cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Frequency of hypokalemia after successfully resuscitated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest compared with that in transmural acute myocardial infarction

To evaluate the prevalence of hypokalemia in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, the initial serum potassium and arterial pH values were reviewed from 138 consecutive patients resuscitated from cardiac arrest. For comparison, the same variables were reviewed for 62 consecutive patients who had transmural acute myocardial infarction (AMI) without cardiac arrest. The mean serum potassium level was lower after resuscitation from cardiac arrest (3.6 ± 0.6 mEq/liter) than during AMI (3.9 ± 0.5 mEq/liter) (p
Trade, wages, and the specific factors model: empirical evidence from manufacturing industries in Ghana

This study analyzes the impact of trade on wages in the context of the specific factors model by focusing on the link between trade and the average real wage. A recent paper by Jones and Ruffin (Rev Int Econ, 16:234-249, 2008) shows how one can use the specific factors model to predict how labor should fare from an improvement in the terms of trade. For this purpose, I use annual firm-level data on the manufacturing sector in Ghana during the period 1991-1997. I find that a ceteris paribus increase in the price of exportables in the wood industry would help labor but labor would be hurt by price increases in the food-baker, furniture, textile-garment, and metal-machinery industries.
Detecting Abnormal Semantic Web Data Using Semantic Dependency

Data quality is a critical problem for the Semantic Web. We propose that the degree to which a triple deviates from similar triples can be an important heuristic for identifying errors. Inspired by data dependency, which has shown promise in database data quality research, we introduce Semantic Dependency to assess quality of Semantic Web data. The system first builds a summary graph for finding candidate semantic dependencies. Each semantic dependency has a probability according to its instantiations and is subsequently adjusted based on the inconsistencies among them. Then triples can get a posterior probability of normality based on what semantic dependencies can support each of them. Repeating the iteration above, the proposed approach detects abnormal Semantic Web data. Experiments have shown that the system is efficient on data set with 10M triples and has more than a ten percent F-score improvement over our previous system.
The dissociation of human deoxyhemoglobin and mixed state hemoglobin into monomer

The experimental hybridizations between fully deoxygenated human and canine hemoglobins and between half-ligated human hemoglobin and canine cyanomethemoglobin show that new two hybrids in addition to the parent hemoglobins were clearly formed in the mixtures at the high concentration of KI. Thus, human deoxyhemoglobin under the prexent conditions is in an equilibrium with three species, tetramer ⇆ dimer ⇆ monomer. This means that the deoxyhemoglobin is in R-T equilibrium, and shifts considerably toward the R state under the present conditions. On the other hand, the half-ligated hemoglobin in 1.5 M KI becomes much more dissociable than the deoxy T state and appears to be completely transformed into the R state. Nevertheless, the co-operativity, n, is still high (n = 2.0).
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Accelerates Allocentric Target Detection

Background Previous research on hemispatial neglect has provided evidence for dissociable mechanisms for egocentric and allocentric processing. Although a few studies have examined whether tDCS to posterior parietal cortex can be beneficial for attentional processing in neurologically intact individuals, none have examined the potential effect of tDCS on allocentric and/or egocentric processing.
Recent developments in transport phenomena in Weyl semimetals

The last decade has witnessed great advancements in the science and engineering of systems with unconventional band structures, seeded by studies of graphene and topological insulators. While the band structure of graphene simulates massless relativistic electrons in two dimensions, topological insulators have bands that wind non-trivially over momentum space in a certain abstract sense. Over the last couple of years, enthusiasm has been burgeoning in another unconventional and topological (although, not quite in the same sense as topological insulators) phase – the Weyl semimetal. In this phase, electrons mimic Weyl fermions that are well known in high-energy physics, and inherit many of their properties, including an apparent violation of charge conservation known as the chiral anomaly. In this review, we recap some of the unusual transport properties of Weyl semimetals discussed in the literature so far, focusing on signatures whose roots lie in the anomaly. We also mention several proposed realizations of this phase in condensed matter systems, since they were what arguably precipitated activity on Weyl semimetals in the first place.
Reflections on career development among student affairs leaders

This chapter examines the career paths of student affairs leaders and their reflections on the factors that matter most in making important career choices.
Tunable Channel Decomposition for MIMO Communications Using Channel State Information

We consider jointly designing transceivers for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications. Assuming the availability of the channel state information (CSI) at the transmitter (CSIT) and receiver (CSIR), we propose a scheme that can decompose a MIMO channel, in a capacity lossless manner, into multiple subchannels with prescribed capacities, or equivalently, signal-to-interference-and-noise ratios (SINRs). We refer to this scheme as the tunable channel decomposition (TCD), which is based on the recently developed generalized triangular decomposition (GTD) algorithm and the closed-form representation of minimum mean-squared-error VBLAST (MMSE-VBLAST) equalizer. The TCD scheme is particularly relevant to the applications where independent data streams with different qualities-of-service (QoS) share the same MIMO channel. The TCD scheme has two implementation forms. One is the combination of a linear precoder and a minimum mean-squared-error VBLAST (MMSE-VBLAST) equalizer, which is referred to as TCD-VBLAST, and the other includes a dirty paper (DP) precoder and a linear equalizer followed by a DP decoder, which we refer to as TCD-DP. We also include the optimal code-division multiple-access (CDMA) sequence design as a special case in the framework of MIMO transceiver designs. Hence, our scheme can be directly applied to optimal CDMA sequence design, both in the uplink and downlink scenarios
Human behavioral ecology - necessary but not sufficient for the evolutionary analysis of human behavior

This is a timely review of human behavioral ecology (HBE), emphasizing its strength in providing conceptual coherence to a variety of fields within the social sciences—particularly economics, political science, demography, and anthropology. The breadth of venues where this work is now published, together with the increasing disciplinary range of our collaborators, suggests that a behavioral ecological framework for the social sciences has appeal way beyond the narrow anthropological clique where it first found its home. I strongly agree with the authors’ conclusion that our field provides a threshold for fruitful integration of the natural and social sciences, much as Wilson (1998) was calling for with his appeal for consilience. I have 3 comments. The first is that the heavy reliance on HBE east of the North Atlantic will no doubt upset some very prominent players in the United States who have made major contributions to the field, particularly those using rich archaeological sources. The second is that although the authors are right in pointing out that HBE is increasingly applied to survey data from industrialized societies, they underemphasize the critical contributions to HBE from behavioral and demographic studies of small-scale societies where elements of traditional behavior can still, to some extent, be related directly to reproductive, health, and economic outcomes. Given the intense political and economic pressures on these populations to “modernize,” researchers should prioritize studying
Service-Dominant Logic as a Foundation for Service Science: Clarifications

Service science is an emerging discipline concerned with the evolution, interaction, and reciprocal cocreation of value among service systems (Maglio and Spohrer [Maglio, P. P., J. Spohrer. 2008. Fundamentals of Service Science. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 36(1) 18–20.]; Spohrer et al. [Spohrer, J., S. Vargo, N. Caswell, P. Maglio. 2008. The Service System is the Basic Abstraction of Service Science. 41st Annual HICSS Conference Proceedings.]). Service-dominant (S-D) logic (Vargo and Lusch [Vargo, S., R. F. Lusch. 2004a. Evolving to a New Dominant Logic for Marketing. Journal of Marketing 68(1) 1–17.] [Vargo, S., R. F. Lusch. 2008. Service-Dominant Logic: Continuing the Evolution. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 36(1) 1–10.]) is an alternative to the traditional, goods-dominant (G-D) paradigm for understanding economic exchange and value creation. This service-centered view is based on the idea that service – the application of competences for the benefit of another – is the ba...
LCLS-S1 optical transition radiation monitor

Argonne National Laboratory has developed a high- resolution optical transition radiation (OTR) imaging monitor for the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) injection linac at SLAC. The imaging station,OTR-S1, will be located at the S1 spectrometer with a beam energy of 135 MeV. The system will be used to acquire 2-D transverse beam distributions of the accelerated photocathode-gun-generated electron beam. We anticipate an average beam current of 0.2 to 1 nC and nominal beam spot size of 130 mum (sigmax), 100 mum (sigmay). The imaging system was designed for a field of view x/y: 10 times 7.5 mm. The spatial resolution of ~12 microns was verified over the central 5times4 mm region in the visible. A 12-bit digital camera acquires the image and a Mac-based digital frame-capturing system was employed for the initial lab-based performance testing of the device. We report on system development, testing methods, and data analysis.
Boron carbide based solid state neutron detectors: the effects of bias and time constant on detection efficiency

Neutron detection in thick boron carbide(BC)/n-type Si heterojunction diodes shows a threefold increase in efficiency with applied bias and longer time constants. The improved efficiencies resulting from long time constants have been conclusively linked to the much longer charge collection times in the BC layer. Neutron detection signals from both the p-type BC layer and the n-type Si side of the heterojunction diode are observed, with comparable efficiencies. Collectively, these provide strong evidence that the semiconducting BC layer plays an active role in neutron detection, both in neutron capture and in charge generation and collection.
THE ISOPERIMETRIC PROBLEM ON SOME SINGULAR SURFACES

We characterize least-perimeter enclosures of prescribed area on some piecewise smooth manifolds, including certain polyhedra, double spherical caps, and cylindrical cans.
Distributed power control and routing for clustered CDMA wireless ad hoc networks

We consider a multi-hop wireless ad hoc network where all nodes share a common channel, and code division multiple access (CDMA) is used to facilitate concurrent transmissions. The network model consists of groups of nodes that may loosely be termed as clusters. We address the question of how to efficiently facilitate intra- and inter-cluster communications between multiple source-destination pairs. The performance metric considered is throughput per unit power. The concurrent transmissions employ distributed power control and are scheduled to resolve conflicts. We propose a dynamic forwarding mechanism in which forwarding nodes are used when it is energy-efficient, and the choice of forwarding node varies according to source-destination pairs. We observe that such a dynamic forwarding policy yields improved throughput per unit power as compared to previously proposed schemes which use either fixed forwarding nodes or cluster-heads to perform inter-cluster communications.
Structure-based model for light-harvesting properties of nucleic acid nanostructures

Programmed self-assembly of DNA enables the rational design of megadalton-scale macromolecular assemblies with sub-nanometer scale precision. These assemblies can be programmed to serve as structural scaffolds for secondary chromophore molecules with light-harvesting properties. Like in natural systems, the local and global spatial organization of these synthetic scaffolded chromophore systems plays a crucial role in their emergent excitonic and optical properties. Previously, we introduced a computational model to predict the large-scale 3D solution structure and flexibility of nucleic acid nanostructures programmed using the principle of scaffolded DNA origami. Here, we use Forster resonance energy transfer theory to simulate the temporal dynamics of dye excitation and energy transfer accounting both for overall DNA nanostructure architecture as well as atomic-level DNA and dye chemical structure and composition. Results are used to calculate emergent optical properties including effective absorption cross-section, absorption and emission spectra and total power transferred to a biomimetic reaction center in an existing seven-helix double stranded DNA-based antenna. This structure-based computational framework enables the efficient in silico evaluation of nucleic acid nanostructures for diverse light-harvesting and photonic applications.
Gibbs ringing in diffusion MRI

Purpose To study and reduce the effect of Gibbs ringing artifact on computed diffusion parameters. Methods We reduce the ringing by extrapolating the k-space of each diffusion weighted image beyond the measured part by selecting an adequate regularization term. We evaluate several regularization terms and tune the regularization parameter to find the best compromise between anatomical accuracy of the reconstructed image and suppression of the Gibbs artifact. Results We demonstrate empirically and analytically that the Gibbs artifact, which is typically observed near sharp edges in magnetic resonance images, has a significant impact on the quantification of diffusion model parameters, even for infinitesimal diffusion weighting. We find the second order total generalized variation to be a good choice for the penalty term to regularize the extrapolation of the k-space, as it provides a parsimonious representation of images, a practically full suppression of Gibbs ringing, and the absence of staircasing artifacts typical for total variation methods. Conclusions Regularized extrapolation of the k-space data significantly reduces truncation artifacts without compromising spatial resolution in comparison to the default option of window filtering. In particular, accuracy of estimating diffusion tensor imaging and diffusion kurtosis imaging parameters improves so much that unconstrained fits become possible. Magn Reson Med 76:301–314, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Performance of a packet switched WDM network with dynamic wavelength selection

WDM networks in general depend on transmitters and receivers that are precisely tuned to predetermined fixed wavelengths. Robust WDM is an approach aimed at relaxing manufacturing and operating wavelength tolerance requirements, which will lead to cost effective implementations. In this approach, connections are based on dynamically selected wavelengths as opposed to using fixed wavelength channels. A station that needs a connection selects a wavelength during a reservation interval. The performance of a simplified WDM protocol with dynamic wavelength selection is modeled and analyzed for packet traffic. In this version, the reservation intervals are assigned to stations randomly. The performance of the protocol is analyzed for different network parameters.
Modeling of secondary organic aerosol yields from laboratory chamber data

Abstract. Laboratory chamber data serve as the basis for constraining models of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. Current models fall into three categories: empirical two-product (Odum), product-specific, and volatility basis set. The product-specific and volatility basis set models are applied here to represent laboratory data on the ozonolysis of α-pinene under dry, dark, and low-NOx conditions in the presence of ammonium sulfate seed aerosol. Using five major identified products, the model is fit to the chamber data. From the optimal fitting, SOA oxygen-to-carbon (O/C) and hydrogen-to-carbon (H/C) ratios are modeled. The discrepancy between measured H/C ratios and those based on the oxidation products used in the model fitting suggests the potential importance of particle-phase reactions. Data fitting is also carried out using the volatility basis set, wherein oxidation products are parsed into volatility bins. The product-specific model is most likely hindered by lack of explicit inclusion of particle-phase accretion compounds. While prospects for identification of the majority of SOA products for major volatile organic compounds (VOCs) classes remain promising, for the near future empirical product or volatility basis set models remain the approaches of choice.
Graduate Teaching Assistants’ Knowledge Development for Teaching a Novel Physics Curriculum

Matter and Interactions (MI and (2) encountering dilemmas of teaching and learning. The results of this study will contribute to future preparation of the innovative introductory physics course as well as other college level science courses.
Optically-Interrogated Zero-Power MEMS Magnetometer

A magnetic-field-sensing system that consists of a miniature zero-power magnetometer, an integrated micromachined corner-cube reflector (CCR), a commercially available diode laser, and a photodetector array, has been designed, fabricated, assembled, and tested. The zero-power-magnetometer design is based on a ferromagnetic MEMS magnetometer, which consists of a permanent magnet that is torsionally suspended to allow rotation about a single axis. A single mirror of the CCR is attached to the magnetometer torsion beam. When the magnet rotates in response to a change in magnetic field, the torsion beam will twist and cause the mirror to become misaligned. The non-ideality of the CCR can be interrogated with a laser and a photosensor array can be used to measure the reflected signal. This method of magnetic sensing completely eliminates sensor-node power consumed at the remote location. The sensor node developed for this paper occupies a volume of only 1.5 mm3 and can detect a magnetic field between 820 A/m to 6 kA/m with an uncertainty of 90 A/m at a 1-m optical-interrogation range. The primary application of this technology is in wireless sensing systems that must operate continuously without providing or maintaining the sensor-node energy (e.g., replacing batteries or scavenging energy) or in extremely harsh environments where power supplies and integrated circuits (IC) are not an option
Advocacy Counseling for Female Survivors of Partner Abuse: Implications for Counselor Education

This article outlines ways by which counselor educators may prepare counselors and counselor trainees to be advocates for survivors of partner abuse. Advocacy strategies for counselors and counselor trainees working with survivors of partner abuse are provided, integrating the 5 components of collaboration, context, competence, critical consciousness, and community (E. McWhirter, 1998) within an ecological framework.
Species and tissue type regulate long-term decomposition of brackish marsh plants grown under elevated CO2 conditions

Abstract Organic matter accumulation, the net effect of plant production and decomposition, contributes to vertical soil accretion in coastal wetlands, thereby playing a key role in whether they keep pace with sea-level rise. Any factor that affects decomposition may affect wetland accretion, including atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Higher CO2 can influence decomposition rates by altering plant tissue chemistry or by causing shifts in plant species composition or biomass partitioning. A combined greenhouse-field experiment examined how elevated CO2 affected plant tissue chemistry and subsequent decomposition of above- and belowground tissues of two common brackish marsh species, Schoenoplectus americanus (C3) and Spartina patens (C4). Both species were grown in monoculture and in mixture under ambient (350–385 μL L−1) or elevated (ambient + 300 μL L−1) atmospheric CO2 conditions, with all other growth conditions held constant, for one growing season. Above- and belowground tissues produced under these treatments were decomposed under ambient field conditions in a brackish marsh in the Mississippi River Delta, USA. Elevated CO2 significantly reduced nitrogen content of S. americanus, but not sufficiently to affect subsequent decomposition. Instead, long-term decomposition (percent mass remaining after 280 d) was controlled by species composition and tissue type. Shoots of S. patens had more mass remaining (41 ± 2%) than those of S. americanus (12 ± 2%). Belowground material decomposed more slowly than that placed aboveground (62 ± 1% vs. 23 ± 3% mass remaining), but rates belowground did not differ between species. Increases in atmospheric CO2 concentration will likely have a greater effect on overall decomposition in this brackish marsh community through shifts in species dominance or biomass allocation than through effects on tissue chemistry. Consequent changes in organic matter accumulation may alter marsh capacity to accommodate sea-level rise through vertical accretion.
Exploring Economic and Social factors that increase Economic and Well-being measurements of developing and developed countries

The historical growth paths of developed and developing countries reveal the challenges that developing countries face in traveling the road from poverty to prosperity. Based on economic development literature, economic theory, and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression method, this research considers whether or not, and to what extent globalization characteristics, foreign direct investment levels (FDI), secondary school enrollment rates, information communication technology (ICT) as a percentage of trade imports, and happiness levels of 103 developing and developed countries, impact their GDP per capita levels. This paper will also take a look at alternative ways of viewing and measuring economic success.
Regulated Technology Diffusion: The SEC and the Impact of 'Penny Pricing' in Electronic Options Trading

The Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) implemented the first phase of a 'penny pricing' pilot in the exchange-traded equity options market in February 2007. The initial phase of this trial required the six United States options exchanges to reduce the minimum bid-offer spread from five or ten cents to a penny for the options corresponding to thirteen underlying equity securities. The catalyst for this pricing change was the improved electronic capabilities of the exchanges. Over the course of the preceding decade, the exchanges invested in the development of electronic trading systems that allowed for more efficient quoting and trading of options securities. The SEC's mandated pricing change effectively redistributes the gains of innovation from the exchanges' market makers to individual investors. his paper analyses the market impact of the Penny Pilot and highlights the SEC's central role in shaping the options market's innovations and competitive environment. Beyond a reduction in bid-offer spreads, the pricing pilot has stimulated a variety of changes in trading dynamics and market structure. These repercussions include thinner markets, changes in market maker fee structures, the introduction of alternative trading venues, and incentives for the exchanges to prioritize further technological innovation.
Safe Yield of Aquifers: An Economic Reformulation

Certain concepts of safe yield of ground-water reservoirs have been criticized by hydrologists as ambiguous, pseudohydrologic and overly limited in scope. From the perspective of economics, these difficulties are seen to stem from application of an essentially descriptive (factual) concept to the prescriptive (normative) problem of resource allocation. From the theory of optimal resource allocation in economics, it is shown that ground water basin management becomes an issue of public concern because of the existence of technical conditions which prevent the market mechanism from properly functioning in the allocation of ground water. The rules for allocating ground water implicit in the prescriptive definition of safe yield are addressed to significant issues, problems which are termed external diseconomies in economics. However, these rules are deficient in that they focus on costs of ground water withdrawals while ignoring associated benefits. The objective of maximizing net economic yield (the present value of social benefits minus social costs) is suggested as an alternative to safe yield criteria for ground water basin management.
Antihistamine effects and complications of supplemental vitamin C

In the rat, acute stress induces a rapid mobilization of tissue ascorbate, de novo synthesis of ascorbate in liver, and a rise in plasma and urinary ascorbate levels, culminating in elevated total-body ascorbate levels. In human beings, the enhanced metabolism of ascorbic acid after stress results in a rapid fall in ascorbate stores because of the body's inability to synthesize ascorbate in vivo. The physiologic relevance of these changes has not been established, but Chatterjee et al have postulated that ascorbate mobilization during stress may be a natural defense mechanism for the detoxification of excess histamine, an inflammatory substance that is synthesized and released by most tissues in response to chemical, physical, or immunologic stress. Histamine-induced vasodilation and increased vascular permeability promote the "fight-or-flight" response and healing. Excess histamine, however, has a negative impact on circulatory and immunologic homeostasis. Chronic administration of 2 g of L-ascorbate per day has significantly lowered blood histamine levels by 40% in healthy adults; this reduction in histamine was inversely related to leukocyte chemotaxis, a measure of immune responsiveness. In this study, we examined whether 500 mg ascorbate daily, a level that could be obtained in a carefully planned diet, had an antihistamine effect
In the Crucible of Confucianism

When human collectives scale up from small, tight-knit groups to mass societies, naked power can carry the day. While many cultures relied on the evolution of big gods to manage the problems of mass society, Confucius opted for strong ties of the family as a solution. The Confucian project consists of humanizing power with virtue, especially benevolence (ren), by means of rituals (li), poetry, and music. This entails a unique approach to social coordination; there a detour through the private consciousness of the individual is preferred over the more direct route via the public space of the group. The far reaching implications of the Confucian project for the development of relational reasoning will be explored.
Parasitic-aware RF IC design and optimisation

Based on the principles of radio communication theorised by Maxwell in 1862, the wireless communications industry has grown exponentially during the past few decades. Nowadays, almost everyone owns at least one wireless communications product such as a television, radio, cellular phone, cordless phone, pager, wireless modem, wireless computer peripheral, etc. Because of the burgeoning popularity of wireless communications, research is ongoing to develop small-size, lightweight, low-cost, and highly power-efficient products. Moreover, consumers continually demand less expensive and more portable personal communications devices with ever increasing functionality. Consequently, intense worldwide research is focused on the design of RF communication circuits that can be integrated with both analogue and digital subcircuits in CMOS system-on-chip solutions.
Os-level virtualization and its applications

OS-level virtualization is a technology that partitions the operating system to create multiple isolated Virtual Machines (VM). An OS-level VM is a virtual execution environment that can be forked instantly from the base operating environment. OS-level virtualization has been widely used to improve security, manageability and availability of today’s complex software environment, with small runtime and resource overhead, and with minimal changes to the existing computing infrastructure. A main challenge with OS-level virtualization is how to achieve strong isolation among VMs that share a common base OS. In this dissertation we study major OS components of Windows NT kernel, and present a Feather-weight Virtual Machine (FVM), an OS-level virtualization implementation on Windows platform. The key idea behind FVM is access redirection and copy-on-write, which allow each VM to read from the base environment but write into the VM’s private workspace. In addition, we identify various communication interfaces and confine them in the scope of each individual VM. We demonstrate how to accomplish these tasks to isolate different VMs, and evaluate FVM’s performance overhead and scalability. We present five applications on the FVM framework: secure mobile code execution service, vulnerability assessment support engine, scalable web site testing, shared binary service for application deployment and distributed Display-Only File Server. To prevent malicious mobile code from compromising desktop’s integrity, we confine the execution of untrusted content inside a VM. To isolate undesirable side effects on production-mode network service during vulnerability scans, we clone the service to be scanned into a VM, and invoke vulnerability scanners on the virtualized service. To identify malicious web sites that exploit browser vulnerabilities, we use a web crawler to access untrusted sites, render their pages with browsers running in VMs, and monitor their execution behaviors. To allow Windows desktop to share binaries that are centrally stored, managed and patched, we launch shared binaries in a special VM whose runtime environment is imported from a central binary server. To protect confidential files in a file server against information theft by insiders, we ensure that file viewing/editing tools run in a client VM, which grants file content display but prevents file content from being saved on the client machine. In this dissertation, we show how to customize the generic FVM framework to accommodate the needs of these applications, and present experimental results that demonstrate their performance and effectiveness.
Variation and Congruence of Microsatellite Markers for Peromyscus leucopus

A frequent challenge to ecologists and evolutionary biologists is the need to determine the genetic relationships among individuals, demes, and metapopulations. Genetic markers that provide sufficient resolution could be used to elucidate mating systems, determine parentage, and assess gene flow among populations. I developed a set of (CT) n , (GT) n , and (GATA) n microsatellite markers for the white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus. Variation at six microsatellite loci was assessed for populations ranging from Maine to New Mexico (transect populations) and for a second set of populations in South Dakota. Alleles per locus ranged from 1 to 29. Alleles per locus per population ranged from 6.5 to 8.8, with an average of 7.3. Microsatellite data were congruent with allozymic, chromosomal, and other data in depicting asymmetrical gene flow between two chromosomal cytotypes. Discriminant function analysis of microsatellite data provided ≥92% correct classification to cytotype, 63% correct classification to populations within the transect from Maine to New Mexico, and 100% correct classification to populations in South Dakota. The ecological distribution of Peromyscus leucopus and the extensive ecological and genetic knowledge already established for this species, combined with the highly polymorphic microsatellite markers developed in this study, make this an excellent system for addressing questions relevant to ecology, behavior, evolution, and conservation biology.
Racial differences in ischemic complications of pedicled versus free abdominal flaps for breast reconstruction.

PURPOSE This study aims to determine the relationship between race and ischemic complications in women undergoing breast reconstruction with pedicled TRAM (pTRAM) and perforator flaps (DIEP). PATIENTS AND METHODS A retrospective, cross-sectional study of women who underwent breast reconstruction utilizing either pTRAM or DIEP flaps from March 1, 2002 to September 1, 2012 was performed. Clinical and demographic variables, including race and ischemic complications (mastectomy flap necrosis, fat necrosis, partial abdominal flap necrosis, vascular compromise requiring reoperation), were examined. Fat necrosis was graded using a previously established scale (grade I = radiologically visible, II = palpable, III = palpable and visible, IV = symptomatic). RESULTS Over the 10-year study period, adequate follow-up was available for 138 women (94 Caucasian, 36 African American) who underwent pTRAM or DIEP. Fat necrosis occurred more frequently in the pTRAM group (53.5% vs. 17.4%, P < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in partial flap necrosis or mastectomy flap necrosis between the 2 groups. The DIEP group had a higher rate of vascular compromise requiring reoperation (13% vs. 0, P = 0.003). In the pTRAM group, there was a higher rate of fat necrosis (77% vs. 45.6%, P < 0.001) and grade IV fat necrosis in African Americans (42.8% vs. 9.5%, P = 0.005). Rates of other ischemic complications were comparable between the 2 racial groups. In the DIEP group, ischemic complications were comparable between the 2 racial groups. After stratifying by flap type and race, we saw no differences in mastectomy flap necrosis (P = 0.0182). DISCUSSION African Americans undergoing pTRAM flap are at higher risk for grade IV fat necrosis but not mastectomy flap necrosis or partial flap necrosis. This may be due to difficulty using physical examination to judge the vascular status of a pedicle flap that is known to undergo significant changes in vascular physiology following transfer. Intraoperative assessment of perfusion using new technologies may be useful in these higher risk patients.
Post-establishment assessment of host plant specificity of Arytainilla spartiophila (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), an adventive biological control agent of Scotch broom, Cytisus scoparius

ABSTRACTScotch broom, Cytisus scoparius (Fabaceae), is a shrub native to Europe that is invasive in the USA, New Zealand and Australia. The psyllid Arytainilla spartiophila has been purposely introduced to Australia and New Zealand as a biological control agent of C. scoparius, but is an accidental introduction to California. Lupines (Lupinus spp.) are the closest native taxon to Cytisus in North America, and are therefore considered to be at the highest risk for non-target damage. However, because no lupines are native to Australia or New Zealand, only one imported forage species was evaluated during prior host specificity testing. We conducted a laboratory nymphal transfer experiment, a field choice experiment and a field survey to assess risk to three lupine species (Lupinus albifrons, Lupinus bicolor and Lupinus formosus). In the laboratory, 20% of third-instar nymphs were able to develop to adulthood on L. formosus but not on the other lupine species, while 40% completed development on C. scoparius. ...
Many long intergenic non-coding RNAs distally regulate mRNA gene expression levels

Long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNA) are members of a class of non-protein-coding RNA transcript that has recently been shown to contribute to gene regulatory processes and disease etiology. It has been hypothesized that lincRNAs influence disease risk through the regulation of mRNA transcription, possibly by interacting with regulatory proteins such as chromatin-modifying complexes. The hypothesis of the regulation of mRNA by lincRNAs is based on a small number of specific lincRNAs analyses; the cellular roles of lincRNAs regulation have not been catalogued genome-wide. Relative to mRNAs, lincRNAs tend to be expressed at lower levels and in more tissue-specific patterns, making genome-wide studies of their regulatory capabilities difficult. Here we develop a method for Mendelian randomization leveraging expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) that regulate the expression levels of lincRNAs (linc-eQTLs) to perform such a study across four primary tissues. We find that linc-eQTLs are largely similar to protein-coding eQTLs (pc-eQTLs) in cis-regulatory element enrichment, which supports the hypothesis that lincRNAs are regulated by the same transcriptional machinery as protein-coding RNAs and validates our linc-eQTLs. We catalog 74 lincRNAs with linc-eQTLs that are in linkage disequilibrium with TASs and are in protein-coding gene deserts; the putative lincRNA-regulated traits are highly enriched for adipose-related traits relative to mRNA-regulated traits.
Study on Extraction of Dendrobium candidumPolysaccharide by Wet Ultrafine Grinding Technology

Taking Dendrobium candidumas material,wet u1trafine grinding technology was used to extract Dendrobium candidumpolysaccharide.The effect of gap of mill teeth,ratio of solid to liquid,extraction temperature and extraction time on yield of polysaccharide were studied by single factor test,and orthogonal test was used to optimum extraction conditions.The results showed that optimum conditions were gap of mill teeth 30μm,ratio of solid to liquid 1∶14g/mL,extraction temperature 70℃and extraction time 31min.The yield of Dendrobiumc andidumpolysaccharide was 16.48%.Wet u1trafine grinding extraction was a suitable method for extraction of Dendrobium candidum polysaccharide.
Modeling and analyzing faults to improve election process robustness

This paper presents an approach for continuous process improvement and illustrates its application to improving the robustness of election processes. In this approach, the Little-JIL process definition language is used to create a precise and detailed model of an election process. Given this process model and a potential undesirable event, or hazard, a fault tree is automatically derived. Fault tree analysis is then used to automatically identify combinations of failures that might allow the selected potential hazard to occur. Once these combinations have been identified, we iteratively improve the process model to increase the robustness of the election process against those combinations that seem the most likely to occur. We demonstrate this approach for the Yolo County election process. We focus our analysis on the ballot counting process and what happens when a discrepancy is found during the count. We identify two single points of failure (SPFs) in this process and propose process modifications that we then show remove these SPFs.
Reduced Prevalence of Obesity in 14 Disadvantaged Black Communities in the United States: A Successful 4-Year Place-Based Participatory Intervention

Objectives. To assess the impact of a large-scale place-based intervention on obesity prevalence in Black communities.Methods. The Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health across the United States (REACH US) project was conducted in 14 predominantly Black communities in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. We measured trends from 2009 to 2012 in the prevalence of obesity. We used Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data to compare these trends with trends among non-Hispanic Whites and non-Hispanic Blacks in the United States and in the 10 states where REACH communities were located, and with a propensity score–matched national sample of non-Hispanic Blacks.Results. The age-standardized prevalence of obesity decreased in REACH US communities (P = .045), but not in the comparison populations (P = .435 to P = .996). The relative change was −5.3% in REACH US communities versus +2.4% in propensity score–matche...
Life on the Move: Modeling the Effects of Climate-Driven Range Shifts with Integrodifference Equations

Climate change is causing many species to shift their ranges. We analyze an integrodifference equation that combines growth, dispersal, and a shifting habitat in order to assess the impact of climate change on persistence. We apply this model to butterflies and show that over-dispersal and under-dispersal can both lead to extinction. We focus on the critical range-shift speed (for extinction), survey numerical methods for determining this speed, and introduce new analytic approximations for the critical shift speed. Finally, we apply our numerical methods and analytic approximations to a variety of redistribution kernels and show that critical-speed curves shed light on the complicated effects of dispersal on persistence in a changing climatic environment.
A method for evaluating the murine pulmonary vasculature using micro-computed tomography.

Abstract Background Significant mortality and morbidity are associated with alterations in the pulmonary vasculature. While techniques have been described for quantitative morphometry of whole-lung arterial trees in larger animals, no methods have been described in mice. We report a method for the quantitative assessment of murine pulmonary arterial vasculature using high-resolution computed tomography scanning. Methods Mice were harvested at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 3 months of age. The pulmonary artery vascular tree was pressure perfused to maximal dilation with a radio-opaque casting material with viscosity and pressure set to prevent capillary transit and venous filling. The lungs were fixed and scanned on a specimen computed tomography scanner at 8-μm resolution, and the vessels were segmented. Vessels were grouped into categories based on lumen diameter and branch generation. Results Robust high-resolution segmentation was achieved, permitting detailed quantitation of pulmonary vascular morphometrics. As expected, postnatal lung development was associated with progressive increase in small-vessel number and arterial branching complexity. Conclusions These methods for quantitative analysis of the pulmonary vasculature in postnatal and adult mice provide a useful tool for the evaluation of mouse models of disease that affect the pulmonary vasculature.
Role of LiCl in Generating Soluble Organozinc Reagents

The sensitivity provided by fluorescence microscopy enabled the observation of surface intermediates in the synthesis of soluble organozinc reagents by direct insertion of alkyl iodides to commercial zinc powder. Five hypotheses were examined for the mechanistic role of lithium chloride in enabling this direct insertion. The data are consistent with lithium chloride solubilizing organozinc reagents from the surface of the zinc after oxidative addition.
Student Brief: Culinary Zionism

While discussions of Israeli cuisine as a distinct cultural field are relatively new, the cuisine already proliferates in media, food service, and industrial production. In content, it reflects influences from a variety of global sources. This article argues that Israeli cuisine arose through the application of Zionist historical intelligibility to diasporic and indigenous Arab cuisines. The result is a cuisine that embodies the characteristic, teleological “ingathering of exiles” to appropriate diasporic culinary traditions. This process characterizes Israel9s hegemonic control of the means of narration and the production of a superfluous diasporic Jewish and indigenous Arab population.
ION-EXCHANGE PROPERTIES OF IONITES WITH VARIOUS FUNCTIONAL GROUPS

Sorption regularities of Zn 2+ and Pb 2+ ions from water solutions by ion exchangers of Diaion CR 11, Amberlite IRC 748 with iminodiacetic acid functional group and Dowex M 4195 with bis-picolilamine functional group are investigated, sorption isotherms are plotted, isotherms are analyzed on the basis of known models, thermodynamic parameters are calculated on the basis of kinetic data, thermodynamic factor controlling processes is determined.
Metformin therapy for the reproductive and metabolic consequences of polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common hormonal disorder among women of reproductive age, has various metabolic and reproductive consequences. Metformin was originally shown to lower testosterone levels in women with PCOS in the 1990s, an effect presumably related to its insulin sensitising actions. However, the precise mechanisms of metformin action in PCOS remain unclear and there is considerable heterogeneity in the clinical response to this therapy in women with PCOS. Recent evidence indicates that genetic factors may play a significant role in predicting response to metformin therapy in PCOS and future studies are needed to further identify women who are most likely to benefit from this therapy. At present, there is no clear evidence to support broad metformin use in PCOS. Well-designed prospective trials are needed to establish clear benefit for metformin use in the treatment of the reproductive and metabolic consequences associated with PCOS.
Physiological response to firefighting activities of various work cycles using extended duration and prototype SCBA

AbstractFirefighters’ self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) protects the respiratory system during firefighting but increases the physiological burden. Extended duration SCBA (>30 min) have increased air supply, potentially increasing the duration of firefighting work cycles. To examine the effects of SCBA configuration and work cycle (length and rest), 30 firefighters completed seven trials using different SCBA and one or two bouts of simulated firefighting following work cycles common in the United States. Heart rate, core temperature, oxygen consumption, work output and self-reported perceptions were recorded during all activities. Varying SCBA resulted in few differences in these parameters. However, during a second bout, work output significantly declined while heart rates and core temperatures were elevated relative to a single bout. Thirty seven per cent of the subjects were unable to complete the second bout in at least one of the two-bout conditions. These firefighters had lower fitness and h...
Large Introns of 5 to 10 Kilo Base Pairs Can Be Spliced out in Arabidopsis

Most of the eukaryotic genes contain introns, which are removed from the pre-RNA during RNA processing. In contrast to the introns in animals, which are usually several kilo base pairs (kb), those in plants generally are very small, which are mostly from dozens of base pairs (bp) to a few hundred bp. According to annotation version 10.0 of the genome of Arabidopsis thaliana, there are 127,854 introns in the nuclear genes; 99.23% of them are less than 1 kb, and only 16 introns are annotated to be larger than 5 kb, which are extremely large introns (ELI) in Arabidopsis. To learn whether these introns are true introns or not and how large introns could be in Arabidopsis, RT-PCR analysis of genes containing these ELIs were carried out. The results indicated that some of these putative introns are indeed ELIs. These ELIs are mainly composed of transposons or transposable elements (TE), excepting one, whose counterparts are also very long in diverse plant species. Thus, this study confirms the existence of introns larger than 5 kb or even 10 kb in Arabidopsis.