cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The heme-binding protein (HbpA) of Haemophilus influenzae as a virulence determinant

Haemophilus influenzae has an absolute growth requirement for heme and the heme-binding lipoprotein (HbpA) and has been implicated in the utilization of this essential nutrient. We constructed an insertional mutation of hbpA in a type b and a nontypeable H. influenzae strain. In the type b strain, the hbpA mutant was impaired in utilization of heme complexed to either hemopexin or to albumin and in the utilization of low levels of heme but not in the utilization of heme at high levels or of hemoglobin or hemoglobin–haptoglobin complexes. In contrast, the hbpA mutant derivative of the nontypeable strain was impaired in utilization of all tested heme sources. We further examined the impact of the hbpA mutation in animal models of H. influenzae disease. The hbpA mutant of the nontypeable strain was indistinguishable from the wild-type strain in the chinchilla model of otitis media. The hbpA mutant derivative of the type b strain caused bacteremia as well as the wild-type strain in 5-day old infant rats. However, in 30-day old rats the hbpA caused significantly lower rates of bacteremia than the wild-type strain indicating a role for hbpA and heme acquisition in virulence in this model of H. influenzae disease. In conclusion, HbpA is important for heme utilization by multiple H. influenzae strains and is a virulence determinant in a model of H. influenzae invasive disease.
A concept of a global food system and its use by private and public managers

Agribusiness, broadly defined, is still the most important sector in the world economy. From a policy-making standpoint, it is best to view agribusiness as an interdependent global food system. When individual countries formulate agriculture and trade policies, they rarely take into account interactions with policies of other nations. The result of uncoordinated policy making has been increased price volatility and greater risk for agribusiness firms. To counteract, new trading entities have formed and the role of trade facilitators such as the World Bank has taken on greater importance. There are needs for international coordinating and conflict resolving mechanisms for the trade of traditional agricultural commodities and high valued products. There is also a need to reconcile the rapidly evolving global agribusiness system with noncommercial agriculture and with persistent hunger problems.
Comparative effects of convulsants on the antidromic cortical response to pyramidal tract stimulation.

Abstract The cortical antidromic response to pyramidal tract stimuli parallels inhibitory post-synaptic potential generation by recurrent collaterals. The modifications induced in this response by topical and systemic administration of strychnine, Metrazol ® and dieldrin were compared. Topical application of 1% strychnine or 10% Metrazol suppressed the response and evoked cortical spiking. With strychnine complete loss of the response occurred without development of sustained, repetitive epileptiform activity. The relationships observed between pyramidal stimulation and spikes suggest that Metrazol and strychnine spikes are not equivalent phenomena. Systemic administration of convulsive amounts of strychnine decreased the response while Metrazol and dieldrin did not alter it. All three compounds shortened the time required for recovery during paired pulse analysis. The data suggest that reduction of recurrent collateral inhibition at pyramidal cells is not a significant contributor to convulsive activities following administration of any of these agents.
SPARCL: a high-altitude tethered balloon-based optical space-to-ground communication system

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) has conducted a feasibility study to determine if a high altitude (20 km) tethered balloon-based space-to-ground optical communication system is a feasible concept. To support this effort, a detailed concept definition was developed and associated issues were identified and analyzed systematically. Of all the adverse atmospheric phenomena, cloud coverage was identified as the most prohibitive obstacle for a space-to-ground optical communication link. However, by placing a receiver on a balloon at a 20 km altitude, the proposed high altitude system avoids virtually all atmospheric effects. A practical notional scenario was developed (i.e. surveillance and/or reconnaissance of a regional conflict) involving end-to-end optical communication architecture to identify system elements, system level requirements, and to quantify realistic data rate requirements. Analysis of the proposed space-to-ground communication elements indicates that while significant development is required, the system is technically feasible and is a very cost effective 24/7solution.
Expression of eIF4E During Head and Neck Tumorigenesis: Possible Role in Angiogenesis†‡

Objective: The translation initiation factor eIF4E (4E) when overexpressed in mammalian cells results in their oncogenic transformation. 4E facilitates the synthesis of two powerful tumor angiogenic factors (VEGF and FGF-2) by selectively enhancing their translation. 4E is overexpressed not only in all head and neck squamous cell cancers but also in some dysplastic margins. Tumorigenesis in the head and neck is proposed to be a multistep process preceded by clinically evident precancerous lesions. Molecular events underlie the histological changes that herald transformation. We wanted to study the role of 4E in tumorigenesis and further elucidate its causal role in angiogenesis. Methods: An immunohistochemical analysis with antibodies to 4E, VEGF, and basic (b)-FGF was performed on 115 specimens of the head and neck representing various stages of histological progression of malignancy. This was correlated with mean vessel density (MVD) using factor VIII. Results: There were 41 cases of hyperplasia and low-grade dysplasia, 40 cases of high-grade dysplasia and 34 cases of cancer. There was a significant increase in the percent of cases expressing 4E from low-grade dysplasia through tumor. However, for VEGF and b-FGF the significant increase was only seen between the tumor group and dysplastic groups and no significant increase was noted between low-grade and high-grade dysplasia. There was a significant increase in MVD from low- (10.7 ± 1) to high-grade grade dysplasia (18.0 ± 2.3). This increase was even more striking for the 4E positive cases. Conclusion: 4E elevation is correlated with progressive cell transformation in the head and neck. Its correlation with VEGF, b-FGF, and MVD potentates its possible role in angiogenesis.
Desconfiança política na América Latina

Este trabalho examina o contexto, as causas e as consequencias da desconfianca nos politicos no atual periodo democratico da America Latina. Em termos de contexto, demonstramos que a confianca muito baixa nos politicos da America Latina e meramente um dos aspectos de uma sindrome de baixa confianca generalizada. Em termos das causas da desconfianca, examinamos tres caracteristicas proeminentes do desenvolvimento democratico nos ultimos quinze anos: fraco desempenho economico da maioria das novas democracias da regiao, escândalos de corrupcao e o uso instrumental das instituicoes politicas pelos governantes. Em termos de consequencias, examinamos o apoio fraco e desigual a democracia em toda a regiao, que parece estar relacionado causalmente com a desconfianca nos politicos. No entanto, evitamos o alarmismo sustentando que esses resultados devem ser contextualizados a luz da citada sindrome de baixa confianca multidimensional da America Latina. Ademais, o reservatorio de atitudes autoritarias entre os individuos e fragmentario e raramente se expressa de forma coerente na acao politica. Alem disso, como a pesquisa sobre democracias tanto avancadas como emergentes demonstrou recentemente, os cidadaos estao cada vez mais dispostos a separar suas avaliacoes dos governantes (com frequencia, negativas) da avaliacao da democracia como tipo de regime.
SANITARY ENGINEERING AS A CAREER.

SANITARY engineering is a late development in the curricula of technical institutions. Like all other aspects ,of learning, engineering has gone through a process of evolution and differentiation. It is the function of colleges to adjust their curricula to the changing conditions of social life. The measure of college efficiency and educational effectiveness depends upon the accuracy with which our institutions of learning make the adjustment demanded by social changes. Provision for courses in sanitary engineering and the training of the sanitary engineer is a good illustration, both of the evolution of technical curricula in our colleges and the adaptability of our institutions to the needs of social life. Refinement of technique and specialization in the field of engineering have been going on for more than a hundred years. Civil engineering, for example, in 1824 was a vastly different thing from civil engineering of the present day. \Vith the growth of industrial society, the development of our cities, the astonishing products of inventive genius, the discoveries in the field of natural science, and the application of these discoveries in almost every field of human endeavor, have given a new meaning to engineering. Civil, mechanical, electrical, mining, and chemical engineers of today are, first of all. scientists. They are men who have based their special technical training upon the broad foundation of scientific fact. The broad training has given them great versatility and adaptability in the specialized fields in which they operate. It is not surprising, therefore, that be-
Design, Preparation, and Characterization of High-Activity Mutants of Human Butyrylcholinesterase Specific for Detoxification of Cocaine

Cocaine is a widely abused drug without a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved medication. There is a recognized, promising anticocaine medication to accelerate cocaine metabolism, producing biologically inactive metabolites via a route similar to the primary cocaine-metabolizing pathway [i.e., cocaine hydrolysis catalyzed by butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) in plasma]. An ideal, therapeutically valuable mutant of human BChE should have not only a significantly improved catalytic activity against (−)-cocaine but also certain selectivity for (−)-cocaine over neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh), such that one would not expect systemic administration of the BChE mutant to interrupt cholinergic transmission. The present study accounting for the mutation-caused changes of the catalytic activities of BChE against both (−)-cocaine and ACh by means of molecular modeling and site-directed mutagenesis has led to identification of three BChE mutants that have not only a considerably improved catalytic efficiency against (−)-cocaine but also the desirable selectivity for (−)-cocaine over ACh. Two representative BChE mutants have been confirmed to be potent in actual protection of mice from acute toxicity (convulsion and lethality) of a lethal dose of cocaine (180 mg/kg). Pretreatment with the BChE mutant (i.e., 1 min before cocaine administration) dose-dependently protected mice against cocaine-induced convulsions and lethality. In particular, all mice pretreated with the mutant (e.g., 0.02 mg or more of A199S/F227A/S287G/A328W/E441D BChE) survived. The in vivo data reveal the primary factor (i.e., the relative catalytic efficiency), determining the efficacy in practical protection of mice from the acute cocaine toxicity and future direction for further improving the efficacy of the enzyme in the cocaine overdose treatment.
Symmetry of nonlinear optical response to time inversion of shaped femtosecond pulses as a clock of ultrafast dynamics

Pulse shaping of femtosecond lasers causes frequency and intensity changes in the electromagnetic field; these changes can be symmetric or asymmetric with respect to time. Within the first few femtosecond, the nonlinear optical response is purely electronic. The nuclear response follows soon after that and continues for hundreds of femtoseconds. Differences in the nonlinear optical response caused by time inversion of laser pulses are explored here on a number of different systems. The change in behavior is first probed in a solution of IR144 for different laser intensities which shows a distinctive asymmetry upon time inversion in the fluorescence signal above the linear response regime. Two-photon induced fluorescence of a rhodamine B solution at high intensities is found to have a symmetric phase dependence which becomes asymmetric because of self phase modulation and self focusing at higher laser intensities. Surprisingly, the fragmentation and ionization of isolated para-nitrotoluene molecules was found not to depend on time inversion of the shaped laser pulses. However, from pulse shaping experiments we can glean the relative timing of the fragmentation processes. Results from this study show that the response of a system to time inversion of shaped femtosecond pluses provides an internal clock for ultrafast physicochemical processes occurring during laser–matter interactions. � 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Chromatin structure of the molecular ends of oxytricha macronuclear DNA: phased nucleosomes and a telomeric complex

Abstract Oxytricha macronuclear DNA exists as ∼24 × 10 6 gene-sized molecules terminating with a C 4 A 4 repeat. DNA-protein interactions at the ends of bulk macronuclear molecules were probed with micrococcal nuclease and methidiumpropyl-EDTA·Fe(II) (MPE·Fe[II]). The ends were indirectly labeled by hybridizing with (C 4 A 4 ) 2 . Alternatively, a novel method using MPE·FE(II) as a probe and directly labeling the 3′ ends with terminal transferase was implemented. A terminal complex involving ∼100 bp with nucleosomes phased inward from the complex was found to be characteristic of most or all of the ends. Analysis of two specific genes confirmed the pattern and showed that the special structure was on both ends of each molecule. We conclude that a DNA-protein complex involving 100 bp and terminating with the C 4 A 4 repeat can be sufficient to provide the fundamental functions of telomeres, allowing linear DNA replication and conferring stability of linear DNA.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Atypical Presentations of Hiatal Hernia Following Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric surgery dramatically alters the normal stomach anatomy resulting in a significant incidence of hiatal hernia and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Although the majority of patients remain asymptomatic, many complain of severe heartburn refractory to medical management and additional highly atypical symptoms. Here, we describe the diagnosis and treatment regarding four cases of symptomatic hiatal hernia following bariatric surgery presenting with atypical symptoms in the University Hospital, USA. Four patients presented following laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or duodenal switch/pancreaticobiliary bypass (DS) with disabling and intractable midepigastric abdominal pain characterized as severe and radiating to the jaw, left shoulder, and midscapular area. The pain in all cases was described as paroxysmal and not necessarily associated with eating. All four patients also experienced nausea, vomiting, and failure to thrive at various intervals following laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Routine workup failed to produce any clear mechanical cause of these symptoms. However, complimentary use of multidetector CT and upper gastrointestinal contrast studies eventually revealed the diagnosis of hiatal hernia. Exploration identified the presence of a type I hiatal hernia in all four patients, with the stomach staple lines densely adherent to the diaphragm and parietal peritoneum. Operative intervention led to immediate and complete resolution of symptoms. The presence of a hiatal hernia following bariatric surgery can present with highly atypical symptoms that do not resolve without operative intervention. Recognition of this problem should lead to the consideration of surgery in cases where patients are dependent on artificial nutritional support and whose symptoms are poorly controlled with medication alone.
Conditions With Right Ventricular Pressure and Volume Overload, and a Small Left Ventricle: “Hypoplastic” Left Ventricle or Simply a Squashed Ventricle?

Objectives. We modeled the utility of preoperative potential left ventricular (LV) volume in predicting postoperative volume in conditions causing LV compression. Background. With right ventricular (RV) overload lesions, LV “hypoplasia” may be primarily due to compression by reverse septal bowing. If so, preoperative potential LV volume should correspond 1:1 with postoperative volume. The potential volume for a given endocardial circumference can be calculated from the maximal potential cross-sectional area (where A = circumference2/4π) and LV length. Methods. We studied echocardiographic variables from 22 patients with RV overload lesions perioperatively. Results. Preoperative LV volume was 15.0 ± 7.1 ml/m2(59% of patients had a volume 15 ml/m2). Preoperative potential volume correlated well with, but generally underestimated, postoperative volume (r = 0.75, p < 0.0001). Postoperative increases in both LV circumference and length contributed to this discrepancy. Conclusions. In RV overload lesions, LV “hypoplasia” is primarily due not to compression; rather it is due to underfilling. Even “hypoplastic” ventricles can achieve an adequate cavity after operation normalizes loading conditions. Both true and potential preoperative volume can predict postoperative volume well. However, potential volume, which is less prone to underestimating ventricular adequacy, may better help to determine suitability for biventricular repair in lesions of RV overload associated with a “hypoplastic” LV.
Psychosocial factors in the use of smokeless tobacco and their implications for P.L. 99-252.

This article briefly reviews the prevalence of smokeless tobacco use by males in the United States, the relationship of smokeless tobacco use to cigarette use, and patterns of use that include dosage, topography, products, and function of use. The primary focus of the article is to describe the concurrent and predictive factors associated with onset, use, and cessation of smokeless tobacco. The implications of P.L. 99-252, the Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Act of 1986, are discussed in the context of what is known about the psychosocial variables associated with the use of smokeless tobacco.
Bayesian Regularization for Normal Mixture Estimation and Model-Based Clustering

Normal mixture models are widely used for statistical modeling of data, including cluster analysis. However maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) for normal mixtures using the EM algorithm may fail as the result of singularities or degeneracies. To avoid this, we propose replacing the MLE by a maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimator, also found by the EM algorithm. For choosing the number of components and the model parameterization, we propose a modified version of BIC, where the likelihood is evaluated at the MAP instead of the MLE. We use a highly dispersed proper conjugate prior, containing a small fraction of one observation's worth of information. The resulting method avoids degeneracies and singularities, but when these are not present it gives similar results to the standard method using MLE, EM and BIC.
Price discovery and volatility spillovers in the DJIA index and futures markets

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is the most widely quoted stock index worldwide. This article examines the minute-by-minute price discovery process and volatility spillovers between the DJIA index and the index futures recently launched by the CBOT. The Hasbrouck (1995) cointegrating model suggests that most of the price discovery takes place at the futures market. However, by examining the volatility spillovers between the markets based on a bivariate EGARCH model, a significant bidirectional information flow is found. That is, innovations in one market can predict the future volatility in another market, but the futures market volatility-spillovers to the stock market more than vice versa. Both markets also exhibit asymmetric volatility effects, with bad news having a greater impact on volatility than good news. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 19: 911–930, 1999
The Wnt Effector Transcription Factor 7-Like 2 Positively Regulates Oligodendrocyte Differentiation in a Manner Independent of Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling

Genetic or pharmacological activation of canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibits oligodendrocyte differentiation. Transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7l2), also known as TCF4, is a Wnt effector induced transiently in the oligodendroglial lineage. A well accepted dogma is that TCF7l2 inhibits oligodendrocyte differentiation through activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. We report that TCF7l2 is upregulated transiently in postmitotic, newly differentiated oligodendrocytes. Using in vivo gene conditional ablation, we found surprisingly that TCF7l2 positively regulates neonatal and postnatal mouse oligodendrocyte differentiation during developmental myelination and remyelination in a manner independent of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. We also reveal a novel role of TCF7l2 in repressing a bone morphogenetic protein signaling pathway that is known to inhibit oligodendrocyte differentiation. Thus, our study provides novel data justifying therapeutic attempts to enhance, rather than inhibit, TCF7l2 signaling to overcome arrested oligodendroglial differentiation in multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases.
Characterizing non-gaussian, high b-value diffusion in liver fibrosis: Stretched exponential and diffusional kurtosis modeling.

Purpose To employ the stretched exponential and diffusional kurtosis models to study the non-Gaussian behavior of diffusion-related signal decay of the liver in an animal model of hepatic fibrosis. Materials and Methods High b-value diffusion imaging data (up to 3500 s/mm2) of ex vivo murine liver specimens was acquired using a 9.4 T MRI scanner. A simple monoexponential model as well as the stretched exponential and diffusional kurtosis models were employed to analyze the diffusion data, the results of which were correlated with liver histopathology. Results Strong correlations between histopathological assessments of hepatic fibrosis and parameters derived from the stretched exponential and diffusional kurtosis models were found. Using Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) analyses, the kurtosis model was found to result in an improved fit of the high b-value diffusion data when compared to both the monoexponential and stretched exponential models. Conclusion The use of diffusional kurtosis or stretched exponential models, applied to the characterization of the non-Gaussian behavior of the molecular diffusion of liver exhibited over an extended b-factor range, affords the potential for an increased capability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the characterization of chronic liver disease. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2014;39:827–834. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Why do Shear Bond Tests Pull Out Dentin

It is widely accepted that a dentin shear bond test which pulls out dentin must mean that the adhesive strength is superior to the cohesive strength of the dentin. Using numerical modeling techniques, Van Noort et al. (1988,1989) and DeHoff et al. (1995) alerted the scientific community that there were massive stress concentrations in the familiar dentin bond test. It is not inconceivable that these localized high tensile stresses could initiate cracks which diverge monolithically into dentin, leaving the interface unchallenged. To test this hypothesis, we developed a failure accumulation simulation program which determined localized failure interactively "on the fly" with a finite element solver, and also included brittle behavior, adhesive and cohesive failure, stochastic response, and dynamic remeshing. All of the familiar dentin bond variables were included in the simulation. A parallel experimental dentin bond test validation was run, and the fractography was examined in the scanning electron microsc...
Isolation and characterization of the urease gene (URE) from the pathogenic fungus Coccidioides immitis

The urease (URE)-encoding gene from Coccidioides immitis (Ci), a respiratory fungal pathogen of humans, was cloned, sequenced, chromosome-mapped and expressed. Both the genomic and cDNA sequences are reported. The transcription start point and poly(A)-addition site were confirmed. The URE gene contains eight introns and a 2517-bp ORF that translates a 839-amino-acid (aa) protein of 91.5 kDa and pI of 5.5, as deduced by computer analysis of the nucleotide sequence. The translated protein revealed eight putative N-glycosylation sites. The deduced URE showed comparable levels of homology to reported URE of the jack bean plant (Canavalia ensiformis; 71.8%) and URE of several genera of bacteria (Bp, 71.7%; Hp, 68.3%; Ka, 71.6%; Pm, 71.9%). The URE gene was mapped to chromosome III of Ci and was shown to be a single copy gene by Southern hybridization. Expression of a 1687-bp fragment of the URE gene in E. coli resulted in the production of a 63-kDa recombinant protein that was recognized in an immunoblot by antiserum raised against the Ka URE homolog. This is the first report of a fungal URE gene.
Methane activation on Ni and Ru model catalysts

Abstract This article reviews research related to the activation of methane by Ni and Ru using model catalysts, highlighting the surface science work carried out using molecular beams methods and elevated pressure reaction studies. Emphasis is placed on connecting the model studies of surface science with the corresponding results obtained on the analogous ‘real world’ catalysts. These combined studies have added considerable new information to our understanding of the fundamental mechanism of CH bond activation, the nature of the subsequently formed intermediates and the role these intermediates play in important methane reactions such as steam reforming, partial oxidation and homologation.
Association Between Apple Consumption and Physician Visits: Appealing the Conventional Wisdom That an Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Importance Fruit consumption is believed to have beneficial health effects, and some claim, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Objective To examine the relationship between eating an apple a day and keeping the doctor away. Design, Setting, and Participants A cross-sectional study of a nationally representative sample of the noninstitutionalized US adult population. A total of 8728 adults 18 years and older from the 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey completed a 24-hour dietary recall questionnaire and reported that the quantity of food they ate was reflective of their usual daily diet. Exposures Daily apple eaters (consuming the equivalent of at least 1 small apple daily, or 149 g of raw apple) vs non–apple eaters, based on the reported quantity of whole apple consumed during the 24-hour dietary recall period. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome measure was success at “keeping the doctor away,” measured as no more than 1 visit (self-reported) to a physician during the past year; secondary outcomes included successful avoidance of other health care services (ie, no overnight hospital stays, visits to a mental health professional, or prescription medications). Results Of 8399 eligible study participants who completed the dietary recall questionnaire, we identified 753 adult apple eaters (9.0%)—those who typically consume at least 1 small apple per day. Compared with the 7646 non–apple eaters (91.0%), apple eaters had higher educational attainment, were more likely to be from a racial or ethnic minority, and were less likely to smoke (P Conclusions and Relevance Evidence does not support that an apple a day keeps the doctor away; however, the small fraction of US adults who eat an apple a day do appear to use fewer prescription medications.
Cascade Effects of Medical Technology

▪ Abstract Cascade effect refers to a process that proceeds in stepwise fashion from an initiating event to a seemingly inevitable conclusion. With regard to medical technology, the term refers to a chain of events initiated by an unnecessary test, an unexpected result, or patient or physician anxiety, which results in ill-advised tests or treatments that may cause avoidable adverse effects and/or morbidity. Examples include discovery of endocrine incidentalomas on head and body scans; irrelevant abnormalities on spinal imaging; tampering with random fluctuations in clinical measures; and unwanted aggressive care at the end of life. Common triggers include failing to understand the likelihood of false-positive results; errors in data interpretation; overestimating benefits or underestimating risks; and low tolerance of ambiguity. Excess capacity and perverse financial incentives may contribute to cascade effects as well. Preventing cascade effects may require better education of physicians and patients; r...
Subjectivity and Class Consciousness: The Development of Class Identity

In this paper, the author explores issues of self and identity, in particular the development of consciousness of social class and the negotiation of conflicting class identities. Literature on working-class students and academics from the working class indicates that upward mobility from working class to professional class can be disorienting due to class-related sociocultural differences and the internalization of class conflicts. By drawing upon one case from an ethnographic study with ten female professors from the working class, the author explores the development of one woman's working-class consciousness and the ways in which it influenced her teaching. Detailed analyses of three narratives from one interview are presented that highlight particular contexts and events in a process of class identity development.
Can selection on a male mating character result in evolutionary change? A selection experiment on California wild radish, Raphanus sativus

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Whenever more pollen grains arrive on stigmas than necessary to fertilize ovules, sexual selection is possible. However, the role of sexual selection remains controversial, in part because of lack of evidence on genetic bases of traits and the response of relevant characters to selection. METHODS In an experiment with Raphanus sativus, we selected on tendency to sire seeds in the stylar or basal regions of fruits. This character is likely related to pollen tube growth rate, and seed position affects rates of abortion and seed predation. We measured differences among families in seed siring and related characters and evaluated responses to selection. KEY RESULTS All replicates showed strong effects of pollen donor family on proportion of seeds sired per fruit in mixed pollinations. Most also showed effects of pollen donor family on number of pollen grains per flower and pollen diameter. Two of four replicates showed a response to selection on position of seeds sired. In responding replicates, we found trade-offs in pollen grain size and number; plants with larger pollen grains sired more seeds in the basal region. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest a genetic basis for pollen donor ability to sire seeds in competition. The significant response to selection in two replicates shows that position of seeds sired can respond to selection. Thus, all components for sexual selection to occur and affect traits are present. Variation in results among replicates might be due to changes in greenhouse conditions. Environmental effects may contribute to the maintenance of variation in these fitness-related characters.
Family Interaction and Psychopathology

Throughout the past century, clinical researchers have been increasingly drawn to explorations of the family’s role in the etiology, course, treatment, and prevention of psychopathological disorders. In attempts to unravel and elucidate relationships involving family life and disordered behavior, various theoretical perspectives and research strategies have been exploited, each of which has been directed toward a somewhat different level, aspect, or concomitant of the family matrix. For the most part, however, investigators have emphasized either the characteristics of individual family members or the family group as a totality. Although interest in relational parameters has been strongly implied throughout much of this literature, programmatic studies of interaction per se have been undertaken only since the mid-1950s.
Youth offenders developing social and technical skills through game creation.

n this study, the authors examined juvenile offender experiences in Project Tech, a research-based educational pilot program to teach socially responsible serious game development at a major Midwest university’s Games Lab. Using open-ended interviews, learner feedback surveys, and learner journaling during the program, the researchers examined two questions pertaining to: (a) learner motivation, engagement, and meaning making; and (b) program feedback and critique to elicit program improvements as part of an iterative process. Responses were analyzed using inductive textual analysis and content analysis. Several learner themes emerged: game development as motivation, discovery learning (i.e., learning game development skills through trial and error) as engagement in game development, and meaning-making through designing games to teach a social issue.
On the Marriage Flight of Pogonomyrmex Comanche Wheeler (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

On June 10, 1936, on the Brazos River bottom a few miles north of Waco, Texas (on Ruel Yowell's farm, to be exact), I was fortunate enough to observe the nuptial habits of the harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex comanche Wheeler. (Kindly identified for me by Dr. M. R. Smith of the U. S. Department of Agriculture.) They were found on a large pecan tree and so abundant that they completely covered the tree. Apparently mating occurred on the tree, or perhaps it originally occurred in the air and they settled on the tree after union.
Selaginella and the Satyr: Euptychia westwoodi (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) Oviposition Preference and Larval Performance

Members of the plant genus Selaginella (de Beauvois 1805) have few known insect herbivores even though they are considered by some to be ‘living fossils’, with extant taxa virtually indistinguishable from 300 Mya fossils. Butterflies are well-known herbivores, and the satyrs are among the most speciose of them despite having radiated ∼35 Mya ago. Nearly all satyrs feed on grass or sedges, but members of the Neotropical genus Euptychia Hubner 1818 feed on Selaginella ; little is known about the degree to which this butterfly favors this ancient plant over those that its close relatives utilize. To advance our knowledge of Euptychia natural history, we conducted a series of experiments to examine oviposition preference and growth rates across a series of potential host plants on a Euptychia westwoodi population in Costa Rica. We found that Euptychia westwoodi Butler 1867 exhibit a strong preference to oviposit on Selaginella eurynota over the sympatric Selaginella arthritica , though they perform equally well as larvae on both plants. We did not observe oviposition on a sympatric grass that is commonly consumed by close relatives of E. westwoodi , and when larvae were offered the grass they refused to eat. These results suggest that E. westwoodi in Costa Rica exhibit a strong preference for Selaginella and may have lost the ability to feed on a locally abundant grass commonly used by other Satyrinae.
The Study of Heat Transfer Quantity for Offshore Injecting Heat Polluted Water Wells

When the liquid flows in a well bore,because there exists difference in temperature between injected liquid and formations,heat will transfer from the liquid to formations.The quantitative calculation of well bore heat transfer quantity looks particularly important.According to the theory of heat transfer and two-phase flow,the radial heat transfer process along the well bore for injected water and produced liquid in the lifting course of an annular injected heat polluted water reducing viscosity jet pump is analyzed.Using the theory of heat transfer,a deduction is carried out on the calculation of the heat transfer coefficients of each part.
Clinical analysis on 65 cases of pernicious placenta previa

Objective To analyze clinical treatment of pernicious placenta previa and explore corresponding therapeutic measures. Methods A total of 130 women with placenta previa that gave birth in our hospital from Jan 2009 to Oct 2013 were selected as research objects. The observation group(n=65) included 65 patients with pernicious placenta previa and the control group included 65 patients with normal placenta previa. The patients were given conservative operations(including local suture, intrauterine packing with gauze, uterine artery ligation) during cesarean section according to patient conditions and given hemabate during the surgery to prevent postpartum hemorrhage.The clinical data were compared between the observation group and the control group. Results The observation group had higher prevalence of placenta implantation, more intraoperative blood loss, higher conservative operation rate during cesarean section, and higher hysterectomy rate than the control group, with statistical significance(P0.05). There was no significant difference in postpartum hemorrhage rate or neonatal asphyxia rate between the observation group and the control group(P0.05). Conclusion Pernicious placenta previa causes higher risk of hemorrhage during and after childbirth. Preventive hemabate can reduce postpartum hemorrhage and improve prognosis.
Analysis of phlegm smear microscopic examination results in 5257 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis

Objective:To strengthen the phlegm smear inspection the quality control,guarantee the phlegm smear examination quality and raise the phlegm smear masculine detection rate.Methods:Based on "Chinese tuberculosis control program-phlegm smear microscopic exam laboratory quality assurance handbook",uses the Ziehl-Neelsen phlegm direct smear dyeing inspection method.Results:The first diagnosis patient smear masculine gender rate was 13.1%.The subsequent visit patient smear masculine gender rate was 3.2%.The masculine first diagnosis patient smear masculine gender rate was 15.6%.The feminine first diagnosis patient smear masculine gender rate was 8.4%.Conclusion:The masculine first diagnosis patient smear masculine gender rate is higher than the female.Bloody sputum and early morning phlegm's smear masculine gender rate is the highest.
Influences on Faculty Willingness to Mentor Undergraduate Students from Another University as Part of an Interinstitutional Research Training Program

Faculty who valued the opportunity to increase diversity in the academy and those who believed that mentoring undergraduates benefited their own research expressed greater willingness to serve as r...
Engagement Through Data Management and Preservation: The North Carolina Language and Life Project and the Sociolinguistic Archive and Analysis Project

This chapter considers the ways that enhanced data management and preservation practices improve linguistic engagement processes and procedures. Data management and engagement are often considered separate professional enterprises with different goals and methods, but we argue that there is indeed an underlying intersection between these activities. We examine this potential by discussing a model established for North Carolina, one of the most linguistically diverse states in the United States. We consider how the outreach endeavors of the North Carolina Language and Life Project, including the recent book, Talkin’ Tar Heel: How our Voices Tell the Story of North Carolina (Wolfram and Reaser, Talkin’ Tar Heel: How Our Voices Tell the Story of North Carolina. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2014), interrelate with the Sociolinguistic Archive and Analysis Project, a large-scale sociolinguistic data management project.
Maximizing Communication–Computation Overlap Through Automatic Parallelization and Run-time Tuning of Non-blocking Collective Operations

Non-blocking collective communication operations extend the concept of collective operations by offering the additional benefit of being able to overlap communication and computation. They are often considered key building blocks for scaling applications to very large process counts. Yet, using non-blocking collective operations in real-world applications is non-trivial. Application codes often have to be restructured significantly in order to maximize the communication–computation overlap. This paper presents an approach to maximize the communication–computation overlap for hybrid OpenMP/MPI applications. The work leverages automatic parallelization by extending the ability of an existing tool to utilize non-blocking collective operations. It further integrates run-time auto-tuning techniques of non-blocking collective operations, optimizing both, the algorithms used for the non-blocking collective operations as well as location and frequency of accompanying progress function calls. Four application benchmarks were used to demonstrate the efficiency and versatility of the approach on two different platforms. The results indicate significant performance improvements in virtually all test scenarios. The resulting parallel applications achieved a performance improvement of up to 43% compared to the version using blocking communication operations, and up to 95% of the maximum theoretical communication–computation overlap identified for each scenario.
Share the Wealth: Redistribution Can Increase Economic Efficiency

People frequently face uncertain income and the threat of loss can inhibit economic investments. Government redistribution can insure citizens against economic losses, but its effect on people’s investment decisions depends on how they react to redistributive rules. We apply methods from experimental economics to study how a redistributive institution affects people’s investment decisions. Experiment 1 tests whether redistribution can increase economic efficiency when people face risk problems—investment opportunities that are profitable on average but could result in a loss. In a between-subject design, participants decide whether to make a risky investment either individually or under an institution that redistributes earnings equally among four group members. We find greater investment and profits when participants are required to share their earnings. In Experiment 2, we examine free-riding by comparing an institution that allows non-investors to exploit investors to an assortment institution that matches investors with investors. We find that vulnerability to free-riding suppresses investment, whereas an assortment mechanism increases investment by preventing free-riding and thereby facilitating risk pooling.
Comparison Between Output CM Chokes for SiC Drive Operating at 20- and 200-kHz Switching Frequencies

The adoption of silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs in variable speed drives (VSDs) makes it possible to increase the inverter switching frequency up to several hundred kilohertz without incurring excessive inverter loss. As a result, the harmonic currents and related losses in the machine can be significantly reduced, and the dynamic performance of motor will also be improved. However, the high switching frequency will increase the common mode (CM) electromagnetic interference (EMI) emission of the drive system presenting new challenges on CM choke design. In the literature, chokes designed for VSDs operating above 100 kHz are rarely found. Hence, this paper presents a case study on the output CM chokes for a SiC-based VSD switching at 20 and 200 kHz. A comprehensive comparison is made between the chokes for two switching frequencies regarding design, sizing, and performance, through both calculation and experiments. The results show that the CM choke designed for 200 kHz switching frequency is significantly larger and heavier than the 20 kHz choke, due to the higher inductance value required to meet the EMI limit and the lower permeability of the core material. Meanwhile, the 200 kHz choke is also less effective in noise attenuation as a result of the larger winding capacitance compared with the 20 kHz choke.
Ensemble simulations of inertial confinement fusion implosions

The achievement of inertial confinement fusion ignition on the National Ignition Facility relies on the collection and interpretation of a limited (and expensive) set of experimental data. These data are therefore supplemented with state-of-the-art multidimensional radiation-hydrodynamic simulations to provide a better understanding of implosion dynamics and behavior. We present a relatively large number (∼ 4000) of systematically perturbed 2D simulations to probe our understanding of low-mode fuel and ablator asymmetries seeded by asymmetric illumination. We find that Gaussian process surrogate models are able to predict both the total neutron yield and the degradation in performance due to asymmetries. The surrogates are then applied to simulations containing new sources of degradation to quantify the impact of the new source.
Detection of an undersea acoustic communications network by an energy detector

A theory is presented for the upper bound on the mean time τ to the detection of an undersea acoustic communications network by an energy detector whose initial position and heading are uniformly distributed random variables. The network is an infinite square grid of omnidirectional transmit-receive nodes on a flat bottom. Each node transmits to one nearest neighbor at a bit-rate R equal to Shannon's capacity, maximizing τ. The network sets a signaling bandwidth W and node-spacing D. The detector sets a false-alarm rate, integration time, height above the bottom, and speed. For W = 5 kHz and D = 1 km, τ is computed as a function of R in 200 -m water with propagation varying from spherical to cylindrical spreading, volume absorption of 2 dB per km (corresponding approximately to 15 kHz), and illustrative values for other parameters.
A Tale of Three Cities: Defining Urban Schools Within the Context of Varied Geographic Areas:

What constitutes an urban school? This question has confounded social researchers and educators who often limit definitions to population data. H. Richard Milner suggested a framework for defining ...
On selecting a minimal set of in vitro assays to reliably determine estrogen agonist activity.

Abstract The US EPA is charged with screening chemicals for their ability to be endocrine disruptors through interaction with the estrogen, androgen and thyroid axes. The agency is exploring the use of high-throughput in vitro assays to use in the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP), potentially as replacements for lower-throughput in vitro and in vivo tests. The first replacement is an integrated computational and experimental model for estrogen receptor (ER) activity, to be used as an alternative to the EDSP Tier 1 in vitro ER binding and transactivation assays and the in vivo uterotrophic bioassay. The ER agonist model uses a set of 16 in vitro assays that incorporate multiple technologies and cell lines and probe multiple points in the ER pathway. Here, we demonstrate that subsets of assays with as few as 4 assays can predict the activity of all 1811 chemicals tested with accuracy equivalent to that of the full 16-assay model. The prediction accuracy against reference chemicals is higher than that of the full chemical set, partly because the larger set contains many chemicals that can cause a variety of types of assay interference There are multiple accurate assay subsets, allowing flexibility in the construction of a multiplexed assay battery. We also discuss the issue of challenging chemicals, i.e. those that can give false positive results in certain assays, and could hence be more problematic when only a few assays are used.