cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vesicle interactions as a model for the retinal cell-cell recognition mediated by R-cognin.

Abstract The action of R-cognin, a chick neural retina cell recognition glycoprotein, was investigated in vesicles of retina cell membranes. It was found that the aggregation of the vesicles was dependent on membrane proteins, and specifically R-cognin, as vesicle aggregation was inhibited by R-cognin antibody (Fab′). The R-cognin content of the vesicles, and their ability to aggregate, decreased with increasing embryonic age of the tissue. R-cognin mediated aggregation of the vesicles was not dependent on exogenous calcium. Thus, R-cognin was calcium-independent in its membrane linking activity.
The effect of hand hygiene on illness rate among students in university residence halls.

Abstract Background Several studies have indicated a connection between hand sanitization and infection control in numerous settings such as extended care facilities, schools, and hospitals. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of both a hand-hygiene message campaign and the use of an alcohol gel hand sanitizer in decreasing the incidence of upper-respiratory illness among students living in university residence halls. Method This study involved a total of 430 students recruited from 4 residence halls during the fall semester at the University of Colorado at the Boulder campus. Dormitories were paired into control and product groups. In the product groups, alcohol gel hand–sanitizer dispensers were installed in every room, bathroom, and dining hall. The data were statistically analyzed for the differences between product and control groups in reported symptoms, illness rates, and absenteeism from classes. Results The overall increase in hand-hygiene behavior and reduction in symptoms, illness rates, and absenteeism between the product group and control group was statistically significant. Reductions in upper respiratory–illness symptoms ranged from 14.8% to 39.9%. Total improvement in illness rate was 20%. The product group had 43% less missed school/work days. Conclusion Hand-hygiene practices were improved with increased frequency of handwashing through increasing awareness of the importance of hand hygiene, and the use of alcohol gel hand sanitizer in university dormitories. This resulted in fewer upper respiratory–illness symptoms, lower illness rates, and lower absenteeism.
Pisum sativum agglutinin used as an acrosomal stain of porcine and caprine sperm

Fluorescein isothiocyanate-labelled pisum sativum agglutinin (FITC-PSA) was evaluated as an acrosomal stain for porcine and caprine sperm that had previously been stained with Hoechst 33258 to assess cell viability. The FITC-PSA procedure was as accurate as other procedures in assessing acrosomal presence or absence on either fresh or liquid-stored porcine sperm. Approximately half of the incubated porcine sperm with acrosomal loss maintained membrane impermeability to the Hoechst 33258; these were potentially viable acrosome-reacted sperm. The FITC-PSA procedure was significantly correlated with the assessment of acrosomal status of cryopreserved caprine sperm by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). However, TEM results indicated a higher percentage of caprine sperm with acrosomal loss. Ability to penetrate zona-free hamster ova was not highly correlated with the percentage of viable acrosome-reacted porcine or caprine sperm. The FITC-PSA procedure provides an estimate of viable acrosome reactions and may be a useful tool in the evaluation of sperm fertility.
A Comparative Study of Postpartum Depression in Abused and Nonabused Women

Because of a rise in postpartum depression (PPD), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently indicated a need for more studies of possible risk factors for PPD. PPD can continue for months or years after birth and has consequences for the family as a whole. Past research has not investigated the relationships between abuse, whether physical, sexual, or emotional, and PPD. The aim of this pilot study was to compare the prevalence of PPD among abused and nonabused women during the first 4 months after birth. Although 89 women initially enrolled in the study, only 50 participants completed the 1-week data collection. Of these 50, 30% reported previous or current physical or sexual abuse. Of these 50 participants, 22 dropped out during the 4-month-long study, resulting in a final sample size of 28. Abused women were significantly more depressed at 1 week and 2 and 3 months postpartum than the nonabused group until their depression scores at entry into the study and 1 week were statistically controlled. An unexpected finding was the prevalence of depression at 1 week after birth, indicative of unresolved prenatal depression, "baby blues," or true PPD. In addition, emotional abuse was reported by both groups and was significantly higher for the previously abused women. Although sample size and high attrition limit generalization, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of PPD between the two groups. Future research should explore the relationships between abuse and depression with larger samples and include pregnant subjects.
Nanomanipulation of graphene using Atomic Force Microscopy

The numerous electrical and mechanical properties with which graphene possess has paved the way into a new era of research and exploration. With many companies researching synthesization and transportation techniques there is a demand for the research of tailoring techniques for the future mass industrial usage of graphene within electronic devices. As such, we explore the efficiency, speed, and quality of mechanical manipulation by way of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). In particular ideal force, speed, and length parameters were determined for cutting monolayer graphene (MO) on a SiO2 substrate. The ideal force value was determined to be 2.5 μN and ideal length around 150 nm long, with resulting speed relationships producing significant evidence to claim that speed is not a factor in the cutting of MO as long as it remains below a certain threshold velocity, hypothesized to be a result of thermal drift of the AFM cantilever in the Z-axis direction. The overall mechanical manipulation of graphene was then confirmed and an electrode tailored using this technique with said parameters.
Typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs target dopamine and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein, 32 kDa and neurotensin-containing neurons, but not GABAergic interneurons in the shell of nucleus accumbens of ventral striatum

Specific neurons in the brain are the primary targets of the action of antipsychotic drugs. Identification and characterization of the nature of these neurons are important for understanding how antipsychotic drugs produce their effects. In previous studies GABAergic/dynorphinergic neurons were identified as a principal cell target of antipsychotic drugs in the shell of nucleus accumbens. In the present study, we further characterized which subpopulations of GABAergic neurons in this area respond after acute administration of antipsychotic drugs. Rats were treated with the typical antipsychotic haloperidol, or the prototype atypical antipsychotic clozapine and killed two hours after treatment. In appropriate sections of brain, double immunofluorescence labeling was performed with antibodies directed against markers specific to candidate cell types and Fos-like proteins (a marker to identify drug-induced cell activation). We reported here that haloperidol- and clozapine-activated neurons showed the following features: 1) approximately 54-57% of them express dopamine and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein, 32 kDa (a marker for GABAergic medium spiny projection neurons), 2) they appear rarely to be GABAergic interneurons, marked by the calcium binding proteins, parvalbumin, calretinin or calbindin-D28K, 3) about 84-86% of them express the neuropeptide neurotensin (a neurotransmitter most often associated with projection neurons in the site tested). The results suggest that most of the antipsychotic drug-activated neurons in the shell of nucleus accumbens are likely to be neurotensin containing projection neurons.
Gene-based analysis suggests association of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor β1 subunit (CHRNB1) and M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (CHRM1) with vulnerability for nicotine dependence

Based on our previously identified linkage regions for nicotine dependence (ND), we selected six and five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the muscarinic cholinergic receptor subtype M1 (CHRM1) and nicotinic cholinergic receptor beta1 (CHRNB1), respectively, to determine the association of the two genes with ND in a total of 2,037 subjects from 602 nuclear families of either African-American (AA) or European-American (EA) origin. Individual SNP- and/or haplotype-based analyses indicated that the CHRNB1 was significantly associated with ND, which was assessed by smoking quantity (SQ), the Heaviness of Smoking Index (HSI), and the Fagerstrom Test for ND (FTND), in both ethnic samples. The association of rs2302763 in the CHRNB1 was significant with adjusted SQ in the EA sample after correction for multiple testing (P=0.013). Haplotype A-T-A formed by SNPs rs2302765, rs2302762, and rs9217 in the CHRNB1 was significantly associated with the high risk allele for all the three ND measures (minimum P=0.009, 0.006, and 0.008 for SQ, HSI and FTND, respectively) in the AA sample while haplotype A-T-A formed by rs2302765, rs2302763, and rs9217 was significantly positively associated with ND (minimum P=0.005, 0.016, and 0.016 for SQ, HSI and FTND, respectively) in the EA sample. The CHRM1 exhibited significant protective associations of haplotype C-C-A-T-G-G formed by all six SNPs of this gene with at least one ND measure in the AA sample after Bonferroni correction (minimum P=0.008, 0.013, and 0.009 for SQ, HSI and FTND, respectively), but no significant association was found in the EA sample. The significant associations, together with their location of linked region to ND, suggest that the CHRNB1 and CHRM1 are likely candidates for further investigation.
Fresh Osteochondral Allograft Resurfacing of the Ankle

Symptomatic focal osteochondral lesions and end-stage osteoarthritis represent different entities in the continuum of tibiotalar joint disease, the treatment of which remains a challenging clinical conundrum. This is particularly true in individuals whose lesion size or disease burden makes them fall in the middle of these very extremes of the arthropathy spectrum or whose youth or activity level makes them unsuitable for final arthrodesis or arthroplasty. Osteochondral allografting is the only available treatment method that reliably and predictably restores a functional mature hyaline cartilage organ regardless of lesion size or disease progression, from focal resurfacing to a quasi bioarthroplasty. The goals of allografting are pain relief, restoration of function, and indefinite delay of arthritic disease progression and definite joint-sacrificing surgery. The surgical procedure for osteochondral allografting of the ankle described herein is straightforward but demands technical precision to allow optimal graft incorporation and to ensure restoration of joint congruence. Osteochondral allografting of the ankle has shown acceptable long-term success and the ability for future revision or conversion if necessary, and improvements to the surgical technique have further improved short-term outcomes, making osteochondral allografting a promising alternative management strategy in the treatment algorithm for ankle arthropathy.
Kinetics of TMV-RNA synthesis and its correlation with virus accumulation and crystalline viral inclusion formation in tobacco tissue culture

Abstract Tobacco mosaic virus ribonucleic acid (TMV-RNA) synthesis and the formation of complete virus were studied at 12-hr intervals after inoculation of tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum L. var. Havana 38) tissue culture. The rate of TMV-RNA synthesis, as measured by the incorporation of uridine- 3 H into viral nucleic acid, increased in a nearly linear manner during the first 60 hr after inoculation, reaching a peak during the 48–60-hr period. At this time the rate of viral RNA synthesis was approximately 6 times that of the 12–24-hr period. After the first 60 hr, the rate of viral RNA synthesis declined. The peak rate of accumulation of complete virus occurred during the 48–60-hr period, the period of most rapid viral RNA synthesis. Up to 48 hr after inoculation, crystalline viral inclusions were rarely observed, but at 72 hr large aggregates of crystal-bearing cells were present. After this time no increase in the number of crystal-bearing aggregates was observed. It is likely that plasmodesmata allow for rapid spread of the virus throughout inoculated cell aggregates. The close correlation between viral RNA synthesis, accumulation of complete virus and crystal formation in inoculated tissue culture indicate that the maximum rate of virus synthesis occurred during the first 60 hr. After this time virus synthesis declined and further spread of virus was probably limited to division of virus-infected cells.
Movements and Growth Rates of Yellow-Phase American Eels in the Annaquatucket River, Rhode Island

Abstract Eight hundred twenty nine yellow-phase American eels Anguilla rostrata, 160–740 mm total length (TL), were electrofished from 10 stations in the Annaquatucket River, Rhode Island. The eels were individually marked with liquid-nitrogen-cooled brands and released at the site of collection. Resampling yielded 200 recaptures (24%); eels were recaptured at 8 of the 10 stations after 1 year. Of all recaptures, 174 (87%) were from the station of release, indicating restricted movement by American eels from the collection sites. Stations associated with dams had higher recapture rates, but there was no significant relationship between percent recaptured and eel density, station size, or distance upriver. An annual growth rate (mean ± SE) of 29.9 ± 4.7 mm/year for all American eels was estimated for a 214-d growing season. The growth rate for eels longer than 399 mm TL, which have previously been shown to be female, was 62.10 ± 14.9 mm/year, 2.3 times greater than for eels less than 400 mm. Mean growth ra...
Testing a structural model for viral DNA packaging motor function by optical tweezers measurements, site directed mutagenesis, and molecular dynamics calculations

Many double-stranded DNA viruses employ a molecular motor to package DNA into preformed capsid shells. Based on structures of phage T4 motor proteins determined by X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy, Rao, Rossmann and coworkers recently proposed a structural model for motor function. They proposed that DNA is ratcheted by a large conformational change driven by electrostatic interactions between charged residues at an interface between two globular domains of the motor protein. We have conducted experiments to test this model by studying the effect on packaging under applied load of site-directed changes altering these residues. We observe significant impairment of packaging activity including reductions in packaging rate, percent time packaging, and time active under high load. We show that these measured impairments correlate well with alterations in free energies associated with the conformational change predicted by molecular dynamics simulations.
On the breakdown of asymptotic Poincare invariance in D = 3 Einstein gravity

It is shown through a series of calculations that neither momentum nor boosts are definable for finite energy solutions of Einstein gravity in D = 3. The contrast between the effects of Lorentz transformations on the corresponding metrics for D = 3 and D = 4 gravity is demonstrated, and some comparisons with the vector gauge treatment of the problem are offered.
Defining the core competency of professionalism based on the patient's perception.

Background To better define professionalism using a 10-question multiple-choice survey of patient preferences. Methods One hundred and ninety-one adult patients (response rate: 52% +/- 5%) completed a survey over a 3-week period in resident and faculty ophthalmology clinics in a university setting in a rural portion of the southern USA. Most patients voluntarily provided information on gender, race and age. Data are reported at proportions +/- 95% confidence intervals. Results Patients desire a degree of formality from their physicians in the form of a handshake (61% +/- 7%), greeting of family members (69% +/- 7%) and in addressing oneself as doctor. They also prefer note taking by the physician while speaking with them. However, patients do not think that the wearing of a white coat is necessary. Most patients assume (84% +/- 5%) that the physician washes his/her hands. Surprisingly, patients (60% +/- 7%) are willing to maintain a relationship with a physician despite the use of medical jargon. We found few differences related to gender and none related to race. Women (64% +/- 9%) preferred a closed door during the exam. Men (81% +/- 8%) either did not want the physician to wear a white coat or said that it made no difference. Those younger than 46 years (67% +/- 10%) preferred the door closed compared with those who were older (45% +/- 10%). Conclusions Our study helps to define professionalism by providing concrete examples of the expectations of patients in the southern USA during physician interaction. Minor adjustments to the patient encounter based on these findings may increase patients' perception of professionalism, creating a higher level of trust. These are teachable precepts that can be incorporated into residency training.
PM critical competency index: IT execs prefer soft skills

Abstract The maturation of the project management discipline, coupled with collapsing project budgets, shortening of project deadlines and the increasing risk of costly project failure, has led industries and academia alike to investigate and identify sources of project success. This research focuses on investigating the human characteristics necessary to achieve such success, through identifying and rating preferred IT project management competencies across US industries. This 2-phased study first sampled IT recruiters nationwide to determine which characteristics were valued in the hiring of project managers. The resulting Hiring Criteria Index, a list of 15 of the most valued project management competencies, was then sent to IT executives nationwide, whereby they were asked to rank their preferences in terms of importance, on a 7 point Likert Scale. Results indicated that respondents were able to clearly identify six critical core competences: leadership, the ability to communicate at multiple levels, verbal and written skills, attitude and the ability to deal with ambiguity and change that were indicative of characteristics important to successful project management.
Citizen, Go West, Blue Helmet, Star Trek

1920 beschrieb C. G. Jung in seinem Buch „Psychologische Typen“ verschiedene Charaktere. Er ging dabei davon aus, dass sich Menschen in ihren Praferenzen in der „Benutzung“ verschiedener psychologischer Grundfunktionen unterscheiden, also: Ist ein spezifischer Mensch eher verstandes- oder gefuhlsorientiert? Ist er extravertiert (so nennt es erstmals Jung, heute sagt fast jedes Lexikon, es heise extrovertiert, mit o) oder introvertiert? Usw. Diese Typologie hatte historisch nicht so grosen Einfluss. Andere, mehr und viel beachtete Theorien etwa von Freud, Adler, Watson, Sullivan, Rodgers, Maslow uber den Menschen gehen davon aus, dass Menschen ein einziges einheitliches Motiv im Leben antreibt. Neuere Werke von Myers, Briggs, Keirsey oder Kroeger erhellen Jungs Theorie. Keirsey schreibt in seinem neuen Buch „Please understand me II“: „Isabel Myers dusted off Jung’s Psychological Types.“ Zusammen mit ihrer Mutter Kathryn Briggs entwickelte sie den Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). In der ersten Auflage dieses Buches schrieb ich noch: Keirsey prasentiert im Internet unter http://www.keirsey.com einen eigenen Test, der jedermann frei zuganglich ist, wahrend der MBTI-Test nur gegen Lizenzgebuhren durchgefuhrt werden darf. Leider stimmt das nicht mehr. David Keirsey vermarktet jetzt seine Tests ebenfalls. Es gibt im Internet eine Menge Klontests, die Sie hilfsweise verwenden konnen, ohne gleich irgendwo ein Konto zu eroffnen. Ich gebe hier eine Website an, die heute funktioniert! (Sonst mussen Sie ein bisschen suchen.)
Proximity effects in coils for high frequency power applications

The increase in AC resistance over the simple skin effect is studied in short coil windings and twisted wires. The effect of conductor spacing is examined showing increases in AC resistance in excess of 100%. The effectiveness of stranded and/or twisted wire to both self and proximity fields is developed. These models are used to predict the experimentally measured AC resistance of coils. >
Dynamic use of multiple parameter sets in sequence alignment

The level of conservation between two homologous sequences often varies among sequence regions; functionally important domains are more conserved than the remaining regions. Thus, multiple parameter sets should be used in alignment of homologous sequences with a stringent parameter set for highly conserved regions and a moderate parameter set for weakly conserved regions. We describe an alignment algorithm to allow dynamic use of multiple parameter sets with different levels of stringency in computation of an optimal alignment of two sequences. The algorithm dynamically considers various candidate alignments, partitions each candidate alignment into sections, and determines the most appropriate set of parameter values for each section of the alignment. The algorithm and its local alignment version are implemented in a computer program named GAP4. The local alignment algorithm in GAP4, that in its predecessor GAP3, and an ordinary local alignment program SIM were evaluated on 257 716 pairs of homologous sequences from 100 protein families. On 168 475 of the 257 716 pairs (a rate of 65.4%), alignments from GAP4 were more statistically significant than alignments from GAP3 and SIM.
Zebrafish dead end possesses ATPase activity that is required for primordial germ cell development

Zebrafish dead end (dnd) mRNA is specifically expressed in primordial germ cells (PGCs) and is required for PGC migration and survival. Previous studies have shown that zebrafish Dnd functions by protecting the 3′UTRs of nanos1 and TDRD7 from miR-430b-mediated RNA deadenylation. In this work, we demonstrate that zebrafish Dnd protein possesses Mg2+-dependent ATPase activity that is required for PGC formation. Michaelis-Menten analysis revealed that the ATPase has a kcat of 0.632 ± 0.036/min under optimal conditions, and mapping studies using Dnd truncates showed that ATPase resides in the last 91 aa of the Dnd C terminus. Internal deletion and point mutagenesis analysis of this region were used to identify key amino acids required for ATPase activity. Rescue experiments conducted by injecting mRNAs encoding the Dnd ATPase mutants into embryos in which the endogenous dnd expression was inhibited demonstrated that the ATPase activity is required for normal zebrafish PGC survival. Real-time PCR analysis showed that the expression of PGC markers nanos1 and TDRD7 but not vasa were down-regulated when dnd mutant proteins lacking ATPase were expressed in the rescued embryos, indicating that the Dnd ATPase is involved in protecting nanos1 and TDRD7 transcripts.—Liu, W., Collodi, P. Zebrafish dead end possesses ATPase activity that is required for primordial germ cell development.
Deep water mass geometry in the glacial Atlantic Ocean: A review of constraints from the paleonutrient proxy Cd/Ca

[1] Paleonutrient proxies currently provide the strongest constraints on the past spatial distribution of deep water masses. We review the state of knowledge derived from the trace metal proxy Cd/Ca for the Atlantic Ocean during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). We compile published benthic foraminiferal Cd/Ca data, supplemented with new data, to reconstruct meridional Cd sections through the Holocene and LGM Atlantic. Holocene Cd/Ca reflects the modern water masses North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW), Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW), and Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) reasonably well, except for anomalously high values in the intermediate to mid-depth far North Atlantic. LGM Cd/Ca clearly shows that NADW was replaced by the shallower Glacial North Atlantic Intermediate Water (GNAIW), with significant northward expansion of AABW. The boundary level between GNAIW and AABW was very abrupt, occurring between � 2200 and 2500 m modern water depth. Combined Cd/Ca and Cibicidoides d 13 C data allow us to also calculate the air-sea signature of d 13 C( d 13 Cas). The LGM Atlantic can be explained entirely by mixing between high-d 13 Cas GNAIWand low-d 13 Cas AABW. Negative d 13 Cas values in glacial AABW were likely caused by poor ventilation during formation, probably associated with extensive sea ice coverage. Overall, our knowledge base would benefit from improved data coverage in the South Atlantic and Southern Ocean, and a better understanding of ancillary effects on the Cd/Ca proxy itself.
An Optimal Regression Algorithm for Piecewise Functions Expressed as Object-Oriented Programs

Core Java is a framework which extends the programming language Java with built-in regression analysis, i.e., the capability to do parameter estimation for a function. Core Java is unique in that functional forms for regression analysis are expressed as first-class citizens, i.e., as Java programs, in which some parameters are not a priori known, but need to be learned from training sets provided as input. Typical applications of Core Java include calibration of parameters of computational processes, described as OO programs. If-then-else statements of Java language are naturally adopted to create piecewise functional forms of regression. Thus, minimization of the sum of least squared errors involves an optimization problem with a search space that is exponential to the size of learning set. In this paper, we propose a combinatorial restructuring algorithm which guarantees learning optimality and furthermore reduces the search space to be polynomial in the size of learning set, but exponential to the number of piece-wise bounds.
Morphological variability in the Cuatro Cienegas cichlid, Cichlasoma minckleyi

The endemic cichlids of the Cuatro Cienegas Basin, Coahuila, Mexico are currently grouped in a single polymorphic species, Cichlasoma minckleyi. Two morphs of C. minckleyi were distinguished largely by features of the trophic apparatus, especially the pharyngeal dentition. Variation in body shape, based upon analysis of a set of linear measures, was continuous and did not allow recognition of discrete morphs. Individuals raised in the laboratory on several different diets indicated that trophic morphology had an important genetic component. Individuals raised in the laboratory, however, did not differentiate to the degree seen in comparably sized individuals collected at Cuatro Cienegas. This may be because snails used as food in the experiments were not as hard as endemic snails and indicated that some aspects of trophic morphology were also dependent upon environmental cues.
Ability of parents to recall the injuries of their young children

Objective: To estimate the ability of parents to recall the injuries of their children. Design: Comparison of parent recall with computerized medical records. Setting: A health maintenance organization in Washington State during 2003. Subjects: Parents of children younger than 6 years. Main outcome measures: The ratio of recalled injuries to injuries in computerized data. Results: Telephone interviews were completed with a parent of 1672 young children who had computerized medical data for at least one injury in the last year. Counting the three most recent treated injuries, the 1672 children had 1896 separate new injuries in the year before interview and parents recalled 1150 of these: recall ratio 0.61 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.58 to 0.63). The recall ratio decreased from 0.82 (95% CI 0.79 to 0.85) for injuries one day before interview to 0.37 (95% CI 0.32 to 0.40) at 365 days before interview. For 341 major injuries the recall ratio was 0.80 (95% CI 0.76 to 0.84), for 202 minor injuries treated in an emergency department or hospital it was 0.77 (95% CI 0.71 to 0.82), for 597 minor injuries treated in urgent care it was 0.70 (95% CI 0.65 to 0.73), and for 756 minor injuries treated in a clinic it was 0.43 (95% CI 0.39 to 0.47). Conclusions: Recall decreased with time. Recall was best for major injuries, intermediate for minor injuries treated in a hospital, emergency department, or urgent care center, and worst for minor injuries treated in a clinic.
Mixture Tree Construction and Its Applications

A new method for building a gene tree from Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) data was developed by Chen and Lindsay (Biometrika 93(4):843–860, 2006). Called the mixture tree, it was based on an ancestral mixture model. The sieve parameter in the model plays the role of time in the evolutionary tree of the sequences. By varying the sieve parameter, one can create a hierarchical tree that estimates the population structure at each fixed backward point in time. In this chapter, we will review the model and then present an application to the clustering of the mitochondrial sequences to show that the approach performs well. A simulator that simulates real SNPs sequences with unknown ancestral history will be introduced. Using the simulator we will compare the mixture trees with true trees to evaluate how well the mixture tree method performs. Comparison with some existing methods including neighbor-joining method and maximum parsimony method will also be presented in this chapter.
Decreasing dog problem behavior with functional analysis: Linking diagnoses to treatment

Abstract Behavioral problems in dogs account for nearly half of the reasons given for relinquishing them to shelters, and thus constitute a significant animal welfare issue. Any successful attempt to manage these problems will require an understanding of the mechanisms that control these behaviors. However, for some of the behavioral problems cited, such as jumping up on people, available treatments are not prescribed after a systematic assessment of the environmental contingencies contributing to the behavior. The current study assesses the use of functional analysis, an established technique for identifying the variables controlling problem behavior in humans, to determine the environmental factors supporting the behavior of jumping up on people in dogs. Statistically significant differences were found in the rate of jumping up behavior across conditions for each dog in the assessment phase. Treatment conditions used the maintaining variable found in the assessment phase. By comparing the rates of jumping up behavior in these conditions, we found the rates to be of lower statistical significance in the treatment condition. Therefore, results show that this methodology is effective in determining the maintaining variables for these individuals, leading to a more precise treatment.
Probing cell shape regulation with patterned substratum: requirement of myosin II-mediated contractility

Adherent cells cultured on flat, homogeneous surfaces typically maintain an intact cell body with a polygonal or fan shape, despite active migration and strong mechanical interactions with the substratum. We hypothesized that, in addition to the constraint of the surface membrane, an active mechanism may be involved in maintaining the shape and integrity of the cell body particularly where cells encounter complex topographic patterns of guidance cues. To detect if there is a mechanism that constrains cell shape, we plated NIH 3T3 fibroblasts on ring-patterned substrata 8–17.5 microns in width and 53–133 microns in outer diameter. Untreated cells have a limited angular span, encompassing an average of 108 degrees around the ring, even though these cells were able to cover a much larger surface when plated on flat surfaces of the same material. Treatment of 3T3 cells with a myosin II inhibitor, blebbistatin, induced a striking increase in the bending ability, causing cells to cover more than 60% of the ring. Inhibition of the Rho-dependent kinase with Y-27632 caused a similar but smaller increase in the angular span. Our results suggest that cell shape is controlled not only by the passive constraint of the surface membrane but also by an active mechanism driven by myosin II-mediated contractility under the regulation of Rho-dependent kinase. The inward surface tension-like forces allow the cell to maintain its integrity while navigating through complex physiological environments.
POD: A 3D-Integrated Broad-Purpose Acceleration Layer

To build a future many-core processor, industry must address the challenges of energy consumption and performance scalability. A 3D-integrated broad-purpose accelerator architecture called parallel-on-demand (POD) integrates a specialized SIMD-based die layer on top of a CISC superscalar processor to accelerate a variety of data-parallel applications. It also maintains binary compatibility and facilitates extensibility by virtualizing the acceleration capability.
What Does It Mean To Create Sustainable Science Curriculum Innovations? A Commentary.

Two key issues for research on the creation of sustainable science curricula are the following: (1) How do we create curriculum innovations that will be used in classrooms after the developers or researchers depart; and (2) How do we create curriculum innovations that are scalable, such that teachers who never have direct contact with the developers may successfully enact them? We introduce the idea of usability as a guiding principle for the successful design of sustainable and scalable curricula, present a framework for examining usability in school contexts, and critique the ideas presented in this issue of Science Education using this framework. C
Oxidative damage to DNA related to survivorship and carotenoid-based sexual ornamentation in the common yellowthroat

Carotenoid-based sexual ornaments are hypothesized to be reliable signals of male quality, based on an allocation trade-off between the use of carotenoids as pigments and their use in antioxidant defence against reactive oxygen species. Carotenoids appear to be poor antioxidants in vivo , however, and it is not clear whether variation in ornament expression is correlated with measures of oxidative stress (OXS) under natural conditions. We used single-cell gel electrophoresis to assay oxidative damage to erythrocyte DNA in the common yellowthroat ( Geothlypis trichas ), a sexually dichromatic warbler in which sexual selection favours components of the males9 yellow ‘bib’. We found that the level of DNA damage sustained by males predicted their overwinter survivorship and was reflected in the quality of their plumage. Males with brighter yellow bibs showed lower levels of DNA damage, both during the year the plumage was sampled (such that yellow brightness signalled current OXS) and during the previous year (such that yellow brightness signalled past OXS). We suggest that carotenoid-based ornaments can convey information about OXS to prospective mates and that further work exploring the proximate mechanism(s) linking OXS to coloration is warranted.
The Use of Respiratory-Tract Cultures in the Diagnosis of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis

Purpose To define the role of lower-respiratorytract cultures in the diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in immunocompromised hosts. Methods Immunocompromised patients with a positive, nonbiopsy, lower-respiratory-tract culture for Aspergillus species were classified as having definite, probable, indeterminate, or no IPA. Culture data, positive predictive values (PPVs), correlation with clinical and radiographic findings, and the relationship between the number of specimens submitted and the likelihood of recovering Aspergillus were assessed. Results Definite or probable IPA was diagnosed in 72% of episodes from patients with hematologic malignancy, granulocytopenia, or bone-marrow transplant; in 58% of those with solid-organ transplant or using corticosteroids; and in 14% of those with human immunodeficiency virus infection. The PPV of cultures ranged from 14% in the latter group to 72% in the first group (bone-marrow-transplantation subgroup, 82%). Fungal cultures were more often positive than were routine cultures ( P P P P Conclusion Recovery of Aspergillus species from high-risk patients is associated with invasive infection. Clinical and radiographic correlations help to separate true- from false-positive cultures. At least 3 sputum specimens should be submitted for fungal culture whenever fungal infection is suspected.
Discovery and Validation of Urine Markers of Acute Pediatric Appendicitis Using High-Accuracy Mass Spectrometry

Study objective Molecular definition of disease has been changing all aspects of medical practice, from diagnosis and screening to understanding and treatment. Acute appendicitis is among many human conditions that are complicated by the heterogeneity of clinical presentation and shortage of diagnostic markers. Here, we sought to profile the urine of patients with appendicitis, with the goal of identifying new diagnostic markers. Methods Candidate markers were identified from the urine of children with histologically proven appendicitis by using high-accuracy mass spectrometry proteome profiling. These systemic and local markers were used to assess the probability of appendicitis in a blinded, prospective study of children being evaluated for acute abdominal pain in our emergency department. Tests of performance of the markers were evaluated against the pathologic diagnosis and histologic grade of appendicitis. Results Test performance of 57 identified candidate markers was studied in 67 patients, with median age of 11 years, 37% of whom had appendicitis. Several exhibited favorable diagnostic performance, including calgranulin A (S100-A8), α-1-acid glycoprotein 1 (orosomucoid), and leucine-rich α-2-glycoprotein (LRG), with the receiver operating characteristic area under the curve and values of 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.72 to 0.95), 0.84 (95% CI 0.72 to 0.95), and 0.97 (95% CI 0.93 to 1.0), respectively. LRG was enriched in diseased appendices, and its abundance correlated with severity of appendicitis. Conclusion High-accuracy mass spectrometry urine proteome profiling allowed identification of diagnostic markers of acute appendicitis. Usage of LRG and other identified biomarkers may improve the diagnostic accuracy of clinical evaluations of appendicitis.
The role of adjunctive antibiotics in the treatment of skin and soft tissue abscesses: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective To perform a review and meta-analysis on the effect of antibiotics on treatment of skin and soft tissue abscesses (SSTAs) after incision and drainage. Methods We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Knowledge, and Google Scholar databases to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies. For RCTs, we included studies comparing any antibiotic (treatment) to placebo (control). For observational studies, treatment was the use of appropriate antibiotics effective against bacterial isolate, and control was the use of inappropriate (ineffective) or no antibiotics. Outcome was treatment success during follow-up. Two investigators reviewed records, assessed quality (according to Cochrane and Newcastle-Ottawa tools), and extracted treatment success rates. Primary analysis was the effect of treatment among RCTs. Secondary analyses included the effect of treatment in 1) observational studies of confirmed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection (MRSA-only) and 2) all studies after 1998 (MRSA-era). We used random effects modelling, except when no heterogeneity was present when we used fixed effects. Results We screened 1,968 records. Twelve were included (five RCTs, seven observational studies), representing 1,969 subjects. Seven enrolled from emergency departments, two from surgical clinics, and three from ambulatory clinics. Three enrolled children only. Pooled relative risk (RR) of treatment success among RCTs was 1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.97−1.08). Pooled RR in the secondary analyses was 1.05 (95% CI 0.96−1.15) in MRSA-only and 0.99 (95% CI 0.98−1.01) in MRSA-era. Conclusion Despite limitations in pooling available data, there is no clear evidence to support antibiotic use in treating uncomplicated SSTAs.
Representation of age identities in on-line discourse

This study examines how age identities are presented in an on-line discussion forum for older adults. On-line messages (N=550) were examined using discourse and content analyses. Evidence of a tension between positive and negative age identities emerged in the analysis. Positive themes included a mind-over-body attitude, active engagement, wisdom and maturity, and the freedom of age. Negative themes involved physical decline, a sense of loss, and resistance to aging. Positive age identity themes were more frequently presented in these on-line messages than negative themes, and health-related messages were the most common. The central communication features and framing tactics of each age identity theme are discussed. Implications for theoretical perspectives on discourse and social identity, the limitations of this study, and directions for future research are addressed.
Operational interpretations of an extension of F ω with control operators

We study the operational semantics of an extension of Girard's System F ω with two control operators: an abort operation that abandons the current control context, and a callcc operation that captures the current control context. Two classes of operational semantics are considered, each with a call-by-value and a call-by-name variant, differing in their treatment of polymorphic abstraction and instantiation. Under the standard semantics, polymorphic abstractions are values and polymorphic instantiation is a significant computation step; under the ML-like semantics evaluation proceeds beneath polymorphic abstractions and polymorphic instantiation is computationally insignificant. Compositional, type-preserving continuation-passing style (cps) transformation algorithms are given for the standard semantics, resulting in terms on which all four evaluation strategies coincide. This has as a corollary the soundness and termination of well-typed programs under the standard evaluation strategies. In contrast, such results are obtained for the call-by-value ML-like strategy only for a restricted sub-language in which constructor abstractions are limited to values. The ML-like call-by-name semantics is indistinguishable from the standard call-by-name semantics when attention is limited to complete programs.
The Role of the Intellectual in Eliminating the Effects of Poverty A Response to Tierney

Much ink has been spilled debating the role of the intellectual. William Tierney’s article “Beyond the Ivory Tower: The Role of the Intellectual in Eliminating Poverty” in the August/September 2013 issue of Educational Researcher adds to this literature. In his article, Tierney presents recommendations to the education community on how we might help our students in poverty. While Tierney’s recommendations are compelling, he frames his essay in a way that makes it difficult to understand why traditional education reform has failed to reach its ambitious goals. In this brief response to Tierney, I encourage our community to view the effects of poverty as two-dimensional when trying to craft and conduct educational reform.
Have recent statin trial findings affected the National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines

Have recent statin trial findings affected the National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines?
Pharmacology of cefazolin in patients with normal and abnormal renal function.

Levels of cefazolin in serum and urine were determined after a 500-mg parenteral dose in patients with normal and various degrees of compromised renal function. The mean peak concentration in serum, corrected for body weight, did not differ significantly among patients with different endogenous creatinine clearances (Ce). The urinary concentration and percentage of the dose excreted in the urine within the first 4 or 6 hr after administration of cefazolin decreased significantly in patients with compromised renal function, but the urinary concentration of cefazolin was adequate, even in patients with Ccr of 12-17 ml/min, to treat urinary-tract infection caused by cefazolin-sensitive pathogens. The half-life (TY) of cefazolin in serum increased significantly in patients with Cer < 26 ml/min.
Documentation of anomalies not previously described in Fryns syndrome

We report on a case of Fryns syndrome with microcephaly, multiple facial anomalies, hypoplasia of distal phalanges, diaphragmatic defect with a thin, translucent diaphragm, microphthalmia (right), anophthalmia (left), and multiple midline developmental defects including gastroschisis, central nervous system defects including left arrhinencephaly and cerebellar hypoplasia, midline cleft of the upper lip, alveolar ridge and maxillary bone, and cleft nose with bilateral choanal atresia. These defects add to our knowledge of the phenotype of Fryns syndrome.
GEOGRAPHIC INEQUALITY UNDER SOCIALISM

ABSTRACT Many studies have documented the existence of spatial socio-economic inequalities in developing nations, as well as developed, Western nations with market economies. Such spatial inequalities generally have been ascribed to deficiencies in the political, social, and economic systems prevailing in these states. Some writers have implied that under Marxist forms of socialism such inequalities would not occur and that territorial or spatial justice would prevail instead. This paper reviews evidence in recent literature bearing on the question of spatial equality and inequality in the socialist countries of the USSR and northeastern Europe, all of which profess an ideological commitment to the goal of eliminating spatial inequality. Judged from various perspectives—regional contrasts, urban-rural and urban-urban comparisons, and intraurban distinctions—the socialist states studied exhibit marked spatial inequalities. The persistence of these inequalities can be explained in terms of the priority plac...
Hot-carrier degradation in bipolar transistors at 300 and 110 K-effect on BiCMOS inverter performance

The degradation of bipolar transistors at 300 and 110 K under DC base-emitter reverse-bias stress is discussed. It is found that, for the same reverse voltage, the reverse current is about three to four times smaller at 100 than at 300 K, but the rate of base current degradation is several times larger. A method for modeling the degradation due to the stress from a periodic signal is proposed. The resulting expression for degradation is compatible with the SPICE bipolar model and has been used to simulate the degradation of a BiCMOS inverter operating at 300 and 110 K. >