cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Myths as Religious Explanations

This article explores the meaning of myths associated with religious rituals and purporting to give an accoUnt of the origins of things. The first part of the article establishes a prima facie case for regarding myths as descriptions of incarnated gods and used to explain certain events, institutions, or objects. Many of the objections to this prima facie interpretation of myths are removed by arguing for the proposition that the descriptions of which myths are constituted are grounded in mythopoeic experiences. These experiences are interpreted by those who report them as revelations of the inner nature of reality. The argument for this proposition consists in drawing analogies between characteristics of myths and reports of these experiences. Two similar, but incompatible, alternatives to this revelation theory are examined: those of Levi-Strauss and Jung. Finally, the disadvantages of these alternatives are shown to be avoided in the revelation theory, and additional advantages to the revelation theory are mentioned. Jack C. Carloye (Ph.D., University of Illinois) is Professor of Philosophy and Chairman of the Department at Washington State University. In addition to articles in the philosophy of science he has also written "The Truth of Mysticism" (forthcoming in Religious Studies). This content downloaded from 157.55.39.17 on Fri, 02 Sep 2016 05:41:18 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
Dynamic Gait Stability, Clinical Correlates, and Prognosis of Falls Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract Bhatt T, Espy D, Yang F, Pai Y-C. Dynamic gait stability, clinical correlates, and prognosis of falls among community-dwelling older adults. Objective To establish an accurate measure for prognostic assessment of fall risk in community-dwelling older adults, this study examined the prediction accuracy of a dynamic gait stability measure and common clinical tests for slip-related falls among these adults. Design Participants were tested for their fall-risk likelihood on a slip-test. Setting Biomechanics research laboratory. Participants Community-dwelling older adults (N=119; ≥65y). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Participants performed a battery of clinical tests, including Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up & Go (TUG) test, static posturography, isometric muscle strength, and bone density. They were then exposed to an unannounced slip during gait. The dynamic stability during unperturbed gait was measured based on the center of mass position and velocity relative to the limits of stability against backward falling. Accuracy of each measure was examined for prediction of slip outcome (fall or recovery). Results On the slip, 59 participants fell, 56 recovered their balance, and 4 were harness-assisted. Dynamic stability predicted fall outcome with 69% accuracy. Except for TUG and bone density, no other measure could differentiate fallers from nonfallers; TUG predicted 56% of fall outcomes. Conclusions Reproduction of actual falls provides a new benchmark for evaluating the prognostic power of different performance-based assessment tools. The TUG was able to better predict fall outcome than other clinical measures; however, the new dynamic gait stability measure was more sensitive than TUG in its prediction of falls. Ultrasound bone scan could be used to screen older adults for fall risk.
Analysis of the integration function of the streptomycete bacteriophage φC31

A 2.1 kb (1 kb = 10(3) base-pairs) segment of DNA from the streptomycete bacteriophage phi C31 was found to be sufficient to direct site-specific integration of plasmid vectors in Streptomyces ambofaciens and Streptomyces fradiae in the absence of any streptomycete origin of replication. Sequencing and analysis of phage, chromosomal and junction attachment sites of S. ambofaciens and S. fradiae revealed that recombination is conservative and that crossover takes place within three bases of homology between phage and host. Deletion analysis, sequencing and site-specific mutagenesis of the phi C31 DNA revealed a large open reading frame (ORF 613) whose expression was necessary for integration. This ORF begins near the point of crossover and reads away from the attachment site. A comparison of the predicted amino acid sequence of ORF 613 with known recombinases did not reveal any significant similarities. A genetic analysis of the amino-terminal region of ORF 613 suggested that translation could initiate at any one of three possible start codons. Primer extension experiments showed that transcriptional initiation occurred at a T and a C only four and five bases, respectively, from the site of crossover. This analysis suggested that ORF 613 would be separated from its promoter upon integration.
The Effects of Individuals’ Mood State and Personality Trait on the Cognitive Processing of Emotional Stimuli:

This study assessed the effects of individuals’ personality trait and mood state on affective reactions to emotional stimuli. Resting electroencephalographic (EEG) was recorded from 11 healthy righ...
Determining when a DC operating point is unstable: a new algorithm for SPICE

The authors show that SPICE can sometimes converge to an unstable operating point, and that this can be misleading to a circuit designer. They show that the linearized DC hybrid equations of a given circuit's operating point can yield information about operating point stability, and that this information can easily be obtained from the results of the usual SPICE DC operating point analysis. This information can then be passed on to the user as a warning when an unstable operating point is found. The authors show that this algorithm can be implemented in SPICE with a minor modification, incurring a negligible increase in CPU time. >
Forced expression of chimeric human fibroblast tropomyosin mutants affects cytokinesis

Human fibroblasts generate at least eight tropomyosin (TM) isoforms (hTM1, hTM2, hTM3, hTM4, hTM5, hTM5a, hTM5b, and hTMsm alpha) from four distinct genes, and we have previously demonstrated that bacterially produced chimera hTM5/3 exhibits an unusually high affinity for actin filaments and a loss of the salt dependence typical for TM-actin binding (Novy, R.E., J. R. Sellers, L.-F. Liu, and J.J.-C. Lin, 1993. Cell Motil. & Cytoskeleton. 26: 248-261). To examine the functional consequences of expressing this mutant TM isoform in vivo, we have transfected CHO cells with the full-length cDNA for hTM5/3 and compared them to cells transfected with hTM3 and hTM5. Immunofluorescence microscopy reveals that stably transfected CHO cells incorporate force-expressed hTM3 and hTM5 into stress fibers with no significant effect on general cell morphology, microfilament organization or cytokinesis. In stable lines expressing hTM5/3, however, cell division is slow and sometimes incomplete. The doubling time and the incidence of multinucleate cells in the stable hTM5/3 lines roughly parallel expression levels. A closely related chimeric isoform hTM5/2, which differs only in the internal, alternatively spliced exon also produces defects in cytokinesis, suggesting that normal TM function may involve coordination between the amino and carboxy terminal regions. This coordination may be prevented in the chimeric mutants. As bacterially produced hTM5/3 and hTM5/2 can displace hTM3 and hTM5 from actin filaments in vitro, it is likely that CHO-expressed hTM5/3 and hTM5/2 can displace endogenous TMs to act dominantly in vivo. These results support a role for nonmuscle TM isoforms in the fine tuning of microfilament organization during cytokinesis. Additionally, we find that overexpression of TM does not stabilize endogenous microfilaments, rather, the hTM-expressing cells are actually more sensitive to cytochalasin B. This suggests that regulation of microfilament integrity in vivo requires stabilizing factors other than, or in addition to, TM.
Internal and external locus of control in relation to beliefs in free will and determinism

Responses of 85 male and 56 female undergraduates to a scale designed to measure beliefs in free will or determinism were correlated with responses to an internal/external locus of control questionnaire. Analysis gave only a low-order correlation between scores on the scales, and factor analysis led to the conclusion that beliefs in free will or determinism are not necessarily related to beliefs in internal or external locus of control. Explanations were offered for why those who believe in free will might nevertheless believe in many external constraints upon behaviors and why determinists might believe in the so-called internal locus of control.
Safe Harbors, Sure Shipwrecks

In law, a safe harbor describes behavior that complies with the law, and leaves other facts that fall outside the safe harbor to be judged case-by-case. A sure shipwreck, as I call it, is the mirror image. It describes behavior that violates the law as a matter of rule, and leaves other conduct to be judged by a standard. Prior literature analyzes rules and standards at length. But it has largely missed safe harbors and sure shipwrecks, even though these hybrids are everywhere in statutory, regulatory and case law. The analysis in this Article reveals that safe harbors and sure shipwrecks produce asymmetrical incentives. Safe harbors encourage those affected by them to converge on the safe harbor boundary from both directions. Under a first-order analysis, sure shipwrecks only encourage bunching immediately on the compliant side of the sure-shipwreck boundary as a result of the incentive to move out of the noncompliant space. But considerations such as market coordination can cause convergence on lines drawn by sure shipwrecks as well. Overinclusion and underinclusion risks, ex ante versus ex post costs, and interest group influence are some of the considerations that affect safe harbor and sure shipwreck policies.
Simple estimated beamformer design in symmetric ESPAR arrays

An exciting body of work regarding electronically steerable parasitic array radiator (ESPAR) antenna technology has been generated in recent years (E. Taillefer,et al). By utilizing mutual coupling as a benefit rather than a drawback ESPAR antennas move the spectrum of possible array structures a significant step closer to the widely-desired goal of a small, low-cost, and low-power electrically-steered enhanced-gain antenna. This paper is intended to contribute to the excellent body of existing knowledge by proposing a simplified ESPAR beamformer design technique. ESPAR design, based as it is on the complicated phenomenon of mutual coupling, is one of the more inefficient aspects of the current state of the technology. Simulations reveal surprisingly good results using the reduced-complexity beamforming technique, and future verification work is planned.
Pediatric sleep disorders and special educational need at 8 years: a population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine associations between sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and behavioral sleep problems (BSPs) through 5 years of age and special educational need (SEN) at 8 years. METHODS: Parents in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children reported on children’s snoring, witnessed apnea, and mouth-breathing at 6, 18, 30, 42, and 57 months, from which SDB symptom trajectories, or clusters, were derived. BSPs were based on report of ≥5 of 7 sleep behaviors at each of the 18-, 30-, 42-, and 57-month questionnaires. Parent report of SEN (yes/no) at 8 years was available for 11 049 children with SDB data and 11 467 children with BSP data. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to predict SEN outcome by SDB cluster and by cumulative report of SEN. RESULTS: Controlling for 16 putative confounders, previous history of SDB and BSPs was significantly associated with an SEN. BSPs were associated with a 7% increased odds of SEN (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01–1.15), for each ∼1-year interval at which a BSP was reported. SDB, overall, was associated with a near 40% increased odds of SEN (95% CI 1.18–1.62). Children in the worst symptom cluster were 60% more likely to have an SEN (95% CI 1.23–2.08). CONCLUSIONS: In this population-based longitudinal study, history of either SDB or BSPs in the first 5 years of life was associated with increased likelihood of SEN at 8 years of age. Findings highlight the need for pediatric sleep disorder screening by early interventionists, early childhood educators, and health professionals.
Environmental Studies of the Atmosphere with Gas Chromatography

Over the years much has been written about our environment. All facets have been discussed: air, water, soil, waste, as well as the various analytical techniques used in attempting to describe each of these more precisely. This chapter will examine the atmosphere which surrounds us, considering only the assay technique of gas chromatography. The extent of this survey will be to develop a systematic coverage, from sampling to various types of analyses for specific atmospheric components.
Analysis and Evaluation of the Skype and Google-Talk Voip Systems

In this paper, we study Skype and Google Talk, two widely used VoIP systems, and compare their perceptual speech quality with that of our proposed system using UDP packet traces collected in the Planet Lab. Based on methods for speech coding, packetization, jitter control, estimation and feedback of network conditions, and loss concealments, our results show that Skype has noticeable quality degradations because it only uses a maximum of two-way redundancy for loss concealment, does not handle out-of-order arrivals, and applies a fixed jitter control of 60 ms relative to the expected arrival time. Its slow loss-adaptation time of more than one minute to change from one-way to two-way redundancy makes it susceptible to quality degradation under fast changing loss conditions. In contrast, Google Talk does not employ any loss adaptation and performs similar to Skype under low- to medium-loss scenarios. By addressing the shortcomings of Skype and Google Talk, we demonstrate improvements in speech quality in our proposed prototype
Localization of androgen receptor expression in human bone marrow

Androgens have been shown to modulate the haematopoietic and immune systems and have been used clinically for stimulating haematopoiesis in bone marrow failure conditions. To identify the bone marrow cell types as potential targets of androgens, an androgen receptor (AR)-specific antibody was used to localize the AR in normal human bone marrow biopsies. The results show that AR was ubiquitously expressed in the bone marrow of both males and females. Furthermore, the AR expression pattern did not change with age. Stromal cells, macrophages, endothelial cells, myeloblasts, myelocytes, neutrophils, and megakaryocytes expressed AR. In contrast, AR was not detected in the lymphoid and erythroid cells, or in eosinophils. These results indicate that androgens may exert direct modulating effects on a wide spectrum of bone marrow cell types via AR-mediated responses.
Central Nervous System Protection in Cardiac Surgery

Neurological dysfunction and stroke following cardiac surgery and thoracic surgery requiring hypothermic circulatory arrest is a well-defined problem. The original studies in CABG patients identified risk factors, such as prior stroke and lower educational level. There is older evidence suggesting that higher perfusion pressures during cardiopulmonary bypass are helpful. Hyperthermia during rewarming on cardiopulmonary bypass and postoperative hyperthermia have been associated with adverse cognitive outcomes. Glucose management intraoperatively remains controversial, but most now advocate for moderate glucose control using insulin, if required. The subset of patients having thoracic aortic surgery requiring periods of aortic discontinuity are particularly problematic. A cerebral protection strategy should be determined, and this may include hypothermic circulatory arrest, selective cerebral perfusion, or retrograde cerebral perfusion. All of these techniques have been associated with good surgical outcome...
An improved full bridge zero-voltage switching PWM DC-DC converter using a two inductor rectifier

An improved full bridge ZVS (zero-voltage switching) PWM (pulse-width-modulated) converter using a two inductor rectifier DC/DC power converter is presented. For this improved topology the main devices are switched on under ZVS conditions using the energy stored in the secondary filter inductors. It utilizes the low leakage inductance of a coaxial winding transformer to reset the currents in the rectifier diodes and eliminate the secondary voltage spike. The two-inductor rectifier has only one diode conduction drop in addition to frequency doubling in the output capacitor. The secondary-filter size in the proposed topology is rather small. The advantages of the new topology include a wide range with ZVS, no lost duty cycle due to diode recovery, no secondary voltage spikes, and to high power density and high efficiency. >
The Nonsense-Mediated Decay RNA Surveillance Pathway

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a quality-control mechanism that selectively degrades mRNAs harboring premature termination (nonsense) codons. If translated, these mRNAs can produce truncated proteins with dominant-negative or deleterious gain-of-function activities. In this review, we describe the molecular mechanism of NMD. We first cover conserved factors known to be involved in NMD in all eukaryotes. We then describe a unique protein complex that is deposited on mammalian mRNAs during splicing, which defines a stop codon as premature. Interaction between this exon-junction complex (EJC) and NMD factors assembled at the upstream stop codon triggers a series of steps that ultimately lead to mRNA decay. We discuss whether these proofreading events preferentially occur during a “pioneer” round of translation in higher and lower eukaryotes, their cellular location, and whether they can use alternative EJC factors or act independent of the EJC.
Refinements in the implantation of pulmonary arterial stents: impact on morbidity and mortality of the procedure over the last two decades.

Introduction: There is limited data on medium to long-term outcome, and the morbidity and mortality associated with the implantation, of pulmonary arterial stents. Purpose: To assess changes in morbidity and mortality over the last two decades. Methods: Retrospective analysis of all patients stented between September, 1989 and July, 2001. Results: We implanted 664 Palmaz stents in 338 patients. The overall number included 229 patients who had undergone repair of tetralogy of Fallot, in whom 468 stents were implanted, 61 patients with congenital stenosis of the branches of the pulmonary trunk, in whom we placed 115 stents, 16 patients after an arterial switch operation who had 38 stents, and 32 patients after the Fontan operation who had 43 stents implanted. The mean age was 12.2 years, and the mean weight was 38 kg. The mean systolic pressure gradient decreased from 41 to 8.7 mmHg, the mean diameter of the stented vessel increased from 5.4 to 11.2 mm, and the ratio of right ventricular to femoral arterial pressure decreased from 0.66 to 0.45, each of these being significant at the level of p being less than 0.01. At a mean follow-up of 5.6 years, the mean gradient was 20 mmHg, the mean ratio of pressure between right ventricle and femoral artery was 0.5, and mean luminal diameter was 9.3 mm. Complications included migration of the stent in 8 patients, and pulmonary edema, hemoptysis and death in 5 patients each. There has been no mortality or morbidity since July of 1997. Technical changes include conservative serial dilations in congenital pulmonary arterial stenosis, avoidance of over-dilation, and simultaneous implantation of stents in the right and left pulmonary arteries in those with systemic pulmonary arterial pressure. Technological advances included shorter stents, improved balloon profiles, and central inflation of the stents. Conclusions: Modification of stenting practices, and increased experience of the operators over the last two decades, has virtually abolished any morbidity or mortality associated with the implantation of stents for congenital or postoperative pulmonary arterial stenoses.
Conformational Changes in the Hepatitis B Virus Core Protein Are Consistent with a Role for Allostery in Virus Assembly

In infected cells, virus components must be organized at the right place and time to ensure assembly of infectious virions. From a different perspective, assembly must be prevented until all components are available. Hypothetically, this can be achieved by allosterically controlling assembly. Consistent with this hypothesis, here we show that the structure of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) core protein dimer, which can spontaneously self-assemble, is incompatible with capsid assembly. Systematic differences between core protein dimer and capsid conformations demonstrate linkage between the intradimer interface and interdimer contact surface. These structures also provide explanations for the capsid-dimer selectivity of some antibodies and the activities of assembly effectors. Solution studies suggest that the assembly-inactive state is more accurately an ensemble of conformations. Simulations show that allostery supports controlled assembly and results in capsids that are resistant to dissociation. We propose that allostery, as demonstrated in HBV, is common to most self-assembling viruses.
Deciphering the enigma of lignification: precursor transport, oxidation, and the topochemistry of lignin assembly.

ABSTRACT Plant lignification is a tightly regulated complex cellular process that occurs via three sequential steps: the synthesis of monolignols within the cytosol; the transport of monomeric precursors across plasma membrane; and the oxidative polymerization of monolignols to form lignin macromolecules within the cell wall. Although we have a reasonable understanding of monolignol biosynthesis, many aspects of lignin assembly remain elusive. These include the precursors' transport and oxidation, and the initiation of lignin polymerization. This review describes our current knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying monolignol transport and oxidation, discusses the intriguing yet least-understood aspects of lignin assembly, and highlights the technologies potentially aiding in clarifying the enigma of plant lignification.
Over expression of glutamate cysteine ligase increases cellular resistance to H2O2‐induced DNA single‐strand breaks

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) can cause single strand DNA breaks (ssDNA) in cells when the mechanisms normally in place to reduce it are overwhelmed. Such mechanisms include catalase, glutathione peroxidases (GPx), and peroxiredoxins. The relative importance of these enzymes in H2O2 reduction varies with cell and tissue type. The role of the GPx cofactor glutathione (GSH) in oxidative defense can be further understood by modulating its synthesis. The first and rate-limiting enzyme in GSH synthesis is glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCL), which has a catalytic subunit (Gclc) and a modifier subunit (Gclm). Using mouse hepatoma cells we evaluated the effects of GCL over expression on H2O2-induced changes in GSH and ssDNA break formation with the single cell gel electrophoresis assay (SCG or comet assay), and the acridine orange DNA unwinding flow cytometry assay (AO unwinding assay). Cells over expressing GCL had higher GSH content than control cells, and both SCG and AO unwinding assays revealed that cells over expressing GCL were significantly more resistant to H2O2-induced ssDNA break formation. Furthermore, using the AO unwinding assay, the prevalence of H2O2-induced breaks in different phases of the cell cycle was not different, and the degree of protection afforded by GCL over expression was also not cell cycle phase dependant. Our results support the hypothesis that GCL over expression enhanced GSH biosynthesis and protected cells from H2O2-induced DNA breaks. These results also suggest that genetic polymorphisms that affect GCL expression may be important determinants of oxidative DNA damage and cancer. © 2007 International Society for Analytical Cytology
Benefits of a SoC-specific test methodology

The tradeoff between IP protection and SoC-level test optimization has been an issue for some time. The more IP providers protect their IP, the less flexibility system developers have to control test costs and fault coverage. In this paper, a new approach dynamically extracts IP-related test information or optimizing SoC testing without jeopardizing IP protection.
MicroRNA Modulate Alveolar Epithelial Response to Cyclic Stretch

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression implicated in multiple cellular processes. Cyclic stretch of alveoli is characteristic of mechanical ventilation, and is postulated to be partly responsible for the lung injury and inflammation in ventilator-induced lung injury. We propose that miRNAs may regulate some of the stretch response, and therefore hypothesized that miRNAs would be differentially expressed between cyclically stretched and unstretched rat alveolar epithelial cells (RAECs). RAECs were isolated and cultured to express type I epithelial characteristics. They were then equibiaxially stretched to 25% change in surface area at 15 cycles/minute for 1 hour or 6 hours, or served as unstretched controls, and miRNAs were extracted. Expression profiling of the miRNAs with at least 1.5-fold change over controls revealed 42 miRNAs were regulated (34 up and 8 down) with stretch. We validated 6 of the miRNAs using real-time PCR. Using a parallel mRNA array under identical conditions and publicly available databases, target genes for these 42 differentially regulated miRNAs were identified. Many of these genes had significant up- or down-regulation under the same stretch conditions. There were 362 down-regulated genes associated with up-regulated miRNAs, and 101 up-regulated genes associated with down-regulated miRNAs. Specific inhibition of two selected miRNAs demonstrated a reduction of the increased epithelial permeability seen with cyclic stretch. We conclude that miRNA expression is differentially expressed between cyclically stretched and unstretched alveolar epithelial cells, and may offer opportunities for therapeutic intervention to ameliorate stretch-associated alveolar epithelial cell dysfunction.
Comonomer and stereosequence distributions in high polymers

Comonomer and stereosequence distributions in linear high polymers are considered from the point of view of the general theory of stationary random sequences. Although the discussion is centered about binary polymerizations which may be regarded as stationary Markov processes of low order, attention is paid to distinguish results valid for any stationary random process including stationary non-Markov processes from those special to a particular Markov process. Alternative derivations of copolymer composition equations are given along with a corrected version of a previously suggested scheme of relating conditional probabilities of different orders. The nature and relative merits of the several measures proposed in the literature to characterize comonomer and stereosequence distributions are also discussed in some detail.
Creating a Serially Complete, National Daily Time Series of Temperature and Precipitation for the Western United States

Abstract The development of serially complete (no missing values) daily maximum–minimum temperatures and total precipitation time series over the western United States is documented. Several estimation techniques based on spatial objective analysis schemes are used to estimate daily values, with the &ldquost” estimate chosen as a missing value replacement. The development of a continuous and complete daily dataset will be useful in a variety of meteorological and hydrological research applications. The spatial interpolation schemes are evaluated separately by interpolation method and calendar month. Cross validation of the results indicates a distinct seasonality to the efficiency (error) of the estimates, although no systematic bias in the estimation procedures was found. The resulting number of serially complete daily time series for the western United States (all states west of the Mississippi River) includes 2034 maximum–minimum temperature stations and 2962 total daily precipitation locations.
Habitat Use and Activity of Prairie Kingsnakes (Lampropeltis Calligaster Calligaster) in Illinois

Abstract The natural history of Prairie Kingsnakes (Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster) is largely unknown because of their secretive nature. We radio-tracked 10 adult Prairie Kingsnakes (six males, four females) for one complete active season to determine activity patterns and habitat use in an area in Illinois that included forest, grassland, agricultural fields, and roads. The active season extended from approximately April to mid-October. Home ranges of males averaged over four times larger than those of females and usually included the individual's hibernation site. Males and females had similar activity levels throughout the season, with no differences in frequency of movement or distance traveled per move. Snakes were underground at least 73% of the 574 times they were relocated, suggesting most activity is nocturnal. Collectively, kingsnakes completely avoided agricultural fields and showed a preference for grasslands, but females were strongly associated with grassland edges along roads. This a...
After an invasion: understanding variation in grassland community recovery following removal of a high-impact invader

A pervasive problem in invasion ecology is the limited recovery of native communities following removal of invaders. Little evidence exists on the causes of variation in post-invasion recovery. In a 4-year experiment using 65 sets of matched plots, we imposed an invader removal treatment (with control) on heterogeneous grassland plots invaded or uninvaded by an aggressive recent arrival, Aegilops triuncialis (barb goatgrass). We tested the validity of plot matching using transplants and soil analyses. We analyzed the community-level correlates of invader impacts, removal treatment side effects, and community recovery, each defined in two ways: by compositional similarity to uninvaded plots, and by relative native species richness. Recovery of native species richness in invaded and treated plots was high (approaching 100 %) although recovery of composition was not high (median 71 % Bray–Curtis dissimilarity to uninvaded untreated plots). We measured resilience as the residuals of community recovery in models that controlled for invader impacts and removal treatment side effects. Compositional resilience was highest where the uninvaded communities had the least cover by other invaders in the same functional group as the focal invader. Richness resilience was highest where the uninvaded communities had the lowest native species richness. Our study suggests that the recovery of native species per se may be a more relevant goal than the recovery of the exact pre-invasion species composition of particular sites, particularly in cases where pre-invasion species composition included exotic species other than the focal invader.
Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria are more responsive than archaea to nitrogen source in an agricultural soil

Abstract In the majority of agricultural soils, ammonium (NH4+) is rapidly converted to nitrate (NO3−) in the biological ammonia and nitrite oxidation processes known as nitrification. The often rate-limiting step of ammonia oxidation to nitrite is mediated by ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA). The response of AOA and AOB communities to organic and conventional nitrogen (N) fertilizers, and their relative contributions to the nitrification process were examined for an agricultural silage corn system using a randomized block design with 4 N treatments: control (no additional N), ammonium sulfate (AS) fertilizer at 100 and 200 kg N ha−1, and steer-waste compost (200 kg total N ha−1) over four seasons. DNA was extracted from the soil, and real-time PCR and 454-pyrosequencing were used to evaluate the quantity and diversity of the amoA gene which encodes subunit A of ammonia monooxygenase. Soil pH, nitrate pools, and nitrification potentials were influenced by ammonium and organic fertilizers after the first fertilization, while changes in AOB abundance and community structure were not apparent until after the second fertilization or later. The abundance of AOA was always greater than AOB but was unaffected by N treatments. In contrast, AOB abundance and community structure were changed significantly by ammonium fertilizers. Specific inhibitors of nitrification were used to evaluate the relative contribution of AOA and AOB to nitrification. We found that AOB dominantly contributed to potential nitrification activity determined at 1 mM ammonium in soil slurries and nitrification potential activity was higher in soils treated with ammonium fertilizers relative to control soils. However, AOA dominated gross nitrification activity in moist soils. Our result suggests that AOB activity and community are more responsive to ammonium fertilizers than AOA, but that in situ nitrification rate is controlled by ammonium availability in this agricultural soil. Understanding this response of AOA and AOB to N fertilizers may contribute to improving strategies for the management of nitrate production in agricultural soils.
Responsible innovation: an approach for extracting public values concerning advanced biofuels

The objective of our study was to test an approach for extracting public values concerning a virtually unknown and scientifically complex topic, namely advanced lignocellulosic biofuels, in order to foster responsible innovation of this novel technology in Canada as early on in the policy-making process as possible. As advanced lignocellulosic biofuels are currently an emerging form of liquid fuel for transport, it may be beneficial to open the development of this technology to “upstream” public input. We thereby explore how a deliberative mini-public views the need for advanced lignocellulosic biofuels and their recommendations for supporting or opposing its development and production. Participants of the study engaged in four days of deliberation on their value-based considerations concerning the social acceptability of this technology. On the final day, they developed a series of collective recommendations on three participant-generated agenda items: economic sustainability, unknown environmental and h...
Proxy Issue Contests: Determinants of Voting Outcomes

This paper tests three related hypotheses on factors that drive voter outcome in institution-sponsored proxy issue contests dealing with corporate governance proposals. First, the effect of signals on the potential value of a proposal is tested. In particular, shareholders use the text of the proposal, the sponsor identity, and measures of the proxy company's corporate governance structure to determine the value of the proposal. Second, the significance of institutional investor vote holdings is tested. The paper finds that potentially wealth-enhancing proposals receive a higher for-vote percentage where institutional investors willing to undertake the expense of investigating a proposal and communicating with other shareholders are present. Proposals, conversely, do poorly to the extent management, directors, and insiders hold a large percentage of the voting shares. Third, the paper tests one particular factor that may affect voting outcomes: The presence of institutional investors with some relationship ties with either the proxy company or the proxy company's board of directors. The paper finds that related institutional investors act to reduce the expected for-vote percentage. Evidence also exists that companies relatively more vulnerable to a proxy issue contest tend to establish a greater amount of ties with institutional investors.
Bioassay of St. Augustinegrass Lines for Resistance to Southern Chinch Bug (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) and to St. Augustine Decline Virus

Twelve experimental accessions, and the varieties ‘Floratam,’ ‘Florida Common,’ and ‘Texas Common’ St. Augustinegrass, Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze, were bioassayed for resistance to Blissus insularis Barber in Texas. Two hybrid accessions (TX 100 and TX 104), one accession from Africa (P.I. 410357), and ‘Floratam’ showed combined resistance to southern chinch bug and to St. Augustine decline virus. Four other hybrid accessions (TX 101, TX 102, TX 105, and TX 106), and three accessions from Africa (P.I. 410356, P.I. 410360, and P.I. 410364) exhihited virus resistance only.
Management of Type 9 Hepatic Arterial Anatomy at the time of Pancreaticoduodenectomy: Considerations for Preservation and Reconstruction of a Completely Replaced Common Hepatic Artery

Recognition and management of aberrant hepatic arterial anatomy for patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) are critical to ensure safe completion of the operation. When the common hepatic artery (CHA) is noted to emanate from the superior mesenteric artery (Michels' type 9 variant), it is vulnerable to injury during the dissection required for PD. While this anatomy does not preclude an operation, care must be taken to avoid injury, often by identifying the CHA throughout its entire course before beginning the dissection of the portal venous structures. The oncologic principle that cautions against resection of a pancreatic cancer when it involves the CHA in its standard position may not universally apply to tumors that focally involve the CHA in the type 9 anatomic variant. In highly selected patients, surgical resection may be entertained as disease biology may be analogous to local involvement of the gastroduodenal artery in a patient with standard anatomy. Here, we review the indications, techniques, and outcomes associated with arterial resection and reconstruction during pancreatectomy among patients with a pancreatic tumor involving a common hepatic artery arising from the superior mesenteric artery.
Studies on the biosynthesis of 5-alpha-cholestan-3-beta-ol. I. Cholestenone 5-alpha-reductase of rat liver.

1. Cholest-4-en-3-one 5α-reductase of rat liver, which catalyzes the conversion of cholest-4-en-3-one to 5α-cholestan-3-one, was shown to be localized mainly in the microsomal fraction. 2. Cholest-4-en-3-one 5α-reductase required reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate as electron donor and differed from the known Δ4-3-ketosteroid 5α-reductases by being inactive in the presence of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. 3. The microsomal cholest-4-en-3-one 5α-reductase preparations did not reduce the double bond of cholest-4-en-3β-ol, cholesterol, or cholest-5-en-3-one. 4. The action of cholest-4-en-3-one 5α-reductase was inhibited by certain Δ4-3-ketosteroids and by cholest-5-en-3-one, and appeared to be stimulated by cholesta-4,6-dien-3-one and by cholesta-5,7-dien-7-one. 5. It was concluded that the microsomal cholest-4-en-3-one 5α-reductase of rat liver is not identical with the known microsomal Δ4-3-ketosteroid 5α-reductases.
Alterations in total and regional myocardial blood flow during acute rejection of orthotopic canine cardiac allografts.

Using radioactive microspheres, we studied the quantitative and sequential distribution of myocardial blood flow during acute rejection of cardiac orthotopic allografts in 15 nonimmuno suppressed dogs. During rejection mean cardiac output per kilogram decreased 49 percent from control, stroke volume per kilogram decreased 40 percent, total left ventricular flow decreased 43 percent, and the subendocardial/subepicardial flow ratio (I/O) of the left ventricular free wall decreased 21 percent. Relative subendocardial hypoperfusion occurred despite an increase in the ratio of left ventricle subendocardial supply (diastolic pressure-time index) to demand (tension-time index). The data indicate that total left ventricular flow decreases severely and selective left ventricular subendocardial ischemia develops very early during acute cardiac rejection.
Carcinoma of the Rectum

Smoking and alcohol consumption, especially heavy beer drinking, play a larger role in the causation of rectal cancer than that of colon cancer generally. In addition, there is no evidence that either physical activity or hormone use, each of which seems to prevent colon cancer, prevents rectal cancer. Although incidence also increases greatly with advancing age, rectal cancer occurs with a pattern that differs from that of colon cancer. Rectal malignancies are twice as common among men as women, and occur in Los Angeles County more commonly than in other regions, especially Utah. They are only slightly more common in whites, and they have decreased slightly in frequency with time, both in the county as a whole and among the residents of high-risk census tracts. This malignancy appears to be evenly distributed among the residents of Los Angeles County, and the pattern of high-risk census tracts does not correspond to any obvious known pattern of exposure.
Proteins Synthesized During Induction of the CO2 Concentrating Mechanism in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The unicellular green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, can grow photoautotrophically at very low CO2 concentrations. C. reinhardtii can grow under these co nditions because it has the capacity to concentrate inorganic carbon, (Ci), internally to levels much higher than could be obtained by diffusion (1). This ability to concentrate Ci has been seen in many microalgae, both eukaryotic and prokaryotic (2–6). The CO2 concentrating mechanism of algae is a major photosynthetic adaptation that is still poorly characterized.
Rituximab Infusion Induces NK Activation in Subjects with the High Affinity CD16 Polymorphism.

Abstract Abstract 1705 Poster Board I-731 The CD16 (FcgammaRIIIa) has a functional polymorphism at position 158. CD16 with valine at position 158 (V) has higher affinity for human IgG1 than does CD16 with phenylalanine at position 158 (F). Follicular lymphoma patients with V have a higher response rate to single agent rituximab. In vitro, NK cells from subjects with V are activated at lower rituximab concentrations than NK cells from subjects with F. Little is known about the in vivo effects of rituximab on NK activation, and the influence CD16 polymorphisms have on that activation. The current studies were designed to explore the relationship between CD16 polymorphisms and NK cell activation in patients receiving rituximab for lymphoma. Subjects included 17 lymphoma patients with a variety of histologies scheduled to receive rituximab at the standard dose (375 mg/M2). Some had received prior treatment with rituximab, but not within the prior 6 months. Subjects did not receive recent or concurrent prednisone or immunosuppressive drugs. Blood was obtained immediately prior to initiation of the rituximab infusion, and 4 hours after the initiation of the infusion. CBC, NK cell number, NK cell CD16 and NK cell CD54 were determined at time 0 and time 4hrs, and changes in each parameter determined. All subjects were genotyped related to the CD16 position 158 polymorphism. Genotype testing revealed 9 subjects were FF, 7 were VF, and 1 was VV. NK cell numbers for the group as a whole were lower 4 hours after initiation of therapy when compared to pre-therapy. Phenotypic changes consistent with NK cell activation at 4 hours included downmodulation of CD16 and upregulation of the adhesion molecule CD54 (ICAM-1). Subset analysis demonstrated these changes were largely limited to subjects with VF/VV. No significant change in NK cell number or activation was seen in those with FF. There was no clear correlation between infusion reactions and genotype or NK activation. Ongoing analyses include evaluation of complement, rituximab and cytokine levels. All (n=17) p value VF/VV (n=8) p value FF (n=9) p value p value FF vs VF/VV D NK Cell # Post Rx/PreRx 0.72 +/- 0.81 0.05 0.41 +/- 0.31 0.008 1.00 +/- 1.03 0.62 0.31 D NK CD54 Post Rx/PreRx 2.14 +/- 1.69 0.0006 3.05 +/- 2.1 0.008 1.33 +/- 0.53 0.11 0.01 D NK CD16 Post Rx/PreRx 0.9 +/- 0.17 0.02 0.86 +/- 0.22 0.11 0.94 +/- 0.10 0.15 0.56 We conclude that NK activation occurs within 4 hours of infusion of rituximab. A decrease in the number of circulating NK cells occurs within 4 hours and is consistent with trafficking of NK cells out of the circulation. Subset analysis demonstrates changes in NK cell number and phenotype are statistically significant in subjects with the high affinity CD16 phenotype, but not the low affinity phenotype. This finding may help explain the enhanced efficacy of rituximab that has been observed for patients with high affinity CD16. Disclosures Link: Genentech: Consultancy.
The OWLeS IOP2b Lake-Effect Snowstorm: Mechanisms Contributing to the Tug Hill Precipitation Maximum

AbstractLake-effect storms frequently produce a pronounced precipitation maximum over the Tug Hill Plateau (hereafter Tug Hill), which rises 500 m above Lake Ontario’s eastern shore. Here Weather Research and Forecasting Model simulations are used to examine the mechanisms responsible for the Tug Hill precipitation maximum observed during IOP2b of the Ontario Winter Lake-effect Systems (OWLeS) field program. A key contributor was a land-breeze front that formed along Lake Ontario’s southeastern shoreline and extended inland and northeastward across Tug Hill, cutting obliquely across the lake-effect system. Localized ascent along this boundary contributed to an inland precipitation maximum even in simulations in which Tug Hill was removed. The presence of Tug Hill intensified and broadened the ascent region, increasing parameterized depositional and accretional hydrometeor growth, and reducing sublimational losses. The inland extension of the land-breeze front and its contribution to precipitation enhancem...
Tranexamic Acid Effectively Reduces Blood Loss and Transfusion Rates during Simultaneous Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Tranexamic acid (TXA) can reduce blood loss and decrease transfusion rates after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of TXA in a homogenous, consecutive cohort of patients undergoing simultaneous bilateral primary TKA. This was a retrospective study of 50 consecutive patients who underwent bilateral simultaneous primary TKA between 2011 and 2015. Of these, 20 patients received TXA and 30 patients did not receive TXA and served as the control group. Primary outcome measurements were intraoperative estimated blood loss, hemoglobin (Hb) and Hematocrit (Hct) levels on postoperative day (POD) 1 and POD2, and blood transfusion rates. Secondary outcomes included length of stay (LOS), knee flexion/extension range of motion (ROM), and postoperative complications. There was no difference between groups for preoperative Hb and Hct (all p > 0.05). The TXA group demonstrate higher Hb levels at POD1 (11.7 in TXA vs. 10.4 controls; p
Who thinks they're a big fish in a small pond and why does it matter? A meta-analysis of perceived overqualification

Abstract We carried out a meta-analysis of perceived overqualification (POQ). Synthesizing twenty-five years of research ( k = 61), we helped to clarify disparate and conflicting findings in the literature. Our results indicated that POQ was associated with job satisfaction (ρ = −0.41), organizational commitment (ρ = −0.35), turnover intentions (ρ = 0.37), job search behaviors (ρ = 0.30), and psychological wellbeing (ρ = −0.26). In terms of job performance, POQ was associated with CWB (ρ = 0.16) and self-ratings of OCB (ρ = −0.25), but not task (ρ = 0.04) or creative and innovative (ρ = 0.04) performance dimensions. Results further indicated that POQ was associated with education (ρ = 0.08), negative affectivity (ρ = 0.11), narcissism (ρ = 0.09), and objective overqualification (ρ = 0.40). Beyond providing estimates of population correlations, we addressed a number of important gaps in the literature, including the role of power distance as a moderator. Implications for research and practice are discussed.