NASA metrology information system: A NEMS subsystem

the NASA Metrology Information Systems (NMIS) is being developed as a standardized tool in managing the NASA field Center's instrument calibration programs. This system, as defined by the NASA Metrology and Calibration Workshop, will function as a subsystem of the newly developed NASA Equipment Management System (NEMS). The Metrology Information System is designed to utilize and update applicable NEMS data fields for controlled property and to function as a stand alone system for noncontrolled property. The NMIS provides automatic instrument calibration recall control, instrument historical performance data storage and analysis, calibration and repair labor and parts cost data, and instrument user and location data. Nineteen standardized reports were developed to analyze calibration system operations

Dimensions, Measures, and Contexts in Psychological Investigations of Curiosity: A Scoping Review

The study of curiosity as a construct has led to many conceptualisations, comprising of different dimensions. Due to this, various scales of curiosity have also been developed. Moreover, some researchers have conceived of curiosity as a general trait-like, while others have included contexts, such as the workplace, or education when investigating curiosity. This scoping review aims to scope the extant psychological literature on curiosity in order to better understand how it has been studied, specifically with regard to its dimensions, measures, and contexts. A total of 1194 records were identified, with 245 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Results suggest that the majority of curiosity research examined curiosity as having multiple dimensions and analysed the dimensions individually, with a deprivation-type curiosity playing the biggest role. The measure most commonly used was the Epistemic Curiosity Scale, which also consisted of a deprivation-type curiosity as one of the dimensions. Findings also implied that curiosity was most studied in the context of the workplace. Supplementary findings included a lack of representation of non-Western countries, as well as needing to cross-validate a recently developed curiosity scale. This scoping review represents a consolidation of the curiosity literature and how it can further prosper

Oxidized phospholipids are proinflammatory and proatherogenic in hypercholesterolaemic mice.

Oxidized phospholipids (OxPL) are ubiquitous, are formed in many inflammatory tissues, including atherosclerotic lesions, and frequently mediate proinflammatory changes 1 . Because OxPL are mostly the products of non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation, mechanisms to specifically neutralize them are unavailable and their roles in vivo are largely unknown. We previously cloned the IgM natural antibody E06, which binds to the phosphocholine headgroup of OxPL, and blocks the uptake of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL) by macrophages and inhibits the proinflammatory properties of OxPL2-4. Here, to determine the role of OxPL in vivo in the context of atherogenesis, we generated transgenic mice in the Ldlr-/- background that expressed a single-chain variable fragment of E06 (E06-scFv) using the Apoe promoter. E06-scFv was secreted into the plasma from the liver and macrophages, and achieved sufficient plasma levels to inhibit in vivo macrophage uptake of OxLDL and to prevent OxPL-induced inflammatory signalling. Compared to Ldlr-/- mice, Ldlr -/- E06-scFv mice had 57-28% less atherosclerosis after 4, 7 and even 12 months of 1% high-cholesterol diet. Echocardiographic and histologic evaluation of the aortic valves demonstrated that E06-scFv ameliorated the development of aortic valve gradients and decreased aortic valve calcification. Both cholesterol accumulation and in vivo uptake of OxLDL were decreased in peritoneal macrophages, and both peritoneal and aortic macrophages had a decreased inflammatory phenotype. Serum amyloid A was decreased by 32%, indicating decreased systemic inflammation, and hepatic steatosis and inflammation were also decreased. Finally, the E06-scFv prolonged life as measured over 15 months. Because the E06-scFv lacks the functional effects of an intact antibody other than the ability to bind OxPL and inhibit OxLDL uptake in macrophages, these data support a major proatherogenic role of OxLDL and demonstrate that OxPL are proinflammatory and proatherogenic, which E06 counteracts in vivo. These studies suggest that therapies inactivating OxPL may be beneficial for reducing generalized inflammation, including the progression of atherosclerosis, aortic stenosis and hepatic steatosis

Ecrg4 expression and its product augurin in the choroid plexus: impact on fetal brain development, cerebrospinal fluid homeostasis and neuroprogenitor cell response to CNS injury

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The content and composition of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is determined in large part by the choroid plexus (CP) and specifically, a specialized epithelial cell (CPe) layer that responds to, synthesizes, and transports peptide hormones into and out of CSF. Together with ventricular ependymal cells, these CPe relay homeostatic signals throughout the central nervous system (CNS) and regulate CSF hydrodynamics. One new candidate signal is augurin, a newly recognized 14 kDa protein that is encoded by <it>esophageal cancer related gene-4 </it>(<it>Ecrg4</it>), a putative tumor suppressor gene whose presence and function in normal tissues remains unexplored and enigmatic. The aim of this study was to explore whether <it>Ecrg4 </it>and its product augurin, can be implicated in CNS development and the response to CNS injury.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p><it>Ecrg4 </it>gene expression in CNS and peripheral tissues was studied by <it>in situ </it>hybridization and quantitative RT-PCR. Augurin, the protein encoded by <it>Ecrg4</it>, was detected by immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry and ELISA. The biological consequence of augurin over-expression was studied in a cortical stab model of rat CNS injury by intra-cerebro-ventricular injection of an adenovirus vector containing the <it>Ecrg4 </it>cDNA. The biological consequences of reduced augurin expression were evaluated by characterizing the CNS phenotype caused by <it>Ecrg4 </it>gene knockdown in developing zebrafish embryos.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Gene expression and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that, the CP is a major source of <it>Ecrg4 </it>in the CNS and that <it>Ecrg4 </it>mRNA is predominantly localized to choroid plexus epithelial (CPe), ventricular and central canal cells of the spinal cord. After a stab injury into the brain however, both augurin staining and <it>Ecrg4 </it>gene expression decreased precipitously. If the loss of augurin was circumvented by over-expressing <it>Ecrg4 in vivo</it>, BrdU incorporation by cells in the subependymal zone decreased. Inversely, gene knockdown of <it>Ecrg4 </it>in developing zebrafish embryos caused increased proliferation of GFAP-positive cells and induced a dose-dependent hydrocephalus-like phenotype that could be rescued by co-injection of antisense morpholinos with <it>Ecrg4 </it>mRNA.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>An unusually elevated expression of the <it>Ecrg4 </it>gene in the CP implies that its product, augurin, plays a role in CP-CSF-CNS function. The results are all consistent with a model whereby an injury-induced decrease in augurin dysinhibits target cells at the ependymal-subependymal interface. We speculate that the ability of CP and ependymal epithelium to alter the progenitor cell response to CNS injury may be mediated, in part by <it>Ecrg4</it>. If so, the canonic control of its promoter by DNA methylation may implicate epigenetic mechanisms in neuroprogenitor fate and function in the CNS.</p

Invasive apple snails in wetlands of Selangor, Malaysia: Species, distribution, and ecological associations

Apple snails in the genus Pomacea are among the worst invasive species in Southeast Asia. Our objectives were to survey a selection of different wetlands in Selangor for Pomacea, verify which species of Pomacea occurred in that location, and assess basic environmental parameters associated with their presence and relative abundance. Aquatic parameters including pH and concentrations of selected electrolytes were measured at 25 wetland sites distributed among eight localities in Selangor. DNA from snails collected at each locality was extracted and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) was sequenced. We detected two of the most successful invaders of this genus: P. canaliculata was found in five localities and P. maculata in two. Both pH and calcium ion concentrations were negatively associated with Pomacea presence. Pomacea were absent in brackish wetlands with high pH and calcium concentrations reflecting possible physiological intolerance or that dispersal into these habitats has yet to occur. P. maculata is reported to tolerate pH as low as 4.5-6; thus most freshwater wetlands in Selangor and most of Malaysia can potentially be invaded. Pomacea canaliculata and P. maculata have demonstrated remarkable capacity for depleting aquatic macrophytes and may cause rapid changes in aquatic plant communities with potential impacts to wetland state and function. Public awareness and environmentally safe recommendations to mitigate the reproduction and spread of this invasive snail is needed for protecting the biodiversity and health of natural wetlands

The development of accounting in UK universities:an oral history

This article reports on the development of the accounting discipline in universities in England and Scotland from the 1960s. Drawing on the oral history narratives of six distinguished accounting scholars who played a significant role in the discipline, this article documents (1) the initial influences on the teaching of accounting in English universities, (2) the different influences on the teaching of accounting in Scottish universities and (3) the influence of US universities and their scholars on the development of academic accounting in the United Kingdom. With a focus on the second wave of accounting professoriate who followed the London School of Economics (LSE) ‘Triumvirate’ of William Baxter, Harold Edey and David Solomons, this article provides first-hand insights into the shape and spread of university accounting education at a crucial stage of its development. This, in turn, develops an understanding of the contemporary academic accounting discipline in the United Kingdom.PostprintPeer reviewe

Plasma Levels of Inter-α Inhibitor Proteins in Children with Acute Dengue Virus Infection

Background: Inter-α inhibitor proteins (IaIp) belong to a family of protease inhibitors that are involved in the haemostatic and the vascular system. Dengue viruses (DENV) infections are characterized by coagulopathy and increased vascular permeability. In this study we measured the concentration of IaIp during DENV infections and evaluated its potential as a biomarker. Methods and Findings: Concentrations of IaIp were measured in patients with acute DENV infections using a quantitative, competitive enzyme linked immunoassay. Concentrations of IaIp measured in pediatric patients suffering from severe DENV infections were significantly lower than in healthy controls. Conclusions: This is the first report to demonstrate changes in concentration of IaIp during viral infections. The data also highlight the potential of IaIp as a biological marker for severity of DENV infections

A case–control study of childhood leukaemia and paternal occupational contact level in rural Sweden

In a national case–control study in Sweden, we investigated whether in rural areas (where susceptible individuals are more prevalent than in urban areas) leukaemia risk was higher among the young children of fathers with many work contacts, as the infective hypothesis has predicted. A total of 1935 cases diagnosed in 1958–1998 together with 7736 age-matched (within 1 year) population controls (of whom 970 and 3880 respectively were aged 0–4) were linked to paternal occupational details as recorded in the census closest to the year of birth. Applying the two classifications of occupational contact level used in a study of rural Scotland, the odds ratios for children aged 0–4 years in the highest contact category (which includes teachers) in the most rural Swedish counties were 3.47 (95% CI 1.54, 7.85) and 1.59 (1.07, 2.38) respectively, relative to the medium and low (reference) category; no such excess was found in urban or intermediate counties. There was also a significant positive trend at ages 0–4 in the rural counties across the three levels of increasing occupational contact (P for trend 0.02 and 0.03, respectively), but again not in the urban or intermediate counties. No such effect or trend was found at ages 5–14 in any of the three county groupings. The findings confirm those of a recent study in rural Scotland, and also suggest that unusual population mixing (as occurred in Scotland as a result of the North Sea oil industry) is not a necessary requirement for the effect, since comparable mixing has not been a feature of rural Sweden

Variation in black bass angler characteristics by stream size and accessibility in Oklahoma's Ozark Highland streams

Fishing in streams and rivers is a popular outdoor recreation activity in eastern Oklahoma, where most anglers target black bass (Micropterus) species. Since the early 1990s, when the last assessment of black bass fishing in the region was conducted, broadscale factors such as harvesting behavior, state fishery regulations, and bass population dynamics have changed. In 2018, we conducted creel and fish tagging surveys in three tributaries of Lake Tenkiller (Caney Creek, Baron Fork, and Illinois River) that differed in size and accessibility to provide current estimates of catch, harvest, and effort directed toward black bass. We then related these estimates to angler socioeconomic characteristics. The amount of angler effort was concomitant with stream size and accessibility, being greatest in the largest stream with the most access (Illinois River). However, catch rates were highest in the medium-sized stream (Baron Fork). Harvest rates and exploitation were near zero in all systems. Anglers fishing Caney Creek, the smallest and least accessible stream, were nearly all local, coming from zip codes ~42 km away, with low median household incomes compared to anglers at the other streams who came from a broader array of more distant zip codes and had higher median household incomes. Anglers fishing the smallest stream were also more interested in harvesting fish and having higher creel limits than anglers at the other two systems. In the Oklahoma Ozark Highlands, stream size and accessibility appear to be a significant factor in angler demographics, potentially necessitating different management strategies.Peer reviewedNatural Resource Ecology and Managemen