cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Girls and Technology: What Public Libraries Can Do

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess how public libraries can help girls to learn and practice technology skills.Design/methodology/approach – The paper discusses why girls are under‐represented in technology careers and successful public library programs aimed at solving this problem.Findings – Even though the majority of internet users are females, girls tend to under‐value technology. Girls relate differently to technology from boys, and are often disadvantaged. Public libraries can provide opportunities for girls to learn and practice technology skills.Originality/value – This meta‐synthesis of research and best practices provides guidelines for public librarians to help girls become more technologically literate. Recommendations include: offering choices, facilitating girl planning, encouraging collaboration, providing active and hands‐on learning, and incorporating career exploration.
GATA-3 controls the maintenance and proliferation of T cells downstream of TCR and cytokine signaling

GATA-3 controls T helper type 2 (TH2) differentiation. However, whether GATA-3 regulates the function of mature T cells beyond TH2 determination remains poorly understood. We found that signaling via the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) and cytokine stimulation promoted GATA-3 expression in CD8(+) T cells, which controlled cell proliferation. Although GATA-3-deficient CD8(+) T cells were generated, their peripheral maintenance was impaired, with lower expression of the receptor for interleukin 7 (IL-7R). GATA-3-deficient T cells had defective responses to viral infection and alloantigen. The proto-oncoprotein c-Myc was a critical target of GATA-3 in promoting T cell proliferation. Our study thus demonstrates an essential role for GATA-3 in controlling the maintenance and proliferation of T cells and provides insight into immunoregulation.
I. Conformational dynamics of biological macromolecules by polarization-modulated Fourier imaging correlation spectroscopy.

Experiments that optically probe the translational motions and internal conformational transitions of biological macromolecules have the potential to enable mechanistic studies of biochemical processes in living cells. This work presents a novel “phase-selective” approach to fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy that simultaneously monitors protein conformational transitions and nanometer center-of-mass displacements. Polarization- and intensity-modulated photoexcitation is combined with phase-sensitive signal detection to monitor the collective coordinate fluctuations from a large population of fluorescent molecules (N ∼ 106). Test experiments are performed on DsRed, a tetrameric complex of fluorescent protein subunits. Thermally induced conformational transitions of the complex lead to fluctuations in the optical dipolar coupling between adjacent chromophore sites. Polarization-resolved equilibrium fluctuation trajectories provide the raw data necessary to determine time-correlation functions and probab...
Interfacial properties of kevlar‐49 fiber‐reinforced thermoplastics

A single-filament pull-out test was used to study adhesion of Kevlar-49 fibers to thermoplastic polymers. The test involved pulling a partially embedded fiber out of a polymer film. Kevlar-49 fibers with three different surface treatments were used with five thermoplastic materials. The test resulted in the measurement of two properties, an interfacial bond strength and a frictional shear strength. The interfacial bond strength is an essential factor in determining the critical aspect ratio of discontinuous fibers in a composite. The frictional shear strength was found to correlate with the tensile strength of discontinuous fiber composites which fail by fiber pull-out. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the fiber pull-out specimens after testing. Observations of the fiber showed that the failure mode at the fiber–matrix interface was complex. The predominant failure mode was fracture at the interface (or in some weak boundary layer). In some cases, cohesive failure of the fiber surface was observed, with the result that strips of material were torn from the fiber surface.
The roles of internal locus of control and neighborhood affluence in predicting the continuity of negative self-feelings from adolescence to young adulthood.

Abstract The present study examines the moderating effect of locus of control on the continuity in negative self-feelings from adolescence to young adulthood. We use longitudinal data of 1296 respondents from adolescence (11–13 years old) to young adulthood (20–24 years old). Using interaction effects in linear regression with robust standard errors we find that those with an internal locus of control experience stronger continuity in negative self-feelings from adolescence to young adulthood. Furthermore, based on both self-reported and objective measures of neighborhood status, internal locus of control increases the continuity in negative self-feelings in the transition to adulthood in disadvantaged neighborhoods but not in advantaged neighborhoods. Thus, locus of control acts as a maladaptive mechanism in less affluent neighborhoods. This result demonstrates the importance of considering both the individual social psychological and the contextual sociological perspectives when investigating the role of internal locus of control on the perpetuation of negative self-feelings.
Cocktail party listening in a dynamic multitalker environment.

Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio A priori information about the location of the target talker plays a critical role incocktail party listening tasks, but little is known about the influence of imperfect spatial information in situations in which the listener has some knowledge about the location of the target speech but does not know its exact location prior to hearing the stimulus. In this study, spatial uncertainty was varied by adjusting the probability that the target talker in a multitalker stimulus would change locations at the end of each trial. The results show that listeners can adapt their strategies according to the statistical properties of a dynamic acoustic environment but that this adaptation is a relatively slow process that may require dozens of trials to complete.
Real time estimation of ship motions using Kalman filtering techniques

The estimation of the heave, pitch, roll, sway, and yaw motions of a DD-963 destroyer is studied, using Kalman filtering techniques, for application in VTOL aircraft landing. The governing equations are obtained from hydrodynamic considerations in the form of linear differential equations with frequency dependent coefficients. In addition, nonminimum phase characteristics are obtained due to the spatial integration of the water wave forces. The resulting transfer matrix function is irrational and nonminimum phase. The conditions for a finite-dimensional approximation are considered and the impact of the various parameters is assessed. A detailed numerical application for a DD-963 destroyer is presented and simulations of the estimations obtained from Kalman filters are discussed.
Nonclassical IL-1β Secretion Stimulated by P2X7 Receptors Is Dependent on Inflammasome Activation and Correlated with Exosome Release in Murine Macrophages

Several mechanistically distinct models of nonclassical secretion, including exocytosis of secretory lysosomes, shedding of plasma membrane microvesicles, and direct efflux through plasma membrane transporters, have been proposed to explain the rapid export of caspase-1-processed IL-1 beta from monocytes/macrophages in response to activation of P2X7 receptors (P2X7R) by extracellular ATP. We compared the contribution of these mechanisms to P2X7R-stimulated IL-1 beta secretion in primary bone marrow-derived macrophages isolated from wild-type, P2X7R knockout, or apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a C-terminal CARD knockout mice. Our experiments revealed the following: 1) a novel correlation between IL-1 beta secretion and the release of the MHC-II membrane protein, which is a marker of plasma membranes, recycling endosomes, multivesicular bodies, and released exosomes; 2) a common and absolute requirement for inflammasome assembly and active caspase-1 in triggering the cotemporal export of IL-1 beta and MHC-II; and 3) mechanistic dissociation of IL-1 beta export from either secretory lysosome exocytosis or plasma membrane microvesicle shedding on the basis of different requirements for extracellular Ca(2+) and differential sensitivity to pharmacological agents that block activation of caspase-1 inflammasomes. Thus, neither secretory lysosome exocytosis nor microvesicle shedding models constitute the major pathways for nonclassical IL-1 beta secretion from ATP-stimulated murine macrophages. Our findings suggest an alternative model of IL-1 beta release that may involve the P2X7R-induced formation of multivesicular bodies that contain exosomes with entrapped IL-1 beta, caspase-1, and other inflammasome components.
Characterization of 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers and their use in metal-insulator-metal tunnel devices.

The characterization of Langmuir–Blodgett thin films of 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid (PDA) and their use in metal–insulator–metal (MIM) devices were studied. The Langmuir monolayer behavior of the PDA film was studied at the air/water interface using surface tension–area isotherms of polymeric and monomeric PDA. Langmuir–Blodgett (LB, vertical deposition) and Langmuir–Schaefer (LS, horizontal deposition) techniques were used to deposit the PDA film on various substrates (glass, quartz, silicon, and nickel-coated film on glass). The electrochemical, electrical and optical properties of the LB and LS PDA films were studied using cyclic voltammetry, current–voltage characteristics (I–V), and UV–vis and FTIR spectroscopies. Atomic force microscopy measurements were performed in order to analyze the surface morphology and roughness of the films. A MIM tunnel diode was fabricated using a PDA monolayer assembly as the insulating barrier, which was sandwiched between two nickel layers. The precise control of the thickness of the insulating monolayers proved critical for electron tunneling to take place in the MIM structure. The current–voltage characteristics of the MIM diode revealed tunneling behavior in the fabricated Ni–PDA LB film–Ni structures.
The Power of Compassion and Caring in Rehabilitation Healing

Halstead LS. The power of compassion and caring in rehabilitation healing. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2001: 82:149-54. Rehabilitation of persons with catastrophic illnesses or inju- ries is a complex, labor-intensive interaction between patients and caregivers. Experiences of overwhelming loss and suffer- ing evoke strong emotions that shape the behavior of both patients and staff during the rehabilitation process. In response to each patient's unique experience, compassion, caring, and other humanistic qualities of the effective caregiver help create a healing environment. Although these qualities are universally accepted as important, they have not been widely studied or critically examined. In recent years, however, there has been a growing interest in use of scientific methods to investigate the impact of "humanistic elements" (ie, complementary and al- ternative medicine) as therapeutic agents. A review of 7 articles from this literature provides examples of research-based inter- ventions with potential for enhancing outcomes in traditional rehabilitation populations. In today's high-tech impersonal health care system, the use of scientific methods to show that humanistic treatments are effective may represent an important new frontier and opportunity for rehabilitation research.
Rapid retargeting to mitigate obsolescence in the AN/ALQ-126B - a logistics success story

This paper tells a logistics success story. It describes the successful application of an obsolescence mitigation technique developed by Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP), Rapid Retargeting, to the AN/ALQ-126B by Titan Systems Corporation VisiCom Products Division. Through Rapid Retargeting, Titan created a UniModule that can be used as a form, fit, and functional replacement for any of eight SRAs used in eleven different slots in the ALQ-126B.
Prognostic Significance and Risk Factors of Untreated Cytomegalovirus Viremia in Liver Transplant Recipients

To study whether cytomegalovirus (CMV) viremia is a reliable marker of impending CMV disease and thus a guide for preemptive antiviral therapy, 126 consecutive liver transplant recipients were followed by routine CMV blood cultures in the absence of antiviral prophylaxis or treatment for viremia. Seventy-three patients (58%) developed CMV infections, and 36 (29%) had more than one infection episode : 29 patients (23%) had organ involvement and 45 (36%) had viremia. Within a same episode, CMV viremia was 90% sensitive and 80% specific for predicting concurrent organ involvement but preceded organ involvement in only 9 (31%) of 29 patients. In a separate analysis, untreated isolated CMV viremia in the first CMV infection episode was followed by organ involvement in a subsequent episode in 9 (33%) of 28 patients, mainly in the donor-positive, recipient-negative (D+/R-) population. The results indicate that CMV viremia is not an ideal marker to guide preemptive antiviral treatment in liver transplant recipients but is a good marker in D+/R- patients.
The socio-economics of travel behavior and environmental burdens: A Detroit, Michigan regional context

The transportation industry—particularly light-duty vehicles—is a significant contributor of greenhouse gasses, accounting for about one-third of overall emissions in the U.S. Research to date has studied various factors that impact travel behavior of residents with varying socio-economic characteristics. However, research on the socio-economic characteristics of residents and their impact on environmental burdens within a single urban region, as measured by fuel consumption and vehicular emissions, is recognized as under-represented in the U.S. planning and transportation literature. This study focuses on the Detroit region, Michigan, a unique case study due to the scale of suburbanization and urban decline, yet representative of many mid-western cities. The article explores how socio-economic characteristics impact travel patterns and environmental burdens within six Detroit region neighborhoods. Data on individual travel behavior and personal vehicle characteristics gathered from a mail survey enabled an analysis into how associated environmental burdens varied with socio-economic composition. The analysis explores contributions to environmental burdens between poorer urban and wealthier suburban populations.
Self-Management as a Strategy to Improve the Classroom Behavior of Adolescents with ADHD

This article reports on the application of a self-management strategy for improving the classroom behavior of students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Based on the work of Rhode, Morgan, and Young (1983), the intervention focuses on teaching students to systematically rate their own behavior according to the rating of their teacher. Although, historically, self-management strategies based on cognitive control have not been found to be effective for students with ADHD, strategies based on contingency management have not been widely reported in the literature. A description of the intervention and two case study illustrations are provided. Potential limitations and implications for research in using this strategy are discussed.
Signaling inputs to invadopodia and podosomes

Remodeling of extracellular matrix (ECM) is a fundamental cell property that allows cells to alter their microenvironment and move through tissues. Invadopodia and podosomes are subcellular actin-rich structures that are specialized for matrix degradation and are formed by cancer and normal cells, respectively. Although initial studies focused on defining the core machinery of these two structures, recent studies have identified inputs from both growth factor and adhesion signaling as crucial for invasive activity. This Commentary will outline the current knowledge on the upstream signaling inputs to invadopodia and podosomes and their role in governing distinct stages of these invasive structures. We discuss invadopodia and podosomes as adhesion structures and highlight new data showing that invadopodia-associated adhesion rings promote the maturation of already-formed invadopodia. We present a model in which growth factor stimulation leads to phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) activity and formation of invadopodia, whereas adhesion signaling promotes exocytosis of proteinases at invadopodia.
Acceleration of Amyloid Fibril Formation by Specific Binding of Aβ-(1–40) Peptide to Ganglioside-containing Membrane Vesicles

The interaction of Alzheimer's Abeta peptide and its fluorescent analogue with membrane vesicles was studied by spectrofluorometry, Congo Red binding, and electron microscopy. The peptide binds selectively to the membranes containing gangliosides with a binding affinity ranging from 10(-6) to 10(-7) M depending on the type of ganglioside sugar moiety. This interaction appears to be ganglioside-specific as under our experimental conditions (neutral pH, physiologically relevant ionic strength), no Abeta binding was observed to ganglioside-free membranes containing zwitterionic or acidic phospholipids. Importantly, the addition of ganglioside-containing vesicles to the peptide solution dramatically accelerates the rate of fibril formation as compared with that of the peptide alone. The present results strongly suggest that the membrane-bound form of the peptide may act as a specific "template" (seed) that catalyzes the fibrillogenesis process in vivo.
Effects of breed, sex and halothane genotype on fatty acid composition of triacylglycerols and phospholipids in pork longissimus muscle.

Summary The objective of this study was to estimate the effects of breed, sex, and halothane (HAL-1843TM) genotype on fatty acid composition of triacylglycerols (TAG) and phospholipids (PL) extracted from porcine longissimus muscle (LM). Purebred Yorkshire (n = 131), Duroc (n = 136), Hampshire (n = 49), Spotted (n = 35), Chester White (n = 74), Poland China (n = 51), Berkshire (n = 169) and Landrace (n = 82) pigs (n = 727; 427 barrows and 300 gilts) from the 1994 and 2001 National Barrow Show Sire Progeny Tests were used. For statistical analyses, a mixed model was used that included fixed effects of breed, sex, HAL-1843TM genotype, year, slaughter date within each year, interaction of breed × sex and random effects of sire and dam within breed. Breeds and sex were significantly associated with the percentages of the majority fatty acids in TAG. Duroc pigs had greater total saturated fatty acids (SFA) and lower total monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) (p 0.05). The concentration of total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was the greatest in Hampshire pigs (p 0.05). In contrast to breed and sex effects, the concentrations of fatty acids in PL were more affected by HAL-1843TM genotype than those in TAG. The content of C16:0, a major SFA in PL, differed significantly in pigs with different HAL-1843TM genotypes. In conclusion, these results suggest that breed and sex are important sources of the variations for fatty acid composition of TAG and PL in LM.
Intrauterine infection and prematurity.

Intrauterine infection is a major cause of premature labor with and without intact membranes. Intrauterine infection is present in approximately 25% of all preterm births and the earlier the gestational age at delivery, the higher the frequency of intra-amniotic infection. Microorganisms may also gain access to the fetus before delivery. A fetal inflammatory response syndrome elicited in response to microbial products is associated with the impending onset of preterm labor and also with multi-systemic organ involvement in the human fetus and a higher rate of perinatal morbidity. The most common microorganisms involved in intrauterine infections are Ureaplasma urealyticum, Fusobacterium species and Mycoplasma hominis. The role of Chlamydia trachomatis and viruses in preterm labor remain to be determined. Use of molecular microbiology techniques to diagnose intrauterine infection may uncover the role of fastidious microorganisms that have not yet been discovered. Antibiotic administration to patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria is associated with a significant reduction in the rate of preterm birth. However, such benefit has not been demonstrated for patients with bacterial vaginosis, or women who carry Streptococcus agalactia, Ureaplasma urealyticum or Trichomonas vaginalis. Antibiotic administration to patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes is associated with prolongation of pregnancy and a reduction in the rate of clinical chorioamnionitis and neonatal sepsis. The benefit has not been demonstrated in patients with preterm labor and intact membranes. Major efforts are required to determine why some women develop an ascending intrauterine infection and others do not and also what interventions may reduce the deleterious effect of systemic fetal inflammation.
Real Patterns and Real Problems: Making Dennett Respectable on Patterns and Beliefs

L'A. entreprend une reconstruction coherente de la position instrumentaliste de Dennett sur les categories de la psychologie populaire, telles que la realite objective et les modeles du comportement, developpee dans son article intitule «Real patterns» (in «Journal of philosophy», 89, 1991, pp. 27-51). Etablissant un lien entre sa theorie du contenu et sa nouvelle theorie de la conscience, l'A. montre que le type de realisme defendu par Dennett est menace par une forme d'indetermination du contenu mental
Behavior of hafnium and neodymium isotopes in the crust: Constraints from Precambrian crustally derived granites

Due to the large partition coefficients of garnet for Lu compared to Sm, Nd, and Hf, garnet residual from crustal melting events has a large potential for retaining Lu and, over time, producing high 176Hf177Hf reservoirs in the lower crust. Therefore, melts derived from such garnet-bearing residual assemblages may be high in 176Hf177Hf relative to 143Nd144Nd. In order to determine the extent of potential hafnium isotopic heterogeneities in the lower crust from residual garnet, and to detail coupled HfNd isotopic behavior in older crustal rocks in general, we have determined the hafnium and neodymium isotopic compositions of thirty-two Precambrian granites and rhyolites from diverse suites of crustally derived magmatic suites. The majority of these rocks are known, from major-element and neodymium isotopic evidence, to have been derived from older (>300 m.y.) crust. Modeling of LuHf and SmNd partitioning during melting events in the lower crust indicates that anomalously high 176Hf177Hf compositions should develop within 300–400 m.y. in residual assemblages provided melting was at least 25–30% and 10% or more garnet was left in the residue. In spite of the diverse older crustal sources for the granites and rhyolites in this study, and the potential for garnet to be present in their source regions, none of the granitoids have anomalously high initial 176Hf177Hf compositions: all samples (with one exception) have initial Hf and Nd compositions that plot within a ±8 ϵHf unit wide band of the reference line (ϵHf = 2ϵNd + 2) for juvenile crust. The absence of high initial 176Hf177Hf compositions in these granites and rhyolites most likely implies that either (1) garnet is not a common residual phase in the lower crust or (2) garnet-bearing restite is not easily incorporated into later melts or (3) not enough time was available to develop anomalous Hf compositions.
Peer-to-Peer Human-Robot Teaming through Reconfigurable Schemas

This position paper presents our ongoing work of developing mechanisms to facilitate human-robot teaming with a focus on peer-to-peer interaction. We have developed an approach that autonomously configures solutions for multi-robot teams based on the team capabilities and the task objective. With the success of this approach in simulation and on physical robots, we plan to extend it to address several challenging issues in human-robot teaming.
Reproducibility of Chronic Infarct Size Measurement by Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Background— The reproducibility of contrast-enhanced MRI has not been established. We compared MRI reproducibility for infarct size determination with that of 99mTc-sestamibi (MIBI) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Methods and Results— Patients with chronic myocardial infarction defined by enzymes (peak creatine kinase-MB 173±119 U/L) were scanned twice by MRI (MRI I and MRI II, n=20) and twice by SPECT (SPECT I and SPECT II, n=15) on the same day. The MRI contrast agent was injected during MRI I but not MRI II to test the effect of imaging time after contrast. Resting Tc-MIBI SPECT images were acquired and infarct size was determined with commercial software. Infarct size in patients scanned by MRI and SPECT was 14±6% of left ventricular mass (%LV) by MRI (range 4%LV to 27%LV) and 14±7%LV by SPECT (range 4%LV to 26%LV). MRI I and II scans were performed 10±2 and 27±3 minutes after contrast, respectively. For MRI, the difference in infarct size between scans I and II (bias) was −0.1%LV,...
Image de-blocking with wavelet-based multiresolution analysis and spatially variant OS filters

A novel approach for de-blocking of block based image and video compression algorithms is presented. In our algorithm a blocky image is first decomposed into approximation and detail subspaces with a J-level multiresolution analysis (MRA). In the next step, the low-pass approximation image and the high-pass detail images are processed independently with spatially adaptive order statistic (OS) filters. The proposed algorithm can effectively eliminate or reduce the blocking artifacts and is computationally efficient.
The Rhetoric of Chartist Domesticity: Gender, Language, and Class in the 1830s and 1840s

Who are compelling women and tender babes to procure the means of subsistence in the cotton factories—to be nipt in the bud, to be sacrificed at the shrine of Moloch? They are the rich, the capitalists. [Speech by Mr. Deegan, Chartist, at Stalybridge, 1839]A [Malthusian] pretended philosophy . . . crushes, through the bitter privations it inflicts upon us, the energies of our manhood, making our hearths desolate, our homes wretched, inflicting upon our heart's companions an eternal round of sorrow and despair. [Letter from George Harney to Yorkshire Chartists, 1838]Toryism just means ignorant children in rags, a drunken husband, and an unhappy wife. Chartism is to have a happy home, and smiling, intelligent, and happy families. [Speech by Mr. Macfarlane to Glasgow Chartists, 1839]Chartist political rhetoric was pervaded by images of domestic misery typified in these quotes. Historians have traditionally understood this stress on domesticity as a simple response to the Industrial Revolution's disruption of the home, either denigrating it as inchoate proletarian rage or celebrating it as a heroic defense of the working-class family. But domestic discontent was nothing new in the 1830s, for drink, wife beating, and sexual competition in the workplace had plagued plebeians for decades—if not centuries. Why then did it become such a potent political issue in the 1830s and 1840s? Following Gareth Stedman Jones, the question must be answered by analyzing Chartist domesticity not just as a reflection of social and economic changes, but as a trope that performed specific political functions in Chartist language.
A Fast Digital Predistortion Algorithm for Radio-Frequency Power Amplifier Linearization With Loop Delay Compensation

An adaptive, digital, baseband predistortion (PD) algorithm that compensates for the memoryless nonlinearities of radio-frequency (RF) power amplifiers (PAs) for wireless systems using non-constant-envelop modulation schemes is presented. Compared with the conventional, complex-gain predistorters based on lookup tables (LUTs), the proposed direct-learning, multilevel lookup table (ML-LUT) approach assisted by a hardware-efficient loop delay compensation scheme achieves a significant reduction in convergence time and an improvement in linearization accuracy in the presence of an unknown loopback delay. The experimental results in an FPGA prototyping platform show that the fast adaptation speed enables the predistorter to track time-varying PA nonlinearities as fast as in the tens of kilohertz range, constituting a potential solution for highly efficient PAs in mobile handsets.
Clinician uptake of obesity-related drug information: a qualitative assessment using continuing medical education activities.

Medications necessary for disease management can simultaneously contribute to weight gain, especially in children. Patients with preexisting obesity are more susceptible to medication-related weight gain. How equipped are primary care practitioners at identifying and potentially reducing medication-related weight gain? To inform this question germane to public health we sought to identify potential gaps in clinician knowledge related to metabolic adverse drug effects of weight gain. The study analyzed practitioner responses to the pre-activity questions of six continuing medical education (CME) activities from May 2009 through August 2010. The 20,705 consecutive, self-selected respondents indicated varied levels of familiarity with adverse metabolic effects and psychiatric indications of atypical antipsychotics. Correct responses were lower than predicted for drug indications pertaining to autism (−17% predicted); drug effects on insulin resistance (−62% predicted); chronic disease risk in mental illness (−34% predicted); and drug safety research (−40% predicted). Pediatrician knowledge scores were similar to other primary care practitioners. Clinicians’ knowledge of medication-related weight gain may lead them to overestimate the benefits of a drug in relation to its metabolic risks. The knowledge base of pediatricians appears comparable to their counterparts in adult medicine, even though metabolic drug effects in children have only become prevalent recently.
Wide Variation in Antibiotic Resistance Proteins Identified by Functional Metagenomic Screening of a Soil DNA Library

Most genes for antibiotic resistance present in soil microbes remain unexplored because most environmental microbes cannot be cultured. Only recently has the identification of these genes become feasible through the use of culture-independent methods. We screened a soil metagenomic DNA library in an Escherichia coli host for genes that can confer resistance to kanamycin, gentamicin, rifampin, trimethoprim, chloramphenicol, or tetracycline. The screen revealed 41 genes that encode novel protein variants of eight protein families, including aminoglycoside acetyltransferases, rifampin ADP-ribosyltransferases, dihydrofolate reductases, and transporters. Several proteins of the same protein family deviate considerably from each other yet confer comparable resistance. For example, five dihydrofolate reductases sharing at most 44% amino acid sequence identity in pairwise comparisons were equivalent in conferring trimethoprim resistance. We identified variants of aminoglycoside acetyltransferases and transporters that differ in the specificity of the drugs for which they confer resistance. We also found wide variation in protein structure. Two forms of rifampin ADP-ribosyltransferases, one twice the size of the other, were similarly effective at conferring rifampin resistance, although the short form was expressed at a much lower level. Functional metagenomic screening provides insight into the large variability in antibiotic resistance protein sequences, revealing divergent variants that preserve protein function.
Hybrid Transgenic Mice Reveal In Vivo Specificity of G Protein–Coupled Receptor Kinases in the Heart

G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) phosphorylate activated G protein-coupled receptors, including alpha(1B)-adrenergic receptors (ARs), resulting in desensitization. In vivo analysis of GRK substrate selectivity has been limited. Therefore, we generated hybrid transgenic mice with myocardium-targeted overexpression of 1 of 3 GRKs expressed in the heart (GRK2 [commonly known as the beta-AR kinase 1], GRK3, or GRK5) with concomitant cardiac expression of a constitutively activated mutant (CAM) or wild-type alpha(1B)AR. Transgenic mice with cardiac CAMalpha(1B)AR overexpression had enhanced myocardial alpha(1)AR signaling and elevated heart-to-body weight ratios with ventricular atrial natriuretic factor expression denoting myocardial hypertrophy. Transgenic mouse hearts overexpressing only GRK2, GRK3, or GRK5 had no hypertrophy. In hybrid transgenic mice, enhanced in vivo signaling through CAMalpha(1B)ARs, as measured by myocardial diacylglycerol content, was attenuated by concomitant overexpression of GRK3 but not GRK2 or GRK5. CAMalpha(1B)AR-induced hypertrophy and ventricular atrial natriuretic factor expression were significantly attenuated with either concurrent GRK3 or GRK5 overexpression. Similar GRK selectivity was seen in hybrid transgenic mice with wild-type alpha(1B)AR overexpression concurrently with a GRK. GRK2 overexpression was without effect on any in vivo CAM or wild-type alpha(1B)AR cardiac phenotype, which is in contrast to previously reported in vitro findings. Furthermore, endogenous myocardial alpha(1)AR mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling in single-GRK transgenic mice also exhibited selectivity, as GRK3 and GRK5 desensitized in vivo alpha(1)AR mitogen-activated protein kinase responses that were unaffected by GRK2 overexpression. Thus, these results demonstrate that GRKs differentially interact with alpha(1B)ARs in vivo such that GRK3 desensitizes all alpha(1B)AR signaling, whereas GRK5 has partial effects and, most interestingly, GRK2 has no effect on in vivo alpha(1B)AR signaling in the heart.
Gastric secretion in relation to gastrointestinal bleeding from salicylate compounds.

Summary 1.Standard aspirin given by mouth in customary doses had no effect on the secretion of hydrochloric acid by the stomach; soluble aspirin acted as a weak stimulus, whereas sodium salicylate solution appeared to inhibit secretion. 2.Acid and pepsin secretions were unchanged by the intravenous administration of sodium salicylate solution. 3.Blood was present in specimens of gastric juice much more frequently after standard or soluble aspirin tablets were ingested than after the oral or intravenous administration of sodium salicylate solution. Bleeding was unrelated to acid production. 4.No relationship between massive gastrointestinal bleeding after aspirin consumption, subjective intolerance of salicylate compounds, and hydrochloric acid secretion in response to the administration of salicylates was established. 5.Occult gastrointestinal bleeding during the consumption of aspirin tablets was unrelated to the capacity of the stomach to secrete hydrochloric acid and pepsin. 6.Both standard and soluble or buffered aspirin tablets are relatively insoluble in gastric juice; encapsulation by mucus is an important factor in retarding their dissolution. 7.Factors involved in mucosal damage and resistance seem more important than hydrochloric acid secretion in relation to gastrointestinal bleeding after the consumption of aspirin.
Pulsatile and nonpulsatile pressure-flow relationships in zone 3 excised rabbit lungs

We compared the effects of pulsatile vs. nonpulsatile flow (Q) on pulmonary arterial pressure (Ppa)-Q relationships in zone 3 over wide ranges of pulse rate, stroke volume (SV), and Q. Excised left lungs of rabbits (n = 15) were perfused with tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane-buffered Tyrode solution containing 4% dextran, 1% albumin, and 10 mg/l of indomethacin and were ventilated with room air. Pulsatile Q was generated by a diaphragm pump delivering SV of 0.5, 1, or 2 ml (representing approximately 0.3, 0.6, and 1.2 times, respectively, the normal resting SV for rabbit left lung) and adjusting the pump frequency. Nonpulsatile Q was generated by raising an arterial reservoir to the required height. Mean pulmonary arterial (Ppa) and left atrial pressures were measured at end exhalation (positive end-expiratory pressure = 2.5 cmH2O) near the tips of the perfusion cannulas and were referenced to the lung base. Left atrial pressure was held constant at 7 cmH2O.Q was alternated between pulsatile and nonpulsatile, increasing Q stepwise from 100 to 600 ml/min (Q from approximately 0.3 to 2 times the normal resting Q for rabbit left lung), after which Q was reduced stepwise back to initial values. For the smallest SV there were no differences between Ppa-Q curves under pulsatile and nonpulsatile conditions. At the largest SV, Ppa was greater during pulsatile than nonpulsatile Q at Q > 100 ml/min. The slopes of the Ppa-Q curves were greater during pulsatile Q at the two larger SV values. These results can be explained by increasing Q turbulence and less ideal velocity profiles at higher peak Q resulting from the effects of rapidly changing inertial forces.
Biological Actions of CCK in the Gastrointestinal Tract

CCK was first described over 60 years ago as a putative hormone that caused gallbladder contraction in response to fat in the intestine [1]. Thirty-five years later, it was shown that CCK was chemically identical with pancreozymin [2], another putative hormone thought to cause pancreatic enzyme secretion in response to fat and protein in the intestine [3]. In the years since the discoveries of these two major actions, CCK has been found to have many additional effects in the gastrointestinal tract and other organ systems. Early progress consisted mainly of describing the effects of increasingly pure preparations of CCK (including synthetic forms) and determining responses of many target organs. These approaches provided a wealth of data on the potential effects of CCK and continue to do so today, but they do not define which of these many responses of the gastrointestinal tract to exogenous stimulation are in fact regulated by endogenous CCK. Table 1 summarizes many of the reported actions of exogenous CCK.
The Suramin Derivative NF449 Interacts with the 5-fold Vertex of the Enterovirus A71 Capsid to Prevent Virus Attachment to PSGL-1 and Heparan Sulfate

NF449, a sulfated compound derived from the antiparasitic drug suramin, was previously reported to inhibit infection by enterovirus A71 (EV-A71). In the current work, we found that NF449 inhibits virus attachment to target cells, and specifically blocks virus interaction with two identified receptors--the P-selectin ligand, PSGL-1, and heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan--with no effect on virus binding to a third receptor, the scavenger receptor SCARB2. We also examined a number of commercially available suramin analogues, and newly synthesized derivatives of NF449; among these, NF110 and NM16, like NF449, inhibited virus attachment at submicromolar concentrations. PSGL-1 and heparan sulfate, but not SCARB2, are both sulfated molecules, and their interaction with EV-A71 is thought to involve positively charged capsid residues, including a conserved lysine at VP1-244, near the icosahedral 5-fold vertex. We found that mutation of VP1-244 resulted in resistance to NF449, suggesting that this residue is involved in NF449 interaction with the virus capsid. Consistent with this idea, NF449 and NF110 prevented virus interaction with monoclonal antibody MA28-7, which specifically recognizes an epitope overlapping VP1-244 at the 5-fold vertex. Based on these observations we propose that NF449 and related compounds compete with sulfated receptor molecules for a binding site at the 5-fold vertex of the EV-A71 capsid.
Ketamine Continuous Infusions in Critically Ill Infants and Children

Objective: To review the role of ketamine continuous infusions (CINs) in critically ill children for sedation and analgesia, withdrawal, and bronchospasm. Data Sources: Relevant articles were identified using MEDLINE (1946 to December 2015), EMBASE (1988 to December 2015), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970 to December 2015), and the Cochrane Library (1996 to December 2015) using the terms ketamine, children, and CIN. Study Selection and Data Extraction: All English-language articles in humans identified from data sources were evaluated. Three studies and 8 case reports/series representing 74 patients were included. Data Synthesis: Ketamine is an N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist that blocks glutamate in the limbic system, resulting in sedation and analgesia. Additionally, it provides bronchodilation by increasing catecholamine transmission and stimulation of β2 receptors. The majority of reports evaluated ketamine for bronchospasm in children with status asthmaticus or bronchospas...
Clinical correlation and frequency of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression in EGFR-mutant and ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

8012 Background: PD-L1 expression has recently been associated with response to PD-1 blockade. Given recent clinical interest in combining PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors with EGFR and ALK tyrosine kinase in...
Passive Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Structural Control Using LPC Impact Dampers

Excessive vibration is one of the main reasons leading to partial damage and in some cases collapse of tall buildings and structures. Impact dampers provide an effective, economical, and easy to install solution to the vibration problem in several applications. The latest developed type in the impact dampers family is the Linear Particle Chain (LPC) impact damper. It consists of a linear arrangement of two sizes of freely moving masses, constrained by two stops. This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation on the effectiveness of the LPC impact damper in damping the vibrations of a multi-degree-of-freedom system under different types of excitations. A prototype of the LPC impact dampers is fabricated and tested in our lab using a three-story frame structure. The experimental outcomes clearly show that the LPC impact damper can effectively attenuate the free and forced vibrations of flexible structures.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
‘Chambourcin’ grapevine (Vitis vinifera Vitis L.) berries display sustained post-veraison accumulation of oxalic acid

SUMMARYA substantial accumulation of organic acids (OAs) occurs during pre-veraison grape berry development, which results in low pH conditions and contributes to the organoleptic properties of the fruit. The main OAs in most grape berries are tartaric acid (TA) and malic acid (MA). MA is accumulated via a primary metabolic shunt, whereas TA is accumulated via ascorbic acid (AA; vitamin C) metabolism. Oxalic acid (OX) is also derived from AA in competition with TA, and results from a cleavage between the second and third carbon atoms. Oxalic acid is subsequently biomineralised as calcium oxalate crystals in idioblast cells. We have examined the biosynthesis of TA, MA, and OX during grape berry development in four grapevine cultivars. We show that in the Vitis vinifera L. Vitis L. complex inter-specific hybrid, ‘Chambourcin’, there is a high capacity to accumulate OX during post-veraison fruit development. OX content increased from approx. 1 mg g–1 to 3 mg g–1 berry fresh weight between 14 and 16 weeks pos...
The Application of SmallWorld in Power Communication Resource Management System

This paper introduces the main characteristic of power communication resource management system and the GIS platform of GE SmallWorld.Based on the GE SmallWorld used in the project of power communication resource management system in Hangzhou Power Supply Bureau,it put forward the overall program of the system with the consideration of the interfaces with other systems.The method and corresponding code are also proposed in the paper.
Effect of rate and time of gain after weaning on the development of replacement beef heifers.

Three experiments were conducted during three consecutive years to compare rate and time of gain of weaned heifer calves on growth, reproductive development and future calf production. Three groups of Angus X Hereford heifers were fed in one of the following regimens from 45 d after weaning until breeding: (1) no gain the first one-half of the development period followed by .91 kg x head-1 x d-1 gain the last one-half; (2) .45 kg x head-1 x d-1 gain the entire trial and (3) .91 kg x head-1 x d-1 the first one-half of the development period and no gain the last one-half. The same diet was fed to all heifers, but the intake was varied to meet weight gain requirements. Wither height and heart girth increased (P less than .05) during the periods the heifers were fed to gain weight. By the end of the feeding trials, there were not differences (P greater than .05) in any of the growth measures. There were no differences (P greater than .05) in age at puberty, conception rate or calf production the following year. Adequate growth and development of replacement heifers is necessary, but much latitude exists in the rate and time of growth between weaning and breeding.
Physical properties of ribosomal ribonucleic acid isolated from bacteria deficient in ribonuclease I

1. Bacteria deficient in ribonuclease I were used as a source of stable ribosomal RNA. RNA was isolated from a ribosome fraction of Pseudomonas fluorescens N.C.I.B. 8248 and acetone-treated cells of Escherichia coli M.R.E. 600 by the method developed by Robinson & Wade (1968). 2. The s20,w of the 16S and 23S components can vary from 21S and 28S down to 4S depending on the RNA macro-ion concentration and the extent to which charge is suppressed by univalent Na+ and tris+ counter-ions or neutralized through the binding of bivalent Mg2+ to phosphate groups. 3. The primary charge effect in sedimentation and the frictional coefficient (which increases as the molecular conformation expands) both increase with charge and cause a decrease in s value. 4. RNA solutions heated to 80°C for 10min show minor changes in s value and a detectable increase in polydispersity. Millimolar concentrations of Mg2+ promote heat-instability and so does treatment of RNA solutions with the nuclease adsorbent macaloid, which was found to contaminate the solutions with Mg2+. 5. The stabilization of secondary structure by univalent and bivalent cations was investigated by optical methods. 6. The sedimentation properties of 30S and 50S ribosomal subunits and their constituent 16S and 23S RNA components were compared and discussed from the viewpoint of unfolding.
Hardness Assurance for Low-Energy Proton-Induced Single-Event Effects: Final report for LDRD Project 173134

This report briefly summarizes three publications that resulted from a two-year LDRD. The three publications address a recently emerging reliability issue: namely, that low-energy protons (LEPs) can cause single-event effects (SEEs) in highly scaled microelectronics. These publications span from low to high technology readiness levels. In the first, novel experiments were used to prove that proton direct ionization is the dominant mechanism for LEP-induced SEEs. In the second, a simple method was developed to calculate expected on-orbit error rates for LEP effects. This simplification was enabled by creating (and characterizing) an accelerated space-like LEP environment in the laboratory. In the third publication, this new method was applied to many memory circuits from the 20-90 nm technology nodes to study the general importance of LEP effects, in terms of their contribution to the total on-orbit SEE rate.