Announcements under Renewable Fuel Standard

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

RFS program announcements are posted below by the calendar year in which the action was posted. Announcements will include rulemakings, responses to petitions, new pathway approvals, compliance deadlines, alternative plans, and among others.

Commentary on “Biophysical Economics” and Evolving Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flomenbom, Ophir; Coban, Gul Unal; Adigüzel, Yekbun

2016-07-01

In this Issue, papers in the area of socio-econo-physics and biophysical economics are presented. We have recently introduced socio-econo-physics and biophysical economics in Biophysical Reviews and Letters (BRL), yet saw 3 to 4 relevant papers just in these most recent three quarters. In this commentary, we therefore would like to elaborate on the topics of socio-econo-physics and biophysical economics and to introduce these concepts to the readers of BRL and the biophysical community of science, with the purpose of supporting many more publications here in BRL, in this evolving area.

77 FR 6573 - Announcement of Funding Awards; Fair Housing Initiatives Program Fiscal Year 2011

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-08

... and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989, this announcement notifies the public of funding decisions...)(C) of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989 (103 Stat. 1987, 42 U.S.C..., Suite 118, Cincinnati, OH 45202-1458. Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis, 430 First Lisa Cohen, 612-746...

[Pediatrician's experience in announcing bad news].

PubMed

Crosnier-Schoedel, C; Trocmé, N; Carbajal, R; Leverger, G

2018-02-01

Few studies are available on pediatricians' experience with announcing bad news. Announcing bad news is an important component of medical practice and is even more complex in pediatrics because parents must be associated. We had 20 hospital pediatricians complete a questionnaire containing 30 questions about their own experience announcing bad news to a child or a teenager. In spite of their experience and the time they have spent practicing medicine, there are many limitations stemming from different factors concerning children, teenagers, their families, and themselves. The difficulties encountered by pediatricians are mainly related to the timing of the announcement, the location, the choice of the words used, and the poor understanding of children and families, due to intellectual, cultural, or psychological limitations. Pediatricians question their own capacity to make such an announcement, wondering if the information has actually been well understood. They indicate that they are themselves affected. Most of them develop and implement strategies to refute the emotional instability caused by the announcement of bad news. Yet many of them feel weak, even talking about a deep sense of loneliness and guilt. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Historical and Critical Review on Biophysical Economics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adigüzel, Yekbun

2016-07-01

Biophysical economics is initiated with the long history of the relation of economics with ecological basis and biophysical perspectives of the physiocrats. It inherently has social, economic, biological, environmental, natural, physical, and scientific grounds. Biological entities in economy like the resources, consumers, populations, and parts of production systems, etc. could all be dealt by biophysical economics. Considering this wide scope, current work is a “biophysical economics at a glance” rather than a comprehensive review of the full range of topics that may just be adequately covered in a book-length work. However, the sense of its wide range of applications is aimed to be provided to the reader in this work. Here, modern approaches and biophysical growth theory are presented after the long history and an overview of the concepts in biophysical economics. Examples of the recent studies are provided at the end with discussions. This review is also related to the work by Cleveland, “Biophysical Economics: From Physiocracy to Ecological Economics and Industrial Ecology” [C. J. Cleveland, in Advances in Bioeconomics and Sustainability: Essay in Honor of Nicholas Gerogescu-Roegen, eds. J. Gowdy and K. Mayumi (Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, England, 1999), pp. 125-154.]. Relevant parts include critics and comments on the presented concepts in a parallelized fashion with the Cleveland’s work.

14 CFR 1214.1101 - Announcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2011-01-01 2010-01-01 true Announcement. 1214.1101 Section 1214.1101 Aeronautics and Space NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION SPACE FLIGHT NASA Astronaut Candidate... announced nationwide and publicized periodically unless specifically canceled by NASA. (b) Civilian...

Biophysical model of bacterial cell interactions with nanopatterned cicada wing surfaces.

PubMed

Pogodin, Sergey; Hasan, Jafar; Baulin, Vladimir A; Webb, Hayden K; Truong, Vi Khanh; Phong Nguyen, The Hong; Boshkovikj, Veselin; Fluke, Christopher J; Watson, Gregory S; Watson, Jolanta A; Crawford, Russell J; Ivanova, Elena P

2013-02-19

The nanopattern on the surface of Clanger cicada (Psaltoda claripennis) wings represents the first example of a new class of biomaterials that can kill bacteria on contact based solely on their physical surface structure. The wings provide a model for the development of novel functional surfaces that possess an increased resistance to bacterial contamination and infection. We propose a biophysical model of the interactions between bacterial cells and cicada wing surface structures, and show that mechanical properties, in particular cell rigidity, are key factors in determining bacterial resistance/sensitivity to the bactericidal nature of the wing surface. We confirmed this experimentally by decreasing the rigidity of surface-resistant strains through microwave irradiation of the cells, which renders them susceptible to the wing effects. Our findings demonstrate the potential benefits of incorporating cicada wing nanopatterns into the design of antibacterial nanomaterials. Copyright © 2013 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From global change to a butterfly flapping: biophysics and behaviour affect tropical climate change impacts.

PubMed

Bonebrake, Timothy C; Boggs, Carol L; Stamberger, Jeannie A; Deutsch, Curtis A; Ehrlich, Paul R

2014-10-22

Difficulty in characterizing the relationship between climatic variability and climate change vulnerability arises when we consider the multiple scales at which this variation occurs, be it temporal (from minute to annual) or spatial (from centimetres to kilometres). We studied populations of a single widely distributed butterfly species, Chlosyne lacinia, to examine the physiological, morphological, thermoregulatory and biophysical underpinnings of adaptation to tropical and temperate climates. Microclimatic and morphological data along with a biophysical model documented the importance of solar radiation in predicting butterfly body temperature. We also integrated the biophysics with a physiologically based insect fitness model to quantify the influence of solar radiation, morphology and behaviour on warming impact projections. While warming is projected to have some detrimental impacts on tropical ectotherms, fitness impacts in this study are not as negative as models that assume body and air temperature equivalence would suggest. We additionally show that behavioural thermoregulation can diminish direct warming impacts, though indirect thermoregulatory consequences could further complicate predictions. With these results, at multiple spatial and temporal scales, we show the importance of biophysics and behaviour for studying biodiversity consequences of global climate change, and stress that tropical climate change impacts are likely to be context-dependent. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

77 FR 64851 - Announcement Date Postponed for the Grand Prize Winner Announcement for the America COMPETES...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-23

...On March 22, 2012, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a notice in the Federal Register (77 FR 16895) to announce the launch of VA's Project REACH Homelessness Mobile App Contest, authorized under section 105 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2011. Project REACH leadership has decided to postpone announcement of the Grand Prize Winner until no later than 11 p.m. on December 31, 2012. Postponing the announcement will provide participants with a greater opportunity to receive recognition for their dedication and efforts to end Veteran homelessness. This notice serves as an update to the original notice affecting only the announcement date for the Grand Prize Winner. All rules and requirements outlined in the March 22, 2012, Federal Register notice will remain in effect.

Biophysics of cadherin adhesion.

PubMed

Leckband, Deborah; Sivasankar, Sanjeevi

2012-01-01

Since the identification of cadherins and the publication of the first crystal structures, the mechanism of cadherin adhesion, and the underlying structural basis have been studied with a number of different experimental techniques, different classical cadherin subtypes, and cadherin fragments. Earlier studies based on biophysical measurements and structure determinations resulted in seemingly contradictory findings regarding cadherin adhesion. However, recent experimental data increasingly reveal parallels between structures, solution binding data, and adhesion-based biophysical measurements that are beginning to both reconcile apparent differences and generate a more comprehensive model of cadherin-mediated cell adhesion. This chapter summarizes the functional, structural, and biophysical findings relevant to cadherin junction assembly and adhesion. We emphasize emerging parallels between findings obtained with different experimental approaches. Although none of the current models accounts for all of the available experimental and structural data, this chapter discusses possible origins of apparent discrepancies, highlights remaining gaps in current knowledge, and proposes challenges for further study.

Plasma membrane--cortical cytoskeleton interactions: a cell biology approach with biophysical considerations.

PubMed

Kapus, András; Janmey, Paul

2013-07-01

From a biophysical standpoint, the interface between the cell membrane and the cytoskeleton is an intriguing site where a "two-dimensional fluid" interacts with an exceedingly complex three-dimensional protein meshwork. The membrane is a key regulator of the cytoskeleton, which not only provides docking sites for cytoskeletal elements through transmembrane proteins, lipid binding-based, and electrostatic interactions, but also serves as the source of the signaling events and molecules that control cytoskeletal organization and remolding. Conversely, the cytoskeleton is a key determinant of the biophysical and biochemical properties of the membrane, including its shape, tension, movement, composition, as well as the mobility, partitioning, and recycling of its constituents. From a cell biological standpoint, the membrane-cytoskeleton interplay underlies--as a central executor and/or regulator--a multitude of complex processes including chemical and mechanical signal transduction, motility/migration, endo-/exo-/phagocytosis, and other forms of membrane traffic, cell-cell, and cell-matrix adhesion. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the tight structural and functional coupling between the membrane and the cytoskeleton. As biophysical approaches, both theoretical and experimental, proved to be instrumental for our understanding of the membrane/cytoskeleton interplay, this review will "oscillate" between the cell biological phenomena and the corresponding biophysical principles and considerations. After describing the types of connections between the membrane and the cytoskeleton, we will focus on a few key physical parameters and processes (force generation, curvature, tension, and surface charge) and will discuss how these contribute to a variety of fundamental cell biological functions. © 2013 American Physiological Society.

Biophysical Micromixer

PubMed Central

Wang, Chin-Tsan; Hu, Yuh-Chung; Hu, Tzu-Yang

2009-01-01

In this study a biophysical passive micromixer with channel anamorphosis in a space of 370 μm, which is shorter than traditional passive micromixers, could be created by mimicing features of vascular flow networks and executed with Reynolds numbers ranging from 1 to 90. Split and recombination (SAR) was the main mixing method for enhancing the convection effect and promoting the mixing performance in the biophysical channel. The 2D numerical results reveal that good mixing efficiency of the mixer was possible, with εmixing = 0.876 at Reynolds number ration Rer = 0.85. Generally speaking, increasing the Reynolds number will enhance the mixing. In addition, the sidewall effect will influence the mixing performance and an optimal mixing performance with εmixing = 0.803 will occur at an aspect ratio of AR = 2. These findings will be useful for enhancing mixing performance for passive micromixers. PMID:22346704

Biophysical micromixer.

PubMed

Wang, Chin-Tsan; Hu, Yuh-Chung; Hu, Tzu-Yang

2009-01-01

In this study a biophysical passive micromixer with channel anamorphosis in a space of 370 μm, which is shorter than traditional passive micromixers, could be created by mimicing features of vascular flow networks and executed with Reynolds numbers ranging from 1 to 90. Split and recombination (SAR) was the main mixing method for enhancing the convection effect and promoting the mixing performance in the biophysical channel. The 2D numerical results reveal that good mixing efficiency of the mixer was possible, with ε(mixing) = 0.876 at Reynolds number ration Re(r) = 0.85. Generally speaking, increasing the Reynolds number will enhance the mixing. In addition, the sidewall effect will influence the mixing performance and an optimal mixing performance with ε(mixing) = 0.803 will occur at an aspect ratio of AR = 2. These findings will be useful for enhancing mixing performance for passive micromixers.

48 CFR 35.016 - Broad agency announcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Broad agency announcement... CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 35.016 Broad agency announcement. (a) General. This paragraph prescribes procedures for the use of the broad agency announcement (BAA) with Peer or...

48 CFR 35.016 - Broad agency announcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Broad agency announcement... CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 35.016 Broad agency announcement. (a) General. This paragraph prescribes procedures for the use of the broad agency announcement (BAA) with Peer or...

48 CFR 35.016 - Broad agency announcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Broad agency announcement... CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 35.016 Broad agency announcement. (a) General. This paragraph prescribes procedures for the use of the broad agency announcement (BAA) with Peer or...

48 CFR 35.016 - Broad agency announcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Broad agency announcement... CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 35.016 Broad agency announcement. (a) General. This paragraph prescribes procedures for the use of the broad agency announcement (BAA) with Peer or...

Twitter sentiment around the Earnings Announcement events

PubMed Central

Grčar, Miha

2017-01-01

We investigate the relationship between social media, Twitter in particular, and stock market. We provide an in-depth analysis of the Twitter volume and sentiment about the 30 companies in the Dow Jones Industrial Average index, over a period of three years. We focus on Earnings Announcements and show that there is a considerable difference with respect to when the announcements are made: before the market opens or after the market closes. The two different timings of the Earnings Announcements were already investigated in the financial literature, but not yet in the social media. We analyze the differences in terms of the Twitter volumes, cumulative abnormal returns, trade returns, and earnings surprises. We report mixed results. On the one hand, we show that the Twitter sentiment (the collective opinion of the users) on the day of the announcement very well reflects the stock moves on the same day. We demonstrate this by applying the event study methodology, where the polarity of the Earnings Announcements is computed from the Twitter sentiment. Cumulative abnormal returns are high (2–4%) and statistically significant. On the other hand, we find only weak predictive power of the Twitter sentiment one day in advance. It turns out that it is important how to account for the announcements made after the market closes. These after-hours announcements draw high Twitter activity immediately, but volume and price changes in trading are observed only on the next day. On the day before the announcements, the Twitter volume is low, and the sentiment has very weak predictive power. A useful lesson learned is the importance of the proper alignment between the announcements, trading and Twitter data. PMID:28235103

Twitter sentiment around the Earnings Announcement events.

PubMed

Gabrovšek, Peter; Aleksovski, Darko; Mozetič, Igor; Grčar, Miha

2017-01-01

We investigate the relationship between social media, Twitter in particular, and stock market. We provide an in-depth analysis of the Twitter volume and sentiment about the 30 companies in the Dow Jones Industrial Average index, over a period of three years. We focus on Earnings Announcements and show that there is a considerable difference with respect to when the announcements are made: before the market opens or after the market closes. The two different timings of the Earnings Announcements were already investigated in the financial literature, but not yet in the social media. We analyze the differences in terms of the Twitter volumes, cumulative abnormal returns, trade returns, and earnings surprises. We report mixed results. On the one hand, we show that the Twitter sentiment (the collective opinion of the users) on the day of the announcement very well reflects the stock moves on the same day. We demonstrate this by applying the event study methodology, where the polarity of the Earnings Announcements is computed from the Twitter sentiment. Cumulative abnormal returns are high (2-4%) and statistically significant. On the other hand, we find only weak predictive power of the Twitter sentiment one day in advance. It turns out that it is important how to account for the announcements made after the market closes. These after-hours announcements draw high Twitter activity immediately, but volume and price changes in trading are observed only on the next day. On the day before the announcements, the Twitter volume is low, and the sentiment has very weak predictive power. A useful lesson learned is the importance of the proper alignment between the announcements, trading and Twitter data.

Society for Research in Child Development Newsletter, 2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, Pamela Trotman, Ed.

2000-01-01

This document consists of the four 2000 issues of a newsletter disseminating information on the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) and providing a forum for important news, research, and information concerning advancements in child growth and development research. Each issue of the newsletter provides announcements and notices of…

Society for Research in Child Development Newsletter, 2002.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, Pamela Trotman, Ed.; Tucker, Thelma, Ed.

2002-01-01

This document consists of the four 2002 issues of a newsletter disseminating information on the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) and providing a forum for important news, research, and information concerning advancement in child growth and development research. Each issue of the newsletter includes announcements and notices of…

Biophysical Aspects of Spindle Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farhadifar, Reza; Baer, Charlie; Needleman, Daniel

2011-03-01

The continual propagation of genetic material from one generation to the next is one of the most basic characteristics of all organisms. In eukaryotes, DNA is segregated into the two daughter cells by a highly dynamic, self-organizing structure called the mitotic spindle. Mitotic spindles can show remarkable variability between tissues and organisms, but there is currently little understanding of the biophysical and evolutionary basis of this diversity. We are studying how spontaneous mutations modify cell division during nematode development. By comparing the mutational variation - the raw material of evolution - with the variation present in nature, we are investigating how the mitotic spindle is shaped over the course of evolution. This combination of quantitative genetics and cellular biophysics gives insight into how the structure and dynamics of the spindle is formed through selection, drift, and biophysical constraints.

31 CFR 351.14 - When are rate announcements that apply to Series EE savings bonds announced?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... apply to Series EE savings bonds announced? 351.14 Section 351.14 Money and Finance: Treasury... PUBLIC DEBT OFFERING OF UNITED STATES SAVINGS BONDS, SERIES EE Maturities, Redemption Values, and Investment Yields of Series EE Savings Bonds General Provisions § 351.14 When are rate announcements that...

31 CFR 351.14 - When are rate announcements that apply to Series EE savings bonds announced?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... apply to Series EE savings bonds announced? 351.14 Section 351.14 Money and Finance: Treasury... FISCAL SERVICE OFFERING OF UNITED STATES SAVINGS BONDS, SERIES EE Maturities, Redemption Values, and Investment Yields of Series EE Savings Bonds General Provisions § 351.14 When are rate announcements that...

31 CFR 351.14 - When are rate announcements that apply to Series EE savings bonds announced?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... to Series EE savings bonds announced? 351.14 Section 351.14 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations... DEBT OFFERING OF UNITED STATES SAVINGS BONDS, SERIES EE Maturities, Redemption Values, and Investment Yields of Series EE Savings Bonds General Provisions § 351.14 When are rate announcements that apply to...

31 CFR 351.14 - When are rate announcements that apply to Series EE savings bonds announced?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... to Series EE savings bonds announced? 351.14 Section 351.14 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations... DEBT OFFERING OF UNITED STATES SAVINGS BONDS, SERIES EE Maturities, Redemption Values, and Investment Yields of Series EE Savings Bonds General Provisions § 351.14 When are rate announcements that apply to...

31 CFR 351.14 - When are rate announcements that apply to Series EE savings bonds announced?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... to Series EE savings bonds announced? 351.14 Section 351.14 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations... DEBT OFFERING OF UNITED STATES SAVINGS BONDS, SERIES EE Maturities, Redemption Values, and Investment Yields of Series EE Savings Bonds General Provisions § 351.14 When are rate announcements that apply to...

Biophysical Intervention Strategies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benson, Scott

1987-01-01

Biophysical interventions as part of an ecological approach to intervention with handicapped children include psychotropic medications (neuroleptics, antidepressants, stimulants, minor tranquilizers and sedatives, lithium); nutritional agents (sugar, vitamins, food allergies); and physical therapies (patterning, optometric training). (DB)

48 CFR 1835.016-71 - NASA Research Announcements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true NASA Research Announcements... ADMINISTRATION SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 1835.016-71 NASA Research Announcements. (a) Scope. An NRA is used to announce research interests in support of NASA's programs, and...

Foreword for Special Issue on Environmental Biophysics

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This special issue on Environmental Biophysics is presented in honor of Dr. John Norman. Over the past four decades, Dr. Norman has dedicated himself to building bridges between disparate scientific disciplines for a better understanding and prediction of biophysical interactions. The consummate i...

Systems Biophysics of Gene Expression

PubMed Central

Vilar, Jose M.G.; Saiz, Leonor

2013-01-01

Gene expression is a process central to any form of life. It involves multiple temporal and functional scales that extend from specific protein-DNA interactions to the coordinated regulation of multiple genes in response to intracellular and extracellular changes. This diversity in scales poses fundamental challenges to the use of traditional approaches to fully understand even the simplest gene expression systems. Recent advances in computational systems biophysics have provided promising avenues to reliably integrate the molecular detail of biophysical process into the system behavior. Here, we review recent advances in the description of gene regulation as a system of biophysical processes that extend from specific protein-DNA interactions to the combinatorial assembly of nucleoprotein complexes. There is now basic mechanistic understanding on how promoters controlled by multiple, local and distal, DNA binding sites for transcription factors can actively control transcriptional noise, cell-to-cell variability, and other properties of gene regulation, including precision and flexibility of the transcriptional responses. PMID:23790365

45 CFR 614.5 - Public announcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE ACT REGULATIONS OF THE NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD § 614.5 Public announcement. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, the National Science Board will make a public announcement...

45 CFR 614.5 - Public announcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE ACT REGULATIONS OF THE NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD § 614.5 Public announcement. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, the National Science Board will make a public announcement...

45 CFR 614.5 - Public announcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE ACT REGULATIONS OF THE NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD § 614.5 Public announcement. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, the National Science Board will make a public announcement...

45 CFR 614.5 - Public announcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE ACT REGULATIONS OF THE NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD § 614.5 Public announcement. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, the National Science Board will make a public announcement...

45 CFR 614.5 - Public announcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE ACT REGULATIONS OF THE NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD § 614.5 Public announcement. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, the National Science Board will make a public announcement...

Unannounced versus announced hospital surveys: a nationwide cluster-randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Ehlers, Lars Holger; Simonsen, Katherina Beltoft; Jensen, Morten Berg; Rasmussen, Gitte Sand; Olesen, Anne Vingaard

2017-06-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of unannounced versus announced surveys in detecting non-compliance with accreditation standards in public hospitals. A nationwide cluster-randomized controlled trial. All public hospitals in Denmark were invited. Twenty-three hospitals (77%) (3 university hospitals, 5 psychiatric hospitals and 15 general hospitals) agreed to participate. Twelve hospitals were randomized to receive unannounced surveys (intervention group) and eleven hospitals to receive announced surveys (control group). We hypothesized that the hospitals receiving the unannounced surveys would reveal a higher degree of non-compliance with accreditation standards than the hospitals receiving announced surveys. Nine surveyors trained and employed by the Danish Institute for Quality and Accreditation in Healthcare (IKAS) were randomized into teams and conducted all surveys. The outcome was the surveyors' assessment of the hospitals' level of compliance with 113 performance indicators-an abbreviated set of the Danish Healthcare Quality Programme (DDKM) version 2, covering organizational standards, patient pathway standards and patient safety standards. Compliance with performance indicators was analyzed using binomial regression analysis with bootstrapped robust standard errors. In all, 16 202 measurements were acceptable for data analysis. The risk of observing non-compliance with performance indicators for the intervention group compared with the control group was statistically insignificant (risk difference (RD) = -0.6 percentage points [-2.51-1.31], P = 0.54). A converged analysis of the six patient safety critical standards, requiring 100% compliance to gain accreditation status revealed no statistically significant difference (RD = -0.78 percentage points [-4.01-2.44], P = 0.99). Unannounced hospital surveys were not more effective than announced surveys in detecting quality problems in Danish hospitals. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02348567, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2

Project support of practical training in biophysics.

PubMed

Mornstein, V; Vlk, D; Forytkova, L

2006-01-01

The Department of Biophysics ensures practical training in biophysics and related subjects for students of medical and health study programmes. Demonstrations of medical technology are an important part of this training. Teaching for Faculty of Sciences in biophysical study programmes becomes also very important. Some lectures and demonstrations of technology are involved, but the practical trainig is missing. About 1 mil. CZK for additional laboratory equipment was obtained from the HEIDF project No. 1866/ 2005 "The demonstration and measuring technology for education in medical biophysics and radiological physics" for measuring system DEWETRON for high frequency signal analysis, Fluke Ti30 IR camera, PM 9000B patient monitor, ARSENAL AF 1 fluorescence microscope, and Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital camera with accessories for microphotography. At the present time, further financial resources are being provided by a development project of Ministry of Education "Inter-university co-operation in biomedical technology and engineering using top technologies" in total amount of almost 5 mil CZK, whereas over 2 mil CZK from this project are reserved for student laboratory equipment. The main goal of this project is to ensure the participation of Medical Faculty in educational co-operation in the biomedical technology and engineering, namely with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication (FEEC), Brno University of Technology. There will be taught those areas of biophysics which are not covered by FEEC, thus forming a separate subject "General Biophysics". The following instruments will be installed: UV-VIS spectrophotometers, rotation viscometers, tensiometers, microscopes with digital image processing, cooled centrifuge, optical benches, and some smaller instruments for practical measurements.

10 CFR 603.410 - Announcement content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Announcement content. 603.410 Section 603.410 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS Competition Phase § 603.410 Announcement content. Once the contracting officer, in consultation with the program official, considers the factors described in Subpart...

10 CFR 603.410 - Announcement content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Announcement content. 603.410 Section 603.410 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS Competition Phase § 603.410 Announcement content. Once the contracting officer, in consultation with the program official, considers the factors described in Subpart...

10 CFR 603.410 - Announcement content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Announcement content. 603.410 Section 603.410 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS Competition Phase § 603.410 Announcement content. Once the contracting officer, in consultation with the program official, considers the factors described in Subpart...

10 CFR 603.410 - Announcement content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Announcement content. 603.410 Section 603.410 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS Competition Phase § 603.410 Announcement content. Once the contracting officer, in consultation with the program official, considers the factors described in Subpart...

10 CFR 603.410 - Announcement content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Announcement content. 603.410 Section 603.410 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS Competition Phase § 603.410 Announcement content. Once the contracting officer, in consultation with the program official, considers the factors described in Subpart...

Time to Stop Telling Biophysics Students that Light Is Primarily a Wave.

PubMed

Nelson, Philip C

2018-02-27

Standard pedagogy introduces optics as though it were a consequence of Maxwell's equations and only grudgingly admits, usually in a rushed aside, that light has a particulate character that can somehow be reconciled with the wave picture. Recent revolutionary advances in optical imaging, however, make this approach more and more unhelpful: How are we to describe two-photon imaging, FRET, localization microscopy, and a host of related techniques to students who think of light primarily as a wave? I was surprised to find that everything I wanted my biophysics students to know about light, including image formation, x-ray diffraction, and even Bessel beams, could be expressed as well (or better) from the quantum viewpoint pioneered by Richard Feynman. Even my undergraduate students grasp this viewpoint as well as (or better than) the traditional one, and by mid-semester they are already well positioned to integrate the latest advances into their understanding. Moreover, I have found that this approach clarifies my own understanding of new techniques. Copyright © 2018 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

News & Announcements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2000-01-01

/TD/TDhome.html. This site also has links to JCE guidelines for prospective authors. Volunteers should contact Vitz by the medium of their preference: Ed Vitz, Editor, Tested Demonstrations, Journal of Chemical Education, Department of Chemistry, Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA 19530; phone: 610/683-4443; fax: 610/683-1352; email: vitz@kutztown.edu.

Awards Announced

• Thomas W. Adams, Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics & Humanities at Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana: Central Region
• Arthur J. Crumm, Barstow School, Kansas City, Missouri: Midwest Region
• Esther H. Freeman, Tabb High School, Yorktown, Virginia: Southeast Region
• Joan A. Laredo-Liddell, St. Barnabas High School, Bronx, New York: Middle Atlantic Region, 1998
• David T. Lee, Mountain Lakes High School, Mountain Lakes, New Jersey: Middle Atlantic Region, 1999
• Diane Coley McGann, Santa Ana High School, Santa Ana, California: Western Region
• William J. Pilotte, Newington High School, Newington, Connecticut: Northeast Region
• Judith C. Seydel, Idaho Falls High School, Idaho Falls, Idaho: Northwest Region
• Brenda A. Wolpa, Canyon Del Oro High School, Tucson, Arizona: Southwest/Rocky Mountain Region

• Samuel P. Massie, U.S. Naval Academy

• Biophysics: for HTS hit validation, chemical lead optimization, and beyond.

  PubMed

  Genick, Christine C; Wright, S Kirk

  2017-09-01

  There are many challenges to the drug discovery process, including the complexity of the target, its interactions, and how these factors play a role in causing the disease. Traditionally, biophysics has been used for hit validation and chemical lead optimization. With its increased throughput and sensitivity, biophysics is now being applied earlier in this process to empower target characterization and hit finding. Areas covered: In this article, the authors provide an overview of how biophysics can be utilized to assess the quality of the reagents used in screening assays, to validate potential tool compounds, to test the integrity of screening assays, and to create follow-up strategies for compound characterization. They also briefly discuss the utilization of different biophysical methods in hit validation to help avoid the resource consuming pitfalls caused by the lack of hit overlap between biophysical methods. Expert opinion: The use of biophysics early on in the drug discovery process has proven crucial to identifying and characterizing targets of complex nature. It also has enabled the identification and classification of small molecules which interact in an allosteric or covalent manner with the target. By applying biophysics in this manner and at the early stages of this process, the chances of finding chemical leads with novel mechanisms of action are increased. In the future, focused screens with biophysics as a primary readout will become increasingly common.

• 75 FR 28590 - Announcement of Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO)

  Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

  2010-05-21

  ... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Announcement of Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO... June 2, 2009, announcement by the Department of Defense to reverse the December 19, 2007, announcement... applicable: 32 CFR parts 21 thru 34, ``Department of Defense Grant and Agreement Regulations''; OMB Circulars...

• 48 CFR 1335.016 - Broad agency announcement.

  Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

  2012-10-01

  ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Broad agency announcement. 1335.016 Section 1335.016 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 1335.016 Broad agency announcement. ...

• 48 CFR 1335.016 - Broad agency announcement.

  Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

  2010-10-01

  ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Broad agency announcement. 1335.016 Section 1335.016 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 1335.016 Broad agency announcement. ...

• 48 CFR 1335.016 - Broad agency announcement.

  Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

  2013-10-01

  ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Broad agency announcement. 1335.016 Section 1335.016 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 1335.016 Broad agency announcement. ...

• 48 CFR 1335.016 - Broad agency announcement.

  Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

  2014-10-01

  ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Broad agency announcement. 1335.016 Section 1335.016 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 1335.016 Broad agency announcement. ...

• 48 CFR 1335.016 - Broad agency announcement.

  Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

  2011-10-01

  ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Broad agency announcement. 1335.016 Section 1335.016 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 1335.016 Broad agency announcement. ...

• 29 CFR 793.7 - “Announcer.”

  Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

  2010-07-01

  ... INTERPRETATION NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO REGULATIONS EXEMPTION OF CERTAIN RADIO AND TELEVISION STATION EMPLOYEES... introduce programs, read news announcements, present commercial messages, give station identification and time signals, and present other similar routine on-the-air material. In small stations, an announcer...

• 48 CFR 235.016 - Broad agency announcement.

  Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

  2014-10-01

  ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Broad agency announcement..., DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 235.016 Broad... contained in broad agency announcements for exclusive competition among historically black colleges and...

• 48 CFR 235.016 - Broad agency announcement.

  Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

  2011-10-01

  ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Broad agency announcement..., DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 235.016 Broad... contained in broad agency announcements for exclusive competition among historically black colleges and...

• 48 CFR 235.016 - Broad agency announcement.

  Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

  2010-10-01

  ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Broad agency announcement..., DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 235.016 Broad... contained in broad agency announcements for exclusive competition among historically black colleges and...

• 48 CFR 235.016 - Broad agency announcement.

  Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

  2013-10-01

  ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Broad agency announcement..., DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 235.016 Broad... contained in broad agency announcements for exclusive competition among historically black colleges and...

• 48 CFR 235.016 - Broad agency announcement.

  Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

  2012-10-01

  ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Broad agency announcement..., DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 235.016 Broad... contained in broad agency announcements for exclusive competition among historically black colleges and...

• Human cloning and 'posthuman' society.

  PubMed

  Blackford, Russell

  2005-01-01

  Since early 1997, when the creation of Dolly the sheep by somatic cell nuclear transfer was announced in Nature, numerous government reports, essays, articles and books have considered the ethical problems and policy issues surrounding human reproductive cloning. In this article, I consider what response a modern liberal society should give to the prospect of human cloning, if it became safe and practical. Some opponents of human cloning have argued that permitting it would place us on a slippery slope to a repugnant future society, comparable to that portrayed in Aldous Huxley's novel, Brave New World. I conclude that, leaving aside concerns about safety, none of the psychological or social considerations discussed in this article provides an adequate policy justification for invoking the state's coercive powers to prevent human cloning.

• Biophysical model of ion transport across human respiratory epithelia allows quantification of ion permeabilities.

  PubMed

  Garcia, Guilherme J M; Boucher, Richard C; Elston, Timothy C

  2013-02-05

  Lung health and normal mucus clearance depend on adequate hydration of airway surfaces. Because transepithelial osmotic gradients drive water flows, sufficient hydration of the airway surface liquid depends on a balance between ion secretion and absorption by respiratory epithelia. In vitro experiments using cultures of primary human nasal epithelia and human bronchial epithelia have established many of the biophysical processes involved in airway surface liquid homeostasis. Most experimental studies, however, have focused on the apical membrane, despite the fact that ion transport across respiratory epithelia involves both cellular and paracellular pathways. In fact, the ion permeabilities of the basolateral membrane and paracellular pathway remain largely unknown. Here we use a biophysical model for water and ion transport to quantify ion permeabilities of all pathways (apical, basolateral, paracellular) in human nasal epithelia cultures using experimental (Ussing Chamber and microelectrode) data reported in the literature. We derive analytical formulas for the steady-state short-circuit current and membrane potential, which are for polarized epithelia the equivalent of the Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz equation for single isolated cells. These relations allow parameter estimation to be performed efficiently. By providing a method to quantify all the ion permeabilities of respiratory epithelia, the model may aid us in understanding the physiology that regulates normal airway surface hydration. Copyright © 2013 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Space Biophysics: Accomplishments, Trends, Challenges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Jeffrey D.

2015-01-01

Physics and biology are inextricably linked. All the chemical and biological processes of life are dutifully bound to follow the rules and laws of physics. In space, these physical laws seem to turn on their head and biological systems, from microbes to humans, adapt and evolve in myriad ways to cope with the changed physical influences of the space environment. Gravity is the most prominent change in space that influences biology. In microgravity, the physical processes of sedimentation, density-driven convective flow, influence of surface tension and fluid pressure profoundly influence biology at the molecular and cellular level as well as at the whole-body level. Gravity sensing mechanisms are altered, structural and functional components of biology (such as bone and muscle) are reduced and changes in the way fluids and gasses behave also drive the way microbial systems and biofilms grow as well as the way plants and animals adapt. The radiation environment also effects life in space. Solar particle events and high energy cosmic radiation can cause serious damage to DNA and other biomolecules. The results can cause mutation, cellular damage or death, leading to health consequences of acute radiation damage or long-term health consequences such as increased cancer risk. Space Biophysics is the study and utilization of physical changes in space that cause changes in biological systems. The unique physical environment in space has been used successfully to grow high-quality protein crystals and 3D tissue cultures that could not be grown in the presence of unidirectional gravitational acceleration here on Earth. All biological processes that change in space have their root in a biophysical alteration due to microgravity and/or the radiation environment of space. In order to fully-understand the risks to human health in space and to fully-understand how humans, plants, animals and microbes can safely and effectively travel and eventually live for long periods beyond

Acupuncture-Based Biophysical Frontiers of Complementary Medicine

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-10-28

cf. Fig. 1, an evolutionary older type of intercell communications , transporting ionic electrical signals between excitable cells, whose conductivity...traditional psychology: Biophysical bases of psychosomatic disorders and transpersonal stress reprogramming", in Basic and Clinical Aspects of the Theory...biophysical basis of transpersonal transcendental phenomena", Int. J. Appl. Sci. & Computat, vol. 7, pp. 174-187, 2000 [also presented at Int. Conf

The biophysics of neuronal growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franze, Kristian; Guck, Jochen

2010-09-01

For a long time, neuroscience has focused on biochemical, molecular biological and electrophysiological aspects of neuronal physiology and pathology. However, there is a growing body of evidence indicating the importance of physical stimuli for neuronal growth and development. In this review we briefly summarize the historical background of neurobiophysics and give an overview over the current understanding of neuronal growth from a physics perspective. We show how biophysics has so far contributed to a better understanding of neuronal growth and discuss current inconsistencies. Finally, we speculate how biophysics may contribute to the successful treatment of lesions to the central nervous system, which have been considered incurable until very recently.

Biophysical regulation of stem cell differentiation.

PubMed

Govey, Peter M; Loiselle, Alayna E; Donahue, Henry J

2013-06-01

Bone adaptation to its mechanical environment, from embryonic through adult life, is thought to be the product of increased osteoblastic differentiation from mesenchymal stem cells. In parallel with tissue-scale loading, these heterogeneous populations of multipotent stem cells are subject to a variety of biophysical cues within their native microenvironments. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells-the most broadly studied source of osteoblastic progenitors-undergo osteoblastic differentiation in vitro in response to biophysical signals, including hydrostatic pressure, fluid flow and accompanying shear stress, substrate strain and stiffness, substrate topography, and electromagnetic fields. Furthermore, stem cells may be subject to indirect regulation by mechano-sensing osteocytes positioned to more readily detect these same loading-induced signals within the bone matrix. Such paracrine and juxtacrine regulation of differentiation by osteocytes occurs in vitro. Further studies are needed to confirm both direct and indirect mechanisms of biophysical regulation within the in vivo stem cell niche.

Large scale in vivo recordings to study neuronal biophysics.

PubMed

Giocomo, Lisa M

2015-06-01

Over the last several years, technological advances have enabled researchers to more readily observe single-cell membrane biophysics in awake, behaving animals. Studies utilizing these technologies have provided important insights into the mechanisms generating functional neural codes in both sensory and non-sensory cortical circuits. Crucial for a deeper understanding of how membrane biophysics control circuit dynamics however, is a continued effort to move toward large scale studies of membrane biophysics, in terms of the numbers of neurons and ion channels examined. Future work faces a number of theoretical and technical challenges on this front but recent technological developments hold great promise for a larger scale understanding of how membrane biophysics contribute to circuit coding and computation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Announcing Professional Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, Lawrence J.

There is a growing trend for some counselors to adopt and advertise specific value positions and counseling orientations. To explore potential clients' perceptions of information contained in "traditional" and "feminist" therapists' announcements of services, 52 males and 52 females received one of four announcements…

BIOPHYSICAL ASSESSMENTS: WHO CARES?

EPA Science Inventory

An initial statement of this discussion topic was "are ecological economic studies without explicit biophysical assessments fraudulent?" -- implying that such studies were at least misleading, if not intentionally deceitful. To a person trained in the physical/biological sciences...

45 CFR 503.25 - Announcement of meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Announcement of meetings. 503.25 Section 503.25... REGULATIONS Government in the Sunshine Regulations § 503.25 Announcement of meetings. (a) The Commission meets... than eight days before the beginning of a meeting of the Commission, the Commission will make available...

Neutron Scattering Announcements

Science.gov Websites

will be added. We encourage everyone interested in neutron scattering to take full advantage of this neutron source ESS. After an initial layout phase using analytical considerations further assessment of Home Page | Facilities | Reference | Software | Conferences | Announcements | Mailing Lists Neutron

5 CFR 362.403 - Announcement, eligibility, and selection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Announcement, eligibility, and selection. 362.403 Section 362.403 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PATHWAYS PROGRAMS Presidential Management Fellows Program § 362.403 Announcement, eligibility, and...

5 CFR 362.403 - Announcement, eligibility, and selection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Announcement, eligibility, and selection. 362.403 Section 362.403 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PATHWAYS PROGRAMS Presidential Management Fellows Program § 362.403 Announcement, eligibility, and...

5 CFR 335.105 - Notice of job announcements to OPM.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Notice of job announcements to OPM. 335... PROMOTION AND INTERNAL PLACEMENT General Provisions § 335.105 Notice of job announcements to OPM. Under 5 U.S.C. 3330, agencies are required to report job announcements to OPM for vacancies for which an...

5 CFR 335.105 - Notice of job announcements to OPM.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Notice of job announcements to OPM. 335... PROMOTION AND INTERNAL PLACEMENT General Provisions § 335.105 Notice of job announcements to OPM. Under 5 U.S.C. 3330, agencies are required to report job announcements to OPM for vacancies for which an...

5 CFR 335.105 - Notice of job announcements to OPM.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Notice of job announcements to OPM. 335... PROMOTION AND INTERNAL PLACEMENT General Provisions § 335.105 Notice of job announcements to OPM. Under 5 U.S.C. 3330, agencies are required to report job announcements to OPM for vacancies for which an...

5 CFR 335.105 - Notice of job announcements to OPM.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Notice of job announcements to OPM. 335... PROMOTION AND INTERNAL PLACEMENT General Provisions § 335.105 Notice of job announcements to OPM. Under 5 U.S.C. 3330, agencies are required to report job announcements to OPM for vacancies for which an...

5 CFR 335.105 - Notice of job announcements to OPM.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Notice of job announcements to OPM. 335... PROMOTION AND INTERNAL PLACEMENT General Provisions § 335.105 Notice of job announcements to OPM. Under 5 U.S.C. 3330, agencies are required to report job announcements to OPM for vacancies for which an...

31 CFR 356.23 - How are the auction results announced?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false How are the auction results announced...-93) Determination of Auction Awards; Settlement § 356.23 How are the auction results announced? (a) After the conclusion of the auction, we will announce the auction results through a press release that...

47 CFR 0.605 - Procedures for announcing meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Procedures for announcing meetings. 0.605 Section 0.605 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL COMMISSION ORGANIZATION Meeting Procedures § 0.605 Procedures for announcing meetings. (a) Notice of all open and closed meetings will be...

47 CFR 0.605 - Procedures for announcing meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Procedures for announcing meetings. 0.605 Section 0.605 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL COMMISSION ORGANIZATION Meeting Procedures § 0.605 Procedures for announcing meetings. (a) Notice of all open and closed meetings will be...

31 CFR 356.23 - How are the auction results announced?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false How are the auction results announced...) Determination of Auction Awards; Settlement § 356.23 How are the auction results announced? (a) After the conclusion of the auction, we will announce the auction results through a press release that is available on...

31 CFR 356.23 - How are the auction results announced?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false How are the auction results announced...) Determination of Auction Awards; Settlement § 356.23 How are the auction results announced? (a) After the conclusion of the auction, we will announce the auction results through a press release that is available on...

31 CFR 356.23 - How are the auction results announced?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false How are the auction results announced...) Determination of Auction Awards; Settlement § 356.23 How are the auction results announced? (a) After the conclusion of the auction, we will announce the auction results through a press release that is available on...

Biophysics and systems biology.

PubMed

Noble, Denis

2010-03-13

Biophysics at the systems level, as distinct from molecular biophysics, acquired its most famous paradigm in the work of Hodgkin and Huxley, who integrated their equations for the nerve impulse in 1952. Their approach has since been extended to other organs of the body, notably including the heart. The modern field of computational biology has expanded rapidly during the first decade of the twenty-first century and, through its contribution to what is now called systems biology, it is set to revise many of the fundamental principles of biology, including the relations between genotypes and phenotypes. Evolutionary theory, in particular, will require re-assessment. To succeed in this, computational and systems biology will need to develop the theoretical framework required to deal with multilevel interactions. While computational power is necessary, and is forthcoming, it is not sufficient. We will also require mathematical insight, perhaps of a nature we have not yet identified. This article is therefore also a challenge to mathematicians to develop such insights.

Biophysics and systems biology

PubMed Central

Noble, Denis

2010-01-01

Biophysics at the systems level, as distinct from molecular biophysics, acquired its most famous paradigm in the work of Hodgkin and Huxley, who integrated their equations for the nerve impulse in 1952. Their approach has since been extended to other organs of the body, notably including the heart. The modern field of computational biology has expanded rapidly during the first decade of the twenty-first century and, through its contribution to what is now called systems biology, it is set to revise many of the fundamental principles of biology, including the relations between genotypes and phenotypes. Evolutionary theory, in particular, will require re-assessment. To succeed in this, computational and systems biology will need to develop the theoretical framework required to deal with multilevel interactions. While computational power is necessary, and is forthcoming, it is not sufficient. We will also require mathematical insight, perhaps of a nature we have not yet identified. This article is therefore also a challenge to mathematicians to develop such insights. PMID:20123750

Ultrasound—biophysics mechanisms†

PubMed Central

O'Brien, William D.

2007-01-01

Ultrasonic biophysics is the study of mechanisms responsible for how ultrasound and biological materials interact. Ultrasound-induced bioeffect or risk studies focus on issues related to the effects of ultrasound on biological materials. On the other hand, when biological materials affect the ultrasonic wave, this can be viewed as the basis for diagnostic ultrasound. Thus, an understanding of the interaction of ultrasound with tissue provides the scientific basis for image production and risk assessment. Relative to the bioeffect or risk studies, that is, the biophysical mechanisms by which ultrasound affects biological materials, ultrasound-induced bioeffects are generally separated into thermal and nonthermal mechanisms. Ultrasonic dosimetry is concerned with the quantitative determination of ultrasonic energy interaction with biological materials. Whenever ultrasonic energy is propagated into an attenuating material such as tissue, the amplitude of the wave decreases with distance. This attenuation is due to either absorption or scattering. Absorption is a mechanism that represents that portion of ultrasonic wave that is converted into heat, and scattering can be thought of as that portion of the wave, which changes direction. Because the medium can absorb energy to produce heat, a temperature rise may occur as long as the rate of heat production is greater than the rate of heat removal. Current interest with thermally mediated ultrasound-induced bioeffects has focused on the thermal isoeffect concept. The non-thermal mechanism that has received the most attention is acoustically generated cavitation wherein ultrasonic energy by cavitation bubbles is concentrated. Acoustic cavitation, in a broad sense, refers to ultrasonically induced bubble activity occurring in a biological material that contains pre-existing gaseous inclusions. Cavitation-related mechanisms include radiation force, microstreaming, shock waves, free radicals, microjets and strain. It is more

48 CFR 1405.303 - Announcement of contract awards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Announcement of contract awards. 1405.303 Section 1405.303 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR... Announcement of contract awards. (a) The CO shall report the following information to the cognizant bureau...

48 CFR 1835.016-71 - NASA Research Announcements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false NASA Research... NASA Research Announcements. (a) Scope. An NRA is used to announce research interests in support of NASA's programs, and, after peer or scientific review using factors in the NRA, select proposals for...

48 CFR 1835.016-71 - NASA Research Announcements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false NASA Research... NASA Research Announcements. (a) Scope. An NRA is used to announce research interests in support of NASA's programs, and, after peer or scientific review using factors in the NRA, select proposals for...

48 CFR 1835.016-71 - NASA Research Announcements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false NASA Research... NASA Research Announcements. (a) Scope. An NRA is used to announce research interests in support of NASA's programs, and, after peer or scientific review using factors in the NRA, select proposals for...

48 CFR 1835.016-71 - NASA Research Announcements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false NASA Research... NASA Research Announcements. (a) Scope. An NRA is used to announce research interests in support of NASA's programs, and, after peer or scientific review using factors in the NRA, select proposals for...

Biophysical Approaches for Oral Wound Healing: Emphasis on Photobiomodulation

PubMed Central

Khan, Imran; Arany, Praveen

2015-01-01

Significance: Oral wounds can lead to significant pain and discomfort as well as affect overall general health due to poor diet and inadequate nutrition. Besides many biological and pharmaceutical methods being investigated, there is growing interest in exploring various biophysical devices that utilize electric, magnetic, ultrasound, pressure, and light energy. Recent Advances: Significant insight into mechanisms of these biophysical devices could provide a clear rationale for their clinical use. Preclinical studies are essential precursors in determining physiological mechanisms and elucidation of causal pathways. This will lead to development of safe and effective therapeutic protocols for clinical wound management. Critical Issues: Identification of precise events initiated by biophysical devices, specifically photobiomodulation—the major focus of this review, offers promising avenues in improving oral wound management. The primary phase responses initiated by the interventions that distinctly contribute to the therapeutic response must be clearly delineated from secondary phase responses. The latter events are a consequence of the wound healing process and must not be confused with causal mechanisms. Future Direction: Clinical adoption of these biophysical devices needs robust and efficacious protocols that can be developed by well-designed preclinical and clinical studies. Elucidation of the precise molecular mechanisms of these biophysical approaches could determine optimization of their applications for predictive oral wound care. PMID:26634185

SSE Decommission Announcement

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-06-26

... We are pleased to announce that on June 13, 2018 the old SSE web site will be replaced with the new data web portal at https://power.larc.nasa.gov with improved solar and ... currently on SSE are now available at the new POWER web site although the parameters might be organized differently.  Also note ...

NREL: News - Solar Decathlon Engineering Design Results Announced

Science.gov Websites

Engineering Design Results Announced Thursday, October 3, 2002 Distinguished Panel Picks University first place in the Engineering Design results announced today at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Solar the University of Maryland remains in third. The Engineering Design panel includes engineers prominent

22 CFR 1004.5 - Procedures for announcing meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2013-04-01 2009-04-01 true Procedures for announcing meetings. 1004.5 Section 1004.5 Foreign Relations INTER-AMERICAN FOUNDATION RULES FOR IMPLEMENTING OPEN MEETINGS WITHIN THE INTER-AMERICAN FOUNDATION § 1004.5 Procedures for announcing meetings. (a) In the case of each meeting...

Delineating Biophysical Environments of the Sunda Banda Seascape, Indonesia

PubMed Central

Wang, Mingshu; Ahmadia, Gabby N.; Chollett, Iliana; Huang, Charles; Fox, Helen; Wijonarno, Anton; Madden, Marguerite

2015-01-01

The Sunda Banda Seascape (SBS), located in the center of the Coral Triangle, is a global center of marine biodiversity and a conservation priority. We proposed the first biophysical environmental delineation of the SBS using globally available satellite remote sensing and model-assimilated data to categorize this area into unique and meaningful biophysical classes. Specifically, the SBS was partitioned into eight biophysical classes characterized by similar sea surface temperature, chlorophyll a concentration, currents, and salinity patterns. Areas within each class were expected to have similar habitat types and ecosystem functions. Our work supplemented prevailing global marine management schemes by focusing in on a regional scale with finer spatial resolution. It also provided a baseline for academic research, ecological assessments and will facilitate marine spatial planning and conservation activities in the area. In addition, the framework and methods of delineating biophysical environments we presented can be expanded throughout the whole Coral Triangle to support research and conservation activities in this important region. PMID:25648170

Bites and B-Roll: Announcments of the Architecture Contest Winners

ScienceCinema

None

2017-12-09

Broadcast-quality downloads of this video are available free and unrestricted at http://stratacomm.net/solar-decathlon... Video contains announcements of the architecture awards announcement at the 2009 Solar Decathlon. Includes announcement and house b-roll of 1st place winner Team California and 2nd place winner Rice University's houses, general Solar Village b-roll, and bites from students and architecture experts

10 CFR 1704.7 - Changes following public announcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Changes following public announcement. 1704.7 Section 1704.7 Energy DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD RULES IMPLEMENTING THE GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE ACT § 1704.7 Changes following public announcement. (a) The time or place of a meeting may be changed...

10 CFR 1704.7 - Changes following public announcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Changes following public announcement. 1704.7 Section 1704.7 Energy DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD RULES IMPLEMENTING THE GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE ACT § 1704.7 Changes following public announcement. (a) The time or place of a meeting may be changed...

10 CFR 1704.7 - Changes following public announcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Changes following public announcement. 1704.7 Section 1704.7 Energy DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD RULES IMPLEMENTING THE GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE ACT § 1704.7 Changes following public announcement. (a) The time or place of a meeting may be changed...

10 CFR 1704.7 - Changes following public announcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Changes following public announcement. 1704.7 Section 1704.7 Energy DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD RULES IMPLEMENTING THE GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE ACT § 1704.7 Changes following public announcement. (a) The time or place of a meeting may be changed...

10 CFR 1704.7 - Changes following public announcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Changes following public announcement. 1704.7 Section 1704.7 Energy DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD RULES IMPLEMENTING THE GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE ACT § 1704.7 Changes following public announcement. (a) The time or place of a meeting may be changed...

Ascertaining Desirable Competencies of Broadcast Announcers. Curriculum Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeiss, Paul A.

This research was undertaken in an effort to identify the desirable competencies of announcers as required by the broadcast industry. In order to identify the announcing competencies sought by the broadcast industry, a questionnaire was mailed to a representative number of Texas radio and television station operations managers. The random sample…

Evaluating landscape health: Integrating societal goals and biophysical process

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rapport, D.J.; Gaudet, C.; Karr, J.R.; Baron, Jill S.; Bohlen, C.; Jackson, W.; Jones, Bruce; Naiman, R.J.; Norton, B.; Pollock, M. M.

1998-01-01

Evaluating landscape change requires the integration of the social and natural sciences. The social sciences contribute to articulating societal values that govern landscape change, while the natural sciences contribute to understanding the biophysical processes that are influenced by human activity and result in ecological change. Building upon Aldo Leopold's criteria for landscape health, the roles of societal values and biophysical processes in shaping the landscape are explored. A framework is developed for indicators of landscape health and integrity. Indicators of integrity are useful in measuring biological condition relative to the condition in landscapes largely unaffected by human activity, while indicators of health are useful in evaluating changes in highly modified landscapes. Integrating societal goals and biophysical processes requires identification of ecological services to be sustained within a given landscape. It also requires the proper choice of temporal and spatial scales. Societal values are based upon inter-generational concerns at regional scales (e.g. soil and ground water quality). Assessing the health and integrity of the environment at the landscape scale over a period of decades best integrates societal values with underlying biophysical processes. These principles are illustrated in two contrasting case studies: (1) the South Platte River study demonstrates the role of complex biophysical processes acting at a distance; and (2) the Kissimmee River study illustrates the critical importance of social, cultural and economic concerns in the design of remedial action plans. In both studies, however, interactions between the social and the biophysical governed the landscape outcomes. The legacy of evolution and the legacy of culture requires integration for the purpose of effectively coping with environmental change.

Biophysical mechanisms of endotoxin neutralization by cationic amphiphilic peptides.

PubMed

Kaconis, Yani; Kowalski, Ina; Howe, Jörg; Brauser, Annemarie; Richter, Walter; Razquin-Olazarán, Iosu; Iñigo-Pestaña, Melania; Garidel, Patrick; Rössle, Manfred; Martinez de Tejada, Guillermo; Gutsmann, Thomas; Brandenburg, Klaus

2011-06-08

Bacterial endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides (LPS)) are strong elicitors of the human immune system by interacting with serum and membrane proteins such as lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) and CD14 with high specificity. At LPS concentrations as low as 0.3 ng/ml, such interactions may lead to severe pathophysiological effects, including sepsis and septic shock. One approach to inhibit an uncontrolled inflammatory reaction is the use of appropriate polycationic and amphiphilic antimicrobial peptides, here called synthetic anti-LPS peptides (SALPs). We designed various SALP structures and investigated their ability to inhibit LPS-induced cytokine secretion in vitro, their protective effect in a mouse model of sepsis, and their cytotoxicity in physiological human cells. Using a variety of biophysical techniques, we investigated selected SALPs with considerable differences in their biological responses to characterize and understand the mechanism of LPS inactivation by SALPs. Our investigations show that neutralization of LPS by peptides is associated with a fluidization of the LPS acyl chains, a strong exothermic Coulomb interaction between the two compounds, and a drastic change of the LPS aggregate type from cubic into multilamellar, with an increase in the aggregate sizes, inhibiting the binding of LBP and other mammalian proteins to the endotoxin. At the same time, peptide binding to phospholipids of human origin (e.g., phosphatidylcholine) does not cause essential structural changes, such as changes in membrane fluidity and bilayer structure. The absence of cytotoxicity is explained by the high specificity of the interaction of the peptides with LPS. Copyright © 2011 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Single Particle Orientation and Rotational Tracking (SPORT) in biophysical studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Yan; Ha, Ji Won; Augspurger, Ashley E.; Chen, Kuangcai; Zhu, Shaobin; Fang, Ning

2013-10-01

The single particle orientation and rotational tracking (SPORT) techniques have seen rapid development in the past 5 years. Recent technical advances have greatly expanded the applicability of SPORT in biophysical studies. In this feature article, we survey the current development of SPORT and discuss its potential applications in biophysics, including cellular membrane processes and intracellular transport.The single particle orientation and rotational tracking (SPORT) techniques have seen rapid development in the past 5 years. Recent technical advances have greatly expanded the applicability of SPORT in biophysical studies. In this feature article, we survey the current development of SPORT and discuss its potential applications in biophysics, including cellular membrane processes and intracellular transport. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Three supplementary movies and an experimental section. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr02254d

45 CFR 702.55 - Public announcement of meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Public announcement of meetings. 702.55 Section... RULES ON HEARINGS, REPORTS, AND MEETINGS OF THE COMMISSION Meetings § 702.55 Public announcement of meetings. (a) Agenda. The Staff Director shall set as early as possible but in any event at least eight...

14 CFR 1214.1101 - Announcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Recruitment and Selection Program § 1214.1101 Announcement. (a) Astronaut candidate opportunities Will be... Opportunity Programs, NASA Headquarters, will provide assistance in the recruiting process. [54 FR 37940, Sept...

Modelling Biophysical Parameters of Maize Using Landsat 8 Time Series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahms, Thorsten; Seissiger, Sylvia; Conrad, Christopher; Borg, Erik

2016-06-01

Open and free access to multi-frequent high-resolution data (e.g. Sentinel - 2) will fortify agricultural applications based on satellite data. The temporal and spatial resolution of these remote sensing datasets directly affects the applicability of remote sensing methods, for instance a robust retrieving of biophysical parameters over the entire growing season with very high geometric resolution. In this study we use machine learning methods to predict biophysical parameters, namely the fraction of absorbed photosynthetic radiation (FPAR), the leaf area index (LAI) and the chlorophyll content, from high resolution remote sensing. 30 Landsat 8 OLI scenes were available in our study region in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. In-situ data were weekly to bi-weekly collected on 18 maize plots throughout the summer season 2015. The study aims at an optimized prediction of biophysical parameters and the identification of the best explaining spectral bands and vegetation indices. For this purpose, we used the entire in-situ dataset from 24.03.2015 to 15.10.2015. Random forest and conditional inference forests were used because of their explicit strong exploratory and predictive character. Variable importance measures allowed for analysing the relation between the biophysical parameters with respect to the spectral response, and the performance of the two approaches over the plant stock evolvement. Classical random forest regression outreached the performance of conditional inference forests, in particular when modelling the biophysical parameters over the entire growing period. For example, modelling biophysical parameters of maize for the entire vegetation period using random forests yielded: FPAR: R² = 0.85; RMSE = 0.11; LAI: R² = 0.64; RMSE = 0.9 and chlorophyll content (SPAD): R² = 0.80; RMSE=4.9. Our results demonstrate the great potential in using machine-learning methods for the interpretation of long-term multi-frequent remote sensing datasets to model

Automated Announcements of Approaching Emergency Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bachelder, Aaron; Foster, Conrad

2006-01-01

Street intersections that are equipped with traffic lights would also be equipped with means for generating audible announcements of approaching emergency vehicles, according to a proposal. The means to generate the announcements would be implemented in the intersection- based subsystems of emergency traffic-light-preemption systems like those described in the two immediately preceding articles and in "Systems Would Preempt Traffic Lights for Emergency Vehicles" (NPO-30573), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 28, No. 10 (October 2004), page 36. Preempting traffic lights is not, by itself, sufficient to warn pedestrians at affected intersections that emergency vehicles are approaching. Automated visual displays that warn of approaching emergency vehicles can be helpful as a supplement to preemption of traffic lights, but experience teaches that for a variety of reasons, pedestrians often do not see such displays. Moreover, in noisy and crowded urban settings, the lights and sirens on emergency vehicles are often not noticed until a few seconds before the vehicles arrive. According to the proposal, the traffic-light preemption subsystem at each intersection would generate an audible announcement for example, emergency vehicle approaching, please clear intersection whenever a preemption was triggered. The subsystem would estimate the time of arrival of an approaching emergency vehicle by use of vehicle identity, position, and time data from one or more sources that could include units connected to traffic loops and/or transponders connected to diagnostic and navigation systems in participating emergency vehicles. The intersection-based subsystem would then start the announcement far enough in advance to enable pedestrians to leave the roadway before any emergency vehicles arrive.

Personalized Instruction with Bootstrap Tutors in an Introductory Biophysics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roper, L. David

1974-01-01

Discusses the conduct of an introductory biophysics course with a personalized instruction by using tutors selected from the students themselves. Included are three tables of text contents, a sample of a terminal questionnaire, and a list of biophysics references. (CC)

Biophysical impacts of climate-smart agriculture in the Midwest United States.

PubMed

Bagley, Justin E; Miller, Jesse; Bernacchi, Carl J

2015-09-01

The potential impacts of climate change in the Midwest United States present unprecedented challenges to regional agriculture. In response to these challenges, a variety of climate-smart agricultural methodologies have been proposed to retain or improve crop yields, reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, retain soil quality and increase climate resilience of agricultural systems. One component that is commonly neglected when assessing the environmental impacts of climate-smart agriculture is the biophysical impacts, where changes in ecosystem fluxes and storage of moisture and energy lead to perturbations in local climate and water availability. Using a combination of observational data and an agroecosystem model, a series of climate-smart agricultural scenarios were assessed to determine the biophysical impacts these techniques have in the Midwest United States. The first scenario extended the growing season for existing crops using future temperature and CO2 concentrations. The second scenario examined the biophysical impacts of no-till agriculture and the impacts of annually retaining crop debris. Finally, the third scenario evaluated the potential impacts that the adoption of perennial cultivars had on biophysical quantities. Each of these scenarios was found to have significant biophysical impacts. However, the timing and magnitude of the biophysical impacts differed between scenarios. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Biophysics of molecular gastronomy.

PubMed

Brenner, Michael P; Sörensen, Pia M

2015-03-26

Chefs and scientists exploring biophysical processes have given rise to molecular gastronomy. In this Commentary, we describe how a scientific understanding of recipes and techniques facilitates the development of new textures and expands the flavor palette. The new dishes that result engage our senses in unexpected ways. PAPERCLIP. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Editor's Comment and Announcement.

PubMed

Bortolussi, Robert

2017-12-17

It is hard to believe but Clinical and Investigative Medicine (CIM), the official journal of Canadian Society for Clinical Investigation (CSCI), will soon celebrate its 40th birthday!  Over these past four decades, CIM has been the premier journal for Canadian clinician scientists; publishing over 1,000 articles on breakthroughs and major advances from Canada and around the world.  We are listed on Medline, PubMed and the Library of Science. We have been, and will continue to be, an independent journal. To celebrate this auspicious occasion, we have plans to become an even bigger showpiece for national and international clinical advances. We want to connect more closely with Canadian clinician scientists and trainees and we particularly want to encourage more Canadian publications. Changes will soon be coming to CIM with several new features: Newsletter with announcements and news on activities of interest to clinician scientists and trainees; Focused Reviews on specific areas of research; Reflections on work and life experiences of trainees and senior clinician scientists; Methods Papers describing novel methods anticipated to be useful for others; and  Guidelines or Recommendations on clinical care that are endorsed by a Canadian Medical or Surgical Society. Starting in 2018, we will be publishing on a quarterly basis. This will help to ensure we will focus on important breakthroughs and commentaries. However, we are also planning a special edition in the autumn to commemorate the 40th birthday. Stay tuned! Of course CIM will continue to publish original papers on discoveries in pathophysiology, prevention, management, treatment and outcome of clinical problems confronting clinicians in Canada and around the world.  Please join us as we embark on these changes and a new era for CIM, Robert Bortolussi Clinical and Investigative Medicine (CIM) Editor in Chief.

48 CFR 1835.016-70 - Foreign participation under broad agency announcements (BAAs).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... broad agency announcements (BAAs). 1835.016-70 Section 1835.016-70 Federal Acquisition Regulations... DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 1835.016-70 Foreign participation under broad agency announcements (BAAs). (a) Policy. (1) NASA seeks the broadest participation in response to broad agency announcements, including...

Ultrafast fluorescence spectroscopy via upconversion applications to biophysics.

PubMed

Xu, Jianhua; Knutson, Jay R

2008-01-01

This chapter reviews basic concepts of nonlinear fluorescence upconversion, a technique whose temporal resolution is essentially limited only by the pulse width of the ultrafast laser. Design aspects for upconversion spectrophotofluorometers are discussed, and a recently developed system is described. We discuss applications in biophysics, particularly the measurement of time-resolved fluorescence spectra of proteins (with subpicosecond time resolution). Application of this technique to biophysical problems such as dynamics of tryptophan, peptides, proteins, and nucleic acids is reviewed.

Indian Vacuum Society: The Indian Vacuum Society

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saha, T. K.

2008-03-01

expert members on the subject to deliver lectures and take part in devising courses in the universities. IVS publishes a quarterly called the `Bulletin of Indian Vacuum Society' since its inception, in which articles on vacuum and related topics are published. NIRVAT, news, announcements, and reports are the other features of the Bulletin. The articles in the Bulletin are internationally abstracted. The Bulletin is distributed free to all the members of the society. The society also publishes proceedings of national/international symposia and seminars, manuals, lecture notes etc. It has published a `Vacuum Directory' containing very useful information on vacuum technology. IVS has also set up its own website http://www.ivsnet.org in January 2002. The website contains information about IVS, list of members, list of EC members, events and news, abstracts of articles published in the `Bulletin of Indian Vacuum Society', utilities, announcements, reports, membership and other forms which can be completed online and also gives links to other vacuum societies. Our Society has been a member of the executive council of the International Union of Vacuum Science, Techniques and Applications (IUVSTA) and its various committees since 1970. In 1983 IVS conducted an International Symposium on Vacuum Technology and Nuclear Applications in BARC, Mumbai, under the sponsorship of IUVSTA. In 1987 IVS arranged the Triennial International Conference on Thin Films in New Delhi, where more than 200 foreign delegates participated. IVS also hosted the IUVSTA Executive Council Meeting along with the conference. The society organized yet again an International Conference on Vacuum Science and Technology and SRS Vacuum Systems at CAT, Indore in1995. IVS arranges the prestigious Professor Balakrishnan Memorial Lecture in memory of its founder vice-president. Leading scientists from India and abroad in the field are invited to deliver the talks. So far 23 lectures have been held in this series. IVS

Biotic games and cloud experimentation as novel media for biophysics education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riedel-Kruse, Ingmar; Blikstein, Paulo

2014-03-01

First-hand, open-ended experimentation is key for effective formal and informal biophysics education. We developed, tested and assessed multiple new platforms that enable students and children to directly interact with and learn about microscopic biophysical processes: (1) Biotic games that enable local and online play using galvano- and photo-tactic stimulation of micro-swimmers, illustrating concepts such as biased random walks, Low Reynolds number hydrodynamics, and Brownian motion; (2) an undergraduate course where students learn optics, electronics, micro-fluidics, real time image analysis, and instrument control by building biotic games; and (3) a graduate class on the biophysics of multi-cellular systems that contains a cloud experimentation lab enabling students to execute open-ended chemotaxis experiments on slimemolds online, analyze their data, and build biophysical models. Our work aims to generate the equivalent excitement and educational impact for biophysics as robotics and video games have had for mechatronics and computer science, respectively. We also discuss how scaled-up cloud experimentation systems can support MOOCs with true lab components and life-science research in general.

Preface: Special Topic on Single-Molecule Biophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makarov, Dmitrii E.; Schuler, Benjamin

2018-03-01

Single-molecule measurements are now almost routinely used to study biological systems and processes. The scope of this special topic emphasizes the physics side of single-molecule observations, with the goal of highlighting new developments in physical techniques as well as conceptual insights that single-molecule measurements bring to biophysics. This issue also comprises recent advances in theoretical physical models of single-molecule phenomena, interpretation of single-molecule signals, and fundamental areas of statistical mechanics that are related to single-molecule observations. A particular goal is to illustrate the increasing synergy between theory, simulation, and experiment in single-molecule biophysics.

75 FR 76056 - FEDERAL REGISTER CITATION OF PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT:

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-07

... SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meeting FEDERAL REGISTER CITATION OF PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT: STATUS: Closed meeting. PLACE: 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC. DATE AND TIME OF PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED MEETING: Thursday, December 9, 2010 at 2 p.m. CHANGE IN THE MEETING: Time change. The closed...

48 CFR 1835.016-70 - Foreign participation under broad agency announcements (BAAs).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... under broad agency announcements (BAAs). 1835.016-70 Section 1835.016-70 Federal Acquisition Regulations... DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 1835.016-70 Foreign participation under broad agency announcements (BAAs). (a) Policy. (1) NASA seeks the broadest participation in response to broad agency announcements, including...

48 CFR 1835.016-70 - Foreign participation under broad agency announcements (BAAs).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... under broad agency announcements (BAAs). 1835.016-70 Section 1835.016-70 Federal Acquisition Regulations... DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 1835.016-70 Foreign participation under broad agency announcements (BAAs). (a) Policy. (1) NASA seeks the broadest participation in response to broad agency announcements, including...

48 CFR 1835.016-70 - Foreign participation under broad agency announcements (BAAs).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... under broad agency announcements (BAAs). 1835.016-70 Section 1835.016-70 Federal Acquisition Regulations... DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 1835.016-70 Foreign participation under broad agency announcements (BAAs). (a) Policy. (1) NASA seeks the broadest participation in response to broad agency announcements, including...

48 CFR 1835.016-70 - Foreign participation under broad agency announcements (BAAs).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... under broad agency announcements (BAAs). 1835.016-70 Section 1835.016-70 Federal Acquisition Regulations... DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 1835.016-70 Foreign participation under broad agency announcements (BAAs). (a) Policy. (1) NASA seeks the broadest participation in response to broad agency announcements, including...

Improving Access to MODIS Biophysical Science Products for NACP Investigators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolfe, Robert E.; Gao, Feng; Morisette, Jeffrey T.; Ederer, Gregory A.; Pedelty, Jeffrey A.

2007-01-01

MODIS 4 NACP is a NASA-funded project supporting the North American Carbon Program (NACP). The purpose of this Advancing Collaborative Connections for Earth-Sun System Science (ACCESS) project is to provide researchers with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) biophysical data products that are custom tailored for use in NACP model studies. Standard MODIS biophysical products provide used to improve our understanding on the climate and ecosystem changes. However, direct uses of the MODIS biophysical parameters are constrained by retrieval quality and cloud contamination. Another challenge that NACP users face is acquiring MODIS data in formats and at spatial-temporal resolutions consistent with other data sets they use. We have been working closely with key NACP users to tailor the MODIS products to fit their needs. First, we provide new temporally smoothed and spatially continuous MODIS biophysical data sets. Second, we are distributing MODIS data at suitable spatial-temporal resolutions and in formats consistent with other data integration into model studies.

10 CFR 903.11 - Advance announcement of rate adjustment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Advance announcement of rate adjustment. 903.11 Section 903.11 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY POWER AND TRANSMISSION RATES Procedures for Public Participation in... announcement may be through direct contact with customers, at public meetings, by press release, by newspaper...

Ultrafast Fluorescence Spectroscopy via Upconversion: Applications to Biophysics

PubMed Central

Xu, Jianhua; Knutson, Jay R.

2012-01-01

This chapter reviews basic concepts of nonlinear fluorescence upconversion, a technique whose temporal resolution is essentially limited only by the pulse width of the ultrafast laser. Design aspects for upconversion spectrophotofluorometers are discussed, and a recently developed system is described. We discuss applications in biophysics, particularly the measurement of time-resolved fluorescence spectra of proteins (with subpicosecond time resolution). Application of this technique to biophysical problems such as dynamics of tryptophan, peptides, proteins, and nucleic acids is reviewed. PMID:19152860

Comparison of biophysical factors influencing on emphysema quantification with low-dose CT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heo, Chang Yong; Kim, Jong Hyo

2014-03-01

Emphysema Index(EI) measurements in MDCT is known to be influenced by various biophysical factors such as total lung volume, and body size. We investigated the association of the four biophysical factors with emphysema index in low-dose MDCT. In particular, we attempted to identify a potentially stronger biophysical factor than total lung volume. A total of 400 low-dose MDCT volumes taken at 120kVp, 40mAs, 1mm thickness, and B30f reconstruction kernel were used. The lungs, airways, and pulmonary vessels were automatically segmented, and two Emphysema Indices, relative area below -950HU(RA950) and 15th percentile(Perc15), were extracted from the segmented lungs. The biophysical factors such as total lung volume(TLV), mode of lung attenuation(ModLA), effective body diameter(EBD), and the water equivalent body diameter(WBD) were estimated from the segmented lung and body area. The association of biophysical factors with emphysema indices were evaluated by correlation coefficients. The mean emphysema indices were 8.3±5.5(%) in RA950, and -930±18(HU) in Perc15. The estimates of biophysical factors were 4.7±1.0(L) in TLV, -901±21(HU) in ModLA, 26.9±2.2(cm) in EBD, and 25.9±2.6(cm) in WBD. The correlation coefficients of biophysical factors with RA950 were 0.73 in TLV, 0.94 in ModLA, 0.31 in EBD, and 0.18 WBD, the ones with Perc15 were 0.74 in TLV, 0.98 in ModLA, 0.29 in EBD, and 0.15 WBD. Study results revealed that two biophysical factors, TLV and ModLA, mostly affects the emphysema indices. In particular, the ModLA exhibited strongest correlation of 0.98 with Perc15, which indicating the ModLA is the most significant confounding biophysical factor in emphysema indices measurement.

Diffusion in realistic biophysical systems can lead to aliasing effects in diffusion spectrum imaging.

PubMed

Lacerda, Luis M; Sperl, Jonathan I; Menzel, Marion I; Sprenger, Tim; Barker, Gareth J; Dell'Acqua, Flavio

2016-12-01

Diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI) is an imaging technique that has been successfully applied to resolve white matter crossings in the human brain. However, its accuracy in complex microstructure environments has not been well characterized. Here we have simulated different tissue configurations, sampling schemes, and processing steps to evaluate DSI performances' under realistic biophysical conditions. A novel approach to compute the orientation distribution function (ODF) has also been developed to include biophysical constraints, namely integration ranges compatible with axial fiber diffusivities. Performed simulations identified several DSI configurations that consistently show aliasing artifacts caused by fast diffusion components for both isotropic diffusion and fiber configurations. The proposed method for ODF computation showed some improvement in reducing such artifacts and improving the ability to resolve crossings, while keeping the quantitative nature of the ODF. In this study, we identified an important limitation of current DSI implementations, specifically the presence of aliasing due to fast diffusion components like those from pathological tissues, which are not well characterized, and can lead to artifactual fiber reconstructions. To minimize this issue, a new way of computing the ODF was introduced, which removes most of these artifacts and offers improved angular resolution. Magn Reson Med 76:1837-1847, 2016. © 2015 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2015 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

NREL Announces Management Changes

Science.gov Websites

reorganization that creates two new management positions at the laboratory. Effective July 1, 1997, Dr. Stanley Announces Management Changes For more information contact: Bob Noun (303) 275-3062 Golden, Colo building research. Bull previously headed NREL�s Technology Management Center. Jerry Bellows, who

PyFolding: Open-Source Graphing, Simulation, and Analysis of the Biophysical Properties of Proteins.

PubMed

Lowe, Alan R; Perez-Riba, Albert; Itzhaki, Laura S; Main, Ewan R G

2018-02-06

For many years, curve-fitting software has been heavily utilized to fit simple models to various types of biophysical data. Although such software packages are easy to use for simple functions, they are often expensive and present substantial impediments to applying more complex models or for the analysis of large data sets. One field that is reliant on such data analysis is the thermodynamics and kinetics of protein folding. Over the past decade, increasingly sophisticated analytical models have been generated, but without simple tools to enable routine analysis. Consequently, users have needed to generate their own tools or otherwise find willing collaborators. Here we present PyFolding, a free, open-source, and extensible Python framework for graphing, analysis, and simulation of the biophysical properties of proteins. To demonstrate the utility of PyFolding, we have used it to analyze and model experimental protein folding and thermodynamic data. Examples include: 1) multiphase kinetic folding fitted to linked equations, 2) global fitting of multiple data sets, and 3) analysis of repeat protein thermodynamics with Ising model variants. Moreover, we demonstrate how PyFolding is easily extensible to novel functionality beyond applications in protein folding via the addition of new models. Example scripts to perform these and other operations are supplied with the software, and we encourage users to contribute notebooks and models to create a community resource. Finally, we show that PyFolding can be used in conjunction with Jupyter notebooks as an easy way to share methods and analysis for publication and among research teams. Copyright © 2017 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Announcement by Dan Goldin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

Daniel S. Goldin (NASA Administrator) announces the reconstruction of several NASA programs and management structural changes. The upcoming developments for Space Station Freedom, the Office of Space Science Applications (OSSA), and the field of Aeronautics are discussed.

NREL: News - Solar Decathlon Graphics and Communication Results Announced

Science.gov Websites

Graphics and Communication Results Announced Tuesday, October 1, 2002 First Place Goes to Graphics and Communication results announced today at the U. S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon moved into second, and the University of Maryland has moved into third. Graphics and Communication is

32 CFR 700.703 - To announce assumption of command.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false To announce assumption of command. 700.703... Chief and Other Commanders Titles and Duties of Commanders § 700.703 To announce assumption of command. (a) Upon assuming command, commanders shall so advise appropriate superiors, and the units of their...

32 CFR 700.703 - To announce assumption of command.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 32 National Defense 5 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false To announce assumption of command. 700.703... Chief and Other Commanders Titles and Duties of Commanders § 700.703 To announce assumption of command. (a) Upon assuming command, commanders shall so advise appropriate superiors, and the units of their...

32 CFR 700.703 - To announce assumption of command.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 32 National Defense 5 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false To announce assumption of command. 700.703... Chief and Other Commanders Titles and Duties of Commanders § 700.703 To announce assumption of command. (a) Upon assuming command, commanders shall so advise appropriate superiors, and the units of their...

32 CFR 700.703 - To announce assumption of command.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 32 National Defense 5 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false To announce assumption of command. 700.703... Chief and Other Commanders Titles and Duties of Commanders § 700.703 To announce assumption of command. (a) Upon assuming command, commanders shall so advise appropriate superiors, and the units of their...

32 CFR 700.703 - To announce assumption of command.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 32 National Defense 5 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false To announce assumption of command. 700.703... Chief and Other Commanders Titles and Duties of Commanders § 700.703 To announce assumption of command. (a) Upon assuming command, commanders shall so advise appropriate superiors, and the units of their...

12 CFR 261b.6 - Public announcement of meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Public announcement of meetings. 261b.6 Section 261b.6 Banks and Banking FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM (CONTINUED) BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM RULES REGARDING PUBLIC OBSERVATION OF MEETINGS § 261b.6 Public announcement of meetings. (a...

Nanodiscs in Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics.

PubMed

Denisov, Ilia G; Sligar, Stephen G

2017-03-22

Membrane proteins play a most important part in metabolism, signaling, cell motility, transport, development, and many other biochemical and biophysical processes which constitute fundamentals of life on the molecular level. Detailed understanding of these processes is necessary for the progress of life sciences and biomedical applications. Nanodiscs provide a new and powerful tool for a broad spectrum of biochemical and biophysical studies of membrane proteins and are commonly acknowledged as an optimal membrane mimetic system that provides control over size, composition, and specific functional modifications on the nanometer scale. In this review we attempted to combine a comprehensive list of various applications of nanodisc technology with systematic analysis of the most attractive features of this system and advantages provided by nanodiscs for structural and mechanistic studies of membrane proteins.

75 FR 11610 - Notice Announcing Addresses for Service of Process

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-11

... SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION [Docket No. SSA-2009-0076] Notice Announcing Addresses for Service of Process AGENCY: Social Security Administration. ACTION: Notice announcing addresses for summonses and complaints. SUMMARY: The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is responsible for processing and...

25 CFR 75.3 - Announcement of revision of roll.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Announcement of revision of roll. 75.3 Section 75.3... ROLL OF THE EASTERN BAND OF CHEROKEE INDIANS, NORTH CAROLINA § 75.3 Announcement of revision of roll... perform the work necessary to revise the membership roll of the Band and such staff has been employed and...

25 CFR 75.3 - Announcement of revision of roll.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Announcement of revision of roll. 75.3 Section 75.3... ROLL OF THE EASTERN BAND OF CHEROKEE INDIANS, NORTH CAROLINA § 75.3 Announcement of revision of roll... perform the work necessary to revise the membership roll of the Band and such staff has been employed and...

Radiation dosimetry and biophysical models of space radiation effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cucinotta, Francis A.; Wu, Honglu; Shavers, Mark R.; George, Kerry

2003-01-01

Estimating the biological risks from space radiation remains a difficult problem because of the many radiation types including protons, heavy ions, and secondary neutrons, and the absence of epidemiology data for these radiation types. Developing useful biophysical parameters or models that relate energy deposition by space particles to the probabilities of biological outcomes is a complex problem. Physical measurements of space radiation include the absorbed dose, dose equivalent, and linear energy transfer (LET) spectra. In contrast to conventional dosimetric methods, models of radiation track structure provide descriptions of energy deposition events in biomolecules, cells, or tissues, which can be used to develop biophysical models of radiation risks. In this paper, we address the biophysical description of heavy particle tracks in the context of the interpretation of both space radiation dosimetry and radiobiology data, which may provide insights into new approaches to these problems.

Understanding catchment dynamics through a Space-Society-Water trialectic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutherland, Catherine; Jewitt, Graham; Risko, Susan; Hay, Ducan; Stuart-Hill, Sabine; Browne, Michelle

2017-04-01

Can healthy catchments be utilized to secure water for the benefit of society? This is a complex question as it requires an understanding of the connections and relations between biophysical, social, political, economic and governance dimensions over space and time in the catchment and must interrogate whether there is 'value' in investing in the catchment natural or ecological infrastructure (EI), how this should be done, where the most valuable EI is located, and whether an investment in EI will generate co-benefits socially, environmentally and economically. Here, we adopt a social ecological relations rather than systems approach to explore these interactions through development of a space-society-water trialectic. Trialectic thinking is challenging as it requires new epistemologies and it challenges conventional modes of thought. It is not ordered or fixed, but rather is constantly evolving, revealing the dynamic relations between the elements under exploration. The construction of knowledge, through detailed scientific research and social learning, which contributes to the understanding and achievement of sustainable water supply, water related resilient economic growth, greater social equity and justice in relation to water and the reduction of environmental risk is illustrated through research in the uMngeni Catchment, South Africa. Using four case studies as a basis, we construct the catchment level society-water-space trialectic as a way of connecting, assembling and comparing the understanding and knowledge that has been produced. The relations in the three elements of the trialectic are constructed through identifying, understanding and analysing the actors, discourses, knowledge, biophysical materialities, issues and spatial connections in the case studies. Together these relations, or multiple trajectories, are assembled to form the society-water-space trialectic, which illuminates the dominant relations in the catchment and hence reveal the leverage

75 FR 67965 - Announcement of Local Government Advisory Committee Members

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-04

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9220-9] Announcement of Local Government Advisory Committee... Protection Agency announces that Administrator Lisa P. Jackson has appointed 29 local, State, and Tribal elected and appointed officials from across the country to serve on the EPA's Local Government Advisory...

Single Particle Orientation and Rotational Tracking (SPORT) in biophysical studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gu, Yan; Ha, Ji Won; Augspurger, Ashley E.

The single particle orientation and rotational tracking (SPORT) techniques have seen rapid development in the past 5 years. Recent technical advances have greatly expanded the applicability of SPORT in biophysical studies. In this feature article, we survey the current development of SPORT and discuss its potential applications in biophysics, including cellular membrane processes and intracellular transport.

Biophysical Regulation of Cell Behavior—Cross Talk between Substrate Stiffness and Nanotopography

PubMed Central

Yang, Yong; Wang, Kai; Gu, Xiaosong; Leong, Kam W.

2017-01-01

The stiffness and nanotopographical characteristics of the extracellular matrix (ECM) influence numerous developmental, physiological, and pathological processes in vivo. These biophysical cues have therefore been applied to modulate almost all aspects of cell behavior, from cell adhesion and spreading to proliferation and differentiation. Delineation of the biophysical modulation of cell behavior is critical to the rational design of new biomaterials, implants, and medical devices. The effects of stiffness and topographical cues on cell behavior have previously been reviewed, respectively; however, the interwoven effects of stiffness and nanotopographical cues on cell behavior have not been well described, despite similarities in phenotypic manifestations. Herein, we first review the effects of substrate stiffness and nanotopography on cell behavior, and then focus on intracellular transmission of the biophysical signals from integrins to nucleus. Attempts are made to connect extracellular regulation of cell behavior with the biophysical cues. We then discuss the challenges in dissecting the biophysical regulation of cell behavior and in translating the mechanistic understanding of these cues to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. PMID:29071164

7 CFR 1435.601 - Sugar surplus determination and public announcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Sugar surplus determination and public announcement...) COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS SUGAR PROGRAM Feedstock Flexibility Program § 1435.601 Sugar surplus determination and public announcement. (a) CCC will...

Biophysics of α-Synuclein Membrane Interactions

PubMed Central

Pfefferkorn, Candace M.; Jiang, Zhiping; Lee, Jennifer C.

2011-01-01

Membrane proteins participate in nearly all cellular processes; however, because of experimental limitations, their characterization lags far behind that of soluble proteins. Peripheral membrane proteins are particularly challenging to study because of their inherent propensity to adopt multiple and/or transient conformations in solution and upon membrane association. In this review, we summarize useful biophysical techniques for the study of peripheral membrane proteins and their application in the characterization of the membrane interactions of the natively unfolded and Parkinson’s disease (PD) related protein, α-synuclein (α-syn). We give particular focus to studies that have led to the current understanding of membrane-bound α-syn structure and the elucidation of specific membrane properties that affect α-syn-membrane binding. Finally, we discuss biophysical evidence supporting a key role for membranes and α-syn in PD pathogenesis. PMID:21819966

Changes in biophysical properties of the skin following radiotherapy for breast cancer.

PubMed

Hu, Stephen Chu-Sung; Hou, Ming-Feng; Luo, Kuei-Hau; Chuang, Hung-Yi; Wei, Shu-Yi; Chen, Gwo-Shing; Chiang, Wenchang; Huang, Chih-Jen

2014-12-01

Acute radiation dermatitis is a common adverse effect in patients undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer. However, the effects of radiotherapy on biophysical properties of the skin have rarely been investigated. In this prospective cohort study, we seek to determine the effects of radiotherapy for breast cancer on skin biophysical parameters. We measured various skin biophysical parameters (skin hydration, pH, sebum level, pigmentation, and blood flow) in 144 breast cancer patients by non-invasive techniques before and after radiotherapy. The measurements were simultaneously performed on the irradiated breast and the corresponding contralateral unirradiated breast for comparison. Following radiotherapy, the irradiated breast showed a significant decrease in skin hydration, increase in skin pH, increase in pigmentation, and increase in cutaneous blood flow. The contralateral unirradiated breast showed a slight increase in pigmentation but no significant changes in any of the other biophysical parameters after radiotherapy. No significant associations were found between patient characteristics (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, type of surgery, chemotherapy, hormone therapy) and changes in skin biophysical parameters following radiotherapy. In conclusion, radiation therapy for breast cancer induces measurable and significant changes in biophysical properties of the skin including hydration, pH, pigmentation, and blood flow. These findings give us a greater understanding of the effects of ionizing radiation on skin physiology, and provide non-invasive and objective methods to assess radiation dermatitis. © 2014 Japanese Dermatological Association.

Society News: Queen honours Fellows; The Society and legacies; Thesis prizes; Lectures on laptops; Stonehenge story

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2007-08-01

The Queen's Birthday Honours list announced on 16 June contained some familiar names from astronomy. Prof. Mark Bailey (1) of Armagh Observatory, currently a Vice-President of the RAS, was awarded an MBE and Dr Heather Couper (2), former President of the British Astronomical Association, a CBE. Prof. Nigel Mason (3) of the Open University and inaugural Director of the Milton Keynes Science Festival received an OBE. Prof. Jocelyn Bell-Burnell (4), President of the RAS from 2002-2004, was awarded a DBE - and an Honorary Doctorate from Harvard University. In addition, Prof. Lord Rees (5), Astronomer Royal, president of the Royal Society and President of the RAS from 1992-1994, was appointed to the Order of Merit.

Surgery Goes Social: The Extent and Patterns of Social Media Utilization by Major Trauma, Acute and Critical Care Surgery Societies.

PubMed

Khalifeh, Jawad M; Kaafarani, Haytham M A

2017-01-01

The evolving influence of social media in trauma, acute, and critical care surgery (TACCS) cannot be ignored. We sought to investigate the extent and patterns of use of social networks by major regional, national and international TACCS societies. The two leading social networking sites, Facebook (FB) and Twitter (TW), were thoroughly examined for the presence of official accounts for each of the major TACCS societies. An official FB or TW account was defined as one which has a blue verified badge and/or is linked the society's official website. For societies with confirmed official accounts, the extent and patterns of use of the two platforms were systematically examined over a 2-week period through: (1) manual inspection of the societies' FB and TW pages, (2) the SQLite database containing downloaded samples of posts, and (3) the TW analytics database, symplur.com. Standardized social media metrics were calculated for each society. Posted content was categorized as being: (1) society news updates, (2) event announcements, or (3) general medical information. From a total of 64 TACCS societies, only 27 (42%) had FB and/or TW accounts. Ten out of the 12 American societies had accounts compared to 13/39 of European, 2/9 of Australasian, and 0/2 of international societies. For the societies with social media presence, the mean numbers of monthly tweets and FB posts per society were 22 and 8, respectively. We summarize the FB and TW activity of the studied TACCS societies. Most tweets/posts were society news updates and event announcements intended to the society's constituents not the general public. A text cloud was constructed to summarize the major featured topics. Less than half of the TACCS societies are currently using social media; those that do are arguably underutilizing its potential. Non-American societies in particular lag behind in their use of social networking.

Biophysical characterization of α-synuclein and its controversial structure

PubMed Central

Alderson, T Reid; Markley, John L

2013-01-01

α-synuclein, a presynaptic protein of poorly defined function, constitutes the main component of Parkinson disease-associated Lewy bodies. Extensive biophysical investigations have provided evidence that isolated α-synuclein is an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) in vitro. Subsequently serving as a model IDP in numerous studies, α-synuclein has aided in the development of many technologies used to characterize IDPs and arguably represents the most thoroughly analyzed IDP to date. Recent reports, however, have challenged the disordered nature of α-synuclein inside cells and have instead proposed a physiologically relevant helical tetramer. Despite α-synuclein’s rich biophysical history, a single coherent picture has not yet emerged concerning its in vivo structure, dynamics, and physiological role(s). We present herein a review of the biophysical discoveries, developments, and models pertinent to the characterization of α-synuclein’s structure and analysis of the native tetramer controversy. PMID:24634806

Entropy generation in biophysical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucia, U.; Maino, G.

2013-03-01

Recently, in theoretical biology and in biophysical engineering the entropy production has been verified to approach asymptotically its maximum rate, by using the probability of individual elementary modes distributed in accordance with the Boltzmann distribution. The basis of this approach is the hypothesis that the entropy production rate is maximum at the stationary state. In the present work, this hypothesis is explained and motivated, starting from the entropy generation analysis. This latter quantity is obtained from the entropy balance for open systems considering the lifetime of the natural real process. The Lagrangian formalism is introduced in order to develop an analytical approach to the thermodynamic analysis of the open irreversible systems. The stationary conditions of the open systems are thus obtained in relation to the entropy generation and the least action principle. Consequently, the considered hypothesis is analytically proved and it represents an original basic approach in theoretical and mathematical biology and also in biophysical engineering. It is worth remarking that the present results show that entropy generation not only increases but increases as fast as possible.

Biophysical effects on temperature and precipitation due to land cover change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perugini, Lucia; Caporaso, Luca; Marconi, Sergio; Cescatti, Alessandro; Quesada, Benjamin; de Noblet-Ducoudré, Nathalie; House, Johanna I.; Arneth, Almut

2017-05-01

Anthropogenic land cover changes (LCC) affect regional and global climate through biophysical variations of the surface energy budget mediated by albedo, evapotranspiration, and roughness. This change in surface energy budget may exacerbate or counteract biogeochemical greenhouse gas effects of LCC, with a large body of emerging assessments being produced, sometimes apparently contradictory. We reviewed the existing scientific literature with the objective to provide an overview of the state-of-the-knowledge of the biophysical LCC climate effects, in support of the assessment of mitigation/adaptation land policies. Out of the published studies that were analyzed, 28 papers fulfilled the eligibility criteria, providing surface air temperature and/or precipitation change with respect to LCC regionally and/or globally. We provide a synthesis of the signal, magnitude and uncertainty of temperature and precipitation changes in response to LCC biophysical effects by climate region (boreal/temperate/tropical) and by key land cover transitions. Model results indicate that a modification of biophysical processes at the land surface has a strong regional climate effect, and non-negligible global impact on temperature. Simulations experiments of large-scale (i.e. complete) regional deforestation lead to a mean reduction in precipitation in all regions, while air surface temperature increases in the tropics and decreases in boreal regions. The net global climate effects of regional deforestation are less certain. There is an overall consensus in the model experiments that the average global biophysical climate response to complete global deforestation is atmospheric cooling and drying. Observed estimates of temperature change following deforestation indicate a smaller effect than model-based regional estimates in boreal regions, comparable results in the tropics, and contrasting results in temperate regions. Regional/local biophysical effects following LCC are important for

Humor as a Presentational Device in Broadcast Public Service Announcements.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, D. J.

On a daily basis, American television and radio audiences are subjected to a stream of broadcast Public Service Announcements (PSAs), each promoting "some kind of social or economic action deemed beneficial" (Stridsberg, 1977). Often, these announcements employ humor as a presentational device to help stimulate the behavioral change…

Building biophysics in mid-century China: the University of Science and Technology of China.

PubMed

Luk, Yi Lai Christine

2015-01-01

Biophysics has been either an independent discipline or an element of another discipline in the United States, but it has always been recognized as a stand-alone discipline in the People's Republic of China (PRC) since 1949. To inquire into this apparent divergence, this paper investigates the formational history of biophysics in China by examining the early institutional history of one of the best-known and prestigious science and technology universities in the PRC, the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). By showing how the university and its biophysics program co-evolved with national priorities from the school's founding in 1958 to the eve of the Cultural Revolution in 1966, the purpose of this paper is to assess the development of a scientific discipline in the context of national demands and institutional politics. Specific materials for analysis include the school's admission policies, curricula, students' dissertations, and research program. To further contextualize the institutional setting of Chinese biophysics, this paper begins with a general history of proto-biophysical institutions in China during the Nationalist-Communist transitional years. This paper could be of interest to historians wanting to know more about the origin of the biophysics profession in China, and in particular how research areas that constitute biophysics changed in tandem with socio-political contingencies.

10 CFR 1704.6 - Procedures for public announcement of meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Procedures for public announcement of meetings. 1704.6 Section 1704.6 Energy DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD RULES IMPLEMENTING THE GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE ACT § 1704.6 Procedures for public announcement of meetings. (a) For each meeting, the Board shall...

10 CFR 1704.6 - Procedures for public announcement of meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Procedures for public announcement of meetings. 1704.6 Section 1704.6 Energy DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD RULES IMPLEMENTING THE GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE ACT § 1704.6 Procedures for public announcement of meetings. (a) For each meeting, the Board shall...

10 CFR 1704.6 - Procedures for public announcement of meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Procedures for public announcement of meetings. 1704.6 Section 1704.6 Energy DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD RULES IMPLEMENTING THE GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE ACT § 1704.6 Procedures for public announcement of meetings. (a) For each meeting, the Board shall...

10 CFR 1704.6 - Procedures for public announcement of meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Procedures for public announcement of meetings. 1704.6 Section 1704.6 Energy DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD RULES IMPLEMENTING THE GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE ACT § 1704.6 Procedures for public announcement of meetings. (a) For each meeting, the Board shall...

10 CFR 1704.6 - Procedures for public announcement of meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Procedures for public announcement of meetings. 1704.6 Section 1704.6 Energy DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD RULES IMPLEMENTING THE GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE ACT § 1704.6 Procedures for public announcement of meetings. (a) For each meeting, the Board shall...

Teaching wave phenomena via biophysical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reich, Daniel; Robbins, Mark; Leheny, Robert; Wonnell, Steven

2014-03-01

Over the past several years we have developed a two-semester second-year physics course sequence for students in the biosciences, tailored in part to the needs of undergraduate biophysics majors. One semester, ``Biological Physics,'' is based on the book of that name by P. Nelson. This talk will focus largely on the other semester, ``Wave Phenomena with Biophysical Applications,'' where we provide a novel introduction to the physics of waves, primarily through the study of experimental probes used in the biosciences that depend on the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter. Topic covered include: Fourier analysis, sound and hearing, diffraction - culminating in an analysis of x-ray fiber diffraction and its use in the determination of the structure of DNA - geometrical and physical optics, the physics of modern light microscopy, NMR and MRI. Laboratory exercises tailored to this course will also be described.

77 FR 33223 - Announcement of the Publication of Funding Opportunity Announcements Under the Runaway and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-05

... the Publication of Funding Opportunity Announcements Under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act AGENCY... Statutory Authority: Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, 42 U.S.C. sections 5701-5752, as amended by the.... Porter, Director, Runaway and Homeless Youth Program, Family and Youth Services Bureau, 1250 Maryland Ave...

A biophysical basis for patchy mortality during heat waves.

PubMed

Mislan, K A S; Wethey, David S

2015-04-01

Extreme heat events cause patchy mortality in many habitats. We examine biophysical mechanisms responsible for patchy mortality in beds of the competitively dominant ecosystem engineer, the marine mussel Mytilus californianus, on the west coast of the United States. We used a biophysical model to predict daily fluctuations in body temperature at sites from southern California to Washington and used results of laboratory experiments on thermal tolerance to determine mortality rates from body temperature. In our model, we varied the rate of thermal conduction within mussel beds and found that this factor can account for large differences in body temperature and consequent mortality during heat waves. Mussel beds provide structural habitat for other species and increase local biodiversity, but, as sessile organisms, they are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather conditions. Identifying critical biophysical mechanisms related to mortality and ecological performance will improve our ability to predict the effects of climate change on these vulnerable ecosystems.

Social versus biophysical availability of wood in the northern United States

Treesearch

Brett J. Butler; Ma Zhao; David B. Kittredge; Paul Catanzaro

2010-01-01

The availability of wood, be it harvested for sawlogs, pulpwood, biomass, or other products, is constrained by social and biophysical factors. Knowing the difference between social and biophysical availability is important for understanding what can realistically be extracted. This study focuses on the wood located in family forests across the northern United States....

76 FR 12017 - Announcement of Grant Application Deadlines and Funding Levels

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-04

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Rural Utilities Service Announcement of Grant Application Deadlines and Funding Levels AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of solicitation of applications. SUMMARY: The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announces the...

Effects of pictures and textual arguments in sun protection public service announcements.

PubMed

Boer, Henk; Ter Huurne, Ellen; Taal, Erik

2006-01-01

The effect of public service announcements aimed at promoting primary prevention of skin cancer may be limited by superficial cognitive processing. The use of both pictures and textual arguments in sun protection public service announcements were evaluated for their potentially beneficial effects on judgment, cognitive processing and persuasiveness. In a 2 x 2 factorial experimental design individuals were shown public service announcements that advocated the advantages of sun protection measures in different versions in which a picture was present or not present and a textual argument was present or not present. The 159 participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions. In each condition, participants were shown 12 different public service announcements designed according to the condition. Participants judged each public service announcement on attractiveness, credibility, clarity of communication and the required amount of reflection. After the judgment task, they completed a questionnaire to assess knowledge, perceived advantages and disadvantages of sun protection and intended use of sun protection measures. Pictures enhanced attractiveness, but diminished comprehension. Textual arguments enhanced attractiveness, credibility and comprehension. Pictures as well as textual arguments increased knowledge of sun protection measures. Pictures and textual arguments in public service announcements positively influence the individual's perception of the advantages of sun protection methods and the advantages of their adoption.

49 CFR 804.7 - Procedures for public announcement of meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... announcement of meetings. (a) For each meeting, the NTSB shall make public announcement, at least one week... meeting; (4) Whether the meeting is to be open or closed; and (5) The name and business telephone number...) The one week advance notice required by paragraph (a) of this section may be reduced only if: (1) A...

49 CFR 804.7 - Procedures for public announcement of meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... announcement of meetings. (a) For each meeting, the NTSB shall make public announcement, at least one week... meeting; (4) Whether the meeting is to be open or closed; and (5) The name and business telephone number...) The one week advance notice required by paragraph (a) of this section may be reduced only if: (1) A...

Efficacy of curtailment announcements as a predictor of lumber supply

Treesearch

Henry Spelter

2001-01-01

A practical method for tracking the effect of curtailment announcements on lumber supply is described and tested. Combining announcements of closures and curtailments with mill capacities enables the creation of accurate forward-looking assessments of lumber supply 1 to 2 months into the future. For three American and Canadian lumber- producing regions, the method...

Human and biophysical factors influencing modern fire disturbance in northern Wisconsin

Treesearch

Brian R. Sturtevant; David T. Cleland

2007-01-01

Humans cause most wildfires in northern Wisconsin, but interactions between human and biophysical variables affecting fire starts and size are not well understood. We applied classification tree analyses to a 16-year fire database from northern Wisconsin to evaluate the relative importance of human v. biophysical variables affecting fire occurrence within (1) all cover...

A dataset mapping the potential biophysical effects of vegetation cover change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duveiller, Gregory; Hooker, Josh; Cescatti, Alessandro

2018-02-01

Changing the vegetation cover of the Earth has impacts on the biophysical properties of the surface and ultimately on the local climate. Depending on the specific type of vegetation change and on the background climate, the resulting competing biophysical processes can have a net warming or cooling effect, which can further vary both spatially and seasonally. Due to uncertain climate impacts and the lack of robust observations, biophysical effects are not yet considered in land-based climate policies. Here we present a dataset based on satellite remote sensing observations that provides the potential changes i) of the full surface energy balance, ii) at global scale, and iii) for multiple vegetation transitions, as would now be required for the comprehensive evaluation of land based mitigation plans. We anticipate that this dataset will provide valuable information to benchmark Earth system models, to assess future scenarios of land cover change and to develop the monitoring, reporting and verification guidelines required for the implementation of mitigation plans that account for biophysical land processes.

A dataset mapping the potential biophysical effects of vegetation cover change

PubMed Central

Duveiller, Gregory; Hooker, Josh; Cescatti, Alessandro

2018-01-01

Changing the vegetation cover of the Earth has impacts on the biophysical properties of the surface and ultimately on the local climate. Depending on the specific type of vegetation change and on the background climate, the resulting competing biophysical processes can have a net warming or cooling effect, which can further vary both spatially and seasonally. Due to uncertain climate impacts and the lack of robust observations, biophysical effects are not yet considered in land-based climate policies. Here we present a dataset based on satellite remote sensing observations that provides the potential changes i) of the full surface energy balance, ii) at global scale, and iii) for multiple vegetation transitions, as would now be required for the comprehensive evaluation of land based mitigation plans. We anticipate that this dataset will provide valuable information to benchmark Earth system models, to assess future scenarios of land cover change and to develop the monitoring, reporting and verification guidelines required for the implementation of mitigation plans that account for biophysical land processes. PMID:29461538

Biophysics of α-synuclein membrane interactions.

PubMed

Pfefferkorn, Candace M; Jiang, Zhiping; Lee, Jennifer C

2012-02-01

Membrane proteins participate in nearly all cellular processes; however, because of experimental limitations, their characterization lags far behind that of soluble proteins. Peripheral membrane proteins are particularly challenging to study because of their inherent propensity to adopt multiple and/or transient conformations in solution and upon membrane association. In this review, we summarize useful biophysical techniques for the study of peripheral membrane proteins and their application in the characterization of the membrane interactions of the natively unfolded and Parkinson's disease (PD) related protein, α-synuclein (α-syn). We give particular focus to studies that have led to the current understanding of membrane-bound α-syn structure and the elucidation of specific membrane properties that affect α-syn-membrane binding. Finally, we discuss biophysical evidence supporting a key role for membranes and α-syn in PD pathogenesis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Membrane protein structure and function. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.

NREL: News - Winner of Solar Decathlon to be Announced

Science.gov Websites

Winner of Solar Decathlon to be Announced Friday, October 4, 2002 Washington, D.C.- The winner of National Gallery of Art Note: All houses competing in the Solar Decathlon will be open to the public from 9 the U.S. Department of Energy's first Solar Decathlon will be announced noon, Saturday, October 6 in

76 FR 3091 - National Annual Catch Limit Science Workshop; Meeting Announcement

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-19

... Annual Catch Limit Science Workshop; Meeting Announcement AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS...: Richard Methot, Office of Science and Technology, NMFS at [email protected] , or at (206) 860-3365. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NOAA Fisheries Service is announcing a National Annual Catch Limit (ACL) Science...

Chapter 5 - Development of biophysical gradient layers for the LANDFIRE Prototype Project

Treesearch

Lisa Holsinger; Robert E. Keane; Russell Parsons; Eva Karau

2006-01-01

Distributions of plant species are generally continuous, gradually changing across landscapes and blending into each other due to the influence of, and interactions between, a complex array of biophysical gradients (Whittaker 1967; 1975). Key biophysical gradients for understanding vegetation distributions include moisture, temperature, evaporative demand, nutrient...

Federal Register Notice Announcing Public Hearings

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The EPA is announcing three public hearings to be held for the proposed rule ‘‘Federal Implementation Plans to Reduce Interstate Transport of Fine Particulate Matter and Ozone’’ (Transport Rule, also known as the Cross-State Air Pollution Act).

29 CFR 793.7 - “Announcer.”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... introduce programs, read news announcements, present commercial messages, give station identification and..., or write advertising, promotional or similar type copy. An employee who is primarily engaged in the...

7 CFR 1000.45 - Market administrator's reports and announcements concerning classification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Market administrator's reports and announcements... GENERAL PROVISIONS OF FEDERAL MILK MARKETING ORDERS Classification of Milk § 1000.45 Market administrator... corresponding step of § 1000.44(b), the market administrator shall estimate and publicly announce the...

Replacing natural wetlands with stormwater management facilities: Biophysical and perceived social values.

PubMed

Rooney, R C; Foote, L; Krogman, N; Pattison, J K; Wilson, M J; Bayley, S E

2015-04-15

Urban expansion replaces wetlands of natural origin with artificial stormwater management facilities. The literature suggests that efforts to mimic natural wetlands in the design of stormwater facilities can expand the provision of ecosystem services. Policy developments seek to capitalize on these improvements, encouraging developers to build stormwater wetlands in place of stormwater ponds; however, few have compared the biophysical values and social perceptions of these created wetlands to those of the natural wetlands they are replacing. We compared four types of wetlands: natural references sites, natural wetlands impacted by agriculture, created stormwater wetlands, and created stormwater ponds. We anticipated that they would exhibit a gradient in biodiversity, ecological integrity, chemical and hydrologic stress. We further anticipated that perceived values would mirror measured biophysical values. We found higher biophysical values associated with wetlands of natural origin (both reference and agriculturally impacted). The biophysical values of stormwater wetlands and stormwater ponds were lower and indistinguishable from one another. The perceived wetland values assessed by the public differed from the observed biophysical values. This has important policy implications, as the public are not likely to perceive the loss of values associated with the replacement of natural wetlands with created stormwater management facilities. We conclude that 1) agriculturally impacted wetlands provide biophysical values equivalent to those of natural wetlands, meaning that land use alone is not a great predictor of wetland value; 2) stormwater wetlands are not a substantive improvement over stormwater ponds, relative to wetlands of natural origin; 3) stormwater wetlands are poor mimics of natural wetlands, likely due to fundamental distinctions in terms of basin morphology, temporal variation in hydrology, ground water connectivity, and landscape position; 4) these

48 CFR 1335.016-70 - DOC procedures for the use of broad agency announcements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false DOC procedures for the use of broad agency announcements. 1335.016-70 Section 1335.016-70 Federal Acquisition Regulations System... procedures for the use of broad agency announcements. Procedures for the use of broad agency announcements...

48 CFR 1335.016-70 - DOC procedures for the use of broad agency announcements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false DOC procedures for the use of broad agency announcements. 1335.016-70 Section 1335.016-70 Federal Acquisition Regulations System... procedures for the use of broad agency announcements. Procedures for the use of broad agency announcements...

48 CFR 1335.016-70 - DOC procedures for the use of broad agency announcements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false DOC procedures for the use of broad agency announcements. 1335.016-70 Section 1335.016-70 Federal Acquisition Regulations System... procedures for the use of broad agency announcements. Procedures for the use of broad agency announcements...

48 CFR 1335.016-70 - DOC procedures for the use of broad agency announcements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false DOC procedures for the use of broad agency announcements. 1335.016-70 Section 1335.016-70 Federal Acquisition Regulations System... procedures for the use of broad agency announcements. Procedures for the use of broad agency announcements...

48 CFR 1335.016-70 - DOC procedures for the use of broad agency announcements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false DOC procedures for the use of broad agency announcements. 1335.016-70 Section 1335.016-70 Federal Acquisition Regulations System... procedures for the use of broad agency announcements. Procedures for the use of broad agency announcements...

Biophysics and Thermodynamics: The Scientific Building Blocks of Bio-inspired Drug Delivery Nano Systems.

PubMed

Demetzos, Costas

2015-06-01

Biophysics and thermodynamics are considered as the scientific milestones for investigating the properties of materials. The relationship between the changes of temperature with the biophysical variables of biomaterials is important in the process of the development of drug delivery systems. Biophysics is a challenge sector of physics and should be used complementary with the biochemistry in order to discover new and promising technological platforms (i.e., drug delivery systems) and to disclose the 'silence functionality' of bio-inspired biological and artificial membranes. Thermal analysis and biophysical approaches in pharmaceuticals present reliable and versatile tools for their characterization and for the successful development of pharmaceutical products. The metastable phases of self-assembled nanostructures such as liposomes should be taken into consideration because they represent the thermal events can affect the functionality of advanced drug delivery nano systems. In conclusion, biophysics and thermodynamics are characterized as the building blocks for design and development of bio-inspired drug delivery systems.

Software for Teaching Physiology and Biophysics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weiss, Thomas F.; And Others

1992-01-01

Describes a software library developed to teach biophysics and physiology undergraduates that includes software on (1) the Hodgkin-Huxley model for excitation of action potentials in electrically excitable cells; (2) a random-walk model of diffusion; (3) single voltage-gated ion channels; (4) steady-state chemically mediated transport; and (5)…

Mapping technological and biophysical capacities of watersheds to regulate floods

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mogollón, Beatriz; Villamagna, Amy M.; Frimpong, Emmanuel A.; Angermeier, Paul

2016-01-01

Flood regulation is a widely valued and studied service provided by watersheds. Flood regulation benefits people directly by decreasing the socio-economic costs of flooding and indirectly by its positive impacts on cultural (e.g., fishing) and provisioning (e.g., water supply) ecosystem services. Like other regulating ecosystem services (e.g., pollination, water purification), flood regulation is often enhanced or replaced by technology, but the relative efficacy of natural versus technological features in controlling floods has scarcely been examined. In an effort to assess flood regulation capacity for selected urban watersheds in the southeastern United States, we: (1) used long-term flood records to assess relative influence of technological and biophysical indicators on flood magnitude and duration, (2) compared the widely used runoff curve number (RCN) approach for assessing the biophysical capacity to regulate floods to an alternative approach that acknowledges land cover and soil properties separately, and (3) mapped technological and biophysical flood regulation capacities based on indicator importance-values derived for flood magnitude and duration. We found that watersheds with high biophysical (via the alternative approach) and technological capacities lengthened the duration and lowered the peak of floods. We found the RCN approach yielded results opposite that expected, possibly because it confounds soil and land cover processes, particularly in urban landscapes, while our alternative approach coherently separates these processes. Mapping biophysical (via the alternative approach) and technological capacities revealed great differences among watersheds. Our study improves on previous mapping of flood regulation by (1) incorporating technological capacity, (2) providing high spatial resolution (i.e., 10-m pixel) maps of watershed capacities, and (3) deriving importance-values for selected landscape indicators. By accounting for technology that enhances

78 FR 65588 - Medical Gas Regulation Review; Announcement of Public Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration 21 CFR Chapter I [Docket No. FDA-2013-N-0001] Medical Gas Regulation Review; Announcement of Public Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing a...

Hemagglutinin-Mediated Membrane Fusion: A Biophysical Perspective.

PubMed

Boonstra, Sander; Blijleven, Jelle S; Roos, Wouter H; Onck, Patrick R; van der Giessen, Erik; van Oijen, Antoine M

2018-05-20

Influenza hemagglutinin (HA) is a viral membrane protein responsible for the initial steps of the entry of influenza virus into the host cell. It mediates binding of the virus particle to the host-cell membrane and catalyzes fusion of the viral membrane with that of the host. HA is therefore a major target in the development of antiviral strategies. The fusion of two membranes involves high activation barriers and proceeds through several intermediate states. Here, we provide a biophysical description of the membrane fusion process, relating its kinetic and thermodynamic properties to the large conformational changes taking place in HA and placing these in the context of multiple HA proteins working together to mediate fusion. Furthermore, we highlight the role of novel single-particle experiments and computational approaches in understanding the fusion process and their complementarity with other biophysical approaches.

Biotechnology stock prices before public announcements: evidence of insider trading?

PubMed

Overgaard, C B; van den Broek, R A; Kim, J H; Detsky, A S

2000-03-01

Unique financial challenges faced by biotechnology companies developing therapeutics have contributed to the creation of a highly sensitive market, where stock prices are capable of great fluctuation. The potential for significant financial reward and the nature of the scientific review process make this industry susceptible to illegal share trading on nonpublic information. We examined stock prices of biotechnology products before and after announcement of Phase III clinical trial and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Advisory Panel results for indirect evidence of insider trading. Biotechnology stock prices were recorded for 98 products undergoing Phase III clinical trials and 49 products undergoing FDA Advisory Panel review between 1990 and 1998. Prices were recorded for 120 consecutive trading days before and after public announcement of these two events. We compared the average change in stock price of successful products ('winners') with unsuccessful products ('losers') before the public announcement of results for both critical events. The difference between average stock price change from 120 to 3 days before public announcement of results of Phase III clinical trial winners (+27%) and losers (-4%) was highly significant (P = 0.0007). A similar but non-significant difference was observed between the average stock price of winning (+27%) and losing products (+13%) before FDA Advisory Panel review announcements (P = 0.25). Our results provide indirect evidence that insider trading may be common in the biotechnology industry. Clinical investigators may wish to consider this issue before participating in any equity position in the biotechnology industry, especially if they are going to perform research for those companies.

The Practitioner's Corner: Special Editorial Announcement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Annunziata, Joyce

2000-01-01

The "Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education" announces the establishment of a new section, "The Practitioner's Corner," a section that will provide the opportunity for practitioners from many educational environments to share information about issues, controversies, and programs in personnel evaluation that reflect practice. (SLD)

Surgery Goes Social: The Extent and Patterns of Social Media Utilization by Major Trauma, Acute and Critical Care Surgery Societies

PubMed Central

Khalifeh, Jawad M.; Kaafarani, Haytham M. A.

2017-01-01

Context and Aims: The evolving influence of social media in trauma, acute, and critical care surgery (TACCS) cannot be ignored. We sought to investigate the extent and patterns of use of social networks by major regional, national and international TACCS societies. Materials and Methods: The two leading social networking sites, Facebook (FB) and Twitter (TW), were thoroughly examined for the presence of official accounts for each of the major TACCS societies. An official FB or TW account was defined as one which has a blue verified badge and/or is linked the society's official website. For societies with confirmed official accounts, the extent and patterns of use of the two platforms were systematically examined over a 2-week period through: (1) manual inspection of the societies’ FB and TW pages, (2) the SQLite database containing downloaded samples of posts, and (3) the TW analytics database, symplur.com. Standardized social media metrics were calculated for each society. Posted content was categorized as being: (1) society news updates, (2) event announcements, or (3) general medical information. Results: From a total of 64 TACCS societies, only 27 (42%) had FB and/or TW accounts. Ten out of the 12 American societies had accounts compared to 13/39 of European, 2/9 of Australasian, and 0/2 of international societies. For the societies with social media presence, the mean numbers of monthly tweets and FB posts per society were 22 and 8, respectively. We summarize the FB and TW activity of the studied TACCS societies. Most tweets/posts were society news updates and event announcements intended to the society's constituents not the general public. A text cloud was constructed to summarize the major featured topics. Conclusion: Less than half of the TACCS societies are currently using social media; those that do are arguably underutilizing its potential. Non-American societies in particular lag behind in their use of social networking. PMID:28855771

Dealing with the Challenges of Teaching Molecular Biophysics to Biochemistry Majors through an Heuristics-Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castanho, Miguel A. R. B.

2002-01-01

The main distinction between the overlapping fields of molecular biophysics and biochemistry resides in their different approaches to the same problems. Molecular biophysics makes more use of physical techniques and focuses on quantitative data. This difference encounters two difficult pedagogical challenges when teaching molecular biophysics to…

29 CFR 793.11 - Combination announcer, news editor and chief engineer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Combination announcer, news editor and chief engineer. 793...)(9) OF THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT Requirements for Exemption § 793.11 Combination announcer, news... as a news editor. In such cases, the primary employment test under the section 13(b)(9) exemption...

29 CFR 793.11 - Combination announcer, news editor and chief engineer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Combination announcer, news editor and chief engineer. 793...)(9) OF THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT Requirements for Exemption § 793.11 Combination announcer, news... as a news editor. In such cases, the primary employment test under the section 13(b)(9) exemption...

29 CFR 793.11 - Combination announcer, news editor and chief engineer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Combination announcer, news editor and chief engineer. 793...)(9) OF THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT Requirements for Exemption § 793.11 Combination announcer, news... as a news editor. In such cases, the primary employment test under the section 13(b)(9) exemption...

Engineered biomaterial and biophysical stimulation as combinatorial strategies to address prosthetic infection by pathogenic bacteria.

PubMed

Boda, Sunil Kumar; Basu, Bikramjit

2017-10-01

A plethora of antimicrobial strategies are being developed to address prosthetic infection. The currently available methods for implant infection treatment include the use of antibiotics and revision surgery. Among the bacterial strains, Staphylococcus species pose significant challenges particularly, with regard to hospital acquired infections. In order to combat such life threatening infectious diseases, researchers have developed implantable biomaterials incorporating nanoparticles, antimicrobial reinforcements, surface coatings, slippery/non-adhesive and contact killing surfaces. This review discusses a few of the biomaterial and biophysical antimicrobial strategies, which are in the developmental stage and actively being pursued by several research groups. The clinical efficacy of biophysical stimulation methods such as ultrasound, electric and magnetic field treatments against prosthetic infection depends critically on the stimulation protocol and parameters of the treatment modality. A common thread among the three biophysical stimulation methods is the mechanism of bactericidal action, which is centered on biophysical rupture of bacterial membranes, the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and bacterial membrane depolarization evoked by the interference of essential ion-transport. Although the extent of antimicrobial effect, normally achieved through biophysical stimulation protocol is insufficient to warrant therapeutic application, a combination of antibiotic/ROS inducing agents and biophysical stimulation methods can elicit a clinically relevant reduction in viable bacterial numbers. In this review, we present a detailed account of both the biomaterial and biophysical approaches for achieving maximum bacterial inactivation. Summarizing, the biophysical stimulation methods in a combinatorial manner with material based strategies can be a more potent solution to control bacterial infections. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B

Advances in magnetic tweezers for single molecule and cell biophysics.

PubMed

Kilinc, Devrim; Lee, Gil U

2014-01-01

Magnetic tweezers (MTW) enable highly accurate forces to be transduced to molecules to study mechanotransduction at the molecular or cellular level. We review recent MTW studies in single molecule and cell biophysics that demonstrate the flexibility of this technique. We also discuss technical advances in the method on several fronts, i.e., from novel approaches for the measurement of torque to multiplexed biophysical assays. Finally, we describe multi-component nanorods with enhanced optical and magnetic properties and discuss their potential as future MTW probes.

Biophysical mechanism of differential growth during gravitropism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cosgrove, D.

1984-01-01

A research project is described the goal of which is to determine the mechanism of gravitropic curvature in plant stems at the biophysical and the cellular level. The reorientation of plant organs under the influence of gravity is due to differential growth of the upper and lower sides of the organ. The rate of plant cell enlargement is governed by four biophysical parameters: (1) the extensibility of the cell wall; (2) the minimum stress in the cell wall required for wall expansion (the "yield threshold'); (3) the osmotic pressure difference between the cell contents and the water source; and (4) the hydraulic conductivity of the pathway for water uptake. Gravitropic response must involve differential alteration of one or more of these four parameters on the two sides of the growing organ. Each of these factors will be examined to assess the role it plays in gravitropism.

Biophysical behavior of Scomberoides commersonianus skin collagen.

PubMed

Kolli, Nagamalleswari; Joseph, K Thomas; Ramasami, T

2002-06-01

Some biophysical characteristics of the skin collagen from Scomberoides commersonianus were measured and compared to those of rat tail tendon. Stress-strain data indicate that the strain at break as well as the tensile strength of the fish skin without scales increased significantly. The maximum tension in case of rat skin is at least a factor of two higher than that observed in fish skin. The much lower hydrothermal isometric tension measurements observed in fish skin are attributable to a lesser number of heat stable crosslinks. Stress relaxation measurements in the fish skin indicate that more than one relaxation process may be involved in the stabilization of collagenous matrix. The observed differences in the biophysical behavior of fish skin may well arise from combination of changes in extent of hydroxylation of proline in collagen synthesis, hydrogen bond network and fibril orientation as compared to rat tail tendon.

Inversion of radiation data in biophysics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Twersky, V.

1972-01-01

Topics in biophysics are summarized in which radiation data inversion problems occur. The topics fall into two main categories. The first relates to information acquired about the distance environment through seeing, hearing, etc. The second relates to the use of electromagnetic, acoustic, or other radiation for diagnostic purposes, either at a bulk or a molecular level.

29 CFR 793.7 - “Announcer.”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... time signals, and present other similar routine on-the-air material. In small stations, an announcer may, in addition to these duties, operate the studio control board, give cues to the control room for...

29 CFR 793.7 - “Announcer.”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... time signals, and present other similar routine on-the-air material. In small stations, an announcer may, in addition to these duties, operate the studio control board, give cues to the control room for...

29 CFR 793.7 - “Announcer.”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... time signals, and present other similar routine on-the-air material. In small stations, an announcer may, in addition to these duties, operate the studio control board, give cues to the control room for...

Cell biology, biophysics, and mechanobiology: From the basics to Clinics.

PubMed

Zeng, Y

2017-04-29

Cell biology, biomechanics and biophysics are the key subjects that guide our understanding in diverse areas of tissue growth, development, remodeling and homeostasis. Novel discoveries such as molecular mechanism, and mechanobiological mechanism in cell biology, biomechanics and biophysics play essential roles in our understanding of the pathogenesis of various human diseases, as well as in designing the treatment of these diseases. In addition, studies in these areas will also facilitate early diagnostics of human diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In this special issue, we collected 10 original research articles and 1 review...

48 CFR 1852.235-72 - Instructions for responding to NASA Research Announcements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... responding to NASA Research Announcements. 1852.235-72 Section 1852.235-72 Federal Acquisition Regulations... CONTRACT CLAUSES Texts of Provisions and Clauses 1852.235-72 Instructions for responding to NASA Research Announcements. As prescribed in 1835.070(c), insert the following provision: Instructions for Responding to NASA...

48 CFR 1852.235-72 - Instructions for responding to NASA Research Announcements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... responding to NASA Research Announcements. 1852.235-72 Section 1852.235-72 Federal Acquisition Regulations... CONTRACT CLAUSES Texts of Provisions and Clauses 1852.235-72 Instructions for responding to NASA Research Announcements. As prescribed in 1835.070(c), insert the following provision: Instructions for Responding to NASA...

48 CFR 1852.235-72 - Instructions for responding to NASA Research Announcements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... responding to NASA Research Announcements. 1852.235-72 Section 1852.235-72 Federal Acquisition Regulations... CONTRACT CLAUSES Texts of Provisions and Clauses 1852.235-72 Instructions for responding to NASA Research Announcements. As prescribed in 1835.070(c), insert the following provision: Instructions for Responding to NASA...

48 CFR 1852.235-72 - Instructions for responding to NASA Research Announcements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... responding to NASA Research Announcements. 1852.235-72 Section 1852.235-72 Federal Acquisition Regulations... CONTRACT CLAUSES Texts of Provisions and Clauses 1852.235-72 Instructions for responding to NASA Research Announcements. As prescribed in 1835.070(c), insert the following provision: Instructions for Responding to NASA...

48 CFR 1852.235-72 - Instructions for responding to NASA Research Announcements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... to NASA Research Announcements. 1852.235-72 Section 1852.235-72 Federal Acquisition Regulations... CONTRACT CLAUSES Texts of Provisions and Clauses 1852.235-72 Instructions for responding to NASA Research Announcements. As prescribed in 1835.070(c), insert the following provision: Instructions for Responding to NASA...

Effect of ambient light on the time needed to complete a fetal biophysical profile: A randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Said, Heather M; Gupta, Shweta; Vricella, Laura K; Wand, Katy; Nguyen, Thinh; Gross, Gilad

2017-10-01

The objective of this study is to determine whether ambient light serves as a fetal stimulus to decrease the amount of time needed to complete a biophysical profile. This is a randomized controlled trial of singleton gestations undergoing a biophysical profile. Patients were randomized to either ambient light or a darkened room. The primary outcome was the time needed to complete the biophysical profile. Secondary outcomes included total and individual component biophysical profile scores and scores less than 8. A subgroup analysis of different maternal body mass indices was also performed. 357 biophysical profile studies were analyzed. 182 studies were performed with ambient light and 175 were performed in a darkened room. There was no difference in the median time needed to complete the biophysical profile based on exposure to ambient light (6.1min in darkened room versus 6.6min with ambient light; P=0.73). No difference was found in total or individual component biophysical profile scores. Subgroup analysis by maternal body mass index did not demonstrate shorter study times with ambient light exposure in women who were normal weight, overweight or obese. Ambient light exposure did not decrease the time needed to complete the biophysical profile. There was no evidence that ambient light altered fetal behavior observed during the biophysical profile. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Biophysics of single molecules].

PubMed

Serdiuk, I N; Deriusheva, E I

2011-01-01

The modern methods of research of biological molecules whose application led to the development of a new field of science, biophysics of single molecules, are reviewed. The measurement of the characteristics of single molecules enables one to reveal their individual features, and it is just for this reason that much more information can be obtained from one molecule than from the entire ensample of molecules. The high sensitivity of the methods considered in detail makes it possible to come close to the solution of the basic problem of practical importance, namely, the determination of the nucleotide sequence of a single DNA molecule.

[Influence of accessories mixing ratio on sludge biophysical co-drying].

PubMed

Yang, Jin-Long; Du, Qiong; Li, Dong; Han, Rong; Zhao, Yan; Wang, Hong-Tao

2011-08-01

Parameters (temperature, water content and so on) in the process of sludge biophysical co-drying were studied in self-made biophysical co-drying reactor. The sludge: tree bark: recycled sludge was set as 7: 3: 0.5, 9: 3: 0.5, 12: 3: 0.5 respectively. The results suggested that sludge temperature first increased then decreased along with drying time, water content decreased in the first 96 h, then had no obvious variability. While sludge: tree bark: recycled sludge was 9: 3: 0.5, the temperature of sludge spiraling, received to max 67 degrees C at 48 h under three different accessories mixture ratio, and was kept for 72 h above 55 degrees C, then spiraling, the final water content of sludge decreased from 74.1% to 61.8%, received the optimal water content removing rate 43.5%. Accessories mixing ratio had important influence on the process of sludge biophysical co-drying, sludge with proper mixing ratio can modify the structure of sludge, improve sludge permeability, arouse and keep microorganic activity, which will enhance sludge temperature and strengthen water content removal rate.

5 CFR 315.611 - Appointment of certain veterans who have competed under agency merit promotion announcements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... competed under agency merit promotion announcements. 315.611 Section 315.611 Administrative Personnel... who have competed under agency merit promotion announcements. (a) Agency authority. An agency may... competition under a merit promotion announcement open to candidates outside the agency's workforce; and (2...

Program review. The Interdisciplinary Biophysics Graduate Program at the University of Michigan.

PubMed

Gafni, Ari; Walter, Nils G

2008-04-01

The Michigan Biophysics Graduate Program (MBGP) was established in 1949, making it one of the first such programs in the world. The intellectual base of the program was significantly broadened in the 1980 when faculty members from a number of other units on campus were invited to join. Currently over forty faculty members from a variety of disciplines participate as mentors for the Ph.D. students enrolled in the MBGP providing our students with rich opportunities for academic learning and research. The MBGP has two main objectives: 1) to provide graduate students with both the intellectual and technical training in modern biophysics, 2) to sensitize our students to the power and unique opportunities of interdisciplinary work and thinking so as to train them to conduct research that crosses the boundaries between the biological and physical sciences. The program offers students opportunities to conduct research in a variety of areas of contemporary biophysics including structural biology, single molecule spectroscopy, spectroscopy and its applications, computational biology, membrane biophysics, neurobiophysics and enzymology. The MBGP offers a balanced curriculum that aims to provide our students with a strong academic base and, at the same time, accommodate their different academic backgrounds. Judging its past performance through the success of its former students, the MBGP has been highly successful, and there is every reason to believe that strong training in the biophysical sciences, as provided by the MBGP, will become even more valuable in the future both in the academic and the industrial settings. in the academic and the industrial settings.

Can Cross-Listing Mitigate the Impact of an Information Security Breach Announcement on a Firm's Values?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yong; Dong, Feng; Chen, Hong; Xu, Li

2016-08-01

The increase in globalization in the markets has driven firms to adopt online technologies and to cross-list their stocks. Recent studies have consistently found that the announcements of information security breaches (ISBs) are negatively associated with the market values of the announcing firms during the days surrounding the breach announcements. Given the improvement in firms’ information environments and the better protection for investors generated by cross-listing, does cross-listing help firms to reduce the negative impacts caused by their announcements of ISBs? This paper conducts an event study of 120 publicly traded firms (among which 25 cross-list and 95 do not), in order to explore the answer. The results indicate that the impact of ISB announcements on a firm's stock prices shows no difference between cross-listing firms and non-cross-listing firms. Cross-listing does not mitigate the impact of ISBs announcement on a firm's market value.

Emerging Personnel Requirements in Academic Libraries as Reflected in Recent Position Announcements.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Block, David

This study of the personnel requirements and hiring patterns of academic libraries draws on data collected from academic library position announcements issued nationwide during the fourth quarter of 1980. Data on 224 announcements were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, and the resulting statistics are interpreted as a…

76 FR 5160 - Emergency Access Advisory Committee; Announcement of Date of Second Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-28

... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION [DA 11-124] Emergency Access Advisory Committee; Announcement of Date of Second Meeting AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This... 7, 2010, in document DA 10-2318, Chairman Julius Genachowski announced the establishment, and...

Review of the 25th annual scientific meeting of the International Society for Biological Therapy of Cancer.

PubMed

Balwit, James M; Kalinski, Pawel; Sondak, Vernon K; Coulie, Pierre G; Jaffee, Elizabeth M; Gajewski, Thomas F; Marincola, Francesco M

2011-05-12

Led by key opinion leaders in the field, the 25th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Biological Therapy of Cancer (iSBTc, recently renamed the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer, SITC) provided a scientific platform for ~500 attendees to exchange cutting-edge information on basic, clinical, and translational research in cancer immunology and immunotherapy. The meeting included keynote addresses on checkpoint blockade in cancer therapy and recent advances in therapeutic vaccination against cancer induced by Human Papilloma Virus 16. Participants from 29 countries interacted through oral presentations, panel discussions, and posters on topics that included dendritic cells and cancer, targeted therapeutics and immunotherapy, innate/adaptive immune interplay in cancer, clinical trial endpoints, vaccine combinations, countering negative regulation, immune cell trafficking to tumor microenvironment, and adoptive T cell transfer. In addition to the 50 oral presentations and >180 posters on these topics, a new SITC/iSBTc initiative to create evidence-based Cancer Immunotherapy Guidelines was announced. The SITC/iSBTc Biomarkers Taskforce announced the release of recommendations on immunotherapy biomarkers and a highly successful symposium on Immuno-Oncology Biomarkers that took place on the campus of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) immediately prior to the Annual Meeting. At the Annual Meeting, the NIH took the opportunity to publicly announce the award of the U01 grant that will fund the Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network (CITN). In summary, the Annual Meeting gathered clinicians and scientists from academia, industry, and regulatory agencies from around the globe to interact and exchange important scientific advances related to tumor immunobiology and cancer immunotherapy.

The biophysics of renal sympathetic denervation using radiofrequency energy.

PubMed

Patel, Hitesh C; Dhillon, Paramdeep S; Mahfoud, Felix; Lindsay, Alistair C; Hayward, Carl; Ernst, Sabine; Lyon, Alexander R; Rosen, Stuart D; di Mario, Carlo

2014-05-01

Renal sympathetic denervation is currently performed in the treatment of resistant hypertension by interventionists who otherwise do not typically use radiofrequency (RF) energy ablation in their clinical practice. Adequate RF lesion formation is dependent upon good electrode-tissue contact, power delivery, electrode-tissue interface temperature, target-tissue impedance and the size of the catheter's active electrode. There is significant interplay between these variables and hence an appreciation of the biophysical determinants of RF lesion formation is required to provide effective and safe clinical care to our patients. In this review article, we summarize the biophysics of RF ablation and explain why and how complications of renal sympathetic denervation may occur and discuss methods to minimise them.

Solyndra Loan Guarantee Announcement

ScienceCinema

Vice President Biden and Secretary Chu were joined by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Solyndra CEO Dr. Chris Grone

2017-12-09

Vice President Biden and Secretary Chu were joined by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Solyndra CEO Dr. Chris Grone to announce that the Department of Energy has finalized a $535 million loan guarantee for Solyndra, Inc., which manufactures innovative cylindrical solar photovoltaic panels that provide clean, renewable energy. The funding will finance construction of the first phase of the company's new manufacturing facility. Solyndra estimates the new plant will initially create 3,000 construction jobs, and lead to as many as 1,000 jobs once the facility opens.

Raman spectroscopy reveals biophysical markers in skin cancer surgical margins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Xu; Moy, Austin J.; Nguyen, Hieu T. M.; Zhang, Yao; Fox, Matthew C.; Sebastian, Katherine R.; Reichenberg, Jason S.; Markey, Mia K.; Tunnell, James W.

2018-02-01

The recurrence rate of nonmelanoma skin cancer is highly related to the residual tumor after surgery. Although tissueconserving surgery, such as Mohs surgery, is a standard method for the treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancer, they are limited by lengthy and costly frozen-section histopathology. Raman spectroscopy (RS) is proving to be an objective, sensitive, and non-destructive tool for detecting skin cancer. Previous studies demonstrated the high sensitivity of RS in detecting tumor margins of basal cell carcinoma (BCC). However, those studies rely on statistical classification models and do not elucidate the skin biophysical composition. As a result, we aim to discover the biophysical differences between BCC and primary normal skin structures (including epidermis, dermis, hair follicle, sebaceous gland and fat). We obtained freshly resected ex vivo skin samples from fresh resection specimens from 14 patients undergoing Mohs surgery. Raman images were acquired from regions containing one or more structures using a custom built 830nm confocal Raman microscope. The spectra were grouped using K-means clustering analysis and annotated as either BCC or each of the five normal structures by comparing with the histopathology image of the serial section. The spectral data were then fit by a previously established biophysical model with eight primary skin constituents. Our results show that BCC has significant differences in the fit coefficients of nucleus, collagen, triolein, keratin and elastin compared with normal structures. Our study reveals RS has the potential to detect biophysical changes in resection margins, and supports the development of diagnostic algorithms for future intraoperative implementation of RS during Mohs surgery.

76 FR 39875 - Emergency Access Advisory Committee; Announcement of Date of Next Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-07

... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION [DA 11-1092] Emergency Access Advisory Committee; Announcement of Date of Next Meeting AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This document announces the date of the Emergency Access Advisory Committee's (Committee or EAAC) next meeting...

Leap Second Announcement - Naval Oceanography Portal

Science.gov Websites

section Advanced Search... Sections Home Time Earth Orientation Astronomy Meteorology Oceanography Ice You are here: Home › USNO › Earth Orientation › Leap Second Announcement USNO Logo USNO Navigation Earth Orientation Products GPS-based Products VLBI-based Products EO Information Center Publications

Biophysical Discovery through the Lens of a Computational Microscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amaro, Rommie

With exascale computing power on the horizon, improvements in the underlying algorithms and available structural experimental data are enabling new paradigms for chemical discovery. My work has provided key insights for the systematic incorporation of structural information resulting from state-of-the-art biophysical simulations into protocols for inhibitor and drug discovery. We have shown that many disease targets have druggable pockets that are otherwise ``hidden'' in high resolution x-ray structures, and that this is a common theme across a wide range of targets in different disease areas. We continue to push the limits of computational biophysical modeling by expanding the time and length scales accessible to molecular simulation. My sights are set on, ultimately, the development of detailed physical models of cells, as the fundamental unit of life, and two recent achievements highlight our efforts in this arena. First is the development of a molecular and Brownian dynamics multi-scale modeling framework, which allows us to investigate drug binding kinetics in addition to thermodynamics. In parallel, we have made significant progress developing new tools to extend molecular structure to cellular environments. Collectively, these achievements are enabling the investigation of the chemical and biophysical nature of cells at unprecedented scales.

Unusual biophysics of intrinsically disordered proteins.

PubMed

Uversky, Vladimir N

2013-05-01

Research of a past decade and a half leaves no doubt that complete understanding of protein functionality requires close consideration of the fact that many functional proteins do not have well-folded structures. These intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and proteins with intrinsically disordered protein regions (IDPRs) are highly abundant in nature and play a number of crucial roles in a living cell. Their functions, which are typically associated with a wide range of intermolecular interactions where IDPs possess remarkable binding promiscuity, complement functional repertoire of ordered proteins. All this requires a close attention to the peculiarities of biophysics of these proteins. In this review, some key biophysical features of IDPs are covered. In addition to the peculiar sequence characteristics of IDPs these biophysical features include sequential, structural, and spatiotemporal heterogeneity of IDPs; their rough and relatively flat energy landscapes; their ability to undergo both induced folding and induced unfolding; the ability to interact specifically with structurally unrelated partners; the ability to gain different structures at binding to different partners; and the ability to keep essential amount of disorder even in the bound form. IDPs are also characterized by the "turned-out" response to the changes in their environment, where they gain some structure under conditions resulting in denaturation or even unfolding of ordered proteins. It is proposed that the heterogeneous spatiotemporal structure of IDPs/IDPRs can be described as a set of foldons, inducible foldons, semi-foldons, non-foldons, and unfoldons. They may lose their function when folded, and activation of some IDPs is associated with the awaking of the dormant disorder. It is possible that IDPs represent the "edge of chaos" systems which operate in a region between order and complete randomness or chaos, where the complexity is maximal. This article is part of a Special Issue

Chief, Structural Biophysics Laboratory | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

The SBL Chief is expected to establish a strong research program in structural biology/biophysics in addition to providing leadership of the SBL and the structural biology community in the NCI Intramural Program.  Applicants should hold a Ph.D., M.D./Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree in a relevant discipline, and should possess outstanding communication skills and documented leadership experience.  Tenured faculty or industrial scientists of equivalent rank with a demonstrated commitment to structural biophysics should apply.  Salary will be commensurate with experience and accomplishments.  This position is not restricted to U.S. citizens. A full civil service package of benefits (including health insurance, life insurance, and retirement) is available. This position is subject to a background investigation.  The NIH is dedicated to building a diverse community in its training and employment programs.

45 CFR 1634.4 - Announcement of competition.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION COMPETITIVE... competitive bidding process, shall take appropriate steps to announce the availability of such a grant or... interested parties are given an opportunity to participate in the competitive bidding process. (b) The...

45 CFR 1634.4 - Announcement of competition.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION COMPETITIVE... competitive bidding process, shall take appropriate steps to announce the availability of such a grant or... interested parties are given an opportunity to participate in the competitive bidding process. (b) The...

75 FR 9211 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Announcement of Board Approval Under Delegated...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-01

... FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM Agency Information Collection Activities: Announcement of Board Approval... Reserve System heading, the entry for Agency Information Collection Activities: Announcement of Board... information existed on the exposure of the banking system to those firms as this information was obscured by...

Biophysics of Mitosis

PubMed Central

McIntosh, J. Richard; Molodtsov, Maxim I.; Ataullakhanov, Fazly I.

2015-01-01

Mitosis is the process by which eukaryotic cells organize and segregate their chromosomes in preparation for cell division. It is accomplished by a cellular machine composed largely of microtubules and their associated proteins. This article reviews literature on mitosis from a biophysical point of view, drawing attention to the assembly and motility processes required to do this complex job with precision. Work from both the recent and the older literature is integrated into a description of relevant biological events and the experiments that probe their mechanisms. Theoretical work on specific subprocesses is also reviewed. Our goal is to provide a document that will expose biophysicists to the fascination of this quite amazing process and provide them with a good background from which they can pursue their own research interests in the subject. PMID:22321376

78 FR 52958 - Announcement of Test Concerning Manifesting and Entry of Residue Found in Instruments of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-27

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. Customs and Border Protection Announcement of Test Concerning... announces U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP's) plan to conduct a test concerning the manifesting and... test announced in this document begins. In HQ Ruling H026715, CBP held that in order to ensure the...

EPA Announces Improvements to Keep Massachusetts Waters Clean

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Today, US EPA announced a major step forward for Massachusetts’ water quality with improved stormwater management requirements as well as an array of training and implementation tools to assist municipalities with implementation.

78 FR 2413 - Office of Urban Indian Health Programs; Announcement Type: Meeting Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-11

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Indian Health Service Office of Urban Indian Health Programs; Announcement Type: Meeting Notice AGENCY: Indian Health Service, HHS. ACTION: Meeting Notice. SUMMARY: The purpose of this Notice is to announce an Indian Health Service (IHS) Listening Session on the...

75 FR 33856 - Announcement of Public Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-15

... OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT Announcement of Public Meeting AGENCY: U.S. Office of Personnel Management. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management will hold a public meeting... normal, competitive hiring is an effective avenue for bringing recent college graduates into the Federal...

76 FR 42712 - Announcement of Grant Award

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-19

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration for Children and Families Announcement of..., Public Law 105-285, as amended. SUMMARY: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of... participants to acquire a lasting economic asset. AFI project families use their IDA savings, including the...

Achievements and challenges in structural bioinformatics and computational biophysics.

PubMed

Samish, Ilan; Bourne, Philip E; Najmanovich, Rafael J

2015-01-01

The field of structural bioinformatics and computational biophysics has undergone a revolution in the last 10 years. Developments that are captured annually through the 3DSIG meeting, upon which this article reflects. An increase in the accessible data, computational resources and methodology has resulted in an increase in the size and resolution of studied systems and the complexity of the questions amenable to research. Concomitantly, the parameterization and efficiency of the methods have markedly improved along with their cross-validation with other computational and experimental results. The field exhibits an ever-increasing integration with biochemistry, biophysics and other disciplines. In this article, we discuss recent achievements along with current challenges within the field. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press.

Achievements and challenges in structural bioinformatics and computational biophysics

PubMed Central

Samish, Ilan; Bourne, Philip E.; Najmanovich, Rafael J.

2015-01-01

Motivation: The field of structural bioinformatics and computational biophysics has undergone a revolution in the last 10 years. Developments that are captured annually through the 3DSIG meeting, upon which this article reflects. Results: An increase in the accessible data, computational resources and methodology has resulted in an increase in the size and resolution of studied systems and the complexity of the questions amenable to research. Concomitantly, the parameterization and efficiency of the methods have markedly improved along with their cross-validation with other computational and experimental results. Conclusion: The field exhibits an ever-increasing integration with biochemistry, biophysics and other disciplines. In this article, we discuss recent achievements along with current challenges within the field. Contact: Rafael.Najmanovich@USherbrooke.ca PMID:25488929

Medical emergency announcements on cruise ships: an audit of outcome.

PubMed

Taylor, Christopher James

2015-01-01

Public address announcements are an effective way of alerting staff on cruise ships to life -threatening medical emergencies on-board, but should only be used when truly necessary. An audit to investigate the outcome following this method of activating the medical emergency response team (MERT) suggested system flaws. A new elementary first aid training programme for the crew was then developed, emphasising patient assessment and the correct determination of appropriate levels of response. Following fleet-wide implementation, post-intervention audits were performed on two other company ships to evaluate the impact of the new approach. Data from all MERT activations initiated by public address announcement were prospectively collected during the audit periods, including subsequent means of transfer to the ship's medical centre and duration of medical intervention as indicators of clinical severity. After changing the training programme the overall rate of public announcements for medical emergencies fell by 43%. The proportion of patients requiring transfer by stretcher increased from 5% to 33%, whilst the proportion of patients requiring ≥ 4 h of medical intervention increased from 5% to 44%. The audits suggest that the new training programme may have improved the first aid responders' decision-making as there were fewer inappropriate emergency announcements over the public address system. However, two-thirds of all MERT activations were still for patients either well enough to walk or only needing a wheelchair for subsequent transfer, indicating ongoing opportunity for improvement.

The Myths of Chinese Images Revisited: Persuasive Strategies in Hong Kong Anti-Drug Public Service Announcements.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Wendy Siuyi; Cuklanz, Lisa M.

Hong Kong's Department of Information Services has been producing and systematically airing public service announcements (known as announcements in the public interest, or APIs) on a variety of selected themes such as cleaning up Hong Kong, road safety, crime, drugs, and health issues for over 20 years. The television announcements are shown every…

Direct Scaling of Leaf-Resolving Biophysical Models from Leaves to Canopies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bailey, B.; Mahaffee, W.; Hernandez Ochoa, M.

2017-12-01

Recent advances in the development of biophysical models and high-performance computing have enabled rapid increases in the level of detail that can be represented by simulations of plant systems. However, increasingly detailed models typically require increasingly detailed inputs, which can be a challenge to accurately specify. In this work, we explore the use of terrestrial LiDAR scanning data to accurately specify geometric inputs for high-resolution biophysical models that enables direct up-scaling of leaf-level biophysical processes. Terrestrial LiDAR scans generate "clouds" of millions of points that map out the geometric structure of the area of interest. However, points alone are often not particularly useful in generating geometric model inputs, as additional data processing techniques are required to provide necessary information regarding vegetation structure. A new method was developed that directly reconstructs as many leaves as possible that are in view of the LiDAR instrument, and uses a statistical backfilling technique to ensure that the overall leaf area and orientation distribution matches that of the actual vegetation being measured. This detailed structural data is used to provide inputs for leaf-resolving models of radiation, microclimate, evapotranspiration, and photosynthesis. Model complexity is afforded by utilizing graphics processing units (GPUs), which allows for simulations that resolve scales ranging from leaves to canopies. The model system was used to explore how heterogeneity in canopy architecture at various scales affects scaling of biophysical processes from leaves to canopies.

Characterising the biophysical properties of normal and hyperkeratotic foot skin.

PubMed

Hashmi, Farina; Nester, Christopher; Wright, Ciaran; Newton, Veronica; Lam, Sharon

2015-01-01

Plantar foot skin exhibits unique biophysical properties that are distinct from skin on other areas of the body. This paper characterises, using non-invasive methods, the biophysical properties of foot skin in healthy and pathological states including xerosis, heel fissures, calluses and corns. Ninety three people participated. Skin hydration, elasticity, collagen and elastin fibre organisation and surface texture was measured from plantar calluses, corns, fissured heel skin and xerotic heel skin. Previously published criteria were applied to classify the severity of each skin lesion and differences in the biophysical properties compared between each classification. Calluses, corns, xerotic heel skin and heel fissures had significantly lower levels of hydration; less elasticity and greater surface texture than unaffected skin sites (p < 0.01). Some evidence was found for a positive correlation between hydration and elasticity data (r ≤ 0.65) at hyperkeratotic sites. Significant differences in skin properties (with the exception of texture) were noted between different classifications of skin lesion. This study provides benchmark data for healthy and different severities of pathological foot skin. These data have applications ranging from monitoring the quality of foot skin, to measuring the efficacy of therapeutic interventions.

20 CFR 625.17 - Announcement of the beginning of a Disaster Assistance Period.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Announcement of the beginning of a Disaster Assistance Period. 625.17 Section 625.17 Employees' Benefits EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR DISASTER UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE § 625.17 Announcement of the beginning of a Disaster...

20 CFR 625.17 - Announcement of the beginning of a Disaster Assistance Period.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Announcement of the beginning of a Disaster Assistance Period. 625.17 Section 625.17 Employees' Benefits EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR DISASTER UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE § 625.17 Announcement of the beginning of a Disaster...

20 CFR 625.17 - Announcement of the beginning of a Disaster Assistance Period.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Announcement of the beginning of a Disaster Assistance Period. 625.17 Section 625.17 Employees' Benefits EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR DISASTER UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE § 625.17 Announcement of the beginning of a Disaster...

20 CFR 625.17 - Announcement of the beginning of a Disaster Assistance Period.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Announcement of the beginning of a Disaster Assistance Period. 625.17 Section 625.17 Employees' Benefits EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR DISASTER UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE § 625.17 Announcement of the beginning of a Disaster...

The ContiNet of the International Continence Society.

PubMed

Lim, P H; Fonda, D

1997-01-01

This is an account of the International Continence Society's ContiNet--the web server linking up continence organisations worldwide with provision to upload or download vast data stores of information on continence via e-mail, FTP, mailing lists, and special tools to seek information using "search engines." Special communication devices using internet voice/phone mail and real-time "text" or "voice" chats permit conversation globally over normal phone lines linked to the Net at local telephone rates. Special features of ContiNet include announcements of upcoming conventions, information for professionals and laypeople, and the capability to conduct research via the net and conduct consultations and discussions via newsgroups. In-built devices requiring special IDs and passwords permit privacy and security for users. Simple instructions are provided on how to get your PC up and running and get connected to fellow members of ICS, link up with national continence societies, or simply surf for professional enrichment and leisure. With the advent of advanced multimedia capabilities, the current poor quality videoconferencing on the Net will be replaced by excellent videophones by 1998.

Predictors of Learning from Public Service Announcements.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Hsiu-hui

A study focused on predictors of people's learning from public service announcements (PSAs) seen on television. Telephone interviews were conducted with 480 adults randomly selected from residents in Dane County, Wisconsin, in October 1987. Typical demographic information was obtained: sex, age, income, occupation and education. Commercial slogans…

48 CFR 35.016 - Broad agency announcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Scientific Review (see 6.102(d)(2)) for the acquisition of basic and applied research and that part of... CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 35.016 Broad agency announcement. (a) General... documents, shall— (1) Describe the agency's research interest, either for an individual program requirement...

News & Announcements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2001-09-01

Helge H. Wehmeier, President and Chief Executive Office of Bayer Corporation, is the recipient of the 2001 Leadership in Education Award from the Keystone Center. Wehmeier was cited for his support in spearheading ongoing education and volunteer efforts such as Bayer's Making Science Make Sense program, which, in partnership with NSF, advances science literacy through hands-on, inquiry-based science learning.

77 FR 46443 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Announcement of Office of Management and Budget...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-03

...] Agency Information Collection Activities; Announcement of Office of Management and Budget Approval; General Administrative Procedures: Citizen Petitions; Petition for Reconsideration or Stay of Action... Administration (FDA) is announcing that a collection of information entitled ``General Administrative Procedures...

Biochemical and Biophysical Cues in Matrix Design for Chronic and Diabetic Wound Treatment

PubMed Central

Xiao, Yun; Ahadian, Samad

2017-01-01

Progress in biomaterial science and engineering and increasing knowledge in cell biology have enabled us to develop functional biomaterials providing appropriate biochemical and biophysical cues for tissue regeneration applications. Tissue regeneration is particularly important to treat chronic wounds of people with diabetes. Understanding and controlling the cellular microenvironment of the wound tissue are important to improve the wound healing process. In this study, we review different biochemical (e.g., growth factors, peptides, DNA, and RNA) and biophysical (e.g., topographical guidance, pressure, electrical stimulation, and pulsed electromagnetic field) cues providing a functional and instructive acellular matrix to heal diabetic chronic wounds. The biochemical and biophysical signals generally regulate cell–matrix interactions and cell behavior and function inducing the tissue regeneration for chronic wounds. Some technologies and devices have already been developed and used in the clinic employing biochemical and biophysical cues for wound healing applications. These technologies can be integrated with smart biomaterials to deliver therapeutic agents to the wound tissue in a precise and controllable manner. This review provides useful guidance in understanding molecular mechanisms and signals in the healing of diabetic chronic wounds and in designing instructive biomaterials to treat them. PMID:27405960

A Biophysical Modeling Framework for Assessing the Environmental Impact of Biofuel Production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, X.; Izaurradle, C.; Manowitz, D.; West, T. O.; Post, W. M.; Thomson, A. M.; Nichols, J.; Bandaru, V.; Williams, J. R.

2009-12-01

Long-term sustainability of a biofuel economy necessitates environmentally friendly biofuel production systems. We describe a biophysical modeling framework developed to understand and quantify the environmental value and impact (e.g. water balance, nutrients balance, carbon balance, and soil quality) of different biomass cropping systems. This modeling framework consists of three major components: 1) a Geographic Information System (GIS) based data processing system, 2) a spatially-explicit biophysical modeling approach, and 3) a user friendly information distribution system. First, we developed a GIS to manage the large amount of geospatial data (e.g. climate, land use, soil, and hydrograhy) and extract input information for the biophysical model. Second, the Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) biophysical model is used to predict the impact of various cropping systems and management intensities on productivity, water balance, and biogeochemical variables. Finally, a geo-database is developed to distribute the results of ecosystem service variables (e.g. net primary productivity, soil carbon balance, soil erosion, nitrogen and phosphorus losses, and N2O fluxes) simulated by EPIC for each spatial modeling unit online using PostgreSQL. We applied this framework in a Regional Intensive Management Area (RIMA) of 9 counties in Michigan. A total of 4,833 spatial units with relatively homogeneous biophysical properties were derived using SSURGO, Crop Data Layer, County, and 10-digit watershed boundaries. For each unit, EPIC was executed from 1980 to 2003 under 54 cropping scenarios (eg. corn, switchgrass, and hybrid poplar). The simulation results were compared with historical crop yields from USDA NASS. Spatial mapping of the results show high variability among different cropping scenarios in terms of the simulated ecosystem services variables. Overall, the framework developed in this study enables the incorporation of environmental factors into economic and

Pathological levels of glucosylceramide change the biophysical properties of artificial and cell membranes.

PubMed

Varela, Ana R P; Ventura, Ana E; Carreira, Ana C; Fedorov, Aleksander; Futerman, Anthony H; Prieto, Manuel; Silva, Liana C

2016-12-21

Glucosylceramide (GlcCer) plays an active role in the regulation of various cellular events. Moreover, GlcCer is also a key modulator of membrane biophysical properties, which might be linked to the mechanism of its biological action. In order to understand the biophysical implications of GlcCer on membranes of living cells, we first studied the effect of GlcCer on artificial membranes containing 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC), sphingomyelin (SM) and cholesterol (Chol). Using an array of biophysical methods, we demonstrate that at lower GlcCer/Chol ratios, GlcCer stabilizes SM/Chol-enriched liquid-ordered domains. However, upon decreasing the Chol content, GlcCer significantly increased membrane order through the formation of gel domains. Changes in pH disturbed the packing properties of GlcCer-containing membranes, leading to an increase in membrane fluidity and reduced membrane electronegativity. To address the biophysical impact of GlcCer in biological membranes, studies were performed in wild type and in fibroblasts treated with conduritol-B-epoxide (CBE), which causes intracellular GlcCer accumulation, and in fibroblasts from patients with type I Gaucher disease (GD). Decreased membrane fluidity was observed in cells containing higher levels of GlcCer, such as in CBE-treated and GD cells. Together, we demonstrate that elevated GlcCer levels change the biophysical properties of cellular membranes, which might compromise membrane-associated cellular events and be of relevance for understanding the pathology of diseases, such as GD, in which GlcCer accumulates at high levels.

Perceived Effectiveness of Weekly Announcements in Provision of Learning Support to Sociology Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jabeen, Sadia

2015-01-01

Announcements are considered as important source in provision of academic support to the students. Announcements assist students to get information about the university learning mechanisms, courses and other time management skills, which may help them to make their learning smooth and pleasant. In this context present study documents the perceived…

Biophysical model of prokaryotic diversity in geothermal hot springs.

PubMed

Klales, Anna; Duncan, James; Nett, Elizabeth Janus; Kane, Suzanne Amador

2012-02-01

Recent studies of photosynthetic bacteria living in geothermal hot spring environments have revealed surprisingly complex ecosystems with an unexpected level of genetic diversity. One case of particular interest involves the distribution along hot spring thermal gradients of genetically distinct bacterial strains that differ in their preferred temperatures for reproduction and photosynthesis. In such systems, a single variable, temperature, defines the relevant environmental variation. In spite of this, each region along the thermal gradient exhibits multiple strains of photosynthetic bacteria adapted to several distinct thermal optima, rather than a single thermal strain adapted to the local environmental temperature. Here we analyze microbiology data from several ecological studies to show that the thermal distribution data exhibit several universal features independent of location and specific bacterial strain. These include the distribution of optimal temperatures of different thermal strains and the functional dependence of the net population density on temperature. We present a simple population dynamics model of these systems that is highly constrained by biophysical data and by physical features of the environment. This model can explain in detail the observed thermal population distributions, as well as certain features of population dynamics observed in laboratory studies of the same organisms. © 2012 American Physical Society

78 FR 37821 - Tribal Self-Governance Program, Negotiation Cooperative Agreement, Announcement Type: New-Limited...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-24

..., Negotiation Cooperative Agreement, Announcement Type: New--Limited Competition Funding Announcement Number... accepting limited competition Negotiation Cooperative Agreement applications for the Tribal Self-Governance... the IHS Director. A Tribe should contact the respective ALN to begin the Self-Governance negotiations...

76 FR 65732 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Announcement of Office of Management and Budget...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-24

...] Agency Information Collection Activities; Announcement of Office of Management and Budget Approval... Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that a collection of information entitled ``Health and Diet... of 1995. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Denver Presley, Jr., Office of Information Management, Food...

Company stock prices before and after public announcements related to oncology drugs.

PubMed

Rothenstein, Jeffrey M; Tomlinson, George; Tannock, Ian F; Detsky, Allan S

2011-10-19

Phase III clinical trials and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory decisions are critical for success of new drugs and can influence a company's market valuation. Knowledge of trial results before they are made public (ie, "inside information") can affect the price of a drug company's stock. We examined the stock prices of companies before and after public announcements regarding experimental anticancer drugs owned by the companies. We identified drugs that were undergoing evaluation in phase III trials or for regulatory approval by the US FDA from January 2000 to January 2009. Stock prices of companies that owned such drugs were analyzed for 120 trading days before and after the first public announcement of 1) results of clinical trials with positive and negative outcomes and 2) positive and negative regulatory decisions. All statistical tests were two-sided. We identified public announcements from 23 positive trials and 36 negative trials and from 41 positive and nine negative FDA regulatory decisions. The mean stock price for the 120 trading days before a phase III clinical trial announcement increased by 13.7% (95% confidence interval = -2.2% to 29.6%) for companies that reported positive trials and decreased by 0.7% (95% confidence interval = -13.8% to 12.3%) for companies that reported negative trials (P = .09). In a post hoc analysis comparing the stock price averaged over 60 trading days before and after day -60 relative to the clinical trial announcement, the mean stock price increased by 9.4% for companies that reported positive trials and decreased by 4.5% for companies that reported negative trials (P = .03). Changes in company stock prices before FDA regulatory decisions did not differ statistically between companies with positive decision and companies with negative decisions. Trends in company stock prices before the first public announcement differ for companies that report positive vs negative trials. This finding has important legal and

42 CFR 422.312 - Announcement of annual capitation rate, benchmarks, and methodology changes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Monday in April each year, CMS announces to MA organizations and other interested parties the following information for each MA payment area for the following calendar year: (i) The annual MA capitation rate. (ii... annual, coordinated election period under § 422.62(a)(2), CMS will announce to MA organizations and other...

42 CFR 422.312 - Announcement of annual capitation rate, benchmarks, and methodology changes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Monday in April each year, CMS announces to MA organizations and other interested parties the following information for each MA payment area for the following calendar year: (i) The annual MA capitation rate. (ii... annual, coordinated election period under § 422.62(a)(2), CMS will announce to MA organizations and other...

A Job Announcement Analysis of Educational Technology Professional Positions: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kang, YoungJu; Ritzhaupt, Albert D.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this research was to identify the competencies of an educational technologist via a job announcement analysis. Four hundred job announcements were collected from a variety of online job databases over a 5-month period. Following a systematic process of collection, documentation, and analysis, we derived over 150 knowledge, skill,…

Biophysical regulation of epigenetic state and cell reprogramming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Downing, Timothy L.; Soto, Jennifer; Morez, Constant; Houssin, Timothee; Fritz, Ashley; Yuan, Falei; Chu, Julia; Patel, Shyam; Schaffer, David V.; Li, Song

2013-12-01

Biochemical factors can help reprogram somatic cells into pluripotent stem cells, yet the role of biophysical factors during reprogramming is unknown. Here, we show that biophysical cues, in the form of parallel microgrooves on the surface of cell-adhesive substrates, can replace the effects of small-molecule epigenetic modifiers and significantly improve reprogramming efficiency. The mechanism relies on the mechanomodulation of the cells’ epigenetic state. Specifically, decreased histone deacetylase activity and upregulation of the expression of WD repeat domain 5 (WDR5)—a subunit of H3 methyltranferase—by microgrooved surfaces lead to increased histone H3 acetylation and methylation. We also show that microtopography promotes a mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition in adult fibroblasts. Nanofibrous scaffolds with aligned fibre orientation produce effects similar to those produced by microgrooves, suggesting that changes in cell morphology may be responsible for modulation of the epigenetic state. These findings have important implications in cell biology and in the optimization of biomaterials for cell-engineering applications.

The value of mechanistic biophysical information for systems-level understanding of complex biological processes such as cytokinesis.

PubMed

Pollard, Thomas D

2014-12-02

This review illustrates the value of quantitative information including concentrations, kinetic constants and equilibrium constants in modeling and simulating complex biological processes. Although much has been learned about some biological systems without these parameter values, they greatly strengthen mechanistic accounts of dynamical systems. The analysis of muscle contraction is a classic example of the value of combining an inventory of the molecules, atomic structures of the molecules, kinetic constants for the reactions, reconstitutions with purified proteins and theoretical modeling to account for the contraction of whole muscles. A similar strategy is now being used to understand the mechanism of cytokinesis using fission yeast as a favorable model system. Copyright © 2014 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biophysical models of protein evolution: Understanding the patterns of evolutionary sequence divergence

PubMed Central

Echave, Julian; Wilke, Claus O.

2018-01-01

For decades, rates of protein evolution have been interpreted in terms of the vague concept of “functional importance”. Slowly evolving proteins or sites within proteins were assumed to be more functionally important and thus subject to stronger selection pressure. More recently, biophysical models of protein evolution, which combine evolutionary theory with protein biophysics, have completely revolutionized our view of the forces that shape sequence divergence. Slowly evolving proteins have been found to evolve slowly because of selection against toxic misfolding and misinteractions, linking their rate of evolution primarily to their abundance. Similarly, most slowly evolving sites in proteins are not directly involved in function, but mutating them has large impacts on protein structure and stability. Here, we review the studies of the emergent field of biophysical protein evolution that have shaped our current understanding of sequence divergence patterns. We also propose future research directions to develop this nascent field. PMID:28301766

Screening of the aerodynamic and biophysical properties of barley malt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghodsvali, Alireza; Farzaneh, Vahid; Bakhshabadi, Hamid; Zare, Zahra; Karami, Zahra; Mokhtarian, Mohsen; Carvalho, Isabel. S.

2016-10-01

An understanding of the aerodynamic and biophysical properties of barley malt is necessary for the appropriate design of equipment for the handling, shipping, dehydration, grading, sorting and warehousing of this strategic crop. Malting is a complex biotechnological process that includes steeping; germination and finally, the dehydration of cereal grains under controlled temperature and humidity conditions. In this investigation, the biophysical properties of barley malt were predicted using two models of artificial neural networks as well as response surface methodology. Stepping time and germination time were selected as the independent variables and 1 000 kernel weight, kernel density and terminal velocity were selected as the dependent variables (responses). The obtained outcomes showed that the artificial neural network model, with a logarithmic sigmoid activation function, presents more precise results than the response surface model in the prediction of the aerodynamic and biophysical properties of produced barley malt. This model presented the best result with 8 nodes in the hidden layer and significant correlation coefficient values of 0.783, 0.767 and 0.991 were obtained for responses one thousand kernel weight, kernel density, and terminal velocity, respectively. The outcomes indicated that this novel technique could be successfully applied in quantitative and qualitative monitoring within the malting process.

75 FR 54655 - Announcement of the Career Videos for America's Job Seekers Challenge; Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-08

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration Announcement of the Career Videos for..., 2010, announcing the Career Videos for America's Job Seekers Challenge. The dates for all phases of this Video Challenge have been extended. This document contains corrections to the dates published on...

22 CFR 1004.5 - Procedures for announcing meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... of the meeting, whether it is to be open or closed to the public, and the name and phone number of... announcement shall be made unless a majority of the Board of Directors of the IAF determines by a recorded vote...

22 CFR 1004.5 - Procedures for announcing meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... of the meeting, whether it is to be open or closed to the public, and the name and phone number of... announcement shall be made unless a majority of the Board of Directors of the IAF determines by a recorded vote...

22 CFR 1004.5 - Procedures for announcing meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... of the meeting, whether it is to be open or closed to the public, and the name and phone number of... announcement shall be made unless a majority of the Board of Directors of the IAF determines by a recorded vote...

76 FR 4894 - Notice Announcing Preliminary Permit Drawing

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-27

... Development, LLC, 126 FERC ] 61,132 (2009). On January 27, 2011, at 10 a.m. (Eastern Time), the Secretary of... announcing the results of the drawing. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2011-1721 Filed 1-26-11; 8:45 am...

Cancer information seeking in the digital age: effects of Angelina Jolie's prophylactic mastectomy announcement.

PubMed

Noar, Seth M; Althouse, Benjamin M; Ayers, John W; Francis, Diane B; Ribisl, Kurt M

2015-01-01

. This study used digital surveillance to examine the impact of Angelina Jolie's prophylactic mastectomy announcement on cancer information seeking. . We analyzed 4 categories of breast cancer-related Internet search queries from 2010 to 2013 in the United States. . Compared with the preceding 6 weeks, general information queries were 112% (95% confidence interval [CI], 79-146) higher the day of the announcement and remained 35% (95% CI, 22-49) higher over the week after the editorial. Risk assessment queries were 165% (95% CI, 110-222) higher the day of the announcement and 52% (95% CI, 31-75) higher across the week. Genetics and treatment queries showed little volume before the announcement but increased 2154% (95% CI, 1550-7076) and 9900% (95% CI, 3196-1,064,000) the day of, respectively, and remained higher across the week (812% [95% CI, 402-3913] and 2625% [95% CI, 551-317,000]). All query categories returned to normal volumes by the beginning of the second week. . Jolie's unique announcement spurred significant information seeking about breast cancer genetic testing and treatment procedures, although the surge in queries returned to preannouncement levels after 1 week. Future research should apply digital methods to advance our understanding of cancer information seeking in the digital age. © The Author(s) 2014.

Measuring (bio)physical tree properties using accelerometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Emmerik, Tim; Steele-Dunne, Susan; Hut, Rolf; Gentine, Pierre; Selker, John; van de Giesen, Nick

2017-04-01

Trees play a crucial role in the water, carbon and nitrogen cycle on local, regional and global scales. Understanding the exchange of heat, water, and CO2 between trees and the atmosphere is important to assess the impact of drought, deforestation and climate change. Unfortunately, ground measurements of tree dynamics are often expensive, or difficult due to challenging environments. We demonstrate the potential of measuring (bio)physical properties of trees using robust and affordable acceleration sensors. Tree sway is dependent on e.g. mass and wind energy absorption of the tree. By measuring tree acceleration we can relate the tree motion to external loads (e.g. precipitation), and tree (bio)physical properties (e.g. mass). Using five months of acceleration data of 19 trees in the Brazilian Amazon, we show that the frequency spectrum of tree sway is related to mass, precipitation, and canopy drag. This presentation aims to show the concept of using accelerometers to measure tree dynamics, and we acknowledge that the presented example applications is not an exhaustive list. Further analyses are the scope of current research, and we hope to inspire others to explore additional applications.

Institutional Factors Affecting Biophysical Outcomes in Forest Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coleman, Eric A.

2009-01-01

Although there is considerable interest in the impact of diverse policies affecting the biophysical outcomes in forests, gaining a substantial sample over time of forests under different institutional arrangements has been difficult. This article analyzes data from 46 forests located in six countries over time. In forests where policies have been…

Sequentially distant but structurally similar proteins exhibit fold specific patterns based on their biophysical properties.

PubMed

Rajendran, Senthilnathan; Jothi, Arunachalam

2018-05-16

The Three-dimensional structure of a protein depends on the interaction between their amino acid residues. These interactions are in turn influenced by various biophysical properties of the amino acids. There are several examples of proteins that share the same fold but are very dissimilar at the sequence level. For proteins to share a common fold some crucial interactions should be maintained despite insignificant sequence similarity. Since the interactions are because of the biophysical properties of the amino acids, we should be able to detect descriptive patterns for folds at such a property level. In this line, the main focus of our research is to analyze such proteins and to characterize them in terms of their biophysical properties. Protein structures with sequence similarity lesser than 40% were selected for ten different subfolds from three different mainfolds (according to CATH classification) and were used for this analysis. We used the normalized values of the 49 physio-chemical, energetic and conformational properties of amino acids. We characterize the folds based on the average biophysical property values. We also observed a fold specific correlational behavior of biophysical properties despite a very low sequence similarity in our data. We further trained three different binary classification models (Naive Bayes-NB, Support Vector Machines-SVM and Bayesian Generalized Linear Model-BGLM) which could discriminate mainfold based on the biophysical properties. We also show that among the three generated models, the BGLM classifier model was able to discriminate protein sequences coming under all beta category with 81.43% accuracy and all alpha, alpha-beta proteins with 83.37% accuracy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 1124.53 - Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. 1124.53 Section 1124.53 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture... Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. See § 1000.53. ...

78 FR 72095 - Announcement of Funding Awards for Fiscal Year 2013 Research Partnerships Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-02

... Awards for Fiscal Year 2013 Research Partnerships Program AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, HUD. ACTION: Announcement of funding awards. SUMMARY: In accordance with... Unsolicited Research Proposals. The purpose of this document is to announce the names and addresses of the...

75 FR 33641 - Announcement of the Career Videos for America's Job Seekers Challenge; Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-14

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration Announcement of the Career Videos for... Register of May 18, 2010, announcing the Career Videos for America's Job Seekers Challenge. The dates for all phases of this Video Challenge have been extended. This document contains corrections to the dates...

NICBR Announces First Collaboration Project Awards | Poster

Cancer.gov

Courtesy of the NICBR Public Affairs/Community Relations Subcommittee The National Interagency Confederation for Biological Research (NICBR) announced the 2012 NICBR Collaboration Project Award (CPA) Program winners in December. The award, the first of its kind for NICBR, was adapted from the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI’s) Young Investigator Award Program. This year, the

Teaching biophysics. Strategies for recruiting and retaining minorities in physics and biophysics.

PubMed Central

Tanaka, J C; Gladney, L D

1993-01-01

Several strategies directed toward increasing the participation of minority students in physics and biophysics are presented. Since the number of minority students entering college with an interest in science and mathematics must be increased if we expect to see more students graduating in science, several programs aimed at increasing the level of instruction of physics and biology in urban middle schools and high schools are outlined. We also describe approaches designed to increase the retention of science major during the freshman core physics course where many potential science majors are lost. Increasing the number of minority students at the PhD level will rely increasingly on partnerships between research universities and historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and several programs already in effect are given as examples of such linkages. PMID:8369460

Taking it to the grave: gender, cultural capital, and ethnicity in Turkish death announcements.

PubMed

Ergin, Murat

Popularly considered a great equalizer, death and the rituals around it nevertheless accentuate social distinctions. The present study focuses on a sample (N = 2554) of death announcements in a major Turkish daily newspaper (Hürriyet) from 1970 to 2006. Out of the liminal position of Turkish death announcements between obituaries and death notices emerges a large decentralized collection of private decisions responding to death, reflecting attitudes toward gender, ethnic/religious minority status and cultural capital, and echoing the aggregate efforts of privileged groups to maintain a particular self-image. Class closures lead to openings for traditionally under-represented minorities, such as Jewish Turkish citizens and citizens of Greek or Armenian origin. Results reveal that signs of status and power in announcements are largely monopolized by men of Turkish-Muslim origins. Although the changes in the genre-characteristics of death announcements are slow, they correspond to major turning points in Turkish social history.

5 CFR 362.202 - Announcement, nomination, and selection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... for, as well as a clear interest in and commitment to, leadership in the analysis and management of.... 362.202 Section 362.202 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PRESIDENTIAL MANAGEMENT FELLOWS PROGRAM Program Administration § 362.202 Announcement, nomination...

48 CFR 305.303 - Announcement of contract awards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... document face page to [email protected] prior to the day of award or in sufficient time to allow OASL to make an announcement by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on the day of award. [75 FR 21510, Apr. 26, 2010] ...

ANNOUNCING THE NATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT RESEARCH LABORATORY'S LISTSERVER

EPA Science Inventory

In an effort to expand and improve communication to our stakeholders, the NRMRL is establishing a listserver to more quickly announce publications, workshops, conferences, and other activities related to the Lab's research activities. The listserver is an e-mail based mechanism t...

The Hyperpolarization-Activated Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channels: from Biophysics to Pharmacology of a Unique Family of Ion Channels.

PubMed

Sartiani, Laura; Mannaioni, Guido; Masi, Alessio; Novella Romanelli, Maria; Cerbai, Elisabetta

2017-10-01

Hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels are important members of the voltage-gated pore loop channels family. They show unique features: they open at hyperpolarizing potential, carry a mixed Na/K current, and are regulated by cyclic nucleotides. Four different isoforms have been cloned (HCN1-4) that can assemble to form homo- or heterotetramers, characterized by different biophysical properties. These proteins are widely distributed throughout the body and involved in different physiologic processes, the most important being the generation of spontaneous electrical activity in the heart and the regulation of synaptic transmission in the brain. Their role in heart rate, neuronal pacemaking, dendritic integration, learning and memory, and visual and pain perceptions has been extensively studied; these channels have been found also in some peripheral tissues, where their functions still need to be fully elucidated. Genetic defects and altered expression of HCN channels are linked to several pathologies, which makes these proteins attractive targets for translational research; at the moment only one drug (ivabradine), which specifically blocks the hyperpolarization-activated current, is clinically available. This review discusses current knowledge about HCN channels, starting from their biophysical properties, origin, and developmental features, to (patho)physiologic role in different tissues and pharmacological modulation, ending with their present and future relevance as drug targets. Copyright © 2017 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

Going beyond the biophysical when mapping national forests

Treesearch

Geoff Koch; Lee Cerveny

2018-01-01

Resource managers have long mapped biophysical forest data. Often lacking, however, is relevant social science data for understanding the variety of human needs a given landscape fulfills.For nearly a decade, Lee Cerveny has been exploring how to provide this data on public lands around the Pacific Northwest. Cerveny is a research...

Replacement of SSE with NASA's POWER Announcement

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-06-11

... We are pleased to announce that on June 13, 2018 the old SSE web site will be replaced with the new data web portal at https://power.larc.nasa.gov with improved solar and ... currently on SSE are now available at the new POWER web site although the parameters might be organized differently.  Also note ...

An ethnographic study: Becoming a physics expert in a biophysics research group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, Idaykis

Expertise in physics has been traditionally studied in cognitive science, where physics expertise is understood through the difference between novice and expert problem solving skills. The cognitive perspective of physics experts only create a partial model of physics expertise and does not take into account the development of physics experts in the natural context of research. This dissertation takes a social and cultural perspective of learning through apprenticeship to model the development of physics expertise of physics graduate students in a research group. I use a qualitative methodological approach of an ethnographic case study to observe and video record the common practices of graduate students in their biophysics weekly research group meetings. I recorded notes on observations and conduct interviews with all participants of the biophysics research group for a period of eight months. I apply the theoretical framework of Communities of Practice to distinguish the cultural norms of the group that cultivate physics expert practices. Results indicate that physics expertise is specific to a topic or subfield and it is established through effectively publishing research in the larger biophysics research community. The participant biophysics research group follows a learning trajectory for its students to contribute to research and learn to communicate their research in the larger biophysics community. In this learning trajectory students develop expert member competencies to learn to communicate their research and to learn the standards and trends of research in the larger research community. Findings from this dissertation expand the model of physics expertise beyond the cognitive realm and add the social and cultural nature of physics expertise development. This research also addresses ways to increase physics graduate student success towards their PhD. and decrease the 48% attrition rate of physics graduate students. Cultivating effective research

Representing biophysical landscape interactions in soil models by bridging disciplines and scales.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Ploeg, M. J.; Carranza, C.; Teixeira da Silva, R.; te Brake, B.; Baartman, J.; Robinson, D.

2017-12-01

The combination of climate change, population growth and soil threats including carbon loss, biodiversity decline and erosion, increasingly confront the global community (Schwilch et al., 2016). One major challenge in studying processes involved in soil threats, landscape resilience, ecosystem stability, sustainable land management and resulting economic consequences, is that it is an interdisciplinary field (Pelletier et al., 2012). Less stringent scientific disciplinary boundaries are therefore important (Liu et al., 2007), because as a result of disciplinary focus, ambiguity may arise on the understanding of landscape interactions. This is especially true in the interaction between a landscape's physical and biological processes (van der Ploeg et al. 2012). Biophysical landscape interactions are those biotic and abiotic processes in a landscape that have an influence on the developments within and evolution of a landscape. An important aspect in biophysical landscape interactions is the differences in scale related to the various processes that play a role in these systems. Moreover, the interplay between the physical landscape and the occurring vegetation, which often co-evolve, and the resulting heterogeneity and emerging patterns are the reason why it is so challenging to establish a theoretical basis to describe biophysical processes in landscapes (e.g. te Brake et al. 2013, Robinson et al. 2016). Another complicating factor is the response of vegetation to changing environmental conditions, including a possible, and often unknown, time-lag (e.g. Metzger et al., 2009). An integrative description for modelling biophysical interactions has been a long standing goal in soil science (Vereecken et al., 2016). We need the development of soil models that are more focused on networks, connectivity and feedbacks incorporating the most important aspects of our detailed mechanistic modelling (Paola & Leeder, 2011). Additionally, remote sensing measurement techniques

EPA Announces Improvements to Keep New Hampshire Waters Clean

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Today, US EPA announced a major step forward for New Hampshire’ water quality with improved stormwater management requirements as well as an array of training and implementation tools to assist municipalities with implementation.

45 CFR 1703.205 - Public announcement of meeting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION SCIENCE GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE ACT Procedures Governing Decisions About... closed; and (3) Name and telephone number of agency official who will respond to requests for information... information that the meeting was closed to protect, the subject matter shall not be announced. ...

5 CFR 330.104 - Requirements for vacancy announcements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... information: (1) Name of issuing agency; (2) Announcement number; (3) Position title, series, pay plan, and grade (or pay rate); (4) Duty location; (5) Number of vacancies; (6) Opening date and application... the recommended equal employment opportunity statement located on OPM's USAJOBS website.); and (18...

5 CFR 330.104 - Requirements for vacancy announcements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... information: (1) Name of issuing agency; (2) Announcement number; (3) Position title, series, pay plan, and grade (or pay rate); (4) Duty location; (5) Number of vacancies; (6) Opening date and application... the recommended equal employment opportunity statement located on OPM's USAJOBS website.); and (18...

5 CFR 330.104 - Requirements for vacancy announcements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... information: (1) Name of issuing agency; (2) Announcement number; (3) Position title, series, pay plan, and grade (or pay rate); (4) Duty location; (5) Number of vacancies; (6) Opening date and application... the recommended equal employment opportunity statement located on OPM's USAJOBS website.); and (18...

78 FR 26795 - Announcement of Requirements and Registration for the National Radiological and Nuclear Detection...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-08

... Radiological and Nuclear Detection Challenge AGENCY: Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, DHS. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: DNDO announces the National Radiological and Nuclear Detection (Rad/Nuc) Challenge, a...), Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO), announces the National Radiological and Nuclear Detection (Rad...

Remote sensing of the Canadian Arctic: Modelling biophysical variables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Nanfeng

It is anticipated that Arctic vegetation will respond in a variety of ways to altered temperature and precipitation patterns expected with climate change, including changes in phenology, productivity, biomass, cover and net ecosystem exchange. Remote sensing provides data and data processing methodologies for monitoring and assessing Arctic vegetation over large areas. The goal of this research was to explore the potential of hyperspectral and high spatial resolution multispectral remote sensing data for modelling two important Arctic biophysical variables: Percent Vegetation Cover (PVC) and the fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fAPAR). A series of field experiments were conducted to collect PVC and fAPAR at three Canadian Arctic sites: (1) Sabine Peninsula, Melville Island, NU; (2) Cape Bounty Arctic Watershed Observatory (CBAWO), Melville Island, NU; and (3) Apex River Watershed (ARW), Baffin Island, NU. Linear relationships between biophysical variables and Vegetation Indices (VIs) were examined at different spatial scales using field spectra (for the Sabine Peninsula site) and high spatial resolution satellite data (for the CBAWO and ARW sites). At the Sabine Peninsula site, hyperspectral VIs exhibited a better performance for modelling PVC than multispectral VIs due to their capacity for sampling fine spectral features. The optimal hyperspectral bands were located at important spectral features observed in Arctic vegetation spectra, including leaf pigment absorption in the red wavelengths and at the red-edge, leaf water absorption in the near infrared, and leaf cellulose and lignin absorption in the shortwave infrared. At the CBAWO and ARW sites, field PVC and fAPAR exhibited strong correlations (R2 > 0.70) with the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) derived from high-resolution WorldView-2 data. Similarly, high spatial resolution satellite-derived fAPAR was correlated to MODIS fAPAR (R2 = 0.68), with a systematic

Increasing the Effectiveness of Vaginal Microbicides: A Biophysical Framework to Rethink Behavioral Acceptability

PubMed Central

Verguet, Stéphane; Young Holt, Bethany; Szeri, Andrew J.

2010-01-01

Background Microbicide candidates delivered via gel vehicles are intended to coat the vaginal epithelium after application. The coating process depends on intrinsic biophysical properties of the gel texture, which restricts the potential choices for an effective product: the gel first must be physically synthesizable, then acceptable to the user, and finally applied in a manner promoting timely adequate coating, so that the user adherence is optimized. We present a conceptual framework anchoring microbicide behavioral acceptability within the fulfillment of the product biophysical requirements. Methods We conducted a semi-qualitative/quantitative study targeting women aged 18–55 in Northern California to assess user preferences for microbicide gel attributes. Attributes included: (i) the wait time between application and intercourse, (ii) the gel texture and (iii) the trade-off between wait time and gel texture. Wait times were assessed using a mathematical model determining coating rates depending upon the gel's physical attributes. Results 71 women participated. Results suggest that women would independently prefer a gel spreading rapidly, in 2 to 15 minutes (P<0.0001), as well as one that is thick or slippery (P<0.02). Clearly, thick gels do not spread rapidly; hence the motivation to study the trade-off. When asked the same question ‘constrained’ by the biophysical reality, women indicated no significant preference for a particular gel thickness (and therefore waiting time) (P>0.10) for use with a steady partner, a preference for a watery gel spreading rapidly rather than one having intermediate properties for use with a casual partner (P = 0.024). Conclusions Biophysical constraints alter women's preferences regarding acceptable microbicide attributes. Product developers should offer a range of formulations in order to address all preferences. We designed a conceptual framework to rethink behavioral acceptability in terms of biophysical requirements

Biophysical constraints on leaf expansion in a tall conifer.

Treesearch

Fredrick C. Meinzer; Barbara J. Bond; Jennifer A. Karanian

2008-01-01

The physiological mechanisms responsible for reduced extension growth as trees increase in height remain elusive. We evaluated biophysical constraints on leaf expansion in old-growth Douglas-fir (Psuedotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) trees. Needle elongation rates, plastic and elastic extensibility, bulk leaf water, (L...

Unknown caller: can we effectively manage the announcement of discovery of extraterrestrial life?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gartrelle, Gordon M.

2015-10-01

The definitive discovery of another form of life from beyond Earth will answer one of our most fundamental questions: Are we alone in the Universe? This announcement will be the most significant in history. It will have impact on every facet of our lives and affect everyone on Earth. Ensuring the announcement is handled properly represents an opportunity to unify government, industrial, and scientific resources to work together on a global scale issue. The purpose of the present paper is to understand whether we have the overall strategy, management structures and process disciplines in place on a global scale to handle an announcement of this magnitude. The research methodology included review and analysis of peer-reviewed work on the topic, publications from appropriate scientific and policy organizations, and public statements from several acknowledged experts in the field of astrobiology and extraterrestrial communications. The 1996 case of the announcement of possible life from Martian meteorite ALH84001 was also analysed. The findings of the paper are multiple deficiencies exist in the ability to manage this problem globally in an integrated fashion across borders, institutional boundaries, and through the media. High-level recommendations are offered to address major identified gaps.

Environmental Learning Experiences: Bio-Physical, Senior High School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Junglas, Mary R.; And Others

This environmental education curriculum guide was developed for teacher use at the senior high school level. Although the guide deals with the bio-physical aspects of the environment, it is designed to encourage an integration of the disciplines into an inter-disciplinary approach. The volume consists of a set of ideas, activities, and opinions…

Structural, biological and biophysical properties of glycated and glycoxidized phosphatidylethanolamines

PubMed Central

Annibal, Andrea; Riemer, Thomas; Jovanovic, Olga; Westphal, Dennis; Griesser, Eva; Pohl, Elena E.; Schiller, Jürgen; Hoffmann, Ralf; Fedorova, Maria

2018-01-01

Glycation and glycoxidation of proteins and peptides have been intensively studied and are considered as reliable diagnostic biomarkers of hyperglycemia and early stages of type II diabetes. However, glucose can also react with primary amino groups present in other cellular components, such as aminophospholipids (aminoPLs). Although it is proposed that glycated aminoPLs can induce many cellular responses and contribute to the development and progression of diabetes, the routes of their formation and their biological roles are only partially revealed. The same is true for the influence of glucose-derived modifications on the biophysical properties of PLs. Here we studied structural, signaling, and biophysical properties of glycated and glycoxidized phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs). By combining high resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy it was possible to deduce the structures of several intermediates indicating an oxidative cleavage of the Amadori product yielding glycoxidized PEs including advanced glycation end products, such as carboxyethyl- and carboxymethyl-ethanolamines. The pro-oxidative role of glycated PEs was demonstrated and further associated with several cellular responses including activation of NFκB signaling pathways. Label free proteomics indicated significant alterations in proteins regulating cellular metabolisms. Finally, the biophysical properties of PL membranes changed significantly upon PE glycation, such as melting temperature (Tm), membrane surface charge, and ion transport across the phospholipid bilayer. PMID:27012418

The Biophysics and Cell Biology of Lipid Droplets

PubMed Central

Thiam, A. Rachid; Farese, Robert V.; Walther, Tobias C.

2015-01-01

Lipid droplets (LDs) are intracellular organelles that are found in most cells, where they have fundamental and dynamic roles in metabolism. Recent investigations showed the importance of basic biophysical principles of emulsions for LD biology. At their essence, LDs are the dispersed phase of an oil-in-water emulsion in the aqueous cytosol of cells. They function prominently in storing oil-based reserves of metabolic energy and components of membrane lipids. Because of their unique architecture, with an interface between the dispersed oil phase and the aqueous cytosol, LDs require specialized mechanisms for their formation, growth, and shrinkage. Such mechanisms enable cells to use emulsified oil in a controlled manner (e.g., when demands for metabolic energy or membrane synthesis increase). Regulation of the composition of the phospholipid surfactants at the LD surface is crucial for LD growth and catabolism and also modifies protein targeting to LD surfaces. Here, we review new insights into the cell biology of LDs, with an emphasis on concepts of emulsion science and biophysics that apply to this organelle. PMID:24220094

Biophysical aspects of using liposomes as delivery vehicles.

PubMed

Ulrich, Anne S

2002-04-01

Liposomes are used as biocompatible carriers of drugs, peptides, proteins, plasmic DNA, antisense oligonucleotides or ribozymes, for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and biochemical purposes. The enormous versatility in particle size and in the physical parameters of the lipids affords an attractive potential for constructing tailor-made vehicles for a wide range of applications. Some of the recent literature will be reviewed here and presented from a biophysical point of view, thus providing a background for the more specialized articles in this special issue on liposome technology. Different properties (size, colloidal behavior, phase transitions, and polymorphism) of diverse lipid formulations (liposomes, lipoplexes, cubic phases, emulsions, and solid lipid nanoparticles) for distinct applications (parenteral, transdermal, pulmonary, and oral administration) will be rationalized in terms of common structural, thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of the lipids. This general biophysical basis helps to understand pharmaceutically relevant aspects such as liposome stability during storage and towards serum, the biodistribution and specific targeting of cargo, and how to trigger drug release and membrane fusion. Methods for the preparation and characterization of liposomal formulations in vitro will be outlined, too.

Introductory Biophysics Course: Presentation of Physics in a Biological Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henderson, B. J.; Henderson, M. A.

1976-01-01

An introductory biophysics course for science students who have previously taken two quarters of noncalculus physics is described. Material covered emphasizes the physical principles of sound, light, electricity, energy, and information. (Author/CP)

Recall of AIDS public service announcements and their impact on the ranking of AIDS as a national problem.

PubMed Central

Siska, M; Jason, J; Murdoch, P; Yang, W S; Donovan, R J

1992-01-01

The efficacy of two public service announcements from Phase V of the "America Responds to AIDS" (ARTA) campaign was assessed at two sites. Participants were randomly assigned to view a local news program, one with an ARTA public service announcement appearing six times and the other with no AIDS public service announcements. During telephone interviews with 907 participants 1 to 3 nights after viewing, 21% at Site A and 59% at Site B could correctly recall the ARTA public service announcements. Absolute mentions of AIDS as an important national issue increased. PMID:1609906

76 FR 39880 - Announcement of a Grant Award

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-07

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration for Children and Families Announcement of a..., Public Law 105-285, as amended. SUMMARY: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of... participants to acquire a lasting economic asset. AFI project families use their IDA savings, including the...

Watershed-Scale Heterogeneity of the Biophysical Controls on Soil Respiration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riveros, D. A.; Pacific, V. J.; McGlynn, B. L.; Welsch, D. L.; Epstein, H. E.; Muth, D. J.; Marshall, L.; Wraith, J.

2006-12-01

Large gaps exist in our understanding of the variability of soil respiration response to changing hydrologic conditions across spatial and temporal scales. Determining the linkages between the hydrologic cycle and the biophysical controls of soil respiration from the local point, to the plot, to the watershed scale is critical to understanding the dynamics of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE). To study the biophysical controls of soil respiration, we measured soil CO2 concentration, soil CO2 flux, dissolved CO2 in stream water, soil moisture, soil temperature, groundwater dynamics, and precipitation at 20-minute intervals throughout the growing season at 4 sites and at weekly intervals at 62 sites covering the range of topographic position, slope, aspect, land cover, and upslope accumulated area conditions in a 555-ha subalpine watershed in central Montana. Our goal was to quantify watershed-scale heterogeneity in soil CO2 concentrations and surface efflux and gain understanding of the biophysical controls on soil respiration. We seek to improve our ability to evaluate and predict soil respiration responses to a dynamic hydrologic cycle across multiple temporal and spatial scales. We found that time lags between biophysical controls and soil respiration can occur from hourly to daily scales. The sensitivity of soil respiration to changes in environmental conditions is controlled by the antecedent soil moisture and by topographic position. At the watershed scale, significant differences in soil respiration exist between upland (dry) and lowland (wet) sites. However, differences in the magnitude and timing of soil respiration also exist within upland settings due to heterogeneity in soil temperature, soil moisture, and soil organic matter. Finally, we used a process-based model to simulate respiration at different times of the year across spatial locations. Our simulations highlight the importance of autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration (production) over

What's New on MedlinePlus: Announcements and Special Features

MedlinePlus

... this page: https://medlineplus.gov/whatsnew.html What's New on MedlinePlus: Announcements and Special Features To use ... features on this page, please enable JavaScript. "What's New" Page Retirement Thank you for your interest in ...

Examination of the association between announced inspections and inspection scores.

PubMed

Waters, A Blake; VanDerslice, James; Porucznik, Christina A; Kim, Jaewhan; DeLegge, Royal; Durrant, Lynne

2013-09-01

In 2010 the Salt Lake Valley Health Department conducted a pilot of an announced inspection program utilizing a randomized assignment of restaurants to an intervention group with announced inspections and a control group that remained on the usual schedule of unannounced inspections. After adjusting for food type, visible kitchen, outside quality assurance, season, and standardized inspector, significant reductions were found in the odds ratios of personal hygiene (adjusted odds ratios [aOR] = 0.11, p = .00) and equipment cleanliness (aOR = 0.19, p = .00) violations. In the models for the control group, none of the odds ratios were statistically different from one, indicating no change in the postintervention time period as compared to the preintervention period.

Modeling disordered protein interactions from biophysical principles

PubMed Central

Christoffer, Charles; Terashi, Genki

2017-01-01

Disordered protein-protein interactions (PPIs), those involving a folded protein and an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP), are prevalent in the cell, including important signaling and regulatory pathways. IDPs do not adopt a single dominant structure in isolation but often become ordered upon binding. To aid understanding of the molecular mechanisms of disordered PPIs, it is crucial to obtain the tertiary structure of the PPIs. However, experimental methods have difficulty in solving disordered PPIs and existing protein-protein and protein-peptide docking methods are not able to model them. Here we present a novel computational method, IDP-LZerD, which models the conformation of a disordered PPI by considering the biophysical binding mechanism of an IDP to a structured protein, whereby a local segment of the IDP initiates the interaction and subsequently the remaining IDP regions explore and coalesce around the initial binding site. On a dataset of 22 disordered PPIs with IDPs up to 69 amino acids, successful predictions were made for 21 bound and 18 unbound receptors. The successful modeling provides additional support for biophysical principles. Moreover, the new technique significantly expands the capability of protein structure modeling and provides crucial insights into the molecular mechanisms of disordered PPIs. PMID:28394890

A biotic video game smart phone kit for formal and informal biophysics education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Honesty; Lee, Seung Ah; Riedel-Kruse, Ingmar

2015-03-01

Novel ways for formal and informal biophysics education are important. We present a low-cost biotic game design kit that incorporates microbial organisms into an interactive gaming experience: A 3D-printable microscope containing four LEDs controlled by a joystick enable human players to provide directional light stimuli to the motile single-celled organism Euglena gracilis. These cellular behaviors are displayed on the integrated smart phone. Real time cell-tracking couples these cells into interactive biotic video game play, i.e., the human player steers Euglena to play soccer with virtual balls and goals. The player's learning curve in mastering this fun game is intrinsically coupled to develop a deeper knowledge about Euglena's cell morphology and the biophysics of its phototactic behavior. This kit is dual educational - via construction and via play - and it provides an engaging theme for a formal biophysics devices class as well as to be presented in informal outreach activities; its low cost and open soft- and hardware should enable wide adoption.

12 CFR 311.4 - Procedures for announcing meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Procedures for announcing meetings. 311.4 Section 311.4 Banks and Banking FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION PROCEDURE AND RULES OF PRACTICE RULES GOVERNING PUBLIC OBSERVATION OF MEETINGS OF THE CORPORATION'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS § 311.4...

Clinical Biophysics; A New Concept in Undergraduate Medical Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anbar, Michael

1981-01-01

The abilities to understand medical technology, to evaluate new devices and procedures, and to assess their effectiveness, reliability, costs, and risks in comparison with existing methods are discussed. A course in clinical biophysics offered at the State University of New York at Buffalo is described. (Author/MLW)

Antimicrobial and biophysical properties of surfactant supplemented with an antimicrobial peptide for treatment of bacterial pneumonia.

PubMed

Banaschewski, Brandon J H; Veldhuizen, Edwin J A; Keating, Eleonora; Haagsman, Henk P; Zuo, Yi Y; Yamashita, Cory M; Veldhuizen, Ruud A W

2015-01-01

Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections represent an emerging health concern in clinical settings, and a lack of novel developments in the pharmaceutical pipeline is creating a "perfect storm" for multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been suggested as future therapeutics for these drug-resistant bacteria, since they have potent broad-spectrum activity, with little development of resistance. Due to the unique structure of the lung, bacterial pneumonia has the additional problem of delivering antimicrobials to the site of infection. One potential solution is coadministration of AMPs with exogenous surfactant, allowing for distribution of the peptides to distal airways and opening of collapsed lung regions. The objective of this study was to test various surfactant-AMP mixtures with regard to maintaining pulmonary surfactant biophysical properties and bactericidal functions. We compared the properties of four AMPs (CATH-1, CATH-2, CRAMP, and LL-37) suspended in bovine lipid-extract surfactant (BLES) by assessing surfactant-AMP mixture biophysical and antimicrobial functions. Antimicrobial activity was tested against methillicin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All AMP/surfactant mixtures exhibited an increase of spreading compared to a BLES control. BLES+CATH-2 mixtures had no significantly different minimum surface tension versus the BLES control. Compared to the other cathelicidins, CATH-2 retained the most bactericidal activity in the presence of BLES. The BLES+CATH-2 mixture appears to be an optimal surfactant-AMP mixture based on in vitro assays. Future directions involve investigating the potential of this mixture in animal models of bacterial pneumonia. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Quantum-Sequencing: Biophysics of quantum tunneling through nucleic acids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casamada Ribot, Josep; Chatterjee, Anushree; Nagpal, Prashant

2014-03-01

Tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy has extensively been used in physical surface sciences to study quantum tunneling to measure electronic local density of states of nanomaterials and to characterize adsorbed species. Quantum-Sequencing (Q-Seq) is a new method based on tunneling microscopy for electronic sequencing of single molecule of nucleic acids. A major goal of third-generation sequencing technologies is to develop a fast, reliable, enzyme-free single-molecule sequencing method. Here, we present the unique ``electronic fingerprints'' for all nucleotides on DNA and RNA using Q-Seq along their intrinsic biophysical parameters. We have analyzed tunneling spectra for the nucleotides at different pH conditions and analyzed the HOMO, LUMO and energy gap for all of them. In addition we show a number of biophysical parameters to further characterize all nucleobases (electron and hole transition voltage and energy barriers). These results highlight the robustness of Q-Seq as a technique for next-generation sequencing.

77 FR 24553 - Announcement of National Small Business Week Video Contest Under the America Competes...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-24

... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Announcement of National Small Business Week Video Contest Under the...) announces a video contest (the ``Contest'') for small businesses to show how they have been assisted by an... 2012, the U.S. Small Business Administration is looking for creative videos from small businesses that...

Hierarchy and Interactions in Environmental Interfaces Regarded as Biophysical Complex Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mihailovic, Dragutin T.; Balaz, Igor

The field of environmental sciences is abundant with various interfaces and is the right place for the application of new fundamental approaches leading towards a better understanding of environmental phenomena. For example, following the definition of environmental interface by Mihailovic and Balaž [23], such interface can be placed between: human or animal bodies and surrounding air, aquatic species and water and air around them, and natural or artificially built surfaces (vegetation, ice, snow, barren soil, water, urban communities) and the atmosphere. Complex environmental interface systems are open and hierarchically organised, interactions between their constituent parts are nonlinear, and the interaction with the surrounding environment is noisy. These systems are therefore very sensitive to initial conditions, deterministic external perturbations and random fluctuations always present in nature. The study of noisy non-equilibrium processes is fundamental for modelling the dynamics of environmental interface systems and for understanding the mechanisms of spatio-temporal pattern formation in contemporary environmental sciences, particularly in environmental fluid mechanics. In modelling complex biophysical systems one of the main tasks is to successfully create an operative interface with the external environment. It should provide a robust and prompt translation of the vast diversity of external physical and/or chemical changes into a set of signals, which are "understandable" for an organism. Although the establishment of organisation in any system is of crucial importance for its functioning, it should not be forgotten that in biophysical systems we deal with real-life problems where a number of other conditions should be reached in order to put the system to work. One of them is the proper supply of the system by the energy. Therefore, we will investigate an aspect of dynamics of energy flow based on the energy balance equation. The energy as well as

Space Shuttle Placement Announcement

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-12

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announces where four space shuttle orbiters will be permanently displayed at the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program during an event held at one of the Orbiter Processing Facilities, Tuesday, April 12, 2011, at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The four orbiters, Enterprise, which currently is on display at the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport, will move to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York, Discovery will move to Udvar-Hazy, Endeavour will be displayed at the California Science Center in Los Angeles and Atlantis, in background, will be displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Space Shuttle Placement Announcement

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-12

Workers at the NASA Kennedy Space Center listen as NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announces where four space shuttle orbiters will be permanently displayed at the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program during an event held at one of the Orbiter Processing Facilities, Tuesday, April 12, 2011, at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The four orbiters, Enterprise, which currently is on display at the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport, will move to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York, Discovery will move to Udvar-Hazy, Endeavour will be displayed at the California Science Center in Los Angeles and Atlantis, in background, will be displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Space Shuttle Placement Announcement

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-12

Pilot of the first space shuttle mission, STS-1, Bob Crippen speaks at an event where NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced where four space shuttle orbiters will be permanently displayed at the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program, Tuesday, April 12, 2011, at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The four orbiters, Enterprise, which currently is on display at the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport, will move to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York, Discovery will move to Udvar-Hazy, Endeavour will be displayed at the California Science Center in Los Angeles and Atlantis, in background, will be displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Space Shuttle Placement Announcement

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-12

The space shuttle Atlantis is seen in the Orbiter Processing Facility at an event where NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced where four space shuttle orbiters will be permanently displayed at the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program, Tuesday, April 12, 2011, at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The four orbiters, Enterprise, which currently is on display at the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport, will move to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York, Discovery will move to Udvar-Hazy, Endeavour will be displayed at the California Science Center in Los Angeles and Atlantis, will be displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Space Shuttle Placement Announcement

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-12

Endeavour Vehicle Manager for United Space Alliance Mike Parrish speaks at an event where NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced where four space shuttle orbiters will be permanently displayed at the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program, Tuesday, April 12, 2011, at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The four orbiters, Enterprise, which currently is on display at the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport, will move to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York, Discovery will move to Udvar-Hazy, Endeavour will be displayed at the California Science Center in Los Angeles and Atlantis, in background, will be displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Space Shuttle Placement Announcement

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-12

Pilot of the first space shuttle mission, STS-1, Bob Crippen speaks at an event where NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced where four space shuttle orbiters will be permanently displayed at the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program, Tuesday, April 12, 2011, at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The four orbiters, Enterprise, which currently is on display at the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport, will move to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York, Discovery will move to Udvar-Hazy, Endeavour will be displayed at the California Science Center in Los Angeles and Atlantis, in background, will be displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Space Shuttle Placement Announcement

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-12

NASA Johnson Space Center Director of Flight Crew Operations, and Astronaut, Janet Kavandi speaks at an event where NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced where four space shuttle orbiters will be permanently displayed at the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program, Tuesday, April 12, 2011, at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The four orbiters, Enterprise, which currently is on display at the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport, will move to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York, Discovery will move to Udvar-Hazy, Endeavour will be displayed at the California Science Center in Los Angeles and Atlantis, in background, will be displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

α-Motoneurons maintain biophysical heterogeneity in obesity and diabetes in Zucker rats.

PubMed

MacDonell, Christopher W; Chopek, Jeremy W; Gardiner, Kalan R; Gardiner, Phillip F

2017-10-01

Small-diameter sensory dysfunction resulting from diabetes has received much attention in the literature, whereas the impact of diabetes on α-motoneurons (MN) has not. In addition, the chance of developing insulin resistance and diabetes is increased in obesity. No study has examined the impact of obesity or diabetes on the biophysical properties of MN. Lean Zucker rats and Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats were separated into lean, obese (ZDF fed standard chow), and diabetic (ZDF fed high-fat diet that led to diabetes) groups. Glass micropipettes recorded hindlimb MN properties from identified flexor and extensor MN. MN were separated within their groups on the basis of input conductance, which created high- and low-input conductance subpopulations for each. A significant shorter (20%) afterhyperpolarization half-decay (AHP 1/2 ) was found in low-conductance MN for the diabetic group only, whereas AHP½ tended to be shorter in the obese group (19%). Significant positive correlations were found among rheobase and input conductance for both lean and obese animals. No differences were found between the groups for afterhyperpolarization amplitude (AHP amp ), input conductance, rheobase, or any of the rhythmic firing properties (frequency-current slope and spike-frequency adaptation index). MN properties continue to be heterogeneous in obese and diabetic animals. Obesity does not seem to influence lumbar MN. Despite the resistance of MN to the impact of diabetes, the reduced AHP 1/2 decay and the tendency for a reduction in AHP amp may be the first sign of change to MN function. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Knowledge about the impact of obesity and diabetes on the biophysical properties of motoneurons is lacking. We found that diabetes reduces the duration of the afterhyperpolarization and that motoneuron function is unchanged by obesity. A reduced afterhyperpolarization may impact discharge characteristics and may be the first sign of change to motoneuron function. Copyright �

DSCOVR EPIC L2 VESDR V1 Product Announcement

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-06-13

... Boston University announce the public release of Vegetation Earth System Data Record (VESDR) derived from the Earth Polychromatic Imaging ... derived products.   We also provide two ancillary science data products, namely, 10 km Land Cover Type and Distribution of ...

77 FR 14538 - Announcement of Funding Awards Family Unification Program (FUP) Fiscal Year (FY) 2010

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-12

... announcement contains the consolidated names and addresses of the award recipients for this year under the FUP.... Appendix A Fiscal Year 2010 Funding Awards for the Family Unification Program Recipient Address City State... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. 5415-FA-15] Announcement of Funding Awards...

Effects of LiDAR point density, sampling size and height threshold on estimation accuracy of crop biophysical parameters.

PubMed

Luo, Shezhou; Chen, Jing M; Wang, Cheng; Xi, Xiaohuan; Zeng, Hongcheng; Peng, Dailiang; Li, Dong

2016-05-30

Vegetation leaf area index (LAI), height, and aboveground biomass are key biophysical parameters. Corn is an important and globally distributed crop, and reliable estimations of these parameters are essential for corn yield forecasting, health monitoring and ecosystem modeling. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) is considered an effective technology for estimating vegetation biophysical parameters. However, the estimation accuracies of these parameters are affected by multiple factors. In this study, we first estimated corn LAI, height and biomass (R² = 0.80, 0.874 and 0.838, respectively) using the original LiDAR data (7.32 points/m²), and the results showed that LiDAR data could accurately estimate these biophysical parameters. Second, comprehensive research was conducted on the effects of LiDAR point density, sampling size and height threshold on the estimation accuracy of LAI, height and biomass. Our findings indicated that LiDAR point density had an important effect on the estimation accuracy for vegetation biophysical parameters, however, high point density did not always produce highly accurate estimates, and reduced point density could deliver reasonable estimation results. Furthermore, the results showed that sampling size and height threshold were additional key factors that affect the estimation accuracy of biophysical parameters. Therefore, the optimal sampling size and the height threshold should be determined to improve the estimation accuracy of biophysical parameters. Our results also implied that a higher LiDAR point density, larger sampling size and height threshold were required to obtain accurate corn LAI estimation when compared with height and biomass estimations. In general, our results provide valuable guidance for LiDAR data acquisition and estimation of vegetation biophysical parameters using LiDAR data.

Linking biophysical models and public preferences for ecosystem service assessments: a case study for the Southern Rocky Mountains

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bagstad, Kenneth J.; Reed, James; Semmens, Darius J.; Sherrouse, Ben C.; Troy, Austin

2016-01-01

Through extensive research, ecosystem services have been mapped using both survey-based and biophysical approaches, but comparative mapping of public values and those quantified using models has been lacking. In this paper, we mapped hot and cold spots for perceived and modeled ecosystem services by synthesizing results from a social-values mapping study of residents living near the Pike–San Isabel National Forest (PSI), located in the Southern Rocky Mountains, with corresponding biophysically modeled ecosystem services. Social-value maps for the PSI were developed using the Social Values for Ecosystem Services tool, providing statistically modeled continuous value surfaces for 12 value types, including aesthetic, biodiversity, and life-sustaining values. Biophysically modeled maps of carbon sequestration and storage, scenic viewsheds, sediment regulation, and water yield were generated using the Artificial Intelligence for Ecosystem Services tool. Hotspots for both perceived and modeled services were disproportionately located within the PSI’s wilderness areas. Additionally, we used regression analysis to evaluate spatial relationships between perceived biodiversity and cultural ecosystem services and corresponding biophysical model outputs. Our goal was to determine whether publicly valued locations for aesthetic, biodiversity, and life-sustaining values relate meaningfully to results from corresponding biophysical ecosystem service models. We found weak relationships between perceived and biophysically modeled services, indicating that public perception of ecosystem service provisioning regions is limited. We believe that biophysical and social approaches to ecosystem service mapping can serve as methodological complements that can advance ecosystem services-based resource management, benefitting resource managers by showing potential locations of synergy or conflict between areas supplying ecosystem services and those valued by the public.

Historical contingency and its biophysical basis in glucocorticoid receptor evolution.

PubMed

Harms, Michael J; Thornton, Joseph W

2014-08-14

Understanding how chance historical events shape evolutionary processes is a central goal of evolutionary biology. Direct insights into the extent and causes of evolutionary contingency have been limited to experimental systems, because it is difficult to know what happened in the deep past and to characterize other paths that evolution could have followed. Here we combine ancestral protein reconstruction, directed evolution and biophysical analysis to explore alternative 'might-have-been' trajectories during the ancient evolution of a novel protein function. We previously found that the evolution of cortisol specificity in the ancestral glucocorticoid receptor (GR) was contingent on permissive substitutions, which had no apparent effect on receptor function but were necessary for GR to tolerate the large-effect mutations that caused the shift in specificity. Here we show that alternative mutations that could have permitted the historical function-switching substitutions are extremely rare in the ensemble of genotypes accessible to the ancestral GR. In a library of thousands of variants of the ancestral protein, we recovered historical permissive substitutions but no alternative permissive genotypes. Using biophysical analysis, we found that permissive mutations must satisfy at least three physical requirements--they must stabilize specific local elements of the protein structure, maintain the correct energetic balance between functional conformations, and be compatible with the ancestral and derived structures--thus revealing why permissive mutations are rare. These findings demonstrate that GR evolution depended strongly on improbable, non-deterministic events, and this contingency arose from intrinsic biophysical properties of the protein.

SSE Announcement - New GIS Web Mapping Applications and Services

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2016-06-30

Dear SSE Users, We are excited to announce SSE-GIS v1.0.3 is now available! If you haven’t already noticed the link to the new SSE-GIS web application on the SSE homepage entitled “GIS Web Mapping ...

Biophysical climate impacts of recent changes in global forest cover.

PubMed

Alkama, Ramdane; Cescatti, Alessandro

2016-02-05

Changes in forest cover affect the local climate by modulating the land-atmosphere fluxes of energy and water. The magnitude of this biophysical effect is still debated in the scientific community and currently ignored in climate treaties. Here we present an observation-driven assessment of the climate impacts of recent forest losses and gains, based on Earth observations of global forest cover and land surface temperatures. Our results show that forest losses amplify the diurnal temperature variation and increase the mean and maximum air temperature, with the largest signal in arid zones, followed by temperate, tropical, and boreal zones. In the decade 2003-2012, variations of forest cover generated a mean biophysical warming on land corresponding to about 18% of the global biogeochemical signal due to CO2 emission from land-use change. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Biophysics of BK Channel Gating.

PubMed

Pantazis, A; Olcese, R

2016-01-01

BK channels are universal regulators of cell excitability, given their exceptional unitary conductance selective for K(+), joint activation mechanism by membrane depolarization and intracellular [Ca(2+)] elevation, and broad expression pattern. In this chapter, we discuss the structural basis and operational principles of their activation, or gating, by membrane potential and calcium. We also discuss how the two activation mechanisms interact to culminate in channel opening. As members of the voltage-gated potassium channel superfamily, BK channels are discussed in the context of archetypal family members, in terms of similarities that help us understand their function, but also seminal structural and biophysical differences that confer unique functional properties. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

U.S. announces one-year delay for visa waiver program change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

The U.S. State Department has announced that it is delaying by one year a new rule affecting citizens from visa waiver program countries. The new rule, which was scheduled to go into effect on 1 October 2003, requires visitors from these countries to obtain non-immigrant visas to enter the United States if they do not have machine-readable passports. The announced delay means that this rule will now go into effect 26 October 2004 instead.The delay does not apply to five visa waiver countries—Andorra, Brunei, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Slovenia—because most of the citizens of these nations already carry passports that are machine-readable.

76 FR 43664 - Announcement of Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-21

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Announcement of Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) AGENCY: Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA), Department of Defense (DoD). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This... Siegel, Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense. [FR Doc. 2011-18400 Filed...

78 FR 36171 - Announcement of Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-17

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Announcement of Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) AGENCY: Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA), Department of Defense (DoD). ACTION: Federal Funding... reductions or cancellations in Department of Defense (DoD) spending. Assistance may be granted if the...

77 FR 23492 - Announcement of Funding Awards; Capital Fund Safety and Security Grants; Fiscal Year 2011

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-19

... award recipients under the Capital Fund Safety and Security grant program. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. 5636-FA-01] Announcement of Funding Awards... Public and Indian Housing, HUD. ACTION: Announcement of funding awards. SUMMARY: In accordance with...

76 FR 77832 - Availability of Draft NTP Technical Reports; Request for Comments; Announcement of a Public...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-14

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Availability of Draft NTP Technical Reports; Request for Comments; Announcement of a Public Meeting To Peer Review Draft NTP Technical Reports AGENCY: National... Meeting. SUMMARY: The NTP announces the availability of seven draft NTP Technical Reports (TRs...

78 FR 14107 - Announcement of Funding Awards for the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-04

... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket Number FR-5500-FA-13] Announcement of Funding... AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, HUD. ACTION... and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989, this notice announces 26 permanent supportive housing...

Winnowing and Flocculation in Bio-physical Cohesive Substrate: A Flume Experimental and Estuarine Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, L.; Parsons, D. R.; Manning, A. J.

2016-12-01

Cohesive sediment, or mud, is ubiquitously found in most aqueous environments, such as coasts and estuaries. The study of cohesive sediment behaviors requires the synchronous description of mutual interactions of grains (e.g., winnowing and flocculation), their physical properties (e.g., grain size) and also the ambient water. Herein, a series of flume experiments (14 runs) with different substrate mixtures of sand-clay-EPS (Extracellular Polymeric Substrates: secreted by aquatic microorganisms) are combined with an estuarine field survey (Dee estuary, NW England) to investigate the behavior of suspensions over bio-physical cohesive substrates. The experimental results indicate that winnowing and flocculation occur pervasively in bio-physical cohesive flow systems. Importantly however, the evolution of the bed and bedform dynamics and hence turbulence production can be lower when cohesivity is high. The estuarine survey also revealed that the bio-physical cohesion provided by both the clay and microorganism fractions in the bed, that pervasively exists in many natural estuarine systems, plays a significant role in controlling the interactions between bed substrate and sediment suspension and deposition, including controlling processes such as sediment winnowing, flocculation and re-deposition. Full understanding of these processes are essential in advancing sediment transport modelling and prediction studies across natural estuarine systems and the work will report on an improved conceptual model for sediment sorting deposition in bio-physical cohesive substrates.

A collaborative environment for developing and validating predictive tools for protein biophysical characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnston, Michael A.; Farrell, Damien; Nielsen, Jens Erik

2012-04-01

The exchange of information between experimentalists and theoreticians is crucial to improving the predictive ability of theoretical methods and hence our understanding of the related biology. However many barriers exist which prevent the flow of information between the two disciplines. Enabling effective collaboration requires that experimentalists can easily apply computational tools to their data, share their data with theoreticians, and that both the experimental data and computational results are accessible to the wider community. We present a prototype collaborative environment for developing and validating predictive tools for protein biophysical characteristics. The environment is built on two central components; a new python-based integration module which allows theoreticians to provide and manage remote access to their programs; and PEATDB, a program for storing and sharing experimental data from protein biophysical characterisation studies. We demonstrate our approach by integrating PEATSA, a web-based service for predicting changes in protein biophysical characteristics, into PEATDB. Furthermore, we illustrate how the resulting environment aids method development using the Potapov dataset of experimentally measured ΔΔGfold values, previously employed to validate and train protein stability prediction algorithms.

Artificial Exo-Society Modeling: a New Tool for SETI Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardner, James N.

2002-01-01

One of the newest fields of complexity research is artificial society modeling. Methodologically related to artificial life research, artificial society modeling utilizes agent-based computer simulation tools like SWARM and SUGARSCAPE developed by the Santa Fe Institute, Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Bookings Institution in an effort to introduce an unprecedented degree of rigor and quantitative sophistication into social science research. The broad aim of artificial society modeling is to begin the development of a more unified social science that embeds cultural evolutionary processes in a computational environment that simulates demographics, the transmission of culture, conflict, economics, disease, the emergence of groups and coadaptation with an environment in a bottom-up fashion. When an artificial society computer model is run, artificial societal patterns emerge from the interaction of autonomous software agents (the "inhabitants" of the artificial society). Artificial society modeling invites the interpretation of society as a distributed computational system and the interpretation of social dynamics as a specialized category of computation. Artificial society modeling techniques offer the potential of computational simulation of hypothetical alien societies in much the same way that artificial life modeling techniques offer the potential to model hypothetical exobiological phenomena. NASA recently announced its intention to begin exploring the possibility of including artificial life research within the broad portfolio of scientific fields comprised by the interdisciplinary astrobiology research endeavor. It may be appropriate for SETI researchers to likewise commence an exploration of the possible inclusion of artificial exo-society modeling within the SETI research endeavor. Artificial exo-society modeling might be particularly useful in a post-detection environment by (1) coherently organizing the set of data points derived from a detected

Space Shuttle Placement Announcement

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-12

A video highlighting the 30 years of space flight and more than 130 missions of the space shuttle transportation system is shown at an event where NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced where the four space shuttle orbiters will be permanently displayed, Tuesday, April 12, 2011, at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The four orbiters, Enterprise, which currently is on display at the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport, will move to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York, Discovery will move to Udvar-Hazy, Endeavour will be displayed at the California Science Center in Los Angeles and Atlantis, in background, will be displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Space Shuttle Placement Announcement

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-12

NASA Kennedy Space Center Director and former astronaut Bob Cabana introduces NASA Administrator Charles Bolden where Bolden announced where four space shuttle orbiters will be permanently displayed at the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program during an event held at one of the Orbiter Processing Facilities, Tuesday, April 12, 2011, at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The four orbiters, Enterprise, which currently is on display at the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport, will move to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York, Discovery will move to Udvar-Hazy, Endeavour will be displayed at the California Science Center in Los Angeles and Atlantis, in background, will be displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Biophysical applications of neutron Compton scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wanderlingh, U. N.; Albergamo, F.; Hayward, R. L.; Middendorf, H. D.

Neutron Compton scattering (NCS) can be applied to measuring nuclear momentum distributions and potential parameters in molecules of biophysical interest. We discuss the analysis of NCS spectra from peptide models, focusing on the characterisation of the amide proton dynamics in terms of the width of the H-bond potential well, its Laplacian, and the mean kinetic energy of the proton. The Sears expansion is used to quantify deviations from the high-Q limit (impulse approximation), and line-shape asymmetry parameters are evaluated in terms of Hermite polynomials. Results on NCS from selectively deuterated acetanilide are used to illustrate this approach.

77 FR 5527 - Announcement of Funding Awards for Fiscal Year 2010 Sustainable Construction in Indian Country...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-03

... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR-5415-FA-42] Announcement of Funding Awards for Fiscal Year 2010 Sustainable Construction in Indian Country Small Grant Program AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, HUD. ACTION: Announcement of funding...

78 FR 14109 - Announcement of Funding Awards for the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-04

... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket Number FR-5600-FA-41] Announcement of Funding... AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, HUD. ACTION: Notice of... Urban Development Reform Act of 1989, this notice announces 28 permanent supportive housing renewal...

Anti-pulmonary fibrotic activity of salvianolic acid B was screened by a novel method based on the cyto-biophysical properties

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Miao; Zheng, Mingjing; Xu, Hanying

Various methods have been used to evaluate anti-fibrotic activity of drugs. However, most of them are complicated, labor-intensive and lack of efficiency. This study was intended to develop a rapid method for anti-fibrotic drugs screening based on biophysical properties. A549 cells in vitro were stimulated with transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), and fibrogenesis was confirmed by conventional immunological assays. Meanwhile, the alterations of cyto-biophysical properties including morphology, roughness and stiffness were measured utilizing atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was found that fibrogenesis was accompanied with changes of cellular biophysical properties. TGF-β1-stimulated A549 cells became remarkably longer, rougher and stiffer than the control.more » Then, the effect of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) as a positive drug on ameliorating fibrogenesis in TGF-β1-stimulated A549 cells was verified respectively by immunological and biophysical markers. The result of Principal Component Analysis showed that stiffness was a leading index among all biophysical markers during fibrogenesis. Salvianolic acid B (SalB), a natural anti-oxidant, was detected by AFM to protect TGF-β1-stimulated A549 cells against stiffening. Then, SalB treatment was provided in preventive mode on a rat model of bleomycin (BLM) -induced pulmonary fibrosis. The results showed that SalB treatment significantly ameliorated BLM-induced histological alterations, blocked collagen accumulations and reduced α-SMA expression in lung tissues. All these results revealed the anti-pulmonary fibrotic activity of SalB. Detection of cyto-biophysical properties were therefore recommended as a rapid method for anti-pulmonary fibrotic drugs screening. - Highlights: • Fibrogenesis was accompanied with the changes of cyto-biophysical properties. • Cyto-biophysical properties could be markers for anti-fibrotic drugs screening. • Stiffness is a leading index among all biophysical markers. • Sal

76 FR 43688 - Announcement of Expansion Supplement Grant Awards

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-21

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration for Children and Families Announcement of...) initiative. CFDA : 93.612. Statutory Authority: The awards will be made pursuant to Section 803 of the Native... 2011--September 30, 2011. SUMMARY: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Administration...

Effects of Anti-Smoking Public Service Announcements on the Attitudes of Korean College Students toward Smoking.

PubMed

Cho, Kyoung Won; Lee, Jakyoung; Ryu, Ji-Hye; Kim, Soo Jeong

2017-12-01

This study aimed to identify the effects of anti-smoking public service announcements on the attitudes of Korean college students toward smoking. This study involved students via convenience sampling from seven universities who were randomly assigned to four groups. All groups completed a preliminary questionnaire, before being shown a public service announcement twice, and then completed a post viewing questionnaire. For announcements with positive messages, the proportion of changes in beliefs and attitudes were 39.1% and 19.8%, respectively, whereas those with negative messages showed a greater proportion of changes in the beliefs (59.7%) and attitudes (40.3%). After adjusting for sex and change in belief, the message types and smoking status were identified as factors affecting the change in the participants attitudes. A negative message resulted in a greater change in attitudes (odds ratio [OR], 3.047; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.847-5.053). Ever-smokers including current smokers showed a greater positive change in attitude than never-smokers (OR, 6.965; 95% CI, 4.107-11.812). This study found that positive anti-smoking public service announcements were more effective on attitude change than negative messages. Additionally these announcements were more effective among viewers who were current smokers or had a prior smoking experience.

Short-Term Memory and Its Biophysical Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wei; Zhang, Kai; Tang, Xiao-wei

1996-12-01

The capacity of short-term memory has been studied using an integrate-and-fire neuronal network model. It is found that the storage of events depend on the manner of the correlation between the events, and the capacity is dominated by the value of after-depolarization potential. There is a monotonic increasing relationship between the value of after-depolarization potential and the memory numbers. The biophysics relevance of the network model is discussed and different kinds of the information processes are studied too.

Biophysical parameters in a wheat producer region in southern Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leivas, Janice F.; de C. Teixeira, Antonio Heriberto; Andrade, Ricardo G.; de C. Victoria, Daniel; Bolfe, Edson L.; Cruz, Caroline R.

2014-10-01

Wheat (Triticum aestivum) is the second most produced cereal in the world, and has major importance in the global agricultural economy. Brazil is a large producer of wheat, especially the Rio Grande do Sul state, located in the south of the country. The purpose of this study was to analyze the estimation of biophysical parameters - evapotranspiration (ET), biomass (BIO) and water productivity (WP) - from satellite images of the municipalities with large areas planted with wheat in Rio Grande do Sul (RS). The evapotranspiration rate was obtained using the SAFER Model (Simple Algorithm for Retrieving Evapotranspiration) on MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) images taken in the agricultural year 2012. In order to obtain biomass and water productivity rates we applied the Monteith model and the ratio between BIO and ET. In the beginning of the cycle (the planting period) we observed low values for ET, BIO and WP. During the development period, we observed an increase in the values of the parameters and decline at the end of the cycle, for the period of the wheat harvest. The SAFER model proved effective for estimating the biophysical parameters evapotranspiration, biomass production and water productivity in areas planted with wheat in Brazilian Southern. The methodology can be used for monitoring the crops' water conditions and biomass using satellite images, assisting in estimates of productivity and crop yield. The results may assist the understanding of biophysical properties of important agro-ecosystems, like wheat crop, and are important to improve the rational use of water resources.

From global change to a butterfly flapping: biophysics and behaviour affect tropical climate change impacts

PubMed Central

Bonebrake, Timothy C.; Boggs, Carol L.; Stamberger, Jeannie A.; Deutsch, Curtis A.; Ehrlich, Paul R.

2014-01-01

Difficulty in characterizing the relationship between climatic variability and climate change vulnerability arises when we consider the multiple scales at which this variation occurs, be it temporal (from minute to annual) or spatial (from centimetres to kilometres). We studied populations of a single widely distributed butterfly species, Chlosyne lacinia, to examine the physiological, morphological, thermoregulatory and biophysical underpinnings of adaptation to tropical and temperate climates. Microclimatic and morphological data along with a biophysical model documented the importance of solar radiation in predicting butterfly body temperature. We also integrated the biophysics with a physiologically based insect fitness model to quantify the influence of solar radiation, morphology and behaviour on warming impact projections. While warming is projected to have some detrimental impacts on tropical ectotherms, fitness impacts in this study are not as negative as models that assume body and air temperature equivalence would suggest. We additionally show that behavioural thermoregulation can diminish direct warming impacts, though indirect thermoregulatory consequences could further complicate predictions. With these results, at multiple spatial and temporal scales, we show the importance of biophysics and behaviour for studying biodiversity consequences of global climate change, and stress that tropical climate change impacts are likely to be context-dependent. PMID:25165769

Enhancing the biophysical properties of mRFP1 through incorporation of fluoroproline

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deepankumar, Kanagavel; Nadarajan, Saravanan Prabhu; Ayyadurai, Niraikulam

2013-11-01

Graphical abstract: Enhancing the biophysical properties of mRFP1 through incorporation of (2S, 4R)-4-fluoroproline at proline residues after mutating non-permissive site Pro63 into Ala. -- Highlights: •We incorporate (4S)-FP into mRFP1 led to insoluble protein. •Whereas, incorporation of (4R)-FP resulted in soluble but lost its fluorescence. •mRFP1-P63A mutant accommodate (4R)-FP and gave soluble protein with fluorescence. •Moreover mRFP1-P63A[(4R)-FP] showed enhanced biophysical properties of protein. -- Abstract: Here we enhanced the stability and biophysical properties of mRFP1 through a combination of canonical and non-canonical amino acid mutagenesis. The global replacement of proline residue with (2S, 4R)-4-fluoroproline [(4R)-FP] into mRFP1 led to solublemore » protein but lost its fluorescence, whereas (2S, 4S)-4-fluoroproline [(4S)-FP] incorporation resulted in insoluble protein. The bioinformatics analysis revealed that (4R)-FP incorporation at Pro63 caused fluorescence loss due to the steric hindrance of fluorine atom of (4R)-FP with the chromophore. Therefore, Pro63 residue was mutated with the smallest amino acid Ala to maintain non coplanar conformation of the chromophore and helps to retain its fluorescence with (4R)-FP incorporation. The incorporation of (4R)-FP into mRFP1-P63A showed about 2–3-fold enhancement in thermal and chemical stability. The rate of maturation is also greatly accelerated over the presence of (4R)-FP into mRFP1-P63A. Our study showed that a successful enhancement in the biophysical property of mRFP1-P63A[(4R)-FP] using non-canonical amino acid mutagenesis after mutating non-permissive site Pro63 into Ala.« less

Influence of the Angelina Jolie Announcement and Insurance Reimbursement on Practice Patterns for Hereditary Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

Lee, Jihyoun; Kang, Eunyoung; Park, Suyeon; Kim, Zisun; Lee, Min Hyuk

2017-01-01

Lack of awareness, the stigma of carrying a genetic mutation, and economic factors are barriers to acceptance of BRCA genetic testing or appropriate risk management. We aimed to investigate the influence of Angelina Jolie's announcement of her medical experience and also health insurance reimbursement for BRCA gene testing on practice patterns for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC). A survey regarding changes in practice patterns for HBOC before and after the announcement was conducted online. The rate of BRCA gene testing was obtained from the National Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. From May to August 2016, 70 physicians responded to the survey. Genetic testing recommendations and prophylactic management were increased after the announcement. Risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy and contralateral prophylactic mastectomy was significantly increased in BRCA carriers with breast cancer. The BRCA testing rate increased annually. Health insurance and a celebrity announcement were associated with increased genetic testing. PMID:28690658

Chiropractic biophysics technique: a linear algebra approach to posture in chiropractic.

PubMed

Harrison, D D; Janik, T J; Harrison, G R; Troyanovich, S; Harrison, D E; Harrison, S O

1996-10-01

This paper discusses linear algebra as applied to human posture in chiropractic, specifically chiropractic biophysics technique (CBP). Rotations, reflections and translations are geometric functions studied in vector spaces in linear algebra. These mathematical functions are termed rigid body transformations and are applied to segmental spinal movement in the literature. Review of the literature indicates that these linear algebra concepts have been used to describe vertebral motion. However, these rigid body movers are presented here as applying to the global postural movements of the head, thoracic cage and pelvis. The unique inverse functions of rotations, reflections and translations provide a theoretical basis for making postural corrections in neutral static resting posture. Chiropractic biophysics technique (CBP) uses these concepts in examination procedures, manual spinal manipulation, instrument assisted spinal manipulation, postural exercises, extension traction and clinical outcome measures.

Cellular biophysical markers of hydroxyurea treatment in sickle cell disease

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

So, Peter T. C.; Hosseini, Poorya; Abidi, Sabia Z.; Du, E.; Papageorgiou, Dimitrios P.; Park, YongKeun; Higgins, John; Kato, Gregory J.; Suresh, Subra; Dao, Ming; Yaqoob, Zahid

2017-04-01

Using a common-path interferometric technique, we measure biomechanical and morphological properties of individual red blood cells in SCD patients as a function of cell density, and investigate the correlation of these biophysical properties with drug intake as well as other clinically measured parameters.

Letting the cat out of the bag: a personal journey in Biophysics.

PubMed

Bustamante, Carlos J

2014-10-08

When the author arrived in Berkeley, in the mid 1970s, to study Biophysics he soon felt as if he was engaging himself in a somewhat marginal activity. Biology was then entering another of its cyclical periods of annotation that was to culminate with the human genome project. Two decades later, however, at the end of this process, it had become clear that two main tasks were acquiring a central importance in biological research: a renewed push for a quantitative, precise description of biological systems at the molecular level, and efforts towards an integrated understanding of the operation, control, and coordination of cellular processes. Today, these have become two of the most fertile research areas in Biophysics.

Center for Global Health announces grants to support portable technologies

Cancer.gov

NCI's Center for Global Health announced grants that will support the development and validation of low-cost, portable technologies. These technologies have the potential to improve early detection, diagnosis, and non-invasive or minimally invasive treatm

Bibliography of Lewis Research Center Technical Publications announced in 1978

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

All the publications were announced in the 1978 issues of STAR (Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports) and/or IAA (International Aerospace Abstracts). Included are research reports, journal articles, conference presentations, patents and patent applications, and theses.

Biophysics of protein-DNA interactions and chromosome organization

PubMed Central

Marko, John F.

2014-01-01

The function of DNA in cells depends on its interactions with protein molecules, which recognize and act on base sequence patterns along the double helix. These notes aim to introduce basic polymer physics of DNA molecules, biophysics of protein-DNA interactions and their study in single-DNA experiments, and some aspects of large-scale chromosome structure. Mechanisms for control of chromosome topology will also be discussed. PMID:25419039

75 FR 60781 - Announcement of Funding Awards for Fiscal Year 2010 Tribal Colleges and Universities Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR-5415-N-06] Announcement of Funding... Secretary for Policy Development and Research, HUD. ACTION: Announcement of funding awards. SUMMARY: In accordance with section 102(a)(4)(C) of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Reform Act of...

[Leaking: Frequency and correlates of announcements and threats of homicidal violence reported by Berlin schools between 1996 and 2007].

PubMed

Leuschner, Vincenz; Bondü, Rebecca; Allroggen, Marc; Scheithauer, Herbert

2016-01-01

Threats and announcements of homicidal violence at schools may have massive consequences like evacuations, police searches, criminal investigations, or loss of the sense of security by students, teachers, and parents. However, there is a lack of systematic studies about that phenomenon. The present article would like to contribute to closing the research gap. It presents results about the frequency and structure of threats and announcements of homicidal violence in schools in Berlin. The study is based on an official dataset from school administration reports of violent acts in Berlin schools which has been studied within the Berlin Leaking-Projekt. The sample consists of 427 threats and announcements of homicidal violence between 1996 and 2007. The study is an exceptional analysis of the phenomenon: it presents crosscutting results about frequency and characteristics of threats and the threatening students as well as results of a longitudinal analysis about the development of threats and announcements. Results show a rate of 0,3 threats and announcements per 1 000 student and year. During the observation time span a steady increase of threats and announcements – year by year, influenced by imitation effects after school shootings – has been observed.

Perspectives and Plans for Graduate Studies. 16. Biophysics 1974.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ontario Council on Graduate Studies, Toronto. Advisory Committee on Academic Planning.

In March, 1973, after a review of the Ontario universities' three-year plans, a provisional embargo was placed on doctoral work in biophysics. A full-scale assessment with outside consultants was not necessary in the case of a provisional embargo. Instead, the method used to remove the embargo was self-study by the discipline group leading to a…

Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes (SWERI) Biophysical Monitoring Workshop Report

Treesearch

Joseph Seidenberg; Judy Springer; Tessa Nicolet; Mike Battaglia; Christina Vothja

2009-01-01

On October 15-16, 2009, the Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes (SWERI) hosted a workshop in which the participants would 1) build a common understanding of the types of monitoring that are occurring in forested ecosystems of the Southwest; 2) analyze and agree on an efficient, yet robust set of biophysical variables that can be used by land mangers and...

Marco Todeschini - Space Dynamics and Psycho-Biophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teodorani, M.

2006-03-01

This book is dedicated to the theoretical and experimental research carried out in the 20-th century, by Italian engineer and technical physicist Marco Todeschini. It describes the subjects of "space dynamics" and "psycho-biophysics" - two related physical sciences - whose foundations lay in the existence of the ether and of the vortexes that all bodies with mass produce in it. An entirely new cosmology is derived in which all the bodies in the universe - elementary particles, astronomical bodies, and the human being - are strictly related together.

32 CFR 242a.5 - Procedure for announcing meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 32 National Defense 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Procedure for announcing meetings. 242a.5 Section 242a.5 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS PUBLIC MEETING PROCEDURES OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS, UNIFORMED SERVICES UNIVERSITY OF...

32 CFR 242a.5 - Procedure for announcing meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 32 National Defense 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Procedure for announcing meetings. 242a.5 Section 242a.5 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS PUBLIC MEETING PROCEDURES OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS, UNIFORMED SERVICES UNIVERSITY OF...

32 CFR 242a.5 - Procedure for announcing meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 32 National Defense 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Procedure for announcing meetings. 242a.5 Section 242a.5 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS PUBLIC MEETING PROCEDURES OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS, UNIFORMED SERVICES UNIVERSITY OF...

32 CFR 242a.5 - Procedure for announcing meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 32 National Defense 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Procedure for announcing meetings. 242a.5 Section 242a.5 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS PUBLIC MEETING PROCEDURES OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS, UNIFORMED SERVICES UNIVERSITY OF...

Biophysical mechanisms complementing "classical" cell biology.

PubMed

Funk, Richard H W

2018-01-01

This overview addresses phenomena in cell- and molecular biology which are puzzling by their fast and highly coordinated way of organization. Generally, it appears that informative processes probably involved are more on the biophysical than on the classical biochemical side. The coordination problem is explained within the first part of the review by the topic of endogenous electrical phenomena. These are found e.g. in fast tissue organization and reorganization processes like development, wound healing and regeneration. Here, coupling into classical biochemical signaling and reactions can be shown by modern microscopy, electronics and bioinformatics. Further, one can follow the triggered reactions seamlessly via molecular biology till into genetics. Direct observation of intracellular electric processes is very difficult because of e.g. shielding through the cell membrane and damping by other structures. Therefore, we have to rely on photonic and photon - phonon coupling phenomena like molecular vibrations, which are addressed within the second part. Molecules normally possess different charge moieties and thus small electromagnetic (EMF) patterns arise during molecular vibration. These patterns can now be measured best within the optical part of the spectrum - much less in the lower terahertz till kHz and lower Hz part (third part of this review). Finally, EMFs facilitate quantum informative processes in coherent domains of molecular, charge and electron spin motion. This helps to coordinate such manifold and intertwined processes going on within cells, tissues and organs (part 4). Because the phenomena described in part 3 and 4 of the review still await really hard proofs we need concerted efforts and a combination of biophysics, molecular biology and informatics to unravel the described mysteries in "physics of life".

Effects of Anti-Smoking Public Service Announcements on the Attitudes of Korean College Students toward Smoking

PubMed Central

Cho, Kyoung Won; Lee, Jakyoung; Ryu, Ji-hye; Kim, Soo Jeong

2017-01-01

Objectives This study aimed to identify the effects of anti-smoking public service announcements on the attitudes of Korean college students toward smoking. Methods This study involved students via convenience sampling from seven universities who were randomly assigned to four groups. All groups completed a preliminary questionnaire, before being shown a public service announcement twice, and then completed a post viewing questionnaire. Results For announcements with positive messages, the proportion of changes in beliefs and attitudes were 39.1% and 19.8%, respectively, whereas those with negative messages showed a greater proportion of changes in the beliefs (59.7%) and attitudes (40.3%). After adjusting for sex and change in belief, the message types and smoking status were identified as factors affecting the change in the participants attitudes. A negative message resulted in a greater change in attitudes (odds ratio [OR], 3.047; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.847–5.053). Ever-smokers including current smokers showed a greater positive change in attitude than never-smokers (OR, 6.965; 95% CI, 4.107–11.812). Conclusion This study found that positive anti-smoking public service announcements were more effective on attitude change than negative messages. Additionally these announcements were more effective among viewers who were current smokers or had a prior smoking experience. PMID:29354398

News and Announcements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1999-06-01

for Undergraduate Institutions: May 14, 1999

• Cottrell College Science Awards: May 15 and November 15
• Cottrell Scholars: First regular business day in September
• Partners in Science: December 1 (the final opportunity for this program is summer 1999)
• Research Opportunity Awards: May 1 and October 1
• Research Innovation Awards: May 1

• Andrew Sinclair, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology-University of Australia

• Edwin N. Frankel, University of California at Davis

Social and Biophysical Predictors of Public Perceptions of Extreme Fires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, T. E.; Kooistra, C. M.; Paveglio, T.; Gress, S.; Smith, A. M.

2013-12-01

To date, what constitutes an 'extreme' fire has been approached separately by biophysical and social scientists. Research on the biophysical characteristics of fires has identified potential dimensions of extremity, including fire size and vegetation mortality. On the social side, factors such as the degree of immediate impact to one's life and property or the extent of social disruption in the community contribute to a perception of extremity. However, some biophysical characteristics may also contribute to perceptions of extremity, including number of simultaneous ignitions, rapidity of fire spread, atypical fire behavior, and intensity of smoke. Perceptions of these impacts can vary within and across communities, but no studies to date have investigated such perceptions in a comprehensive way. In this study, we address the question, to what extent is the magnitude of impact of fires on WUI residents' well-being explained by measurable biophysical characteristics of the fire and subjective evaluations of the personal and community-level impacts of the fire? We bring together diverse strands of psychological theory, including landscape perception, mental models, risk perception, and community studies. The majority of social science research on fires has been in the form of qualitative case studies, and our study is methodologically unique by using a nested design (hierarchical modeling) to enable generalizable conclusions across a wide range of fires and human communities. We identified fires that burned in 2011 or 2012 in the northern Rocky Mountain region that were at least 1,000 acres and that intersected (within 15 km) urban clusters or identified Census places. For fires where an adequately large number of households was located in proximity to the fire, we drew random samples of approximately 150 individuals for each fire. We used a hybrid internet (Qualtrics) and mail survey, following the Dillman method, to measure individual perceptions. We developed two

77 FR 58404 - Announcing the Award of Two Urgent Single-Source Grants To Support Unaccompanied Alien Children...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-20

...] Announcing the Award of Two Urgent Single-Source Grants To Support Unaccompanied Alien Children Program...) announces the award of two urgent single-source grants from the Unaccompanied Alien Children's Program to... providing services under the Unaccompanied Alien Children's program. Award Grantee organization Location...

Past and present biophysical redundancy of countries as a buffer to changes in food supply

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fader, Marianela; Rulli, Maria Cristina; Carr, Joel; Dell'Angelo, Jampel; D'Odorico, Paolo; Gephart, Jessica A.; Kummu, Matti; Magliocca, Nicholas; Porkka, Miina; Prell, Christina; Puma, Michael J.; Ratajczak, Zak; Seekell, David A.; Suweis, Samir; Tavoni, Alessandro

2016-05-01

Spatially diverse trends in population growth, climate change, industrialization, urbanization and economic development are expected to change future food supply and demand. These changes may affect the suitability of land for food production, implying elevated risks especially for resource-constrained, food-importing countries. We present the evolution of biophysical redundancy for agricultural production at country level, from 1992 to 2012. Biophysical redundancy, defined as unused biotic and abiotic environmental resources, is represented by the potential food production of ‘spare land’, available water resources (i.e., not already used for human activities), as well as production increases through yield gap closure on cultivated areas and potential agricultural areas. In 2012, the biophysical redundancy of 75 (48) countries, mainly in North Africa, Western Europe, the Middle East and Asia, was insufficient to produce the caloric nutritional needs for at least 50% (25%) of their population during a year. Biophysical redundancy has decreased in the last two decades in 102 out of 155 countries, 11 of these went from high to limited redundancy, and nine of these from limited to very low redundancy. Although the variability of the drivers of change across different countries is high, improvements in yield and population growth have a clear impact on the decreases of redundancy towards the very low redundancy category. We took a more detailed look at countries classified as ‘Low Income Economies (LIEs)’ since they are particularly vulnerable to domestic or external food supply changes, due to their limited capacity to offset for food supply decreases with higher purchasing power on the international market. Currently, nine LIEs have limited or very low biophysical redundancy. Many of these showed a decrease in redundancy over the last two decades, which is not always linked with improvements in per capita food availability.

Past and Present Biophysical Redundancy of Countries as a Buffer to Changes in Food Supply

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fader, Marianela; Rulli, Maria Cristina; Carr, Joel; Dell' Angelo, Jampel; D' Odorico, Paolo; Gephart, Jessica A.; Kummu, Matti; Magliocca, Nicholas; Porkka, Miina; Prell, Christina;

Barophysiology and Biophysics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Powell, Michael R.

1999-01-01

Decompression is an important aspect of extravehicular activity (EVA). Errors can result in decompression sickness (DCS) if the protective measures are too liberal, while valuable on-orbit time is dissipated in prophylactic methodologies that are excessively conservative. Nucleation is an important consideration in many natural events, and its control is very important in many industrial procedures. The amount of Extravehicular Activity (EVA) that will be required during the construction of the International Space Station exceeds all of the other activity combined. The requirements in astronaut time and consumables (breathing oxygen and air) will be considerable. In an attempt to mitigate these requirements, Project ARGO was investigated in 1990 to investigate the effects of gravitational forces on the musculoskeletal system. This work has led to the present plans for the reduction of prebreathe duration. Over the past decade, research has been directed towards an understanding of the biophysical basis of the formation and growth of the decompression gas phase with the goal of improving the efficiency of the EVA process. In the past, we have direct work towards a more complete understanding of gas bubble formation and growth and exercise-enhanced washout during oxygen prebreathe.

BIOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF NUCLEIC ACIDS AT SURFACES RELEVANT TO MICROARRAY PERFORMANCE.

PubMed

Rao, Archana N; Grainger, David W

2014-04-01

Both clinical and analytical metrics produced by microarray-based assay technology have recognized problems in reproducibility, reliability and analytical sensitivity. These issues are often attributed to poor understanding and control of nucleic acid behaviors and properties at solid-liquid interfaces. Nucleic acid hybridization, central to DNA and RNA microarray formats, depends on the properties and behaviors of single strand (ss) nucleic acids (e.g., probe oligomeric DNA) bound to surfaces. ssDNA's persistence length, radius of gyration, electrostatics, conformations on different surfaces and under various assay conditions, its chain flexibility and curvature, charging effects in ionic solutions, and fluorescent labeling all influence its physical chemistry and hybridization under assay conditions. Nucleic acid (e.g., both RNA and DNA) target interactions with immobilized ssDNA strands are highly impacted by these biophysical states. Furthermore, the kinetics, thermodynamics, and enthalpic and entropic contributions to DNA hybridization reflect global probe/target structures and interaction dynamics. Here we review several biophysical issues relevant to oligomeric nucleic acid molecular behaviors at surfaces and their influences on duplex formation that influence microarray assay performance. Correlation of biophysical aspects of single and double-stranded nucleic acids with their complexes in bulk solution is common. Such analysis at surfaces is not commonly reported, despite its importance to microarray assays. We seek to provide further insight into nucleic acid-surface challenges facing microarray diagnostic formats that have hindered their clinical adoption and compromise their research quality and value as genomics tools.

BIOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF NUCLEIC ACIDS AT SURFACES RELEVANT TO MICROARRAY PERFORMANCE

PubMed Central

Rao, Archana N.; Grainger, David W.

2014-01-01

Both clinical and analytical metrics produced by microarray-based assay technology have recognized problems in reproducibility, reliability and analytical sensitivity. These issues are often attributed to poor understanding and control of nucleic acid behaviors and properties at solid-liquid interfaces. Nucleic acid hybridization, central to DNA and RNA microarray formats, depends on the properties and behaviors of single strand (ss) nucleic acids (e.g., probe oligomeric DNA) bound to surfaces. ssDNA’s persistence length, radius of gyration, electrostatics, conformations on different surfaces and under various assay conditions, its chain flexibility and curvature, charging effects in ionic solutions, and fluorescent labeling all influence its physical chemistry and hybridization under assay conditions. Nucleic acid (e.g., both RNA and DNA) target interactions with immobilized ssDNA strands are highly impacted by these biophysical states. Furthermore, the kinetics, thermodynamics, and enthalpic and entropic contributions to DNA hybridization reflect global probe/target structures and interaction dynamics. Here we review several biophysical issues relevant to oligomeric nucleic acid molecular behaviors at surfaces and their influences on duplex formation that influence microarray assay performance. Correlation of biophysical aspects of single and double-stranded nucleic acids with their complexes in bulk solution is common. Such analysis at surfaces is not commonly reported, despite its importance to microarray assays. We seek to provide further insight into nucleic acid-surface challenges facing microarray diagnostic formats that have hindered their clinical adoption and compromise their research quality and value as genomics tools. PMID:24765522

Biophysical Approach to Mechanisms of Cancer Prevention and Treatment with Green Tea Catechins.

PubMed

Suganuma, Masami; Takahashi, Atsushi; Watanabe, Tatsuro; Iida, Keisuke; Matsuzaki, Takahisa; Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Y; Fujiki, Hirota

2016-11-18

Green tea catechin and green tea extract are now recognized as non-toxic cancer preventives for humans. We first review our brief historical development of green tea cancer prevention. Based on exciting evidence that green tea catechin, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in drinking water inhibited lung metastasis of B16 melanoma cells, we and other researchers have studied the inhibitory mechanisms of metastasis with green tea catechins using biomechanical tools, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and microfluidic optical stretcher. Specifically, determination of biophysical properties of cancer cells, low cell stiffness, and high deformability in relation to migration, along with biophysical effects, were studied by treatment with green tea catechins. The study with AFM revealed that low average values of Young's moduli, indicating low cell stiffness, are closely associated with strong potential of cell migration and metastasis for various cancer cells. It is important to note that treatments with EGCG and green tea extract elevated the average values of Young's moduli resulting in increased stiffness (large elasticity) of melanomas and various cancer cells. We discuss here the biophysical basis of multifunctions of green tea catechins and green tea extract leading to beneficial effects for cancer prevention and treatment.

77 FR 26241 - Announcement of Grant Application Deadlines and Funding Levels

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-03

... window for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012. In addition, RUS announces the minimum and maximum amounts for... supplement existing projects are welcomed (grant applications must be submitted during the application window...

NOAA announces significant investment in next generation of supercomputers

Science.gov Websites

provide more timely, accurate weather forecasts. (Credit: istockphoto.com) Today, NOAA announced the next phase in the agency's efforts to increase supercomputing capacity to provide more timely, accurate turn will lead to more timely, accurate, and reliable forecasts." Ahead of this upgrade, each of

[Advances of studies on the biophysical and biochemical properties of meridians].

PubMed

Liu, Fang; Huang, Guang-yin

2007-08-01

The essence of meridian-collateral system is one of the momentous theoretical topics of the life science. In recent years, many authors have been trying to elucidate various kinds of meridian phenomenon from different points of view including physics, chemistry, biology, traditional Chinese medicine, modern science and so on. The physical detection results intuitively indicated biophysics specificities of meridians, including electricity, heat, sound, light, magnesium, the migration of the injected isotope along the running route of meridians and so on. Results of the studies on chemical materials (ion, PO2, neurotransmitters) within the tissues along the meridian and those of cell junction communications showed that some chemical substances have a close relation with the meridian activities. This review summarizes recent research results on meridian and acupoints from biophysics and biochemistry in order to have a comprehensive understanding in this field.

Photobiology of Symbiodinium revisited: bio-physical and bio-optical signatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hennige, S. J.; Suggett, D. J.; Warner, M. E.; McDougall, K. E.; Smith, D. J.

2009-03-01

Light is often the most abundant resource within the nutrient-poor waters surrounding coral reefs. Consequently, zooxanthellae ( Symbiodinium spp.) must continually photoacclimate to optimise productivity and ensure coral success. In situ coral photobiology is becoming dominated by routine assessments using state-of-the-art non-invasive bio-optical or chlorophyll a fluorescence (bio-physical) techniques. Multiple genetic types of Symbiodinium are now known to exist; however, little focus has been given as to how these types differ in terms of characteristics that are observable using these techniques. Therefore, this investigation aimed to revisit and expand upon a pivotal study by Iglesias-Prieto and Trench (1994) by comparing the photoacclimation characteristics of different Symbiodinium types based on their bio-physical (chlorophyll a fluorescence, reaction centre counts) and bio-optical (optical absorption, pigment concentrations) ‘signatures’. Signatures described here are unique to Symbiodinium type and describe phenotypic responses to set conditions, and hence are not suitable to describe taxonomic structure of in hospite Symbiodinium communities. In this study, eight Symbiodinium types from clades and sub-clades (A-B, F) were grown under two PFDs (Photon Flux Density) and examined. The photoacclimation response by Symbiodinium was highly variable between algal types for all bio-physical and for many bio-optical measurements; however, a general preference to modifying reaction centre content over effective antennae-absorption was observed. Certain bio-optically derived patterns, such as light absorption, were independent of algal type and, when considered per photosystem, were matched by reaction centre stoichiometry. Only by better understanding genotypic and phenotypic variability between Symbiodinium types can future studies account for the relative taxonomic and physiological contribution by Symbiodinium to coral acclimation.

Vegetation controls on the biophysical surface properties at global scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forzieri, Giovanni; Cescatti, Alessandro

2016-04-01

Leaf area index (LAI) plays an important role in determining resistances to heat, moisture and momentum exchanges between the land surface and atmosphere. Exploring how variations in LAI may induce changes in the surface energy balance is a key to understanding vegetation-climate interactions and for predicting biophysical climate impacts associated to changes in land cover. To this end, we analyzed remote sensing-observed dynamics in LAI, surface energy fluxes and climate drivers at global scale. We investigated the link between interannual variability of LAI and the components of the surface energy budget under diverse climate gradients. Results show that a 25% increase in annual LAI may induce up to 2% increase in available surface energy, as consequence of higher short wave absorption due to reduced albedos, up to 20% increase and 10% decrease in latent and sensible heat, respectively, leading to a decrease of the Bowen ratio in densely vegetated canopies. Opposite patterns are found for a reduction in LAI of similar magnitude. Such changes are strongly modulated by concurrent year-to-year variations and climatological means of air temperature, precipitation and snow cover as well as by land cover-specific physiological processes. Boreal and semi-arid regions appear to be mostly exposed to large changes in biophysical surface processes induced by interannual fluctuations in LAI. The combination of the emergent patters translates into variations in the long-wave outgoing radiation that reflect the surface warming/cooling associated to LAI changes. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the vegetation control on biophysical surface properties and define a set of observational-based diagnostics of LAI-dependent land surface-atmosphere interactions.

76 FR 44934 - Announcement of Five Single Source Grant Awards

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-27

... to promote outcomes such as improvements in maternal and prenatal health, infant health, and child health and development; reduced child maltreatment; improved parenting practices related to child... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration for Children And Families Announcement of...

75 FR 25208 - Announcement of Body Armor Research Needs Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-07

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Institute of Standards and Technology Announcement of Body Armor Research Needs Meeting AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) invites...

DOT Announces Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure Relying on GPS

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-03-07

U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta today announced that the U.S. Department of : Transportation (DOT) will implement an action plan to maintain the adequacy of backup systems : for each area of operation in which the Global Positioning Sy...

78 FR 21180 - Announcement of the 2013 SBA-Visa Export Video Contest Under the America COMPETES Reauthorization...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-09

... submitted per business. Videos must not contain violence, profanity, sex, images of a prurient nature, or... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Announcement of the 2013 SBA-Visa Export Video Contest Under the... the ``Cosponsors'') announce a video contest for eligible small businesses to showcase the advantages...

Biophysical EPR Studies Applied to Membrane Proteins

PubMed Central

Sahu, Indra D; Lorigan, Gary A

2015-01-01

Membrane proteins are very important in controlling bioenergetics, functional activity, and initializing signal pathways in a wide variety of complicated biological systems. They also represent approximately 50% of the potential drug targets. EPR spectroscopy is a very popular and powerful biophysical tool that is used to study the structural and dynamic properties of membrane proteins. In this article, a basic overview of the most commonly used EPR techniques and examples of recent applications to answer pertinent structural and dynamic related questions on membrane protein systems will be presented. PMID:26855825

Multivariable adaptive closed-loop control of an artificial pancreas without meal and activity announcement.

PubMed

Turksoy, Kamuran; Bayrak, Elif Seyma; Quinn, Lauretta; Littlejohn, Elizabeth; Cinar, Ali

2013-05-01

Accurate closed-loop control is essential for developing artificial pancreas (AP) systems that adjust insulin infusion rates from insulin pumps. Glucose concentration information from continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems is the most important information for the control system. Additional physiological measurements can provide valuable information that can enhance the accuracy of the control system. Proportional-integral-derivative control and model predictive control have been popular in AP development. Their implementations to date rely on meal announcements (e.g., bolus insulin dose based on insulin:carbohydrate ratios) by the user. Adaptive control techniques provide a powerful alternative that do not necessitate any meal or activity announcements. Adaptive control systems based on the generalized predictive control framework are developed by extending the recursive modeling techniques. Physiological signals such as energy expenditure and galvanic skin response are used along with glucose measurements to generate a multiple-input-single-output model for predicting future glucose concentrations used by the controller. Insulin-on-board (IOB) is also estimated and used in control decisions. The controllers were tested with clinical studies that include seven cases with three different patients with type 1 diabetes for 32 or 60 h without any meal or activity announcements. The adaptive control system kept glucose concentration in the normal preprandial and postprandial range (70-180 mg/dL) without any meal or activity announcements during the test period. After IOB estimation was added to the control system, mild hypoglycemic episodes were observed only in one of the four experiments. This was reflected in a plasma glucose value of 56 mg/dL (YSI 2300 STAT; Yellow Springs Instrument, Yellow Springs, OH) and a CGM value of 63 mg/dL). Regulation of blood glucose concentration with an AP using adaptive control techniques was successful in clinical studies, even

Developing a Physics Expert Identity in a Biophysics Research Group

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Idaykis; Goertzen, Renee Michelle; Brewe, Eric; Kramer, Laird H.

2015-01-01

We investigate the development of expert identities through the use of the sociocultural perspective of learning as participating in a community of practice. An ethnographic case study of biophysics graduate students focuses on the experiences the students have in their research group meetings. The analysis illustrates how the communities of…

A historical forest management conundrum: do social and biophysical mix?

Treesearch

Heidi Bigler-Cole

2005-01-01

Forest managers face an array of prickly, seemingly intractable environmental problems. They have traditionally turned to the biophysical sciences to help gauge potential management effects, weigh alternatives, and set priorities. Over the past several decades, forest managers have watched management plans disintegrate in the face of grassroots-level protests, quarrels...

77 FR 14558 - Announcement of Funding Awards for the Public and Indian Housing Resident Opportunity and Self...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-12

... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR-5500-FA-08] Announcement of Funding... the Department of Housing and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989, this announcement notifies the... Indian Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street SW., B133 Potomac Center...

[Assessment of the announcement procedure in 29 cancer-accredited hospitals in the Aquitaine region: the EVADA project].

PubMed

Rongère-Casteigt, Julie; Pinon, Elodie; Domecq, Sandrine; Hoppe, Stéphanie; Bousser, Véronique; Vimard, Edwige; Saillour-Glenisson, Florence

2015-01-01

An announcement procedure is mandatory to obtain accreditation to treat cancer patients. Health care professionals in the Aquitaine region evaluated the organization of this announcement procedure in their institutions and the patients' perception, in order to initiate actions to improve the structure and traceability of this procedure. Self-assessment approach based on a retrospective study plan comprising three concomitant steps: organizational audit, medical records audit and patient experience survey. 29 institutions participated in the study. Heterogeneous organizations were observed, although progress had been made in the deployment of the announcement procedure in terms of personnel training,formal organization and the resources devoted to this procedure, but there remains considerable room for improvement in terms of traceability, coordination between doctors and nursing staff, and referral of patients to supportive care. This evaluation triggered active mobilization of hospital teams concerning the announcement procedure in the Aquitaine region and a better awareness of the patient's perception. The regional dynamic allowed exchanges between institutions, facilitating the implementation of improvement actions.

BIOPHYSICAL EVALUATION OF INDIVIDUAL COMPONENT LEVELS AND SELECTED CONFIGURATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS COLD-WEATHER CLOTHING ENSEMBLE

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-01-02

TECHNICAL REPORT NO. T18-01 DATE January 2018 BIOPHYSICAL EVALUATION OF INDIVIDUAL COMPONENT...USARIEM TECHNICAL REPORT T18-01 BIOPHYSICAL EVALUATION OF INDIVIDUAL COMPONENT LEVELS AND...OF TABLES Table Page Table 1. Clothing and individual equipment descriptions ................................................. 3 Table 2. Surface

Predictive biophysical modeling and understanding of the dynamics of mRNA translation and its evolution

PubMed Central

Zur, Hadas; Tuller, Tamir

2016-01-01

mRNA translation is the fundamental process of decoding the information encoded in mRNA molecules by the ribosome for the synthesis of proteins. The centrality of this process in various biomedical disciplines such as cell biology, evolution and biotechnology, encouraged the development of dozens of mathematical and computational models of translation in recent years. These models aimed at capturing various biophysical aspects of the process. The objective of this review is to survey these models, focusing on those based and/or validated on real large-scale genomic data. We consider aspects such as the complexity of the models, the biophysical aspects they regard and the predictions they may provide. Furthermore, we survey the central systems biology discoveries reported on their basis. This review demonstrates the fundamental advantages of employing computational biophysical translation models in general, and discusses the relative advantages of the different approaches and the challenges in the field. PMID:27591251

A predictive biophysical model of translational coupling to coordinate and control protein expression in bacterial operons

PubMed Central

Tian, Tian; Salis, Howard M.

2015-01-01

Natural and engineered genetic systems require the coordinated expression of proteins. In bacteria, translational coupling provides a genetically encoded mechanism to control expression level ratios within multi-cistronic operons. We have developed a sequence-to-function biophysical model of translational coupling to predict expression level ratios in natural operons and to design synthetic operons with desired expression level ratios. To quantitatively measure ribosome re-initiation rates, we designed and characterized 22 bi-cistronic operon variants with systematically modified intergenic distances and upstream translation rates. We then derived a thermodynamic free energy model to calculate de novo initiation rates as a result of ribosome-assisted unfolding of intergenic RNA structures. The complete biophysical model has only five free parameters, but was able to accurately predict downstream translation rates for 120 synthetic bi-cistronic and tri-cistronic operons with rationally designed intergenic regions and systematically increased upstream translation rates. The biophysical model also accurately predicted the translation rates of the nine protein atp operon, compared to ribosome profiling measurements. Altogether, the biophysical model quantitatively predicts how translational coupling controls protein expression levels in synthetic and natural bacterial operons, providing a deeper understanding of an important post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism and offering the ability to rationally engineer operons with desired behaviors. PMID:26117546

The application of multiple biophysical cues to engineer functional neocartilage for treatment of osteoarthritis. Part I: cellular response.

PubMed

Brady, Mariea A; Waldman, Stephen D; Ethier, C Ross

2015-02-01

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a complex disease of the joint for which current treatments are unsatisfactory, thus motivating development of tissue engineering (TE)-based therapies. To date, TE strategies have had some success, developing replacement tissue constructs with biochemical properties approaching that of native cartilage. However, poor biomechanical properties and limited postimplantation integration with surrounding tissue are major shortcomings that need to be addressed. Functional tissue engineering strategies that apply physiologically relevant biophysical cues provide a platform to improve TE constructs before implantation. In the previous decade, new experimental and theoretical findings in cartilage biomechanics and electromechanics have emerged, resulting in an increased understanding of the complex interplay of multiple biophysical cues in the extracellular matrix of the tissue. The effect of biophysical stimulation on cartilage, and the resulting chondrocyte-mediated biosynthesis, remodeling, degradation, and repair, has, therefore, been extensively explored by the TE community. This article compares and contrasts the cellular response of chondrocytes to multiple biophysical stimuli, and may be read in conjunction with its companion paper that compares and contrasts the subsequent intracellular signal transduction cascades. Mechanical, magnetic, and electrical stimuli promote proliferation, differentiation, and maturation of chondrocytes within established dose parameters or "biological windows." This knowledge will provide a framework for ongoing studies incorporating multiple biophysical cues in TE functional neocartilage for treatment of OA.

The application of multiple biophysical cues to engineer functional neocartilage for treatment of osteoarthritis. Part II: signal transduction.

PubMed

Brady, Mariea A; Waldman, Stephen D; Ethier, C Ross

2015-02-01

The unique mechanoelectrochemical environment of cartilage has motivated researchers to investigate the effect of multiple biophysical cues, including mechanical, magnetic, and electrical stimulation, on chondrocyte biology. It is well established that biophysical stimuli promote chondrocyte proliferation, differentiation, and maturation within "biological windows" of defined dose parameters, including mode, frequency, magnitude, and duration of stimuli (see companion review Part I: Cellular Response). However, the underlying molecular mechanisms and signal transduction pathways activated in response to multiple biophysical stimuli remain to be elucidated. Understanding the mechanisms of biophysical signal transduction will deepen knowledge of tissue organogenesis, remodeling, and regeneration and aiding in the treatment of pathologies such as osteoarthritis. Further, this knowledge will provide the tissue engineer with a potent toolset to manipulate and control cell fate and subsequently develop functional replacement cartilage. The aim of this article is to review chondrocyte signal transduction pathways in response to mechanical, magnetic, and electrical cues. Signal transduction does not occur along a single pathway; rather a number of parallel pathways appear to be activated, with calcium signaling apparently common to all three types of stimuli, though there are different modes of activation. Current tissue engineering strategies, such as the development of "smart" functionalized biomaterials that enable the delivery of growth factors or integration of conjugated nanoparticles, may further benefit from targeting known signal transduction pathways in combination with external biophysical cues.

76 FR 6810 - Announcement of Funding Awards for the Special Needs Assistance Programs-Technical Assistance...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-08

...In accordance with section 102(a)(4)(C) of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989, this announcement notifies the public of funding decisions made by the Department in a competition for funding under the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Special Needs Assistance Programs Technical Assistance program. This announcement contains the names of the awardees and amounts of the awards made available by HUD.

76 FR 54774 - Notice of Intent To Award Affordable Care Act Funding, Funding Opportunity Announcement CDC-RFA...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-02

... Intent To Award Affordable Care Act Funding, Funding Opportunity Announcement CDC-RFA-DP10-1014 AGENCY... Funding Opportunity CDC-RFA- DP10-1014. It is the intent of CDC to provide continuation funding to one (1... published in the above referenced REACH CORE Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). Award Information...

Fermilab History and Archives Project | Announcement of Renaming NAL

Science.gov Websites

Archives Project Home About the Archives History and Archives Online Request Contact Us History & Fermi Laboratory In 1972 Enrico Fermi, Nobel Laureate Physicist Return to the Wilson Years NAL TO BECOME ENRICO FERMI LABORATORY IN 1972 Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, announced

Biophysical and Economic Uncertainty in the Analysis of Poverty Impacts of Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hertel, T. W.; Lobell, D. B.; Verma, M.

2011-12-01

This paper seeks to understand the main sources of uncertainty in assessing the impacts of climate change on agricultural output, international trade, and poverty. We incorporate biophysical uncertainty by sampling from a distribution of global climate model predictions for temperature and precipitation for 2050. The implications of these realizations for crop yields around the globe are estimated using the recently published statistical crop yield functions provided by Lobell, Schlenker and Costa-Roberts (2011). By comparing these yields to those predicted under current climate, we obtain the likely change in crop yields owing to climate change. The economic uncertainty in our analysis relates to the response of the global economic system to these biophysical shocks. We use a modified version of the GTAP model to elicit the impact of the biophysical shocks on global patterns of production, consumption, trade and poverty. Uncertainty in these responses is reflected in the econometrically estimated parameters governing the responsiveness of international trade, consumption, production (and hence the intensive margin of supply response), and factor supplies (which govern the extensive margin of supply response). We sample from the distributions of these parameters as specified by Hertel et al. (2007) and Keeney and Hertel (2009). We find that, even though it is difficult to predict where in the world agricultural crops will be favorably affected by climate change, the responses of economic variables, including output and exports can be far more robust (Table 1). This is due to the fact that supply and demand decisions depend on relative prices, and relative prices depend on productivity changes relative to other crops in a given region, or relative to similar crops in other parts of the world. We also find that uncertainty in poverty impacts of climate change appears to be almost entirely driven by biophysical uncertainty.

Estimation efficiency of usage satellite derived and modelled biophysical products for yield forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolotii, Andrii; Kussul, Nataliia; Skakun, Sergii; Shelestov, Andrii; Ostapenko, Vadim; Oliinyk, Tamara

2015-04-01

Efficient and timely crop monitoring and yield forecasting are important tasks for ensuring of stability and sustainable economic development [1]. As winter crops pay prominent role in agriculture of Ukraine - the main focus of this study is concentrated on winter wheat. In our previous research [2, 3] it was shown that usage of biophysical parameters of crops such as FAPAR (derived from Geoland-2 portal as for SPOT Vegetation data) is far more efficient for crop yield forecasting to NDVI derived from MODIS data - for available data. In our current work efficiency of usage such biophysical parameters as LAI, FAPAR, FCOVER (derived from SPOT Vegetation and PROBA-V data at resolution of 1 km and simulated within WOFOST model) and NDVI product (derived from MODIS) for winter wheat monitoring and yield forecasting is estimated. As the part of crop monitoring workflow (vegetation anomaly detection, vegetation indexes and products analysis) and yield forecasting SPIRITS tool developed by JRC is used. Statistics extraction is done for landcover maps created in SRI within FP-7 SIGMA project. Efficiency of usage satellite based and modelled with WOFOST model biophysical products is estimated. [1] N. Kussul, S. Skakun, A. Shelestov, O. Kussul, "Sensor Web approach to Flood Monitoring and Risk Assessment", in: IGARSS 2013, 21-26 July 2013, Melbourne, Australia, pp. 815-818. [2] F. Kogan, N. Kussul, T. Adamenko, S. Skakun, O. Kravchenko, O. Kryvobok, A. Shelestov, A. Kolotii, O. Kussul, and A. Lavrenyuk, "Winter wheat yield forecasting in Ukraine based on Earth observation, meteorological data and biophysical models," International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, vol. 23, pp. 192-203, 2013. [3] Kussul O., Kussul N., Skakun S., Kravchenko O., Shelestov A., Kolotii A, "Assessment of relative efficiency of using MODIS data to winter wheat yield forecasting in Ukraine", in: IGARSS 2013, 21-26 July 2013, Melbourne, Australia, pp. 3235 - 3238.

FY 2017 Grant Announcement: FY 2017 Source Reduction Assistance Grant Program

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The EPA Region 10 Pollution Prevention Program is announcing a grant competition for Source Reduction Assistance (SRA) awards. EPA Region 10 anticipates awarding approximately $95,000 in federal grant funding to support SRA agreements.

Experiences Gained Creating a Biophysics Major at a Predominately Undergraduate Institution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Link, Justin; Herbert, Steven

2014-03-01

Xavier University, a liberal arts predominately undergraduate institution (PUI) located in Cincinnati, OH, implemented a Biophysics major in the Department of Physics in spring 2012. The program is built upon foundational physics courses and is unique due to the possible selection of upper-division courses that students elect to take towards their undergraduate degree. A capstone course is offered to bring all prior knowledge in the fundamental sciences together to approach complex problems in biology. Due to the flexibility of the program, it serves students well who are interested in pursuing advanced degrees in Biophysics or Biomedical Engineering. It also offers students interested in the health professions an alternate path towards medical school which can be advantageous in the application process. This session will express some of the advantages and challenges to creating such a program at a liberal arts PUI and discuss the capstone course within the major.

The timing of drug funding announcements relative to elections: a case study involving dementia medications.

PubMed

Gill, Sudeep S; Gupta, Neeraj; Bell, Chaim M; Rochon, Paula A; Austin, Peter C; Laupacis, Andreas

2013-01-01

Following initial regulatory approval of prescription drugs, many factors may influence insurers and health systems when they decide whether to add these drugs to their formularies. The role of political pressures on drug funding announcements has received relatively little attention, and elections represent an especially powerful form of political pressure. We examined the temporal relationship between decisions to add one class of drugs to publicly funded formularies in Canada's ten provinces and elections in these jurisdictions. Dates of provincial formulary listings for cholinesterase inhibitors, which are drugs used to treat Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, were compared to the dates of provincial elections. Medical journal articles, media reports, and proceedings from provincial legislatures were reviewed to assemble information on the chronology of events. We tested whether there was a statistically significant increase in the probability of drug funding announcements within the 60-day intervals preceding provincial elections. Decisions to fund the cholinesterase inhibitors were made over a nine-year span from 1999 to 2007 in the ten provinces. In four of ten provinces, the drugs were added to formularies in a time period closely preceding a provincial election (P = 0.032); funding announcements in these provinces were made between 2 and 47 days prior to elections. Statements made in provincial legislatures highlight the key role of political pressures in these funding announcements. Impending elections appeared to affect the timing of drug funding announcements in this case study. Despite an established structure for evidence-based decision-making, drug funding remains a complex process open to influence from many sources. Awareness of such influences is critical to maintain effective drug policy and public health decision-making.

75 FR 71421 - Notice Announcing OMB Approval of Information Collections

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-23

... Department of Education (Department) announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved... control numbers, and their current expiration dates. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For the Talent... No. 1840-0818, Talent Search Grant Application. The expiration date for this collection is October 31...

The Communication of Opportunities and Barriers to Prospective Applicants: An Analysis of Interscholastic Athletic Administrative Job Announcements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, John J.; Whisenant, Warren A.; Pedersen, Paul M.

2007-01-01

Job announcements often work to either encourage or discourage prospective applicants. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if gender bias existed within the job announcements for interscholastic athletic administrators. The study's results revealed that over a two-year period there were 301 advertisements for positions in the state…

Biophysical basis for the geometry of conical stromatolites.

PubMed

Petroff, Alexander P; Sim, Min Sub; Maslov, Andrey; Krupenin, Mikhail; Rothman, Daniel H; Bosak, Tanja

2010-06-01

Stromatolites may be Earth's oldest macroscopic fossils; however, it remains controversial what, if any, biological processes are recorded in their morphology. Although the biological interpretation of many stromatolite morphologies is confounded by the influence of sedimentation, conical stromatolites form in the absence of sedimentation and are, therefore, considered to be the most robust records of biophysical processes. A qualitative similarity between conical stromatolites and some modern microbial mats suggests a photosynthetic origin for ancient stromatolites. To better understand and interpret ancient fossils, we seek a quantitative relationship between the geometry of conical stromatolites and the biophysical processes that control their growth. We note that all modern conical stromatolites and many that formed in the last 2.8 billion years display a characteristic centimeter-scale spacing between neighboring structures. To understand this prominent-but hitherto uninterpreted-organization, we consider the role of diffusion in mediating competition between stromatolites. Having confirmed this model through laboratory experiments and field observation, we find that organization of a field of stromatolites is set by a diffusive time scale over which individual structures compete for nutrients, thus linking form to physiology. The centimeter-scale spacing between modern and ancient stromatolites corresponds to a rhythmically fluctuating metabolism with a period of approximately 20 hr. The correspondence between the observed spacing and the day length provides quantitative support for the photosynthetic origin of conical stromatolites throughout geologic time.

Assimilation of Biophysical Neuronal Dynamics in Neuromorphic VLSI.

PubMed

Wang, Jun; Breen, Daniel; Akinin, Abraham; Broccard, Frederic; Abarbanel, Henry D I; Cauwenberghs, Gert

2017-12-01

Representing the biophysics of neuronal dynamics and behavior offers a principled analysis-by-synthesis approach toward understanding mechanisms of nervous system functions. We report on a set of procedures assimilating and emulating neurobiological data on a neuromorphic very large scale integrated (VLSI) circuit. The analog VLSI chip, NeuroDyn, features 384 digitally programmable parameters specifying for 4 generalized Hodgkin-Huxley neurons coupled through 12 conductance-based chemical synapses. The parameters also describe reversal potentials, maximal conductances, and spline regressed kinetic functions for ion channel gating variables. In one set of experiments, we assimilated membrane potential recorded from one of the neurons on the chip to the model structure upon which NeuroDyn was designed using the known current input sequence. We arrived at the programmed parameters except for model errors due to analog imperfections in the chip fabrication. In a related set of experiments, we replicated songbird individual neuron dynamics on NeuroDyn by estimating and configuring parameters extracted using data assimilation from intracellular neural recordings. Faithful emulation of detailed biophysical neural dynamics will enable the use of NeuroDyn as a tool to probe electrical and molecular properties of functional neural circuits. Neuroscience applications include studying the relationship between molecular properties of neurons and the emergence of different spike patterns or different brain behaviors. Clinical applications include studying and predicting effects of neuromodulators or neurodegenerative diseases on ion channel kinetics.

ACHP | News | Laura Bush Announces Preserve America Grants Budget

Science.gov Websites

, Kentucky. In addition, Mrs. Bush announced two new education efforts to enhance the teaching of history in America's classrooms: Preserve America has worked with the History Channel's Save Our History initiative to support the creation of a history education manual. This manual provides teachers with lesson plans and

32 CFR 242a.5 - Procedure for announcing meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... THE HEALTH SCIENCES § 242a.5 Procedure for announcing meetings. (a) Except to the extent such...; (4) Whether the meeting or parts thereof are to be open or closed to the public; and (5) The name and... subject matter of such meeting, and whether open or closed to the public, at the earliest practicable time...

Society News: GJI celebrates student authors; Celebrating 5000 years of astronomy at Stonehenge; New Fellows; Council nominations; NAM website opens; Going public;

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-02-01

Geophysical Journal International has announced the winners of its 2009 Student Author Awards for the best papers in the field with young scientists as lead authors. The RAS and English Heritage celebrated the close of IYA2009 at Stonehenge from 16-19 December, with an event bringing archaeologists and astronomers together on the site to talk to the public. The following were elected to Fellowship of the Society on 11 December 2009:

Interpreting landscape change: measured biophysical change and surrounding social context

Treesearch

Mimi M. Wagner; Paul H. Gobster

2007-01-01

Although research assessing both biophysical landscape conditions and social perceptions provide critical data on change, these methods are seldom integrated. In this study, we examined landscape change in the Central Iowa region by pairing quantitative data on changes to natural areas, streams, and housing density over the past 60 years with a qualitative social...

Talk to the Hand: U.S. Army Biophysical Testing.

PubMed

Santee, William R; Potter, Adam W; Friedl, Karl E

2017-07-01

Many people are unaware of the science underlying the biophysical properties of Soldier clothing and personal protective equipment, yet there is a well-refined biomedical methodology initiated by Army physiologists in World War II. This involves a methodical progression of systematic material testing technologies, computer modeling, and human testing that enables more efficient development and rapid evaluation of new concepts for Soldier health and performance. Sophisticated manikins that sweat and move are a central part of this testing continuum. This report briefly summarizes the evolution and use of one specialized form of the manikin technologies, the thermal hand model, and its use in research on Soldier hand-wear items that sustain dexterity and protect the hand in extreme environments. Thermal manikin testing methodologies were developed to provide an efficient and consistent analytical tool for the rapid evaluation of new clothing concepts. These methods have been upgraded since the original World War II and Korean War eras to include articulation and sweating capabilities, as characterized and illustrated in this article. The earlier "retired" versions of thermal hand models have now been transferred to the National Museum of Health and Science. The biophysical values from manikin testing are critical inputs to the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine mathematical models that provide predictions of soldier comfort, duration of exposure before loss of manual dexterity, and time to significant risk of freezing (skin temperature <-1°C) and nonfreezing cold injuries (skin temperature <5°C). The greater thickness of better insulated handwear reduces dexterity and also increases surface area which makes added insulation increasingly less effective in retaining heat. Measurements of both thermal resistance (insulation) and evaporative resistance (permeability) collectively characterize the biophysical properties and enable mathematical

An information-based approach to change-point analysis with applications to biophysics and cell biology.

PubMed

Wiggins, Paul A

2015-07-21

This article describes the application of a change-point algorithm to the analysis of stochastic signals in biological systems whose underlying state dynamics consist of transitions between discrete states. Applications of this analysis include molecular-motor stepping, fluorophore bleaching, electrophysiology, particle and cell tracking, detection of copy number variation by sequencing, tethered-particle motion, etc. We present a unified approach to the analysis of processes whose noise can be modeled by Gaussian, Wiener, or Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes. To fit the model, we exploit explicit, closed-form algebraic expressions for maximum-likelihood estimators of model parameters and estimated information loss of the generalized noise model, which can be computed extremely efficiently. We implement change-point detection using the frequentist information criterion (which, to our knowledge, is a new information criterion). The frequentist information criterion specifies a single, information-based statistical test that is free from ad hoc parameters and requires no prior probability distribution. We demonstrate this information-based approach in the analysis of simulated and experimental tethered-particle-motion data. Copyright © 2015 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Variation of Biophysical Parameters of the Skin with Age, Gender, and Body Region

PubMed Central

Firooz, Alireza; Sadr, Bardia; Babakoohi, Shahab; Sarraf-Yazdy, Maryam; Fanian, Ferial; Kazerouni-Timsar, Ali; Nassiri-Kashani, Mansour; Naghizadeh, Mohammad Mehdi; Dowlati, Yahya

2012-01-01

Background. Understanding the physiological, chemical, and biophysical characteristics of the skin helps us to arrange a proper approach to the management of skin diseases. Objective. The aim of this study was to measure 6 biophysical characteristics of normal skin (sebum content, hydration, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), erythema index, melanin index, and elasticity) in a normal population and assess the effect of sex, age, and body location on them. Methods. Fifty healthy volunteers in 5 age groups (5 males and females in each) were enrolled in this study. A multifunctional skin physiology monitor (Courage & Khazaka electronic GmbH, Germany) was used to measure skin sebum content, hydration, TEWL, erythema index, melanin index, and elasticity in 8 different locations of the body. Results. There were significant differences between the hydration, melanin index, and elasticity of different age groups. Regarding the locations, forehead had the highest melanin index, where as palm had the lowest value. The mean values of erythema index and melanin index and TEWL were significantly higher in males and anatomic location was a significant independent factor for all of 6 measured parameters. Conclusion. Several biophysical properties of the skin vary among different gender, age groups, and body locations. PMID:22536139

Bio-Physics Manifesto -- for the Future of Physics and Biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oono, Y.

2008-04-01

The Newtonian revolution taught us how to dissect phenomena into contingencies (e.g., initial conditions) and fundamental laws (e.g., equations of motion). Since then, `fundamental physics' has been pursuing purer and leaner fundamental laws. Consequently, to explain real phenomena a lot of auxiliary conditions become required. Isn't it now the time to start studying `auxiliary conditions' seriously? The study of biological systems has a possibility of shedding light on this neglected side of phenomena in physics, because we organisms were constructed by our parents who supplied indispensable auxiliary conditions; we never self-organize. Thus, studying the systems lacking self-organizing capability (such as complex systems) may indicate new directions to physics and biology (biophysics). There have been attempts to construct a `general theoretical framework' of biology, but most of them never seriously looked at the actual biological world. Every serious natural science must start with establishing a phenomenological framework. Therefore, this must be the main part of bio-physics. However, this article is addressed mainly to theoretical physicists and discusses only certain theoretical aspects (with real illustrative examples).

High-resolution biophysical analysis of the dynamics of nucleosome formation

PubMed Central

Hatakeyama, Akiko; Hartmann, Brigitte; Travers, Andrew; Nogues, Claude; Buckle, Malcolm

2016-01-01

We describe a biophysical approach that enables changes in the structure of DNA to be followed during nucleosome formation in in vitro reconstitution with either the canonical “Widom” sequence or a judiciously mutated sequence. The rapid non-perturbing photochemical analysis presented here provides ‘snapshots’ of the DNA configuration at any given moment in time during nucleosome formation under a very broad range of reaction conditions. Changes in DNA photochemical reactivity upon protein binding are interpreted as being mainly induced by alterations in individual base pair roll angles. The results strengthen the importance of the role of an initial (H3/H4)2 histone tetramer-DNA interaction and highlight the modulation of this early event by the DNA sequence. (H3/H4)2 binding precedes and dictates subsequent H2A/H2B-DNA interactions, which are less affected by the DNA sequence, leading to the final octameric nucleosome. Overall, our results provide a novel, exciting way to investigate those biophysical properties of DNA that constitute a crucial component in nucleosome formation and stabilization. PMID:27263658

Public Service Announcement: Heart Disease Doesn't Care What You Wear

MedlinePlus

... Home Current Issue Past Issues Public Service Announcement Heart Disease Doesn't Care What You Wear Past Issues / ... version of this page please turn Javascript on. Heart Disease Doesn't Care What You Wear IT'S THE # ...

75 FR 36349 - Announcement of Rural Cooperative Development Grant Application Deadlines

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-25

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Rural Business-Cooperative Service Announcement of Rural Cooperative Development Grant Application Deadlines AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of...: Overview Federal Agency: Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS). Funding Opportunity Title: Rural...

CALIOP V4.10 L1 & L2 Release Announcement

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2016-11-14

... CALIPSO mission announces the release of new versions of its standard Level 1 and Level 2 lidar data products.  These products are ... essential ancillary data sets. The GTOPO30 Digital Elevation Model (DEM) used in V4.00 has been replaced by a substantially more accurate ...

Micromachined piconewton force sensor for biophysics investigations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koch, Steven J.; Thayer, Gayle E.; Corwin, Alex D.

2006-10-23

We describe a micromachined force sensor that is able to measure forces as small as 1 pN in both air and water. First, we measured the force field produced by an electromagnet on individual 2.8 {mu}m magnetic beads glued to the sensor. By repeating with 11 different beads, we measured a 9% standard deviation in saturation magnetization. We next demonstrated that the sensor was fully functional when immersed in physiological buffer. These results show that the force sensors can be useful for magnetic force calibration and also for measurement of biophysical forces on chip.

75 FR 21022 - Announcement of Funding Awards for the Housing Choice Voucher Family Self-Sufficiency...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-22

...In accordance with Section 102(a)(4)(C) of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989, this announcement notifies the public of funding decisions made by the Department for funding under Notice PIH 2009-40 (HA) for the Housing Choice Voucher Family Self-Sufficiency (HCV/FSS) Administrative Fee funding. This announcement contains the consolidated names and addresses of those award recipients selected for funding based on the funding priority categories established in the NOFA.

The Biophysics Microgravity Initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gorti, S.

2016-01-01

Biophysical microgravity research on the International Space Station using biological materials has been ongoing for several decades. The well-documented substantive effects of long duration microgravity include the facilitation of the assembly of biological macromolecules into large structures, e.g., formation of large protein crystals under micro-gravity. NASA is invested not only in understanding the possible physical mechanisms of crystal growth, but also promoting two flight investigations to determine the influence of µ-gravity on protein crystal quality. In addition to crystal growth, flight investigations to determine the effects of shear on nucleation and subsequent formation of complex structures (e.g., crystals, fibrils, etc.) are also supported. It is now considered that long duration microgravity research aboard the ISS could also make possible the formation of large complex biological and biomimetic materials. Investigations of various materials undergoing complex structure formation in microgravity will not only strengthen NASA science programs, but may also provide invaluable insight towards the construction of large complex tissues, organs, or biomimetic materials on Earth.

FY 2018 Grant Announcement: FY2018 Support for Geospatial Analysis Support

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Chesapeake Bay Program Office (CBPO) is announcing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for applicants to provide the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partners with a proposal for providing geospatial analysis support

Publisher's Announcement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scriven, Neil

2003-12-01

We are delighted to announce that the new Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and General for 2004 will be Professor Carl M Bender of Washington University, St. Louis. Carl will, with the help of his world class editorial board, maintain standards of scientific rigour whilst ensuring that research published is of the highest importance. Carl attained his first degree in physics at Cornell University before studying for his PhD at Harvard. He later worked at The Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and at MIT before assuming his current position at Washington University, St Louis. He has been a visiting professor at Technion, Haifa, and Imperial College, London and a scientific consultant for Los Alamos National Laboratory. His main expertise is in using classical applied mathematics to solve a broad range of problems in high-energy theoretical physics and mathematical physics. Since the publication of his book Advanced Mathematical Methods for Scientists and Engineers, written with Steven Orszag, he has been regarded as an expert on the subject of asymptotic analysis and perturbative methods. `Carl publishes his own internationally-important research in the journal and has been an invaluable, energetic member of the Editorial Board for some time' said Professor Ed Corrigan, Carl's predecessor as Editor, `he will be an excellent Editor-in-Chief'. Our grateful thanks and best wishes go to Professor Corrigan who has done a magnificent job for the journal during his five-year tenure.

ACHP | News | Mrs. Laura Bush Announces Preserve America Community

Science.gov Websites

Sept. 15, 2003, Mobile, Alabama—Mrs. Laura Bush today announced details of two new key components of continue to build upon. Mobile is a great example of a community that is using its past to build a better recognition program included ACHP member Emily Summers; Mobile, AL, mayor Mike Dow; Secretary of the Interior

Predicting the Presence of Scyphozoan Jellyfish in the Gulf of Mexico Using a Biophysical Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aleksa, K. T.; Nero, R. W.; Wiggert, J. D.; Graham, W. M.

2016-02-01

The study and quantification of jellyfish (cnidarian medusae and ctenophores) is difficult due to their fragile body plan and a composition similar to their environment. The development of a predictive biophysical jellyfish model would be the first of its kind for the Gulf of Mexico and could provide assistance in ecological research and human interactions. In this study, the collection data of two scyphozoan medusae, Chrysaora quinquecirrha and Aurelia spp., were extracted from SEAMAP trawling surveys and were used to determine biophysical predictors for the presence of large jellyfish medusae in the Gulf of Mexico. Both in situ and remote sensing measurements from 2003 to 2013 were obtained. Logistic regressions were then applied to 27 biophysical parameters derived from these data to explore and determine significant predictors for the presence of medusae. Significant predictors identified by this analysis included water temperature, chlorophyll a, turbidity, distance from shore, and salinity. Future application for this model include foraging assessment of gelatinous predators as well as possible near real time monitoring of the distribution and movement of these medusae in the Gulf of Mexico.

Modelling the influence of land-use changes on biophysical and biochemical interactions at regional and global scales.

PubMed

Devaraju, N; Bala, G; Nemani, R

2015-09-01

Land-use changes since the start of the industrial era account for nearly one-third of the cumulative anthropogenic CO2 emissions. In addition to the greenhouse effect of CO2 emissions, changes in land use also affect climate via changes in surface physical properties such as albedo, evapotranspiration and roughness length. Recent modelling studies suggest that these biophysical components may be comparable with biochemical effects. In regard to climate change, the effects of these two distinct processes may counterbalance one another both regionally and, possibly, globally. In this article, through hypothetical large-scale deforestation simulations using a global climate model, we contrast the implications of afforestation on ameliorating or enhancing anthropogenic contributions from previously converted (agricultural) land surfaces. Based on our review of past studies on this subject, we conclude that the sum of both biophysical and biochemical effects should be assessed when large-scale afforestation is used for countering global warming, and the net effect on global mean temperature change depends on the location of deforestation/afforestation. Further, although biochemical effects trigger global climate change, biophysical effects often cause strong local and regional climate change. The implication of the biophysical effects for adaptation and mitigation of climate change in agriculture and agroforestry sectors is discussed. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Riparian influences on the biophysical characteristics of seston in headwater streams.

Treesearch

Scott R. Elliott; Robert J. Naiman; Peter A. Bisson

2004-01-01

Suspended particles (seston) in streams are an important source of nutrition for many invertebrates, forming a strong trophic link between plant and animal production. In forested regions the management of riparian corridors may alter alloehthonous and autochthonous contributions to streams, ultimately changing the biophysical characteristics of seston. This article...

75 FR 71137 - Announcement of Funding Awards for the HOPE VI Revitalization Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2009

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-22

... grant program. This announcement contains the names and addresses of this FY 2009's award recipients... Awards for the HOPE VI Revitalization Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2009 AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, HUD. ACTION: Announcement of funding awards. SUMMARY: In accordance...

CALIPSO V1.00 L3 IceCloud Formal Release Announcement

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-06-13

... The Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC) at NASA Langley Research Center in collaboration with the CALIPSO mission team announces the ... distributions of ice cloud extinction coefficients and ice water content histograms on a uniform spatial grid.  All parameters are ...

78 FR 16502 - Emergency Access Advisory Committee; Announcement of Charter Extension

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-15

... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION [DA 13-28 and DA 13-331] Emergency Access Advisory Committee; Announcement of Charter Extension AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Notice; correction. SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) is correcting a notice that appeared...

Pre-Production Planning for Public Service Announcements: A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Mark

To investigate the factors behind the overall lack of success of televised public service announcements (PSAs), five Marine recruitment PSAs were studied using 138 college undergraduate students (75% male and 90% freshmen and sophomores). Results indicated the following: in general, the PSA messages were perceived as alienating by the students;…

PUBLISHER'S ANNOUNCEMENT: Editorial developments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-01-01

We are delighted to announce that from January 2009, Professor Murray T Batchelor of the Australian National University, Canberra will be the new Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical. Murray Batchelor has been Editor of the Mathematical Physics section of the journal since 2007. Prior to this, he served as a Board Member and an Advisory Panel member for the journal. His primary area of research is the statistical mechanics of exactly solved models. He holds a joint appointment in mathematics and physics and has held visiting positions at the Universities of Leiden, Amsterdam, Oxford and Tokyo. We very much look forward to working with Murray to continue to improve the journal's quality and interest to the readership. We would like to thank our outgoing Editor-in-Chief, Professor Carl M Bender. Carl has done a magnificent job as Editor-in-Chief and has worked tirelessly to improve the journal over the last five years. Carl has been instrumental in designing and implementing strategies that have enhanced the quality of papers published and service provided by Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical. Notably, under his tenure, we have introduced the Fast Track Communications (FTC) section to the journal. This section provides a venue for outstanding short papers that report new and timely developments in mathematical and theoretical physics and offers accelerated publication and high visibility for our authors. During the last five years, we have raised the quality threshold for acceptance in the journal and now reject over 60% of submissions. As a result, papers published in Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical are amongst the best in the field. We have also maintained and improved on our excellent receipt-to-first-decision times, which now average less than 50 days for papers. We have recently announced another innovation; the Journal of Physics A Best Paper Prize. These prizes will honour excellent papers

6th International Conference on Biophysics & Synchrotron Radiation. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moffat, Keith

1999-08-03

The 6th International Conference on Biophysics and Synchrotron Rdiation was held at the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, from August 4-8, 1998, with pre-conference activities on August 3. Over 300 attendees and 65 presenters participated in the conference that was collaboratively hosted by the University of Chicago, Center for Advanced Radiation Sources and the Advanced Photon Source.

The media-driven risk society, the anti-vaccination movement and risk of autismo.

PubMed

Vasconcellos-Silva, Paulo Roberto; Castiel, Luis David; Griep, Rosane Härter

2015-02-01

Marked changes have been seen in the epidemiological profile of infectious diseases among middle-class families in industrialized countries due to beliefs related to the risks of vaccination. These beliefs are proliferating globally due to internet sites, blogs and the influence of celebrities in the mass communication media. Due to the complexity of a cultural phenomenon of this nature, contemporary concepts aligned to the idea of reflexivity in the risk society are analyzed. The concept of a receptive media-driven society in which the announcement of danger and protection in mutual reference and contradiction are also assessed. The frequent emergence of tensions derived from cycles of utterances and baseless comments construed as symbolic "biovalues" are discussed. The persistent effect of threatening biotechnological and fraudulent utterances has influenced virtual networks for almost three decades, supporting the debate about the connection between autism and vaccines. The conclusion reached is that the processes of production of significance interconnect at various levels in which representations circulate that support communication and group identity based on historical and cultural references.

Reconstructed historical land cover and biophysical parameters for studies of land-atmosphere interactions within the eastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steyaert, Louis T.; Knox, R.G.

2008-01-01

Over the past 350 years, the eastern half of the United States experienced extensive land cover changes. These began with land clearing in the 1600s, continued with widespread deforestation, wetland drainage, and intensive land use by 1920, and then evolved to the present-day landscape of forest regrowth, intensive agriculture, urban expansion, and landscape fragmentation. Such changes alter biophysical properties that are key determinants of land-atmosphere interactions (water, energy, and carbon exchanges). To understand the potential implications of these land use transformations, we developed and analyzed 20-km land cover and biophysical parameter data sets for the eastern United States at 1650, 1850, 1920, and 1992 time slices. Our approach combined potential vegetation, county-level census data, soils data, resource statistics, a Landsat-derived land cover classification, and published historical information on land cover and land use. We reconstructed land use intensity maps for each time slice and characterized the land cover condition. We combined these land use data with a mutually consistent set of biophysical parameter classes, to characterize the historical diversity and distribution of land surface properties. Time series maps of land surface albedo, leaf area index, a deciduousness index, canopy height, surface roughness, and potential saturated soils in 1650, 1850, 1920, and 1992 illustrate the profound effects of land use change on biophysical properties of the land surface. Although much of the eastern forest has returned, the average biophysical parameters for recent landscapes remain markedly different from those of earlier periods. Understanding the consequences of these historical changes will require land-atmosphere interactions modeling experiments.

Biophysical aspects of human thermoregulation during heat stress.

PubMed

Cramer, Matthew N; Jay, Ollie

2016-04-01

Humans maintain a relatively constant core temperature through the dynamic balance between endogenous heat production and heat dissipation to the surrounding environment. In response to metabolic or environmental disturbances to heat balance, the autonomic nervous system initiates cutaneous vasodilation and eccrine sweating to facilitate higher rates of dry (primarily convection and radiation) and evaporative transfer from the body surface; however, absolute heat losses are ultimately governed by the properties of the skin and the environment. Over the duration of a heat exposure, the cumulative imbalance between heat production and heat dissipation leads to body heat storage, but the consequent change in core temperature, which has implications for health and safety in occupational and athletic settings particularly among certain clinical populations, involves a complex interaction between changes in body heat content and the body's morphological characteristics (mass, surface area, and tissue composition) that collectively determine the body's thermal inertia. The aim of this review is to highlight the biophysical aspects of human core temperature regulation by outlining the principles of human energy exchange and examining the influence of body morphology during exercise and environmental heat stress. An understanding of the biophysical factors influencing core temperature will enable researchers and practitioners to better identify and treat individuals/populations most vulnerable to heat illness and injury during exercise and extreme heat events. Further, appropriate guidelines may be developed to optimize health, safety, and work performance during heat stress. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Speech intelligibility and speech quality of modified loudspeaker announcements examined in a simulated aircraft cabin.

PubMed

Pennig, Sibylle; Quehl, Julia; Wittkowski, Martin

2014-01-01

Acoustic modifications of loudspeaker announcements were investigated in a simulated aircraft cabin to improve passengers' speech intelligibility and quality of communication in this specific setting. Four experiments with 278 participants in total were conducted in an acoustic laboratory using a standardised speech test and subjective rating scales. In experiments 1 and 2 the sound pressure level (SPL) of the announcements was varied (ranging from 70 to 85 dB(A)). Experiments 3 and 4 focused on frequency modification (octave bands) of the announcements. All studies used a background noise with the same SPL (74 dB(A)), but recorded at different seat positions in the aircraft cabin (front, rear). The results quantify speech intelligibility improvements with increasing signal-to-noise ratio and amplification of particular octave bands, especially the 2 kHz and the 4 kHz band. Thus, loudspeaker power in an aircraft cabin can be reduced by using appropriate filter settings in the loudspeaker system.

Age of oil palm plantations causes a strong change in surface biophysical variables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabajo, Clifton; le Maire, Guerric; Knohl, Alexander

2016-04-01

Over the last decades, Indonesia has experienced dramatic land transformations with an expansion of oil palm plantations at the expense of tropical forests. As vegetation is a modifier of the climate near the ground these large-scale land transformations are expected to have major impacts on the surface biophysical variables i.e. surface temperature, albedo, and vegetation indices, e.g. the NDVI. Remote sensing data are needed to assess such changes at regional scale. We used 2 Landsat images from Jambi Province in Sumatra/Indonesia covering a chronosequence of oil palm plantations to study the 20 - 25 years life cycle of oil palm plantations and its relation with biophysical variables. Our results show large differences between the surface temperature of young oil palm plantations and forest (up to 9.5 ± 1.5 °C) indicating that the surface temperature is raised substantially after the establishment of oil palm plantations following the removal of forests. During the oil palm plantation lifecycle the surface temperature differences gradually decreases and approaches zero around an oil palm plantation age of 10 years. Similarly, NDVI increases and the albedo decreases approaching typical values of forests. Our results show that in order to assess the full climate effects of oil palm expansion biophysical processes play an important role and the full life cycle of oil palm plantations need to be considered.

The role of bio-physical cohesive substrates on sediment winnowing and bedform development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Leiping; Parsons, Daniel; Manning, Andrew

2017-04-01

Existing sediment transport and bedform size predictions for natural open-channel flows in many environments are seriously impeded by a lack of process-based knowledge concerning the dynamics of complex bed sediment mixtures comprising cohesionless sand and biologically-active cohesive muds. A series of flume experiments (14 experimental runs) with different substrate mixtures of sand-clay-EPS (Extracellular Polymeric Substance) are combined with a detailed estuarine field survey (Dee estuary, NW England) to investigate the development of bedform morphologies and characteristics of suspended sediment over bio-physical cohesive substrates. The experimental results indicate that winnowing and sediment sorting can occur pervasively in bio-physical cohesive sediment - flow systems. Importantly however, the evolution of the bed and bedform dynamics, and hence turbulence production, is significantly reduced as bed substrate cohesivity increases. The estuarine subtidal zone survey also revealed that the bio-physical cohesion provided by both the clay and microorganism fractions in the bed plays a significant role in controlling the interactions between bed substrate and sediment suspension, deposition and bedform generation. The work will be presented here concludes by outlining the need to extend and revisit the effects of cohesivity in morphodynamic systems and the sets of parameters presently used in numerical modelling, particularly in the context of the impact of climate change on estuarine and coastal systems.

Tales from the hundred year history of the American Physical Society

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lustig, H.

1999-05-01

The tale to be told on this occasion - a tale only slightly out of school - is that of the punctuated evolution of the APS in pursuing its hundred years old mission, "the advancement and diffusion of the knowledge of physics". For long periods this goal was pursued, singlemindedly and impressively, through scientfic meetings and the Society's journals. However, within a year of its founding, the APS,in concert with other scientific societies, had already "lobbied" successfully for the establishment of the Bureau of Standards. But then all was quiet on the public front until after World War II. Since that time there have been three waves of forays into the public arena. The first, which spanned the "McCarthy period", was in defense of the freedom of scientists to practice their profession across national boundaries; of the right to announce the results of their research even if they trod on powerful toes (the Astin case); and of individual physicists, such as E.U. Condon and J.Robert Oppenheimer,who had been unfairly accused and badly treated. The second wave occurred in the late sixties and early seventies when, initially much pushed by activist members, the Society's leadership came to grips with broad social issues, such as segregation in the South, the Equal Rights Amendment, and, eventually, arms control and nuclear weapons. The third immersion in public affairs, which is still very much in progress, can be characterized as worrying and speaking out on what physics can do for the country (provide authoritative studies on nuclear energy, renewables, directed energy weapons, etc.) and what the country can do for physics (provide more money). Although lobbying for better funding is still a relatively minor occupation of the Society, it raises the question how physics -an elitist pursuit -can be truthfully and effectively "sold" in a democratic and egalitarian society.

6th international conference on biophysics and synchrotron radiation. Program/Abstracts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pittroff, Connie; Strasser, Susan Barr

1999-08-03

This STI product consists of the Program/Abstracts book that was prepared for the participants in the Sixth International Conference on Biophysics and Synchrotron Radiation that was held August 4-8, 1998, at the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory. This book contains the full conference program and abstracts of the scientific presentations.

Testing the Simple Biosphere model (SiB) using point micrometeorological and biophysical data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sellers, P. J.; Dorman, J. L.

1987-01-01

The suitability of the Simple Biosphere (SiB) model of Sellers et al. (1986) for calculation of the surface fluxes for use within general circulation models is assessed. The structure of the SiB model is described, and its performance is evaluated in terms of its ability to realistically and accurately simulate biophysical processes over a number of test sites, including Ruthe (Germany), South Carolina (U.S.), and Central Wales (UK), for which point biophysical and micrometeorological data were available. The model produced simulations of the energy balances of barley, wheat, maize, and Norway Spruce sites over periods ranging from 1 to 40 days. Generally, it was found that the model reproduced time series of latent, sensible, and ground-heat fluxes and surface radiative temperature comparable with the available data.

A synthesized biophysical and social vulnerability assessment for Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Yung-Jaan

2017-11-01

Taiwan, located in the Western Pacific, is a country that is one of the most vulnerable to disasters that are associated with the changing climate; it is located within the Ring of Fire, which is the most geologically active region in the world. The environmental and geological conditions in Taiwan are sensitive and vulnerable to such disasters. Owing to increasing urbanization in Taiwan, floods and climate-related disasters have taken an increasing toll on human lives. As global warming accelerates the rising of sea levels and increasing of the frequency of extreme weather events, disasters will continue to affect socioeconomic development and human conditions. Under such circumstances, researchers and policymakers alike must recognize the importance of providing useful knowledge concerning vulnerability, disaster recovery and resilience. Strategies for reducing vulnerability and climate-related disaster risks and for increasing resilience involve preparedness, mitigation and adaptation. In the last two decades, extreme climate events have caused severe flash floods, debris flows, landslides, and other disasters and have had negative effects of many sectors, including agriculture, infrastructure and health. Since climate change is expected to have a continued impact on socio-economic development, this work develops a vulnerability assessment framework that integrates both biophysical and social vulnerability and supports synthesized vulnerability analyses to identify vulnerable areas in Taiwan. Owing to its geographical, geological and climatic features, Taiwan is susceptible to earthquakes, typhoons, droughts and various induced disasters. Therefore, Taiwan has the urgent task of establishing a framework for assessing vulnerability as a planning and policy tool that can be used to identify not only the regions that require special attention but also hotspots in which efforts should be made to reduce vulnerability and the risk of climate-related disaster. To

40 CFR 1603.9 - Procedures for public announcement of meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... meetings. (a) For each meeting, the CSB shall make public announcement, at least one week before the... meeting; (4) Whether the meeting is to be open or closed; and (5) The name and business telephone number...) The one week advance notice required by paragraph (a) of this section may be reduced only if: (1) A...

40 CFR 1603.9 - Procedures for public announcement of meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... meetings. (a) For each meeting, the CSB shall make public announcement, at least one week before the... meeting; (4) Whether the meeting is to be open or closed; and (5) The name and business telephone number...) The one week advance notice required by paragraph (a) of this section may be reduced only if: (1) A...

Best Collaborative Publication Announced during Spring Research Festival Week | Poster

Cancer.gov

By Nancy Parrish, Staff Writer The winner of the 2012 competition for the best collaborative publication was announced on May 7, as part of the lead-up to the Spring Research Festival sponsored by the National Interagency Confederation for Biological Research (NICBR) and the National Cancer Institute at Frederick on May 8 and 9.

Bibliography of Lewis Research Center technical publications announced in 1980

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

This compilation of abstracts describes and indexes over 780 research reports, journal articles, conference presentations, patents and patent applications, and theses resulting from the scientific and engineering work performed and managed by the Lewis Research Center in 1980. All the publications were announced in Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports and/or International Aerospace Abstracts.

Biophysical and X-ray crystallographic analysis of Mps1 kinase inhibitor complexes.

PubMed

Chu, Matthew L H; Lang, Zhaolei; Chavas, Leonard M G; Neres, João; Fedorova, Olga S; Tabernero, Lydia; Cherry, Mike; Williams, David H; Douglas, Kenneth T; Eyers, Patrick A

2010-03-02

The dual-specificity protein kinase monopolar spindle 1 (Mps1) is a central component of the mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), a sensing mechanism that prevents anaphase until all chromosomes are bioriented on the metaphase plate. Partial depletion of Mps1 protein levels sensitizes transformed, but not untransformed, human cells to therapeutic doses of the anticancer agent Taxol, making it an attractive novel therapeutic cancer target. We have previously determined the X-ray structure of the catalytic domain of human Mps1 in complex with the anthrapyrazolone kinase inhibitor SP600125. In order to validate distinct inhibitors that target this enzyme and improve our understanding of nucleotide binding site architecture, we now report a biophysical and structural evaluation of the Mps1 catalytic domain in the presence of ATP and the aspecific model kinase inhibitor staurosporine. Collective in silico, enzymatic, and fluorescent screens also identified several new lead quinazoline Mps1 inhibitors, including a low-affinity compound termed Compound 4 (Cpd 4), whose interaction with the Mps1 kinase domain was further characterized by X-ray crystallography. A novel biophysical analysis demonstrated that the intrinsic fluorescence of SP600125 changed markedly upon Mps1 binding, allowing spectrophotometric displacement analysis and determination of dissociation constants for ATP-competitive Mps1 inhibitors. By illuminating the structure of the Mps1 ATP-binding site our results provide novel biophysical insights into Mps1-ligand interactions that will be useful for the development of specific Mps1 inhibitors, including those employing a therapeutically validated quinazoline template.

75 FR 48723 - Meeting Announcement: Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Advisory Group

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-11

...] Meeting Announcement: Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Advisory Group AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife... Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) grants program (Advisory Group) will meet in person and via conference...: Recognizing the importance of conserving migratory birds, the U.S. Congress passed the NMBCA (Pub. L. 106-247...

Standards for Endovascular Neurosurgical Training and Certification of the Society of Korean Endovascular Neurosurgeons 2013

PubMed Central

Shin, Dong-Seong; Park, Sukh-Que; Kang, Hyun-Seung; Yoon, Seok-Mann; Cho, Jae-Hoon; Lim, Dong-Jun; Baik, Min-Woo; Kwon, O Ki

2014-01-01

The need for standard endovascular neurosurgical (ENS) training programs and certification in Korea cannot be overlooked due to the increasing number of ENS specialists and the expanding ENS field. The Society of Korean Endovascular Neurosurgeons (SKEN) Certification Committee has prepared training programs and certification since 2010, and the first certificates were issued in 2013. A task force team (TFT) was organized in August 2010 to develop training programs and certification. TFT members researched programs and systems in other countries to develop a program that best suited Korea. After 2 years, a rough draft of the ENS training and certification regulations were prepared, and the standard training program title was decided. The SKEN Certification Committee made an official announcement about the certification program in March 2013. The final certification regulations comprised three major parts: certified endovascular neurosurgeons (EN), certified ENS institutions, and certified ENS training institutions. Applications have been evaluated and the results were announced in June 2013 as follows: 126 members received EN certification and 55 hospitals became ENS-certified institutions. The SKEN has established standard ENS training programs together with a certification system, and it is expected that they will advance the field of ENS to enhance public health and safety in Korea. PMID:24851145

Announced United States nuclear tests, July 1945 through December 1987

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1988-04-01

This document lists chronologically and alphabetically by event name all nuclear tests conducted and announced by the United States from July 1945 through December 1987, with the exception of the GMX experiments. The 24 GMX experiments, conducted at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) between December 1954 and February 1956, were /open quotes/equation-of-state/close quotes/ physics studies that used small chemical explosives and small quantities of plutonium. Several tests conducted during Operation Dominic involved missile launches from Johnston Atoll. Several of these missle launches were aborted, resulting in the destruction of the missile and nuclear device either on the pad or inmore » the air. Data on United States tests were obtained from and verified by the Department of Energy's three weapons laboratories--Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California; and Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Additionally, data were obtained from public announcements issued by the Atomic Energy Commission and its successors, the Energy Research and Development Administation and the Department of Energy, respectively.« less

76 FR 21802 - Notice Announcing the Price of the 2010 America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated CoinsTM

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-18

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY United States Mint Notice Announcing the Price of the 2010 America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated CoinsTM ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The United States Mint is announcing the price of the 2010 America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins TM . In...

78 FR 8552 - Announcement of Funding Awards, HOPE VI Main Street Grant Program, Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 and 2012

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-06

... Program. This announcement contains the consolidated names and addresses of the award recipients under... Awards, HOPE VI Main Street Grant Program, Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 and 2012 AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, HUD. ACTION: Announcement of funding awards. SUMMARY: In accordance...

Determining Biophysical Controls on Forest Structure using Hyperspatial Satellite Imagery and Ecological Gradient Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobrowski, S. Z.; Greenberg, J. A.; Schladow, G.

2006-12-01

There is evidence from the Sierra Nevada that sub-alpine and alpine environments are currently experiencing landscape-mediated changes in growth and recruitment due to recent climate change. Understanding the biophysical controls of forest structure, growth, and recruitment in these environments is critical for interpreting and predicting the direction and magnitude of biotic responses to climate shift. We examined the abiotic controls of forest biomass within a 305 km2 region of the Carson Range on the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe, CA USA using estimates of forest structure and biophysical drivers developed continuously over the landscape. The study area ranged from 1900 m to 3400 m a.s.l. and encompassed montane, sub-alpine, and alpine environments. From hyperspatial optical imagery (IKONOS), we derived per-tree positions and crown sizes using a template matching approach applied to a pre-classified image of sunlit and shadowed vegetation pixels. From this remote sensing derived stem map, we calculated plot-level estimates of stem density, tree cover and average crown size. Additionally, we developed high resolution (30 m) estimates of climate variables within the study area using meteorological station data, topographic data, and a combination of empirical and mechanistic modeling approaches. From these climate surfaces, digital elevation data, and soil survey data, we derived estimates of direct and indirect biophysical drivers including heat loading, reference evapotranspiration, water deficit, solar radiation, topographic convergence, soil depth, and soil water holding capacity. Using these data sets, we conducted a regression tree analysis with stem density, tree cover, and average tree size as response and biophysical drivers as predictors. Trees were fit using half of the dataset randomly sampled (168,000 samples) and pruned using cost-complexity pruning based on 10-fold cross- validation. Predictions from pruned trees were then assessed against the hold

Biophysics: Breaking the Nanometer Barrier

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Block, Steven

2006-03-20

A new field of scientific exploration – single molecule biophysics – is currently reshaping and redefining our understanding of the mechanochemistry of life. The development of laser-based optical traps, or ‘optical tweezers,’ has allowed for physiological assessments of such precision that bio-molecules can now be measured and studied one at a time. In this colloquium, Professor Block will present findings based on his group’s construction of optical trapping instrumentation that has broken the nanometer barrier, allowing researchers to study single-molecule displacements on the Angstrom level. Focusing on RNA polymerase, the motor enzyme responsible for transcribing the genetic code contained inmore » DNA, Block’s group has been able to measure, in real time, the motion of a single molecule of RNA polymerase as it moves from base to base along the DNA template. A remarkable opportunity to gain insight into one of the most fundamental biological processes of life, this colloquium can not be missed!« less

Landscape context and the biophysical response of rivers to dam removal in the United States

PubMed Central

Magilligan, Francis J.; Torgersen, Christian E.; Major, Jon J.; Anderson, Chauncey W.; Connolly, Patrick J.; Wieferich, Daniel; Shafroth, Patrick B.; Evans, James E.; Infante, Dana; Craig, Laura S.

2017-01-01

Dams have been a fundamental part of the U.S. national agenda over the past two hundred years. Recently, however, dam removal has emerged as a strategy for addressing aging, obsolete infrastructure and more than 1,100 dams have been removed since the 1970s. However, only 130 of these removals had any ecological or geomorphic assessments, and fewer than half of those included before- and after-removal (BAR) studies. In addition, this growing, but limited collection of dam-removal studies is limited to distinct landscape settings. We conducted a meta-analysis to compare the landscape context of existing and removed dams and assessed the biophysical responses to dam removal for 63 BAR studies. The highest concentration of removed dams was in the Northeast and Upper Midwest, and most have been removed from 3rd and 4th order streams, in low-elevation (< 500 m) and low-slope (< 5%) watersheds that have small to moderate upstream watershed areas (10–1000 km2) with a low risk of habitat degradation. Many of the BAR-studied removals also have these characteristics, suggesting that our understanding of responses to dam removals is based on a limited range of landscape settings, which limits predictive capacity in other environmental settings. Biophysical responses to dam removal varied by landscape cluster, indicating that landscape features are likely to affect biophysical responses to dam removal. However, biophysical data were not equally distributed across variables or clusters, making it difficult to determine which landscape features have the strongest effect on dam-removal response. To address the inconsistencies across dam-removal studies, we provide suggestions for prioritizing and standardizing data collection associated with dam removal activities. PMID:28692693

Landscape context and the biophysical response of rivers to dam removal in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foley, Melissa M.; Magilligan, Francis J.; Torgersen, Christian E.; Major, Jon J.; Anderson, Chauncey; Connolly, Patrick J.; Wieferich, Daniel; Shafroth, Patrick B.; Evans, James E.; Infante, Dana M.; Craig, Laura

2017-01-01

Dams have been a fundamental part of the U.S. national agenda over the past two hundred years. Recently, however, dam removal has emerged as a strategy for addressing aging, obsolete infrastructure and more than 1,100 dams have been removed since the 1970s. However, only 130 of these removals had any ecological or geomorphic assessments, and fewer than half of those included before- and after-removal (BAR) studies. In addition, this growing, but limited collection of dam-removal studies is limited to distinct landscape settings. We conducted a meta-analysis to compare the landscape context of existing and removed dams and assessed the biophysical responses to dam removal for 63 BAR studies. The highest concentration of removed dams was in the Northeast and Upper Midwest, and most have been removed from 3rd and 4th order streams, in low-elevation (< 500 m) and low-slope (< 5%) watersheds that have small to moderate upstream watershed areas (10–1000 km2) with a low risk of habitat degradation. Many of the BAR-studied removals also have these characteristics, suggesting that our understanding of responses to dam removals is based on a limited range of landscape settings, which limits predictive capacity in other environmental settings. Biophysical responses to dam removal varied by landscape cluster, indicating that landscape features are likely to affect biophysical responses to dam removal. However, biophysical data were not equally distributed across variables or clusters, making it difficult to determine which landscape features have the strongest effect on dam-removal response. To address the inconsistencies across dam-removal studies, we provide suggestions for prioritizing and standardizing data collection associated with dam removal activities.

Space Shuttle Placement Announcement

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-12

From left, Pilot of the first space shuttle mission, STS-1, Bob Crippen, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, NASA Johnson Space Center Director of Flight Crew Operations, and Astronaut, Janet Kavandi, NASA Kennedy Space Center Director and former astronaut Bob Cabana, and Endeavour Vehicle Manager for United Space Alliance Mike Parrish pose for a photograph outside of the an Orbiter Processing Facility with the space shuttle Atlantis shortly after Bolden announced where four space shuttle orbiters will be permanently displayed at the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program, Tuesday, April 12, 2011, at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The four orbiters, Enterprise, which currently is on display at the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport, will move to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York, Discovery will move to Udvar-Hazy, Endeavour will be displayed at the California Science Center in Los Angeles and Atlantis, in background, will be displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Quantify the Biophysical and Socioeconomic Drivers of Changes in Forest and Agricultural Land in South and Southeast Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, X.; Jain, A. K.; Calvin, K. V.

2017-12-01

Due to the rapid socioeconomic development and biophysical factors, South and Southeast Asia (SSEA) has become a hotspot region of land use and land cover changes (LULCCs) in past few decades. Uncovering the drivers of LULCC is crucial for improving the understanding of LULCC processes. Due to the differences from spatiotemporal scales, methods and data sources in previous studies, the quantitative relationships between the LULCC activities and biophysical and socioeconomic drivers at the regional scale of SSEA have not been established. Here we present a comprehensive estimation of the biophysical and socioeconomic drivers of the major LULCC activities in SSEA: changes in forest and agricultural land. We used the Climate Change Initiative land cover data developed by European Space Agency to reveal the dynamics of forest and agricultural land from 1992 to 2015. Then we synthesized 200 publications about LULCC drivers at different spatial scales in SSEA to identify the major drivers of these LULCC activities. Corresponding representative variables of the major drivers were collected. The geographically weighted regression was employed to assess the spatiotemporally heterogeneous drivers of LULCC. Moreover, we validated our results with some national level case studies in SSEA. The results showed that both biophysical conditions such as terrain, soil, and climate, and socioeconomic factors such as migration, poverty, and economy played important roles in driving the changes of forest and agricultural land. The major drivers varied in different locations and periods. Our study integrated the bottom-up knowledge from local scale case studies with the top-down estimation of LULCC drivers, therefore generated more accurate and credible results. The identified biophysical and socioeconomic components could be used to improve the LULCC modelling and projection.

Bibliography of Lewis Research Center technical publications announced in 1982

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

The technical reporting that resulted from the scientific and engineering work performed and managed by the Lewis Research Center in 1982 is described. All the publications were announced in the 1982 issues of STAR (Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports) and/or IAA (International Aerospace Abstracts). Included are research reports, journal articles, conference presentations, patents and patent applications, and theses.

Sec. Chu Announces the First Auto Loans for Advanced Technologies

ScienceCinema

Secretary Chu

2017-12-09

Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced $8 billion in conditional loan commitments for the development of innovative, advanced vehicle technologies that will create thousands of green jobs while helping reduce the nation’s dangerous dependence on foreign oil. The first three auto loans for advanced technologies were awarded to Ford Motor Company, Nissan Motors and Tesla Motors.

Accuracy of Voice-Announcement Pedometers for Youth with Visual Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beets, Michael W.; Foley, John T.; Tindall, Daniel W. S.; Lieberman, Lauren J.

2007-01-01

Thirty-five youth with visual impairments (13.5 plus or minus 2.1 yrs, 13 girls and 22 boys) walked four 100-meter distances while wearing two units (right and left placement) of three brands of voice-announcement (VA) pedometers (Centrios[TM] Talking Pedometer, TALKiNG Pedometer, and Sportline Talking Calorie Pedometer 343) and a reference…

Sec. Chu Announces the First Auto Loans for Advanced Technologies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Secretary Chu

2009-07-16

Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced $8 billion in conditional loan commitments for the development of innovative, advanced vehicle technologies that will create thousands of green jobs while helping reduce the nation’s dangerous dependence on foreign oil. The first three auto loans for advanced technologies were awarded to Ford Motor Company, Nissan Motors and Tesla Motors.

Biophysical Neural Spiking, Bursting, and Excitability Dynamics in Reconfigurable Analog VLSI.

PubMed

Yu, T; Sejnowski, T J; Cauwenberghs, G

2011-10-01

We study a range of neural dynamics under variations in biophysical parameters underlying extended Morris-Lecar and Hodgkin-Huxley models in three gating variables. The extended models are implemented in NeuroDyn, a four neuron, twelve synapse continuous-time analog VLSI programmable neural emulation platform with generalized channel kinetics and biophysical membrane dynamics. The dynamics exhibit a wide range of time scales extending beyond 100 ms neglected in typical silicon models of tonic spiking neurons. Circuit simulations and measurements show transition from tonic spiking to tonic bursting dynamics through variation of a single conductance parameter governing calcium recovery. We similarly demonstrate transition from graded to all-or-none neural excitability in the onset of spiking dynamics through the variation of channel kinetic parameters governing the speed of potassium activation. Other combinations of variations in conductance and channel kinetic parameters give rise to phasic spiking and spike frequency adaptation dynamics. The NeuroDyn chip consumes 1.29 mW and occupies 3 mm × 3 mm in 0.5 μm CMOS, supporting emerging developments in neuromorphic silicon-neuron interfaces.

DEIMOS-1 Announcement of Opportunity: New Challenges and Achievements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casanova, J.-L.; Duque, P.; Calle, A.; Romo, A.; Sanz, J.; Bello, M.

2010-12-01

This paper will show the projects and results obtained as consequence of the Deimos-1 Announcement of Opportunity, AO, offered by the Spanish company Deimos Imaging, owner and manager of the first commercial Spanish satellite dedicated to Earth Observation: Deimos-1. The satellite Deimos-1 belongs to the DMC (Disaster Managing Constellation) and it was launched on July, 2009, by means of a Dnepr rocket, from the Russian cosmodrome of Baikonur.

45 CFR 1703.207 - Change in meeting plans after public announcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Change in meeting plans after public announcement. 1703.207 Section 1703.207 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL COMMISSION ON LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION SCIENCE GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE ACT Procedures Governing Decisions...

45 CFR 1703.207 - Change in meeting plans after public announcement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Change in meeting plans after public announcement. 1703.207 Section 1703.207 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL COMMISSION ON LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION SCIENCE GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE ACT Procedures Governing Decisions...

77 FR 27015 - Announcement of Grant Application Deadlines and Funding Levels

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-08

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Rural Utilities Service Announcement of Grant Application Deadlines and Funding Levels Correction In notice document 2012-10614 appearing on pages 26241-26245 the issue of Thursday, May 3, 2012 make the following correction: On page 26244, in the second column, in the second...

Announcing the Availability of the MIT SMASS and SMASSIR Data Sets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Binzel, R. P.; Bus, S. J.; Burbine, T. H.; Rivkin, A. S.

2001-01-01

We announce the release of visible and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy measurements for nearly 2000 asteroids obtained by the MIT Small Main-Belt Asteroid Spectroscopic Survey (SMASS) program. Data are being released via http://smass.mit.edu. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Announced reward counteracts the effects of chronic social stress on anticipatory behavior and hippocampal synaptic plasticity in rats.

PubMed

Kamal, Amer; Van der Harst, Johanneke E; Kapteijn, Chantal M; Baars, Annemarie J M; Spruijt, Berry M; Ramakers, Geert M J

2010-04-01

Chronic stress causes insensitivity to rewards (anhedonia) in rats, reflected by the absence of anticipatory behavior for a sucrose-reward, which can be reversed by antidepressant treatment or repeated announced transfer to an enriched cage. It was, however, not clear whether the highly rewarding properties of the enriched cage alone caused this reversal or whether the anticipation of this reward as such had an additional effect. Therefore, the present study compared the consequences of the announcement of a reward to the mere effect of a reward alone with respect to their efficacy to counteract the consequences of chronic stress. Two forms of synaptic plasticity, long-term potentiation and long-term depression were investigated in area CA1 of the hippocampus. This was done in socially stressed rats (induced by defeat and subsequent long-term individual housing), socially stressed rats that received a reward (short-term enriched housing) and socially stressed rats to which this reward was announced by means of a stimulus that was repeatedly paired to the reward. The results were compared to corresponding control rats. We show that announcement of enriched housing appeared to have had an additional effect compared to the enriched housing per se as indicated by a significant higher amount of LTP. In conclusion, announced short-term enriched housing has a high and long-lasting counteracting efficacy on stress-induced alterations of hippocampal synaptic plasticity. This information is important for counteracting the consequences of chronic stress in both human and captive rats.