Description of Liquid Nitrogen Experimental Test Facility

The Liquid Nitrogen Test Facility is a unique test facility for ground-based liquid nitrogen experimentation. The test rig consists of an insulated tank of approximately 12.5 cubic ft in volume, which is supplied with liquid nitrogen from a 300 gal dewar via a vacuum jacketed piping system. The test tank is fitted with pressure and temperature measuring instrumentation, and with two view ports which allow visual observation of test conditions. To demonstrate the capabilities of the facility, the initial test program is briefly described. The objective of the test program is to measure the condensation rate by injecting liquid nitrogen as a subcooled spray into the ullage of a tank 50 percent full of liquid nitrogen at saturated conditions. The condensation rate of the nitrogen vapor on the subcooled spray can be analytically modeled, and results validated and corrected by experimentally measuring the vapor condensation on liquid sprays

A Modified Outdoor Adventure Program Serving Individuals with Cognitive Disabilities Who Present Serious Accommodation Challenges

When inclusive programming is to be offered in an outdoor adventure context, and attempts are made to welcome individuals who present disability issues that make accommodation unusually challenging, the obstacles to program success can begin to look insurmountable. Research indicates there are a number of benefits realized through participation in inclusive outdoor adventure programs (McAvoy, Schatz, Stutz, Schleien, & Lais, 1989; Anderson, Schleien, McAvoy, Lais, & Seligman, 1997; McAvoy, 2001). There has been a paucity of research focused on persons with cognitive disabilities in outdoor programs that typically go on camping excursions into wilderness or wilderness-like natural areas rather than staying in a developed camp facility. The limited research available does show that benefits can be realized through outdoor adventure programs that include persons with cognitive disabilities (Newman, 2004). Recognizing the need for further study in this area, the primary purpose of this research was to assess participant growth in social/socialization and leisure skill functioning of persons with cognitive disabilities relative to participation in a modified inclusive outdoor adventure program. The study used the Peterson and Stumbo (2000) Leisure Ability Model as a conceptual foundation for assessing programmatic outcomes

Evaluation of SMAP Freeze/Thaw Retrieval Accuracy at Core Validation Sites in the Contiguous United States

Seasonal freeze-thaw (FT) impacts much of the northern hemisphere and is an important control on its water, energy, and carbon cycle. Although FT in natural environments extends south of 45°N, FT studies using the L-band have so far been restricted to boreal or greater latitudes. This study addresses this gap by applying a seasonal threshold algorithm to Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) data (L3_SM_P) to obtain a FT product south of 45°N (‘SMAP FT’), which is then evaluated at SMAP core validation sites (CVS) located in the contiguous United States (CONUS). SMAP landscape FT retrievals are usually in good agreement with 0–5 cm soil temperature at SMAP grids containing CVS stations (\u3e70%). The accuracy could be further improved by taking into account specific overpass time (PM), the grid-specific seasonal scaling factor, the data aggregation method, and the sampling error. Annual SMAP FT extent maps compared to modeled soil temperatures derived from the Goddard Earth Observing System Model Version 5 (GEOS-5) show that seasonal FT in CONUS extends to latitudes of about 35–40°N, and that FT varies substantially in space and by year. In general, spatial and temporal trends between SMAP and modeled FT were similar

Hypoxia Preconditioning Increases Survival and Decreases Expression of Toll-like Receptor 4 in Pulmonary Artery Endothelial Cells Exposed to Lipopolysaccharide

Pulmonary or systemic infections and hypoxemic respiratory failure are among the leading causes of admission to intensive care units, and these conditions frequently exist in sequence or in tandem. Inflammatory responses to infections are reproduced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) engaging Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). Apoptosis is a hallmark of lung injury in sepsis. This study was conducted to determine whether preexposure to LPS or hypoxia modulated the survival of pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs). We also investigated the role TLR4 receptor expression plays in apoptosis due to these conditions. Bovine PAECs were cultured in hypoxic or normoxic environments and treated with LPS. TLR4 antagonist TAK-242 was used to probe the role played by TLR4 receptors in cell survival. Cell apoptosis and survival were measured by caspase 3 activity and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) incorporation. TLR4 expression and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) production were also determined. LPS increased caspase 3 activity in a TAK-242-sensitive manner and decreased MTT incorporation. Apoptosis was decreased in PAECs preconditioned with hypoxia prior to LPS exposure. LPS increased TNF-α production, and hypoxic preconditioning blunted it. Hypoxic preconditioning reduced LPS-induced TLR4 messenger RNA and TLR4 protein. TAK-242 decreased to baseline the LPS-stimulated expression of TLR4 messenger RNA regardless of environmental conditions. In contrast, LPS followed by hypoxia substantially increased apoptosis and cell death. In conclusion, protection from LPS-stimulated PAEC apoptosis by hypoxic preconditioning is attributable in part to reduction in TLR4 expression. If these signaling pathways apply to septic patients, they may account for differing sensitivities of individuals to acute lung injury depending on oxygen tensions in PAECs in vivo

Lung Injury Pathways: Adenosine Receptor 2B Signaling Limits Development of Ischemic Bronchiolitis Obliterans Organizing Pneumonia

Purpose/Aim of the Study: Adenosine signaling was studied in bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) resulting from unilateral lung ischemia. Materials and Methods: Ischemia was achieved by either left main pulmonary artery or complete hilar ligation. Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats, Dahl salt sensitive (SS) rats and SS mutant rat strains containing a mutation in the A2B adenosine receptor gene (Adora2b) were studied. Adenosine concentrations were measured in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) by HPLC. A2A (A2AAR) and A2B adenosine receptor (A2BAR) mRNA and protein were quantified. Results: Twenty-four hours after unilateral PA ligation, BAL adenosine concentrations from ischemic lungs were increased relative to contralateral lungs in SD rats. A2BAR mRNA and protein concentrations were increased after PA ligation while miR27a, a negatively regulating microRNA, was decreased in ischemic lungs. A2AAR mRNA and protein concentrations remained unchanged following ischemia. A2BAR protein was increased in PA ligated lungs of SS rats after 7 days, and 4 h after complete hilar ligation in SD rats. SS-Adora2b mutants showed a greater extent of BOOP relative to SS rats, and greater inflammatory changes. Conclusion: Increased A2BAR and adenosine following unilateral lung ischemia as well as more BOOP in A2BAR mutant rats implicate a protective role for A2BAR signaling in countering ischemic lung injury

Comment "On the statistics of the product of a Gaussian process and a pseudo random binary code"

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Sources of Errors on Visuoperceptual Tasks: Role of Education, Literacy, and Search Strategy

The current study explored possible sources of demographic effects through analyses of errors from modified formats of the Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT) completed by African American elders. Results indicate that: (1) reading level was a stronger predictor of BVRT performance than years of education; (2) on the single-item matching format of the task, individuals with lower reading levels disproportionately produced errors on items that differed in geometric, rather than spatial features; and (3) on a multiple-choice matching format, individuals with lower reading levels committed more errors on items where the target was located in the lower half of a 2 × 2 matrix

Dysfunctional attitudes scale perfectionism: a predictor and partial mediator of acute treatment outcome among clinically depressed adolescents.

The effect of perfectionism on acute treatment outcomes was explored in a randomized controlled trial of 439 clinically depressed adolescents (12-17 years of age) enrolled in the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS) who received cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), fluoxetine, a combination of CBT and FLX, or pill placebo. Measures included the Children\u27s Depression Rating Scale-Revised, the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire-Grades 7-9, and the perfectionism subscale from the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS). Predictor results indicate that adolescents with higher versus lower DAS perfectionism scores at baseline, regardless of treatment, continued to demonstrate elevated depression scores across the acute treatment period. In the case of suicidality, DAS perfectionism impeded improvement. Treatment outcomes were partially mediated by the change in DAS perfectionism across the 12-week period