cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PGC-1 alpha serine 570 phosphorylation and GCN5-mediated acetylation by angiotensin II drive catalase down-regulation and vascular hypertrophy.

Angiotensin II (Ang II) is a pleuripotential hormone that is important in the pathophysiology of multiple conditions including aging, cardiovascular and renal diseases, and insulin resistance. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important mediators of Ang II-induced signaling generally and have a well defined role in vascular hypertrophy, which is inhibited by overexpression of catalase, inferring a specific role of H2O2. The molecular mechanisms are understood incompletely. The transcriptional coactivator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) is a key regulator of energy metabolism and ROS-scavenging enzymes including catalase. We show that Ang II stimulates Akt-dependent PGC-1α serine 570 phosphorylation, which is required for the binding of the histone acetyltransferase GCN5 (general control nonderepressible 5) to PGC-1α and for its lysine acetylation. These sequential post-translational modifications suppress PGC-1α activity and prevent its binding to the catalase promoter through the forkhead box O1 transcription factor, thus decreasing catalase expression. We demonstrate that overexpression of the phosphorylation-defective mutant PGC-1α (S570A) prevents Ang II-induced increases in H2O2 levels and hypertrophy ([3H]leucine incorporation). Knockdown of PGC-1α by small interfering RNA promotes basal and Ang II-stimulated ROS and hypertrophy, which is reversed by polyethylene glycol-conjugated catalase. Thus, endogenous PGC-1α is a negative regulator of vascular hypertrophy by up-regulating catalase expression and thus reducing ROS levels. We provide novel mechanistic insights by which Ang II may mediate its ROS-dependent pathophysiologic effects on multiple cardiometabolic diseases.
Separation of human plasma fibrin stabilizing factor (factor XIII) from fibrinogen by fibrinogen polymer formation

Human plasma fibrin stabilizing factor (factor XIII) may be separated from fibrinogen through reversible fibrinogen polymer formation at pH 6.6, gamma/2 0.3, 0 degrees C, and subsequent Bio-Gel A 1.5m filtration. Factor XIII activity is eluted after the monomer fibrinogen peak. Polymer fractions from eight preparations, processed in duplicate, contain a mean 0.002 units factor XIII per mg fibrinogen, or about 0.7% the factor XIII content of standard plasma. Factor XIII-free fibrinogen polymers are easily dissociated (greater than 98%) to the monomer form by incubation at 37 degrees C, 18 hours. The fibrinogen preparations utilized were devoid of plasma fibronectin; thus these studies also show that reversible human fibrinogen polymer formation occurs in its absence.
Menstrual cycle and cue reactivity in women smokers.

Introduction: Emerging research suggests potential effects of the menstrual cycle on various aspects of smoking behavior in women, but results to date have been mixed. The present study sought to explore the influence of menstrual cycle phase on reactivity to smoking in vivo and stressful imagery cues in a sample of non-treatment-seeking women smokers. Methods: Via a within-subjects design, nicotine-dependent women (N = 37) participated in a series of four cue reactivity sessions, each during a distinct biologically verified phase of the menstrual cycle (early follicular [EF], mid-follicular [MF], mid-luteal [ML], and late luteal [LL]). Subjective (Questionnaire of Smoking Urges-Brief; QSU-B) and physiological (skin conductance and heart rate) measures of craving and reactivity were collected and compared across phases. Results: Subjective reactive craving (QSU-B) to smoking in vivo cues varied significantly across the menstrual cycle (p = .02) and was higher in both EF and MF phases versus ML and LL phases, but this finding was not sustained when controlling for reactivity to neutral cues. Heart rate reactivity to stressful imagery cues (p =.01) and skin conductance reactivity to smoking in vivo cues (p = .05) varied significantly across the menstrual cycle upon controlling for reactivity to neutral cues, with highest reactivity during the MF phase. Discussion: Menstrual cycle phase may have an effect on reactivity to smoking-related and stressful cues among women smokers. These findings contribute to an expanding literature, suggesting menstrual cycle effects on smoking behaviors in women.
SU‐GG‐T‐487: Field‐In‐Field Technique to Reduce High Dose Regions in the Treatment of the Axillary and Supraclavicular Lymph Nodes

Purpose: To eliminate the 10–30% excess dose in the standard parallel opposed beam treatment of the axillary and supraclavicular lymph nodes to decrease related skin toxicity. Method and Materials: In a field‐in‐field technique a new field was added to the supraclavicular (SCLAV) field with the projection of the posterior axillary boost (PAB) field blocked out. With appropriate weighting of the 3 fields equal (prescription) doses can be delivered to 3 cm under both the blocked and unblocked part of the SCLAV and to the midplane under the PAB field. The weightings can be obtained by solving a simple linear equation system (e.g. in Excel). The field‐in‐field technique was planned with Eclipse treatment planning system on 12 patient CT scans and compared to the standard two beam arrangement. Film measurements were made on phantom to evaluate the match of the field‐in‐field with the PAB field at a depth of 3 cm and at the skin surface. In addition, plans were calculated in phantoms to study the relationship of the weighting and the separation. Results: The prescription requirements, similar coverage to the standard technique, and minimal excess dose were all achieved with the proposed technique. The average maximum dose for the 12 sample CT scans decreased from 119.8% as treated to 107.9%. The match between the proposed SCLAV field‐in‐field and PAB field used was good and would be clinically acceptable. Conclusion: The proposed field‐in‐field technique provides more uniform coverage for the treatment of the supraclavicular/axillary region in the treatment of breast cancer. Since the third field is only a rearrangement of the MLCs in the supraclavicular field, it does not add much to either the planning or the treatment time.
Dispersion theory and exchange currents in nuclei

In this work the pion exchange current contribution to the form factor of model deuteron is discussed. Starting from the idea of the Feynman diagram of exchange current, this contribution is then separated out from the rest of the direct current in dispersion theory in the lowest (4-th) order of approximation. Higher order contributions may not have the simple meaning of being exchange currents and are not, in general, separable in dispersion theory. A practicable method of evaluating these pion exchange current contributions to the form factors of light nuclei, such as2H,3H and3He, is suggested.
Receptors on individual neurones

Membrane potential or ionic conductance of neurones of the mammalian central or peripheral nervous system maintained in vitro can be measured over periods of several hours. Drugs or transmitters which change potential or conductance can be applied repeatedly under equilibrium conditions, and pharmacological null methods used to characterize the receptors with which they interact. The method offers an advantage over ligand binding studies on nervous tissue because both agonist and antagonist affinities can be estimated on individual functioning cells. The results to date suggest the hypothesis that a given receptor subtype is always associated with the same change in ion conductance, and the corollary that distinct ion conductances affected by the same transmitter result from interactions with different receptor subtypes.
Ischemic vulnerability of primary murine microglial cultures

Microglia are known to secrete neurotoxic substances and have been implicated in potentiating injury in a variety of neuropathological settings including stroke. However, little is known about the susceptibility of microglia to ischemia. Here we characterize microglial vulnerabilities to ischemia-like insults. Microglia were remarkably resistant to hypoxia, but a majority of cells were killed after 30 h of aglycemia and 24 h continuous exposure to combined oxygen and glucose deprivation. Serum deprivation also resulted in significant cell death after 24 h. Interestingly, microglia activated by lipopolysaccharide were protected against death by serum deprivation, but not aglycemia. We conclude that microglia display susceptibility to ischemia-like insults that most resembles astrocytes, and that activation in some settings renders them capable of generating factors that enhance their own survival.
Determination of Binder Decomposition Kinetics for Specifying Heating Parameters in Binder Burnout Cycles

The decomposition kinetics of poly(vinyl butyral) binder from barium titanate multilayer ceramic capacitors with platinum metal electrodes were analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis as a function of the heating rate. The activation energy and pre-exponential factor for the decomposition kinetics were determined from two types of integral equations, from the Redhead method, and from the variation in heating rate method. The accuracy of the kinetic parameters determined from these methods was then evaluated for describing the observed rate of binder decomposition. Although the individual models yielded very different kinetic parameters, all were capable of describing the experimental data within ±15% accuracy. The kinetic parameters were then used in a coupled transport and kinetic model for describing the buildup of pressure within the ceramic green body as a function of the heating cycle. A methodology based on calculus of variations was also developed to predict the minimum duration for the binder burnout cycle.
This Examined Life: The Upside of Self-Knowledge for Interpersonal Relationships

Although self-knowledge is an unquestioned good in many philosophical traditions, testing this assumption scientifically has posed a challenge because of the difficulty of measuring individual differences in self-knowledge. In this study, we used a novel, naturalistic, and objective criterion to determine individuals’ degree of self-knowledge. Specifically, self-knowledge was measured as the congruence between people’s beliefs about how they typically behave and their actual behavior as measured with unobtrusive audio recordings from daily life. We found that this measure of self-knowledge was positively correlated with informants’ perceptions of relationship quality. These results suggest that self-knowledge is interpersonally advantageous. Given the importance of relationships for our social species, self-knowledge could have great social value that has heretofore been overlooked.
Territorial Issues, Audience Costs, and the Democratic Peace: The Importance of Issue Salience

Democratic leaders are more prone to domestic sanction following defeats, and these audience costs allow democracies to signal their intentions during public disputes. Empirical tests strongly support this relationship; however, recent criticisms have questioned whether the causal mechanisms of audience costs are responsible for these findings. We provide a unified rationale for why both arguments are correct: democracies rarely contend over territorial issues, a consistently salient and contentious issue. Without these issues, leaders are unable to generate audience costs but are able to choose easy conflicts. Our reexaminations of threat-based and reciprocation-based studies support this argument. We also present tests of within-dispute behavior using MID incident data, which confirms that the salience of territory matters more than regime type when predicting militarized behavior. Any regime differences suggest a disadvantage for democratic challengers over territorial issues, and any peace between dem...
Model for Astrophysical X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure

We present a theoretical model and database designed to provide analysis of astrophysical X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS). The model includes spherical wave corrections and multiple-scattering contributions to the modification of the X-ray absorption coefficient. The model and database provide the basis for the astrophysical XAFS analysis (AXA) tool, which may be used to analyze properties of interstellar grains and molecules from high-resolution X-ray spectra expected to be observed by future satellite missions (e.g., the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility).
Antiviral Information Management System (AIMS): A Prototype for Operational Innovation in Drug Development

This article presents a prototype for an operational innovation in knowledge management (KM). These operational innovations are geared toward managing knowledge efficiently and accessing all available information by embracing advances in bioinformatics and allied fields. The specific components of the proposed KM system are (1) a database to archive hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment data in a structured format and retrieve information in a query-capable manner and (2) an automated analysis tool to inform trial design elements for HCV drug development. The proposed framework is intended to benefit drug development by increasing efficiency of dose selection and improving the consistency of advice from US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is also hoped that the framework will encourage collaboration among FDA, industry, and academic scientists to guide the HCV drug development process using model-based quantitative analysis techniques.
Social facilitation of muricidal behavior in the rat

A phenomenon resembling social facilitation of muricide was described. Rats, who were already established mouse killers, killed mice faster in the presence of a large number of rats continuously killing mice. Evidence was presented which supports the argument that the facilitation was transmitted through auditory rather than olfactory cues.
Total Syntheses of (±)-β-Erythroidine and (±)-8-oxo-β-Erythroidine by an Intramolecular Diels−Alder Cycloaddition of a 2-Amidoacrolein

The total syntheses of (±)-β-erythroidine and (±)-8-oxo-β-erythroidine are described. The tetracyclic ring system of the natural products was quickly assembled by a strategy that features a retrocycloaddition/cycloaddition reaction of an amidodioxin, an intramolecular Heck reaction, and a 6π-electrocyclic ring closure of a dienoic acid.
Sociocybernetics and social entropy theory

Purpose – To present the contributions of sociocybernetics, particularly as developed by Felix Geyer, and to compare sociocybernetics with social entropy theory (SET).Design/methodology/approach – This paper first outlines the problems with earlier approaches, and then briefly discusses the four approaches constituting the “new” social systems theory: sociocybernetics, social‐autopoiesis theory, living systems theory (LST), and SET. Next the six chief contributions of sociocybernetics are discussed. Then sociocybernetics is compared with SET. The paper ends with a brief comparison of Geyer's sociocybernetics with the other two new approaches, social autopoiesis and LST.Findings – Sociocybernetics is found to be a context‐specific, observer‐dependent approach that relies heavily on second‐order cybernetics. The comparison of sociocybernetics with SET also finds that the latter complements the former in valuable ways. Geyer's approach to sociocybernetics is also found to be compatible with both social autop...
Characterization of the structure and the surface reactivity of a marcasite thin film

Abstract A thin film of marcasite, FeS 2 , was synthesized under vacuum and its structure and reactivity under oxidizing conditions was investigated by means of diffraction and surface analytical techniques, respectively. Synthesis of the film was carried out by codepositing Fe and S 2 onto a Ta support. The thickness of the film could be varied from approximately 10 A to 1 μm. High-resolution S 2p synchrotron-based photoemission showed S22−, with undetectable amounts of S 2− impurity that is typically present on natural sample surfaces. X-ray diffraction of the micron-thick films showed that the film crystallized in the marcasite phase of FeS 2 . Atomic force microscopy indicated that the thin film had a nanometer-scale roughness suggesting the film contained defects such as steps and kinks. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies found the thin marcasite film to be more reactive than natural pyrite (the most ubiquitous FeS 2 dimorph) after exposure to a gaseous O 2 /H 2 O environment on the basis of the amount of sulfate formation. Likely the oxidation of marcasite was dominated by its short-range order (e.g., presence of steps), because the density of nonstoichiometric defect sites (e.g., S 2− ) was low as assessed by photoelectron spectroscopy.
On a PCA-based lung motion model.

Respiration-induced organ motion is one of the major uncertainties in lung cancer radiotherapy and is crucial to be able to accurately model the lung motion. Most work so far has focused on the study of the motion of a single point (usually the tumor center of mass), and much less work has been done to model the motion of the entire lung. Inspired by the work of Zhang et al (2007 Med. Phys. 34 4772–81), we believe that the spatiotemporal relationship of the entire lung motion can be accurately modeled based on principle component analysis (PCA) and then a sparse subset of the entire lung, such as an implanted marker, can be used to drive the motion of the entire lung (including the tumor). The goal of this work is twofold. First, we aim to understand the underlying reason why PCA is effective for modeling lung motion and find the optimal number of PCA coefficients for accurate lung motion modeling. We attempt to address the above important problems both in a theoretical framework and in the context of real clinical data. Second, we propose a new method to derive the entire lung motion using a single internal marker based on the PCA model. The main results of this work are as follows. We derived an important property which reveals the implicit regularization imposed by the PCA model. We then studied the model using two mathematical respiratory phantoms and 11 clinical 4DCT scans for eight lung cancer patients. For the mathematical phantoms with cosine and an even power (2n) of cosine motion, we proved that 2 and 2n PCA coefficients and eigenvectors will completely represent the lung motion, respectively. Moreover, for the cosine phantom, we derived the equivalence conditions for the PCA motion model and the physiological 5D lung motion model (Low et al 2005 Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 63 921–9). For the clinical 4DCT data, we demonstrated the modeling power and generalization performance of the PCA model. The average 3D modeling error using PCA was within 1 mm (0.7 ± 0.1 mm). When a single artificial internal marker was used to derive the lung motion, the average 3D error was found to be within 2 mm (1.8 ± 0.3 mm) through comprehensive statistical analysis. The optimal number of PCA coefficients needs to be determined on a patient-by-patient basis and two PCA coefficients seem to be sufficient for accurate modeling of the lung motion for most patients. In conclusion, we have presented thorough theoretical analysis and clinical validation of the PCA lung motion model. The feasibility of deriving the entire lung motion using a single marker has also been demonstrated on clinical data using a simulation approach.
War on Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus has been a problem for both well and sick neonates for decades. As early as 1937, guidance for proper skin care of newborns was given to prevent staphylococcal infection.1 The first description of a penicillin-resistant S. aureus outbreak in the newborn nursery was in 1952,2 when aureomycin, the first of the tetracyclines, was used for the treatment of pustular dermatitis, conjunctivitis and pneumonia. However, prevention of these outbreaks has proven to be very difficult. In the early 1960s, artificial colonization was employed, whereby infants were purposely colonized with less virulent S. aureus to prevent colonization with the more virulent strains.3 Constantly evolving, hospital-associated (HA) methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) emerged in the 1970s in adult intensive care units, and gradually infiltrated the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). However, community-associated (CA) MRSA spread across the globe in the 1990s, causing necrotizing soft tissue and bone infections in people of all ages and affecting neonates colonized from mothers or nursery environment. Over the past several decades, infection control policies have been developed to combat S. aureus, including decolonization strategies, hand hygiene, surveillance and isolation procedures. However, despite many years of devising plans against S. aureus, the NICU remains a haven for this formidable pathogen.
Fine-Tuning Pharmacogenetics: Paradigm for Linking Laboratory Results to Clinical Action

Pharmacogenetics (PGx) is the study of the relationship between gene-based markers and pharmacology as it relates to the processing and/or function of drugs. The clinical utility of PGx is embodied principally in the ability to predict either the most appropriate dosing of a medicine or the selection of a particular medicine for a given individual. This expectation has led to the concept of “personalized medicine”. Although the science and clinical application of PGx seem to be rapidly converging, the horizon remains a bit fuzzy, partly because the evidence needed to establish its clinical application to patient care is just now beginning to surface. The clinical laboratory is the principal vehicle for providing PGx testing services to the medical community (1). These services include providing access to the testing, selecting appropriate testing profiles, and among other responsibilities, providing the evidence required to formulate decisions on medical applications (2). From this perspective, advances in laboratory medicine, as with most medical disciplines, are typically achieved in incremental steps. Each step provides a basis on which to build consensus for accepting a standard for the practice. Often however, new information gets substantially ahead of the commonly accepted medical practice and an element of confusion, perhaps driven by high expectations, sets in. To avoid this dilemma, a reasonable strategy must be developed to establish pathways for translating basic …
Toward a New Generation of Environmental Technology: The Need For Legislative Reform

Summary Given near unanimity in the environmental and industrial communities about the need for a new generation of environmental technology, the policy process unfortunately lags behind in moving toward this objective. This article examines causes and remedies for this gap in the context of American environmental policy. U.S. environmental laws continue to be pervaded by structural biases against new technology, and the complexity of their administration exacerbates the problem. Within the last few years, several important reform initiatives have arisen from inside the regulatory community; however, these can only go so far, given the current statutory framework Congress, too long quiescent, needs to become involved. A legislative reform package is proposed consisting of four main elements: a legislative mandate that makes promotion of technological innovation an explicit environmental objective; elimination of structural features in current law that impede innovation; creation of a new framework for standard-setting and enforcement that puts every firm on a trajectory toward environmental and technological improvement; and enlisting regulation as a “demand-pull” for environmentally superior technology.
Two-stage vesiculation in the Cohassett flow of the Grande Ronde Basalt, south-central Washington

The Cohassett flow in south-central Washington is considered a possible host for a nuclear waste repository at the Hanford Site and is being investigated as part of the Basalt Waste Isolation Project. The Cohassett flow of the Grande Ronde basalt contains two vesicular zones separated by 24 m of dense, sparsely vesicular basalt. The vesicular zones represent accumulations of upward-migrating bubbles sequentially frozen-in by the downward passage of the upper solidification front. The separation of the two zones suggests a hiatus in the exsolution of aqueous vapor from the lava. The flow-top vesicular zone formed during and immediately following emplacement of the flow from vapor bubbles nucleated during ascent and eruption, whereas the internal vesicular zone formed after emplacement from bubbles apparently nucleated at the lower solidification front. Homogeneous nucleation of vapor was probably initially driven by large oversaturation pressures in the erupting lava. After emplacement, heterogeneous nucleation of vapor was probably initiated by crystallization in the margins of the flow.
A Miacid from the Sespe Upper Eocene, California.

In addition to three distinct types of hyaenodonts now known from the Sespe Upper Eocene(1) (Locality 150 Calif. Inst. Tech. Vert. Pale.), there remains to be recorded another creodont, namely, a representative of the family Miacidae. At Locality 150 skull and jaw materials of this form occur nearly as abundantly as do those of the Hyaenodontide. Special interest attaches to this miacid in view of its relationship to Pleurocyon, a genus described by Peterson(2) from the Upper Uinta (Uinta C).
Runtime Application Behavior Prediction Using a Statistical Metric Model

Adaptive computing systems rely on accurate predictions of application behavior to understand and respond to the dynamically varying characteristics. In this study, we present a Statistical Metric Model (SMM) that is system- and metric-independent for predicting application behavior. SMM is a probability distribution over application patterns of varying length and it models how likely a specific behavior occurs. Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) criterion is used to estimate the parameters of SMM. The parameters are further refined with a smoothing method to improve prediction robustness. We also propose an extension to SMM (i.e., SMM-Interp) to handle sudden short-term changes in application behavior. SMM learns the application patterns during runtime, and at the same time predicts the upcoming application phases based on what it has learned up to that point. We demonstrate several key features of SMM: (1) adaptation, (2) variable length sequence modeling, and (3) long-term memory. An extensive and rigorous series of prediction experiments show the superior performance of the SMM predictor over existing predictors on a wide range of benchmarks. For some of the benchmarks, SMM reduces the prediction error rate by 10X and 3X, compared to last value and table-based prediction approaches, respectively. SMM's improved prediction accuracy results in superior power-performance tradeoffs when it is applied to an adaptive dynamic power management scheme.
Structural Reforms, IMF Programs and Capacity Building: An Empirical Investigation

This paper investigates the role that International Monetary Fund (IMF) programs and capacity building play in fostering structural reforms. To do so, we exploit two novel datasets on IMF capacity building and structural reforms available for over one hundred IMF member countries over the period 1980 - 2010. The main results are threefold. First, there is a general association between IMF programs and structural reforms but this relationship is not very robust. Second, IMF training leads to an increase in structural reforms but only through IMF programs and only when a significant share of public servants is trained. Third, IMF technical assistance does not significantly lead to more structural reforms but raises the likelihood of completion of ongoing IMF programs. Our results are robust to a large number of checks, estimators and correcting for endogeneity.
Casting a Shadow from Flesh to Canvas: Claudia Rankine's Plot and the Gendered Textual Body

This essay examines Claudia Rankine's long poem Plot (2001) in light of its status as one of a number of postsixties poetic texts authored by women that explore complicated questions surrounding the relationships among maternity, the female body, and innovative poetics. Plot intervenes in two overlapping conversations. On the one hand, it continues a tradition of women's poetic experimentation that seeks to revalue pregnancy and motherhood as viable topics for poetry while resisting sentimentalized and restrictive narratives through formal innovation; on the other, it continues and extends feminist poetic traditions that emphasize both the physical and biological and the linguistic and cultural by crafting a long poem whose structure is necessarily “female” through its reliance on an individual woman's mental, temporal, and bodily/biological experiences as formal determinants. This essay argues that Plot is unique for the way it not only uses the biological as a formal determinant but also uses this focus to blur the lines between the physical and the textual body, in the process questioning both cultural narratives of pregnancy and the construction of poetic genre (specifically in terms of the long poem) in addition to traditional tropes that co-opt gestation as a synonym for (typically masculine) literary production.
Hemocyanin–antibody labeling of rhodopsin in mouse retina for a scanning electron microscope study

To reveal the presence of rhodopsin on the surface of the mouse retina, a scanning electron microscope study of the immunolabeling of rhodopsin was attempted. The glutaraldehyde-fixed mouse retina was treated first with rabbit antibodies specific against bovine rhodopsin and then with hemocyanin-labeled goat antibodies specific against rabbit antibody. The distribution of hemocyanin label on mouse retina and the technique used for labeling are discussed.
Estimating Local Ancestry in Admixed Populations

Large-scale genotyping of SNPs has shown a great promise in identifying markers that could be linked to diseases. One of the major obstacles involved in performing these studies is that the underlying population substructure could produce spurious associations. Population substructure can be caused by the presence of two distinct subpopulations or a single pool of admixed individuals. In this work, we focus on the latter, which is significantly harder to detect in practice. New advances in this research direction are expected to play a key role in identifying loci that are different among different populations and are still associated with a disease. We evaluated current methods for inference of population substructure in such cases and show that they might be quite inaccurate even in relatively simple scenarios. We therefore introduce a new method, LAMP (Local Ancestry in adMixed Populations), which infers the ancestry of each individual at every single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). LAMP computes the ancestry structure for overlapping windows of contiguous SNPs and combines the results with a majority vote. Our empirical results show that LAMP is significantly more accurate and more efficient than existing methods for inferrring locus-specific ancestries, enabling it to handle large-scale datasets. We further show that LAMP can be used to estimate the individual admixture of each individual. Our experimental evaluation indicates that this extension yields a considerably more accurate estimate of individual admixture than state-of-the-art methods such as STRUCTURE or EIGENSTRAT, which are frequently used for the correction of population stratification in association studies.
CASE STUDY: In Vitro Ruminal Fermentation Characteristics of Birdsfoot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) Hay in Continuous Cultures1

ABSTRACT A dual-flow continuous culture system was used in a 3 x 3 Latin square design to evaluate the effects of ruminal fermentation in mixed microbial cultures when replacing alfalfa hay (Medicago sativa L.) with birdsfoot trefoil hay (Lotus corniculatus L.). Ruminal fluid was collected from 2 ruminally cannulated, lactating dairy cows fed a TMR diet. Treatments consisted of 1) 100% alfalfa hay (AH; 0.06% tannins), 2) 50% AH and 50% birdsfoot trefoil hay (DM basis; AHBFTH; 0.32% tannins), and 3) 100% birdsfoot trefoil hay (BFTH; 0.97% tannins). Three replicated periods lasted 8 d each, with the first 5 d allowed for microbial adaptation to the diets, and 3 d for sampling. Culture pH decreased when the BFTH was fed compared with the AH and the AHBFTH. Methane production and total VFA profiles were not affected by the dietary treatments except that molar proportion of isobutyrate tended to decrease (P = 0.09) by feeding the AHB-FTH. In addition, NDF digestibility was not affected by the dietary treatments. However, NH 3 -N concentration and flow were reduced when replacing the AH with the BFTH. It was concluded that feeding a tannin-containing forage hay diet (BFTH) increased in vitro N utilization without reducing in vitro methane production, and that a possible cause was the action of plant tannins.
A discrete-time AAF with clock-efficient chargedomain filter for high attenuation and bandwidth

A discrete-time (DT) anti-alias filter (AAF) with clock-efficient charge-domain filter (CECDF) for high attenuation and bandwidth was developed. This AAF possesses 88.86-dB attenuation and 13-MHz bandwidth at a 600-MS/s input-clock rate (ICR) and a 100-MS/s output-sample rate. The measured gain and IIP3 are 12.2-dB and 0-dBm, respectively, consuming only 5.56-mA from a 1.36-V power supply. The chip including clock-logical circuits occupies 0.2-mm2 in 90-nm CMOS logical process.
Multiplicity assignments for algebraic soft-decoding of Reed-Solomon codes using the method of types

The probability of error in the Koetter-Vardy algebraic soft-decoding algorithm for Reed-Solomon codes is determined by the multiplicity assignment scheme used. A multiplicity assignment scheme converts the reliability matrix Π, consisting of the probabilities observed at the channel output, into a multiplicity matrix M that specifies the algebraic interpolation conditions. Using the method of types, Sanov's theorem in particular, we obtain tight exponential bounds on the probability of decoding error for a given multiplicity matrix. These bounds turn out to be essentially the same as the Chernoff bound. We establish several interesting properties of the multiplicity matrix M† which minimizes the exponent of the probability of error. Based on these observations, we develop a low-complexity multiplicity assignment scheme which uses nested bisection to solve for M†. This scheme provides the same probability of error as a known scheme based upon the Chernoff bound, but with much lower complexity. We also derive a simple condition on the reliability matrix Π which guarantees an exponentially small probability of error. This condition is akin to an error-correction radius, and can be used to study the performance of algebraic soft-decoding.
High-precision absolute distance measurement using dual-laser frequency scanned interferometry under realistic conditions

Abstract In this paper, we report on new high-precision absolute distance measurements performed with frequency scanned interferometry using a pair of single-mode optical fibers. Absolute distances were determined by counting the interference fringes produced while scanning the frequencies of the two chopped lasers. High-finesse Fabry–Perot interferometers were used to determine frequency changes during scanning. Dual lasers with oppositely scanning directions, combined with a multi-distance-measurement technique previously reported, were used to cancel drift errors and to suppress vibration effects and interference fringe uncertainties. Under realistic conditions, a precision about 0.2 μ m was achieved for a distance of 0.41 m. With a precision that exceeds requirements, the frequency scanned interferometry is a promising high-precision optical alignment technique for International Linear Collider silicon tracker detector.
When Cold is Better: Climate-Driven Elevation Shifts Yield Complex Patterns of Diversification and Demography in an Alpine Specialist (American Pika, Ochotona princeps)

The genetic consequences of climate-driven range fluctuation during the Pleistocene have been well studied for temperate species, but cold-adapted (e.g., alpine, arctic) species that may have responded uniquely to past climatic events have received less attention. In particular, we have no a priori expectation for long-term evolutionary consequences of elevation shifts into and out of sky islands by species adapted to alpine habitats. Here, we examined the influence of elevation shifts on genetic differentiation and historical demography in an alpine specialist, the American pika (Ochotona princeps). Pika populations are divided into five genetic lineages that evolved in association with separate mountain systems, rather than lineages that reflect individual sky islands. This suggests a role for glacial-period elevation shifts in promoting gene flow among high-elevation populations and maintaining regional cohesion of genetic lineages. We detected a signature of recent demographic decline in all lineages, consistent with the expectation that Holocene climate warming has driven range retraction in southern lineages, but unexpected for northern populations that presumably represent postglacial expansion. An ecological niche model of past and future pika distributions highlights the influence of climate on species range and indicates that the distribution of genetic diversity may change dramatically with continued climate warming.
SimCalc: Democratizing Access to Advanced Mathematics

Historically, what people can learn is co-determined by the representational infrastructure for knowledge building. When Latin was the required medium of knowledge building, few could engage in scholarly activities; without the change to the vernacular, nearly universal access to higher education would not be possible. The highly compact, abstract, and opaque symbolism of mathematics presents similar barriers to the necessary democratization of access to important mathematics. Over the course of a program of research lasting more than 20 years and involving contributors from institutions throughout the United States and worldwide (Hegedus & Roschelle, 2013), the representationally innovative design of SimCalc Mathworlds® has provided affordances for novel and effective approaches to teaching important algebraic and calculus-related ideas. When integrated with appropriate curricular workbooks, teacher professional development, and other instructional factors, dynamic representation has enabled diverse populations to learn more advanced mathematics. Research has included both design research as well as large-scale experiments involving hundreds of teachers and thousands of students; overall, the approach also has an unusually strong base of empirical support. We focus on lasting, essential design contributions of this body of work with a special emphasis on the dialectic relationship between affordances of technology and curricular progressions.
Book review essay—Alternative perspectives on crime and crime prevention: The wilson-currie debate

(1989). Book review essay—Alternative perspectives on crime and crime prevention: The wilson-currie debate. Justice Quarterly: Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 457-466.
Computer navigation and fixator-assisted femoral osteotomy for correction of malunion after periprosthetic femur fracture.

Periprosthetic femoral fracture post-total knee arthroplasty can lead to malunion. This may lead to abnormal force transmission and accelerated wear of the prosthesis. Accurate femoral deformity correction depends on the combined correction of the mechanical axis alignment and the lateral distal femoral angle. Modern external fixation correction devices allow for simultaneous gradual corrections in multiple planes through one osteotomy site. Despite the accuracy of the devices, technical failures occur and are typically due to difficulty in assessing the exact intraoperative correction. Furthermore, conventional intraoperative measurements display high interobserver and intraobserver variations. Computer navigation has demonstrated great accuracy. Combining a mechanical corrective device and navigation should allow for increased precision and dynamic control intraoperatively. The current authors report on a clinical application of a novel minimally invasive fixator-assisted correction of a posttraumatic distal femoral varus deformity after total knee arthroplasty with combined navigated measurements. Keywords: limb correction, femoral osteotomy, navigation, alignment, deformity, external fixator corrections.
A review of anatomy and physiology of the stallion

An understanding of the structure and function of the reproductive organs is desirable when developing a management strategy to maximize reproductive efficiency or for understanding results of research. Knowledge of anatomical terms and of the location, shape and relative size of each reproductive organ is essential when evaluating a stallion. Malfunction of one or more reproductive organs is not rare. An understanding of the process of spermatogenesis, the importance of epididymal function and secretions from the accessory glands in influencing semen quality, and the nature of the ejaculatory process is essential for developing a prognosis and a plan for possible treatment of any stallion suspected of having a reproductive problem. The male reproductive organs consist of the two testes, each suspended by a spermatic cord, the two epididymides, the two deferent ducts each with an ampulla, the paired vesicular glands, the prostate gland, the paired bulbourethral glands, and the penis (Figure I)." The vesicular glands, prostate gland, and bulbourethral glands often are termed the accessory sex glands. The tract is supported within the pelvic cavity by the hammock-like genital fold and externally by the scrotum and prepuce. Several muscles, including the urethralis, bulbospongiosus, ischiocavernosus, and retractor penis muscles are of importance.
Effects of differential early experiences and neonatal tranquilization on later behavior.

Neonatal rats were exposed to one of 3 environmental stimulus conditions (Control, Mechanical Rotation, and Hypothermia) and one of 4 drug injection groups (Control, Placebo, Chlorpromazine, and Reserpine) from 2 to 10 days of age. Later behavior testing at 30 days of age indicated an inverted U-shaped activity level for the 2 drug control groups over the environmental treatments, no differences for CPZ, and hyperactivity for all reserpine-treated Ss. The Rotation and Hypothermia tranquilization drug Ss made more errors than the corresponding control Ss in the water maze. Various neonatal early experiences and drug treatments differentially affect the adult Ss' responses in testing situations.
Size of pores of Kohn: Influence of transpulmonary and vascular pressures

We investigated the influence of transpulmonary (Ptp) and vascular pressures on the size of the pores of Kohn in primary alveolar septa. Dogs lungs, perfused and ventilated in situ, were rapidly frozen with Freon 22 in zone II or III conditions following deflation to Ptp of 5, 15, or 25 cmH2O. Frozen samples were freeze-substituted for transmission electron microscopy. Five fields containing at least one pore each were selected randomly from each section of tissue, and the minimum diameter visible in the cut section was measured. For both zone II and III conditions, as Ptp increased, mean pore size increased. The mean pore size under zone III conditions was 1.2015, 1.788, and 2.249 micrometer for Ptp of 5, 15, and 25 cmH2O, respectively. For zone 2 conditions, the corresponding values were 1.1438, 1,8757, and 2.08 micrometer. For both zones II and III, increasing capillary hydrostatic pressure had no significant effect on pore size. The results support the notion that alveolar pores can increase collateral ventilation by dynamically stretching as Ptp increases. Capillary pressure does not influence pore size probably because of collagen fibers, which surround the pore lumen. Presumably, these fibers resist encroachment of capillaries on the pore lumen as vascular pressures increase.
Comparison of adrenergic agonists for the treatment of ventricular fibrillation and pulseless electrical activity

The primary role of epinephrine for the treatment of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and pulseless electrical activity (PEA) is to increase blood flow to the myocardium and central nervous system and ultimately improve survival. However, despite the administration of epinephrine, survival following VF or PEA is low. In an attempt to improve outcome from VF and PEA, alternative adrenergic agonists (methoxamine, phenylephrine, norepinephrine) which have different pharmacological properties than epinephrine have been evaluated. In order to determine the role of alternative adrenergic agonists for the treatment of VF and PEA this paper will compare the pharmacological properties and pharmacodynamic effects of these drugs to epinephrine. Specifically, receptor physiology along with the effects of adrenergic agonists on coronary perfusion pressure, survival, myocardial oxygen demand, and cerebral blood flow will be discussed.
Management of de novo malignancies after liver transplantation

Due to advances in medical and surgical expertise leading to significant improvements in graft and patient survival, there is an increased recognition of long term complications in survivors such as de novo malignancies, cardiovascular events and infections. Data show solid organ transplant recipients have 2-3 times the increased risk of developing a de novo malignancy compared to an age-matched and sex-matched general population and malignancy is expected to be the number one cause of mortality in long term transplant recipients in the next two decades. Risk factors include an aging transplant population, oncogenic viruses and the long term effects of immunosuppression in the development of carcinogenesis. This review summarizes common de novo malignancies occurring in the post liver transplant population and current strategies for their prevention and management. Unfortunately, due to limited evidence based data, robust screening guidelines for post transplant cancer prevention have yet to be implemented in this population.
Prevention-oriented life styles and diffusion of cholesterol screening and awareness: Massachusetts Behavioral Risk Factor Surveys, 1987–1991

Abstract Universal screening of the adult population for detection of elevated serum cholesterol has been recommended. We examined the relation of eight risk factors for morbidity and mortality (hypertension, overweight, inactivity, tobacco use, safety belt nonuse, binge alcohol consumption, driving after alcohol consumption, and chronic alcohol consumption) to adoption of cholesterol screening and to awareness of cholesterol level. Data were collected through the Massachusetts Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System between 1987 and 1991 (mean number of respondents interviewed annually, 1240). We compared trends in prevalence of cholesterol screening and awareness within risk groups defined on the basis of the presence or absence of each risk factor. Cholesterol screening prevalence increased from 46.8% in 1987 to 67.9% in 1991. Overweight and hypertensive respondents were more likely to have been screened than nonoverweight or normotensive respondents; for the other six risk factors, individuals at increased risk were less likely to have been screened. The difference in cholesterol screening prevalence between increased-risk and lower-risk respondents increased between 1987–1988 and 1990–1991 for four risk factors. Prevalence of awareness of cholesterol level increased from 7.8% in 1987 to 35.4% in 1991. Trends by risk status were comparable to those observed for cholesterol screening. Individuals already motivated toward a preventive life style appear to be those most likely to avail themselves of a new prevention possibility.