cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The fringe molecules induce endocrine differentiation in embryonic endoderm by activating cMyt1/cMyt3.

Abstract Endocrine differentiation in the early embryonic pancreas is regulated by Notch signaling. Activated Notch signaling maintains pancreatic progenitor cells in an undifferentiated state, whereas suppression of Notch leads to endocrine cell differentiation. Yet it is not known what mechanism is employed to inactivate Notch in a correct number of precursor cells to balance progenitor proliferation and differentiation. We report that an established Notch modifier, Manic Fringe (Mfng), is expressed in the putative endocrine progenitors, but not in exocrine pancreatic tissues, during early islet differentiation. Using chicken embryonic endoderm as an assaying system, we found that ectopic Mfng expression is sufficient to induce endodermal cells to differentiate towards an endocrine fate. This endocrine-inducing activity depends on inactivation of Notch. Furthermore, ectopic Mfng expression induces the expression of basic helix–loop–helix gene, Ngn3, and two zinc finger genes, cMyt1 and cMyt3. These results suggest that Mfng-mediated repression of Notch signaling could serve as a trigger for endocrine islet differentiation.
Penetration and Mixing of Fully Modulated Turbulent Jets in Crossflow

Fully-modulated, incompressible, turbulent transverse jets were studied experimentally over a range of pulsing frequencies, duty-cycles, and at two jet-to-crossflow velocity ratios. The jet flow was completely modulated by operating a solenoid valve resulting in the shut off of jet supply during a portion of the cycle. The planar laserinduced fluorescence technique was used to determine the penetration, dilution, and structural features of the pulsed jets. The molecular mixing rate was quantified through a chemical reaction between the jet and crossflow fluids. Short injection times resulted in creation of vortex ring structures whereas long injection times produced axially elongated turbulent puffs, similar to a segment of the steady jet. The latter case resulted in only modest enhancement of the jet penetration depth and dilution. Pulsed jets dominated by vortex ring had penetration depths significantly greater than a steady jet with the same velocity ratio. Penetration of up to about 5 times the steady jet value at 50 jet diameters downstream of the jet exit was observed with 200 ms pulses. Duty-cycle had a significant effect on the performance of pulsed jets with short injection times. Increasing the duty-cycle for a fixed injection time diminished the jet penetration. The dilution and mixing rates of pulsed jets with short injection time were also increased over the steady jet. The greatest reduction in the mixing rate was approximately 50% for well-separated pulses with short injection times.
Extending theorisations of the global teacher: care work, gender, and street-level policies

This article is concerned with teachers’ negotiation of global transitions premised on improving educational opportunity with implications for professionalism. The study blends sociology of gender, work, and organisations and gender policy analysis to theorise teachers’ policy negotiations. I explore how 20 Argentine teachers mediate 3 programmes’ demands for care work. Policy as practice and street-level bureaucracy are applied to data to interrogate for gendered boundary work. I propose the addition of care work, gender, and a street-level view to Maguire’s global teacher.
Progesterone in the experimental treatment of central and peripheral nervous system injuries

Although traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious medical problem, no clinically effective acute-stage treatments exist. Over the last few decades, dozens of pharmacological agents have been tested and many appeared to work well in animal models of TBI, but then failed in clinical trials. These agents were often designed to work on a specific molecular target – a receptor mechanism or an excitatory or inhibitory neurotransmitter – but when administered to patients with brain trauma, they performed no better than placebos or had substantially negative side effects. Recently, laboratory and clinical investigators have been examining the role of neurosteroids in the treatment of TBI, ischemic stroke and certain peripheral nervous system disorders. Progesterone and its metabolite allopregnanolone act on a number of molecular and physiological processes in the cascade of cellular damage that follows a TBI, ischemic attack or peripheral nerve crush injury. This paper reviews the literature showing that progest...
An entropy-based genome-wide transmission/disequilibrium test.

Availability of a large collection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and efficient genotyping methods enable the extension of linkage and association studies for complex diseases from small genomic regions to the whole genome. Establishing global significance for linkage or association requires small P-values of the test. The original TDT statistic compares the difference in linear functions of the number of transmitted and nontransmitted alleles or haplotypes. In this report, we introduce a novel TDT statistic, which uses Shannon entropy as a nonlinear transformation of the frequencies of the transmitted or nontransmitted alleles (or haplotypes), to amplify the difference in the number of transmitted and nontransmitted alleles or haplotypes in order to increase statistical power with large number of marker loci. The null distribution of the entropy-based TDT statistic and the type I error rates in both homogeneous and admixture populations are validated using a series of simulation studies. By analytical methods, we show that the power of the entropy-based TDT statistic is higher than the original TDT, and this difference increases with the number of marker loci. Finally, the new entropy-based TDT statistic is applied to two real data sets to test the association of the RET gene with Hirschsprung disease and the Fcγ receptor genes with systemic lupus erythematosus. Results show that the entropy-based TDT statistic can reach p-values that are small enough to establish genome-wide linkage or association analyses.
Etiology of anorexia in cancer

Although the causes of cancer anorexia remain poorly understood, it now seems evident that the symptoms of appetite and weight loss which occur in cancer patients are multiply-determined. Thus, the actual causes of specific clinical problems will depend on the type of disease and treatment involved. This report examines research aimed at understanding the mechanisms responsible for cancer anorexia. Particular emphasis is placed on studies examining the contribution of learned food aversions to the anorexia induced by tumors and antitumor therapy. Evidence from the clinic and the laboratory indicates that learned food aversions occur as a result of the association of foods with symptoms induced by chemotherapy and/or tumor growth. The role these aversions play in the etiology of cancer anorexia is discussed and studies aimed at developing methods for preventing them are described.
Primary thymic seminoma--a neoplasm ultrastructurally similar to testicular seminoma and distinct from epithelial thymoma.

Epithelial thymoma and thymic seminoma, which are important to distinguish for therapeutic reasons, are often confused histologically. The purpose of this study is to compare the ultrastructural appearances of a primary thymic seminoma, a classical testicular seminoma, and an epithelial thymoma. The thymic seminoma shows many ultrastructural similarities to the classical testicular seminoma in that the tumor cells have bizarre nucleoli, relatively scanty organelles, abundant glycogen, and are rounded or polyhedral with few cell processes. Conversely, there are distinct differences between the thymic seminoma and epithelial thymoma; tumor cells of the latter have many elongated cytoplasmic processes, numerous cytoplasmic filaments and desmosomes, and much less complex nucleoli. Basement membrane material is prominent only in the epithelial thymoma. It is evident that the distinction between thymic seminoma and epithelial thymoma is readily recognizable by electron microscopic studies and terms such as seminomatous or pseudoseminomatous thymoma, which reflect doubt about thymic seminoma as an entity distinct from epithelial thymoma, are misleading.
Macaque sperm release ESP13.2 and PSP94 during capacitation: the absence of ESP13.2 is linked to sperm-zona recognition and binding.

ESP13.2 coats the entire surface of macaque sperm and remains until sperm become capacitated (Yudin et al., 2003: Biol Reprod 69: 1118–1128). Capacitation of macaque sperm is synchronized by treatment with dibutyrl cAMP (dbcAMP) and caffeine. ESP13.2 and PSP94 constituted ∼95% of the proteins released from the sperm surface following treatment with caffeine + dbcAMP. Caffeine and dbcAMP alone induce different patterns of ESP13.2 release. As determined by ELISAs of supernatants and immuno-fluorescent labeling of sperm heads, caffeine alone and caffeine + dbcAMP induced comparable release of ESP13.2, while dbcAMP-treated sperm did not differ from controls. Sperm treated with caffeine + dbcAMP showed a reduction of ESP13.2 from the entire surface, while caffeine treatment alone induced removal of ESP13.2 from the sperm head and midpiece. As confirmed with immunofluorescence, ESP13.2 could be added back to the surfaces of sperm that had been previously exposed to caffeine. Treatment with caffeine significantly increased the number of sperm that bound tightly to the zona pellucida as compared with controls (42 ± 9 and 13 ± 3 sperm/zona, respectively; P ≤ 0.01). This increase in binding was inhibited by “adding back” ESP13.2 to the sperm surface (12.8 ± 3; P ≤ 0.01). Alexa-conjugated anti-ESP13.2 Ig labeling of live sperm showed that only sperm lacking ESP13.2 over the head were capable of tight binding to the zona. Our results suggest that ESP13.2 masks zona pellucida ligands on the sperm surface and its release, as part of capacitation, is required for sperm–zona interaction. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 69: 325–337, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Photorefractive Materials for Nonvolatile Volume Holographic Data Storage

Optically gated recording and nonvolatile readout in a digital volume holographic data storage system that uses a pair of mutually incoherent light sources during recording and only one for readout were demonstrated recently. This approach used stoichiometric lithium niobate, which after post-growth processing gave rise to an at least two orders of magnitude improvement in sensitivity over the best materials reported previously. It is also shown that by adding certain dopants (iron and manganese) to near-stoichiometric lithium niobate, the dark storage time and gating efficiency can be increased compared with previous work. The underlying physical mechanisms of gated recording and the effectiveness of the gating process responsible for this manifold improved performance are discussed, and bipolarons and small polarons are identified as the responsible photorefractive species.
Retroviral expression of MUC-1 human tumor antigen with intact repeat structure and capacity to elicit immunity in vivo.

MUC-1 mucin is an epithelial cell antigen whose aberrant expression plays a role in autoimmunity and tumor immunity and is thus an attractive candidate for immunotherapy or gene therapy. Because the MUC-1 cDNA is composed almost entirely of 60-bp tandem repeats and is susceptible to homologous recombination. it presents a special challenge to cloning and expression in viral vectors. Nevertheless, we have been successful in constructing a retroviral vector (MFG-MUC-I) with a 22-tandem repeat MUC-1 cDNA. Both stable and transient packaging cell lines are capable of producing high-titer retroviruses that can transfer the expression of MUC- I to murine 3T3 cells. Transduced cells express uniformly high levels of MUC-1 on their surface, and western blot analysis reveals that the molecule expressed is of full length and extensively glycosylated. We have used the MFG-MUC-I vector to stably transduce an immortalized murine dendritic cell line and show that immunization of mice with transduced cells elicits specific immune responses to mucin. The ability of this vector to transfer expression of the MUC-1 tumor antigen to potent antigen-presenting cells is expected to be of use in the immunotherapy of epithelial cancers.
Three-dimensional surface texture visualization of bone tissue through epifluorescence-based serial block face imaging.

Serial block face imaging is a microscopy technique in which the top of a specimen is cut or ground away and a mosaic of images is collected of the newly revealed cross-section. Images collected from each slice are then digitally stacked to achieve three-dimensional images. The development of fully-automated image acquisition devices has made serial block face imaging more attractive by greatly reducing labor requirements. The technique is particularly attractive for studies of biological activity within cancellous bone as it has the capability of achieving direct, automated measures of biological and morphological traits and their associations with one another. When used with fluorescence microscopy, serial block face imaging has the potential to achieve 3D images of tissue as well as fluorescent markers of biological activity. Epifluorescence-based serial block face imaging presents a number of unique challenges for visualizing bone specimens due to noise generated by subsurface signal and local variations in tissue autofluorescence. Here we present techniques for processing serial block face images of trabecular bone using a combination of non-uniform illumination correction, precise tiling of the mosaic in each cross-section, cross-section alignment for vertical stacking, removal of subsurface signal, and segmentation. The resulting techniques allow examination of bone surface texture that will enable 3D quantitative measures of biological processes in cancellous bone biopsies.
COMPUTER CODES AND THEIR APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT OF A SAMPLING PLAN FOR SPECIFIED RISKS BY MICROCOMPUTERS

The selection of a sampling plan is a very critical decision in quality control. There are standard plans available, such as MIL-STD, based on some specified AQL and corresponding “Producer's risk”. However, with the widespread use of microcomputers it is possible to specify more than one point on the operational characteristic curve (OC) and obtain the sample size and acceptance number. This study involved the development of a numerical solution based on specifying two points on the OC curve. An algorithm coded in BASIC (compiled to machine language) was developed to yield the sampling plan and corresponding plot of OC curve.
Late Permian–Early Triassic paleogeography of northern Japan: Did Pacific microplates accrete to Japan?

Extensive and detailed field studies were conducted in the Kitakami Mountains of northern Japan in order to sample Permian rocks and to make paleogeographic reconstructions for Permian time. These field studies demonstrate that large landmasses were present on both sides of the Honshu geosyncline during Permian time (i.e., on both the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan sides). These landmasses appear, on the basis of sediment studies, to have been present during Permian, Mesozoic, and Paleogene time. The paleogeographic reconstructions presented here and papers by other authors show that neither the accretion of microplates from the Pacific nor major horizontal movements of the Japanese part of Tethys occurred in Mesozoic time.
William L. Donn 1918–1987

William L. Donn, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, City College of New York, and Special Research Scientist at Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory (LDGO) of Columbia University (Palisades, N.Y.), died at his home on June 30, 1987, at the age of 69. Bill demonstrated expertise in a wide range of fields, with a highly productive and creative research and writing career that included geology, oceanography, climatology, atmospheric physics, and meteorology. Donn was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on March 2, 1918. At the tender age of 10 years, he demonstrated his love and talent for science by building a telescope with his brother, Bertram. During his undergraduate years at Brooklyn College, he switched his major from astronomy to geology. He was largely selftrained in both meteorology and oceanography, serving as head of the Meteorology Section, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy during World War II . One by-product of these years was the textbook Meteorology—With Marine Applications, first published in 1946. This widely adopted text became a standard for a generation of mariners and college students.
On the existence and uniqueness of load flow solution for radial distribution power networks

On the basis of voltage level, an electric power system can be viewed as consisting of a generation system, a transmission system, and a distribution system. The steady-state operation of a power system requires that the power supply, transmission losses, and load demand be balanced, as described by the load flow equations. The configuration of a transmission network is that of a loop while the configuration of a distributed network is radial. It is well recognized that the number of load flow solutions for transmission networks, if they exist, are multiple. In contrast, it is shown here that a load flow solution with feasible voltage magnitude for radial distribution networks always exists and is unique. These results demonstrate the weak ability of radial distribution networks to meet load demands in the sense that different patterns of load demand require different power supply from the substation. >
Modern Risk Management through the Lens of the Ethical Organizational Culture

Most recent efforts to create guidance for modern risk management practices emphasize the importance of connecting risk management policy and practice with an organization's culture and values. However, identifying or establishing that connection is not widely discussed or understood. What does it mean to state that risk management is an expression of an organization's values? This article discusses the basis for identifying the connection between organizational values through the lens of the Ethical Organizational Culture and attempts to draw out linkages with current risk management thinking on the subject. The establishment of a basis of identifying organizational values and their link to risk management policy and practice is illustrated through a case analysis of the Veritas Institute's Self-Assessment and Improvement methodology.
Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., The Conscience of America: A Select Annotated Review of the Literature

“The issue we confront today is not primarily one concerning a special day for an individual. The issue is in reality whether our nation can summon the will and vision to recognize a great and historic period in its history by designating the birthdate of one who made major contributions to the period a national public holiday.”
Dependence of a-Sl:H/Si3N4 interface properties on the deposition sequence in amorphous silicon thin film transistor produced by remote PECVD process

Abstract Two different layer deposition sequences using Remote PECVD have been investigated by in- situ Auger Electron Spectroscopy and photoconductivity. The carrier lifetime at the interface depends on the specific dielectric and on the film deposition sequence. A field effect mobility of 0.74 cm 2 /Vs is measured for the inverted staggered a-Si TFT formed at 238°C using a Si 3 N 4 bottom gate dielectric.
Codelivery of Small Molecule Hedgehog Inhibitor and miRNA for Treating Pancreatic Cancer

Successful treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a challenge due to the desmoplastic microenvironment that promotes both tumor growth and metastasis and forms a barrier to chemotherapy. Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is implicated in initiation and progression of PDAC and also contributes to desmoplasia. While Hh levels are increased in pancreatic cancer cells, levels of tumor suppressor miR-let7b, which targets several genes involved in PDAC pathogenesis, is downregulated. Therefore, our overall objective was to inhibit Hh pathway and restore miR-let7b simultaneously for synergistically treating PDAC. miR-let7b and Hh inhibitor GDC-0449 could inhibit the proliferation of human pancreatic cancer cells (Capan-1, HPAF-II, T3M4, and MIA PaCa-2), and there was synergistic effect when miR-let7b and GDC-0449 were coformulated into micelles using methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(2-methyl- 2-carboxyl-propylenecarbonate-graft-dodecanol-graft-tetraethylene-pentamine) (mPEG-b-PCC-g-DC-g-TEPA). This copolymer self-assembled into micelles of <100 nm and encapsulated hydrophobic GDC-0449 into its core with 5% w/w drug loading and allowed complex formation between miR-let7b and its cationic pendant chains. Complete polyplex formation with miRNA was observed at the N/P ratio of 16/1. Almost 80% of GDC-0449 was released from the polyplex in a sustained manner in 2 days. miRNA in the micelle formulation was stable for up to 24 h in the presence of serum and high uptake efficiency was achieved with low cytotoxicity. This combination therapy effectively inhibited tumor growth when injected to athymic nude mice bearing ectopic tumor generated using MIA PaCa-2 cells compared to micelles carrying GDC-0449 or miR-let7b alone. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed decreased tumor cell proliferation with increased apoptosis in the animals treated with miR-let7b and GDC-0449 combination.
Method for measuring the refractive index of transparent solids

A method for determining the refractive indices of transparent isotropic or anisotropic solids is presented. The method utilizes null position measurements of light deflected by a sample immersed in a liquid of known index. Measurements of absolute deflection angles are not involved. Natural crystal growth faces, even at right angles, can serve as prism faces, thus eliminating the need for extensive surface preparation. Consequently, this method is particularly well suited for measuring the refractive index of small samples with high indices. Using a simple refractometer, results were obtained for two biaxial and one isotropic material with high refractive indices: Ni2SiO4 with the spinel structure (maximum dimension of 0.12 mm), Ni2SiO4 (olivine structure), and GdAlO3 (perovskite structure). Uncertainties of less than 0.1% are obtained from visual observations of the refracted light. Increased accuracy is possible by improving the calibration of the immersion liquid refractive index and the detection system.
High-speed rail, the knowledge economy and the next growth wave

This paper presents some arguments in favor of a high-speed rail system in the United States. The author argues that high speed rail (HSR) could be used to expand and connect the megaregions that have developed in the country, allowing them to share resources and labor pools. If adequate investment is made and routes are thoughtfully planned, HSR could form the corridors of housing, employment and recreation in the more densely populated areas of the country. These corridors would transform scattered, car-dependent suburbs into areas where people and commercial businesses are more densely aligned around stations. The success of Zipcar is highlighted as an example of how a new transportation innovation can change mobility patterns and mode choice.
A finite element method for free surface flows of incompressible fluids in three dimensions. Part I. Boundary fitted mesh motion

Computational fluid mechanics techniques for examining free surface problems in two-dimensional form are now well established. Extending these methods to three dimensions requires a reconsideration of some of the difficult issues from two-dimensional problems as well as developing new formulations to handle added geometric complexity. This paper presents a new finite element formulation for handling three-dimensional free surface problems with a boundary-fitted mesh and full Newton iteration, which solves for velocity, pressure, and mesh variables simultaneously. A boundary-fitted, pseudo-solid approach is used for moving the mesh, which treats the interior of the mesh as a fictitious elastic solid that deforms in response to boundary motion. To minimize mesh distortion near free boundary under large deformations, the mesh motion equations are rotated into normal and tangential components prior to applying boundary conditions. The Navier–Stokes equations are discretized using a Galerkin–least square/pressure stabilization formulation, which provides good convergence properties with iterative solvers. The result is a method that can track large deformations and rotations of free surface boundaries in three dimensions. The method is applied to two sample problems: solid body rotation of a fluid and extrusion from a nozzle with a rectangular cross-section. The extrusion example exhibits a variety of free surface shapes that arise from changing processing conditions. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Texas Children’s Hospital Pediatric Advanced Warning Score as a Predictor of Clinical Deterioration in Hospitalized Infants and Children: A Modification of the PEWS Tool

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Texas Children's Hospital Pediatric Advanced Warning Score (PAWS) instrument as an indicator of clinical deterioration in infants and children. Design and methods A retrospective chart review of 150 infants and children was performed. Results The overall Cronbach's alpha score was 0.75. The estimate of interrater reliability was 0.740. Implications The Texas Children's Hospital Pediatric Advanced Warning Score instrument was found to be reliable and valid.
Microeconomic Impacts of Inflation on the Food and Agriculture Sector: Discussion

spect to the meaning, causes, and consequences of inflation. The economics profession is looked to for guidance and analysis that will aid both private and public decision makers in deciphering the meaning and implications of inflation. The paper by Kite and Roop represents an attempt to apply the analytical tools of the profession to measuring the impacts of inflation on a particular economic sector, here the food and agriculture sector. Unfortunately the work is flawed in several major aspects. Most significant among the paper's problems is the authors' failure to conceptualize and define inflation properly. Kite and Roop claim that inflation has its origins in microeconomic price increases, i.e., "microeconomic price increases in one sector, through their initial effect on consumer demand and their direct and indirect effects on costs of intermediate materials in other industries, can lead to inflation in
Durability of large diameter right ventricular outflow tract conduits in adults with congenital heart disease

Abstract Background Subpulmonary ventricular outflow conduits are utilized routinely to repair complex congenital cardiac abnormalities, but are limited by the inevitable degeneration and need for reintervention. Data on conduit durability and propensity to dysfunction in the adult population are limited. Methods The study included 288 consecutive patients ≥18years of age who were evaluated between 1991 and 2010 after placement of a ≥18mm conduit. Freedom from hemodynamic conduit dysfunction served as our primary outcome. Freedom from reintervention, overall mortality and heart transplantation were also evaluated. Results Median age at conduit implant was 19years and median follow-up duration was 13years. Probabilities of survival without conduit dysfunction and reintervention at 5, 10 and 15years were 87%, 63%, and 49%, and 95%, 81%, and 56%, respectively. Smaller conduit diameter (18–20mm) was associated with lower probability of survival without dysfunction in the entire study cohort, with prominent effects in patients in both the lowest and the highest age quartiles. Other parameters with similar associations were higher BMI, native anatomy of tetralogy of Fallot or truncus arteriosus, and active smoking. Conclusions Adult congenital heart disease patients with conduit diameter ≥18mm had an approximately 50% chance of developing hemodynamic conduit dysfunction and undergoing conduit reintervention by 15years of post-implant, and a 30% likelihood of undergoing conduit reoperation in the same time frame. The importance of these data is underscored by the increasing number of adults with congenital heart diseases seeking care and the recent advances in transcatheter valve replacement for dysfunctional conduits.
On closed form expressions for the singular-value decomposition of an orientational Jacobian and its application to a motion simulator

This article presents some results on the closed-form, singular-value decomposition of the orientational Jacobian for three- and four-degree-of-freedom wristlike mechanisms. These results are used to study the kinematics of a centrifuge simulator, and to determine the centrifuge`s limitations in achieving maximum angular velocities. Also, the issue of fault tolerance for a redundant wrist is addressed.
Modeling the effect of tides and waves on benthic biofilms

[1] We propose a simple model for growth of benthic biofilm subject to variable hydrodynamic disturbances and with a biofilm-dependent erodibility (biostabilization). Model results show that, for disturbances with equal intensity, the biofilm is eroded or not depending on its current biomass, which is a function of the past evolution trajectory. Because of the finite time needed for a biofilm to develop, both the intensity and frequency of periodical disturbances, such as tidal currents, determine whether the biofilm can approach its equilibrium biomass. Spring-neap tidal modulation favors biofilm development, since the reduction of the current shear stress associated with neap tides allows biofilm growth, thus increasing biostabilization and the biofilm's likelihood to withstand the subsequent energetic spring tides. On the other hand, diurnal tidal modulations are negative for biofilm development, because the diel biofilm growth is almost negligible. Under stochastic disturbances associated with wind waves, there are two most-likely states for the biofilm biomass: either close to zero or close to the equilibrium value, depending on wave intensity. If biostabilization is reduced or eliminated, the probability of intermediate values for biofilm biomass becomes also significant. The role of biostabilization is hence to exacerbate the probability of the end-member states. Finally, because of the nonmonotonic relationship between water depth and wave induced bed stresses, only extremely shallow and deep areas favor biofilm persistence. If light attenuation with depth is considered, deep water becomes unsuitable for biofilm growth when water turbidity is high.
Smart electronic yarns and wearable fabrics for human biomonitoring made by carbon nanotube coating with polyelectrolytes.

The idea of electronic yarns and textiles has appeared for quite some time, but their properties often do not meet practical expectations. In addition to chemical/mechanical durability and high electrical conductivity, important materials qualifications include weavablity, wearability, light weight, and “smart” functionalities. Here we demonstrate a simple process of transforming general commodity cotton threads into intelligent e-textiles using a polyelectrolyte-based coating with carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Efficient charge transport through the network of nanotubes (20 Ω/cm) and the possibility to engineer tunneling junctions make them promising materials for many high-knowledge-content garments. Along with integrated humidity sensing, we demonstrate that CNT−cotton threads can be used to detect albumin, the key protein of blood, with high sensitivity and selectivity. Notwithstanding future challenges, these proof-of-concept demonstrations provide a direct pathway for the application of these materials as...
A follow-up study on the relationship among participation, activity and motor function in survivors of stroke following constraint-induced therapy

AbstractPurpose: The aim of this follow-up study was to examine the relationships among motor function, activity and participation following constraint-induced therapy (CIT). Methods: In this correlational study, 12 individuals who had previously participated in CIT completed the Fugl Meyer Assessment for the Upper Extremity and Wolf Motor Function Test (motor assessments), the Motor Activity Log (activity measure) and the Daily Experiences of Pleasure, Productivity and Restoration Profile (participation measure). Motor and activity changes over time were assessed using repeated measures ANOVA and Friedman’s tests. Spearman’s correlations were used to examine the associations between the participation measure and motor and activity measures were analyzed using Spearman’s correlations. Results: No statistically significant correlations were found among motor and activity scores and the amount of time spent in activity categories (e.g. self-care, leisure). Yet, moderate to strong correlations were found bet...
Just War Theory In Comparative Perspective: A Review Essay

The late twentieth century has provided both reasons and occasions for reassessing just war theory as an organizing framework for the moral analysis of war. Books by G. Scott Davis, James T. Johnson, and John Kelsay, together with essays by Jeffrey Stout, Charles Butterworth, David Little, Bruce Lawrence, Courtney Campbell, and Tamara Sonn, signal a remarkable shift in war studies as they enlarge the cultural lens through which the interests and forces at play inpolitical violence are identified and evaluated. In his review of the contribution made by these texts, the author focuses on the cohesion of just war theory, the asymmetry between Christian and Islamic attitudes toward holy war, and the need to develop just war theory into a tool adequate to assist in the moral evaluation of violent conflicts within, not just between, nation-states.
Visual recognition memory in squirrel monkeys

Squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) were trained on visual recognition memory tasks in a Wisconsin General Testing Apparatus with a trial-unique procedure that used 250 objects as stimuli. In Experiment 1, acquisition of a trial-unique delayed non-match-to-sample task (DNMS) was compared with acquisition of a trial-unique delayed match-to-sample (DMS) task. The DNMS task was learned in significantly fewer trials and with significantly fewer errors. Two animals in the DNMS group demonstrated highly accurate retention of the DNMS strategy despite an 11-month hiatus in experimental testing. In Experiment 2, the same procedures were used to study the learning of lists of 3, 5, 10, or 20 serially presented items. Although the animals were able to accurately remember lists of up to 20 items, there was no evidence of serial position effects.
The Hydra Paradox: Global Disaster Management in a World of Crises

This article explores issues of disasters and their management, against a backdrop of multiple crises that are seen as defining the current condition of globalisation, driven by an ongoing dialectic between forces from ‘above’ and ‘below’. The article draws on forms of chaos theory, treating disasters and their management as a key site in which to examine intersections of crisis and chaos in global processes, colliding with destructive natural events and forces which are still outside dominant systems of control. The exposition starts from a new look at the ancient myth of Hydra, still used to capture the intractability of global crises and problems. Hydra represented hyper-complexity and exponential growth, qualities that characterise global problems today. It also presented a fantasy solution to the problems of agency from below which dominant groups have found irresistibly seductive for millennia. Este articulo explora asuntos sobre los desastres y sus gestiones, desde el punto de vista de multiples cr...
A note on the limiting distribution of certain characteristic roots

Abstract Let A ( n ) and B ( n ) be sequences of p × p random matrices with a joint limiting distribution as n → ∞. The limiting distribution of the ordered roots of | A ( n ) − λ B ( n ) | = 0 is characterized under very general conditions.
Trends in key joining technologies for the twenty‐first century

Joining, while first and foremost a pragmatic undertaking, concerned more with needs and results than with theory, will likely have to change with the dawn of the twenty‐first century to a true science. As materials become ever‐more sophisticated in their chemical composition, molecular morphology, micro‐ and nano‐structure, and macro‐structural arrangement to provide ever‐better functionally specific properties, a more complete and precise understanding of how such materials can be joined for optimal effectiveness and efficiency will become essential. Traditional options for joining will surely evolve – sometimes to provide unimagined capabilities. But, in addition, totally new methods will almost certainly emerge as evolution of materials gives way to revolution to meet unimagined new designs and design demands. This paper takes a glance at the past and a hard look at the present in the hope of catching a glimpse of the future.
β-Adrenergic blocking drugs as antifibrillatory agents

β-Adrenergic blockade is associated with a significant reduction in mortality in most patients with structural heart disease. Clinical trial data involving patients after myocardial infarction or with congestive heart failure demonstrate that a reduction in sudden death accounts for much of the observed mortality reduction. β-adrenergic blockade inhibits the proarrhythmic effects of both neural and humoral sympathetic stimulation and inhibits the vagal withdrawal that accompanies ischemia. Although it does not have a dramatic effect on spontaneous ectopy or inducible monomorphic ventricular tachycardia, experimental and clinical data suggest that it inhibits the development of ventricular fibrillation by several mechanisms.
The variational iteration method for rational solutions for KdV, K(2,2), Burgers, and cubic Boussinesq equations

In this work, the reliable variational iteration method is used to determine rational solutions for the KdV, the K(2,2), the Burgers, and the cubic Boussinesq equations. The study highlights the efficiency of the method and its dependence on the Lagrange multiplier. Rational solutions are obtained directly in a straightforward manner.
Effects of dobutamine and arbutamine on regional myocardial function in a porcine model of myocardial ischemia

Abstract Objectives . The present study was performed to determine the mechanisms for catecholamine-induced wall motion abnormalities and to compare the diagnostic efficacy of two catecholamines: arbutamine and dobutamine. Background . Catecholamine stress echocardiography is used to induce regional wall motion abnormalities for the detection of coronary artery disease, but the mechanism by which these abnormalities occur is unknown. Methods . Ten pigs were instrumented with left circumflex coronary artery ameroid constrictors, sonomicrometers to measure transmural wall thickening in the left circumflex (ischemic) and left anterior descending (control) coronary artery beds and a pressure gauge to measure left ventricular pressure and its first derivative (dP/dt). Myocardial blood flow was measured by microspheres. Results . At 38 ± 6 days (mean ± SEM) after surgery, percent wall thickening was normal at rest in both beds but abnormal in the left circumflex coronary artery bed during atrial pacing. These findings were associated with reduced myocardial blood flow in the ischemic bed during atrial pacing. Dobutamine infusion increased percent wall thickening, with no differences between the two beds (p = 0.63). In contrast, arbutamine infusion increased percent wall thickening only in the nonischemic bed, with no effect on percent wall thickening in the ischemic bed (p s 0.03). Although the endocardial/epicardial blood flow ratio tended to be reduced in the left circumflex artery bed during catecholamine infusion (p = 0.07), both agents were similar in this effect. Despite differences in function between the beds, there was no difference in transmural myocardial blood flow between the two beds during catecholamine infusion. When examined at matched metabolic demands, arbutamine elicited greater differences in percent wall thickening than dobutamine between the two beds (p Conclusions . Arbutamine was able to provoke regional differences in fonction in a manner superior to dobutamine. This occurred independently of altered transmural myocardial blood flow or differences in hemodynamic effects between the agents. Differences in their inotropic properties may be important in explaining their different effects on ischemic myocardium.
Effect of gas flow on the selective area growth of gallium nitride via metal organic vapor phase epitaxy

Abstract The effect of gas flow on the selective area growth (SAG) of gallium nitride (GaN) grown via metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) has been investigated. In this study, the SAG of GaN was carried out on a silicon dioxide striped pattern along the GaN 〈 1 1 ¯ 0 0 〉 direction. SAG was initiated with the striped pattern oriented parallel and normal to the incoming gas flow in a horizontal reactor. The orientation of the pattern did not impact cross section of the structure after re-growth as both orientations resulted in similar trapezoidal structures bounded by the (0 0 0 1) and { 1 1 2 ¯ n } facets ( n ≈ 1.7 - 2.2 ). However, the growth rates were shown to depend on the orientation of the pattern as the normally oriented samples exhibited enhanced vertical and cross-sectional growth rates compared to the parallel oriented samples. All growths occurred under identical conditions and therefore the difference in growth rates must be attributed to a difference in mass transport of species.
Design and Characterization of A Synthetic Electron-Transfer Protein

A 30-residue polypeptide [H21(30-mer)] with the sequence Ac-K(IEALEGK)2(IEALEHK)(IEALEGK)G-NH2 was synthesized. The circular dichroism (CD) spectrum of the peptide shows minima at 208 and 222 nm and θ222/θ208 = 1.06, which indicates the formation of a self-assembled coiled-coil when dissolved in aqueous solution. The concentration dependence of the CD data can be fit to an expression that describes a two-state monomer−dimer equilibrium for the apopeptide (Kd = 1.5 ± 0.4 μM and θmax = −23 800 ± 130 deg cm2 dmol-1), showing that it has a maximum helicity of 69%. A [MTSL-C21(30-mer)] dimer was also prepared in which MTSL is the thiol-specific nitroxide spin label 1-oxyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-Δ3-pyrroline-3-methyl-methanethiosulfonate attached to C21 of the 30-mer. Fourier deconvolution analysis of the dipolar line broadening of the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum yields a measure of the interchain CαCα distance of 13.5 ± 0.9 A at position 21 of the coiled-coil, which is nearly identical to those...
A short note on simultaneous splitting

We show that for any alphabet Σ there is a setL ∑ $$ \subseteq$$ ∑* such that ifC is any infinite co-infinite context-free language over Σ, thenL Σ splitsC (i.e., each ofL ∑ ⋂C,L ∑ $$\bar C$$ , $$\overline {L_\Sigma }$$ ⋂C, and $$\overline {L_\Sigma }$$ ⋂ $$\bar C$$ is infinite).
Propagation of Surface Waves Across an Anisotropic Layer

Propagation of elastic surface waves across a thin anisotropic interface layer between two vertically inhomogeneous isotropic quarter spaces is considered. The relationship between the surface wave fields at the opposite sides of the layer is obtained in the form of matrix differential operators. Based on the Green's function technique, an analytical method is developed to calculate reflection and transmission coefficients of Rayleigh waves at the layer. The reflection and transmission coefficients of Rayleigh waves at the interface layer are calculated as a function of the angle of incidence for various models of layers with hexagonal symmetry
Exploring the adoption of Smartphone technology: Literature review

Smartphone technology is evolving rapidly and it is influencing consumers' behaviors, their daily lifestyle, marketing, and business activities. User acceptance of Smartphone technology is a critical key factor to determine its success in toddy's raid changing technologies. Therefore, identifying and better understanding key factors that influence users' adoption of Smartphone technology is extremely valuable for all stakeholders. The primary aim of this paper is to review the existing body of literature on subject related to adoption of Smartphone and to explore how it was studied, what methodology were used and identify research gaps. First section of this paper presents an introduction to Smartphone technology, adoption of new technology and Information technology (IT) adoption theories. Second section presents literature from academics and practitioners on topics related to adoption of Smartphone technology. Third section presents discussion, research gaps, research proposed model and the conclusion.
Development of a unique multi-contaminant air sampling device for a childhood asthma cohort in an agricultural environment.

This research describes the design, deployment, performance, and acceptability of a novel outdoor active air sampler to provide simultaneous measurements of multiple contaminants at timed intervals for the Aggravating Factors of Asthma in Rural Environment (AFARE) study—a longitudinal cohort of 50 children in Yakima Valley, Washington. The sampler was constructed of multiple sampling media connected to individual critical orifices and a rotary vane vacuum pump. It was connected to a timed control valve system to collect 24 hours samples every six days over 18 months. We describe a spatially representative approach with both quantitative and qualitative location criteria to deploy a network of 14 devices at participant residences in a rural region (20 × 60 km). Overall the sampler performed well, as the concurrent mean sample flow rates were within or above the ranges of recommended sampling rates for each exposure metric of interest. Acceptability was high among the study population of Hispanic farmworker participant households. The sampler design may prove useful for future urban and rural community-based studies with aims at collecting multiple contaminant data during specific time periods.
Sparsity Enhanced Decision Feedback Equalization

For single-carrier systems with frequency domain equalization, decision feedback equalization (DFE) performs better than linear equalization and has much lower computational complexity than sequence maximum likelihood detection. The main challenge in DFE is the feedback symbol selection rule. In this paper, we give a theoretical insight on multiple symbol selection, based on sparsity and we present a simple algorithm for DFE. The algorithm converges fast and has a low computational cost. We show how the initial solution can be obtained via convex relaxation instead of linear equalization, and illustrate the impact that the choice of the initial solution has on the bit error rate performance of our algorithm. The algorithm is applicable in several existing wireless communication systems (SC-FDMA, MC-CDMA, MIMO-OFDM). Numerical results illustrate significant performance improvement in terms of bit error rate compared to the MMSE solution.
An Automated Procedure to Establish Workzone Boundaries for Air Force Facilities Maintenance Operations

The problem of balancing maintenance workloads among geographical workzones on an air force base is discussed. An algorithm is presented which assigns facilities to workzones such that facilities assigned to the same workzone satisfy two conditions: