cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of nerve growth factor and fibroblast growth factor on PC12 cells : inhibition by orthovanadate

Sodium orthovanadate, an inhibitor of protein tyrosine phosphatases, causes increased levels of tyrosine phosphorylation and blocks, at noncytotoxic concentrations, the differentiative response of rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells to beta-nerve growth factor (beta NGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in a reversible manner. It also prevents growth factor-induced neurite proliferation in primed cells and causes the retraction of previously formed neurites, even in the presence of beta NGF or bFGF. It is equally effective in blocking neurite proliferation by 8-Br-cAMP. Zinc chloride and ammonium molybdate, two other inhibitors of tyrosine phosphatases, also cause parallel decreases in neurite proliferation. Orthovanadate generally reduces the transcription of immediate early response genes (TIS 8 and c-fos) and secondary response genes (ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), acetyl-cholinesterase (AChE) and SCG 10) induced by beta NGF, bFGF, EGF, and PMA, albeit in a variable fashion. There was no observed effect on the kinetics of expression as judged by TIS 8 induction by beta NGF and protein kinase C (PKC) downregulation did not change the levels of inhibition by orthovanadate seen in control cells. Orthovanadate does not affect the production of diacylglycerol induced by beta NGF or bFGF. These observations are consistent with the view that growth factor stimulation of differentiation in PC12 cells involves at least one other PKC independent pathway, and that cAMP and PMA (and their active analogs) activate tyrosine kinases (albeit probably secondarily), which are at least partially responsible for their actions. Although the exact site(s) of action of orthovanadate that lead to the inhibition of growth factor-induced neurite proliferation are unknown, the results presented suggest that it prolongs tyrosine phosphorylations by nonreceptor tyrosine kinases that act downstream from the receptor kinases.
Catalytic Upgrading of Biomass‐Derived Methyl Ketones to Liquid Transportation Fuel Precursors by an Organocatalytic Approach

A highly efficient water-tolerant, solid-base catalyst for the self-condensation of biomass-derived methyl ketones to jet-diesel fuel precursors was developed by grafting site-isolated secondary amines on silica-alumina supports. It is shown that apart from the nature and density of amine groups and the spatial separation of the acidic and basic sites, the acidity of the support material plays a critical role in defining the catalytic activity. It is also found that a combination of weakly acidic silanol/aluminol with secondary amine groups can mimic proline catalysts and are more effective in catalyzing the selective dimerization reaction than the combination of amines with organic acids. In situ FTIR measurements demonstrate that acidic groups activate methyl ketones through their carbonyl groups leading to a favorable CC bond formation step involving an enamine intermediate. DFT analysis of the reaction pathway confirms that CC bond formation is the rate-limiting step.
CASE STUDY: Extension Demonstrations Examine On Farm Wheat Yield Responses to Grazing and Survey Thoughts on Establishment and Enterprise Diversification

ABSTRACT On-farm case studies were established in Arkansas to examine the effects of grazing on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield and to survey producers and educators about their thoughts on wheat establishment methods and enterprise diversification. Eight demonstration sites from 2005 to 2008 established wheat for grazing. Grazing pressure ranged from 0.9 to 7.7 animal units (au; 1 au = 454.54 kg BW) per hectare. Grazing restriction cages were assembled in the fall before grazing and in the spring near first hollow stem to examine the effects of grazing on wheat. Either wheat was harvested or plant seed head counts were substituted in the case of plant sterility or heavy bird predation. Overall, grazing reduced average plant counts by 24% among 4 demonstration sites that could not be harvested. Two of the 4 sites observed (P 0.10) by grazing. Ninety-one percent of producers attending wheat grazing field days were implementing establishment methods other than clean tillage. Producers and educators indicated that enterprise diversification will be important to long-term sustainability of agriculture in the United States; however, educators responded with a unanimous certainty, whereas the producers responded with less certainty (greater variation). In addition, producers indicated (P
Moving Public Law Out of the Deference Trap in Regulated Industries

This Article argues that public law has fallen into what I call a deference trap in addressing conflicts in deregulated industries, such as telecommunications and electric power. The deference trap describes a judicial reluctance to intervene in disputes involving political institutions, such as regulatory agencies and states. By reassessing the deference trap across the legal doctrines that are effecting emerging telecommunications and electric power markets, public law can deliver much more for deregulated markets. The deference trap poses a particular cost as markets are deregulated, one that may not have been present during previous regulatory eras in which public and private interests in regulatory bargaining were more likely to converge. In expanding the range and degree of potential divergence between public and private interests, deregulation challenges policy makers and courts to reevaluate many of the traditional public law doctrines that frame the process for defining and implementing the rules in competitive markets. This Article sets out to advance this project in the context of three vignettes. In doing so, I draw on a bargaining account of regulation, supplemented with a comparative institutional analysis. The approach evaluates the institutional setting for governance of deregulated markets; it does not limit its analysis to the decisions of a single regulator but pays attention to alternative (and often competing) institutions, including courts, Congress and state legislatures, and state versus federal regulation. Part I illustrates that public law has fallen into a deference trap in the context of the filed tariff doctrine and suggests that, by focusing on bargaining conditions in tariffing, courts could minimize strategic forum shopping in regulatory enforcement. Part II warns against public law falling into a deference trap in the context of judicial review of state regulation under the dormant commerce clause and state action immunity to antitrust enforcement, suggesting that courts correct for this by taking into account private firm incentives in the state lawmaking process. Part III suggests that federal preemption, as currently construed, also invites a deference trap which can create regulatory commons problems and recommends that courts reformulate preemption principles to realign incentive to facilitate regulatory coordination between the federal government and states. By isolating ex ante and ex post incentives and stressing the institutional context for institutional bargaining in the regulatory process, together these examples reveal weaknesses in traditional doctrines of regulatory law in deregulated markets and suggest ways courts might correct for them.
Corticosteroid Effect on Murine Hemopoietic Precursor Cells In Vivo

The effect of methylprednisolone on murine hemopoietic colony formation in diffusion chambers implanted in mice was evaluated. A dose-dependent increase in granulocytic colony (CFU-DG) formation from murine marrow was observed. This effect could be abrogated by administration of progesterone. These studies suggest that the murine early granulocytic precursors (CFU-DG) have receptors that mediate proliferation-promoting signals triggered by glucocorticoids. Erythroid colony formation (CFU- DE) was not effected by methylprednisolone administration.
Controlled release of proteins from 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate copolymer gels.

A series of hydrogels with large pores was synthesized by the precipitation polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) with crosslinking agent in aqueous solution. Such gels are potentially useful for the controlled release of large-molecular-weight species such as proteins. In this study, the release behavior of lysozyme and α-amylase from hydrogels formed from HEMA or HEMA with a comonomer was studied. It was found that the polymer composition affected the total amount of lysozyme released and its activity. Effects were smaller with α-amylase. Charged gels, containing a phosphate moiety, released larger amounts of lysozyme at a reduced rate as a result of charge-charge interactions.
Asthma in Adolescence

Adolescent asthma is becoming increasingly prevalent and can result in severe disability. Asthma exacerbations can result in missed schools days and limited physical activity, and hospital admissions. Environmental triggers such as dust and mold, obesity, smoking, and family dysfunction are all risk factors that are associated with asthma in adolescence. Due to the high annual expenditures related to this chronic disease, a cost-efficient stepwise approach to medical treatment of the disease is discussed. Asthma often co-occurs with mental health disorders such as depression, panic, and anxiety, and a stepwise treatment model is also presented as a guideline of mental health treatment with adolescents with asthma.
Mechanical measurement of contractile function of isolated ventricular myocytes

Isolation of ventricular myocytes from all species of animals has revolutionized the field of cardiovascular research, allowing the assessment of true cardiac effects of drugs, treatments, and so on. With recent advances in physiology at the cellular level, direct assessment of isolated ventricular myocyte mechanics has become an increasingly powerful and important area of research. This technique provides important information on excitation-contraction coupling of the heart, either when investigating the effect of a drug on the heart or mechanical function under certain pathophysiological states. The goal of this chapter is to provide a detailed list of methods for isolation of ventricular myocytes from both rats and mice, as well as a list of certain "tricks" that have proven useful in enhancing the yield of viable cells from the whole heart. Mastering the isolation of myocytes will provide a much better framework for real-time beat-to-beat recording of myocyte contraction as well as intracellular Ca2+ transients.
Antimicrobial eugenol nanoemulsion prepared by gum arabic and lecithin and evaluation of drying technologies

The purpose of present work was to develop eugenol oil nanoemulsions using gum arabic and lecithin as food grade natural emulsifiers, and study their antimicrobial activity. In addition, our study also evaluated different drying techniques (spray drying and freeze drying) on the morphology and redispersibility of nanoemulsion powders. The optimal fabrication method, physicochemical and structural characterization, stability, and antimicrobial activity were investigated. Results showed that nanoemusions with a particle size of 103.6±7.5nm were obtained by mixing aqueous phase (0.5% gum arabic, 0.5% lecithin, w/v) and eugenol oil (1.25%, w/v), which was premixed with ethanol (as a co-surfactant), followed by high speed homogenization process. The molecular interactions among emulsifiers and eugenol were evidenced by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Buchi B-90 Nano Spray Dryer was evaluated as a powerful tool to obtain ultrafine spherical powders with a size of less than 500nm, compared to flake-like aggregation obtained by freeze-drying. The dried powders exhibited excellent re-dispersibility in water and maintained their physicochemical properties after re-hydration. The nanoemulsions did not adversely affect the antimicrobial activity of eugenol against Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Enteritidis. Therefore, the nanoemulsions have the potential to be applied in the food industry as a food preservative or sanitizer.
AB0315 Frequency of Radiographic Procedures in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) undergo radiographic investigations for disease and comorbidity evaluation. Indeed, the presence of radiographic changes in joints can be diagnostic for RA. The actual use of radiographic imaging in RA is unknown. Objectives To assess the use of imaging in RA, and assess the number and frequency of radiographic imaging studies in patients with RA versus patients without RA. Methods Study subjects were from a previously assembled population-based cohort in Olmsted County, MN, USA who fulfilled 1987 ACR criteria for RA in 1988-2007, as well as a previously identified comparison cohort of patients without RA of similar age and sex. The total number of radiographic procedures, the total person-years (py) of follow-up, the number and rates of radiographic images by anatomic sites as well as number and rate of DEXA and radionuclide bone imaging were assessed. Results 650 patients with RA and 650 patients without RA were included (mean age 55.8 years; 69% female in both cohorts). A total of 27088 radiographic procedures were performed among patients with RA and 21006 among non-RA subjects during a total of 7358 and 7597 person-years [py] of follow-up, respectively. RA patients had significantly more chest, upper extremity (UE), lower extremity (LE), bone and DEXA imaging (Table). Patients with RA also had significantly more radiographs of the spine, hip, pelvis, and sacroiliac joints (not shown). Patients with positive rheumatoid factor (RF) had more radiographic procedures than those with negative RF. Women underwent more procedures than men (Table). 57% of patients underwent hand/wrist radiographs within 1 year after RA diagnosis, but this declined to 42% during 1-3 years after diagnosis, 32% during 3-5 years after diagnosis and 28% beyond 5 years after diagnosis. The rate of utilization of hand radiographs peaked in 2001 at 45 x-rays per 100 py and subsequently declined steadily to 17 per 100 py in 2011. The rate of utilization of hand radiographs was significantly higher among women than men prior to 2002, but the rates of utilization of hand radiographs were similar in both sexes subsequently. Conclusions Patients with RA undergo significantly more radiographic procedures than persons without RA, particularly of the hands/wrist and feet. Hand X-rays are less frequently obtained in recent years, possibly reflecting clinical perception of less need due to better therapies, and lower rates of hand surgeries 1 .DEXA and radionuclide bone scans are more frequently done in patients with RA, likely in assessment of diagnosis and comorbidities. RF+ patients underwent more scans than RF- patients, possibly due to more severe disease in patients with positive RF. References Shourt C et al. J Rheumatol 39(3):481-5, 2012 Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.1573
A Comparison of Aerial Platforms for the Exploration of Titan

Exploration of Titan, envisioned as a follow -on to the highly successful Cassini -Huygens mission, is described in this paper. A mission blending measurements from a dedicated orbiter and an in -situ aerial explorer is discussed. Summary description of the science rationale and the mission architecture, including the orbiter, is provided . The mission has been sized to ensure it can be accommodated on an existing expendable heavy -lift launch vehicle. A launch to Titan in 2018 with a 6 -year time of flight to Titan using a combination of Solar Electric Propulsion and aeroassist (direct entry and aerocapture) forms the basic mission architecture. A detailed assessment of different platforms for aerial exploration of Titan has been performed. A rationale for the selection of the airship as the baseline platform is provided. Detailed description of the airship, its subsystems, and its operational strategies are provided.
Interface Peptide Mimetics-Rationale and Application as Therapeutic Agents

Biomolecular recognition via protein-protein interactions (PPI) is central to the signaling events in most physiological and pathological processes. Hence PPI are considered excellent targets for drug development. In recent years there is considerable interest in the design and development of peptide based drugs as antagonists or agonists of PPI. High potency, great selectivity and better safety profile are significant advantages of peptide therapeutics. The following is a brief review of the rationale and modifications in the design of peptide mimetics of PPI interface.
The Statin Trilogy (I): ‘Statin’ from the Beginning

This case discusses a pharmacokinetic interaction between simvastatin, cimetidine, and diltiazem, resulting in increased incidence of rhabdomyolysis. Simvastatin is a cytochrome P450 3A4 substrate and cimetidine and diltiazem are 3A4 inhibitors.
Genetic relationships between scrotal circumference and female reproductive traits

Records for yearling scrotal circumference (SC; n = 7,580), age at puberty in heifers (AP; n = 5,292), age at first calving (AFC; n = 4,835), and pregnancy, calving, or weaning status following the first breeding season (PR1, CR1, or WR1, respectively; n = 7,003) from 12 Bos taurus breeds collected at the Meat Animal Research Center (USDA) between 1978 and 1991 were used to estimate genetic parameters. Age at puberty (AP) was defined as age in days at first detected ovulatory estrus. Pregnancy (calving or weaning) status was scored as one for females conceiving (calving or weaning) given exposure during the breeding season and as zero otherwise. The final model for SC included fixed effects of age of dam at breeding (AD), year of breeding (Y), and breed (B) and age in days at measurement as a covariate. Fixed effects in models for AP and AFC were AD, Y, B, and month of birth. Fixed effects in models for PR1, CR1, and WR1 included AD, Y, and B. For all traits, random effects in the model were direct genetic, maternal genetic, maternal permanent environmental, and residual. Analyses for a three-trait animal model were carried out with SC, AP, and a third trait (the third trait was AFC, PR1, CR1, or WR1). A derivative-free restricted maximum likelihood algorithm was used to estimate the (co)variance components. Direct and maternal heritability estimates were 0.41 and 0.05 for SC; 0.16 and 0.03 for AP; 0.08 and 0.00 for AFC; 0.14 and 0.02 for PR1; 0.14 and 0.03 for CR1; and 0.12 and 0.01 for WR1. Genetic correlations between direct and maternal genetic effects within trait were -0.26, -0.63, -0.91, -0.79, -0.66, and -0.85 for SC, AP, AFC, PR1, CR1, and WR1, respectively. Direct genetic correlations between SC and AP and between those traits and AFC, PR1, CR1, and WR1 ranged from -0.15 (between SC and AP) to 0.23 (between AP and WR1). Estimates of heritability indicate that yearling SC should respond to direct selection better than AP, AFC, PR1, CR1, and WR1. Variation due to maternal genetic effects was small for all traits. No strong genetic correlations were detected between SC and female reproductive traits or between AP and the other female traits. These results suggest that genetic response in female reproductive traits through sire selection on yearling SC is not expected to be effective.
Key Concepts in Dynamic Signal Processing from Instrumented Pavement Sections

Accelerated pavement test facilities have often featured dynamic pavement response instrumentation, such as strain gauges, pressure plates and multi-depth deflectometers since the 1960s. While the instrumentation and data acquisition systems have rapidly evolved since then, researchers still face the fundamental problem of converting raw dynamic signals gathered at high sampling rates into meaningful information. These signals are inevitably infused with electronic noise that complicates extraction of useful information. Furthermore, the resources to collect and store raw data often far outpaces the capabilities to process and analyze the signals efficiently. The National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) Pavement Test Track has utilized dynamic strain gauges and earth pressure cells since 2003 within structural pavement research studies and NCAT has also been involved in live-traffic instrumented test sites in China, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Each test site experienced the problems described above and also faced unique challenges related to site-specific conditions. This paper provides lessons-learned from the past 14 years of dynamic signal processing at each of these test sites. A common set of practices is described and applied to two of the sites that demonstrates the effectiveness and efficiency of the developed processing schemes. Emphasis is placed on speed of data processing and visual inspection for quality control.
Numerical study on the effects of progressive gravity waves on turbulence

The wind-wave-ocean system, which contains complex interactive processes, is of great importance for the momentum, heat and mass transport in the atmosphere and ocean and at their interface. In this work, we perform wave-coupled phase-resolved numerical simulations to investigate the effect of progressive gravity waves on wind and ocean turbulence. Initially homogeneous turbulence under a finite-amplitude monochromatic surface wave is simulated to reveal how the wave influences the subsurface turbulence. For the interaction between wind-driven waves and shear turbulence in the ocean, new wave-phase-resolved simulation approaches are developed to capture Langmuir cells. Lastly, wind turbulence over one and two progressive waves is simulated to elucidate the dynamics of turbulence coherent structures impacted by surface waves for improved understanding of wind-wave growth mechanism.
Scottish kiltmaking: Knowledge, practice, and potential for Protected Geographic Indication

The Scottish kilt is one of the world's most renowned cultural garments, and the Highland Dress industry contributes Â£350 million annually to the Scottish apparel industry ("Licensed to Kilt," 2009). However, outsourcing and deceptive marketing tactics have negatively impacted the kiltmaking industry (XXX, 2014). The purpose of this dissertation study was to investigate Scottish kiltmakers' knowledge and experiences as a basis for industry protection. A qualitative, phenomenological method employed interviews, observations, video and artifact analysis, and prototyping to understand participant's (n=17) experiences with learning and practicing kiltmaking. Findings indicated that: (a) kiltmakers' experience life-long learning through Scaffolding, (b) kilt customers are not well-informed of quality issues between genuine Scottish kilts and imports, (c) gender plays a role in pay inequality, lack of respect, and quality of life issues for female kiltmakers, and (d) kiltmakers agree that protection is necessary, however, they are unsure of how it would be realized.
Characterizing the surface charge of clay minerals with Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)

The engineering properties of clayey soils, including fluid permeability, erosion resistance and cohesive strength, are quite different from those of non-cohesive soils. This is mainly due to their small platy particle shape and the surrounding diffuse double layer structure. By using the Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), the surface topography and the interaction force between the silicon dioxide tip and the kaolinite/montmorillonite clay minerals have been measured in the 1.0 mM NaCl solution at neutral pH. From this, the surface potential of the clay minerals is determined by mathematical regression analyses using the DLVO model. The length/thickness ratio of kaolinite and montmorillonite particles measured ranges from 8.0 to 15.0. The surface potential and surface charge density vary with particles. The average surface potential of montmorillonite is −62.8 ± 10.6 mV, and the average surface potential of kaolinite is −40.9 ± 15.5 mV. The measured results help to understand the clay sediment interaction, and will be used to develop interparticle force model to simulate sediment transport during erosion process.
Analysis of Urban Humans and Their Spatial Allowance for Predators

Nitrates (NO3-) are nitrogen-oxygen chemical units which combine with various organic and inorganic compounds that are commonly used in fertilizers. Phosphates (PO43-) are inorganic chemicals that are important in biochemistry and ecology. In small quantities, both nitrates and phosphates are essential for the health of aquatic ecosystem. However, even a small increase in either nutrient can lead to an accelerated plant growth, algae blooms, low dissolved oxygen, and the death of certain fish, invertebrates, and other aquatic animals. Blacktail Creek in Butte has previously had high levels on contaminants, including the nitrates and phosphates that were evaluated. Blacktail Creek is approximately nine miles long and empties into Silver Bow Creek west of Butte. The sampling plan included an approximately 1.5 mile reach along Blacktail Creek’s most contaminated section, with eight sites being analyzed. During field sampling, grab samples and water flow data were taken to obtain concentrations and to calculate Total Maximum Daily Loads for the nutrients of interest. The data was compared to previous analyzed data, and similar conclusions were reached. The majority of the sites had elevated nitrate and phosphate loading, with the phosphates being the most highly elevated contaminant. The lower four sites on the sampling reach had the highest nutrient loading levels, and all four of these sites have the similarity in being located below the mouth of Grove Gulch that flows into Blacktail Creek. This finding supports the conclusion that the Grove Gulch inlet contributes a significant level of nutrient loading to Blacktail Creek.
Schools of democracy: how trade union membership impacts political participation in Africa’s emerging democracies

Trade unions in Africa have become increasingly vocal in calling attention to the widening socio-economic inequalities that have accompanied global market integration across the continent. This art...
SIRT1 is a positive regulator of in vivo bone mass and a therapeutic target for osteoporosis

Overexpression or pharmacological activation of SIRT1 has been shown to extend the lifespan of mice and protect against aging-related diseases. Here we show that pharmacological activation of SIRT1 protects in two models of osteoporosis. Ovariectomized female mice and aged male mice, models for post-menopausal and aging-related osteoporosis, respectively, show significant improvements in bone mass upon treatment with SIRT1 agonist, SRT1720. Further, we find that calorie restriction (CR) results in a two-fold upregulation of sirt1 mRNA expression in bone tissue that is associated with increased bone mass in CR mice. Reciprocally, SIRT1 whole-body knockout (KO) mice, as well as osteoblast and osteoclast specific KOs, show a low bone mass phenotype; though double knockout mice (containing SIRT1 deleted in both osteoblasts and osteoclasts) do not show a more severe phenotype. Altogether, these findings provide strong evidence that SIRT1 is a positive regulator of bone mass and a promising target for the development of novel therapeutics for osteoporosis.
The role of succession in the evolution of flammability

Fire-prone ecosystems contain plants that are both fire-adapted and flammable. It has been hypothesized that these plants were under selection to become more flammable, but it is unclear whether this could be adaptive for an individual plant. We propose arrested succession as a robust mechanism that supports the evolution of flammability in surface fire ecosystems without the need to invoke group selection or additional fitness benefits. We used the natural history of lodgepole pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests, longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forests, and tall grass prairies to create a general mathematical model of surface fire ecosystems and solved for the evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) level of flammability. In our model, fires always kill understory plants and only sometimes kill overstory plants. Thus, more flammable plants suffer increased mortality due to fires, but also more frequently arrest succession by clearing their understory of late successional competitors. Increased flammability was selected for when the probability of an overstory plant dying from an individual fire was below a maximum threshold and the rate of succession relative to fires was above a minimum threshold. Future studies can test our model predictions and help resolve whether or not plants have been selected to be more flammable.
Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic model of vaginally administered dapivirine ring and film formulations.

Aims A physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model of the vaginal space was developed with the aim of predicting concentrations in the vaginal and cervical space. These predictions can be used to optimize the probability of success of vaginally administered dapivirine (DPV) for HIV prevention. We focus on vaginal delivery using either a ring or film. Methods A PBPK model describing the physiological structure of the vaginal tissue and fluid was defined mathematically and implemented in MATLAB. Literature reviews provided estimates for relevant physiological and physiochemical parameters. Drug concentration-time profiles were simulated in luminal fluids, vaginal tissue and plasma after administration of ring or film. Patient data were extracted from published clinical trials and used to test model predictions. Results The DPV ring simulations tested the two dosing regimens and predicted PK profiles and area under the curve of luminal fluids (29 079 and 33 067 mg h l-1 in groups A and B, respectively) and plasma (0.177 and 0.211 mg h l-1 ) closely matched those reported (within one standard deviation). While the DPV film study reported drug concentration at only one time point per patient, our simulated profiles pass through reported concentration range. Conclusions HIV is a major public health issue and vaginal microbicides have the potential to provide a crucial, female-controlled option for protection. The PBPK model successfully simulated realistic representations of drug PK. It provides a reliable, inexpensive and accessible platform where potential effectiveness of new compounds and the robustness of treatment modalities for pre-exposure prophylaxis can be evaluated.
Biological capacities clearly define a major subdivision in Domain Bacteria

Phylogenetic analyses separate candidate phyla radiation (CPR) bacteria from other bacteria, but the degree to which their proteomes are distinct remains unclear. Here, we leveraged a proteome database that includes sequences from thousands of uncultivated organisms to identify protein families and examine their organismal distributions. We focused on widely distributed protein families that co-occur in genomes, as they likely foundational for metabolism. Clustering of genomes using the protein family presence/absence patterns broadly recapitulates the phylogenetic structure of the tree, suggesting persistence of core sets of protein families after lineage divergence. CPR bacteria group together and away from all other bacteria and archaea, in part due to novel proteins, some of which may be involved in cell-cell interactions. The diversity of combinations of protein families in CPR may exceed that of all other bacteria. Overall, the results extend the phylogeny-based suggestion that the CPR represent a major subdivision within Bacteria.
Local constraint near fatigue cracks in alloys and particulate composites

An experimental method with high spatial resolution has been developed for determining material constraint on the surface of specimens. The method uses strains computed from stereoimaging measurements of displacements. A derivation of constraint in terms of strain is given and compared to the usual stress definition. Constraint was found to be high near fatigue crack tips growing at low ΔK. Monotonic loading of a crack tip that formed shear bands relaxed constraint in the regions of high deformation, as expected. Constraint levels in particulate reinforced metal matrix composites depend on proximity of the crack tip to particles. In general, particulate composites show higher levels of constraint than the matrix alloy for the same K level, which partially explains why the composites have lower ductility and fracture toughness.
Jordan Algebras and the Mixed General Linear Model

Jordan algebras are not commonly a standard technical tool for even many researchers in pure algebra. It is important therefore to begin by defining and illustrating them in a statistically accessible context. Hence the required definitions, theorems and proofs will be introduced with the minimum of mathematical embellishment. Some of the abstract algebra thus set aside will then appear as Remarks, some deferred to Chapter 3, and some even further removed to literature citations.
HYPOTHESIS FOR THE LOCAL CONTROL OF NOREPINEPHRINE RELEASE

ABSTRACT It is proposed that central release of norepinephrine (NE) is under primary local control by the receptive neuron. Presynaptic release of NE is conceived to be a secondary event that occurs following a primary stimulus which emanates from the postsynaptic receptor neuron.
Comparison of the Halstead-Reitan and Infrared Light Beam Finger Tappers.

Computer mediated motor tests can provide highly reliable means for evaluating gross and subtle aspects of psychomotor speed and rhythmicity. A computer mediated test of finger and foot tapping, making use of infrared light beam technology, was recently developed, but little is known regarding its psychometric properties. The purpose of this study was to compare performance of healthy right-handed respondents on the new Light Beam Finger & Foot Tapping Device to a traditional finger tapping test used in the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery. Performance on the Halstead-Reitan Finger Tapping Test and on the Light Beam Finger Tapping Test was compared in 16 men and 17 women. The light beam test showed similar psychometric properties to those of the Halstead-Reitan Finger Tapping Test, and scores were moderately correlated between the two tests. Respondents had faster scores on the light beam test; on both tests men were faster than women, and all respondents tapped faster with their dominant hand. Tapping was faster on the Light Beam Finger Tapping Test, possibly because it does not require application of pressure to a mechanical key and a smaller movement registers a tap. In addition to measures of right- and left-hand tapping speed, the light beam test assesses synchronous and alternating tapping and foot tapping. Scores between these subtests showed moderate to high correlations.
Review: Homo Patiens – Approaches to the Patient in the Ancient World, edited by Georgia Petridou and Charia Thumiger

Georgia Petridou and Charia Thumiger, eds., Homo Patiens – Approaches to the Patient in the Ancient World . Leiden; Boston: Brill, 2016. Pp. xiv + 548. ISBN 9789004305557. $218.00. Three decades ago, inspired by socialist traditions in British history, Roy Porter challenged historians of medicine to move beyond the outmoded top-down historiography that constructed their discipline from the perspective of practitioners and major breakthroughs, calling instead for an approach that gave a more active role to patients in medical encounters. Through the 1970s, patients were marginal players in medico-historical narratives and, employing the ideas of Michel Foucault and medical sociologists, scholars tended to consider them as passive individuals who stood in relation to active physicians. Especially in the case of ancient medicine, patients came to be seen “virtually by definition as an object, as subordinate to the pouvior medical , deprived of her individuality” (502). In the 1980s and 1990s, the urging for a radical reconsideration of the role of the material in the history of medicine—of how studying bodies and commodities is essential for understanding how individuals perceived suffering and medical treatment—was met with enthusiasm, even inspiring a new name for this type of historiography among German language practitioners: Patientengeschichte . Unfortunately, “development of the history of the patient's view has in fact fallen short of what was promised,” and historiographical discourse continues to be shaped predominantly by the physician's gaze (2-3). In response, this book takes up Porter's challenge anew. Drawing on the expertise of scholars of classics, religion, philosophy, literature, and medicine, as well as physicians and individuals with health care policy experience, this collection focuses not on patients (in their relation to practitioners), but on patiens . The participle in the title references not the patient, but the “afflicted,” or “suffering” individual, recognizing the necessity to “further advance the theoretical and clinical foregrounding of the patient in the medical encounter by offering a historical perspective on the contributions made by ancient patients” (4). This path …
Validation of a performance-based assessment of cognitive functional ability in Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND Outcome measures that capture functional abilities related to cognition offer the potential to demonstrate real-world effectiveness of cognitive-enhancing treatments. However, distinguishing functional disability related to cognition from that attributed to motor symptoms can be difficult in PD. A performance-based functional assessment allows for direct observation of activity of daily living skills and separation of cognitive from motoric disabilities. OBJECTIVES Validate the University of California San Diego Performance-Based Skills Assessment in PD. METHODS One hundred PD participants, ranging from normal cognition to dementia, completed the University of California San Diego Performance-Based Skills Assessment, a performance-based measure of cognitively demanding activities of daily living, as well as a neuropsychological battery and motor examination. Cognitive classification was determined by consensus conference, blinded to University of California San Diego Performance-Based Skills Assessment scores. Psychometric properties of the University of California San Diego Performance-Based Skills Assessment, including internal consistency, test-retest and inter-rater reliability, and discriminant validity for dementia, were examined. RESULTS The University of California San Diego Performance-Based Skills Assessment demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.82) and test-retest reliability (r = 0.89) and correlated strongly with global cognition (Mattis Dementia Rating Scale: r = 0.80; P < 0.001). University of California San Diego Performance-Based Skills Assessment regression models indicated greater contribution from cognitive explanatory variables (marginal partial: R2 = 0.33) than motor variables (marginal partial: R2 = 0.05), controlling for age, education, disease duration, and l-dopa equivalent dose. Additionally, the University of California San Diego Performance-Based Skills Assessment exhibited strong discriminant validity for dementia (area under the curve = 0.91). CONCLUSIONS The University of California San Diego Performance-Based Skills Assessment is a valid measure of functional abilities related to cognition rather than motor symptoms in PD. Furthermore, it reliably distinguishes demented from nondemented participants. The University of California San Diego Performance-Based Skills Assessment may be considered as an outcome measure that combines cognitive and functional abilities in treatment trials for cognitive impairment in PD. © 2018 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Vietnam Provincial Competitiveness Index 2007

Funded by US-AID, Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) is an effort to explain why some parts of the country perform better than others in terms of private sector dynamism, job creation and economic growth. Using new survey data from businesses that describe their perceptions of their local business environments, as well as credible and comparable data from official and other sources regarding local conditions, the PCI rates provinces on a 100-point scale. In 2005, the overall index is comprised of nine sub-indices that explain much of the variation in performance across provinces in Vietnam. In 2006, two new sub-indices were developed to capture other aspects of Provincial Government efforts to enhance the business environment. In addition, a number of the existing indices were strengthened by modifying certain indicators. Sub-indices and indicators are described in detail under the caption “PCI Sub-Indices” below.The research has a number of important design elements that make the results easily translated into governance reforms:First, by separating out the growth that is generated by initial conditions (i.e. the fundamental underlying factors that contribute to growth but that are very difficult or impossible to address in the short-term), the research was able to determine that good governance practices are possible at the provincial level and that these practices explain why some areas outperform others or why some areas have similar economic outcomes despite having very different initial conditions. The focus on governance practices should lead to improvements in economic performance, even without significant changes in the physical and human infrastructure in a region.Second, by normalizing the scores around the best practices already found in Vietnam, the index directs provincial governments to improve their performance, not against some ideal standard of good governance but rather against the best performance already practiced by their peers within the same national political framework. Therefore, any province in theory could attain a perfect score by adopting the best practices already found in Vietnam. The implication is that there are no easy explanations for poor performance – every provincial government can do better to generate a more favorable economic environment within their borders. Third, by comparing governance practices against actual economic performance, the PCI provides initial estimates of how important governance practices are to attracting investment and generating growth. The research provides a compelling demonstration of the association between business-friendly governance practices, business responses and, importantly, welfare improvements. This last connection is critical as it makes clear that business-friendly policies and practices benefit not just entrepreneurs but also the broader society that relies upon private sector dynamism to provide the jobs that raise household living standards.Research results from the work of the Vietnam Competitiveness Initiative and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Multimodal Biometrics for Enhanced IoT Security

Biometric authentication is a promising approach to securing the Internet of Things (IoT). Although existing research shows that using multiple biometrics for authentication helps increase recognition accuracy, the majority of biometric approaches for IoT today continue to rely on a single modality. We propose a multimodal biometric approach for IoT based on face and voice modalities that is designed to scale to the limited resources of an IoT device. Our work builds on the foundation of Gofman et al. [7] in implementing face and voice feature-level fusion on mobile devices. We used discriminant correlation analysis (DCA) to fuse features from face and voice and used the K-nearest neighbors (KNN) algorithm to classify the features. The approach was implemented on the Raspberry Pi IoT device and was evaluated on a dataset of face images and voice files acquired using a Samsung Galaxy S5 device in real-world conditions such as dark rooms and noisy settings. The results show that fusion increased recognition accuracy by 52.45% compared to using face alone and 81.62% compared to using voice alone. It took an average of 1.34 seconds to enroll a user and 0.91 seconds to perform the authentication. To further optimize execution speed and reduce power consumption, we implemented classification on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chip that can be easily integrated into an IoT device. Experimental results showed that the proposed FPGA-accelerated KNN could achieve 150x faster execution time and 12x lower energy consumption compared to a CPU.
Abstract 19: Cardiovascular Health Amongst Asian-Americans: National Health and Nutrition Examination Study

Background: Variable propensity towards cardiovascular disease amongst the different ethnicities in the United States (U.S.) has been reported. We aimed to characterize the prevalence of cardiovasc...
The Last of the Third Reich’s Vertical Trust Networks?

This chapter examines what was possibly the last of the Nazi bureaucracy’s vertical trust networks—ODESSA. This was purported to be a covert organization of the SS underground that was established toward the end of World War II and whose primary mission was to facilitate the escape of SS members and other highly placed Nazi affiliates from post-war Europe to mainly Brazil and other Nazi-sympathizing parts of South America. This process possibly involved two competing vertical trust networks, both headed by Heinrich Himmler, and a number of suspected affiliate organizations, including the Vatican, Juan Peron’s government in Brazil, Francisco Franco’s government in Spain, and various German industrial and financial magnates. Nazi functionaries who were rescued through this process included Adolf Eichmann and Joseph Mengele.
'Dust in the wind’ from source-to-sink: Analysis of the 14-15 April 2015 storm in Utah

Abstract On 14–15 April 2015, an intense intermountain cyclone in the western USA caused high winds and a dust storm that degraded air quality in the eastern Great Basin, and deposited dust-on-snow (DOS) in the Wasatch Range near Salt Lake City, Utah. We analyzed the storm and documented its “source-to-sink” development to relate the frontal passage with dust mobilization, air quality changes, and dust deposition on montane snowpack near Alta, Utah. This case study is first to track a dust storm and measure the elemental composition and radiative properties of the resulting DOS as a single specific event layer in Wasatch montane snowpack; prior studies have assessed seasonally aggregated DOS deposits. Dust plumes on MODIS imagery indicate mobilization from known regional “hotspots” for aeolian activity, including clay- and silt-rich alluvium, modern playas, and disturbed areas within the Pleistocene Paleolake Bonneville Basin. This 2015 single event dust layer was 1–3 cm thick with a median dust size of 10.81–12.55 µm; its measured radiative properties are similar to aggregated dusts previously assessed in Wasatch snowpack. Dust from the 2015 DOS event is enriched in the elements As, Cd, Cu, and Mo by a 10× factor relative to average elemental concentrations in the upper continental crust; its heavy metals (Cu, Pb, As, Cd, Mo, Zn) are probably derived from regional mine operations. Tracking elemental fluxes from source-to-sink is important for resolving environmental impacts, and informing future analysis of single storm dust loading, ecosystem impacts, and quantity and quality of meltwater-fed drinking water.