cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
THE POPULATION BIOLOGY OF THE BUTTERFLY, EUPHYDRYAS EDITHA. II. THE STRUCTURE OF THE JASPER RIDGE COLONY

The relative contributions of various forces to evolutionary changes in natural populations remains one of the central questions of population biology. Many of the studies bearing on this question have been initiated because of the unusual characteristics of certain populations. For instance, they have dealt with extreme interpopulation variability in Cepaea and striking differences in composition of young and adult samples of Natrix. In other cases, marked changes in populations through time (as in Biston betularia) have attracted the attention of biologists. These investigations generally have led to the conclusion that rapid evolutionary changes are taking place, and in particular they have led to the detection of high selection pressures. It now seems that while very gradual changes theoretically can account for the known evolutionary history of organisms, rapid changes are reasonably frequent in nature. It is not clear, however, whether these rapid changes tend to oscillate or to occur only sporadically, so that the long-term effects may be similar to those which would result from relatively constant slow selection. The sampling of microevolutionary situations represented by these studies is neither large enough nor sufficiently unbiased to permit reasonable statements about patterns of microevolutionary rates, or about the relative magnitude of factors contributing to these rates. One partial solution to this sampling problem is to investigate populations chosen neither because of some unusual characteristic, nor
Crosshatch roughness distortions on a hypersonic turbulent boundary layer

The effects of periodic crosshatch roughness (k+ = 160) on a Mach 4.9 turbulent boundary layer (Reθ = 63 000) are examined using particle image velocimetry. The roughness elements generate a series of alternating shock and expansion waves, which span the entire boundary layer, causing significant (up to +50% and −30%) variations in the Reynolds shear stress field. Evidence of the hairpin vortex organization of incompressible flows is found in the comparative smooth-wall boundary layer case (Reθ = 47 000), and can be used to explain several observations regarding the rough-wall vortex organization. In general, the rough-wall boundary layer near-wall vortices no longer appear to be well-organized into streamwise-aligned packets that straddle relatively low-speed regions like their smooth-wall counterpart; instead, they lean farther away from the wall, become more spatially compact, and their populations become altered. In the lower half of the boundary layer, the net vortex swirling strength and outer-scale...
Peach skin powder inhibits oxidation in cooked turkey meat

The objective of this study was to measure the antioxidant activity of peach skin and test the antioxidant effect of peach skin powder on cooked ground Turkey meat during 12 d of refrigerated storage. Antioxidant activity of 3 cultivars of peaches grown in South Carolina was first evaluated by 3 antioxidant assays. The peach variety O'Henry showed the greatest antioxidant effect and therefore was used for further study. Two levels of peach skin powder (0.5%, 1%) and 0.01% butylated hydroxylanisole (BHA) were applied to ground Turkey meat. Oxidation of cooked Turkey meat was measured by detection of hexanal using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results indicated that all levels of peach skin powder used in this study had an antioxidant effect on ground Turkey with a greater effect at the higher concentration. O'Henry peach skin powder was as effective as BHA in preventing oxidation at the levels tested.
SEDIMENTS FROM AROUND THE LOWER YOUNGER DRYAS BOUNDARY (SE ARIZONA, USA): IMPLICATIONS FROM LA‐ICP‐MS MULTI‐ELEMENT ANALYSIS

AbstractOne of the prominent features in sediment sequences formed around the Allerod‐Younger Dryas transition (c. 12.9–12.8 ka bp) in North America is a dark layer of organic‐rich material, i.e. t...
Computer Enhanced “Release Scenario” Analysis for a Nuclear Waste Repository

An interactive (user-oriented) computer tool is being developed at PNL to assist in the analysis of “release scenarios for long term safety assessment of a continental geologic nuclear waste repository. Emphasis is on characterizing the various ways the geologic and hydrologic system surrounding a repository might vary over the 106–107 years subsequent to final closure of the cavern. The potential disruptive phenomena are categorized as natural geologic and man-caused and tend to be synergistic in nature.
Increased Adrenal Androgens in Overweight Peripubertal Girls.

Context Peripubertal hyperandrogenemia-a precursor to polycystic ovary syndrome-is prominent in girls with obesity. Objective We examined sources of overnight testosterone (T) and progesterone (P4) and potential sources of obesity-associated hyperandrogenemia during puberty. Design Cross-sectional. Setting Research unit. Participants/Interventions Fifty girls ages 7 to 18 years-both normal weight (NW) and overweight (OW)-underwent dexamethasone (DEX) suppression (1 mg orally; 10 pm) and cosyntropin stimulation testing (0.25 mg intravenously; 8 am the following day), with blood sampled before and 30 and 60 minutes after cosyntropin. Thirty-nine subjects receiving DEX had frequent blood sampling overnight (every 10 minutes from 10 pm to 7 am) and were compared with 70 historical controls who did not receive DEX. Outcomes Random coefficient regression modeling assessed changes in hormone concentrations after DEX and cosyntropin. Results NW early pubertal controls exhibited early morning increases in free T and P4 levels; NW and OW late pubertal controls exhibited early morning increases in P4. Such changes were not observed in subjects receiving DEX. Post-DEX morning free T levels were fourfold higher in OW vs NW late pubertal girls. Postcosyntropin changes in free T and androstenedione were both 2.3-fold higher in OW vs NW late pubertal girls. Conclusions These data suggest that (1) overnight increases in free T and P4 concentrations in NW early pubertal girls and P4 concentrations in late pubertal girls are of adrenal origin and (2) OW late pubertal girls demonstrate elevated nonadrenal free T levels after DEX and exaggerated adrenal androgen (free T and androstenedione) responses to cosyntropin.
Numerical Properties of Trajectory Representations of Polynomial Matrices

Abstract In the early 1970s, several researchers reported results relating to the design of multivariable linear systems represented by polynomial matrices. In particular, the book by Wolovich (1974) found widespread resonance. In the sequel, however, the success of these techniques was rather Emited since a manual application of the proposed algorithms is atrocious for all but the most trivial systems, whereas appropriate CACSD tools that would make use of these techniques were not available. The main reasons for this deficiency were twofold: (i) polynomial matrix operations require symbolic processing, a computational technique that was still in its infancy in the 1970s, and (ii) the numerical properties of frequency domain operations were considered dubious. In this paper, the numerical properties of frequency domain operations are analyzed. The two classical data representations (coefficients and roots) are reviewed, and two new data representations, trajectories and coefficient spectra, are proposed.
Prevalence of salivary human herpesviruses in pediatric multiple sclerosis cases and controls.

Background:Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a multifactorial disease of unknown origin. The current paradigm is that disease develops in genetically susceptible individuals, influenced by environmental factors. Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) and human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) have particularly strong associations with the disease. Both viruses are typically acquired during childhood, decades before MS presents. However, in patients with pediatric MS, the temporal window between viral acquisition and disease onset is shortened, which may provide insights into the association of herpesviruses with MS.Objective:To compare the frequency of EBV and HHV-6 in the saliva of a cohort of pediatric MS patients and age-matched controls.Methods:The study enrolled 32 pediatric MS patients and 42 controls and evaluated saliva for HHV-6 u57 and EBV lmp-1 amplification by droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR).Results:Pediatric MS patients did not differ from controls in the frequency or magnitude of salivary viral shedding. ...
Silicon Nitride Grating Couplers with High Efficiency and Wide Bandwidth

A grating coupler for coupling vertically emitted laser light into planar silicon nitride waveguides is presented. The waveguide coupling efficiency was measured at 30% with a 3-dB bandwidth of 100 nm using an optical fiber.
Loop Quantum Cosmology, Space-Time Structure, and Falsifiability

Loop quantum cosmology attempts to understand the full dynamics of loop quantum gravity by realizing crucial effects in simpler, usually symmetric settings. Several subtleties arise especially when cosmological questions are to be addressed, related to possible mini-superspace artefacts, consistent cosmological perturbation theory, and quantum space-time structure. Recent work on inhomogeneous perturbations has highlighted some of the dangers of an over-reliance on simple models, sometimes not just reduced by symmetry but also in the possible forms of matter or quantum corrections. Only a consistent treatment of inhomogeneity, taking into account the full gauge structure related to general covariance, can show what happens at high densities in quantum gravity. The relevant methods and results (especially effective equations, potential observational signatures, singularity resolution and signature change) are surveyed in here.
Lagrange multipliers and subderivatives of optimal value functions in nonlinear programming

For finite-dimensional optimization problems with locally Lipschitzian equality and inequality constraints and also an abstract constraint described by a closed set, a Lagrange multiplier rule is derived that is sharper is in some respects than the ones of Clarke and Hiriart-Urruty. The multiplier vectors provided by this rule are given meaning in terms of the generalized subgradient set of the optimal value function in the problem with respect to perturbational parameters. Bounds on subderivatives of the optimal value function are thereby obtained and in certain cases the existence of ordinary directional derivatives.
Meeting the needs of women at high risk for breast cancer: Facilitated group visits.

e18508Background: Women with an increased risk of breast cancer are often anxious about their risk and need additional counseling related to risk assessment, breast surveillance, and risk-lowering ...
Social networks and robot companions: technology, ethics, and science fiction

Information technologies have become part of our everyday lives and are increasingly acting as intermediaries in our workplaces and personal relationships or even substituting them. This growing interaction with machines poses several questions about which we have no previous experience, nor can we reliably predict how they will influence the evolution of society. This has led to the convergence of technoscience and humanities in an ethical debate that is starting to bear fruit, not only with the setting of regulations and standards, but also with educational initiatives in university teaching, professional improvement, and the conformation of public opinion. Interestingly, science fiction often plays a prominent speculative role in highlighting the pros and cons of potential scenarios.
Surface coatings including fingerprint residues can significantly alter the size and shape of bloodstains.

Abstract When conducting a blood pattern analysis (BPA) the size, shape, distribution, and location of bloodstains found at a crime scene may be critical in forming a hypothesis as to what transpired during a bloody event. Prior studies have demonstrated that the size and shape of a bloodstain on a smooth surface are determined from impact dynamics and to a lesser degree by the target material itself. Yet, these studies have relied on clean surfaces, and it is unclear whether the presence of microscopic coatings and residues could significantly alter the size or shape of the dried stain. Here, in the present work, experiments are conducted to demonstrate that various coatings, such as the sebaceous residue from a latent fingerprint, can dramatically alter the size and shape of the stain from the moment of impact through the drying process. These experiments also highlight that a drop impacting a tilted superhydrophobic-coating glass substrate can cause the blood drop to completely recoil without leaving a stain. Relying on a combination of high-speed and time-lapse photography, the specific stages in the stain evolution responsible for the deviations from the current models are identified. At a relatively low impact velocity, the stain sizes on the coated glass surfaces were 35–72% smaller than on the clean glass surface. At a higher impact velocity, the stains on the coated surfaces were not only smaller, but also contained drop spatter around the primary stain that was not observable in the absence of the microscopic coatings. The reduction in bloodstain size did not appreciably change when a chemical was added to deactivate the anticoagulant and allow the blood to clot.
CHAPTER 276 – PPARγ Signaling in Adipose Tissue Development

Adipose tissue plays a central role in maintaining lipid homeostasis and energy balance in vertebrates by storing triglycerides or releasing free fatty acids in response to changing energy demands. Adipocytes also perform an important endocrine function by secreting numerous signaling molecules, which are involved in the regulation of food intake, energy balance, and whole-body lipid homeostasis. Excessive accumulation of adipose tissue leads to obesity and often to insulin resistance, whereas its absence is associated with lipodystrophic disorders. During the past 10 years, work from a number of groups has outlined a pivotal role for PPARɣ in adipocyte development. Evidence from both cell culture and animal models indicates that this protein is absolutely required for adipogenesis. A member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily, PPARɣ is a transcription factor whose activity is regulated by the binding of specific small molecule ligands. Like many other nuclear receptors, PPARɣ binds to DNA in a heterodimeric complex with the retinoid X receptor (RXR). The discovery that the natural ligands for PPARɣ are likely to be native and modified polyunsaturated fatty acids provided a mechanism whereby changes in cellular or systemic lipid homeostasis might be translated into specific changes in adipocyte gene expression and differentiation. Obesity, the development of excess adipose tissue, is invariably associated with insulin resistance. PPARɣ has also been identified as a key regulator of insulin sensitivity, an activity that is likely to be directly related to its function in adipose tissue biology. Synthetic ligands for this receptor are widely used for the treatment of type II diabetes.
Pass the iPad: Assessing the relationship between tech use during family meals and parental reports of closeness to their children

Close parent-child relationships are buoyed by quality family interactions and the family meal is a context for interaction that fosters strong relationships. Today, families are increasingly likel...
The GEM model of health: a model based on generalized empirical method – Part 2 – Background

In this paper I discuss background issues of worldview and method that underlie the GEM model of health. First, I present Bernard Lonergan’s account of emergent probability, a differentiated and developmental worldview that stands in sharp contrast to the inadequately differentiated viewpoints of materialism and dualism discussed in Part 1. This opens up a new way for the GEM model to approach questions of health that stands in sharp contrast to the way that the standard biomedical model and alternative hybrid models approach these questions. Second, I present Lonergan’s account of generalized empirical method, a unified method for investigating the natural and historical dimensions of the world in which we live and seek to thrive.
Determinants of Fall Prevention Guideline Implementation in the Home- and Community-Based Service Setting.

Background and objectives Home- and community-based service (HCBS) recipients often possess multiple fall risk factors, suggesting that the implementation of evidence-based fall prevention guidelines may be appropriate for the HCBS setting. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the determinants of fall prevention guideline implementation and the potential strategies that can support implementation in HCBS organizations. Research design and methods Semi-structured interview and focus groups data were collected from 26 HCBS professionals representing the home-delivered meals, personal care, and wellness programs. Qualitative codes were mapped to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) by means of directed content analysis. The COnsolidated criteria for REporting Qualitative research (COREQ) checklist was used to report the findings of this study. Results We identified seven major determinants of guideline implementation: recipient needs and resources, cosmopolitanism, external policy and incentives, networks and communication, compatibility, available resources, and knowledge/beliefs. Strategies to support guideline implementation included the involvement of recipient and caregiver feedback, building fall prevention networks, and conducting educational meetings for HCBS staff. Discussion and implications Falls and fall-related injuries will continue to plague the older adult community unless innovative approaches to fall prevention are developed and adopted. The implementation of fall prevention guidelines in the HCBS setting can help mitigate fall risk among a highly vulnerable older adult population and may be facilitated through the application of multifaceted implementation strategies.
Schottky Barriers and Diodes

Schottky barriers and pn-junctions are the simplest active solid state devices. Their rectifying characteristics as well as the ability to expand or contract their space charge layer with bias is useful in many applications. With appropriate material and doping design, a wide variety of desirable operating characteristics can be obtained.
Introduction to the Special Issue: Legislation Related to Children's Evidence-Based Practice.

This Special Issue addresses the passage of a law (Washington State 2011) during the 2012 legislative session and the subsequent activities that were developed as an outcome of that legislation in the State of Washington. The law requires policy makers to utilize empirically supported services in publicly funded children’s behavioral health, juvenile justice and child welfare. The implications of this type of legislation nationally as a model for implementing a more empirically informed provision of children’s services are significant. There is precedent for bills such as this. For example, in 2003 Oregon passed Senate Bill 267 (‘‘Evidence-based practice’’) (Oregon State 2003), which mandated increase the use of evidenceand research-based psychosocial interventions within public mental health systems (including addiction), corrections, and child welfare. Setting benchmarks across three biennia, the ultimate goal by the third and final biennium (2009–2011) was that 75 % of services were required to be evidence-based. The articles in this issue focus on the process and products that flowed out of the Washington law. Many of these processes and products were developed jointly between the University of Washington’s Evidence-Based Practices Institute (EBPI) and the legislatively-funded Washington State Institute of Public Policy (WSIPP). For historical context, previous legislative funding established a program within the University of Washington to train mental health providers to choose careers in the public sector provide continuing educational opportunities to mental health professionals and be a resource to the executive and legislative branch on issues related to behavioral health. This program was the basis for development of the Division of Public Behavioral Health and Justice Policy, housed within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, within the School of Medicine. In 2007 legislation (Washington State 2007) further established a university based Evidence-Based Practice Institute (EBPI) within the Division of Public Behavioral Health and Justice Policy. The primary mission of the EBPI was to enhance the uptake of evidence-based practices in children’s mental health services through expanded implementation and workforce training. Despite the existence of this Institute, no mandate, incentive or consequence existed for the child serving systems to implement evidence-based practices. The system change process was seen as moving too slowly by legislative leaders and enthusiasm built for creating a more directive approach to system change related to evidence-based practices. These factors contributed to the legislature crafting HB 2536 as a remedy to increase the speed in which the child serving systems would move in the direction of funding empirically supported interventions. In an environment of strong political partisanship it is instructive to note that this legislation was passed with a close to a unanimous vote in both the House and Senate of the Washington State legislature and was subsequently signed by the Governor.
War, Strategy, and Military Effectiveness: Thoughts on Red Teaming

In the twenty-first century, the United States and its allies will confront a number of disparate challenges. Enemies will prove adaptive and effective in preparing their military forces to attack, disturb, disorient, and prevent the projection of U.S. military power onto their territory and to deny the United States political and strategic victory. Moreover, they will undoubtedly fight within diverse strategic, operational, and tactical frameworks – frameworks largely determined by their societal, religious, and political cultures, all differing from those of the United States and its allies. America's potential opponents are already preparing to fight the U.S. military and, over the past decade, they have had two spectacular demonstrations of what its forces can do. The great difficulty for the armed forces of the United States lies in the fact that at present – and for the foreseeable future – they confront enormous ambiguity and uncertainty about their potential enemies; the conditions under which war will occur; as well as the staying power, military capabilities, and operational courses potential opponents might employ. The question, then, that confronts the U.S. military is how to prepare forces to fight against opponents, the nature and aims of which are at present unclear. However much one might be tempted to prepare those forces on the basis of capabilities, such an approach will inevitably lead to mirror imaging. Thus, it would seem that red teaming U.S. forces and concepts from the highest to lowest levels represents the best alternative to learning on the battlefield, where military organizations learn by killing their own. This paper will use the term red teaming to mean the willingness to establish independent teams or other means to challenge the assumptions and preconceptions that military organizations often make. Such teams demand independent, perceptive officers and players unhindered by the strictures and mindsets of service cultures and bureaucratic restraints. War games, exercises, and maneuvers that prepare military forces for the future must involve red forces and red teams that can utilize asymmetric approaches, operational concepts, and tactics to challenge the plans and concepts of America's military. If they do not, they simply become one more method of validating the status quo, and historically the price paid for such an approach has been in blood and national treasure.
Neural networks as process controllers-optimization aspects

Neural networks are now being extensively used as feedback controllers. The authors overview the basic approaches to neurocontroller development and concentrate their attention on the "model-based neurocontrol design" approach. Controller design is viewed as an optimization problem, and a basic distinction is made between gradient-based and nongradient-based algorithms. The former impose constraints on the design problem in order to facilitate the computational aspects of the optimization, whereas nongradient-based optimization allows for general problem formulations but at significant computational cost. The "Parametrized Neurocontroller" concept is discussed to motivate the need for nongradient-based optimization and an evolutionary optimization algorithm is presented.
Characterization and amino acid sequence of a fatty acid-binding protein from human heart

The complete amino acid sequence of a fatty acid-binding protein from human heart was determined by automated Edman degradation of CNBr, BNPS-skatole [3'-bromo-3-methyl-2-(2-nitrobenzenesulphenyl)indolenine], hydroxylamine, Staphylococcus aureus V8 proteinase, tryptic and chymotryptic peptides, and by digestion of the protein with carboxypeptidase A. The sequence of the blocked N-terminal tryptic peptide from citraconylated protein was determined by collisionally induced decomposition mass spectrometry. The protein contains 132 amino acid residues, is enriched with respect to threonine and lysine, lacks cysteine, has an acetylated valine residue at the N-terminus, and has an Mr of 14768 and an isoelectric point of 5.25. This protein contains two short internal repeated sequences from residues 48-54 and from residues 114-119 located within regions of predicted beta-structure and decreasing hydrophobicity. These short repeats are contained within two longer repeated regions from residues 48-60 and residues 114-125, which display 62% sequence similarity. These regions could accommodate the charged and uncharged moieties of long-chain fatty acids and may represent fatty acid-binding domains consistent with the finding that human heart fatty acid-binding protein binds 2 mol of oleate or palmitate/mol of protein. Detailed evidence for the amino acid sequences of the peptides has been deposited as Supplementary Publication SUP 50143 (23 pages) at the British Library Lending Division, Boston Spa, Yorkshire LS23 7BQ, U.K., from whom copies may be obtained as indicated in Biochem. J. (1988) 249, 5.
The Monofunctional Chorismate Mutase from Bacillus subtilis: Structure Determination of Chorismate Mutase and Its Complexes with a Transition State Analog and Prephenate, and Implications for the Mechanism of the Enzymatic Reaction

Structures have been determined for chorismate mutase from Bacillus subtilis and of complexes of this enzyme with product and an endo-oxabicyclic transition state analog using multiple isomorphous replacement plus partial structure phase combination and non-crystallographic averaging. In addition to 522 water molecules, the model includes 1380 of the 1524 amino acid residues of the four trimers (each containing 3 x 127 amino acid residues) in the asymmetric unit. Refinement to 1.9 A resolution yields 0.194 for R and r.m.s. deviations from ideal values of 0.014 A for bond lengths and 2.92 degrees for bond angles. The trimer resembles a beta-barrel structure in which a core beta-sheet is surrounded by helices. The structures of the two complexes locate the active sites which are at the interfaces of adjacent pairs of monomers in the trimer. These structures have been refined at 2.2 A to a crystallographic R value of 0.18 and show r.m.s. deviations from ideal values of 0.013 A for bond lengths and 2.84 degrees or 3.05 degrees for bond angles, respectively. The final models have 1398 amino acid residues, nine prephenate molecules and 503 water molecules in the product complex, and 1403 amino acid residues, 12 inhibitor molecules and 530 water molecules in the transition state complex. The active sites of all three of these structures are very similar and provide a structural basis for the biochemical studies that indicate a pericyclic mechanism for conversion of chorismate to prephenate. The absence of reactive catalytic residues on the enzyme, the selective binding of the single reactive conformation of chorismate, the stabilization of the polar transition state, and the possible role of the C-terminal region in "capping" the active site are factors which relate these structures to the million-fold rate enhancement of this reaction.
Bile Acids XXV. ALLOCHENODEOXYCHOLIC ACID, A METABOLITE OF 5α-CHOLESTAN-3β-OL IN THE HYPERTHYROID RAT

Abstract 5α-Cholestan-3β-ol-4-14C (0.2 to 0.4 mg, 107 dpm) was administered intraperitoneally to rats made hyperthyroid by daily subcutaneous injections of l-thyroxine (250 µg per kg per day) for a period of 4 weeks prior to cannulation of the bile ducts. The bile secreted over 17 postoperative days contained 72% of the administered 14C. Bile from the first 2 days was hydrolyzed, and the free bile acids were separated by acetic acid partition chromatography. Of the chromatographed 14C, 38% was associated with dihydroxy acids, 48% with cholic acid, and 9% with more polar fractions. The metabolite in the first zone was separated from known acids by repeated chromatography of the methyl esters and identified by dilution with synthetic allochenodeoxycholic acid. The synthetic material was prepared from methyl chenodeoxycholate by conversion to methyl 3-keto-7α-hydroxy-5α-cholanoate with Raney nickel, followed by catalytic reduction, and its structure was supported by mass spectral studies of the acid and its derivatives.
Optogenetic excitation of neurons with channelrhodopsins: Light instrumentation, expression systems, and channelrhodopsin variants

Classically, temporally precise excitation of membrane potential in neurons within intact tissue can be achieved by direct electrical stimulation or indirect electrical stimulation induced by changing magnetic fields. Both of these approaches have a predetermined selectivity based on the biophysical properties of the nervous tissue and membrane in the region of the stimulation. A recent advance in selective excitation of neurons is the "optogenetic" approach utilizing channelrhodopsins (ChRs). By expressing the light-responsive ChR in neurons using cell-type selective promoters or other methods, specific neurons can be depolarized by light in a temporally precise manner with millisecond resolution even if their membrane biophysical properties are less favorable for electrical stimulation. In addition, ChRs can be used to depolarize nonneuronal cells in the nervous tissue, and to sustain depolarization over a prolonged period of time, both of which cannot be achieved with electrical or magnetic stimulations. To conduct an experiment with ChR, experimenters need to make the correct choices on the three main components to such an experiment: the expression system, the illumination source, and the ChR variant used. This chapter aims to provide some discussions on the current developments of these aspects of the experiments. To express ChR in neurons, the common expression systems include viral vectors, in utero electroporation, and transgenic animals, each with their advantages and limitations regarding the cost, expression pattern, and the required effort. In terms of the instrumentation, an illumination source that is capable of providing the desired wavelength with high intensity is crucial for the success of the experiment. The important factors regarding the light source used include the cost, light density output, efficiency for fiber coupling for in vivo rodent experiments, and the available methods to control light intensity and onset/termination. The third component of the experiment is the choice of the appropriate variants of ChR. Many novel ChR variants with unique properties have been engineered, and it can be difficult for the experimenters to choose the right variant with the desired properties for their experiments, as some information necessary for the experimenter to make the right selection is often incomplete or unavailable. Currently, the available variants for neuroscientific research are wild-type ChR2, ChR2+H134R, ChETA, VChR1, SFO, ChD, ChEF, ChIEF, ChRGR, CatCh, and TC. The features and limitations of these different variants are presented here. Lastly, this chapter will provide some suggestion for the future development of the light source, expression system, and the development of the "next" generation of ChRs.
Effect of microbubble exposure to ultrasound on quantitation of myocardial perfusion.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to determine whether acoustic disruption of microbubbles in the left ventricular (LV) cavity prior to entry in the coronary circulation or their gradual destruction in the myocardium during myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) affects quantitative parameters of myocardial perfusion. METHODS MCE was performed in 12 open chest dogs with both intermittent high-power imaging (IHPI) and real-time low-power imaging (RLPI). To assess the affects of microbubble destruction in the LV cavity, MCE parameters of myocardial perfusion were compared for imaging planes that included versus avoided the LV cavity. To assess the effects of gradual disruption of microbubbles in the microcirculation during RLPI, MCE parameters from frames acquired continuously were compared to that from acquiring only end-systolic frames. RESULTS Destruction of microbubbles in the LV cavity did not alter perfusion data for either form of imaging unless RLPI was performed using long (6-frame) destructive pulse sequences. With RLPI, a gradual decay in microbubble signal occurred during their myocardial transit, the degree of which was related to the acoustic power. Signal decay during microbubble transit resulted in an overestimation of the microvascular blood velocity (beta-value) and an underestimation of the microvascular blood volume (A-value). CONCLUSIONS MCE parameters of perfusion at low power can be significantly altered by microbubble destruction in the LV cavity and in the myocardial microcirculation during RLPI. Short microbubble destruction pulse sequences and imaging only at end-systole can reduce these effects.
Development of a global health teaching fellowship for global health care capacity building.

With the transition from the Millennium Development Goals to the post-2015 agenda of Sustainable Development Goals, there is a shift in focus from vertical, disease-based interventions to horizontal, health systems-strengthening programs. Although increasing global investment in horizontal approaches carries the promise of improved health care systems, it has highlighted the need to build health care capacity. Given their expertise in education and clinician training, there is a clear opportunity for academic medical centers to be at the center of this evolution in global health. This article highlights one approach to health care capacity building taken by the Arnhold Global Health Institute (AGHI) at Mount Sinai, through the creation of the AGHI Teaching Fellowship. Supporting fellowship-level training in global health is a key component of many academic centers’ global health programs. This particular fellowship was developed to capitalize on the educational expertise available at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and translate it to allow the fellows to become trainers and teachers to all levels of health care workers, from the community health care worker to the practicing clinician. The primary goal of this fellowship is to produce expert educators for global health care capacity building. The secondary goals are to meet the demand among US postgraduate physicians for further global health education, and to leverage the skills of the fellows to support AGHI field programs in creating long-term, sustainable, and collaborative partnerships. To accomplish these goals, the AGHI Fellowship supports extended stretches
Effect of intra-operative fluid volume on peri-operative outcomes after pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Background Excess use of intravenous fluid can increase post-operative complications. We examined the influence of intra-operative crystalloid (IOC) administration on complications following pancreaticodudenectomy (PD) for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Methods We categorized 188 patients who underwent PD for adenocarcinoma (1990–2009) into two groups: Group I received <6,000 ml and Group II received ≥6,000 ml IOC. Differences between groups in length of stay, overall morbidity, and 30-day mortality were evaluated. Results There were 86 patients in Group I and 102 in Group II. Group I patients were older and with higher percentage of women, but similar in regards to performance status, ASA score, underlying comorbidities, and administration of neo-adjuvant treatment. Group II patients had longer operations, increased blood loss, and higher rates of intra-operative blood transfusions. There were two post-operative deaths, both in the Group II (P = 0.5). Post-operative overall morbidity was 45.7%, without differences between the two groups (44.2% vs. 47.1%, P = 0.7). Likewise, length of post-operative stay was similar in both groups (13.8 days vs. 14.5 days, P = 0.5). Conclusions The volume of IOC increased with duration of surgery, intra-operative blood losses, and intra-operative blood transfusion, but did not correlate with post-operative morbidity. J. Surg. Oncol. 2012; 105:81–84. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
To Sell or Not to Sell: Measuring the Heat of the Housing Market

Combining list-price, sale-price and time-on-the-market data, we estimate an index that summarizes housing market conditions and that has a direct economic interpretation. The index measures seller's bargaining power in a structural search model of home seller behavior. Structural estimation uncovers an analytical relationship between reduced form coefficients of hedonic and marketing-time equations and structural parameters. Thus, the index can be estimated using individual-level or aggregate data. Using housing transactions data from the Washington, D.C., area, we show that index trends coincide with the up and downturns in home appreciation rates and with popular perceptions about the “heat” of the market.
Activities of Hepatic Cytosolic and Mitochondrial Forms of Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase and Hepatic Glycine Concentration Are Affected by Vitamin B-6 Intake in Rats

Serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) is a pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme that exists as cytosolic and mitochondrial isozymes that catalyze the reversible interconversion of serine and tetrahydrofolate (THF) to glycine and 5,10-methyleneTHF. SHMT is a major source of one-carbon units for cellular metabolism, but its sensitivity to various degrees of altered vitamin B-6 nutritional status has not been determined. In this study, cytosolic and mitochondrial SHMT activities were measured in liver from rats fed dietary pyridoxine (PN) ranging from adequate to deficient levels (2, 1, 0.5, 0.1, and 0 mg PN/kg diet; n = 10 per group). Both mitochondrial and cytosolic SHMT activities increased (P < 0.001) with increasing dietary PN over this range, and activities were a linear function of liver PLP concentration. Mitochondrial SHMT comprised approximately 70% of total activity. Assays conducted with and without in vitro addition of PLP indicated that total SHMT (apo- and holoenzyme forms) varied with dietary PN for each isoform, but that the proportion of each present as the apoenzyme was not affected by PN intake. This aspect of SHMT nutritional regulation differs from that of many other PLP-dependent enzymes. Hepatic glycine concentration was inversely related to vitamin B-6 intake (P < 0.05), which suggests a functional effect of altered SHMT activity. Overall these results demonstrate the potential for disruption of SHMT-mediated one-carbon metabolism by inadequate vitamin B-6 intake.
Musings on the Wanderer: What's New in Our Understanding of Vago-Vagal Reflexes? V. Remodeling of vagus and enteric neural circuitry after vagal injury

The vago-vagal reflexes mediate a wide range of digestive functions such as motility, secretion, and feeding behavior. Previous articles in this series have discussed the organization and functions of this important neural pathway. The focus of this review will be on some of the events responsible for the adaptive changes of the vagus and the enteric neutral circuitry that occur after vagal injury. The extraordinary plasticity of the neural systems to regain functions when challenged with neural injury will be discussed. In general, neuropeptides and transmitter-related enzymes in the vagal sensory neurons are downregulated after vagal injury to protect against further injury. Conversely, molecules previously absent or present at low levels begin to appear or are upregulated and are available to participate in the survival-regeneration process. Neurotrophins and other related proteins made at the site of the lesion and then retrogradely transported to the soma may play an important role in the regulation of neuropeptide phenotype expression and axonal growth. Vagal injury also triggers adaptive changes within the enteric nervous system to minimize the loss of gastrointestinal functions resulting from the interruption of the vago-vagal pathways. These may include rearrangement of the enteric neural circuitry, changes in the electrophysiological properties of sensory receptors in the intramural neural networks, an increase in receptor numbers, and changes in the affinity states of receptors on enteric neurons.
Convergence of grand canonical Gibbs measures

We prove existence of Gibbs states for a large class of continuum many-body potentials through a limit process of hard-core approximations to the potential. Dobrushin uniqueness techniques [1] for the decay of correlations are then extended to a very general class of continuum potentials.
Effect of benomyl and benomyl hydrolysis products on Tetrahymena pyriformis

Abstract The toxicity of the fungicide benomyl (methyl-1-(butylcarbamoyl)-2-benzimidazol-2-yl carbamate) was evaluated at the molecular level using the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis as a model eukaryotic cell system. Growth of T. pyriformis was inhibited in a dose-related manner by benomyl and two major hydrolysis products, methylbenzimidazol-2-yl carbamate (MBC) and butyl isocyanate (BIC). A minor degradation product, 2-aminobenzimidazole (2-AB) had no effect on growth. Light-microscopic observations of the organisms revealed a slowing of cellular motility and the development of rounded cells after exposure to 20 ppm benomyl or BIC in the incubation medium. After the cells became immobile, part of the cell membrane appeared to separate, swell and form a bubble along the side of the cell. Similar concentrations of MBC and 2-AB had no apparent morphological effect upon the cells. Increasing the concentration of benomyl decreased the incorporation of [14C]acetate and [14C]amino acids into protein and [3H]uridine into RNA. The incorporation of [14C]acetate into lipids and of [3H]thymidine into DNA increased with benomyl concentrations of 5 ppm, but a decrease in incorporation occurred with higher concentrations.
A therapeutic trial of 15(R)-15-methyl prostaglandin E2 in rheumatoid arthritis patients with gastroduodenal lesions

Thirteen patients who had rheumatoid arthritis and gastroduodenal lesion (erosions, ulcers) received 200 micrograms/d of 15(R)-15-methyl prostaglandin E2 (MPGE2) for one month in a controlled, randomized, double-blind crossover study. The patients continued their usual arthritis medications. Serial assessments were made with endoscopy and multiple antral biopsies. Seven patients improved on MPGE2 and 3 improved on placebo. Two patients worsened on MPGE2 compared with 3 on placebo. No dramatic benefit was observed after one month of therapy with MPGE2, although a moderate benefit could have been missed in a small study of this type. Our experience with this study suggests that future studies in rheumatoid arthritis should first establish the natural history of lesions in a given group of patients, that a cross-over design may actually hamper interpretation and that therapy should be more prolonged.
Adapt-a-ride: understanding the dynamics of commuting preferences through an experience design framework

Solo driving is the number one commuting choice for a majority of the people in the United States despite its high costs, stressful traffic congestions, and impact on environment. Existing industry attempting to bring alternative transportation choices, fall short reaching critical mass to survive. In this work, we focus both on the issues of solo driving and why industry might be falling short understanding the dynamics of commuting preferences. We followed an innovative experience design framework to shape our user centered design processes and identified the underlying dynamics of flexibility, cost and personal preference as three driving themes affecting people's commuting choices. We have then designed and evaluated a concept design for an interactive system that manifested these themes, and reported our findings and design implications on how to facilitate behavioral change through design. Our primary finding is that people's flexibility preferences change when a system offers them concrete scenarios.
Ideology and candidate evaluation

How does the expressed political ideology of voters influence their evaluation of presidential candidates? The classic answer to this question is provided by the spatial theory of electoral choice in which utility for a candidate is a function of the proximity between the voter and candidate positions on the liberal-conservative continuum. We have argued elsewhere that spatial theory, while intellectually appealing, is inadequate as an empirical model of mass behavior. We have developed a directional theory of issue voting that we believe provides a more realistic accounting of how specific policy issues influence utility for a candidate. Directional theory is based on the view that for most voters issues are understood as a dichotomous choice between two alternative positions. While ideology is widely understood as a continuum of positions, the directional model can be applied to the relationship between ideology and candidate evaluation. In this paper we compare the two theories using National Election Study data from 1972 to 1988. The results tend to favor the directional model over the traditional proximity model. We conclude by briefly tracing out the implications of this finding.