Sci-Hub

1783001294

Phthalates impact human health: Epidemiological evidences and plausible mechanism of action

Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2017

Disregarding the rising alarm on the hazardous nature of various phthalates and their metabolites, ruthless usage of phthalates as plasticizer in plastics and as additives in innumerable consumer products continues due low their cost, attractive properties, and lack of suitable alternatives. Globally, in silico computational, in vitro mechanistic, in vivo preclinical and limited clinical or epidemiological human studies showed that over a dozen phthalates and their metabolites ingested passively by man from the general environment, foods, drinks, breathing air, and routine household products cause various dysfunctions. Thus, this review addresses the health hazards posed by phthalates on children and adolescents, epigenetic modulation, reproductive toxicity ...

1783001294

Fearing the unknown: A short version of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale

Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2007

Intolerance of uncertainty is the tendency of an individual to consider the possibility of a negative event occurring unacceptable, irrespective of the probability of occurrence. It is a key component of worry, state anxiety, and related anxiety pathologies. The 27-item Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS) was developed to measure intolerance of uncertainty. Previous psychometric analyses of the IUS have suggested both four- and five-factor models. High inter-item correlations, factor instability, and previous theoretical research support the development of a reduced measure. The present study used two undergraduate samples and evaluated a psychometrically stable 12-item two-factor version of the IUS. The reduced measure (IUS-12) retained exemplary interna...

1783001294

Effect of modified atmospheres on microbiological, color and sensory properties of refrigerated pork

Meat Science, 2005

Pork loin samples were stored (4 °C) in nylon polyethylene plastic bags using different modified atmospheres packaging (MAP): vacuum, 100% CO2 99% CO2 + 1% CO, 100% O2 or 100% CO followed by vacuum. Throughout the storage period Pseudomonas growth was limited in loins packaged in all MAPs evaluated, except for 100% O2. Psychrotrophs reached 107 CFU g−1 after 20 days of storage except for the loin samples in 100% O2 MAP that present count above 108 CFU g−1. The 1% CO/99% CO2 atmosphere was best for preserving the desirable pork loin color and the L* and a* values remained similar to the fresh meat values using this MAP. Pork loins in 99% CO2/1% CO MAP obtained the highest consumer acceptance scores after 24 h of storage. These samples and those treated w...

1783001294

Negative Affect as a Mechanism of Exemplification Effects

Communication Research, 2016

This study explores the effect of negative exemplars on two-sided message recall and risk perception, as mediated by negative affect. In an experiment, participants were randomly assigned to an article presenting conflicting risk arguments about vaccination that included a photograph exemplifying one argument side (receiving a vaccine is risky), a photograph exemplifying the other argument side ( not receiving a vaccine is risky), or no photograph (control condition). Exemplifying the risks associated with vaccination influenced uneven recall and risk perception. Negative affect, rather than perceived argument strength, mediated these effects and was a stronger predictor of risk perception than risk argument recall, lending support to the affect heuristic. H...

1783001293

Influence of zeolite and lime as additives on greenhouse gas emissions and maturity evolution during sewage sludge composting

Bioresource Technology, 2016

This study aimed to evaluate the role of different amount of zeolite with low dosage of lime amendment on the greenhouse gas (GHGs) emission and maturity during the dewatered fresh sewage sludge (DFSS) composting. The evolution of CO2, CH4, NH3 and N2O and maturity indexes were monitored in five composting mixtures prepared from DFSS mixed with wheat straw, while 10%, 15% and 30% zeolite+1% lime were supplemented (dry weight basis of DFSS) into the composting mass and compared with treatment only 1% lime amended and control without any amendment. The results showed that addition of higher dosage of zeolite+1% lime drastically reduce the GHGs emissions and NH3 loss. Comparison of GHGs emissions and compost quality showed that zeolite amended treatments were s...

1783001293

Calcium phosphate decontamination of stainless steel surfaces

AIChE Journal, 1996

A primary constituent in high-temperature (120–140°C) milk fouling residues is calcium phosphate in the form of calcium phosphate dihydrate (brushite, CaHPO4 · 2H2O) and hydroxyapatite [Ca5(PO4)3OH]. The removal of these mineral-rich deposits from stainless steel occurs by dissolution and mechanical cleaning. This research uses a novel solid scintillation technique to noninvasively and continuously investigate the removal of P32-labeled mixtures of calcium phosphate from inner surface of stainless steel tubes. The proposed mass-transfer model suggests that the film is initialy removed by dissolution, when compared to the experimental results. An alternative first-order model presented includes the effects of the solvent flow rate and solvent pH on decont...

1783001293

Hydrogen-bond memory and water-skin supersolidity resolving the Mpemba paradox

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014

We demonstrate that the Mpemba paradox arises intrinsically from the release rate of energy initially stored in the covalent H-O part of the O:H-O bond in water albeit experimental conditions. Generally, heating raises the energy of a substance by lengthening and softening all bonds involved. However, the O:H nonbond in water follows actively the general rule of thermal expansion and drives the H-O covalent bond to relax oppositely in length and energy because of the inter-electron-electron pair coupling [J Phys Chem Lett 4, 2565 (2013); ibid 4, 3238 (2013)]. Heating stores energy into the H-O bond by shortening and stiffening it. Cooling the water as the source in a refrigerator as a drain, the H-O bond releases its energy at a rate that depends exponential...

1783001292

Lavage through percutaneous catheter drains in severe acute pancreatitis: Does it help?A randomized control trial

Pancreatology, 2019

There is no study comparing large volume lavage through image guided percutaneously placed drains in severe acute pancreatitis. Of the 114 randomized patients, 60 eligible candidates were randomly allocated to – Lavage Treatment (LT) group (28 patients) and Dependent Drainage (DD) group (32 patients). Primary end point was reversal of pre-existing organ failure, development of new onset organ failure, need for surgery, mortality and hospital stay. Both the groups were comparable in terms of demographic data, onset and severity of pancreatitis. LT group had higher infected pancreatic necrosis (75% vs 50%,p = 0.047). On intention to treat analysis, lavage treatment group showed a significant reversal of persistent organ failure (84% vs 50%, p = 0.23), reduct...

1783001292

The Busiest of All Ribosomal Assistants: Elongation Factor Tu

Biochemistry, 2012

During translation, the nucleic acid language employed by genes is translated into the amino acid language used by proteins. The translator is the ribosome, while the dictionary employed is known as the genetic code. The genetic information is presented to the ribosome in the form of a mRNA, and tRNAs connect the two languages. Translation takes place in three steps: initiation, elongation, and termination. After a protein has been synthesized, the components of the translation apparatus are recycled. During each phase of translation, the ribosome collaborates with specific translation factors, which secure a proper balance between speed and fidelity. Notably, initiation, termination, and ribosomal recycling occur only once per protein produced during normal...

1783001292

Ecological cognition: expert decision-making behaviour in sport

International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 2017

Expert decision-making can be directly assessed, if sport action is understood as an expression of embedded and embodied cognition. Here, we discuss evidence for this claim, starting with a critical review of research literature on the perceptual-cognitive basis for expertise. In reviewing how performance and underlying processes are conceived and captured in extant sport psychology, we evaluate arguments in favour of a key role for actions in decision-making, situated in a performance environment. Key assumptions of an ecological dynamics perspective are also presented, highlighting how behaviours emerge from the continuous interactions in the performer-environment system. Perception is of affordances; and action, as an expression of cognition, is the reali...

1783001291

A meta-heuristic approach for solving the no-wait flow-shop problem

International Journal of Production Research, 2012

No-wait flow-shop scheduling problems refer to the set of problems in which a number of jobs are available for processing on a number of machines in a flow-shop context with the added constraint that there should be no waiting time between consecutive operations of the jobs. The problem is strongly NP-hard. In this paper, the considered performance measure is the makespan. In order to explore the feasible region of the problem, a hybrid algorithm of Tabu Search and Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO) is proposed. In the proposed approach, PSO algorithm is used in order to move from one solution to a neighbourhood solution. We first employ a new coding and decoding technique to efficiently map the discrete feasible space to the set of integer numbers. The propo...

1783001291

Association of SPINK5 gene polymorphisms with atopic dermatitis in Northeast China

Acad Dermatol Venereol, 2011

Abstract Background Defect in the SPINK5 gene is known to be implicated in Netherton syndrome (NS), and has been suggested to be a locus predisposing to atopy in general. Coding polymorphisms in SPINK5 exons 13, 14 and 26 have been reported to be associated with atopic dermatitis (AD), asthma and high level of IgE. Objectives To examine whether the SPINK5 gene polymorphisms are associated with AD in Northeast China, and to assess how variants influence selected phenotypic traits. Methods A case–control study was conducted on four non‐synonymous polymorphisms in the coding region of SPINK5 in AD and controls. The SPINK5 gene polymorphisms were analyzed using the PCR and RFLP methods. Results For the four non‐synonymous SNPs, A1103G(Asn368Ser), G1156A(As...

1783001291

Knowledge systems for sustainable development

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 2003

The challenge of meeting human development needs while protecting the earth's life support systems confronts scientists, technologists, policy makers, and communities from local to global levels. Many believe that science and technology (S&T) must play a more central role in sustainable development, yet little systematic scholarship exists on how to create institutions that effectively harness S&T for sustainability. This study suggests that efforts to mobilize S&T for sustainability are more likely to be effective when they manage boundaries between knowledge and action in ways that simultaneously enhance the salience, credibility, and legitimacy of the information they produce. Effective systems apply a variety of institutional mechanisms that ...

1783001291

The damage mechanism of fused silica surface induced by 355 nm nanosecond laser

Optik, 2011

In order to understand the physical mechanism, time-resolved dynamics of 355 nm nanosecond laser induced entrance and exit surface damage on fused silica was investigated by using shadow graphic technique. The results show that the damage mechanism is different between the entrance and exit surface during nanosecond laser interaction with fused silica. The plasma and shock waves in air is relatively higher at the entrance surface. The entrance surface damage is reduced because plasma shielding limits energy deposition. Without plasma shielding, the exit surface damage is more serious for more laser energy deposition in material. And without the stress of plasma and shock waves, the material is ejected easily at rear surface. These are confirmed by damage mic...

1783001290

Determining the Use of Nonpharmacologic Methods by Surgical Nurses for Postoperative Pain Management and the Influencing Professional Factors: A Multicenter Study

Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 2020

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the use of nonpharmacologic methods by surgical nurses for postoperative pain management and to identify the influencing professional factors. Design A regional survey model. Methods The sample of the study consisted of 443 surgical nurses working in regions of Turkey. The data were collected using a personal information form and questionnaire. Findings Hot-cold application (53.3%), exercise (50.8%), positioning (68.8%), movement restriction (35.7%), resting (55.5%), and distraction (42.2%) were among the methods usually used by nurses. The nurses who were working in the Black Sea region chose the nursing profession willingly, received the training on pain management, and used nonpharmacologic methods at hig...

1783001289

Biogas production and microbial community shift through neutral pH control during the anaerobic digestion of pig manure

Bioresource Technology, 2016

Laboratory-scale reactors, in which the pH could be auto-adjusted, were employed to investigate the mesophilic methane fermentation with pig manure (7.8% total solids) at pH 6.0, 7.0, and 8.0. Results showed that the performance of anaerobic digestion was strongly dependent on pH value. Biogas production and methane content at neutral pH 7.0 were significantly higher (16,607 mL, 51.81%) than those at pH 6.0 (6916 mL, 42.9%) and 8.0 (9739 mL, 35.6%). Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis fingerprinting and Shannon’s index indicated that the samples contained highly diverse microbial communities. The major genus at pH 7.0 was Methanocorpusculum, compared with that was Methanosarcina at both pH 6.0 and 8.0. Our research revealed that cultures maintained at ...

1783001289

Considering the alternative: Bakhtin’s carnivalesque and convergence of worlds of animals and humans in Yann Martel’s Life of Pi

Literator, 2018

Yann Martel’s Life of Pi recontextualises the traditional castaway narrative’s rationalist and reductivist worldview by incorporating carnivalised writing, or the carnivalesque, to examine alternative or ‘non-human’ ways of encountering the world. It is this subversive and liberating approach towards dominant cultural forms and beliefs that is manifested in Life of Pi through grotesque realism. Grotesque realism, as defined in Mikhail Bakhtin’s Rabelais and his world, is relevant to Martel’s novel, as this convention purports that animals embody the raw physicality of existence through their instinctual and amoral nature. In the context of the novel, carnivalesque writing contributes to the blurring of boundaries between human and animal in a way...

1783001289

Induction of decision trees in numeric domains using set-valued attributes

IDA, 2000

Conventional algorithms for decision tree induction use an attribute-val ue representatio n scheme for instances. This paper explores the empirical consequences of using set-valued attributes. This simple representational extension, when used as a pre-processor for numeric data, is shown to yield significant gains in accuracy combined with attractive build times. It is also shown to improve the accuracy for the second best classification option, which has valuable ramifications for post-processing. To do so an intuitive and practical version of pre-pruning is employed. Moreover, the implementation of a simple pruning scheme serves as an example of pruning applicability over the resulted trees and also as an indication that the proposed discretization absorbs...

1783001289

Antimicrobial peptides: agents of border protection for companion animals

Veterinary Dermatology, 2012

Over the past 20 years, there have been significant inroads into understanding the roles of antimicrobial peptides in homeostatic functions and their involvement in disease pathogenesis. In addition to direct antimicrobial activity, these peptides participate in many cellular functions, including chemotaxis, wound healing and even determination of canine coat colour. Various biological and genetic approaches have helped to elucidate the role of antimicrobial peptides with respect to innate immunity and host defense. Associations of antimicrobial peptides with various skin diseases, including psoriasis, rosacea and atopic dermatitis, have been documented in humans. In the longer term, therapeutic modulation of antimicrobial peptide expression may provide effe...

1783001288

Using Telemedicine for Pediatric Preanesthesia Evaluation: A Pilot Project

Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 2020

Abstract Purpose The purpose of the study was to implement using telemedicine for pediatric preanesthesia evaluation and to evaluate patient and provider satisfaction. Design This is a nonrandomized prospective evidence-based practice project. Methods Pediatric patients were nonrandomly recruited to receive preanesthesia evaluation by telemedicine. Patients, parents, and providers completed a 5-point Likert scale satisfaction survey after the encounter. Findings Overall satisfaction with using telemedicine was very high for both patients, parents, and providers, with an overall mean Likert scale score of 4.63 for patients and parents, and 4.67 for providers. Conclusions This project provides evidence in support of using telemedicine in the setting of pediatr...

1783001288

From global to local, food insecurity is associated with contemporary armed conflicts

Food Sec., 2016

Food security has attracted widespread attention in recent years. Yet, scientists and practitioners have predominately understood food security in terms of dietary energy availability and nutrient deficiencies, rather than in terms of food security’s consequential implications for social and political violence. The present study offers the first global evaluation of the effects of food insecurity on local conflict dynamics. An economic approach is adopted to empirically evaluate the degree to which food insecurity concerns produce an independent effect on armed conflict using comprehensive geographic data. Specifically, two agricultural output measures – a geographic area’s extent of cropland and a given agricultural location’s amount of cropland per...

1783001287

Performance, carotenoids yield and microbial population dynamics in a photobioreactor system treating acidic wastewater: Effect of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and organic loading rate (OLR)

Bioresource Technology, 2016

Effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and influent organic loading rate (OLR) were investigated in a photobioreactor containing PNSB (Rhodopseudomonas palustris)-chemoheterotrophic bacteria to treat volatile fatty acid wastewater. Pollutants removal, biomass production and carotenoids yield in different phases were investigated in together with functional microbial population dynamics. The results indicated that properly decreasing HRT and increasing OLR improved the nutrient removal performance as well as the biomass and carotenoids productions. 85.7% COD, 89.9% TN and 91.8% TP removals were achieved under the optimal HRT of 48h and OLR of 2.51g/L/d. Meanwhile, the highest biomass production and carotenoids yield were 2719.3mg/L and 3.91mg/g-biomass res...

1783001287

Efficient Absorption of SO₂ by EmimCl-EG Deep Eutectic Solvents

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng., 2017

In this work, we investigated SO2 absorption by deep eutectic solvents (DESs) formed by 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (EmimCl) and ethylene glycol (EG) under different conditions. DESs with different molar ratios of EmimCl and EG (from 2:1 to 1:2) were prepared. The results showed that all the EmimCl-EG solvents were very efficient for SO2 capture. It was demonstrated that the SO2 solubility increased with increasing concentrations of EmimCl in DESs. The effects of temperature and SO2 partial pressure were also investigated. The Emim-EG (2:1) solvent could absorb 1.15 (53 wt %) g SO2/g solvent at 20 °C and 1.0 atm, a much higher capacity than that of other DESs reported to date under the same conditions. Moreover, the SO2 desorption temperature of th...

1783001287

Research on Educational Resources Sharing Based on Internet of Things

AMR, 2012

Internet of Things is a special concept of realizing intelligent sense, location, tracking, monitoring and management. It has been formally listed as one of five new large strategic industries. But because the construction of Internet of Things is still stay initial stage of research and exploration. Compared with the current internet, the Internet of Things has not only specific framework system, but also its concept, scope, technology system and standard are not clear. From above, based on grasping the definition, characteristics of the times and current situation of the Internet of Things and combining the connotation of educational resource sharing, this paper just talk over the application of the Internet of Things in education and study how to realize ...

1783001287

Measuring Efficiency: A Comparison of Multilevel Modelling and Data Envelopment Analysis in the Context of Higher Education

Bulletin of Econ Res, 2006

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) and multilevel modelling (MLM) are applied to a data set of 54,564 graduates from UK universities in 1993 to assess whether the choice of technique affects the measurement of universities’ performance. A methodology developed by Thanassoulis and Portela (2002; Education Economics, 10(2), pp. 183–207) allows each individual's DEA efficiency score to be decomposed into two components: one attributable to the university at which the student studied and the other attributable to the individual student. From the former component, a measure of each institution's teaching efficiency is derived and compared to the university effects from various multilevel models. The comparisons are made within four broad subjects: pure science, ...

1783001287

Laser-induced combustion synthesis of Zr–Ti–Al–Ni amorphous-based alloys

Materials Letters, 2005

Bulk metallic glasses, like many crystalline intermetallics, have large negative enthalpy of mixing among the major constituent elements, and hence are potential candidates of self-propagating high-temperature reaction systems. Based on this characteristic, the laser-induced combustion synthesis (LCS) technique has been applied to fabricate amorphous-containing alloys. In the present paper, we report the LCS of the Zr–Ti–Al–Ni alloys. A series of Zr–Ti–Al–Ni alloys is designed and synthesized by LCS. The LCS products mainly consist of intermetallic phases, but in Zr55Ti10.8Al17.1Ni17.1 and Zr50Ti21.6Al14.2Ni14.2 amorphous phases are found. The hardness and tribology characteristics are closely related to the phase contents. The amorphous phases, ...

1783001287

Intumescent coatings with improved properties for high-rise construction

E3S Web Conf., 2018

The paper overviews the way of creating intumescent fire-protective compositions with improved properties by adding nano-and micro-sized supplements into them. Intumescent paints are inert at low temperatures, and at higher temperatures they expand and degrade to provide a charred layer of low conductivity materials. The modified intumescent paints are able to form a more stable charred layer than the classical paints. The stability of a charred layer is crucial if the fire safety in high-rise construction must be secured, because a weak charred layer will not provide a required fire endurance for steel bearing structures and they will break down in case of fire. The fire-protective properties of modified intumescent paints were estimated using an electrical...

1783001287

Microwave-assisted catalytic pyrolysis of switchgrass for improving bio-oil and biochar properties

Bioresource Technology, 2016

Solid additives were used as a microwave absorber to improve the low microwave absorption rate of switchgrass going through pyrolysis, and as a catalyst to improve the bio-oil and biochar characteristics. The synergistic effects were manifested in the presence of a mixture of K3PO4 and clinoptilolite or bentonite compared with single catalyst, resulting in increased microwave absorption rate, and improved bio-oil and biochar quality. The sample of microwave heating switchgrass with 10 wt.% K3PO4 + 10 wt.% bentonite reached 400 °C after 2.8 min, compared with 28.8 min through conventional heating, producing biochar with increase in BET surface area from 0.33 m2/g to 76.3 m2/g compared with conventional heating. Furthermore, water content of the bio-oil reduc...

1783001286

What the EWSR1-ATF1 Fusion has Taught Us About Hyalinizing Clear Cell Carcinoma

Head and Neck Pathol, 2013

Hyalinizing clear cell carcinoma (HCCC) is a unique low-grade tumor composed of cords and nests of clear cells in a hyalinized stroma that was first reported by Milchgrub et al. It was recognized as a separate entity from clear cell variants of epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma, myoepithelial carcinoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma. HCCC is included in a long list of clear cell-containing tumors of salivary gland, as well as odontogenic tumors and metastases (renal cell carcinoma). Up until now, it has been considered a diagnosis of exclusion, despite its very distinctive appearance, and labeled as "not otherwise specified" by the World Health Organization. The emergence of molecular data in salivary gland tumors, including HCCC now allow for a more rigorous...

1783001286

Selective bladder preservation with curative intent for muscle‐invasive bladder cancer: A contemporary review

Int J of Urology, 2012

Radical cystectomy plus urinary diversion, the reference standard treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer, associates with high complication rates and compromises quality of life as a result of long-term effects on urinary, gastrointestinal and sexual function, and changes in body image. As a society ages, the number of elderly patients unfit for radical cystectomy as a result of comorbidity will increase, and thus the demand for bladder-sparing approaches for muscle-invasive bladder cancer will also inevitably increase. Trimodality bladder-sparing approaches consisting of transurethral resection, chemotherapy and radiotherapy (Σ 55-65 Gy) yield overall survival rates comparable with those of radical cystectomy series (50-70% at 5 years), while preserv...

1783001286

Link-Based Similarity Measures Using Reachability Vectors

The Scientific World Journal, 2014

We present a novel approach for computing link-based similarities among objects accurately by utilizing the link information pertaining to the objects involved. We discuss the problems with previous link-based similarity measures and propose a novel approach for computing link based similarities that does not suffer from these problems. In the proposed approach each target object is represented by a vector. Each element of the vector corresponds to all the objects in the given data, and the value of each element denotes the weight for the corresponding object. As for this weight value, we propose to utilize the probability of reaching from the target object to the specific object, computed using the "Random Walk with Restart" strategy. Then, we define the si...

1783001286

Sustainable conversion of agro-wastes into useful adsorbents

Appl Water Sci, 2016

Preparation and characterization of raw and activated carbon derived from three different selected agricultural wastes: kola nut pod raw and activated (KNPR and KNPA), bean husk raw and activated (BHR and BHA) and coconut husk raw and activated (CHR and CHA) were investigated, respectively. Influences of carbonization and acid activation on the activated carbon were investigated using SEM, FTIR, EDX, pHpzc and Boehm titration techniques, respectively. Carbonization was done at 350 °C for 2 h followed by activation with 0.3 M H3PO4 (ortho-phosphoric acid). Results obtained from SEM, FTIR, and EDX revealed that, carbonization followed by acid activation had a significant influence on morphology and elemental composition of the samples. SEM showed well-develop...

1783001285

Microcirculation in Cardiovascular Diseases

Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, 2019

Microcirculation is a system composed of interconnected microvessels, which is responsible for the distribution of oxygenated blood among and within organs according to regional metabolic demand. Critical medical conditions, e. g., sepsis, and heart failure are known triggers of microcirculatory disturbance, which usually develops early in such clinical pictures and represents an independent risk factor for mortality. Therefore, hemodynamic resuscitation aiming at restoring microcirculatory perfusion is of paramount importance. Until recently, however, resuscitation protocols were based on macrohemodynamic variables, which increases the risk of under or over resuscitation. The introduction of hand-held video-microscopy (HVM) into clinical practice has allowe...

1783001285

An investigation of the goals for an environmental science course: teacher and student perspectives

Environmental Education Research, 2014

This investigation uses an ethnographic case study approach to explore the benefits and challenges of including a variety of goals within a high school Environmental Science curriculum. The study focuses on environmental education (EE) goals established by the Belgrade Charter (1975), including developing students’ environmental awareness and behavior, but also explores alternative goals including empowerment, presenting a balanced perspective, improving critical thinking skills, and developing an emotional connection with environmental issues. This research, which was conducted at a public high school in the northeast United States, aims to understand the teacher’s reasoning for including the above goals within the curriculum and the students’ reactio...

1783001285

Targeting the SARS-CoV-2 RNA Genome with Small Molecule Binders and Ribonuclease Targeting Chimera (RIBOTAC) Degraders

ACS Cent. Sci., 2020

COVID-19 is a global pandemic, thus requiring multiple strategies to develop modalities against it. Herein, we designed multiple bioactive small molecules that target a functional structure within the SARS-CoV-2’s RNA genome, the causative agent of COVID-19. An analysis to characterize the structure of the RNA genome provided a revised model of the SARS-CoV-2 frameshifting element, in particular its attenuator hairpin. By studying an RNA-focused small molecule collection, we identified a drug-like small molecule (C5) that avidly binds to the revised attenuator hairpin structure with a Kd of 11 nM. The compound stabilizes the hairpin’s folded state and impairs frameshifting in cells. The ligand was further elaborated into a ribonuclease targeting chimera ...

1783001285

Platform-based customer agility: An integrated framework of information management structure, capability, and culture

International Journal of Information Management, 2021

Platform-based customer agility is the ability to leverage the voice of the customer on a platform to achieve market intelligence and to explore competitive action opportunities. Prior studies have indicated the critical role of customer agility in enabling the survival and prosperity of contemporary organizations in a turbulent business environment, although how to develop this capability is not answered. The current research attempts to fill this theoretical gap. Drawing on the information management literature, we propose an integrative information management framework to investigate the process of developing customer agility. By conducting a case study of a leading e-commerce platform in China, we identify three types of platform-based customer agility (...

1783001284

Structural Basis of Caspase-7 Inhibition by XIAP

Cell, 2001

The inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) proteins suppress cell death by inhibiting the catalytic activity of caspases. Here we present the crystal structure of caspase-7 in complex with a potent inhibitory fragment from XIAP at 2.45 A resolution. An 18-residue XIAP peptide binds the catalytic groove of caspase-7, making extensive contacts to the residues that are essential for its catalytic activity. Strikingly, despite a reversal of relative orientation, a subset of interactions between caspase-7 and XIAP closely resemble those between caspase-7 and its tetrapeptide inhibitor DEVD-CHO. Our biochemical and structural analyses reveal that the BIR domains are dispensable for the inhibition of caspase-3 and -7. This study provides a structural basis for the design of ...

1783001284

Nonlinear load-deflection and stiffness characteristics of coned springs in four primary configurations

Mechanism and Machine Theory, 2017

Abstract Even though coned disk springs have been used as preload or isolation elements in mechanical design for over a century, prior research has used several simplifying assumptions in determining their static load-deflection relationships and their stiffness properties have been largely ignored. Accordingly, the entire displacement range is considered in this article, from fully unloaded height to flat height under quasi-static loading conditions. Friction is accounted for at the face-to-face disk spring contacts and at the disk spring edge-to-surface contacts, but is ignored in edge-to-edge contacts. New experimental results for a single coned disk element, the primary parallel stack configuration, and two primary series stack configurations are present...

1783001284

CCAAT/Enhancer-binding Protein β (C/EBPβ) Expression Regulates Dietary-induced Inflammation in Macrophages and Adipose Tissue in Mice

Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2012

Strong evidence exists for a link between chronic low level inflammation and dietary-induced insulin resistance; however, little is known about the transcriptional networks involved. Here we show that high fat diet (HFD) or saturated fatty acid exposure directly activates CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ) protein expression in liver, adipocytes, and macrophages. Global C/EBPβ deletion prevented HFD-induced inflammation and surprisingly increased mitochondrial gene expression in white adipose tissue along with brown adipose tissue markers PRDM16, CIDEa, and UCP1, consistent with a resistance to HFD-induced obesity. In isolated peritoneal macrophages from C/EBPβ(-/-) mice, the anti-inflammatory gene LXRα and its targets SCD1 and DGAT2 were strikin...

1783001284

A lack of large-diameter logs and snags characterises dead wood patterns in Irish forests

Forest Ecology and Management, 2010

Dead wood is an important component of forest ecosystems and volumes vary depending on forest age, management intensity and productivity. This is the first large-scale study to quantify dead wood in Irish forests and to compare them to forests in other locations. We measured the volume and size distribution of logs, the density and size distribution of snags and the volume of dead wood contained in stumps in Oak (Quercus spp.) and Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) forests and in Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) plantations throughout Ireland. We also assigned each log, snag and stump to one of three decay classes (intact, part-rotted and well-rotted). We found no significant difference in log volume between any of the forest types. The majority (>90%) of logs were les...

1783001284

Complementary Chinese herbal medicine therapy improves survival of patients with gastric cancer in Taiwan: A nationwide retrospective matched-cohort study

Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2017

Many patients with gastric cancer seek traditional medicine consultations in Asian countries. This study aimed to investigate the prescription of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) and its benefits for the patients with gastric cancer in Taiwan. From the Registry for Catastrophic Illness Patients Database, we included all patients with gastric cancer whose age at diagnosis was ≥18 from 1997 to 2010 in Taiwan. We used 1:1 frequency matching by age, sex, Charlson comorbidity score, treatment and index year to compare the CHM users and non-CHM users. We used the Cox regression model to compare the hazard ratios (HR) for the risk of mortality and the Kaplan–Meier curve for the survival time. There was a total of 1333 patients in the CHM-cohort and 44786 patients ...

1783001284

SPECIAL FEATURE

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, 1993

A 14-year-old previously healthy boy presented with a 2-month history of a painless "rash" on his left flank and right thigh. He also complained of intermittent headache, and his parents believed that his personality had changed recently. He had no history of fever, anorexia, weight loss, or trauma. On physical examination, he was an alert and cooperative boy. There was no evidence of papilledema, and results of his neurologic examination were entirely normal. His abdomen was soft, nontender, and without masses or organomegaly. An indurated violaceous lesion measuring 3×8 cm was noted on his right thigh (Fig 1). A similar 5×4-cm lesion was also noted on his left flank. Laboratory findings were as follows: leukocyte count, 8.6×109/L with 0.50 se...

1783001284

Changes in histone H1 phosphorylation during differentiation of mouse myeloid leukemia cells.

Chem. Pharm. Bull., 1984

The possibility that phosphorylation of protein (s) is related to the differentiation of mouse myeloid leukemia cells (M1 cells) was examined by comparing phosphoproteins in M1 cells and in M1 cells treated with dexamethasone for various lengths of time. For this purpose, M1 cells or M1 cells treated with dexamethasone were incubated with [32P] H3PO4 in vivo and fractionated into subcellular fractions, then phosphoproteins were analyzed by gel electrophoresis followed by autoradiography. The analyses revealed no changes either in proteins detectable with Coomassie blue staining or in phosphoproteins except H1 histone at the early stage of differentiation of M1 cells. Phosphorylation of H1 histone in M1 cells occurred almost exclusively on H1B. The amount of ...

1783001283

Role of Bivalirudin for Anticoagulation in Adult Perioperative Cardiothoracic Practice

Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, 2020

Bivalirudin, a direct thrombin inhibitor with a fast onset of action and short half-life, is often referred to as an alternative anticoagulant to a heparin/protamine regimen. Bivalirudin demonstrated promising results as an anticoagulant in cardiac surgery with and without cardiopulmonary bypass, postcardiotomy extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, interventional cardiology and endovascular procedures, and particularly in the treatment of patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia undergoing high-risk cardiac surgery. Currently, bivalirudin in cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass has a limited clinical spectrum, likely because the still obvious advantages of its competitor, heparin, outweigh it in terms of medical costs, established point-of-care m...

1783001283

Synthesis of a novel phenytoin derivative: Crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface analysis and DFT calculations

Journal of Molecular Structure, 2020

Abstract Hydantoin compounds are important heterocyclic scaffolds and a class of well-known bioactive molecules with a broad spectrum of pharmacological properties. Consequently, considerable efforts have been devoted to the design and synthesis of a broad range of hydantoin derivatives. In this context, the compound 3-allyl-5,5-diphenylimidazolidine-2,4-dione, C18H16N2O2 (3ADID) was synthesized and its structure was determined by X-ray structure analysis. Further, the molecular structure was examined using Hirshfeld topology analysis and Density Functional Theory (DFT)-B3LYP calculations with the basis set 6–311++G (d,p). In the title molecule, C18H16N2O2, the imidazolidine ring is planar with the allyl substituent oriented nearly perpendicular to it. In ...

1783001283

Ponatinib may overcome resistance of FLT3‐ITD harbouring additional point mutations, notably the previously refractory F691I mutation

Br J Haematol, 2012

Fms-like tyrosine kinase (FLT3) mutations are the most frequent mutations in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) that confer a poor prognosis. Constitutively active FLT3-ITD (internal tandem duplications) mutations define a promising target for therapeutic approaches using small molecule inhibitors. However, several point mutations of the FLT3 tyrosine kinase domain (FLT3-TKD) have been identified to mediate resistance towards FLT3 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (FLT3-TKI), including secondary mutations of FLT3. We investigated the cellular effects of the recently characterised FLT3-TKI ponatinib (AP24534) on murine myeloid cells transfected with FLT3-ITD with or without additional point mutations of the FLT3-TKD including the (so far) multi-resistant F6...

1783001283

Enhanced Vis-NIR light absorption and thickness effect of Mo-modified SnO2 thin films: A first principle calculation study

Results in Physics, 2021

The thickness effect on ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared (UV–Vis-NIR) light absorption of Mo-modified tin oxide (SnO2) thin films is investigated by the first principle calculation based on the density functional theory. The electronic structures and optical properties of the pristine, defective, Mo-doped and Mon (n = 1, 2, 3, 4) cluster adsorbed SnO2 (1 1 0) surfaces with film thickness from 0.594 to 3.273 nm are discussed. The results show that the pristine SnO2 semiconductor thin films can hardly absorb the Vis-NIR light. The absorption peaks in the Vis-NIR light region of the defective SnO2 (1 1 0) surface increase with the film thickness. The Vis-NIR light absorption of SnO2 is significantly enhanced by Mo modification. Mon cluster adsorption on...

1783001283

Effects of age, sex and multiple endocrine neoplasia type-II on silver stained nucleolar organizer regions

Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, 1989

Silver stained nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) were studied in phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated lymphocytes from 55 Caucasian control individuals (34 females with average age of 24 years and age range 19 weeks gestation to 87 years; 21 males with average age of 31 years and age range 29 weeks gestation to 72 years) and 13 individuals (7 females, 6 males; average age 38.8 years with age range 25-58 years) with multiple endocrine neoplasia-type II (MEN-II), an autosomal dominant malignancy with increased chromosome breakage. For the first time, AgNORs were examined in lymphocytes from normal fetuses and patients with MEN-II in order to determine the effects of age, sex or malignancy on the number of AgNORs. No significant difference in the average numb...

1783001281

Pilot-scale steam explosion for xylose production from oil palm empty fruit bunches and the use of xylose for ethanol production

Bioresource Technology, 2016

Pilot-scale steam explosion equipments were designed and constructed, to experimentally solubilize xylose from oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) and also to enhance an enzyme accessibility of the residual cellulose pulp. The OPEFB was chemically pretreated prior to steam explosion at saturated steam (SS) and superheated steam (SHS) conditions. The acid pretreated OPEFB gave the highest xylose recovery of 87.58 ± 0.21 g/kg dried OPEFB in the liquid fraction after explosion at SHS condition. These conditions also gave the residual cellulose pulp with high enzymatic accessibility of 73.54 ± 0.41%, which is approximately threefold that of untreated OPEFB. This study has shown that the acid pretreatment prior to SHS explosion is an effective method to enhanc...

1783001281

Life history and taxonomy ofCricosphaera roscoffensis var.haptonemofera, var. nov. (class prymnesiophyceae) from the pacific

Bot. Mag. Tokyo, 1979

A new coccolithophoridCricosphaera roscoffensis var.haptonemofera is described by means of electron microscopy and with the aid of laboratory culture. The living specimens, which were in the motile phase, were collected in Okinawa, a subtropical region in Japan, and a unialgal culture was established in the laboratory. The life history was observed, starting from the motile cells. The life history consists of two phases: the motile phase and the benthic filamentous phase. The former is unicellular and presumably a diploid sporophyte, whereas the latter is similar to an alga previously known as “Apistonema submarinum” described by Dangeard (1934), and probably a haploid gametophyte. The motile cells bear two acronematic flagella and one short haptonema. T...

1783001281

Distribution, Elimination, and Renal Handling of ^99m Technetium-Demogastrin 1

Cancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmaceuticals, 2012

Radiolabeled cholecystokinin/gastrin (CCK) receptor-targeting peptides are promising compounds for radiodiagnosis and radiotherapy of certain malignancies. This study evaluated the pharmacokinetic profile of a CCK-2 receptor-specific peptide, Demogastrin 1, labeled with technetium-99m ((99m)Tc-Demogastrin 1), in rats. To investigate the fate of (99m)Tc-Demogastrin 1 in the rat, biodistribution and elimination studies in vivo were performed, and elimination parameters in perfused rat liver and kidney were determined. Biodistribution studies showed that (99m)Tc-Demogastrin 1 was rapidly cleared from the blood and most organs. A significant amount of radioactivity was detected in the CCK-2 receptor-rich organs, such as the stomach. Low radioactivity was found i...

1783001280

Erythrocyte Na⁺/K⁺‐ATPase is increased in subjects with subclinical hypothyroidism

Clinical Endocrinology, 2004

objective In erythrocytes of patients with overt hyperthyroidism, the number of ouabain-binding sites and the activity of the Na+/K+-ATPase have been demonstrated to be decreased, whereas the opposite is true in patients with overt hypothyroidism. No information has been reported on the status of the Na+/K+-ATPase in subclinically hypothyroid (Sub Hypo) patients. design We investigated the number of ouabain-binding sites and Na+/K+-ATPase activity in erythrocytes of chronic Sub Hypo subjects. patients and methods We measured 3H-ouabain-binding sites in erythrocytes from 15 patients with subclinical hypothyroidism, and compared with those found in 17 normal subjects (N), seven with overt hypothyroidism (Hypo) and 10 with overt hyperthyroidism (Hyper). The act...

1783001280

Regulation of glycogen in the dentate gyrus of the in vitro guinea pig hippocampus; effect of combined deprivation of glucose and oxygen

Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 1989

Mammalian brain glycogen is adequate to support oxidative metabolism for several minutes. The present studies were done primarily to develop the guinea pig hippocampal slice as a model for studying the function and regulation of that glycogen. Slice glycogen falls to 6 nmol/mg dry wt. during the first hour of incubation at 36°C but during the next 3 h recovers to 20 nmol/mg dry wt., similar to in situ values. Glycogen concentration in the dentate gyrus molecular layer is double its value in the whole hippocampal slice, suggesting its distribution is related to metabolic demand. When both glucose and oxygen are removed from the medium, glycogen and ATP fall to 50% within 6 min. The glycogen fall is unaffected by prolonged calcium depletion or by 3-isobutyl 1...

1783001280

Topography of cyclodextrin inclusion complexes. 15. Crystal and molecular structure of the cyclohexaamylose-7.57 water complex, form III. Four- and six-membered circular hydrogen bonds

J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1981

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVArticleNEXTTopography of cyclodextrin inclusion complexes. 15. Crystal and molecular structure of the cyclohexaamylose-7.57 water complex, form III. Four- and six-membered circular hydrogen bondsK. K. Chacko and W. SaengerCite this: J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1981, 103, 7, 1708–1715Publication Date (Print):April 1, 1981Publication History Published online1 May 2002Published inissue 1 April 1981https://doi.org/10.1021/ja00397a021RIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views467Altmetric-Citations177LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the ...

1783001280

Safety and tolerability of prescription omega-3 fatty acids: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 2018

Omega-3 fatty acids [eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)] are widely recommended for health promotion. Over the last decade, prescription omega-3 fatty acid products (RxOME3FAs) have been approved for medical indications. Nonetheless, there is no comprehensive analysis of safety and tolerability of RxOME3FAs so far.A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was carried out based on searches in six electronic databases. The studies involving marketed RxOME3FA products were included, and adverse-effect data were extracted for meta-analysis. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were conducted to explore the sources of potential heterogeneity.Among the 21 included RCTs (total 24,460 participants; 12,750 from RxOME3FA treat...

1783001279

West African Insurgencies in Agrarian Perspective: Côte d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone Compared

Journal of Agrarian Change, 2008

This paper examines agrarian issues in civil wars in Côte d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone. Attention is paid to two different ways in which lineage society evolved during the colonial and post-colonial periods. The motivations of fighters are related to these different trajectories of agrarian social change. In Côte d’Ivoire youth militia fought to uphold a lineage-based social order, but in Sierra Leone a comparable group of young fighters sought to overturn it. Large migrant populations on a forest frontier are an important factor in Côte d’Ivoire, while in Sierra Leone significance attaches to an excluded agrarian underclass. Not all African conflicts are ethnic conflicts; autochthony is shown to be a factor in one conflict and class in the other. Appr...

1783001279

Oil shocks and endogenous markups: results from an estimated euro area DSGE model

Int Econ Econ Policy, 2010

This paper estimates a linearised DSGE model for the euro area. The model is New Keynesian and allows for a role for oil usage and endogenous price markups. The importance of shocks to monetary policy and oil prices is estimated to have declined in the post-1990 period, in line with the higher predictability of policy and the fall in the persistence and—to a lesser extent—variability of oil disturbances. Counterfactual exercises show that oil efficiency gains would alleviate the inflationary and contractionary consequences of oil shocks, while higher wage flexibility would help ease the impact on real output at the expense of larger inflationary pressures. While we report evidence of “countercyclical” price markups, the rise in markups induced by an ...

1783001279

Bioguided extraction of phenolic compounds and UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS characterization of extracts of Moringa oleifera leaves collected in Brazil

Food Research International, 2019

Moringa oleifera leaves are used in Brazilian folk medicine for their hypoglycemic and nutritional properties. In this context, the chemical and biological characteristics were determined. Conventional successive solid-liquid extraction with simultaneous bioguided purification using solvents with different polarities was performed with M. oleifera leaves, yielding six fractions and extracts. The fractions showed better results for antioxidant activity than the extracts. All of them were evaluated by scavenging of synthetic free radicals and reactive oxygen species, and Fr-Ace and Fr-EtOAc showed >100 mg GAE g-1 of phenolic content, while for FRAP and ORAC assays the values were higher than 1600 μmol Fe2+ g-1 and 3500 mmol TEAC g-1 respectively. The UPLC-ESI...

1783001279

Teacher Formulations in Classroom Interactions

Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 2017

This article examines teacher formulations in teacher-fronted whole class interactions. Using conversation analysis (CA), we have analysed topic talk between teachers and students (12–16 years old) in Norwegian classrooms. We have identified three sub-groups of teacher formulations—transforming, challenging, and summarising formulations. We show how teacher formulations in topic talk are an important part of teaching and that the formulations serve different and specialised functions in classroom interactions. Our main finding is that teachers use the formulations to establish a shared pedagogic focus, the learnable. This study contributes by providing knowledge on formulations as a pedagogical device and by accumulating knowledge about the practice of f...

1783001278

Determination of the pH and the free alkali metal content in the pore solution of concrete: Review and experimental comparison

Cement and Concrete Research, 2017

The durability of concrete is affected by the pH of its pore solution, which is linked to the free alkali metal content. This paper starts with a literature review of methods for determining the pH and/or the free alkali metal content in the pore solution of concrete. Promising methods are compared in the second part of the paper. We then report on pore water expression (PWE) and three ex situ leaching methods (ESL) applied to Portland cement (CEM I) and Portland fly ash cement (CEM II/B-V) mortars. Finally, we make recommendations for the determination of the pH and the free alkali metal content of concrete. Because the measurement of the free-water content of the sample was found to be an important parameter, it is recommended to determine the pH with PWE ...

1783001278

Sleep deprivation potentiates HPA axis stress reactivity in healthy adults.

Health Psychology, 2014

This article describes an experiment that was designed to investigate the effects of sleep deprivation on physiological stress responses in healthy adults.Twenty-six participants, ages 22-49, completed a 3-night laboratory experiment with randomization to one night of sleep-deprivation or a normal-sleep control condition. After a night of baseline sleep, 12 participants were sleep deprived and 14 were not. After the sleep manipulation, each participant completed the Trier Social Stress Test, a task that requires delivering a speech and performing difficult arithmetic in front of a stern, three-person panel. The stressor was administered from 5:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m. and saliva samples were collected 20 and 5 min before (baseline) and 5, 20, and 40 min after the s...

1783001278

Involvement of the persistent Na+ current in the diastolic depolarization and automaticity of the guinea pig pulmonary vein myocardium

Journal of Pharmacological Sciences, 2019

The role of the Na+ current in the automaticity of the pulmonary vein myocardium was examined in isolated guinea pig pulmonary vein cardiomyocytes and tissue preparations. Tetrodotoxin inhibited the automaticity of pulmonary vein tissue preparations by suppressing the diastolic depolarization of the action potential. ATX-II, which increased the density of persistent component of the Na+ current (late INa), induced a depolarization of the resting membrane potential followed by spontaneous firing of action potentials. GS-458967, which inhibited the late INa, suppressed the diastolic depolarization and the firing of action potentials. Pilsicainide, which inhibited only the transient component of Na+ current (peak INa), had no effect on the firing frequency. GS-...

1783001278

Terminalia catappa : Chemical composition, in vitro and in vivo effects on Haemonchus contortus

Veterinary Parasitology, 2017

Haemonchus contortus is the most important nematode in small ruminant systems, and has developed tolerance to all commercial anthelmintics in several countries. In vitro (egg hatch assay) and in vivo tests were performed with a multidrug strain of Haemonchus contortus using Terminalia catappa leaf, fruit pulp, and seed extracts (in vitro), or pulp and seed powder in lambs experimentally infected with H. contortus. Crude extracts from leaves, fruit pulp and seeds obtained with 70% acetone were lyophilized until used. In vitro, the extracts had LC50=2.48μg/mL (seeds), LC50=4.62μg/mL (pulp), and LC50=20μg/mL (leaves). In vitro, seed and pulp extracts had LC50 similar to Thiabendazole (LC50=1.31μg/mL). Condensed tannins were more concentrated in pulp extract...

1783001278

Enhancement of potent antibody and T-cell responses by a single-dose, novel nanoemulsion-formulated pandemic influenza vaccine

Microbes and Infection, 2009

Vaccine shortages are a major obstacle to influenza pandemic preparedness. Increasing vaccine efficiency provides a potentially effective way to overcome this problem. Specifically, using single-dose immunization to induce protective immunity is an attractive approach to emergency/massive vaccination. In this report, we propose a novel nanoemulsion comprised of the bioresorbable polymer, Span 85, and squalene forming a ready-to-use adjuvant, called PELC. After formulation with PELC, inactivated H5N1 virus was intramuscularly administered to mice via a single injection. The data demonstrate that inactivated virus containing 0.5microg hemagglutinin (HA) and formulated with PELC induced more potent antigen-specific antibodies, hemagglutination inhibition, and v...

1783001278

Automated quantification of rat plasma acute phase reactants in experimental inflammation

Journal of Pharmacological Methods, 1989

Methods are described for the quantification of certain acute phase reactants (albumin, iron, fibrinogen, seromucoid, haptoglobin, and ceruloplasmin) in small amounts of plasma using the COBAS-BIO centrifugal analyzer. These methods have been applied to determine the concentrations of these acute-phase reactants (APRs) in rat plasma during the first 5 days of adjuvant-induced arthritis. The levels of the APRs alter with the degree of inflammation in a dose-related manner. Administration of the antiinflammatory and antirheumatic drugs (indomethacin, dexamethasone, and clobuzarit [CLOZIC]) during the course of the adjuvant-induced arthritis reduced the inflammatory response as judged by the measurement of oedema. These compounds, however, show differential eff...

1783001278

Assessing Education in Pulmonary Rehabilitation: The Understanding COPD (UCOPD) Questionnaire

COPD: Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, 2012

There is currently no questionnaire available that comprehensively assesses patients' understanding, self-efficacy and satisfaction with the education component of pulmonary rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to develop the Understanding COPD (UCOPD) questionnaire. The key stages in the development of the UCOPD questionnaire were: (i) Generation of questions, and assessment of face and content validity, user-centredness, acceptability and feasibility; (ii) Assessment of plain English and readability; (iii) Assessment of structural validity; (iv) Assessment of test-retest reliability and internal consistency; (v) Assessment of the responsiveness, convergent validity and floor and ceiling effects. The UCOPD questionnaire assesses understanding, self-eff...

1783001277

Real Earnings Management and Accrual-based Earnings Management in Family Firms

European Accounting Review, 2014

We examine the effects of family firms on real earnings management (REM) and accrual-based earnings management (ABEM). Using socioemotional wealth as a theoretical framework and considering the different implications of REM and ABEM on family firms' transgenerational sustainability, we hypothesise and find for a sample of 402 German listed family firms during 1998–2008 that family firms engage less in REM and exhibit more earnings-decreasing ABEM policies as compared to a sample of 436 non-family firms. We further provide evidence that family firms as compared to non-family firms treat REM and ABEM as substitute rather than complementary tools for earnings management. Overall, our findings suggest that family firms use earnings management activities strate...

1783001276

Staphylococcus aureus infection dynamics

PLoS Pathog, 2018

Staphylococcus aureus is a human commensal that can also cause systemic infections. This transition requires evasion of the immune response and the ability to exploit different niches within the host. However, the disease mechanisms and the dominant immune mediators against infection are poorly understood. Previously it has been shown that the infecting S. aureus population goes through a population bottleneck, from which very few bacteria escape to establish the abscesses that are characteristic of many infections. Here we examine the host factors underlying the population bottleneck and subsequent clonal expansion in S. aureus infection models, to identify underpinning principles of infection. The bottleneck is a common feature between models and is indepe...

1783001276

THE EFFECT OF THE CURVATURE OF THE EYE SHELL ON THE ECHOGRAM

Acta Ophthalmologica, 1974

When sensitive ultrasonic equipment is used, both clinical and experimental examinations reveal one or more low echoes in front of the high rear wall echoes if the sound beam is directed perpendicularly to the rear wall past the lens. In the experimental part of the study 7.5 MHz/2 mm, 6 MHz/5 mm and 6 MHz/8 mm transducers were used for the purpose of finding out the origin of these low echoes in pig eyes. The results showed that these low echoes were due to the difference in distances between the central and marginal parts of the sound beam caused by the curvature of the eye shell. Similar low echoes could be produced at clinical examinations at the frequencies of both 6 MHz and 10 MHz. The low echoes disappeared when the amplification of our equipment was ...

1783001276

Effects of Construction on Laterally Loaded Pile Groups

J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 2001

Full-scale lateral load tests on a group of bored and a group of driven precast piles were carried out as part of a research project for the proposed high-speed rail system in Taiwan. Standard penetration tests, cone penetration tests (CPT), and Marchetti Dilatometer tests (DMT) were performed before the pile installation. The CPT and DMT were also conducted after pile installation. Numerical analyses of the laterally loaded piles were conducted using p-y curves derived from preconstruction and postconstruction DMT and by applying the concept of p multipliers. Comparisons between preconstruction and postconstruction CPT and DMT data and evaluation of the results of computations show that the installation of bored piles softened the surrounding soil, whereas ...

1783001276

A 50.1-Mpixel 14-Bit 250-frames/s Back-Illuminated Stacked CMOS Image Sensor With Column-Parallel kT/C-Canceling S&H and ΔΣADC

IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, 2021

This article presents a 50.1-Mpixel 14-bit 250-frames/s back-illuminated stacked CMOS image sensor on 35-mm optical format exhibiting 1.18- $\text{e}^{-}$ rms random noise at 0 dB. This sensor employs a load reduction technique by splitting half of pixel signal line using a Cu-Cu connection technology underneath the pixel area, pipelined operation with a gain-adaptive column-parallel kT /

1783001275

Long-term effect on body composition and metabolic parameters after treatment with recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH) in HIV-1 infected patients with lipodystrophy

Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2008

Several studies have shown reduction of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) using recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH) in HIV-1+ patients, but whether these effects are maintained after the end of treatment is unknown. In a prospective, randomized study we previously studied the effects of r-hGH 4 mg daily vs 3 times/week over 12 weeks, followed by a 2 mg daily maintenance dose for an additional 12 weeks. T1 weighted MRI flash sequences were performed of the face, abdomen and at mid-thigh level (MTF) at baseline, week 12, week 24 and at follow-up.Of 20 subjects who completed the 24-week study, follow-up is available for 16 patients (15 male, mean age 44.8 y, mean duration of HIV infection 13.5 y). After a median time of follow-up of 9 months, VAT remained over...

1783001275

Effects of Crown Release on Basal Area Growth Rates of Some Broad-Leaved Tree Species with Different Shade-Tolerance

Journal of Forest Research, 1998

We compare three or four years effects of crown release on stem growth rates among four deciduous broad-leaved tree species,Fagus crenata, Quercus crispula, Magnolia obovata andAcer mono, in an even-aged coppice forest, central Japan. The crown release significantly improved relative growth rates for basal-area (RGRBA) of the four species. However the effects of neighboring gap area (GAPA) on the RGRBA differed among the species. The effects were significant forQ. crispula andM. obovata, indicating that growth rates of these two species increase with intensity of the crown release. In contrast, the RGRBA ofF. crenata andA. mono were not correlated with the GAPA, suggesting that their growth rates are unrelated to the intensity. We considered that such differ...

1783001275

A novel cleaner production process of citric acid by recycling its treated wastewater

Bioresource Technology, 2016

In this study, a novel cleaner production process of citric acid was proposed to completely solve the problem of wastewater management in citric acid industry. In the process, wastewater from citric acid fermentation was used to produce methane through anaerobic digestion and then the anaerobic digestion effluent was further treated with air stripping and electrodialysis before recycled as process water for the later citric acid fermentation. This proposed process was performed for 10 batches and the average citric acid production in recycling batches was 142.4±2.1g/L which was comparable to that with tap water (141.6g/L). Anaerobic digestion was also efficient and stable in operation. The average chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate was 95.1±1.2% and...

1783001275

Site-occupation behavior and solid-solution hardening effect of rhenium in Mo5SiB2

Intermetallics, 2014

Abstract The site-occupation behavior of Re in Mo5SiB2 (T2) was studied both theoretically and experimentally, and the effect of Re on the solid-solution hardening of T2 was investigated by taking into account the off-stoichiometry of the T2 phase. Mo–Si–B quaternary alloys containing 1.4 at.% Re were produced using a conventional Ar arc-melting technique, and the cast samples were homogenized at 1800 °C for 24 h in an Ar atmosphere. High-resolution high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy observations strongly suggest that Re preferentially occupies the Mo sites in the Mo–B layers of the T2 unit cell, which was confirmed by the site-occupation behavior predicted by first-principles calculations. Nanoindentation measu...

1783001275

Using Natural Language Processing to Automatically Detect Self-Admitted Technical Debt

IIEEE Trans. Software Eng., 2017

The metaphor of technical debt was introduced to express the trade off between productivity and quality, i.e., when developers take shortcuts or perform quick hacks. More recently, our work has shown that it is possible to detect technical debt using source code comments (i.e., self-admitted technical debt), and that the most common types of self-admitted technical debt are design and requirement debt. However, all approaches thus far heavily depend on the manual classification of source code comments. In this paper, we present an approach to automatically identify design and requirement self-admitted technical debt using Natural Language Processing (NLP). We study 10 open source projects: Ant, ArgoUML, Columba, EMF, Hibernate, JEdit, JFreeChart, JMeter, JRu...

1783001274

Lipophilicity of amphoteric molecules expressed by the true partition coefficient

International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 1995

The octanol/water partition coefficients of six amphoteric drugs were investigated. Nitrazepam, albendazole and sulfadimidine are ordinary ampholytes, while pyridoxine, niflumic acid and terbutaline belong to the zwitterionic amphoteric compounds. The pH-partition profile of compounds showed maximum (parabolic) curve. Analyses of the UV spectra in aqueous and octanol phases at different pH values after partitioning equilibrium had been achieved proved the transfer of the neutral species into the octanol phase. The true partition coefficients were calculated from log Papp values using macroprotonation constants for ordinary ampholytes and microprotonation constants in the case of zwitterionic molecules. The results emphasize that only the true partition coeff...

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