cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving Students' Functional Modeling Skills: A Modeling Approach and a Scoring Rubric

An engineering design curriculum that introduces functional modeling methods is believed to enhance the ability to abstract complex systems, assist during the concept generation phase of design, and reduce design fixation. To that end, a variety of techniques for considering function during design have been proposed in the literature, yet there are a lack of validated approaches for teaching students to generate functional models and no reliable method for the assessment of functional models. This paper presents a study investigating students' ability to generate functional models during a homework assignment; the study includes three different treatment conditions: (1) students who receive only a lecture on functional modeling, (2) students who receive a lecture on functional modeling as well as a step-by-step example, and (3) students who receive a lecture, a step-by-step example, and an algorithmic approach with grammar rules. The experiment was conducted in a cornerstone, undergraduate engineering design course, and consequently, was the students' first exposure to functional modeling. To assess student generated functional models across all three conditions, an 18 question functional model scoring rubric was developed based on flow-based functional modeling standards. Use of the rubric to assess the student generated functional models resulted in high inter-rater agreement for total score. Results show that students receiving the step-by-step example perform as well as students receiving the step-by-step example and an algorithmic approach with grammar rules; both groups perform better than the lecture-only group.
Instigation of assertive behavior through videotape-mediated assertive models and directed practice.

Twenty-eight undergraduate college women received an assertive training procedure in which they observed videotape-mediated assertive models and practiced nine types of assertive responses over a seven-week period. They reported significantly (p< 0.01) more assertive behavior and were rated as significantly (p< 0.01) more assertive than subjects receiving a placebo treatment and subjects receiving no treatment. There were also trends (p's = 0.17, 0.19, 0.29) for Ss receiving assertive training to report lower fear of social conflicts than subjects under the two control conditions.
Low power reconfigurable DCT design based on sharing multiplication

We present a low-power reconfigurable OCT architecture, which is based on computation sharing multiplier (CSHM). CSHM specifically targets computation re-use in vector-scalar products and is effectively used in our OCT implementation. A low power reconfigurable OCT architecture is exploited by making a trade off between image quality and power consumption. The proposed OCT architecture was implemented using 0.35µ technology. The experimental results show that reconfigurable OCT using CSHM can improve power consumption by 40 % without noticeable image quality degradation.
The periodic health examination revisited.

Abstract The periodic health examination of the apparently well has become a cornerstone of medical practice. It has been advocated for more than 100 years as the best method for insuring the conti...
Phenotypic and Evolutionary Distances in Phylogenetic Tree Reconstruction

Copyright: © 2013 Brocchieri L. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Advances in sequencing technology and the resulting deluge of molecular sequence data have provided vast opportunities to study the evolution of gene and protein families together with the phylogenetic relations of the species harboring them. Each family of homologous sequences can provide hundreds or thousands of characters, that is, all homologous sites making up a sequence alignment, that are a potential source of valuable information for phylogenetic tree reconstruction. Moreover, molecular sequences have other advantages over, say, morphological characters. Among these, is a natural, unambiguous definition of “evolutionary distance”, which allows estimating the amount of evolutionary divergence of sequences, represented in phylograms. This precise definition of evolutionary distance stimulated the development over the last 35 years of evolutionary models that provide means to estimate evolutionary relations and to develop theories on how molecular sequences evolve, connecting phylogenetics to evolutionary biology [1-5].
Mechanism of formamidine synergism of pyrethroids

Abstract The mechanism of formamidine synergism of pyrethroids in susceptible house flies and flies with target site resistance ( kdr ) to pyrethroid insecticides was characterized by measurements of [ 3 H]saxitoxin (STX) binding to nerve membrane sodium channels from untreated and formamidinetreated flies. Two STX binding components, one with high affinity and one with low affinity, were observed in untreated flies of each strain, and the binding constants, B max and K d , were similar for each binding component in each strain. In vivo exposure of flies to the formamidines chlordimeform and BTS 27271 appeared to change the number of STX binding components from two to one and to decrease the concentration at which saturation of STX binding occurred. Also, in vivo exposure to the formamidines changed STX binding cooperativity from negative to positive, based on Hill plot data. This change was greater with BTS 27271 than with chlordimeform and it paralleled the greater synergism of pyrethroid toxicity seen with BTS 27271. With BTS 27271 the binding affinity for STX was significantly greater in SBO than KDR flies, a result that paralleled the greater synergism seen in SBO flies. Our data suggest that formamidines are target site synergists of pyrethroids which act by modifying drug binding cooperativity in target tissue.
An inequality for ratios of gamma functions

Abstract Let Γ ( x ) denote Euler's gamma function. The following inequality is proved: for y > 0 and x > 1 we have [ Γ ( x + y + 1 ) / Γ ( y + 1 ) ] 1 / x [ Γ ( x + y + 2 ) / Γ ( y + 1 ) ] 1 / ( x + 1 ) x + y x + y + 1 . The inequality is reversed if 0 x 1 . This resolves an open problem of Guo and Qi [B.-N. Guo, F. Qi, Inequalities and monotonicity for the ratio of gamma functions, Taiwanese J. Math. 7 (2003) 239–247].
Oxidation of bisphenol A, 17β-estradiol, and 17α-ethynyl estradiol and byproduct estrogenicity

A human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) was used to investigate the cumulative estrogenicity profiles elicited during the oxidation of three estrogenic compounds [bisphenol A (BPA), 17beta-estradiol (E2), and 17alpha-ethynyl estradiol (EE2)]. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a method detection limit (MDL) of approximately 1 nM was used to measure the initial and final concentrations of test compounds during oxidation. Both chlorination and ozonation removed from 75% to >99% of the test compounds in distilled water. Increasing contact time and chlorination dose improved compound removal. Chlorination byproducts of BPA, E2, and EE2 elicited low levels of estrogenicity over an extended period of time. For equivalent molar oxidant dosages, ozone and chlorine had comparable residual proliferative effect values and >99% loss of the parent compounds. For oxidation studies of estrogenic chemicals, ammonium chloride was found to adequately quench residual chlorine without interfering with cell culture assay. Oxidation of test compounds with chlorine and ozone resulted in a similar estrogenicity trend, with a relative higher level of estrogenicity elicited during the early phases of oxidation, which gradually dissipated over the extended exposure time to a stable point. Oxidation with ozone resulted in the rapid transformation of test compounds, reaching a stabilized estrogenic level in 10 min, whereas for chlorination it took more than 120 min for elicited estrogenicity to stabilize.
Measurement of the Nuclear Absorption of Electrons by the Atmosphere up to about 10 10 Electron-Volts

ACCURATE observations on cosmic ray intensities as measured by Neher electroscopes have been made in the equatorial belt (Madras, India, mag. lat. 3° N.) and in San Antonio, Texas (mag. lat. 38·5° N.) up to between 98 and 99 per cent of the way to the top of the atmosphere. The most significant results of these measurements may be summarized as follows:
Visual summaries for low-bandwidth semantic mapping with autonomous underwater vehicles

A fundamental problem in autonomous underwater robotics is the high latency between the capture of image data and the time at which operators are able to gain a visual understanding of the survey environment. Typical missions can generate imagery at rates orders of magnitude greater than highly compressed images can be transmitted acoustically, delaying that understanding until after the robot has been recovered and the data analyzed. We present modifications to state-of-the-art online visual summary techniques that enable an autonomous robot to select representative images to be compressed and transmitted acoustically to the surface ship. These transmitted images then serve as the basis for a semantic map which, combined with scalar navigation data and classification masks, can provide an operator with a visual understanding of the survey environment while a mission is still underway.
Potassium-titanyl-phosphate laser vaporization of the prostate : A comparative functional and pathologic study in canines

Objectives. We compared the functional and pathologic results of potassium-titanyl-phosphate (KTP) laservaporization prostatectomy with those of neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser vaporization and coagulation prostatectomy in dogs. Methods. The prostates of 41 dogs were treated with KTP laser vaporization (n=21), Nd:YAG laser vaporization (n=10), or Nd:YAG laser coagulation (n=10). Dogs were sacrificed 2 days or 8 weeks after treatment. Prostates were weighed, measured, serially sectioned, and whole-mounted for histologic analysis. Results. All techniques were hemostatic, and no irrigant absorption was detected. KTP laser vaporization produced a prostatic defect with a mean diameter of 3.0 and 2.4 cm at 2 days and 8 weeks postoperatively, respectively. Smaller defects (P<0.0005 at 2 days and P<0.02 at 8 weeks) were produced by Nd:YAG laser vaporization (2.0 and 1.4 cm, respectively) and coagulation (0.5 and 0.9 cm, respectively). No dog treated with KTP laser vaporization was incontinent or developed urinary retention, including 5 dogs whose urethral catheters were removed within 24 hours of surgery. Conclusions. KTP laser vaporization prostatectomy not only provides hemostasis similar to that obtainedwith Nd:YAG laser coagulation, but also removes tissue at the time of operation, allowing dogs to void without straining within 24 hours of treatment. In addition, the procedure is technically simple, and the operator has excellent control over exactly which tissue is removed and which is left intact. These findings suggest that KTP laser vaporization may be useful in the treatment of human benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Addressing spiritual concerns in family medicine: a team approach.

Spiritual conflicts and concerns often accompany serious illness, but many family physicians are slow to recognize these concerns or unsure how to address them. The case of a patient with spinal cord injury and who later developed an astrocytoma is used to illustrate a team approach that involved a family physician, a spiritual counselor, and a psychologist. Narrative writing exercises in which the patient was encouraged to tell his own story also played a role in treatment. The case report includes the patient’s own description of his experience with spirituality and spiritual counseling, as well as the perspectives of the spiritual counselor.
A new Look at Stone drills of the Indus Valley Tradition

Drilling technology of the Indus Valley Tradition was highly specialized and various types of chert and jasper were used to drill different types of materials. Earlier studies used primarily macroscopic observations to define features such as the manufacturing technique of drills, the raw materials and the mechanics of drilling. These generalizations can be revised given the discovery of important workshop areas and the availability of SEM, XRD and electron microprobe analysis. This paper will summarize the current state of. drilling research and define two categories of drills that were used in antiquity; tapered cylindrical drills and constricted cylindrical drills. Directions for future research on the relationship between drilling and other contemporaneous technologies are discussed.
5. Traumatic Intrastromal Corneal Cyst

This case report describes the clinical and pathological characteristics of an intrastromal epithelial corneal cyst. This lesion tends to occur after relatively minor trauma, in younger patients, and is a slowly progressive disorder that develops over many years. The eye shows no signs of inflammation. The cyst typically appears opalescent but may be characterized by a fluid level. Pathologically, the cyst cavity is lined by cells with features similar to those of limbal corneal eplithelium. Treatment consists of removal or destruction of the epithelial cells lining the cavity.
METHODS, TRENDS AND CONTROVERSIES IN CONTEMPORARY BENEFIT TRANSFER

Benefit transfer uses research results from pre-existing primary research to predict welfare estimates for other sites of policy significance for which primary valuation estimates are unavailable. Despite the sizable literature and the ubiquity of benefit transfer in policy analysis, the method remains subject to controversy. There is also a divergence between transfer practices recommended by the scholarly literature and those commonly applied within policy analysis. The size, complexity and relative disorganization of the literature may represent an obstacle to the use of updated methods by practitioners. Recognizing the importance of benefit transfer for policymaking and the breadth of associated scholarly work, this paper reviews and synthesizes the benefit transfer literature. It highlights methods, trends and controversies in contemporary research, identifies issues and challenges facing benefit transfer practitioners and summarizes research contributions. Several areas of future research on benefit transfers naturally emerge. Copyright © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
An Introduction to Intertask Transfer for Reinforcement Learning

Transfer learning has recently gained popularity due to the development of algorithms that can successfully generalize information across multiple tasks. This article focuses on transfer in the context of reinforcement learning domains, a general learning framework where an agent acts in an environment to maximize a reward signal. The goals of this article are to (1) familiarize readers with the transfer learning problem in reinforcement learning domains, (2) explain why the problem is both interesting and difﬁcult, (3) present a selection of existing techniques that demonstrate different solutions, and (4) provide representative open problems in the hope of encouraging additional research in this exciting area.
Morphological and enzymatic correlates of aerobic and burst performance in different populations of Trinidadian guppies Poecilia reticulata.

We examined the mechanistic basis for two whole-animal performance traits, aerobic capacity and burst speed, in six laboratory-reared Trinidadian guppy populations from different native drainages with contrasting levels of predation. Using within- and between-population variation, we tested whether variation in organs and organ systems (heart, gill and swimming motor mass) and the activities of several enzymes that support locomotion (citrate synthetase, lactate dehydrogenase and myofibrillar ATPase) are correlated with aerobic performance (maximum rates of oxygen consumption, V O2max) or burst performance (maximum swim speed during escape responses). We also tested for associations between physiological traits and habitat type (different drainages and predation levels). Organ size and enzyme activities showed substantial size-independent variation, and both performance measures were strongly correlated to body size. After accounting for size effects, neither burst nor aerobic performance was strongly correlated to any organ size or enzymatic variable, or to each other. Two principal components (PCI, PC2) in both males and females accounted for most of the variance in the organ size and enzymatic variables. In both sexes, heart and gill mass tended to covary and were negatively associated with citrate synthetase and lactate dehydrogenase activity. In males (but not females), variation in aerobic performance was weakly but significantly correlated to variation in PC1, suggesting that heart and gill mass scale positively with V O2max. Neither of the component variables and no single morphological or enzymatic trait was correlated to burst speed in either sex. Evolutionary changes in important life history traits occur rapidly in guppy populations subjected to different predation intensities (high mortality in downstream sites inhabited by large predatory fish; low mortality in upstream sites lacking large predators). We found significant differences between stream drainages in all morphological variables and most enzymatic variables, but only the mass of the swimming motor and LDH activity were significantly affected by predation regime. Overall, our data show that microevolution has occurred in the physiological foundations of locomotor performance in guppies, but evolutionary changes in physiology do not closely correspond to the predation-induced changes in life history parameters.
Collaborative care for adolescent depression: a pilot study

Abstract Objective The main objectives of this study were to explore the preliminary outcomes and assess the feasibility and acceptability of a collaborative care intervention designed to improve treatment and outcomes of depression among youth seen in primary care settings. Methods We conducted a pilot intervention study at three clinics in a university affiliated primary care clinic network. The intervention model was designed to support the provision of depression treatment by primary care providers using methods adapted from the IMPACT study developed for the improvement of depression among older adults. Specific components include the provision of regular case management by a nurse depression care manager (DCM), enhanced patient and parent education about depression and its treatment, encouragement of patient self-management with a choice of starting medications or therapy or both, and oversight of the DCM by a mental health specialist. Study participants were assessed regularly by the DCM for 6 months and completed written self-report assessments at baseline, 3, and 6 months after starting the intervention. Results 40 youth (12-18 years) with major and minor depression enrolled in the intervention. Study participants were predominantly female (90%). The baseline Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) score was 14.2 (SD=4.5). Patients were similarly divided among initiating medications (n=12), therapy (n=15), or combination therapy (n=8). Five patients withdrew prior to initiating treatment. The mean number of in person and telephone contacts with the DCM was 9 (range=5 to 17). Eighty-seven percent of youth completed the 6-month intervention. At 6 month follow-up, 74% of youth had a 50% or more reduction in depressive symptoms as measured by the PHQ-9. Parents, youth and physicians indicated high levels of satisfaction with the intervention on written surveys and in qualitative exit interviews. Conclusion The collaborative care model is feasible and highly acceptable to adolescents and parents as demonstrated both by self-report and by engagement in the intervention. It is also associated with improved depressive outcomes at similar levels to adult interventions. Future studies should evaluate these models in a randomized controlled trial.
Rationally designed bidirectional promoter improves the evolutionary stability of synthetic genetic circuits

One problem with synthetic genes in genetically engineered organisms is that these foreign DNAs will eventually lose their functions over evolutionary time in absence of selective pressures. This general limitation can restrain the long-term study and industrial application of synthetic genetic circuits. Previous studies have shown that because of their crucial regulatory functions, prokaryotic promoters in synthetic genetic circuits are especially vulnerable to mutations. In this study, we rationally designed robust bidirectional promoters (BDPs), which are self-protected through the complementarity of their overlapping forward and backward promoter sequences on DNA duplex. When the transcription of a target non-essential gene (e.g. green fluorescent protein) was coupled to the transcription of an essential gene (e.g. antibiotic resistance gene) through the BDP, the evolutionary half-time of the gene of interest increases 4–10 times, depending on the strain and experimental conditions used. This design of using BDPs to increase the mutational stability of genetic circuits can be potentially applied to synthetic biology applications in general.
Anesthesia for Liver Transplantation

Advances in surgical and anesthetic techniques have provided great success in liver transplantation, with more than 4,000 liver transplantations performed annu ally in the United States. Indications for transplanta tions include the various forms of cirrhosis, commonly resulting from hepatitis B or C, alcoholism, or acute hepatic failure from drug toxicity or poisoning. Cadav eric donor livers are resected and may be transplanted up to 24 hours later while the recipient is prepared for surgery. These operations may last 10 hours and require large amounts of blood products. Extrahepatic prob lems from their end-stage liver disease are common and affect nearly all organ systems. Intraoperative monitor ing of acid-base status, electrolytes, intravascular vol ume, and coagulation parameters is essential. Preexist ing coagulopathies from liver disease, complications of massive transfusions and fibrinolysis from the new liver create complex coagulation disturbances requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment. Meta...
Dual interband cascade laser based trace-gas sensor for environmental monitoring

The development of an interband cascade laser (ICL) based spectroscopic trace-gas sensor for the simultaneous detection of two atmospheric trace gases is reported. The sensor performance was evaluated using two ICLs capable of targeting formaldehyde (H2CO) and ethane (C2H6). Minimum detection limits of 3.5 ppbV for H2CO and 150 pptV for C2H6 was demonstrated with a 1 s integration time. The sensor was deployed for field measurements of H2CO, and laboratory quantification of both formaldehyde and ethane are reported. A cross comparison of the atmospheric concentration data for H2CO with data collected by a collocated commercial H2CO sensor employing Hantzsch reaction based fluorometric detection was performed. These results show excellent agreement between these two different approaches for trace-gas quantification. In addition, laboratory experiments for dual gas quantification show accurate, fast response with no crosstalk between the two gas channels.
The cost-effectiveness of surgical treatment of medial unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis in younger patients: a computer model-based evaluation

Background: Surgical options for the management of medial compartment osteoarthritis of the varus knee include high tibial osteotomy, unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, and total knee arthroplasty. We sought to determine the cost-effectiveness of high tibial osteotomy and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty as alternatives to total knee arthroplasty for patients fifty to sixty years of age. Methods: We built a probabilistic state-transition computer model with health states defined by pain, postoperative complications, and subsequent surgical procedures. We estimated transition probabilities from published literature. Costs were determined from Medicare reimbursement schedules. Health outcomes were measured in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). We conducted analyses over patients’ lifetimes from the societal perspective, with health and cost outcomes discounted by 3% annually. We used probabilistic sensitivity analyses to account for uncertainty in data inputs. Results: The estimated discounted QALYs were 14.62, 14.63, and 14.64 for high tibial osteotomy, unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, and total knee arthroplasty, respectively. Discounted total direct medical costs were $20,436 for high tibial osteotomy, $24,637 for unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, and $24,761 for total knee arthroplasty (in 2012 U.S. dollars). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was $231,900 per QALY for total knee arthroplasty and $420,100 per QALY for unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses showed that, at a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $50,000 per QALY, high tibial osteotomy was cost-effective 57% of the time; total knee arthroplasty, 24%; and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, 19%. At a WTP threshold of $100,000 per QALY, high tibial osteotomy was cost-effective 43% of time; total knee arthroplasty, 31%; and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, 26%. Conclusions: In fifty to sixty-year-old patients with medial unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis, high tibial osteotomy is an attractive option compared with unicompartmental knee arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty. This finding supports greater utilization of high tibial osteotomy for these patients. The cost-effectiveness of high tibial osteotomy and of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty depend on rates of conversion to total knee arthroplasty and the clinical outcomes of the conversions. Level of Evidence: Economic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Application adaptive energy efficient clustered architectures

As clock frequency and die area increase, achieving energy efficiency, while distributing a low skew, global clock signal becomes increasingly difficult. Challenges imposed by deep-submicron technologies can be alleviated by using a multiple voltage/multiple frequency island design style, or otherwise called, globally asynchronous, locally synchronous (GALS) design paradigm. This paper proposes a clustered architecture that enables application-adaptive energy efficiency through the use of dynamic voltage scaling for application code that is rendered non-critical for the overall performance, at run-time. As opposed to task scheduling using dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) that exploits workload variations across applications, our approach targets workload variations within the same application, while on-the fly classifying code as critical or non-critical and adapting to changes in the criticality of such code portions. Our results show that application adaptive variable voltage/variable frequency clustered architectures are up to 22% better in energy and 11% better in energy-delay product than their non-adaptive counterparts, while providing up to 31% more energy savings when compared to DVS applied globally.
Development and Validation of a High-Volume, Low-Cutoff Inertial Impactor

A low-cutoff, high-volume conventional impactor has been designed. This sampler uses a slit-shaped acceleration jet and operates at 1100 L/min. The impaction substrate is polyurethane foam (PUF). The impactor collection efficiency was characterized using polydisperse particles, and the 50% size cutoff point was 0.12 im. Losses within the sampler were also characterized and were less than 10%. The use of polyurethane foam (PUF) as a substrate has the following advantages: (I) PUF has a very high particle collection efficiency over a large range of particle sizes, even under conditions of heavy particle loading, as compared to other impaction substrates, such as flat plates and less porous membranes, which typically are subject to significant bounce-off and reentrainment; (2) no oil or grease coating is required, so potential interferences of impurities within such coatings are avoided when chemical, biological, and toxicological tests are performed on the collected particles; (3) PUF itself is chemically inert, minimizing interference with any of these tests; (4) because of the high flow rate of 1100 L/min, a large amount of particles can be collected in a short period of time on a relatively small surface of substrate, facilitating recovery of the collected particles for the different tests; and (5) a large amount of particles can be collected on a relatively small collection surface and easily extracted with small amounts of water or organic solvents. This method will be suitable for the collection of large amounts for toxicological studies and analysis of organic aerosols, which is not possible with other high-volume samplers that utilize large filtration surfaces.
Inverse Procedural Modeling by Automatic Generation of L‐systems

We present an important step towards the solution of the problem of inverse procedural modeling by generating parametric context-free L-systems that represent an input 2D model. The L-systemrules efficiently code the regular structures and the parameters represent the properties of the structure transformations. The algorithm takes as input a 2D vector image that is composed of atomic elements, such as curves and poly-lines. Similar elements are recognized and assigned terminal symbols ofan L-systemalphabet. Theterminal symbols’ position and orientation are pair-wise compared and the transformations are stored as points in multiple 4D transformation spaces. By careful analysis of the clusters in the transformation spaces, we detect sequences of elements and code them as L-system rules. The coded elements are then removed from the clusters, the clusters are updated, and then the analysis attempts to code groups of elements in (hierarchies) the same way. The analysis ends with a single group of elements that is coded as an L-system axiom. We recognize and code branching sequences of linearly translated, scaled, and rotated elements and their hierarchies. The L-system not only represents the input image, but it can also be used for various editing operations. By changing the L-system parameters, the image can be randomized, symmetrized, and groups of elements and regular structures can be edited. By changing the terminal and non-terminal symbols, elements or groups of elements can be replaced.
Hydrophilic polymer embolism induced acute transcatheter aortic valve thrombosis: A novel complication

Hydrophilic polymer coated introducer sheaths and medical devices are widely used in interventional cardiology. Despite the potential procedural advantages that these provide, a risk of polymer embolization has been recently reported. We describe the first reported case of hydrophilic polymer induced acute transcatheter aortic valve thrombosis.
Binding of Clostridium difficile toxin A to human milk secretory component

Toxigenic Clostridium difficile is isolated from a majority of healthy human infants. The exact mechanism of asymptomatic colonisation is unclear; however, previous studies in this laboratory have shown that components of both the immunoglobulin and non-immunoglobulin fractions of human milk bind to toxin A and prevent its interaction with hamster intestinal brush border membranes (BBMs). Secretory IgA (sIgA) is the primary immunoglobulin found in human milk. As sIgA resists digestion in the infant stomach and passes at high levels into the colon, its ability to bind toxin A was the subject of this investigation. Purified sIgA in concentrations at and below those found in human milk inhibited the binding of toxin A to purified BBM receptors. Heating sIgA to 100 degrees C for 5 min did not affect its inhibitory activity. IgM, IgG and serum IgA did not appreciably inhibit the binding of toxin A to BBM receptors. SDS-PAGE separated sIgA into three major bands: secretory component, heavy chains and light chains. Autoradiography with radiolabelled toxin A revealed that toxin A bound to the secretory component (SC) of sIgA. When the three purified subunits of sIgA were coated on to microtitration wells, SC bound significantly more toxin A than the heavy or light chains of sIgA. Purified SC also inhibited toxin binding to receptors in a dose-dependent fashion similar to sIgA. The heavy and light chains of sIgA did not inhibit toxin A receptor binding. Removing carbohydrates from sIgA and SC by enzymic digestion showed that toxin A binds much less to deglycosylated SC than to glycosylated SC. These data suggest that SC in human milk binds to toxin A and may function as a receptor analogue, protecting human infants against C. difficile-associated disease.
Microstructures of low and middle-level clouds over the Beaufort Sea

Airborne measurements in low and middle-level clouds over the Beaufort Sea in April 1992 and June 1995 show that these clouds often have low droplet concentrations (<100 cm3) and relatively large effective droplet radii. The highest average droplet concentrations overall were measured in altocumulus clouds that formed in airflows from the south that passed either over the North American continent or were from Asia. Droplet concentrations in low clouds tended to be higher in April than in June. The low clouds in June occasionally contained drops as large as 35 μm diameter; in these clouds the collision-coalescence process was active and produced regions of extensive drizzle. Cloud-top droplet concentrations were significantly correlated with aerosols beneath their bases, but appeared to be relatively unaffected by aerosols above their tops. Anthropogenic sources around Deadhorse, Alaska, increased local cloud droplet concentrations. Ice particle concentrations were generally low in April, but high ice particle concentrations were encountered in June when cloud-top temperatures were considerably higher. On two days in June, tens per litre of columnar and needle ice crystals were measured in stratocumulus with top temperatures between −4 and −9 °C. Ice particle concentrations were poorly correlated with temperature (r = 0.39) but, for the two data sets as a whole, the concentrations of ice particles tended to increase with increasing temperature from −30 to −4.5 °C. Ice particle concentrations correlated better with the size of the largest droplets (r = 0.61). The most common mixed-phased cloud structure encountered was a cloud topped by liquid water that precipitated ice. Liquid-water topped clouds were observed down to temperatures of −31 °C. They are likely common in the Arctic, and may play an important role in the radiation balance of the region. Temperature lapse rates in the clouds were generally complex, reflecting either layering, due to differential advection, or radiational effects. In these cases, vertical profiles of liquid-water content and effective cloud droplet radius did not vary systematically with height above cloud base, as they do in well-mixed clouds. However, when the temperature in a cloud decreased with height at or very near the pseudo-adiabatic lapse rate, the cloud liquid-water content (and various measures of the broadness of the cloud droplet size distribution) generally increased monotonically with height until very close to cloud top. For clouds consisting entirely of droplets, or droplets and ice crystals, cloud coverage increased by about 10% when the definition of a cloud was changed from 10 to 5 droplets per cubic centimetre. For clouds containing ice particles, cloud coverage and/or cloud depth increased by about 40% when the definition of a cloud was changed from 1 to 0.1 ice particles per litre. The significance of these observations with respect to the effects of clouds on the radiation budget of the Arctic, and the potential for modification of arctic clouds by pollution, are discussed.
Supporting Access to Open Online Courses for Learners of Developing Countries

This paper examines how access to, and use of, open online courses may be enhanced for learners of developing countries from a learner perspective. Using analysis of the open education concept, factors that affect access to open educational resources content, and universal standards for delivering online learning, the author demonstrates that the open education concept, access, and participation in open online courses follow a three-level relationship. This relationship is affected by technological, economic, and more importantly, social factors, all of which play dual and opposite roles. The open education concept forms the foundation of the three-level relationship, while access maintains a central role from which participation, including use, repurposing, and redistribution of resources depend. The submission is that the relationship among openness, access, and participation should be a major consideration for producers and providers of open online courses who seek to support access for learners of developing countries.
Stiff, strong zero thermal expansion lattices via the Poisson effect

Designing structures that have minimal or zero coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) are useful in many engineering applications. Zero thermal expansion is achievable with the design of porous materials. The behavior is primarily stretch-dominated, resulting in favorable stiffness. Two and three-dimensional lattices are designed using ribs consisting of straight tubes containing two nested shells of differing materials. Differential Poisson contraction counteracts thermal elongation. Tubular ribs provide superior buckling strength. Zero expansion is achieved using positive expansion isotropic materials provided axial deformation is decoupled by lubrication or segmentation. Anisotropic materials allow more design freedom. Properties of two-dimensional zero expansion lattices, of several designs, are compared with those of triangular and hexagonal honeycomb nonzero expansion lattices in a modulus-density map. A three-dimensional, zero expansion, octet-truss lattice is also analyzed. Analysis of relative density, mechanical stiffness, and Euler buckling strength reveals high stiffness in stretch-dominated lattices and enhanced strength due to tubular ribs.
Elucidating the mechanism of reversible oxiranations via magnetization transfer spectroscopy.

The reversible [2 + 1] cycloadditions between an N,N′-diamidocarbene (DAC) and eight aldehydes were examined using NMR spectroscopy. Variable temperature magnetization transfer experiments revealed higher exchange rates and lower activation barriers when electron-deficient aldehydes were employed. Likewise, competitive equilibrium studies indicated a thermodynamic preference for electron-deficient aryl and sterically unhindered alkyl aldehydes compared to more electron-rich or bulkier substrates. Collectively, these and other data collected were consistent with the oxiranation process proceeding in an asynchronous manner.
Return of investment and profitability analysis of bio-fuels production using a modeling approach

Abstract The objectives of this study were to evaluate the return of investment and profitability of a bio-gasification facility using a modeling method. Based on preliminary market analysis, the results determined that the power facilities driven by biomass gasifiers could be profitable if they consider the most sensitive cost factors such as labor, project investment, and feedstock supply. The result showed that economic feasibility of bio-gasification facility can significantly affect by its production capacity and operating modes (one shift, two shifts, or three shifts). The cost analysis modeling approach developed in this study could be a good approach for economic analysis of bio-syngas and bio-fuel products. In addition, this study demonstrated a unique modeling approach to analyze return of investment and profitability of biofuels production.
Tertiary Hyperparathyroidism and Apparent Cure of Vitamin-D-Resistant Rickets after Removal of an Ossifying Mesenchymal Tumor of the Pharynx

Abstract In a 40-year-old man with bone pain, hypophosphatemia, normocalcemia, elevated serum alkaline phosphatase and increased renal phosphate clearance, and radiologic evidence of osteomalacia, ...
Geologic Education in the 1990's — The Impact of Personal Computers

ABSTRACT The increasing use of personal computers by educators and the evolution of sophisticated graphics capabilities of these machines coupled with the ready availability of commercial software that is both easy to use and is suited to educators' needs are the continuing trends fueling a revolution in the way computers are used in geoscience education. This revolution, yet in its infancy, is supported by the four major categories of software that drive it: (1) productivity software, (2) graphics-linked database software, (3) investigatory simulation software, and (4) random-access lecturing software.
Use of a shuttle vector for the transformation of the white rot basidiomycete, Phanerochaete chrysosporium.

Abstract A novel shuttle vector based spheroplast transformation system for the lignin degrading filamentous fungus P. chrysosporium is described. The transformation vector, designated pRR12, consists of the yeast integration plasmid YIp5, a putative autonomous replication sequence ( ars ) of P. chrysosporium , and a 2.2 kb Pvu II fragment carrying kan r determinant from plasmid pNG35, which confers resistance against both kanamycin and the related antibiotic G418. Two different strains of P. chrysosporium (ME446 and BKM-F) were transformed to G418 resistance using vector pRR12. Approximately 20 transformants per μg of vector DNA were obtained. The transforming vector pRR12 could be recovered from the total DNA of transformants by E. coli transformation, albeit at a low frequency.
Abstract 902: RNA-Seq profiling of silibinin effects on bladder cancer cells

Silibinin is the major active constituent of silymarin, an extract of the milk thistle seeds, containing a mixture of flavonolignans such as silibinin and isosilibinin. Silibinin has been shown to have significant anti-cancer effects in a variety of cancer types, including bladder, kidney, prostate, skin, breast, lung and colon cancer. Silibinin (10 μM) significantly suppressed proliferation and invasion of T24 and UM-UC-3 bladder cancer cells. Western blot analysis showed that silibinin significantly reduces expression of vimentin and slug in these bladder cells. Vimentin is overexpressed in various cancers and is known to promote tumor growth, invasion, and poor prognosis. Slug, a transcriptional repressor which mediates epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), has been implicated in tumor metastasis. These results indicate that silibinin inhibits proliferation and invasion by suppressing vimentin and slug in bladder cancer cells. We studed the anti-cancer effects of silibinin in bladder cancer cells using RNA-Seq, a transcriptome profiling technique that uses deep-sequencing to quantitatively investigate the global behavior of transcriptomes. We will discuss the RNA-Seq profiling of the anti-cancer effects of silibinin in bladder cancer cells, including the vimentin and slug networks. Citation Format: Soichiro Yamamura, Yozo Mitsui, Nathan Bucay, Sharanjot Saini, Shahana Majid, Guoren Deng, Varahram Shahryary, Rajvir Dahiya, Yuichiro Tanaka. RNA-Seq profiling of silibinin effects on bladder cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 902. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-902
Ezetimibe Increases Endogenous Cholesterol Excretion in Humans.

Objective— Ezetimibe improves cardiovascular outcomes when added to optimum statin treatment. It lowers low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and percent intestinal cholesterol absorption, but the exact cardioprotective mechanism is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that the dominant effect of ezetimibe is to increase the reverse transport of cholesterol from rapidly mixing endogenous cholesterol pool into the stool. Approach and Results— In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind parallel trial in 24 healthy subjects with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol 100 to 200 mg/dL, we measured cholesterol metabolism before and after a 6-week treatment period with ezetimibe 10 mg/d or placebo. Plasma cholesterol was labeled by intravenous infusion of cholesterol-d 7 in a lipid emulsion and dietary cholesterol with cholesterol-d 5 and sitostanol-d 4 solubilized in oil. Plasma and stool samples collected during a cholesterol- and phytosterol-controlled metabolic kitchen diet were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Ezetimibe reduced intestinal cholesterol absorption efficiency 30±4.3% (SE, P P =0.0001). Body cholesterol pool size was unchanged, but fecal endogenous cholesterol excretion increased 66.6±12.2% ( P P P =0.0096). Fecal bile acids were unchanged. Conclusions— Ezetimibe increased the efficiency of reverse cholesterol transport from rapidly mixing plasma and tissue pools into the stool. Further work is needed to examine the potential relation of reverse cholesterol transport and whole body cholesterol metabolism to coronary events and the treatment of atherosclerosis. Clinical Trials Registration— URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01603758.
Utilization of Cellulose Nanofibrils as a Binder for Particleboard Manufacture

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) were investigated as a binder in the formulation of particleboard (PB) panels. The panels were produced in four different groups of target densities with varying amounts of CNF binder. The produced panels were then tested to determine the modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), internal bond (IB), water absorption (WA), and thickness swelling (TS) properties. Density gradients through the thickness of the panels were evaluated using an X-ray density profiler. The effect of drying on the strength development and adhesion between CNF and wood particles (WP) was investigated, and the effect of surface roughness on the wood-CNF bonding strength was evaluated through lap shear testing and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that at lower panel densities, the produced samples met the minimum standard values recommended for particleboard panels. Medium-density panels met the standard levels for IB, but they did not reach the recommended values for MOR and MOE. The possible bonding mechanism and panel formation process are discussed in light of microscopic observations and the results of lap shear tests were presented.
Non-Smooth Control of Bifurcation Phenomena in Aircraft Flight

Abstract Analysis and control of bifurcation phenomena occurring in aircraft flight have been reported in a number of recent studies. It has been shown that smooth nonlinear feedback is capable of enlarging the region of stability near critical parameters for aircraft models. An integrated approach employing generalized normal forms reduction for both analysis and smooth control of aircraft instabilities has been presented in our recent paper. In this paper we examine how a more efficient compound resonance control consisting of non-smooth and smooth components stabilizes transition behavior coupled with bifurcation of codimension two found in a nonlinear plant modeling aircraft flight. It is shown that such control essentially reduces the magnitude of smooth feedback gain and simultaneously provides the desired decay of distortion.
Lattice QCD results on chemical freeze-out

The latest lattice QCD results on fluctuations of conserved charges at finite temperature and density are reviewed, and connected to the experimental moments of their net-multiplicity distributions, in order to describe the chemical freeze-out from first principles.