Temple University Ambler

Among the major problems facing technical management today are those involving the coordination of many diverse activities toward a common goal. In a large engineering project, for example, almost all the engineering and craft skills are involved as well as the functions represented by research, development, design, procurement, construction, vendors, fabricators and the customer. Management must devise plans which will tell with as much accuracy as possible how the efforts of the people representing these functions should be directed toward the project's completion. In order to devise such plans and implement them, management must be able to collect pertinent information to accomplish the following tasks:

The use of digital technologies to enhance traditional public participation processes and to build a new form of a social capital— digital social capital—is being embraced in a range of planning practices. This article presents a discussion of how the digital age is influencing public participation and its implications for building social capital. The article highlights critical concerns to consider when embracing Internet tools for civic engagement and when evaluating such practices. The authors conclude with a call for scholarly research to assess the constraints and opportunities presented by this emergent trend and comparative studies to traditional modes of public participation.

Phragmites australis is a cosmopolitan grass and often the dominant species in the ecosystems it inhabits. Due to high intraspecific diversity and phenotypic plasticity, P. australis has an extensive ecological amplitude and a great capacity to acclimate to adverse environmental conditions; it can therefore offer valuable insights into plant responses to global change. Here we review the ecology and ecophysiology of prominent P. australis lineages and their responses to multiple forms of global change. Key findings of our review are that: (1) P. australis lineages are well-adapted to regions of their phylogeographic origin and therefore respond differently to changes in climatic conditions such as temperature or atmospheric CO 2 ; (2) each lineage consists of populations that may occur in geographically different habitats and contain multiple genotypes; (3) the phenotypic plasticity of functional and fitness-related traits of a genotype determine the responses to global change factors; (4) genotypes with high plasticity to environmental drivers may acclimate or even vastly expand their ranges, genotypes of medium plasticity must acclimate or experience range-shifts, and those with low plasticity may face local extinction; (5) responses to ancillary types of global change, like shifting levels of soil salinity, flooding, and drought, are not consistent within lineages and depend on adaptation of individual genotypes. These patterns suggest that the diverse lineages of P. australis will undergo intense selective pressure in the face of global change such that the distributions and interactions of co-occurring lineages, as well as those of genotypes within-lineages, are very likely to be altered. We propose that

Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is being deployed at an unprecedented rate. However, utility-scale solar energy development is land intensive and its large-scale installation can have negative impacts on the environment. In particular, solar energy infrastructure can require extensive landscape modification that transforms soil ecological functions, thereby impacting hydrologic, vegetative, and carbon dynamics. However, reintroducing native vegetation to solar PV sites may be a means of restoring soils. To this end, we investigated critical soil physical and chemical parameters at a revegetated photovoltaic array and an adjacent reference grassland in Colorado, USA. Seven years after revegetation, we found that carbon and nitrogen remained lower in the PV soil than in the reference soil and contained a greater fraction of coarse particles. We also found that the PV modules introduced heterogeneity in the soil moisture distribution, with precipitation accumulating along the lower edges of panels. The redistribution of soil moisture by panel arrays could potentially be used in concert with planting strategies to maximize plant growth or minimize soil erosion, and should be considered when evaluating the potential to co-locate vegetation with solar infrastructure.

With the advances in recombinant DNA biotechnology, molecular biology and immunology, the number of biotech drugs, including peptides, proteins and monoclonal antibodies, available for clinical use has dramatically increased in recent years. Although pharmacokinetic principles are equally applicable to the large molecule drugs and conventional small molecule drugs, the underlying mechanisms for the processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) of large molecule drugs are often very different from that of small molecule drugs. Therefore, a good understanding of the ADME processes of large molecule drugs is essential in support of the development of therapeutic biologics. The purpose of this article is to review the current knowledge of the ADME processes that govern the pharmacokinetics of biotech drugs. The challenges encountered by orally administered peptide and protein drugs, and the nature of lymphatic absorption after subcutaneous administration will be discussed. In addition, molecular mechanisms of biodistribution, metabolism and renal excretion of biotech drugs will also be discussed. Finally, approaches used for prediction of human pharmacokinetics of protein drugs will be briefly discussed.

Summary. Significant stimulation of root or shoot growth of oats (Avena sativa L.) resulted from pre‐emergence applications of eleven herbicides at sublethal doses. Two additional herbicides stimulated cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L.) root growth. Several types of herbicides with different mechanisms of lethal action were represented. Three herbicides failed to stimulate plant growth significantly in these studies, although all of them have been observed to cause growth stimulation in other experiments. Studies on oat seedling respiration, photosynthesis, protein content, free amino acid content, and total available soluble carbohydrates failed to provide any consistent explanation for stimulation. These results provide further evidence of the validity of the Arndt‐Schulz hypothesis which states that all poisons are stimulatory at sublethal concentrations. Stimulation de la croissance des plantes par des concentrations sublétales d'herbiddes Résumé. Une stimulation significative de la croissance des racines ou des tiges de I'avoine ( Avena sativa L.) a été provoquée par l'application en pré‐levée de onze herbicides à des doses sublétaies. Deux autres herbicides ont stimulé la croissance des racines de concombre. Plusieurs types d'herbicides possédant des mécanismes diffrénts d'action létale étaient représentés. Trois herbicides n'ont pas provoqué de stimulation significative de la croissance au cours de cette étude, bien qu'ils aient provoqué une stimulation dans d'autres expériences. Des recherches sur la respiration, la photosynthése, la teneur en protéines, en amino‐acides libres et le total disponible des hydrates de carbone solubles dans la plantule d'avoine n'ont fourni aucune explication logique de la stimulation. Ces résultats apportent une nouvelle preuve de la validité de l'hypothése d'Arndt‐Schulz selon laquelle tous les poisons ont un effet stimulant à des concentrations sublétaies. Förderung des Pflanzenwachstums durch Herbizide in sublethalen Konzentrationen Zusammenfassung. Die Vorauflaufanwendung von elf Herbiziden in sublethalen Dosen förderte das Wurzel‐ und Sprosswachstum von Hafer ( Avena sativa L.) signifikant. Zwei weitere Herbizide stimulierten das Wurzelwachstum bei der Gurke ( Cucumis sativus L.). Es waren Herbizide aus verschiedenen Gruppen mit unterschiedlichem Mechanismus der lethalen Wirkung vertreten. Drei Herbizide förderten in diesen Studien das Wachstum nicht signifikant, obwohl eine solche fördernde Wirkung in anderen Experimenten beobachtet worden war. Untersuchungen der Atmung von Haferkeimlingen, der Photosynthese, des Proteingehaltes, des Gehaltes an freien Aminosäuren und der Gesamtmenge an löslichen Kohlenhydraten erbrachten keine einheitliche Erklärung für die Förderung. Diese Ergebnisse stützen die Gültigkeit der Arndt‐Schulz Hypothese, die besagt, dass alle Gifte in sublethalen Dosen stimulierend wirken.

Social capital is an important primary outcome of collaborative planning and is deemed a precursor to arriving at successful collaborative planning outcomes such as more effective collective action and both individual and social benefits. Although commonly used definitions of social capital stress the importance of social networks, recent scholarly research tends to overlook the importance of understanding how collaborative efforts influence the formation of new relationships and the structures of these relations (social networks) and in turn how these influence success. This article documents the application of social network analysis methods in the evaluation of a collaboration's effectiveness at building social capital, the structures of these relations, the factors that influenced positively and negatively their formation, and finally, the influence of the social networks on realizing successful outcomes.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary bone cancer, which occurs primarily in children and adolescents, severely affecting survivors' quality of life. Despite its chemosensitivity and treatment advances, long-term survival rates for OS patients have stagnated over the last 20 years. Thus, it is necessary to develop new molecularly targeted therapies for this metastatic bone cancer. Mutations in TP53 and RB are linked to OS predisposition and to the evolution of spontaneous OS. We established receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) as a therapeutic target for suppression and prevention of OS. Combined conditional osteoblast-specific deletions of Rb, p53, and the protein kinase A (PKA) regulatory subunit Prkar1α genes in genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) generate aggressive osteosarcomas, characterized by PKA, RANKL, and osteoclast hyperactivity. Whole-body Rankl deletion completely abrogates tumorigenesis. Although osteoblastic Rank deletion has little effect, osteoclastic Rank deletion delays tumorigenesis and prolongs life span. The latter is associated with inactivation of osteoclastogenesis and up-regulation of the tumor suppressor phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). Further, we use these GEMMs as preclinical platforms to show that RANKL blockade with RANK-Fc arrests tumor progression and improves survival and also inhibits lung metastasis. Moreover, preemptive administration of RANK-Fc completely prevents tumorigenesis in mice highly predisposed to this aggressive cancer. Denosumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody against RANKL, is currently used to treat patients with osteoporosis or bone metastases. Our studies provide a strong rationale to consider RANKL blockade for the treatment and prevention of aggressive RANKL-overexpressing OS in humans.

Despite the importance of fine roots for the acquisition of soil resources such as nitrogen and water, the study of linkages between traits and both population and community dynamics remains focused on aboveground traits. We address this gap by investigating associations between belowground traits and metrics of species dynamics. Our analysis included 85 species from a long-term data set on the transition from old field to forest in eastern North America (the Buell-Small Succession Study) and the new Fine-Root Ecology Database. Given the prominent roles of life form (woody vs. non-woody) and species origin (native vs. exotic) in defining functional relationships, we also assessed whether traits or their relationships with species dynamics differed for these groups. Species that reached their peak abundance early in succession had fine-root traits corresponding to resource acquisitive strategies (i.e., they were thinner, less dense, and had higher nitrogen concentrations) while species that peaked progressively later had increasingly conservative strategies. In addition to having more acquisitive root traits than native species, exotics diverged from the above successional trend, having consistently thinner fine roots regardless of the community context. Species with more acquisitive fine-root morphologies typically had faster rates of abundance increase and achieved their maximal rates in fewer years. Decreasing soil nutrient availability and increasing belowground competition may become increasingly strong filters in successional communities, acting on root traits to promote a transition from acquisitive to conservative foraging. However, disturbances that increase light and soil resource availability at local scales may allow acquisitive species, especially invasive exotics, to continue colonizing late into the community transition to forest.

Soil hydraulic properties influence the partitioning of rainfall into infiltration versus runoff, determine plant-available water, and constrain evapotranspiration. Although rapid changes in soil hydraulic properties from direct human disturbance are well documented, climate change may also induce such shifts on decadal time scales. Using soils from a 25-year precipitation manipulation experiment, we found that a 35% increase in water inputs substantially reduced infiltration rates and modestly increased water retention. We posit that these shifts were catalyzed by greater pore blockage by plant roots and reduced shrink-swell cycles. Given that precipitation regimes are expected to change at accelerating rates globally, shifts in soil structure could occur over broad regions more rapidly than expected and thus alter water storage and movement in numerous terrestrial ecosystems.

This study seeks to understand the factors that influence the variability in distribution of public and private sector investments in green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) projects across the diversity of neighbourhoods in the City of Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A. using indicators of community context and capacity. For this study, context is defined as characteristics of disadvantaged communities and capacity as factors that facilitate individual and collective action. Community context and capacity are deemed integral to the success of the Philadelphia GSI programme as the Philadelphia Water Department is relying upon collaborative approaches to facilitate public investments in neighbourhoods and voluntary implementation of GSI practices on publically and privately owned lands. Private sector investments in GSI mandated by stormwater regulations for new construction and major rehabilitation also are assessed in relation to these two sets of indicators. The geographic information systems and statistical analyses reveal an inequitable distribution of GSI projects, which largely is driven by market forces. The paper concludes with a community capacity-based framework to prioritise public sector investment in disadvantaged communities to achieve more equitable distribution of GSI projects and associated benefits.

Given the bulky nature of nanotherapeutics relative to small molecules, it is hypothesized that effective tumor delivery and penetration are critical barriers to their clinical activity. HER2-targeted PEGylated liposomal doxorubicin (MM-302, HER2-tPLD) is an antibody-liposomal drug conjugate designed to deliver doxorubicin to HER2-overexpressing cancer cells while limiting uptake into nontarget cells. In this work, we demonstrate that the administration and appropriate dose sequencing of cyclophosphamide can improve subsequent MM-302 delivery and enhance antitumor activity in preclinical models without negatively affecting nontarget tissues, such as the heart and skin. We demonstrate that this effect is critically dependent on the timing of cyclophosphamide administration. Furthermore, the effect was found to be unique to cyclophosphamide and related analogues, and not shared by other agents, such as taxanes or eribulin, under the conditions examined. Analysis of the cyclophosphamide-treated tumors suggests that the mechanism for improved MM-302 delivery involves the induction of tumor cell apoptosis, reduction of overall tumor cell density, substantial lowering of interstitial fluid pressure, and increasing vascular perfusion. The novel dosing strategy for cyclophosphamide described herein is readily translatable to standard clinical regimens, represents a potentially significant advance in addressing the drug delivery challenge, and may have broad applicability for nanomedicines. This work formed the basis for clinical evaluation of cyclophosphamide for improving liposome deposition as part of an ongoing phase I clinical trial of MM-302 in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.

Climate models predict that, in the coming decades, many arid regions will experience increasingly hot conditions and will be affected more frequently by drought. These regions are also experiencing rapid vegetation change, notably invasion by exotic grasses. Invasive grasses spread rapidly into native desert ecosystems due, in particular, to interannual variability in precipitation and periodic fires. The resultant destruction of non-fire-adapted native shrub and grass communities and of the inherent soil resource heterogeneity can yield invader-dominated grasslands. Moreover, recurrent droughts are expected to cause widespread physiological stress and mortality of both invasive and native plants, as well as the loss of soil resources. However, the magnitude of these effects may differ between invasive and native grasses, especially under warmer conditions, rendering the trajectory of vegetated communities uncertain. Using the Biosphere 2 facility in the Sonoran Desert, we evaluated the viability of these hypothesized relationships by simulating combinations of drought and elevated temperature (+5°C) and assessing the ecophysiological and mortality responses of both a dominant invasive grass (Pennisetum ciliare or buffelgrass) and a dominant native grass (Heteropogan contortus or tanglehead). While both grasses survived protracted drought at ambient temperatures by inducing dormancy, drought under warmed conditions exceeded the tolerance limits of the native species, resulting in greater and more rapid mortality than exhibited by the invasive. Thus, two major drivers of global environmental change, biological invasion and climate change, can be expected to synergistically accelerate ecosystem degradation unless large-scale interventions are enacted.

We report a human band 3 alteration that is associated with anemia as determined by a reticulocyte count of 20%. Erythrocyte defects included increased IgG binding, increased breakdown products of band 3, and altered anion- and glucose-transport activity in middle-aged cells. These changes were observed during normal erythrocyte aging in situ. Binding of ankyrin to band 3 was normal. Serum/cell crossover studies indicated that a neoantigen appears on the propositus' erythrocytes to which IgG from both propositus and control serum binds as measured with a protein A binding assay. IgG eluted from the propositus' erythrocytes appeared to have a specificity for senescent cell antigen as determined by a phagocytosis inhibition assay. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that antibodies to band 3, which do not normally bind to intact erythrocytes, bound to the propositus' erythrocytes. Antibody 980 binds to normal old cells but not young or middle-aged cells. It also binds to a distinct region of band 3 in immunoblots of membranes from the propositus' middle-aged cells. Cells from both of the propositus' parents exhibited increased IgG binding and altered anion and glucose transport. The results of these studies suggest that (i) band 3 is aging prematurely in erythrocytes from the propositus, (ii) senescent cell antigen appears on the propositus' middle-aged red cells, and (iii) band 3 alterations observed in the propositus may have a genetic component.

One mechanism proposed to explain high species diversity in tropical systems is strong negative conspecific density dependence (CDD), which reduces recruitment of juveniles in proximity to conspecific adult plants. Although evidence shows that plant-specific soil pathogens can drive negative CDD, trees also form key mutualisms with mycorrhizal fungi, which may counteract these effects. Across 43 large-scale forest plots worldwide, we tested whether ectomycorrhizal tree species exhibit weaker negative CDD than arbuscular mycorrhizal tree species. We further tested for conmycorrhizal density dependence (CMDD) to test for benefit from shared mutualists. We found that the strength of CDD varies systematically with mycorrhizal type, with ectomycorrhizal tree species exhibiting higher sapling densities with increasing adult densities than arbuscular mycorrhizal tree species. Moreover, we found evidence of positive CMDD for tree species of both mycorrhizal types. Collectively, these findings indicate that mycorrhizal interactions likely play a foundational role in global forest diversity patterns and structure.

Abstract Although disability imagery is ubiquitous in the Hebrew Bible, characters with disabilities are not. The presence of the former does not guarantee the presence of the later. While interpreters explain away disabilities in specific characters, they celebrate the rhetorical contributions that disability imagery makes to the literary artistry of biblical prose and poetry, often as a trope to describe the suffering or struggles of a presumably nondisabled person or community. This situation contributes to the appearance (or illusion) of a Hebrew Bible that uses disability as a rich literary trope while disavowing the presence of figures or characters with disabilities. Isaiah 53 provides a wonderful example of this dynamic at work. The “Suffering Servant” figure in Isaiah 53 has captured the imagination of readers since very early in the history of biblical interpretation. Most interpreters understand the servant as an otherwise able-bodied person who suffers. By contrast, this study shows that Isaiah 53 describes the servant with language and imagery typically associated with disability in the Hebrew Bible and other ancient Near Eastern literature. Informed by recent work in disability studies from across the humanities, it traces both the disappearance of the servant's disability from the interpretative history of Isaiah 53 and the scholarly creation of the able-bodied suffering servant.

BACKGROUND: The only treatment for celiac disease (CeD) is a lifelong gluten-free diet (GFD). The restrictive nature of the GFD makes adherence a challenge. As an integral part of CeD management, multiple professional organizations recommend regular follow-up with a healthcare provider (HCP). Many CeD patients also participate in patient advocacy groups (PAGs) for education and support. Previous work found that follow-up of CeD patients is highly variable. Here we investigated the self-reported factors associated with HCP follow-up among individuals diagnosed with CeD who participate in a PAG. METHODS: We conducted a survey of members of Beyond Celiac (a PAG), collecting responses from 1832 U.S. adults ages 19-65 who reported having CeD. The survey queried HCP follow-up related to CeD and included validated instruments for dietary adherence (CDAT), disease-specific symptoms (CSI), and quality of life (CD-QOL). RESULTS: Overall, 27% of respondents diagnosed with CeD at least five years ago reported that they had not visited an HCP about CeD in the last five years. The most frequent reason for not visiting an HCP was "doing fine on my own" (47.6%). Using multiple logistic regression, we identified significant associations between whether a respondent reported visiting an HCP about CeD in the last five years and the scores for all three validated instruments. In particular, as disease-specific symptoms and quality of life worsened, the probability of having visited an HCP increased. Conversely, as dietary adherence worsened, the probability decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that many individuals with CeD manage their disease without ongoing support from an HCP. Our results thus emphasize the need for greater access to high quality CeD care, and highlight an opportunity for PAGs to bring together patients and HCPs to improve management of CeD.

Cadmium (Cd) is carcinogenic to humans and can accumulate in the liver, kidneys, and bones. There is widespread presence of cadmium in the environment as a consequence of anthropogenic activities. It is important to detect cadmium in the environment to prevent further exposure to humans. Previous whole-cell biosensor designs were focused on single-sensing constructs but have had difficulty in distinguishing cadmium from other metal ions such as lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg). We developed a dual-sensing bacterial bioreporter system to detect bioavailable cadmium by employing CadC and CadR as separate metal sensory elements and eGFP and mCherry as fluorescent reporters in one genetic construct. The capability of this dual-sensing biosensor was proved to simultaneously detect bioavailable cadmium and its toxic effects using two sets of sensing systems while still maintaining similar specificity and sensitivity of respective signal-sensing biosensors. The productions of double-color fluorescence were directly proportional to the exposure concentration of cadmium, thereby serving as an effective quantitative biosensor to detect bioavailable cadmium. This novel dual-sensing biosensor was then validated to respond to Cd(II) spiked in environmental water samples. This is the first report of the development of a novel dual-sensing, whole-cell biosensor for simultaneous detection of bioavailable cadmium. The application of two biosensing modules provides versatile biosensing signals and improved performance that can make a significant impact on monitoring high concentration of bioavailable Cd(II) in environmental water to reduce human exposure to the harmful effects of cadmium.

The formation of new firms is one process by which economies grow and innovate. Public transportation services may facilitate the birth of new firms by both providing better access and causing local densification that leads to agglomeration economies. In this study firm births are investigated to determine how they are related to newly provided light rail transit service in two metropolitan areas in the United States. A geocoded time-series database of firm establishments in Dallas, Texas, and Portland, Oregon, from 1991 through 2008 is used. The data set allows the study of spatial patterns by industry and the analysis of the relationship of firm births to rail station proximity, accessibility, and local agglomeration while controlling for a number of potentially confounding factors. Positive, large, and statistically significant relationships are found in Portland between rail station proximity and firm births. The rail proximity results in Dallas are also generally positive, though not as large; this finding is consistent with the smaller accessibility value of rail in Dallas, as well as policies encouraging commercial development near rail in Portland. Rail proximity increases firm births across almost all industrial sectors in both of these metropolitan areas when controlling for the negative effects on firm births of local own-industry employment. Local block-level agglomeration and generalized accessibility are also highly significant but appear to work independently of rail access. These results imply that passenger rail service increases firm births near rail stations by expanding access to the labor market but not by increasing information spillovers or increasing face-to-face interactions.

We investigated whether the vegetative state depicted in stimuli and the date of evaluation were related to restorative potential (RP) and preference ratings. Stimuli depicted flowering, foliated, or autumn-colored plants in scattershot, clustered, or formal arrangements that represented complexity values equal to zero, 2, or 4 bits of Shannon’s information entropy. Analyses included 77 and 105 respondents’ RP and preference ratings from September and January, respectively, along with 106 respondents’ fascination and complexity estimations from September. Evaluation dates did not relate to respondents’ RP and preference ratings. Respondents rated flowering and autumn-colored views significantly higher in RP and preference than foliated, 4-bit views higher than 2-bit, and 2-bit views higher than zero-bit. Flowering and autumn-colored foliage, view area, and plant region quantities indirectly affected RP ratings through preference. Important landscape design and practice implications follow: Flowering plants and red or yellow autumn-colored foliage may increase users’ preference and RP.