cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Institutional assessment tools for sustainability in higher education: strengths, weaknesses, and implications for practice and theory

This paper analyzes recent efforts to measure sustainability in higher education across institutions. The benefits of cross-institutional assessments include: identifying and benchmarking leaders and best practices; communicating common goals, experiences, and methods; and providing a directional tool to measure progress toward the concept of a “sustainable campus”. Ideal assessment tools identify the most important attributes of a sustainable campus, are calculable and comparable, measure more than eco-efficiency, assess processes and motivations and are comprehensible to multiple stakeholders. The 11 cross-institutional assessment tools reviewed in this paper vary in terms of stage of development and closeness to the “ideal tool”. These tools reveal (through their structure and content) the following critical parameters to achieving sustainability in higher education: decreasing throughput; pursuing incremental and systemic change simultaneously; including sustainability education as a central part of curricula; and engaging in cross-functional and cross-institutional efforts.
An Evaluation of Using Rat-Derived Single-Dose Neuropharmacokinetic Parameters to Project Accurately Large Animal Unbound Brain Drug Concentrations

Previous publications suggest that interstitial fluid compound concentrations (C(ISF)) best determine quantitative neurotherapeutic pharmacology relationships, although confirming large animal C(ISF) remains elusive. Therefore, this work primarily evaluated using respective acute dose, rat-derived unbound brain compound concentration-to-unbound plasma compound concentration ratios (C(b,u)/C(p,u)) to project accurately dog and nonhuman primate (nhp) C(b,u), a C(ISF) surrogate, from measured C(p,u) for the highly permeable non-P-glycoprotein substrates N-{(3R,4S)-3-[4-(5-cyano-2-thienyl)phenyl]tetrahydro-2H-pyran-4-yl}propane-2-sulfonamide (PF-4778574) and [4-chloro-5-fluoro-2-(3-methoxy-2-methyl-phenoxy)-benzyl]-methylamine (CE-157119) and the P-glycoprotein substrates risperidone and 9-hydroxyrisperidone. First, in rats, it was determined for eight of nine commercial compounds that their single-dose-derived C(b,u)/C(p,u) were ≤2.5-fold different from their steady-state values; for all nine drugs, their C(b,u)/C(p,u) were ≤2.5-fold different from their steady-state C(ISF)/C(p,u) (Drug Metab Dispos 37:787-793, 2009). Subsequently, PF-4778574, CE-157119 and risperidone underwent rat, dog, and nhp neuropharmacokinetics studies. In large animals at each measured C(p,u), the methodology adequately predicted [estimated mean (95% confidence interval) of 1.02 (0.80, 1.29)] the observed C(b,u) for PF-4778574 and CE-157119 but underpredicted [0.17 (0.12, 0.22)] C(b,u) for risperidone and 9-hydroxyrisperidone. The data imply that forecasting higher species C(b,u) from a measured C(p,u) and rat acute dose-determined C(b,u):C(p,u) is of high confidence for nonefflux transporter substrates that show net passive diffusion (PF-4778574) or net active influx (CE-157119) at the blood-brain barrier in rats. However, this methodology appears ineffective for correctly predicting large animal C(b,u) for P-glycoprotein substrates (risperidone and 9-hydroxyrisperidone) because of their apparently much greater C(p,u)-favoring C(b,u):C(p,u) asymmetry in rats versus dogs or nhp. Instead, for such P-glycoprotein substrates, large animal-specific cerebrospinal fluid compound concentrations (C(CSF)) seemingly best represent C(b,u).
Coiling, Entrainment, and Hydrodynamic Coupling of Decelerated Fluid Jets

From algal suspensions to magma upwellings, one finds jets which exhibit complex symmetry-breaking instabilities as they are decelerated by their surroundings. We consider here a model system—a saline jet descending through a salinity gradient—which produces dynamics unlike those of standard momentum jets or plumes. The jet coils like a corkscrew within a conduit of viscously entrained fluid, whose upward recirculation braids the jet, and nearly confines transverse mixing to the narrow conduit. We show that the underlying jet structure and certain scaling relations follow from similarity solutions to the fluid equations and the physics of Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities.
Visibility of Internal Target Volume of Dynamic Tumors in Free-breathing Cone-beam Computed Tomography for Image Guided Radiation Therapy

220 This project is partially supported by the Clinical & Translational Research Institute Pilot Innovative Technology Grant provided through the University of California San Diego. There are no conflicts of interest for the remaining authors. Submitted November, 5, 2013, Accepted December, 5, 2013 Corresponding Author: William Y. Song, Center for Advanced Radiotherapy Technologies and Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego, Rebecca and John Moores Comprehensive Cancer Center, 3855 Health Sciences Drive #0843, La Jolla, CA 92093-0843, USA Tel: 1-858-246-0886, Fax: 1-858-822-5568 E-mail: wysong@ucsd.edu Visibility of Internal Target Volume of Dynamic Tumors in Free-breathing Cone-beam Computed Tomography for Image Guided Radiation Therapy
Detection of Protein Orientation on the Silica Microsphere Surface Using Transverse Electric/Transverse Magnetic Whispering Gallery Modes

The state of adsorbed protein molecules can be examined by comparing the shifts in a narrow line resonance wavelength of transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) whispering gallery modes (WGM) when the molecules adsorb onto a transparent microsphere that houses WGM. In adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) onto an aminopropyl-modified silica microsphere, the TM/TE shift ratio indicated highly anisotropic polarizability of BSA in the direction normal to the surface, most likely ascribed to anchoring the heart-shaped protein molecule by one of its tips. The polarization-dependent resonance shift was confirmed when the surrounding refractive index was uniformly changed by adding salt, which would simulate adsorption of large objects.
Triiodothyronine (T3) supplementation in major depressive disorder

Abstract Introduction: The use of thyroid hormones to enhance the effects of antidepressants is based on evidence supporting a link between thyroid function and Major Depressive Disorder. Thyroid abnormalities have been found in patients with Major Depressive Disorder and have been correlated with depression severity. Symptoms associated with clinical hypothyroidism include mood disturbances, primarily depression. In addition, an increase in antidepressant treatment resistance has been associated with thyroid abnormalities. This article reviews the existing data regarding triiodothyronine (T3) supplementation of antidepressants in the treatment of major depressive disorder. Methods: Medline and EMBASE were searched from 1996 to November 2014 using the key terms triiodothyronine, T3, and treatment-resistant depression. Results: T3 may increase serotonergic neurotransmission and has been studied as an add-on agent in patients with unipolar depression with and without thyroid dysfunction to accelerate, enhan...
Towards the design and development of a knowledge-based universal modular jigs and fixtures system

Jigs and fixtures are one of the important aspects of manufacturing. Parts may have different sets of fixturing requirements and call for different design strategies. Although there are numerous possibilities for fixture designs, a few basic configurations are clearly identifiable. Computer aided design (CAD) has done a little in assisting designers to design jigs and fixtures, making decisions of the best design selection, and providing designers with suggestions. The goal of this paper is to develop and document the design parameters and specifications utilized in jigs and fixtures design using universal modular jigs and fixtures design system (UMJFS). This is the first step to develop a knowledge-based Jigs and Fixture design and selection system. This application has the advantages of making the fixture design information completely modular and transparent, providing better match to the working conditions, reducing lead-time, and generally providing a significant enhancement of fixture productivity and economy. UMJFS has different standard and modular elements. This makes jigs and fixtures elements interchangeable and reusable. Designing a UMJFS then becomes a task of selecting and assembling the proper elements together.
Patterns for story craft

Stories are pervasive and central to all software development methods, but, curiously, the purpose of stories (also known as Scenarios and Use-cases) as well as the skills required to create them are seldom discussed. This paper offers a set of patterns that will help both developers and users hone the competencies necessary to generate productive and powerful stories. The underlying argument made is that perhaps THE essential skill required for software development is the ability to 'tell a good story.'
Rosacea and cardiovascular disease: Is there an association?

treating rosacea with an oral tetracycline lowered the incidence of vascular events. Patients with rosacea that were prescribed a tetracycline had a favorable odds ratio for the development of vascular disease compared with those not prescribed a tetracycline (odds ratio 0.69 in the univariate model, 95% confidence interval 0.61-0.79, P \ .05; odds ratio 0.78 in the multivariate model, 95% confidence interval 0.68-0.89, P\.05). Although the results are preliminary and should be confirmed using other patient populations, it is proposed that the anti-inflammatory properties of tetracyclines may have beneficial secondary effects on the cardiovascular system of veterans with rosacea. It is yet unclear if the observed effect was because of the direct effect of the use of a tetracycline, or improvement associated with the systemic treatment of rosacea itself. It is possible that systemically treating the rosacea may constitute a risk factor reduction, much like improving body mass index can reduce the risk of heart disease. Although it is unclear how tetracyclines may benefit the cardiovascular system, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are influential in the pathology of both rosacea and CVD. Tetracyclines inhibit MMP activity, therefore it would follow that treating one disease may have benefits on both organ systems. MMP-2 and MMP-9, both of which tetracyclines inhibit, are enzymes that degrade the basement membrane of capillaries. Doxycycline has been shown to defend capillary wall and connective tissue integrity, reduce hypersensitivity to vasodilatory stimuli, prevent leakage of capillaries, and inhibit cytokines involved in inflammation and erythema, all of which is seen in rosacea. 4 There are also data that 90-day subantimicrobial-dose doxycycline lowers serum C-reactive protein over a 2-year period in postmenopausal women. 5 Although there are limitations to retrospective reviews, the data by Dosal et al 2 do raise some questions about how we should approach our patients with rosacea, especially in a current clinical environment where systemic treatment of rosacea is under scrutiny for bacterial resistance concerns.
Significance of cardiac activity on endovaginal ultrasound in very early embryos

Objective To evaluate the significance of cardiac activity on endovaginal ultrasound in embryos up to 10 mm in size. Methods Ninety-six women with positive urinary pregnancy tests had vaginal probe ultrasound examinations at the first clinical visit. All had discernible embryos between 1-10 mm in greatest length. The presence or absence of discernible cardiac activity was recorded. None of the subjects had any antecedent bleeding. All were available for follow-up until delivery or completion of a failed pregnancy. Results Seventy-four women had cardiac activity present at the initial study and 22 did not. Eighty-one delivered healthy newborns and 15 had early pregnancy failure. All embryos that ultimately proved normal showed cardiac activity by the time they were 4 mm in size. However, absence of detectable cardiac activity in embryos of 3 mm or less was still associated with a 41% continuation rate. Conclusions Cardiac activity is present in normal embryos before it can be detected on ultrasound. There are variations in the type and frequency of ultrasound equipment, maternal anatomical characteristics (obesity, coexisting fibroids, uterine version), and in the visual acuity of observers. Nevertheless, we conclude that in our hands, the absence of cardiac activity in embryos measuring 4 mm or more is reliably associated with embryonic death. In contrast, the lack of cardiac activity in embryos of 3 mm or less is nondiagnostic and may warrant follow-up study in 3-5 days.
Pricing and Sales Force Compensation Strategies: Are They Motivating or Demotivating Your Sales Force?

In business to business (B2B) markets the firms pricing strategy can either help or hinder the salesperson in growing sales. Annually, the sales force is assigned strategic revenue generating goals. Sales force control systems, of which sales force compensation is a part, are established for the purpose of directing and evaluating individual salesperson behavior and progress towards those goals. Pricing strategies and goals are created as a function of marketing in response to the dynamic environment which includes changes in customer demand and competitor strategies. As a result of divergent functional orientations, marketing is product or service focused and sales is customer focused, the goals and strategies created may also be incongruent. The purpose of this research is to use expectancy theory to examine how aligned and misaligned goals of the pricing and sales force compensation strategies shape B2B salesperson behavior.
Phenol and Benzaldehyde in the Defensive Secretion of a Strongylosomid Millipede

The defensive secretions of millipedes have proven to be a rich source of natural products (Weatherston and Percy 1970). Species in the order Polydesmida characteristically produce a defensive exudate which is fortified with benzaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide (Blum and Woodring 1962, Eisner et al. 1963a). We. report here on the secretion of Oxidus gracilis (Koch), one of the 2 species in the polydesmid family Stronglysomidae which are present in North America. Although O. uracilis has been previously demonstrated to produce hydrogen cyanide in its defensive exudate (Eisner et al. 1963a), in our experience, the secretion of this species possesses a distinctly phenolic odor which is not typical of those of other polydesmids which we have examined.
VBF board election.

MEMBERS of the Veterinary Benevolent Fund are invited to apply to serve on its board. The VBF is the sole charity devoted to providing personal health, welfare and, where appropriate, financial support to veterinary professionals through Vet Helpline, the Veterinary Surgeons’ Health Support Programme, a benevolent fund and the Vetlife website. The VBF is independent of all other veterinary organisations and is managed by a board of 12 elected directors, all of whom are veterinary surgeons. The charity employs a full time administration manager and a part-time …
[Surveillance of soil-transmitted nematodiasis in Xinghua City from 2007 to 2011].

OBJECTIVE To understand the infection status of soil-transmitted nematodes in the population of Xinghua City, so as to provide the evidence for formulating the preventive strategy and measures. METHODS The eggs of soil transmitted nematodes were detected by Kato-Katz technique in population and the eggs of Enterobius vermicularis were detected in children aged from 3 to 12 years by the transparent adhesive tape anal swab method. RESULTS Among 5 166 people detected, 57 were infected with soil transmitted nematodes in 5 years, and the mean annual infection rate was 1.10%. Among 500 children examined, no Enterobius vermicularis infections were found. CONCLUSION The infection rates of soil transmitted nematodes present a down tend yearly in Xinghua City, which has reached the county-level control standard of Jiangsu Province. Therefore, the preventive strategy and measures should be adjusted.
Blood banking in the small hospital.

Directions for establishing a well-regulated but small “walking blood bank” are given, from the recruitment of volunteer donors to the licensing of the facility, its operation, and its economics.
Reliability of an Organization

The paper presents a system-theoretic approach to the reliability theory of an organization. A certain interpretation of basic organizational faults (unstability and uncontrollability) is proposed, and the concept of reliable organization is defined. The use of a fault-tree concept as a tool for analysis of organizational reliability patterns is advocated. The paper introduces also the notion of satisfactory reliability of an organization.
Fiction Outsells Non-Fiction

If you speak to a bookseller, he or she will tell you that fiction books outsell non-fiction books by a ratio of three to one. Unless you own a bookstore, such statistics do not mean much, except when considered in conjunction with a recent Gallup Poll, which found that three out of four people believe in some form of superstition.1 Add that to the statistics that adults spend an average of four hours per day watching television2 and that their children spend even more time online,3 and you will start to see a pattern. To say that we spend a portion of our waking life in fantasy may be an understatement. Fantasy helps us formulate our needs, desires, and wishes. When we are not formulating our needs, we look for social rules and depend on fantasy to survive in the social world. It is very much, as scientist Carl Sagan said, a “demon-haunted world.”4 To illustrate this point, consider the following breakdown of the percentages of the American population that believe in superstitious phenomena:5
Surgical and trauma care in low- and middle-income countries: a review of capacity assessments.

Abstract Background Surgical and trauma capacity assessments help guide resource allocation and plan interventions to improve care for the injured in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). To forge expert consensus on conducting these assessments, we undertook a systematic review of studies using five tools: (1) World Health Organization's (WHO) Guidelines for Essential Trauma Care, (2) WHO's Tool for Situational Analysis to Assess Emergency and Essential Surgical Care, (3) Personnel, Infrastructure, Procedures, Equipment, and Supplies tool, (4) Harvard Humanitarian Initiative tool, and (5) Emergency and Critical Care tool. Materials and methods Publications describing utilization of survey instruments to assess surgical or trauma capacity in LMICs were reviewed. Included articles underwent thematic analysis to develop recommendations. A modified Delphi method was used to establish expert consensus. Experts rated recommendations on a Likert-type scale via online survey. Consensus was defined by Cronbach's α ≥ 0.80. Recommendations achieving agreement by ≥80% of experts were included. Results Two hundred and ninety-eight publications were identified and 41 included, describing evaluation of 1170 facilities across 36 LMICs. Nine recommendations were agreed upon by expert consensus: (1) inclusion of district hospitals, (2) inclusion of highest level public hospital, (3) inclusion of private facilities, (4) facility visits for on-site completion, (5) direct inspections, (6) checking surgical logs, (7) adaptation of survey instrument, (8) repeat assessments, and (9) need for increased collaboration. Conclusions Expert recommendations developed in this review describe methodology to be employed when conducting assessments of surgical and trauma capacity in LMICs. Consensus has yet to be achieved for tool selection.
Value of supply disruption information and information accuracy

Abstract In this paper, we examine the factors that influence the value of supply disruption information, investigate how information accuracy influences this value, and provide managerial suggestions to practitioners. The study is motivated by the fact that although accurate disruption information creates benefits, fully accurate disruption information may be difficult and costly to obtain. Furthermore, inaccurate disruption information can decrease the financial benefit of prior knowledge and even lead to negative performance. To perform the analysis, we adopt a newsvendor model within a single product setting where the focal firm can source from a supply network and has a given resilience capacity. The results show that information accuracy, specifically information bias and information variance, plays an important role in determining the value of disruption information. This influence varies at different levels of disruption severity and resilience capacity, and our results imply that higher amounts of resilience capacity actually may be detrimental to a firm without accurate information about a disruption's influence. Thus, for companies with a high resilience capacity, obtaining quality information is critical for effectively coping with disruptions.
CANGRELOR VERSUS CLOPIDOGREL ON A BACKGROUND OF UNFRACTIONATED HEPARIN – INSIGHTS FROM CHAMPION PHOENIX

Background: Cangrelor is approved for use during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and is administered with different intravenous anticoagulants. Methods: We examined the efficacy and safety of cangrelor in the subgroup of patients who received unfractionated heparin for PCI in the mITT
Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Abstract Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn disease, ulcerative colitis, and IBD-unspecified, is a chronic immune-mediated condition of the gastrointestinal tract in which the goal of treatment is to induce and maintain durable remission. In pediatrics, there is a wide spectrum of presenting symptoms, but esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy are imperative to confirming the diagnosis. Treatment goals include achieving mucosal healing of the gastrointestinal tract, reaching growth potential, limiting medication toxicities, and optimizing quality of life for all patients.
The International Conference on Intelligent Biology and Medicine (ICIBM) 2016: from big data to big analytical tools

The 2016 International Conference on Intelligent Biology and Medicine (ICIBM 2016) was held on December 8-10, 2016 in Houston, Texas, USA. ICIBM included eight scientific sessions, four tutorials, one poster session, four highlighted talks and four keynotes that covered topics on 3D genomics structural analysis, next generation sequencing (NGS) analysis, computational drug discovery, medical informatics, cancer genomics, and systems biology. Here, we present a summary of the nine research articles selected from ICIBM 2016 program for publishing in BMC Bioinformatics.
Neurogenomics of Behavioural Plasticity in Socioecological Contexts

Social and ecological challenges often elicit behavioural and physiological responses that are adaptive and subject to selection. The varying behavioural states and traits of animals are a direct output of the nervous system and underlying molecular substrates. Changes in gene expression in response to a variety of contexts such as mate choice, aggression and developmental experience can alter a number of cellular and neural pathways that lead to changes in behaviour. A common framework has emerged to understand the role of the transcriptome in animal behaviour. Behavioural plasticity describes both an individual's ability to modify behavioural states and correlated suites of behaviour in populations, which may constrain variance across contexts. By integrating the study of behavioural plasticity with genome scale, bioinformatics and candidate gene analyses, we are rapidly expanding our understanding of this kind of organismal flexibility, its relationship with the genome and its evolutionary implications. Key Concepts To understand animal behaviour fully, both the proximate (causation and ontogeny) and the ultimate (function and evolution) mechanisms of behaviour must be considered and integrated. Utilising both forward and reverse genetics, candidate genes underlying a behaviour can be better identified and characterised. The genome is plastic and flexible in response to social or environmental cues, which can lead to changes in behaviour. Comparative transcriptomics across species can help identify and characterise conserved mechanisms of animal behaviour. The relationship between behavioural evolution and the processes that generate structural variation in the genome is not well understood and needs to be considered. The proposed framework will streamline future studies to uncover not only the genetic and neural mechanisms of complex animal behaviours but also its adaptive function and evolution. Keywords: behavioural plasticity; genomics; animal behaviour; genes; next-generation sequencing; bioinformatics; gene networks; candidate genes
Improving Sales Performance in a Family-Owned Business:

Feedback and goal-setting may be one approach to increasing productivity in small, family-owned businesses. Theory and previous research relating the difficulty and accuracy of goals to performance level were used to develop a conceptual framework and research hypotheses. A sample of retail sales employees in a small chain of family owned shoe stores was used to study the relationship between daily versus weekly performance feedback and the difficulty and accuracy of self-set goals. Individual sales performance feedback was posted several times a day in one group of stores, while in a second group performance information was posted only once per week. Increased frequency of feedback resulted in more difficult and accurate goals being set by individual sales personnel. Difficulty and accuracy of self-set goals, as well as a relatively high store sales volume, were found to be good predictors of increased individual sales performance. A greater number of nonsales duties and low store sales volume were inver...
Estimated Placental Volume and Gestational Age.

Objective The objective of this study was to validate estimated placental volume (EPV) across a range of gestational ages (GAs). Study Design Three hundred sixty-six patients from 2009 to 2011 received ultrasound scans between 11 + 0 and 38 + 6 weeks GA to assess EPV. An EPV versus GA best fit curve was generated and compared with published normative curves of EPV versus GA in a different population. A subanalysis was performed to explore the relationship between EPV and birth weight (BW). Results Analysis of EPV versus GA revealed a parabolic curve with the following best fit equation: EPV = (0.372 GA − 0.00364 GA2)3. EPV was weakly correlated with BW, and patients with an EPV in the bottom 50th percentile had 2.42 times the odds of having a newborn with a BW in the bottom 50th percentile (95% confidence interval: 1.27–4.68). Microscopic evaluation of two placentas corresponding to the smallest EPV outliers revealed significant placental pathology. Conclusion Placental volume increases throughout gestation and follows a predictable parabolic curve, in agreement with the existing literature. Further validation is required, but EPV may have the potential for clinical utility as a screening tool in a variety of settings.
Rationalizing Laboratories around Techniques that Cross Departmental Boundaries

Profound changes are taking place in clinical laboratory practice in the United States. Since these changes impinge on the design and performance of analytical instruments, there will inevitably be some fallout on clinical laboratories elsewhere in the world. Because of the past organization of clinical laboratories in the USA, it will be possible for American laboratories to adapt to the changes more easily than laboratories elsewhere. Laboratories in the USA have tended to function as one department, whereas in other countries each component of the clinical laboratory functions autonomously. Thus, changes that affect more than one laboratory at the same time may be addressed more effectively in the USA, since the services are under the same administrative jurisdiction, whereas these services are run by different departments in other countries.
The risks and rewards of resource-for-infrastructure deals: Lessons from the Congo's Sicomines agreement

Abstract Resource-for-infrastructure (RFI) deals generate upfront infrastructure investments that are to be repaid via future resource extraction revenues. However, much can change in the meantime. This paper explores the Democratic Republic of Congo's Sicomines agreement, a critical RFI case that has proven to be highly contentious, and highlights the role played by risk from its inception a decade ago until now. Drawing on the Sicomines agreement, this paper employs financial modeling techniques to highlight the pitfalls of attempting to identify winners in RFI deals before they reach their conclusion. As this paper demonstrates, the expected benefits of RFI deals can change swiftly and unpredictably. In fact, the model presented in this paper estimates that Sicomines’ NPV has dropped from USD 10 billion to minus USD 150 million since its inception.
Coordination of eye and hand for aimed limb movements.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the nature of the information that the eyes can provide that might be used to guide limb movements. This chapter discusses the several features of limb movements that might yield some insight into how the information provided by the eye may actually be used and presents the results of three experiments designed to address different questions about the relation between eye and hand. The role of the various types of visual information provided by the eyes (e.g., vision of the moving limb or of the target for the movement) and the role of eye movements in enhancing nonvisual information that could be useful in guiding limb movements are discussed. There are two distinct types of information that can be obtained from the eyes for use in controlling limb movements: retinal and extraretinal. Retinal information includes information obtained from the patterns of stimulation on the retina regarding the location and movement of the limb and of the target for a movement. Extraretinal information includes information about the movement and position of the eyes obtained from nonretinal sources.
Effects of ketone bodies on amino acid metabolism in isolated rat diaphragm

1. Diaphragms from 48h-starved rats were incubated in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate medium at 37degreesC for 30min and then transferred into new medium and incubated for 1, 2 and 3 h. 2. The amount of free amino acids found at the end of each time of incubation was larger than the amount at the beginning of incubation, indicating that in this system proteolysis is prevailing. 3. The diaphragms was releasing mainly alanine and glutamine into the incubation medium. 4. Within the periods of incubation the release and metabolism of free amino acids was proceeding at a constant rate. 5. Addition of sodium DL-3-hydroxybutyrate decreased the tissue content of several amino acids, among which were tyrosine and phenylalanine, suggesting that proteolysis was decreased by ketone bodies. 6. In the presence of glucose (10mM) and branched-chain amino acids (0.5mM), sodium DL-3-hydroxybutyrate at concentrations of 4 or 6 mM resulted in 30% decrease in tissue alanine content and a 20% decline in alanine release. Release of taurine and glutamine was decreased by 19 and 16% respectively with 6 mM-sodium DL-3-hydroxybutyrate. Addition of sodium acetoacetate (1-3mM) also resulted in a 20-35% decrease in tissue content of alanine, glutamine and taurine and in a 15-24% decrease of alanine and glutamine release. Smaller decreases (less than 15%) in the release of glycine, threonine, proline, serine and aspartate were also observed in the presence of sodium DL-3-hydroxybutyrate or sodium acetoacetate. 7. Substitution of pyruvate (1.0mM) for glucose in the presence of acetoacetate restored alanine and glutamine production to control values. In the presence of acetoacetate, pyruvate also increased the tissue content of aspartate by 77% and decreased the tissue content of glutamate by 30%. 8. It is suggested that in diaphragms from starved rats, ketone bodies (a) in the absence of other substrates inhibit protein catabolism and (b) in the presence of glucose and branched-chain amino acids decrease alanine and glutamine production, by inhibiting glycolysis.
Neonatal response to control of noise inside the incubator.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to test the effect of acoustical foam on the level of noise inside the incubator and examine neonatal response behaviors to changes in environmental noise. Method The study used a repeated measure, within subject, comparative design. Data on 65 premature neonates were collected over a 14-month period at a large teaching hospital in Delaware. Sound levels, oxygen saturation, and infant states were measured and recorded during three study conditions: pre-study neonate in incubator, neonate in incubator with 5 x 5 x 1 inch acoustical foam pieces placed in each of four corners, and post-study recovery of neonate in incubator with foam removed. All state assessments were measured with oxygen saturation and sound level measurements every 2 minutes of the study for a total 40 minutes. Findings The findings demonstrate a significant treatment effect of acoustical foam on decreasing environmental noise measurements inside the incubator (p = 0.006). Findings also demonstrate significantly changed neonatal state response behaviors with decreasing environmental noise measurements inside the incubator (p = 0.00). Conclusions The results of this study support the use of acoustical foam as one method of environmental noise management in the intensive care nursery. Because there was a significant correlation between higher noise levels and oxygen support therapy, the findings suggest that special nursing considerations should be taken when caring for ventilator-dependent infants. Noise control protocols should focus on essential environmental interventions for care of these infants.
Synthesis of ZrCx with controlled carbon stoichiometry by low temperature solid state reaction

Abstract Zirconium carbide (ZrCx) powders were synthesized at temperatures between 1300℃ and 2000℃ by solid state reaction of zirconium hydride (ZrH2) and carbon black. Crystal structure, lattice parameters, and grain sizes of the as-synthesized ZrCx powders were characterized for two different starting ZrH2:C ratios of 1:0.60 and 1:0.98. Powders with stoichiometry approaching ZrC0.98 were synthesized at temperatures as low as 1600℃ whereas ZrCx powders synthesized at lower temperatures had lower carbon contents regardless of the starting ZrH2:C ratio. Crystallite sizes as small as about 50 nm were obtained due to the low synthesis temperature. Oxygen dissolved into the ZrCx lattice when carbon vacancies were present. Neutron diffraction analysis was used to determine that carbon stoichiometry increased and dissolved oxygen content decreased as synthesis temperature increased.
Neurogenesis takes a hit in Alzheimer’s disease

New neurons are born in healthy humans throughout aging but decline in Alzheimer9s disease, linking a loss of neurogenesis with disease progression.
Finite Amplitude Sound Beams Resulting from Nonlinear Vibration of a Circular Membrane Undergoing Axisymmetric Resonant Excitation

This paper analyses the interaction between a vibrating circular membrane contained in an infinite baffle and the resulting sound field radiated into a fluid medium contained in the half-space above the membrane. The case of resonant excitation of the membrane leads to nonlinear coupling between transverse and in-plane displacement. Nonlinearity within the fluid medium is described by a recent general treatment of finite amplitude sound beams resulting from boundary motion. The vibratory response of the membrane is evaluated in a perturbation technique based on the modes of free vibration. The results give amplitude-frequency relations for the plate that account for the inertial and damping impedances of the fluid, as well as expressions that may be solved for the pressure signal in the fluid.
Assessing the Probability that a Finding Is Genuine for Large-Scale Genetic Association Studies

Genetic association studies routinely involve massive numbers of statistical tests accompanied by P-values. Whole genome sequencing technologies increased the potential number of tested variants to tens of millions. The more tests are performed, the smaller P-value is required to be deemed significant. However, a small P-value is not equivalent to small chances of a spurious finding and significance thresholds may fail to serve as efficient filters against false results. While the Bayesian approach can provide a direct assessment of the probability that a finding is spurious, its adoption in association studies has been slow, due in part to the ubiquity of P-values and the automated way they are, as a rule, produced by software packages. Attempts to design simple ways to convert an association P-value into the probability that a finding is spurious have been met with difficulties. The False Positive Report Probability (FPRP) method has gained increasing popularity. However, FPRP is not designed to estimate the probability for a particular finding, because it is defined for an entire region of hypothetical findings with P-values at least as small as the one observed for that finding. Here we propose a method that lets researchers extract probability that a finding is spurious directly from a P-value. Considering the counterpart of that probability, we term this method POFIG: the Probability that a Finding is Genuine. Our approach shares FPRP's simplicity, but gives a valid probability that a finding is spurious given a P-value. In addition to straightforward interpretation, POFIG has desirable statistical properties. The POFIG average across a set of tentative associations provides an estimated proportion of false discoveries in that set. POFIGs are easily combined across studies and are immune to multiple testing and selection bias. We illustrate an application of POFIG method via analysis of GWAS associations with Crohn's disease.
A fault detection service for wide area distributed computations

The potential for faults in distributed computing systems is a significant complicating factor for application developers. While a variety of techniques exist for detecting and correcting faults, the implementation of these techniques in a particular context can be difficult. Hence, we propose a fault detection service designed to be incorporated, in a modular fashion, into distributed computing systems, tools, or applications. This service uses well-known techniques based on unreliable fault detectors to detect and report component failure, while allowing the user to trade off timeliness of reporting against false positive rates. We describe the architecture of this service, report on experimental results that quantify its cost and accuracy, and describe its use in two applications, monitoring the status of system components of the GUSTO computational grid testbed and as part of the NetSolve network-enabled numerical solver.
Limited Mangrove Propagule Retention at a Latitudinal Range Limit: Spatiotemporal Patterns at the Patch Scale

Dispersal and establishment dynamics are critical in understanding shifts in species’ ranges. We seek to illuminate patch-level dispersal dynamics by examining the shifting salt marsh-mangrove ecotone. Specifically, we ask the following: (1) How are mangrove propagules dispersed, retained, and exported within a discrete patch? (2) How do differences across a flooding gradient influence propagule dispersal dynamics? (3) How does the distribution of established seedlings compare to propagule movements? Avicennia germinans is the most temperate mangrove species in the northern Gulf of Mexico forming an ecotone with Spartina alterniflora marshes in coastal Louisiana. Sets of 500 distinctively marked mangrove propagules were placed at five different elevations. After their release, we observed dispersal dynamics for 1 month. Retention was limited in the study area (< 10%) with ~ 70–80% of propagules exporting out of the system and ~ 20% propagule predation. Retained propagules largely remained at their original elevations and were generally found at the highest elevation. Seedling establishment was also studied and unlike propagule dispersal distributions, peak seedling density occurred at elevations flooded 20–40% of the time. Our study highlights the mass export of mangrove propagules, the disparity between dispersal and establishment dynamics, and the need to explore dispersal at biologically relevant temporal and patch-level spatial scales. By understanding dispersal and establishment dynamics within the ecotonal boundary, we provide one of the first studies on dispersal at a temperature-controlled latitudinal limit for mangroves and highlight some of the drivers needed to better connect plot-, patch-, and landscape-level dynamics at this and other range limits.
Electron mobility in monoclinic β-Ga2O3—Effect of plasmon-phonon coupling, anisotropy, and confinement

This work reports an investigation of electron transport in monoclinic β-Ga2O3 based on a combination of density functional perturbation theory based-lattice dynamical computations, coupling calculation of lattice modes with collective plasmon oscillations, and Boltzmann theory-based transport calculations. The strong entanglement of the plasmon with the different longitudinal optical (LO) modes makes the role LO-plasmon coupling crucial for transport. The electron density dependence of the electron mobility in β-Ga2O3 is studied in the bulk material form and also in the form of a two-dimensional electron gas. Under high electron density, a bulk mobility of 182 cm2/V s is predicted, while in the 2DEG form, the corresponding mobility is about 418 cm2/V s when remote impurities are present at the interface and improves further as the remote impurity center moves away from the interface. The trend of the electron mobility shows promise for realizing high-electron mobility in dopant-isolated electron channels. The experimentally observed small anisotropy in mobility is traced through a transient Monte Carlo simulation. It is found that the anisotropy of the IR-active phonon modes is responsible for giving rise to the anisotropy in low-field electron mobility.
Comparison of segmentation-free and segmentation-dependent computer-aided diagnosis of breast masses on a public mammography dataset.

Abstract Purpose To compare machine learning methods for classifying mass lesions on mammography images that use predefined image features computed over lesion segmentations to those that leverage segmentation-free representation learning on a standard, public evaluation dataset. Methods We apply several classification algorithms to the public Curated Breast Imaging Subset of the Digital Database for Screening Mammography (CBIS-DDSM), in which each image contains a mass lesion. Segmentation-free representation learning techniques for classifying lesions as benign or malignant include both a Bag-of-Visual-Words (BoVW) method and a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). We compare classification performance of these techniques to that obtained using two different segmentation-dependent approaches from the literature that rely on specific combinations of end classifiers (e.g. linear discriminant analysis, neural networks) and predefined features computed over the lesion segmentation (e.g. spiculation measure, morphological characteristics, intensity metrics). Results We report area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AZ) values for malignancy classification on CBIS-DDSM for each technique. We find average AZ values of 0.73 for a segmentation-free BoVW method, 0.86 for a segmentation-free CNN method, 0.75 for a segmentation-dependent linear discriminant analysis of Rubber-Band Straightening Transform features, and 0.58 for a hybrid rule-based neural network classification using a small number of hand-designed features. Conclusions We find that malignancy classification performance on the CBIS-DDSM dataset using segmentation-free BoVW features is comparable to that of the best segmentation-dependent methods we study, but also observe that a common segmentation-free CNN model substantially and significantly outperforms each of these (p
Understanding Preferences for Gender-Congruent Clothing in Children’s Wear: An Abstract

The clothes we wear have considerable power over how others perceive us (e.g., Forsythe 1990) and these perceptions are often internalized. Yet, despite knowing this, the children’s clothing market is incredibly gendered, offering female children shirts with stereotypical feminine images and words such as “kind” and “sweet”, while young boys can choose from stereotypical masculine options that often say things like “tough” and “strong.” Yet, at the same time retailers are offering gendered children’s products, society has also begun to shift their opinions on gender norms and their importance. For example, in a 2017 study conducted by the international marketing firm Havas, researchers surveyed 12,000 people across 32 countries and found that the majority of adults (61% women and 46% men) believe children should be raised in a gender-neutral manner, while less (39% of women and 54% of men) preferred to see girls and boys raised with gender-specific products such as toys and clothing.
The Competency of Clinical Research Coordinators: The Importance of Education and Experience.

The organization and operation of clinical trials have become increasingly complex requiring the coordination of a well-trained workforce to ensure that complicated protocols yield valid results that will advance human health. We hypothesized that formal education in clinical research is equivalent to a number of years of work experience as a clinical research professional in terms of self-perceived clinical research competence. Using REDCap, we conducted a survey of students and recent graduates from academic programs in clinical research in the USA using the CICRP index that consists of 20 clinical research core competencies. We compared the responses of recent graduates to CRCs wording in the USA and Canada in various research settings who responded to a similar survey conducted by the Joint Task Force and to experienced CRCs working at research-intensive CTSA hubs and their affiliated hospitals who were surveyed as part of the NIH funded DIAMOND project. We found that the degree of self-perceived competence to perform advanced core competencies such as those related to regulatory affairs among new graduates of formal academic programs without research experience to be equivalent to as many as five years of on-the-job-training in a research-intensive CTSA setting and more than ten years of experience in less research-intensive community settings. These findings suggest that scores on both forms of the CICRP differentiate CRCs according to formal education in clinical research, years of experience as a CRC and type of research setting in which they work. Further, the self-perceived competency assessed by CICRP acquired by completing an academic program in clinical research is equivalent to years of work experience.
Does External Governance Hinder or Improve Firm Innovation? Evidence from the Short Selling Pressure

This study adds to the debate about the influence of external governance on publicly traded firms by focusing on how a specific source of external governance, i.e., the short selling pressure, affe...