manometry values. Aim Evaluate the impact of gender on normal oesophageal manometry values. Methods Healthy volunteers were recruited from the Jacksonville metropolitan area. Exclusion criteria were symptoms suggestive of oesophageal disease, medication use or concurrent illness that could affect oesophageal manometry. All underwent oesophageal manometry using a solid-state system with wet swallows. Results Sixty-three males and 66 females were enrolled. All completed oesophageal manometry without difficulty. Resting lower oesophageal sphincter pressure, distal oesophageal contraction duration and distal oesophageal body contraction amplitude values were significantly higher in females while distal oesophageal body contraction velocity was significantly lower in females (p < 0.05). No differences were seen in other oesophageal manometry parameters. Conclusion Significant gender differences exist in normal oesophageal manometry. Gender-specific reference values for oesophageal manometry are needed for accurate diagnosis of oesophageal motility disorders.
Exploratory information search by domain experts and novices

The arising popularity of social tagging system has the potential to transform traditional web search into a new era of social search. Based on the finding that domain expertise could influence search behavior in traditional search engines, we hypothesized and tested the idea that domain expertise would have similar influence on search behavior in a social tagging system. We conducted an experiment comparing search behavior of experts and novices when they searched using a tradition search engine and a social tagging system. Results from our experiment showed that experts relied more on their own domain knowledge to generate search queries, while novices were influenced more by social cues in the social tagging system. Experts were also found to conform to each other more than novices in their choice of bookmarks and tags. Implications on the design of future social information systems are discussed.
Assessment of Technology for Aircraft Development

LMOST a decade ago, the National Research Council performed an invaluable study for the aerospace engineering discipline to project the technological needs for future advanced vehicle concepts. From the investigation for high-performance aircraft, four critical areas of the Aeronautical Technology 20001 were identified. The technology needs for future air vehicle design are in the following: efficient supersonic propulsion system, high-temperature composites/ metallic composite structures, high lift-to-drag ratio LID aerodynamics with efficient maneuvering lift, and reduced detectability. Although no single discipline encompasses all required technical areas, they are nevertheless not separable from each other. The anticipated requirement of composite or metallic composite structures lies in the heart of material research and structural dynamics. In this particular discipline, aerodynamics plays a coupling role to composite structures through aeroelasticity. For performance-limiting phenomena such as buffeting and flutter,2 aerodynamics either enters as an input for predicting the structural response to the dynamic load, or couples with the structural dynamics to provide the complete analysis for flutter. In the area of reduced detectability, the scientific issue rests on electromagnet ic theory, and the radar-cross-section analysis is governed by the Maxwell equations.3-4 Computational electromagnetics (CEM), the counterpart of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in electromagnetics, has become a target of opportunity for technical transition.5"7 Numerous algorithms developed for supersonic flow simulation by solving the Euler equations are directly usable in CEM. The characteristic-based algorithms6"8 devised for shock-wave capturing are not only computationally efficient, but also have the potential of improving accuracy by alleviating spurious reflecting waves from the computational domain boundaries in
Structural changes in porcine xenografts used as substitute cardiac valves: Gross and histologic observations in 51 glutaraldehyde-preserved Hancock valves in 41 patients

Abstract Gross and histologic changes are described in 51 Hancock glutaraldehyde-preserved porcine heterograft bioprostheses from 41 patients: 33 valves from 25 patients had been in place for less than 2 months (“early”) and 18 valves from 17 patients were examined at later periods up to 75 months (“late”) after implantation. The major gross changes were thrombosis (five bioprostheses) and degeneration (three bioprotheses) of the cusps. Major histologic changes observed in 44 bioprostheses (26 early and 18 late) examined histologically were: (1) fibrin deposits on inflow and outflow surfaces of the cusps; (2) inflammatory cell infiltrates; (3) histiocyte deposition; (4) giant cell formation, and (5) focal disruption of the fibrocollagenous structure of the cusps. These observations indicate that porcine bioprostheses are not biologically inert in the human circulation. However, valve failure is rare at the implantation periods studied.
Acute effects of amitraz on the acoustic startle response and motor activity

To characterize further the behavioral toxicity of amitraz, comparisons were made between the effects of amitraz on motor activity, the acoustic startle response, body temperature, and body weight in male Long-Evans rats. Acute dosage-effect and time-course determinations of motor activity were made using figure-eight mazes. Dosage-effect and time-course determinations for the acoustic startle response were measured using a 13 kHz, 120 dB(A), 40 ms tone as the eliciting stimulus, at each of three background white-noise levels (45, 60 and 75 dB). Amitraz (0, 25, 50, 100 or 200 mg kg−1) was administered orally in 1.0 ml kg−1 of the vehicle (‘Emulpnor’+ ethanol + saline, 5 + 5 + 90 by volume). Amitraz produced a dosage- and time-dependent decrease in motor activity which lasted from 4 to 96 h post-administration. The effects of amitraz on the acoustic startle response consisted of an increased latency and a decreased amplitude and sensitization. The time-course of effects on the acoustic startle response were more transient (4-24 h) than the effects on motor activity. Amitraz-exposed animals had decreased body weight that did not return to control levels until 120 h (five days) post-administration. Amitraz administration produced a transient (4 h) dosage-dependent decrease in body temperature. The highest dosage of amitraz administered, 200 mg kg−1, produced 65% mortality within 72 h; 100 mg kg−1 was the lowest dosage that produced mortality (8 %). Significant behavioral effects were seen at dosages as low as 25-50 mg kg−1. These data provide quantitative measures of the acute effects of amitraz following oral administration on sensory/motor systems in the rat.
An ambient experimental study of phase equilibrium in the atmospheric system: Aerosol H+, NH4+, SO2−4, NO3−-NH3(g), HNO3(g)

A major simplification in the quantitative modeling of the atmospheric impact of the major aerosol and gaseous sulfur and nitrogen compounds would result from demonstration of phase equilibrium between the gases NH3, HNO3 and the appropriate aerosol-phase ionic or molecular species in the ambient atmosphere. The phase diagram of the (NH4)2SO4-H2SO4-H2O and NH4NO3-H2O systems have been recently refined by experimental measurements and preliminary calculations of the mixed nitrate-sulfate system have also been made. Experiments to test the applicability of existing phase equilibria considerations to the ambient atmosphere have been designed and conducted based on newly devised techniques for continuous determination of gaseous NH3 with time resolution < 5 min and unambiguous speciation of nitric acid and aerosol nitrate with time resolution of ~ 15 min. Preliminary results suggest that during a daytime period with aerosol composition approximating a letovicite-NH4NO3 mixture, observed products of NH3 (g) and HNO3(g) concentrations agreed very well with the equilibrium constant calculated for the ammonium nitrate-NH3(g), HNO3(g) equilibrium. During a night-time period, the predicted ammonia concentrations, based on bulk aerosol composition data, were much lower and nitric acid concentrations much higher, respectively, than the observed values. The error sources in the measured and calculated values do not appear to account for the apparent deviations from gas-phase concentrations based on the droplet-pH controlling bisulfate-sulfate equilibrium.
Interface Formation and the Heteroepitaxy of ZnSe on Si.

Zinc selenide films have been grown heteroepitaxially on Si(100) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. The growth has been carried out for raised substrate temperatures and also at room temperature followed by solid-phase epitaxial (SPE) regrowth. The ZnSe films have been characterized by a number of surface-sensitive techniques and both the interface and the bulk material have been examined with high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). We find that an interlayer, which is most likely SiSex, is present between the ZnSe film and the Si substrate for growths made at 300 °C and causes loss of epitaxy. In the case of room temperature deposition and SPE, it is absent, leading to good epitaxy. In the latter situation, the films are very uniform and there is a 4° rotation of the ZnSe crystal axes relative to those of the Si substrate.
Open Strings from Script N = 4 Super Yang-Mills

Exploiting insights on strings moving in pp-wave backgrounds, we show how open strings emerge from = 4 SU(N) Yang-Mills theory as fluctuations around certain states carrying R-charge of order N. These states are dual to spherical D3-branes of AdS5 × S5 and we reproduce the spectrum of small fluctuations of these states from Yang-Mills theory. We discuss the emergence of the G2 light degrees of freedom expected when G such D3-branes nearly coincide. The open strings running between the branes can be quantized easily in a Penrose limit of the spacetime. Taking the corresponding large charge limit of the Yang-Mills theory, we reproduce the open string worldsheets and their spectra from field theory degrees of freedom.
Resources, mobility barriers, and the international competitive position of an industry

Abstract Studies on international competition have tended to focus on macro-level differences in factor endowments or firms' strategic motives. We propose a simple framework for analyzing the dynamics of international competition in a previously domestic industry. Using the resource-based theory of the firm, the domestic industry is treated as a distinct strategic group vis-a-vis foreign firms. The nature of inward international competition can then be characterized as a function of foreign firms' resources versus the resources used by domestic firms as international mobility barriers (IMBs). Domestic firms' response to international competition can also be viewed as a resource readjustment process.
Binary tree algebraic computation and parallel algorithms for simple graphs

Abstract In this paper we define the binary tree algebraic computation (BTAC) problem and develop an efficient parallel algorithm for solving this problem. A variety of graph problems (minimum covering set, minimum r-dominating set, maximum matching set, etc.) for trees and two terminal series parallel (TTSP) graphs can be converted to instances of the BTAC problem. Thus efficient parallel algorithms for these problems are obtained systematically by using the BTAC algorithm. The parallel computation model is an exclusive read exclusive write PRAM. The algorithms for tree problems run in O (log n ) time with O ( n ) processors. The algorithms for TTSP graph problems run in O (log m ) time with O ( m ) processors where n ( m ) is the number of vertices (edges) in the input graph. These algorithms are within an O (log n ) factor of optimal.
Oxidation of manganese by spores of a marine bacillus: Kinetic and thermodynamic considerations

Abstract The catalytic properties of spores of a marine Bacillus known to oxidize divalent manganese were used to perform laboratory Mn(II) oxidation experiments at environmental conditions of pH and Mn(II) concentration. We found that at pH 7.8 the initial kinetics of Mn(II) oxidation facilitated by the spores was four orders of magnitude greater than that which would be expected for abiotic autocatalysis on a colloidal MnO 2 surface. The rate progressively decreased as the spores became coated with manganese oxide, eventually becoming very near that predicted for abiotic surface catalysis. Transmission electron microscopic observations and oxidation state measurements of solids precipitated at pH 7.5 and [Mn(II)] 3 O 4 or MnO x where x = 1.33) which aged to more highly oxidized MnO 2 ( x = 1.9) in the time scale of weeks. By utilizing spores to catalyze the oxidation rate, we were able to maintain our experimental system within the seawater range of pH and Mn(II) where highly oxidized manganese oxide precipitates are thermodynamically stable. In doing so we obtained, for the first time, laboratory precipitates with oxidation states similar to that found in marine particulate material. These results suggest that the concentration of manganese in seawater and the oxidation state of marine manganese oxides are controlled by the rapid precipitation of Mn 3 O 4 , which can be microbially mediated, followed by the disproportionation to MnO 2 .
Oxidized low-density lipoprotein regulates matrix metalloproteinase-9 and its tissue inhibitor in human monocyte-derived macrophages.

Background—Macrophages in human atherosclerotic plaques produce a family of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which may influence vascular remodeling and plaque disruption. Because oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) is implicated in many proatherogenic events, we hypothesized that ox-LDL would regulate expression of MMP-9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) in monocyte-derived macrophages. Methods and Results—Mononuclear cells were isolated from normal human subjects with Ficoll-Paque density gradient centrifugation, and adherent cells were allowed to differentiate into macrophages during 7 days of culture in plastic dishes. On day 7, by use of serum-free medium, the macrophages were incubated with various concentrations of native LDL (n-LDL) and copper-oxidized LDL. Exposure to ox-LDL (10 to 50 μg/mL) increased MMP-9 mRNA expression as analyzed by Northern blot, protein expression as measured by ELISA and Western blot, and gelatinolytic activity as determined by zymography. The increase in MMP-9 expr...
Alfvén waves and turbulence in quiescent prominences

In the dynamical model of quiescent prominences presented in this paper, it is assumed that the ever-changing velocity field and brightness of the fine structure is due to MHD turbulence driven by an Alfven-wave flux from below. It is shown that these waves become highly non-linear and are dissipated over relatively short scales in prominence matter. For magnetic field strengths lower than those observed in quiescent prominences, no closed arch structure can exist with the physical parameters observed. For higher field strengths the conditions for the creation of turbulence are not fulfilled. The momentum gained by prominence matter in the dissipation process, is shown to be of the right order of magnitude to provide the supporting force against gravity. ‘Edge’ effects find a simple explanation within the framework of this hypothesis. In the upper regions of a prominence one result of the dissipation may be the formation of open magnetic configurations, in keeping with the presence of streamers connected with quiescent prominences. Observational tests are proposed and discussed.