cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Breeding Dispersal by Birds in a Dynamic Urban Ecosystem.

Changes in land cover during urbanization profoundly affect the diversity of bird communities, but the demographic mechanisms affecting diversity are poorly known. We advance such understanding by documenting how urbanization influences breeding dispersal—the annual movement of territorial adults—of six songbird species in the Seattle, WA, USA metropolitan area. We color-banded adults and mapped the centers of their annual breeding activities from 2000–2010 to obtain 504 consecutive movements by 337 adults. By comparing movements, annual reproduction, and mate fidelity among 10 developed, 5 reserved, and 11 changing (areas cleared and developed during our study) landscapes, we determined that adaptive breeding dispersal of sensitive forest species (Swainson’s Thrush and Pacific wren), which involves shifting territory and mate after reproductive failure, was constrained by development. In changing lands, sensitive forest specialists dispersed from active development to nearby forested areas, but in so doing suffered low annual reproduction. Species tolerant of suburban lands (song sparrow, spotted towhee, dark-eyed junco, and Bewick’s wren) dispersed adaptively in changing landscapes. Site fidelity ranged from 0% (Pacific wren in changing landscape) to 83% (Bewick’s wren in forest reserve). Mate fidelity ranged from 25% (dark-eyed junco) to 100% (Bewick’s wren). Variation in fidelity to mate and territory was consistent with theories positing an influence of territory quality, asynchronous return from migration, prior productivity, and reproductive benefits of retaining a familiar territory. Costly breeding dispersal, as well as reduced reproductive success and lowered survival cause some birds to decline in the face of urbanization. In contrast, the ability of species that utilize edges and early successional habitats to breed successfully, disperse to improve reproductive success after failure, and survive throughout the urban ecosystem enables them to maintain or increase population size.
EXPOSURE TO PARTICULATE MATTER IN WORLD TRADE CENTER LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO CARDIOVASCULAR RISK

Background: Exposure to particulate matter (PM) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Different mechanisms, including inflammatory processes, are responsible for acute and chronic toxic effects. First responders during the World Trade Center (WTC) tragedy were exposed to PM leading to
The Random Ray Method for neutral particle transport

Abstract A new approach to solving partial differential equations (PDEs) based on the method of characteristics (MOC) is presented. The Random Ray Method (TRRM) uses a stochastic rather than deterministic discretization of characteristic tracks to integrate the phase space of a problem. TRRM is potentially applicable in a number of transport simulation fields where long characteristic methods are used, such as neutron transport and gamma ray transport in reactor physics as well as radiative transfer in astrophysics. In this study, TRRM is developed and then tested on a series of exemplar reactor physics benchmark problems. The results show extreme improvements in memory efficiency compared to deterministic MOC methods, while also reducing algorithmic complexity, allowing for a sparser computational grid to be used while maintaining accuracy.
Temporal characterization of β cell-adaptive and -maladaptive mechanisms during chronic high-fat feeding in C57BL/6NTac mice

The onset of type 2 diabetes is characterized by transition from successful to failed insulin secretory compensation to obesity-related insulin resistance and dysmetabolism. Energy-rich diets in rodents are commonly studied models of compensatory increases in both insulin secretion and β cell mass. However, the mechanisms of these adaptive responses are incompletely understood, and it is also unclear why these responses eventually fail. We measured the temporal trends of glucose homeostasis, insulin secretion, β cell morphometry, and islet gene expression in C57BL/6NTac mice fed a 60% high-fat diet (HFD) or control diet for up to 16 weeks. A 2-fold increased hyperinsulinemia was maintained for the first 4 weeks of HFD feeding and then further increased through 16 weeks. β cell mass increased progressively starting at 4 weeks, principally through nonproliferative growth. Insulin sensitivity was not significantly perturbed until 11 weeks of HFD feeding. Over the first 8 weeks, we observed two distinct waves of increased expression of β cell functional and prodifferentiation genes. This was followed by activation of the unfolded protein response at 8 weeks and overt β cell endoplasmic reticulum stress at 12-16 weeks. In summary, β cell adaptation to an HFD in C57BL/6NTac mice entails early insulin hypersecretion and a robust growth phase along with hyperexpression of related genes that begin well before the onset of observed insulin resistance. However, continued HFD exposure results in cessation of gene hyperexpression, β cell functional failure, and endoplasmic reticulum stress. These data point to a complex but not sustainable integration of β cell-adaptive responses to nutrient overabundance, obesity development, and insulin resistance.
Electrospun nanofibrous mercury filter: Efficient concentration and determination of trace mercury in water with high sensitivity and tunable dynamic range.

Abstract Herein, we reported a simple and highly sensitive method for the concentration and determination of trace mercury in water samples based on a novel electropsun nanofibrous mercury filter (ENMF). The method consisted of two simple steps: first, the concentration of mercury on a piece of thiol-containing ENMF; and second, the determination of mercury captured on the ENMF using a direct mercury analyzer (DMA). By changing the volume of water sample, the dynamic range of the method could extend from 0.0025 to 6.0 ng/mL with the lowest limit of detection (LOD) of 2.5 pg/mL (2.5 ppt, 12.5 pM). The proposed method exhibited good precision with the relative standard deviations (RSDs, n = 11) of 9.4%, 5.5%, and 3.7% at the concentrations of 0.01, 0.1 and 1.0 ng/mL, respectively, as well as satisfying accuracy for the analysis of certified reference materials (GSB 07-3173-2014 202033 and GBW 08603). The proposed method showed good agreement with the Chinese AFS standard method (GB/T 5750.6) in the measurement of three different real water samples, with the relative errors of −6.2–2.6% and standard addition recoveries of 90.6–108.2%. This strategy provided a simple and efficient approach to the highly sensitive determination of trace mercury in water, and extended the application of electrospun nanofibrous membranes for environmental pollutant analysis.
Maintenance and Generalization of Preschool Teachers’ Use of Behavior-Specific Praise Following In Situ Training

Preschool children experience a variety of risk factors that could result in the development of more severe mental and behavioral health issues later in life. Simple, teacher-delivered interventions, such as behavior-specific praise, are effective for altering at-risk preschool children’s behavioral trajectory. However, preschool teachers are often not well-trained in the implementation of evidence-based classroom management strategies. The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of a school-based consultation modality, in situ training, for increasing and maintaining four Head Start teachers’ use of behavior-specific praise. Of particular interest was whether Head Start teachers generalized their use of behavior-specific praise to settings in which in situ training did not occur. Results indicated that all four Head Start teachers increased and maintain their use of behavior-specific praise and generalized their use of praise to settings in which in situ training did not occur. Furthermore, concomitant improvements in the Head Start teachers’ children were observed. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.
SimEvo: Testing Evolving Multi-process Software Systems

Regression testing is used to perform re-validation of evolving software. However, most existing techniques for regression testing focus exclusively on single-process applications, but to date, no work has considered regression testing for software involving multiple processes or event handlers (e.g., software signals) at the system-level. The unique characteristics of concurrency control mechanism employed at the system-level can affect the static and dynamic analysis techniques on which existing regression testing approaches rely. Therefore, applying these approaches can result in inadequately tested software during maintenance, and ultimately impair software quality. In this paper, we propose SimEvo, the first regression testing techniques for multi-process applications. SimEvo employs novel impact analysis techniques to identify system-level concurrent events that are affected by the changes. It then reuses existing test cases, as well as generating new test cases, focused on the set of impacted events, to effectively and efficiently explore the newly updated concurrent behaviors. Our empirical study on a set of real-world Linux applications shows that SimEvo is more cost-effective in achieving high inter-process coverage and revealing real world system-level concurrency faults than other approaches.
Murexiella perculta, sp. nov. (Gastropoda:Muricidae), from the Miocene of Victoria

Murexiella perculta, sp. nov., from the middle Miocene of Victoria, is the first recorded occurrence of the genus Murexiella s.s. in the fossil record of Australia. Comparison is made with the Plio...
Using human stem cells as a model system to understand the neural mechanisms of alcohol use disorders: Current status and outlook

Alcohol use disorders (AUDs), which include alcohol abuse and dependence, are among the most common types of neuropsychiatric disorders in the United States (U.S.). Approximately 14% of the U.S. population is affected in a single year, thus placing a tremendous burden on individuals from all socioeconomic backgrounds. Animal models have been pivotal in revealing the basic mechanisms of how alcohol impacts neuronal function, yet there are currently limited effective therapies developed based on these studies. This is mainly due to a limited understanding of the exact cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying AUDs in humans, which leads to a lack of targeted therapeutics. Furthermore, compounding factors including genetic background, gene copy number variants, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) as well as environmental and social factors that affect and promote the development of AUDs are complex and heterogeneous. Recent developments in stem cell biology, especially the human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell development and differentiation technologies, has provided us a unique opportunity to model neuropsychiatric disorders like AUDs in a manner that is highly complementary to animal studies, but that maintains fidelity with complex human genetic contexts. Patient-specific neuronal cells derived from iPS cells can then be used for drug discovery and precision medicine, e.g. for pathway-directed development in alcoholism. Here, we review recent work employing iPS cell technology to model and elucidate the genetic, molecular and cellular mechanisms of AUDs in a human neuronal background and provide our perspective on future development in this direction.
Catalyst to Connection: When Technical Difficulties Lead to Social Support for Older Adults

Information and communication technology (ICT) use can mitigate the negative impact of various age-related threats, such as isolation and loneliness, by facilitating connection with social ties and...
Cost-effectiveness of Treating Severe Childhood Caries under General Anesthesia versus Conscious Sedation.

Background:Two common methods of treating pediatric dental patients with severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) are general anesthesia (GA) and conscious sedation (CS). We sought to first evaluate t...
Perioperative Care of the Urology Patient

In this chapter, we present three topics related to the care of the urology patient. In the first section, we describe the postoperative care of the complex urology patient. We subsequently discuss the care of the patient with neurogenic bladder and then provide a review of catheter-associated urinary tract infections, an essential consideration in the care of any patient requiring urinary catheterization.
Differences in the Radius of Curvature Between Femoral Condyles: Implications for Osteochondral Allograft Matching

BACKGROUND The radius of curvature (ROC) is an important variable related to potential cartilage incongruities in the transplantation of a large femoral osteochondral allograft. The anterior-posterior length (APL) of a condyle is used as a criterion for donor-graft acceptance. We hypothesized that there would be a linear correlation between the ROC and APL of a condyle, that the ROC and APL would differ significantly between the medial femoral condyle (MFC) and the lateral femoral condyle (LFC), and that a donor graft from the LFC would be suitable for an MFC defect. METHODS Knee magnetic resonance imaging scans of 147 patients with no cartilage defects were analyzed. Best-fit circles in the sagittal plane were determined at standardized locations on each condyle. Assuming the use of a 20-mm graft that was flush to the edges of the native cartilage, the central graft prominence was calculated for potential donor-host differences in the ROC. RESULTS There was a linear correlation between the ROC and APL. There were significant differences in the mean ROC and APL between the MFC and LFC. Based on calculations of the central graft prominence among all ROC combinations within the patient group, 100% of potential medial-to-medial, 97.8% of lateral-to-lateral, and 92.5% of lateral-to-medial transplantations would produce a central graft prominence of <1 mm. On average, an allograft harvested from an LFC (mean ROC, 25.7 mm; mean APL, 69.8 mm) implanted into an MFC defect site (mean ROC, 31.9 mm; mean APL, 66.6 mm) would have a central graft prominence of 0.4 ± 0.3 mm. CONCLUSIONS Assuming a maximum central graft prominence tolerance of +1 mm, our findings demonstrate that matching the ROC or APL would not be necessary for potential medial-to-medial or lateral-to-lateral allograft transplants within this patient group. Implantation of an LFC donor allograft into an MFC defect is also supported by our findings.
The Performance Measurement Trap

This paper investigates the effect of performance measurement on the optimal effort allocation by salespeople when firms are concerned about retention of salespeople with higher abilities. It shows that introducing a salesperson performance measurement may result in productivity, profit, and welfare losses when all market participants optimally respond to the expected information provided by the measurement and the (ex post) optimal retention efforts of the firm cannot be (ex ante) contractually prohibited. In other words, the dynamic inconsistency of the management problems of inducing the desired effort allocation by the salespeople and the subsequent firm objective to retain high-ability salespeople may result in performance measurement yielding an inferior outcome.
Low temperature synthesis of nanocrystalline V 2 O 5 using the non-hydrolytic sol–gel method

Vanadium oxide was synthesized using the non-hydrolytic sol-gel method. Reactions with two different vanadium precursors, VCl3 and VOCl3, were investigated at room temperature. All raw and heat-treated samples were characterized by powder x-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy coupled with scanning electron microscopy, and thermal analysis. For the VCl3 precursor, crystalline V2O5 was formed following heat treatments between 200 and 250 °C. Broad diffraction features, indicative of nanocrystalline material, were observed in dried samples for VOCl3, while heat treatment to 250 °C produced well-crystallized V2O5. Interesting porous morphologies with large crystallographic coherence lengths were observed for the heat-treated samples.
The aftermath of the John Narborough Expedition (1669–1671) in the Viceroyalty of Peru

Though supported by the English Crown and captained by one of England’s most celebrated seamen of the day, the expedition that John Narborough led to Chile in the years 1669–1671 passes unnoticed i...
Modern Panama: From Occupation to Crossroads of the Americas

Few have a complete understanding of the recent history of Panama, markedly since the signing of the Carter–Torrijos Treaties in 1977. Although the Treaty set the stage for the country to finally control all of its territory, little is known about how Panama has fared, both as a manager of a major waterway and as a sovereign nation in a unique region. Authors Michael L. Conniff and Gene E. Bigler seek to fill this major gap in Latin American history with Modern Panama, a thorough account of the recent political and economic developments in Panama. Despite the country's continued struggle with political corruption, Conniff and Bigler argue that changes since the turnover of the Canal have been largely positive, and Panama has emerged into the twenty-first century as a stable, functioning democracy with a growing economy, improved canal management, and a higher standard of living.
A wireless miniScope for deep brain imaging in freely moving mice.

Abstract Background The increasing interest in the study of neuronal activities at the microcircuit level is motivating neuroscientists and engineers to push the limits in developing miniature in vivo imaging systems. This inter-disciplinary effort led to an increasingly widespread use of wearable miniature microscopes, constantly improving in size, cost, spatial and temporal resolutions, and signal to noise ratio. New method Here we developed a miniature wireless fluorescence microscope (miniScope) that allows recording of brain neural activities at single cell resolution. The wireless miniScope has onboard field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and Micro SD Card storage, and is powered by a battery backpack. Results Using this wireless miniScope, we simultaneously recorded activities from hundreds of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the dorsal striatum of two freely moving mice interacting with each other in an open field, with excellent spatial and temporal resolutions. Comparison with existing methods Existing miniaturized microscope systems have connecting cables between the microscope sensor and the data acquisition system, consequently limiting the recording to one animal at a time. The wireless miniScope allows simultaneous recording of multiple mice in a group, and could also be applied to freely behaving small primates in the future. Conclusion The wireless miniScope expands the realm of possible behavioral experiments, both by minimizing the repercussions of the cable from the imaging device on the rodent’s behavior and by enabling simultaneous in vivo imaging from multiple animals.
Cognitive Sequelae of Sepsis

Infectious disease is caused by a variety of pathogens including bacteria, viruses, and fungi which are associated with peripheral and neural inflammation. Recent investigations show that systemic inflammation can lead to brain injury. This chapter will focus on sepsis, a systemic illness which causes systemic inflammation and multi-organ dysfunction. The central nervous system is also affected as sepsis can lead to encephalopathy, neuromuscular dysfunction, abnormalities on neuroimaging, and cognitive impairments. Survivors of sepsis develop new morbidities including cognitive impairments and psychological disorders (depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder). This chapter will describe the cognitive impairments in survivors of sepsis, mechanism of injury including the role of inflammation, and treatment for cognitive impairments.
Hybrid 3D analytical linear energy transfer calculation algorithm based on precalculated data from Monte Carlo simulations

Purpose The dose-averaged linear energy transfer (LETd ) for intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) calculated by one-dimensional (1D) analytical models deviates from more accurate but time-consuming Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. We developed a fast hybrid three-dimensional (3D) analytical LETd calculation that is more accurate than 1D analytical model. Methods We used the Geant4 MC code to generate 3D LETd distributions of monoenergetic proton beams in water for all energies and used a customized error function to fit the LETd lateral profiles at various depths to the MC simulation. The 3D LETd calculation kernel was a lookup table of these fitted coefficients, and LETd was determined directly from spot energies and voxel coordinates during analytical dose calculations. We validated our new method by comparing the calculated LETd distributions to MC results using 3D Gamma index analysis with 3%/2 mm criteria in 12 patient geometries. The significance of the improvement in Gamma index analysis passing rates over the 1D analytical model was determined using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Results The passing rate of 3D Gamma analysis comparing LETd distributions from the hybrid 3D method and the 1D method to MC simulations was significantly improved from 94.0% ± 2.5% to 98.0% ± 1.0% (P = 0.0003). The typical time to calculate dose and LETd simultaneously using an Intel Xeon E5-2680 2.50 GHz workstation was approximately 2.5 min. Conclusions Our new method significantly improved the LETd calculation accuracy compared to the 1D method while maintaining significantly shorter calculation time even comparing with the GPU-based fast MC code.
Affiliated disaster volunteers

Abstract In this chapter, readers learn why it would be best to volunteer through an experienced disaster organization. Reasons include the set of resources and decades of disaster experience that provides critical support to accomplish a volunteer mission. A number of organizations through which volunteers could join are then discussed followed by a consideration of the types of volunteer help that would be needed in a disaster.
The Debt Collection Pandemic

As of May 2020, the United States' reaction to the unique and alarming threat of COVID-19 has partially succeeded in slowing the virusâ€™s spread Saving peopleâ€™s
Intersite reliability of vertebral bone marrow lipidomics-derived lipid composition among children with varying degrees of bone fragility undergoing routine orthopedic surgery.

Abstract Background Lipidomics, a branch of metabolomics, is an attractive technique to characterize bone marrow lipid composition, which may be associated with skeletal acquisition and homeostasis. However, the reliability of lipidomics-derived lipid composition of the bone marrow is unknown, especially for pediatric populations with bone fragility. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the intersite reliability and standard error of measurement (SEM) of vertebral bone marrow lipid composition at the thoracic (T11/T12) and lumbar (L1/L2) spine determined by targeted lipidomics among children with varying degrees of bone fragility undergoing routine orthopedic surgery. Methods Children aged between 12 and 19 years of age, with a confirmed diagnosis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis or neuromuscular scoliosis and cerebral palsy, and undergoing routine posterior spinal fusion surgery at our institution were initially included in this study. Transpedicular vertebral body bone marrow samples were taken from thoracic (T) or lumbar (L) vertebrae. Further inclusion criteria involved having bone marrow extracted from both T11 and T12 (n = 24) or L1 and L2 (n = 19). Lipid composition was measured using a targeted lipidomics technique and examined as the saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated index and as individual fatty acids. Relative and absolute test-retest reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and SEM. Results For the T11/T12 analysis: the ICC and SEM were 0.59 and 1.7% for the saturated index, 0.31 and 6.2% for the monounsaturated index, and 0.44 and 6.1% for the polyunsaturated index; the ICC showed a considerable range for individual fatty acids from 0.07 (fatty acid 20:2) to 0.82 (15:0) with 62.1% of the fatty acids having poor reliability (i.e., ICC Conclusions The intersite test-retest reliability was poor-to-moderate for index measures and generally poor for individual fatty acids for the thoracic and lumbar spine. At this time, it is not recommended to pool bone marrow adipose tissue across vertebral sites for bone marrow adiposity research or clinical monitoring for pediatric populations with bone fragility.
Effects of Bromocriptine in Peripartum Cardiomyopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare but potentially life-threatening form of heart failure affecting women toward the end trimester of pregnancy, during delivery, or early postpartum period. Bromocriptine, a dopamine D2 agonist, has been used as an adjunctive treatment for PPCM with controversial benefits. Methods : A comprehensive literature search was conducted through April 2020 using MEDLINE, EMBASE and Scopus. We included studies comparing outcomes of PPCM with or without bromocriptine use. Pooled risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and I2 statistic were calculated using the random-effects model. Complete recovery was defined by improvement of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) to more than 50%. Poor outcomes were defined by a composite of death, need for heart transplant or left ventricular assist device, persistent New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III/V or LVEF ≤ 35% at 6-month follow-up. Results We included 8 studies (2 randomized-controlled, 6 observational) involving 593 PPCM patients: 263 (44%) received bromocriptine. Baseline LVEF was not significantly different between 2 groups: 29.5% in bromocriptine group and 31.8% in control group. LVEF increased in both groups but LVEF at follow-up was significantly higher in the bromocriptine group: 53.3% vs. 41.8% with mean difference of 11.9% (95%CI 5.5-18.4, p Conclusions Our meta-analysis suggests that addition of bromocriptine to standard HF treatment in PPCM population was associated with significantly higher LVEF improvement and higher survival. No association with complete recovery (LVEF >50%) or lower composite adverse clinical outcomes (death, need for heart transplant or left ventricular assist device, persistent NYHA functional class III/V or LVEF ≤ 35%) was seen. The findings, although encouraging, should be studied in larger randomized-controlled studies.
A Bayesian Measurement of Political Connection and Entrepreneur Preference on Trade and Competition

This article investigates how political connection shapes firm owner preference on economic openness and international competition in China, a topic that is getting increasingly relevant today amid...
Performance in major league baseball pitchers after surgical treatment of thoracic outlet syndrome.

Introduction: Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) can be a career-threatening injury for Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers, often requiring surgical management. The purpose of this study is to determ...
“My Body Doesn’t Hinder Me, So I’m Satisfied”: Enacting Japanese Lives through Lingual Life Histories

Drawing on narratives collected from two married individuals, I examine how a Japanese woman (Kikue) and her husband (Tōru) recast their life histories from two perspectives: changes in eating patt...
Superficial fibromatosis: MRI radiomics and T2 mapping correlate with treatment response.

Abstract Background Superficial fibromatosis exhibits variable MR signal intensity due to collagenous and fibroproliferative components. Quantifying this signal heterogeneity using image texture analysis and T2-mapping could have prognostic and therapeutic implications. Methods This IRB-approved retrospective study included 13 patients with superficial fibromatosis, managed by observation, electron beam radiotherapy (EBT), or pentoxifylline/vitamin E. Two-dimensional regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn on proton-density or T2-weighted MRI for radiomics feature analysis, and corresponding T2-maps. Comparisons were made between baseline and follow-up T2 relaxation times and radiomics features: Shannon's entropy, kurtosis, skewness, mean of positive pixels (MPP), and uniformity of distribution of positive gray-level pixel values (UPP). Results There were 19 nodules in 13 subjects. Mean patient age was 60 years; 62% (8/13) were female; mean follow-up was 9.7 months. Nodule diameter at baseline averaged 18.2 mm (std dev 16.2 mm) and decreased almost 10% to 16.6 mm (p = 0.1, paired t-test). Normalized T2 signal intensity decreased 23% from 0.71 to 0.55 (p = 0.03, paired t-test). T2 relaxation time decreased 16% from 46.5 to 39.1 ms (p Conclusions Radiomics analysis and T2-mapping of superficial fibromatosis is feasible; robust decreases in absolute T2 relaxation time, and changes in image textural features (increased skewness and decreased entropy) offer novel imaging biomarkers of nodule collagenization and maturation.
Development of bioactive solid support for immobilized Lactobacillus casei biofilms and the production of lactic acid

Polypropylene was modified to contain chitosan and evaluate its ability to generate Lactobacillus casei biofilms and their lactic acid production. Biofilm formation was carried out in either rich or minimal media. The chitosan-modified polypropylene harbored ~ 37% more cells than the control polypropylene. The biofilms from the chitosan-modified polypropylene grown in rich medium produced ~ 2 times more lactic acid after 72 h of incubation than the control suspended cells. There was no significant difference in the production of lactic acid after 72 h by L. casei biofilms on the chitosan-modified polypropylene grown in minimal media as compared with cells in suspension after 48 h and 72 h of incubation. Infrared spectroscopy confirmed higher deposition of nutrients and biomass on the chitosan-modified polypropylene as compared to the chitosan-free polypropylene. Electron and atomic force microscopy confirmed thicker biofilms when rich media were used to grow them as compared to minimal medium.
A Simplified Time-Domain Gain Model for CLLC Resonant Converter

The CLLC resonant converter is a popular bidirectional isolated dc-dc converter topology due to its ideal sinusoidal ac current through the high-frequency transformer, soft switching at a full range of loads, smaller circulation current. Since the accuracy of the gain model has a direct impact on the converter parameters design, this paper first proposed a simplified time-domain gain model for the CLLC resonant converter based on the superposition principle and the energy conservation law. Compared with the fundamental harmonic approximation (FHA) method, this gain model has higher accuracy and can be adopted with both resistance and battery load. And then, the boundary conditions between different operation modes in CLLC converter have been analyzed. Finally, the proposed time-domain gain model was verified by the simulated and experimental results of a 15 kW prototype.
Population genetic structure of a specialist leafhopper on Zea: likely anthropogenic and ecological determinants of gene flow

Corn leafhopper, Dalbulus maidis DeLong & Wolcott (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), is a specialist herbivore on the genus Zea (Poaceae). The genera Dalbulus and Zea evolved in central Mexico. We sought to determine whether population genetic structuring is prevalent in corn leafhoppers inhabiting three of its host plants: (1) the highland species perennial teosinte (Zeadiploperennis Iltis, Doebley & Guzman), (2) the mid- to lowland-species Balsas teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis Iltis & Doebley), and (3) the ubiquitous domesticated maize (Zeamays ssp.mays L.). We used amplified fragment length polymorphisms to detect population structuring and genetic differentiation among corn leafhoppers on the three host plants in western-central and -northern Mexico. Our results showed that corn leafhopper in Mexico is composed of at least two genetically discrete populations: an ‘Itinerant’ population associated with the annual hosts maize and Balsas teosinte, which appears to be widely distributed in Mexico, and a ‘Las Joyas’ population restricted to perennial teosinte and confined to a
Simulation of Fusion First-Wall Environment in a Fission Reactor

A novel concept to produce a realistic simulation of a fusion first-wall test environment has been proposed recently. This concept takes advantage of the (/eta/, ..cap alpha..) reaction in /sup 59/Ni to produce a high internal helium content in the metal while using the /sup 3/He (/eta/, /rho/)T reaction in the gas surrounding the specimen to produce an external heat and particle flux. Models to calculate heat flux, erosion rate, implantation, and damage rate to the walls of the test module are presented. Preliminary results show that a number of important fusion technology issues could be tested experimentally in a fission reactor such as the Engineering Test Reactor.
Intracoronal radiolucencies within unerupted teeth: Case report and review of literature

A panoramic radiograph obtained during orthodontic treatment revealed an intracoronal radiolucency within an unerupted permanent second molar. This unusual entity was successfully treated by surgical and endodontic intervention, followed by restorative and orthodontic treatment. These treatments enabled the tooth to maintain pulpal vitality, erupt, complete root formation, and function. This report will review the proposed etiologies for this condition, discuss the need for surgical intervention, and present the details of the case.
Combined Fluorescent-Antibody and Electron Microscopy Study of Marek's Disease Virus-Infected Cell Culture

Duck embryo fibroblast (DEF) and chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF) cultures infected with Marek's disease virus were studied by combined fluorescent antibody and electron microscopy techniques. In both DEF and CEF cultures, cells containing immunofluorescent (IF) antigen also contained herpesvirus particles; conversely, cells lacking this antigen lacked herpesvirus particles. Two morphologically distinct IF antigens were detected in the cytoplasm. (i) A granular antigen in the perinuclear region was brightly stained with the conjugated antibody. This antigen was composed of a granular mass of osmiophilic material and did not contain virions. (ii) A diffuse antigen, present throughout the cytoplasm of infected cells, was less brightly stained. The area of the cell with the highest concentration of this antigen contained small vesicles, folded membranes, and fine electron-dense granules. Naked virions were occasionally seen in these areas. A diffuse nuclear IF antigen was occasionally seen in infected cells. This antigen was often separated from the nuclear membrane and the nucleolus by a clear margin. The intranuclear IF antigen was composed of a fine granular aggregate and naked herpesvirus particles which were randomly distributed throughout the nucleus. Viral capsids in antibody-treated cells were coated with fine filamentous material.
Isolation of acid-nonextractable flavins from a bacterial sarcosine oxidase.

Summary An acid-nonextractable flavin has been isolated from a sarcosine oxidase of a strain of Pseudomonas capable of growing on sarcosine as its sole source of C and N. When purified by successive chromatography on Florisil, Dowex 1, CM-Sephadex and DEAE-Sephadex, the flavin exhibits the acid-lability of a dinucleotide and is spectrally similar to the acid-nonextractable flavin of the mammalian sarcosine and succinate dehydrogenases. The Em of the purified flavin is −160 mv at pH 7.10.
Computer simulated metabolism: A student-interactive program

78. Bits and pieces, 32. The software program described here simulates glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation.
Genesis of streamlined landforms and flow history of the Green Bay Lobe, Wisconsin, USA

Abstract The distribution of streamlined landforms in southeastern Wisconsin suggests that drumlins and flutes formed during several phases of the Green Bay Lobe between 18 and 14,000 BP. The largest group of drumlins formed during a still-stand of the ice margin during the Johnstown phase, presumably about 18–16,000 BP Flutes and smaller drumlins are superimposed on larger forms, and larger drumlins are remolded. This indicates that drumlin modification continued during retreat. Three fields containing smaller drumlins formed after ice re-advanced a short distance or stabilized during the Green Lake, Rush Lake, and St. Anna phases about 16–14,000 BP The drumlin-forming process included erosion and deformation of pre-existing ice-marginal and proglacial sediments. Drumlins associated with the Johnstown phase show an increase in length up glacier. This is probably the result of variations in flow velocity, length of time of drumlin formation, and sediment availability. Flutes and small drumlins are associated with retreat moraines and formed near a thin, retreating ice margin. Ice surface profile reconstructions suggest that margins were relatively steep during the Johnstown, Milton, Green Lake, and early Rush Lake phases. During the Lake Mills and late Rush Lake phases, when flutes were forming, the ice surface slopes were lower and margins were retreating. During retreat minor sublobes developed, some perhaps resulting from surges into small proglacial lake basins. Thus, steep ice margins and driving stresses on the order of 15–25 kPa were typical during drumlin formation. The formation of flutes, and the remolding of larger drumlins into smaller forms, took place beneath gently sloping ice of retreating margins associated with lower driving stresses (
Two-electron wavefunctions.: Fourteenth-order expectation values

Abstract Variational perturbation theory is used to calculate a 14-order ground-state wavefunction for two electrons moving about a nucleus of charge Z . Fractional exponents are used to approximate the logarithmic terms in the exact wavefunction. Perturbation expansion coefficients for 15 operators are then calculated. Estimates of the accuracy of the calculation are obtained by comparison with exactly known first-order expectation values and with expectation values recovered from the perturbation energies of Baker, Freund, Hill and Morgan (Phys. Rev. A 41 (1990) 1247).
Learning binary matroid ports

Given a binary matroid M specified by a port oracle, we can in polynomial number of calls to the oracle construct a binary representation for M. For general matroids, we can in polynomial number of calls to a port oracle determine whether a given subset is independent (that is, we can simulate an independence oracle with a port oracle). The work is related to a theorem of Lehman on matroid ports, and is motivated by issues in computational learning theory.
A note on the use of identification Jacobians for robot calibration

Two issues related to robot calibration are addressed in this communication. The first issue is how many position-dependent error parameters should be used in modeling a robot manipu lator. The second issue is how to select a proper identification Jacobian when only position measurements of the robot end effector are available. Conclusions are made regarding these issues after short discussions.
Mitigating bandwidth-exhaustion attacks using congestion puzzles

We present congestion puzzles (CP), a new countermeasure to bandwidth-exhaustion attacks. Like other defenses based on client puzzles, CP attempts to force attackers to invest vast resources in order to effectively perform denial-of-service attacks. Unlike previous puzzle-based approaches, however, ours is the first designed for the bandwidth-exhaustion attacks that are common at the network (IP) layer. At the core of CP is an elegant distributed puzzle mechanism that permits routers to cooperatively impose and check puzzles. We demonstrate through analysis and simulation that CP can effectively defend networks from flooding attacks without relying on the formulation of attack signatures to filter traffic. Moreover, as many such attacks are conducted by "zombie" computers that have been silently commandeered without the knowledge of their owners, the overheads that CP imposes on heavily engaged zombies can increase the likelihood that the computer's owner detects the compromise and takes action to remedy it.
Combination therapy of intravenous glycoprotein IIB/IIIA inhibitors and tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke.

Objectives: Retrospective pooled analysis of data from published prospective studies and randomized phase 1 and 2 trials was done to assess efficacy and safety profile of intravenous combination therapy [glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors and IV tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)] in management of acute ischemic stroke. Materials and Methods: We searched Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE databases; two reviewers independently selected studies reporting safety endpoints and outcome measures in acute ischemic stroke patients treated with combination therapy. tPA arm of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) tPA trial was included in tPA-only group. Weighted means and proportions were calculated for numeric and categorical variables respectively. Bivariate analysis using Fisher's exact test was done to compare baseline descriptors, safety endpoints, and outcome measures. Results: Combination therapy arm included 188 patients and IV tPA arm had 218 patients. Mean National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) in two groups were 12.8 and 14.6, respectively. Mean time-to-treatment was 2.3 hours in combination therapy arm and 2.55 hours in tPA arm. Treatment with combination therapy was associated with significant reduction in rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) [odds ratio (OR) 0.26, 95% cumulative incidence (CI) 0.07 0.83, P value 0.01). Difference in better functional outcome at 90 days (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.59-1.30, P value 0.54) and death at 90 days (OR 1.16, 95% CI 0.69-1.93, P value 0.60) were not significantly different in two groups. Conclusion: Combination of low dose IV TPA with glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors is associated with reduction in sICH rates in patients with acute ischemic stroke as compared to standard dose of IV tPA.
ZnO/Ag Multilayer Stacks for Induced Transmission Filters

ZnO and Ag thin films were deposited using pulsed laser deposition and magnetron sputtering, respectively. Aperiodic ZnO/Ag multilayer stacks exhibited high transmittance in the visible range while blocking UV and IR radition.
Induction as optimization

A representative (but unimodal) problem, the fifteen puzzle, is used to test six different learning systems: some that fit, count, or partition data in instance space; some that optimize measures derived from data in hypothesis space; and some that perform combinations of such procedures. The six systems are described, tested, and analyzed. Through several experiments, specific properties are extracted. By combining two or three kinds of techniques, the extent to which they complement each other is gauged. It is concluded that combinations of strengths can overcome difficulties in domains that are simultaneously probabilistic, dynamic, noisy, and biased. >
Study of Blood Flow in Micro-Channels Using Mixture Theory

It is known that in large vessels (whole) blood behaves as a Navier-Stokes (Newtonian) fluid; however, in a vessel whose characteristic dimension (e.g., a diameter in the range of 20 to 500 microns) is about the same size as the characteristic size of the blood cells, blood behaves as a non-Newtonian fluid, exhibiting complex phenomena, such as shear-thinning, stress relaxation, the Fahraeus effect, the plasma-skimming, etc.. Using the framework of mixture theory an Eulerian-Eulerian two phase model is applied to model blood flow, where the plasma is treated as Newtonian fluid and the RBCs are treated as shear thinning fluid.[5]Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Commentary on “The Gladiator Sparrow: Ethical issues in behavioral research on captive populations of wild animals”

One of the key scientific and ethical arguments for the use of animal models in biomedical research is their usefulness in simulating physiological or pathophysiological processes in humans and/or other animal species. Ethological studies investigate the development, usefulness and evolutionary significance of behavioral patterns using observational rather than experimental approaches. In this respect they differ from classic behavioral experiments because, in a strict sense, the studied species cannot serve as models or surrogates for other species. Consequently, research outcomes from behavioral observations of the Gladiator Sparrow would not be used to draw conclusions for similar behavior observed in other animals, even if those belong in the same taxonomy group. Although behaviors of other species are often held as examples of natural behavior and predictive behavioral models are developed, these should not serve as substitutes for detailed studies of individual species. Although Clarisse’s initial experiments involve passive observation of the research subjects, the descriptive “environmental influences” suggests future manipulations in the form of induced environmental stimuli and/or stressors. Behavioral research with wildlife birds presents unique challenges. In addition, responsible scientific methodology mandates that, prior to initiating these experiments, adequate consideration must be given to the birds’ welfare and any distress, pain or suffering they may experience as a result of or during experiments. Issues that must be addressed include the following: 1. The designated experimental species should be the most appropriate to answer the question(s) asked. Extensive literature reviews in addition to expert advice are necessary to ensure the appropriateness of choice. The usefulness of in-depth literature analysis has been well documented. The standard Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) protocol submission has a three-fold purpose: first, it ensures that previously done experiments will not be unnecessarily repeated; second, it alerts the researcher to any special characteristics of the response variable to be studied; and third, it informs on the merit of alternative approaches to the use of animals in researching this particular response variable, as mandated by Russell and Burch’s 3 Rs approach (refine, reduce and replace). 1
The significance of the ultimobranchial body (postbranchial body, suprapericardial body): A comparative study of its occurrence in urodeles

The significance of the ultimobranchial body has been the object of a comparative study of the structure in twenty-four species of urodeles. In nineteen of these it has not hitherto been described. Caudal to the last branchial arch, it develops as a thickening and later as an outpushing from the ventral wall of the pharynx. Due to the growth mechanics of the region, it comes to lie obliquely to the pharynx, ventral to it, and dorsal or dorsolateral to the pericardial cavity in its anterior region. It persists throughout life as an epithelioid or epithelial structure, usually of irregular shape, frequently containing vesicles; in some cases it exhibits a considerable amount of secretory activity of variable quality. Except in Amphiuma and Necturus, where it is regularly paired, and in occasional instances in individuals of other species, where it occurs on both sides, it is usually present on the left side only. Its occurrence is constant in all of the species of urodeles for which it has been examined. It is variable in size, form, and position. This, together with the quite inconstant indication of secretory activity, marks it as a structure of little or no physiological significance. ‘Colloid’ is, however, present in some instances, and hence a comparison with the thyroid was considered.