cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expansion and radiative cooling of the laser induced plasma

To study the expansion and cooling process of the laser induced plasma generated by nanosecond pulsed laser ablation, experiments have been conducted which measure the position of the external shockwaves and the temperature of the vapor plumes. The positions of external shockwaves were determined by a femtosecond laser time-resolved imaging system. Vapor plume temperature was determined from spectroscopic measurements of the plasma emission lines. A model which considers the mass, momentum, and energy conservation of the region affected by the laser energy was developed. It shows good agreement to the experimental data.
Landscape connectivity strengthens local–regional richness relationships in successional plant communities

Local species diversity is maintained over ecological time by a balance between dispersal and species interactions. Local–regional species richness relationships are often used to investigate the relative importance of these two processes and the scales at which they operate. For communities undergoing succession, theory predicts a temporal progression in local–regional species richness relationships: from no relationship to positive linear to saturating. However, observational tests have been mixed, and experiments have been rare. Using a replicated large-scale experiment, we evaluate the impact of two dispersal-governing processes at the regional scale, connectivity and shape of the region (i.e., patches), on the progression of local–regional species richness relationships for plant communities undergoing succession. Regional connectivity accelerates the transition from no relationship to a positive linear relationship, while the shape of the region has no consistent effect nine years post-disturbance. Our results experimentally demonstrate the importance of dispersal in structuring local–regional species richness relationships over time and suggest that conservation corridors among regions can increase local diversity through regional enrichment of plant communities undergoing reassembly.
Surfzone-beach-dune interactions

This paper reviews the wave-beach-dune model of beach and dune interactions formulated by Hesp [1982] for micro-tidal beaches in eastern and southern Australia, and examines additions to, and more recent research principally on that model, but also briefly examines other models based on sediment supply variations. The model contends that dissipative beaches are characterized by high wave driven sediment supply, wide, low gradient beaches, maximum fetch, maximum aeolian sediment transport, largest foredunes and largest dunefields or dune systems, while reflective beaches are the opposite (minimal wave and wind driven sediment transport, narrow steep beaches, small foredunes and limited dunefield /dune system development. Intermediate beaches display a trend from high to low transport conditions, foredune size and dunefield development with a trend from dissipative to reflective. Future research ideas are also presented.
Strategies of head development: workshop report

We organized this workshop as an open discussion around the theme of developmental organization and evolution of the vertebrate head. To sharpen the focus of the debate initially, we, the convenors, proposed a hypothetical 'two-step' model of head development. The first step would be conceptually analogous to insect development, in the sense that early in embryonic development, i.e. during, or shortly after, gastrulation, a segmental pattern is specified in the neuroectoderm and/or head mesoderm. By segmentation we mean the subdivision of an embryonic field into sharply defined populations of cells linearly arranged along the anterior-posterior axis. Each population of cells would correspond to a 'segment' and each segment would be characterized by divergent developmental fate and potency. This initial process of regionalization by segmentation would be followed by a series of morphogenetic events, involving deformation of epithelial sheets, cell migration and epithelial-mesenchymal inductive interactions. The initial process of axial specification by segmentation would account for the existence of invariance in the basic organization of the vertebrate head. Evolutionary diversification within such a conserved body plan would be achieved by heterochronic variation in the timing and rates of subsequent morphogenetic and inductive events. What follows is an edited report of the discussions that took place. No questions were answered but, we hope to convey what were considered to be the areas of current interest and controversy. We would like to thank the following people, who were the most active participants in the discussion, for sharing their opinions with us (we apologize for any omissions): C. Gans, E. Gilland, M. Ferguson, B. Hall, B. Hogan, N. Holder, P. Holland, D. Noden, K. Silk, P. Thorogood, H. Van der Loos and L. Wolpert. Since most of these people have not seen this final report, we have usually refrained from assigning specific opinions to particular individuals and we remain solely responsible for the opinions expressed in this report.
Organizational Changes to Thyroid Regulation in Alligator mississippiensis: Evidence for Predictive Adaptive Responses

During embryonic development, organisms are sensitive to changes in thyroid hormone signaling which can reset the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis. It has been hypothesized that this developmental programming is a ‘predictive adaptive response’, a physiological adjustment in accordance with the embryonic environment that will best aid an individual’s survival in a similar postnatal environment. When the embryonic environment is a poor predictor of the external environment, the developmental changes are no longer adaptive and can result in disease states. We predicted that endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and environmentally-based iodide imbalance could lead to developmental changes to the thyroid axis. To explore whether iodide or EDCs could alter developmental programming, we collected American alligator eggs from an estuarine environment with high iodide availability and elevated thyroid-specific EDCs, a freshwater environment contaminated with elevated agriculturally derived EDCs, and a reference freshwater environment. We then incubated them under identical conditions. We examined plasma thyroxine and triiodothyronine concentrations, thyroid gland histology, plasma inorganic iodide, and somatic growth at one week (before external nutrition) and ten months after hatching (on identical diets). Neonates from the estuarine environment were thyrotoxic, expressing follicular cell hyperplasia (p=0.01) and elevated plasma triiodothyronine concentrations (p=0.0006) closely tied to plasma iodide concentrations (p=0.003). Neonates from the freshwater contaminated site were hypothyroid, expressing thyroid follicular cell hyperplasia (p=0.01) and depressed plasma thyroxine concentrations (p=0.008). Following a ten month growth period under identical conditions, thyroid histology (hyperplasia p=0.04; colloid depletion p=0.01) and somatic growth (body mass p,0.0001; length p=0.02) remained altered among the contaminated sites. This work supports the hypothesis that embryonic EDC exposure or iodide imbalance could induce adult metabolic disease states, thereby stressing the need to consider the multiple environmental variables present during development.
Toward Enhancing Research with the Social Information Processing Approach to Job Design

This paper suggests and discusses fundamental content and process questions within the social information processing approach in need of research. Evidence from existing social cue experiments is critically analyzed, and relevant insights from related fields of research are reviewed. These content and process questions must be addressed by researchers in order not only to provide for a fuller understanding of the social information processing approach itself, but also to understand the conditions necessary to maximize the effectiveness of job design programs.
The effect of performance indicator category on estimates of intervention effectiveness

Background A challenge for systematic reviews on improving health worker performance is that included studies often use different performance indicators, and the validity of comparing interventions with different indicators is unclear. One potential solution is to adjust comparisons by indicator category, with categories based on steps of the case-management process that can be easily recognized (assessment of symptoms, treatment etc.) and that might require different levels of effort to bring about improvements. However, this approach would only be useful if intervention effect sizes varied by indicator category. To explore this approach, studies were analyzed that evaluated the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy. Methods Performance indicators were grouped into four categories: patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment and counseling. An effect size of IMCI was calculated for each indicator. Linear regression modeling was used to test for differences among the mean effect sizes of the indicator categories. Results Six studies were included, with data from 3136 ill child consultations. Mean effect sizes for 63 assessment indicators, 12 diagnosis indicators, 31 treatment indicators and 34 counseling indicators were 50.9 percentage-points (%-points), 44.7, 36.5 and 46.6%-points, respectively. After adjusting for baseline indicator value, compared with the assessment mean effect size, the diagnosis mean was 7.3%-points lower ( P = 0.23), the treatment mean was 15.2%-points lower ( P = 0.0004) and the counseling mean was 12.9%-points lower ( P = 0.0027). Conclusion Adjusting the results of systematic reviews for indicator category and baseline indicator value might be useful for improving the validity of intervention comparisons.
Random walker watersheds: A new image segmentation approach

We propose a new graph-based approach for performing a multilabel, interactive image segmentation using the principle of random walks. Using the random walk principle, given a set of user-defined (or prelabeled) pixels as labels, one can analytically calculate the probability of walking from each unlabeled pixel to each labeled pixel, thereby defining a vector of probabilities for each unlabeled pixel. By efficiently combining this vector of probabilities obtained for each unlabeled pixel, they can be assigned to one of the labels using the watershed algorithm to obtain an image segmentation. We present quantitative and qualitative results, comparing our new algorithm with the original random walker image segmentation algorithm.
Ischemic Mitochondriopathy in the Pathophysiology of Ischemia/Reperfusion Syndrome

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF ISCHEMIA/REPERFUSION SYNDROME. T.P. Tran, R. Muelleman, I. Pipinos, University of Nebraska School of Medicine, Omaha, NE; M. Watkins, H. Albadawi, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Study Objectives: Mitochondria serves as the principal cellular energy producing unit. As such, ischemic mitochondriopathy is suspected, but heretofore never proven, in the pathophysiology of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). We studied mitochondrial respiratory functions using a murine model of acute hind limb I/R. Methods: Three groups of mice (C57/BL6) underwent an I/R protocol. The first group (N 12) was submitted to 1 hour of unilateral hind limb ischemia using a tourniquet, followed by 4 hours of reperfusion (1/4 I/R), the second group (N 10) 2 and 4 hours of I/R (2/4 I/R), with the third group (N 16) serving as time controls. At the end of the reperfusion period, flexor muscles from ischemic limbs and controls were immediately harvested and subsequently analyzed via spectrophotometry. Citrate Synthase (CS) activity, which serves as standard index of mitochondrial content, was measured and normalized to total protein content (CS/prot). Similarly, complexes I and IV activities, which are representative of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC), were measured and normalized to CS. Mann-Whitney was used to compare the two experimental groups vs controls; p value of 0.025 was used to account for multiple comparisons. Results: CS activity, normalized to total protein, and complex I and IV activities, normalized to CS are similar in groups 1 (1/4 I/R) and control (all p 0.025). These same mitochondrial metrics are, however, significantly reduced in group 2 (2/4 I/R) compared to controls (all p 0.001, see table all values are expressed as means (95% CI). Conclusion: In this murine model of acute hind limb I/R, 2 hours of tourniquet application, followed by 4 hours of reperfusion, causes significant damage to the mitochondrial apparatus. Mitochondrial content is reduced to approximately half of its normal level and the remaining mitochondrial functions of the ETC are significantly impaired. Results of this study suggest that ischemic mitochondriopathy may play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of I/R injury. Reprinted with permission from Elsevier Inc. Acad Emerg Med 2007;14(Suppl 1):S168.
The Caring‐Killing Paradox: Euthanasia‐Related Strain Among Animal‐Shelter Workers

The current study represents the first quantitative investigation of the psychological ramifications of euthanasia-related work. Results indicate that perceived euthanasia-related strain is prevalent among shelter employees and is associated with increased levels of general job stress, work-to-family conflict, somatic complaints, and substance use; and with lower levels of job satisfaction. Analyses provide evidence that euthanasia-related work has a significant negative relation with employee well-being independent of its relation with generalized job stress. Exploratory analyses also suggest that individual, work, and organizational differences may influence the level of perceived stress and appear to be associated with certain aspects of employee well-being. The need for future research of this topic and its relevance to a wide range of applied psychologists is discussed.
Simulation of Mach 3 Cylinder Flow Using Kinetic and Continuum Solvers

The objective of this work is to study the performance of the unified kinetic/continuum solver referred to as the Unified Flow Solver (UFS) for a Mach 3 flow past a cylinder by comparing its results from those of a traditional Navier-Stokes equation solver. The intention is to benchmark and validate UFS to appeal to a wider group of users interested in solving flow problems of practical applications in the kinetic-continuum flight regime. This unified computational tool is being developed under the sponsorship of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to solve both rarefied and continuum flow regimes. Some of the problems where such a solver would be used are re-entry vehicles, exhaust nozzle and plume flows, and MEMS/NANO devices, where a diverse range of conditions from continuum, to transition and rarefied flow regimes are encountered.
Alzheimer pathology in elderly patients with glioblastoma multiforme.

Abstract Context.—Alzheimer disease (AD) and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) have similar peak, age-specific incidence rates; however, to my knowledge, only 1 case of GBM associated with AD has been ...
A new graduate course on optical computing

A new optical computing course offered at the graduate level is described. The term "optical computing" used here refers to the design of digital computer system modules and interconnections using optical/optoelectronic technologies. The course has been offered in the College of Computer Science and Engineering (CCSE), by both the computer engineering (COE) and the information and computer science (ICS) departments while the author was at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). In essence, the course was intended for a wide audience. Students from other disciplines, such as electrical engineering (EE) and systems engineering (SE), can register for the course as an elective. The course main topics are: motivation and background for optical computing; subsystems for optical computing that discusses the different types of optical interconnection networks, optical memory, optical arithmetic/matrix computations and related algorithms; and architectural models of computations where optical LANs/MANs, optical dataflow computers, optical cellular automata, and optical neural networks are discussed.
A Rancid Culprit in Vascular Inflammation Acts on the Prostaglandin Receptor EP2

See related article, pages 642–650 Although our knowledge about the mechanisms underlying atherosclerosis and its complications has dramatically increased, questions about the initiating factors of atherogenesis remain. Accumulating evidence suggests retention of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles in the subendothelial space with subsequent oxidative modification as key steps in atherogenesis. Oxidative modification initially gives rise to minimally oxidized LDL (MM-LDL), which was shown by Judy Berliner in 1990 to activate endothelial cells to specifically bind monocytes but not neutrophils.1 It was subsequently shown by the same group that the biological activity of MM-LDL primarily results from oxidation of phospholipids such as 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonoyl- sn -3-glycero-phosphorylcholine (PAPC), yielding a series of structurally defined oxidation products (OxPAPC). The advances that have been made in dissecting the molecular components of MM-LDL responsible for its proatherogenic effect now allow for the experimental use of defined compounds rather than complex lipoproteins. One such biologically active oxidized phospholipid was structurally identified by Watson et al as 1-palmitoyl-2-epoxyisoprostane- sn -glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (PEIPC; Figure 1).2,3 Oxidized (“rancid”) phospholipids were shown to accumulate in atherosclerotic lesions,4 and thus could be regarded as “culprits” in chronic inflammation. Although intracellular signaling pathways induced by various oxidized phospholipids had been studied, target receptors that are activated by these lipids remained unknown. Indications that oxidized phospholipids may act by binding to a G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR) came from studies by Parhami et al, who demonstrated that MM-LDL stimulates a putative Gαs-coupled receptor, increasing cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels in endothelial cells.5,6 Figure 1. Structures of 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonoyl-sn-3-glycero-phosphorylcholine (PAPC), and 1-palmitoyl-2-epoxyisoprostane-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (PEIPC). In this issue of Circulation Research , Li et al7 demonstrate that the oxidized phospholipid PEIPC induces monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells by activating the prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) receptor EP2. Activation of EP2 by PEIPC increased cAMP levels, …
An Efficient and Scalable Prioritized MAC Protocol (PMAC) for Backbone Communication in Wireless Sensor Networks

A Prioritized Medium Access Control (PMAC) protocol is proposed for wireless sensor networks, based on a binary count down approach. PMAC effectively eliminates data collision and optimizes channel allocation. Moreover, as many networks nowadays compose traffic with several priorities, the simple yet effective design of PMAC offers strict service differentiation for prioritized packets. In this paper, PMAC is evaluated by collision probability, reneging/dropping probability, network throughput and channel efficiency. Our simulations show that the protocol effectively supports traffic differentiation and achieves very low packet dropping (both reneging and blocking) probabilities under the channel capacity. When the network is overloaded, it still maintains extremely stable and high channel throughput. It is demonstrated that PMAC performs superior in multihop networks, further proving the advantages of the proposed protocol. Featured with efficiency, simplicity, scalability, fairness, mobility and QoS provisioning, PMAC may be well served for the next-generation wireless networks.
Area-efficient instruction set synthesis for reconfigurable system-on-chip designs

Silicon compilers are often used in conjunction with Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) to deliver flexibility, fast prototyping, and accelerated time-to-market. Many of these compilers produce hardware that is larger than necessary, as they do not allow instructions to share hardware resources. This study presents an efficient heuristic which transforms a set of custom instructions into a single hardware datapath on which they can execute. Our approach is based on the classic problems of finding the longest common subsequence and substring of two (or more) sequences. This heuristic produces circuits which are as much as 85.33% smaller than those synthesized by integer linear programming (ILP) approaches which do not explore resource sharing. On average, we obtained 55.41% area reduction for pipelined datapaths, and 66.92% area reduction for VLIW datapaths. Our solution is simple and effective, and can easily be integrated into an existing silicon compiler.
Ultrastructural, histochemical and biochemical studies of the melanin metabolism in pallid mouse eye.

In an attempt to determine the factors involved in ocular pigment variation, the eyes of pallid mice (C57BL/6J–Pa/Pa), and those of littermate black mice (C57BL/6J–+/Pa) were examined ultrastructurally, histochemically, and biochemically. As controls, the eyes of black and congenic albino mice (C57BL/6J +/C2J and –C2J/C2J) were also examined. In the developing pallid mouse eye the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choroid contained immature melanosomes with incomplete melanization. In the adult pallid RPE, numerous lysosomal structures containing melanin components were present, while in choroid, melanosome numbers not only increased but many were aggregated in large membrane–bound granules. These RPE and choroidal structures may be melanolysosomes because of their histochemical acid phosphatase positive reactions. Biochemically, the activity of acid phosphatase in ocular homogenates of pallid eyes was significantly higher than in either the black eyes of +/Pa or in the albino and black eyes of the C2J...
Property‐structure relationships in poly‐urethanes: Infrared studies

Temperature dependent infrared studies have been carried out on three series of poly-urethanes previously synthesized and characterized. The repeat units of the three series may be schematically represented as follows: In each case n varies from 2 to 10. The H and DP series are partially crystalline while the 4M series is entirely amorphous. It was possible to draw several conclusions concerning the hydrogen bonded NH and Cbond;O groups in these polymers. These conclusions are: (1) The aromatic polyurethanes of the DP and 4M series are hydrogen bonded in the amorphous phase below the glass transition temperature, (Tg), to the extent of 75% or less whereas the aliphatic H series is completely hydrogen bonded below Tg. (2) Both the DP and H series are completely hydrogen bonded in the crystalline phase below the melting point, (Tm), regardless of the value of n. (3) A temperature dependent equilibrium between free and hydrogen bonded NH groups occurs in the amorphous phase above Tg in all three series. (4) The temperature dependences of the total area of the NH stretching bands exhibit transitions corresponding to Tg, Tm, and, in the case of the H series, to a first order crystal-crystal phase transition, Tt. (5) The temperature dependences of the frequencies of the hydrogen bonded NH stretching vibration also exhibit transitions corresponding to Tg and Tm.
Evaluation of operation and accuracy of available smart growth trip generation methodologies for use in California

It is well known that a standard application of the ITE trip rates for an area with many smart growth characteristics will result in an over-estimation of the number of trips generated. No commonly agreed on methodology in the United States for estimating trip generation takes into account the smart growth characteristics of a land use development project. Several methods have been recently proposed as incremental advancements toward developing such a methodology. This paper identifies eight available methodologies, five of which are appropriate for use in California. The five candidate methods are compared with the traditional ITE trip generation method in a two-part assessment. The first part involves evaluating the methods against a variety of operational criteria developed through discussions with a panel of transportation practitioners. The second part involves testing the accuracy of the methods by comparing the predictions of the various methods against available traffic counts and other data at 22...
Evaluation of the Nurses Caring for Older Adults Young Scholars Program

There is a "perfect storm" brewing in nursing. We are faced with a growing number of older patients, while at the same time nurses with expertise in gerontological nursing are aging and retiring. This critical shortage is most evident for nurses with research-intensive preparation needed to replenish actual and anticipated nurse faculty vacancies across the United States, especially those in underrepresented minority groups. We describe one solution to this problem; the Nurses Caring for Older Adults Young Scholars Program (YSP) that selects promising, ethnically diverse students and offers them a 1- to 3-year mentorship experience with the focus on students continuing to PhD studies on completion of their basic nursing studies. The YSP has mentored 15 prelicensure students with an identified interest in gerontological nursing research, with 8 young scholars (53%) going on to pursue doctoral studies. Program elements are described as well as philosophical and practical challenges of program implementation. Formative evaluations including student and faculty perceptions of the program as well as summative evaluation including admission success rate, student products, and progression in the doctoral program are discussed. Students indicate that establishing a strong mentor relationship with opportunities to participate in their mentor's research activities leading to the generation of a commitment to a research topic is the strongest factor in young scholars following through with enrollment into a doctoral program. A synergistic outcome of the YSP was the development of a critical mass of students interested in pursuing PhD studies that further extended the impact of the program.
Comparison look-ahead and design of fast fuzzy operation units

Several hardware structures for realizing fuzzy operations are investigated from the point of view of faster operation. First, a bit-cascaded structure based on ripple comparison propagation is designed. To reduce the time delay during propagation of comparison results in the bit-cascaded structure, a comparison look-ahead circuit and a block-sliced structure are introduced. The fastest bit sliced structure is introduced as an extreme case of the block-sliced structure. Comparison of these structures is provided. It is concluded that the comparison look-ahead approach provides a cost-effective solution for building fast fuzzy operation units. >
Violence in Uncertain Terms: Anecdote and Anonymity in the New Mexican Chronicle

In the early years of the 21st century, the cronica has been able to cement important forums for its own region-wide dissemination, as exemplified by the relatively recent emergence of Etiqueta Negra, El Malpensante, and Gatopardo. The success of these and other ventures has contributed to what many have called the “boom” of the Spanish American chronicle. As with the 1960s boom in Latin American fiction, this term above all designates the genre’s commercial viability within an increasingly globalized literary market. If the boom of the chronicle is a twenty-first- century phenomenon deeply entwined with the economic and cultural processes of globalization, in Mexico it has also been accompanied and partially shaped by the intensification of the drug war. In the last decade, news reports coming out of Mexico have disseminated grisly tales of violence among warring drug cartels; of violence inflicted upon rural and urban populations as a result of these conflicts; and of the equally ruthless violence that the Mexican military and police forces have perpetrated against civilians in their efforts to root out the drug trade by brute force. Since 2006, the year that Felipe Calderon initiated a formal military campaign to combat the narco, Mexican journalism has transmitted the image of a state in crisis, a landscape gripped by violence, a population caught in the crossfire of an anti-narcotics war in which state and criminal elements have become difficult to distinguish. Such an image participates in one of the byproducts of the auge de la cronica, namely the facile identification of Latin America with a few marketable commonplaces, among which Julio Villanueva Chang names “corrupcion, guerra, narcotrafico y miseria” ‘corruption, war, drug trafficking, and destitution’ as the most visible ones (604). This article aims to offer an assessment of the twenty-first-century Mexican chronicle against the background of the patterns of violence emerging around the illicit narcotics industry. For the relationship between the chronicle and drug-related violence is not merely circumstantial, nor solely a question of content: the material necessities surrounding any attempts at journalistic coverage of the drug war have forced chroniclers into strategies that leave a perceptible imprint on the form of the chronicle. In the work of the Culiacan-based journalist Javier Valdez, I argue, these formal innovations allow for an epistemological intervention that transcends the mystifying tendencies of mainstream journalistic discourse on the drug war.
Stellar-wind theory for O and B stars

The rocket-ultraviolet observations of strong Doppler-shifted absorption lines of SiIV, CIV, NV and other ions in the spectrum of O and B supergiants clearly indicate a high velocity outflow of matter from these stars. The presence of moderate ionisation stages in the stellar wind is conclusive evidence that the flow cannot be due to a high temperature corona as is the case for the solar wind. It is shown that the driving mechanism for the hot-star mass loss is radiation pressure exerted on the gas through absorption in resonance lines occurring at wavelengths near the maximum of the star’s continuum flux. In the upper layers of these stars the outward force per gram of matter due to the radiation pressure can greatly exceed the gravitational acceleration making a static atmosphere impossible.
Comparison of Lactobacillus crispatus isolates from Lactobacillus-dominated vaginal microbiomes with isolates from microbiomes containing bacterial vaginosis-associated bacteria

Vaginal lactobacilli can inhibit colonization by and growth of other bacteria, thereby preventing development of bacterial vaginosis (BV). Amongst the lactobacilli, Lactobacillus crispatus appears to be particularly effective at inhibiting growth of BV-associated bacteria. Nonetheless, some women who are colonized with this species can still develop clinical BV. Therefore, we sought to determine whether strains of L. crispatus that colonize women with lactobacilli-dominated vaginal microbiomes are distinct from strains that colonize women who develop BV. The genomes of L. crispatus isolates from four women with lactobacilli-dominated vaginal microbiomes ( 12 % 16S rRNA reads from bacterial taxa associated with BV) were sequenced and compared. Lactic acid production by the different strains was quantified. Phage induction in the strains was also analysed. There was considerable genetic diversity between strains, and several genes were exclusive to either the strains from Lactobacillus-dominated microbiomes or those containing BV-associated bacteria. Overall, strains from microbiomes dominated by lactobacilli did not differ from strains from microbiomes containing BV-associated bacteria with respect to lactic acid production. All of the strains contained multiple phage, but there was no clear distinction between the presence or absence of BV-associated bacteria with respect to phage-induced lysis. Genes found to be exclusive to the Lactobacillus-dominated versus BV-associated bacteria-containing microbiomes could play a role in the maintenance of vaginal health and the development of BV, respectively.
Social Media, Smartphones, and Proportional Privacy in Civil Discovery

At its core, the discovery process in civil litigation relies on a balance between open access to information and protections against over-reaching. Although broad discovery is favored, courts simultaneously warn that the civil discovery process is not meant to be a fishing expedition. Thus, the value of achieving justice through complete and thorough access to information is counter-balanced by equally important limiting principles. These limiting principles include restrictions based on relevance, burden, expense, embarrassment, privilege, and proportionality. Essentially, these limiting principles draw on an important societal value: privacy.Privacy is a core concept that underlies the civil discovery rules, and it is one that courts must return to when resolving discovery disputes over digital data compilations. These compilations, particularly when viewed in the aggregate, present a detailed mosaic of one’s personal life. The result is a highly revealing portrait of personal details that implicate individual privacy rights. In some cases, discovery of the private portions of social media accounts or the contents of a personal smartphone should be limited based on privacy concerns.These privacy concerns can best be addressed as part of the proportionality analysis for defining the limits of civil discovery. The 2015 amendments to Rule 26 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure emphasize a proportionality inquiry as a key limit to discovery: the information sought must be proportional to the needs of the case. Although this test expressly considers the financial burden and expense of discovery, “burden” should go beyond mere financial considerations and instead encompass concepts like the privacy burden. Thus, this article proposes that the non-pecuniary burden on privacy should be factored into the proportionality analysis.By recognizing the need for proportional privacy, courts can draw meaningful boundaries to define the scope of discovery, effectively disaggregating digital data compilations to prevent overly intrusive discovery. Other tools within the court’s arsenal, such as protective orders, should be used more liberally to limit access to entire mosaics of highly personal information.This article defines discovery of digital data compilations, using private social media account contents and personal smartphones in ‘bring your own device’ workplaces as primary examples, and explains the historical development of civil discovery under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure through the 2015 amendments. It also summarizes general principles of privacy law and existing discovery decisions as to social media accounts and smartphones, with an analysis of the intersection between privacy and discovery. Finally, this article lays out the mechanisms by which privacy protection can serve as an additional guide for defining the scope of civil discovery, particularly through examining privacy burdens as a factor in the proportionality test.
Maternally provided LSD1/KDM1A enables the maternal-to-zygotic transition and prevents defects that manifest postnatally

Somatic cell nuclear transfer has established that the oocyte contains maternal factors with epigenetic reprogramming capacity. Yet the identity and function of these maternal factors during the gamete to embryo transition remains poorly understood. In C. elegans, LSD1/KDM1A enables this transition by removing H3K4me2 and preventing the transgenerational inheritance of transcription patterns. Here we show that loss of maternal LSD1/KDM1A in mice results in embryonic arrest at the 1-2 cell stage, with arrested embryos failing to undergo the maternal-to-zygotic transition. This suggests that LSD1/KDM1A maternal reprogramming is conserved. Moreover, partial loss of maternal LSD1/KDM1A results in striking phenotypes weeks after fertilization; including perinatal lethality and abnormal behavior in surviving adults. These maternal effect hypomorphic phenotypes are associated with alterations in DNA methylation and expression at imprinted genes. These results establish a novel mammalian paradigm where defects in early epigenetic reprogramming can lead to defects that manifest later in development.
A method for determination of parathyroid secretion rate in the rat.

SummaryA technic is described in rats for individual determination of the 24-hour parathyroid hormone secretion rate (PSR). This method utilizes the subcutaneous administration of increasing amounts of parathyroid hormone (PTH) following thyroparathyroidectomy (TPEx) until pre and post TPEx levels of serum calcium are approximately equal. There were individual variations in the time required for serum calcium to reach its lowest level following TPEx and also in the quantity of PTH required to elevate serum calcium to the pre TPEx level. These probably represent individual variations in PSR. The average duration of effect of a single adequate PTH replacement was 10 hours, and from this the average PTH secretion over a 24-hour period was calculated to be 96 I.U.
Some Environmental Factors Affecting the Daily and Seasonal Movements of the Salt Marsh Greenhead, Tabanus nigrovittatus

At the Brigantine National Wildlife Refuge, Atlantic County, New Jersey, dark colored traps were effective in measuring flight activity of Tabanus nigrovittatus Macquart. Peak flight activity is between 8 AM and 4 PM and occurs between the ecotone and first 75 ft of the marsh. Few flies were taken at heights greater than 4 ft. Major natural or man-made breaks in the dense vegetation along the marsh serve as primary routes of upland movement. A road served as the break in this study. Movements through and over upland vegetation do not account for any substantial amount of upland penetration. Once within a major break, flies gain access to less dense vegetation further in the upland through openings in the vegetation along the break. When the vegetation of the ecotone and upland remains intact, greater numbers of flies become restricted to the marsh and immediately adjacent areas. A prediction model was generated by regression analysis and accounted for 77.32% of the variability of the total catch per day. Cloud cover and temperature were the most influential environmental factors affecting movements of T. nigrovittatus .
Chromosomes of Five Species of Vespertilionid Bats from Africa

Le caryotype de 5 especes de Vespertilionides africains a ete etudie afin d'examiner la parente entre les especes
Volcanoes of the passive margin: The youngest magmatic event in eastern North America

The rifted eastern North American margin (ENAM) provides important clues to the long-term evolution of continental margins. An Eocene volcanic swarm exposed in the Appalachian Valley and Ridge Province of Virginia and West Virginia (USA) contains the youngest known igneous rocks in the ENAM. These magmas provide the only window into the most recent deep processes contributing to the postrift evolution of this margin. Here we present new 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages, geochemical data, and radiogenic isotopes that constrain the melting conditions and the timing of emplacement. Modeling of the melting conditions on primitive basalts yielded an average temperature and pressure of 1412 ± 25 °C and 2.32 ± 0.31 GPa, corresponding to a mantle potential temperature of ∼1410 °C, suggesting melting conditions slightly higher than average mantle temperatures beneath mid-ocean ridges. When compared with magmas from Atlantic hotspots, the Eocene ENAM samples share isotopic signatures with the Azores and Cape Verde. This similarity suggests the possibility of a large-scale dissemination of similar sources in the upper mantle left over from the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. Asthenosphere upwelling related to localized lithospheric delamination is a possible process that can explain the intraplate signature of these magmas that lack evidence of a thermal anomaly. This process can also explain the Cenozoic dynamic topography and evidence of rejuvenation of the central Appalachians.
Structural Studies of La2−xBaxCuO4 Between 11–293 K

Neutron powder diffraction data have been collected from samples of La1.9Ba0.1CuO4 and La1.85Ba0.15CuO4 in the temperature range 11–293 K. The first material undergoes a phase transition from the tetragonal K2NiF4-type structure (space group 14/mmm) to the orthorhombic La2CuO4-type structure (space group Bmab) at about 280 K, and then a second transition to another type of tetragonal (or near-tetragonal) structure with probable space group P42/ncm. The latter transition occurs predominantly between 50–40 K, but about 10% of the orthorhombic phase persists down to 15 K. Rietveld refinement was carried out at selected temperatures in the different structural regions. The differences among the low temperature structures can be cb acterized by tilting of the CuO6 octahedra about different rotation axes on the basis of the simple X-Y model previously proposed by Axe and coworkers. The tilt angle, which is a measure of the long-range order parameter, is about 3.5° at 15 K. Data sets were also collected from La1.85Ba0.15CuO4 at 293, 90 and 11K. At the two latter temperatures there was some peak broadening consistent with the distortions observed in previous high resolution neutron [Paul and co-workers] and x-ray [Axe and co-workers] powder studies. Rietveld analysis of the data indicated the presence of local octahedral displacements, but it was not possible to determine the nature of the correlations.
Travelers' Diarrhea: Approaches to Prevention and Treatment

Travelers' diarrhea is a common medical complaint among persons who go from developed to developing areas of the world. High-risk areas include southern Asia; North, East, and West Africa; Latin America; and the Caribbean island on which the Dominican Republic and Haiti are situated. Because they fear travelers' diarrhea or believe that avoiding or treating the syndrome would be inconvenient, some travelers refuse to visit developing areas, undoubtedly resulting in substantial financial losses for the tourism industry and other businesses in those areas. Travelers from industrialized nations are immunologically somewhat like children in developing countries in terms of the amount and kind of diarrhea they develop. The syndrome affects 20%-50% of short-term travelers, and its incidence is not related to gender. In one study the very young were found to be most at risk, possibly because of the increased fecal/oral contamination and decreased immunity associated with that age group. Persons aged 15-29 years also were at relatively high risk, possibly owing to ingestion of larger volumes of potentially contaminated food and an adventurous travel style. Risk appears to be higher in rainy seasons than in dry ones. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli disease is predominantly a summertime or rainy season disease. Performance of cultures revealed that in Guadalajara, Mexico, enterotoxigenic E. coli accounted for 25% of 79 cases that occurred between May and October among medical students from the United States; no enterotoxigenic E. coli were isolated in 60 cases that occurred between November and April. Campylobacter jejuni disease tends to occur more frequently in the winter. In Guadalajara, C. jejuni accounted for 13% of 60 cases that occurred between November and May and only 2.5% of 79 cases between May and August. Certain hosts appear to be at especially high risk. Those with achlorhydria or who have undergone gastrectomy cannot naturally cope with an ingested inoculum and might develop diarrhea when healthy hosts would not. Use of potent, long-acting histamine type 2 (H2) blockers or H+K+ ATPase
The Steinberg relation in A−1-stable homotopy

We give a short motivic proof of the Steinberg relation in A−1-stable homotopy groups overa feld k.
Analysis of Sanitary Condition of Centralized Air Ventilation System in Zoucheng City

OBJECTIVE To understand sanitary condition of centralized air ventilation system in Zoucheng City.To provide a basis for strengthening health supervision and giving control measures.METHODS Dust sample in blast pipe was collected when centralized air ventilation system was off,the total content of the bacterium and fungus was examined.Air sample was collected in air-supplied outlet when centralized air ventilation system is operated.The total content of the bacterium,fungus,inhaled particle,carbon dioxide in the air were tested.RESULTS In 207 samples,the qualified rate of the content of dust was only 24.4%,the qualified rate of the total content of bacterium and fungus were 35.6% and 23.5% respectively.There was potential safety hazard in the air-inlet port,defferent level contamination existed in all the projects we monitored.CONCLUSION The centralized air ventilation system is seriously polluted,and it will do a potential threat to human health.
Massive intravenous manganese overdose due to compounding error: minimal role for hemodialysis.

AbstractContext: Manganese-associated parkinsonism is well described in occupational settings, in chronic methcathinone users, and in patients receiving long-term total parenteral nutrition. We present a unique case of acute intravenous manganese poisoning with a systematic evaluation of hemodialysis efficacy.Case details: A 52-year-old woman was inadvertently administered a single intravenous dose of 800 mg compounded manganese chloride at an outpatient chelation center. In an attempt to minimize central nervous system (CNS) manganese deposition, she underwent urgent hemodialysis followed by five days of therapy with calcium disodium EDTA (1 g/m2 over eight hours daily). Her initial whole blood manganese concentration, obtained six hours after exposure and prior to treatment, was 120 mcg/L (2.19 micromol/L); normal <5 mcg/L (< 0.09 micromol/L). Following the first four-hour hemodialysis session her blood manganese concentration decreased to 20 mcg/L (0.36 micromol/L). Despite the fall in her blood mangan...
Review on the Fusion Breeding Technology of Protoplast from Domestic Fungus

In this paper,we review on the role of the fusion technology of protoplast in domestic fungus being breeded,the choise of bacterial strain,preparation of enzymic liquid,method of fusion as well as regeneration of fusant in the procedure of fusion breeding of protoplast.On the other hand,we also introduce the characteristics of the fusant and the development of fusion breeding of protoplast.
A Second RNA-Binding Site in the NS1 Protein of Influenza B Virus.

Influenza viruses cause a highly contagious respiratory disease in humans. The NS1 proteins of influenza A and B viruses (NS1A and NS1B proteins, respectively) are composed of two domains, a dimeric N-terminal domain and a C-terminal domain, connected by a flexible polypeptide linker. Here we report the 2.0-A X-ray crystal structure and nuclear magnetic resonance studies of the NS1B C-terminal domain, which reveal a novel and unexpected basic RNA-binding site that is not present in the NS1A protein. We demonstrate that single-site alanine replacements of basic residues in this site lead to reduced RNA-binding activity, and that recombinant influenza B viruses expressing these mutant NS1B proteins are severely attenuated in replication. This novel RNA-binding site of NS1B is required for optimal influenza B virus replication. Most importantly, this study reveals an unexpected RNA-binding function in the C-terminal domain of NS1B, a novel function that distinguishes influenza B viruses from influenza A viruses.