cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alternative Electron Acceptors for Photosystem II

Photosystem II (PSII) is conserved in all oxygenic photosynthetic organisms and is important for its unique ability to use energy from light to split water, generate molecular oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere and drive electrons into the photosynthetic electron transport chain by reducing the plastoquinone (PQ) pool in the thylakoid membrane. The focus of this chapter is on alternative electron-transfer pathways on the acceptor side of PSII. Upon close examination of the literature there is evidence of exogenous electron acceptors that are reduced directly by the primary PQ electron acceptor (QA), bypassing the canonical terminal PQ-reduction (QB) site. These herbicide-insensitive electron-acceptor molecules include but are not limited to ferricyanide, synthetic cobalt coordination complexes, and cytochrome c. We also discuss experimental treatments to PSII such as cation exchange and herbicide treatment that have been shown to alter the redox midpoint potential (Em) of QA and impact electron transfer from QA to QB. The results described in this chapter provide a platform for understanding how electrons generated in PSII by photochemical water oxidation can be extracted from the electron-acceptor side of PSII for energy applications.
1.04 – Multiple Memory Systems: A New View

It is now clear that there are multiple systems engaged in acquiring and storing knowledge about an organism’s experiences in the world. I argue that it might be best to think about these as knowledge systems, rather than as memory systems. Various kinds of knowledge systems are discussed, including knowledge of what, where, when, who, how, and valence. Implications of the existence of multiple systems are discussed, including the fact that these various systems manifest different developmental trajectories and are differentially affected by such things as stress.
Existentialism, aliens and referentially unrestricted worlds

Existentialism claims that propositions that directly refer to individuals depend on those individuals for their existence. I argue for two points regarding Existentialism. First, I argue that recent accounts of Existentialism run into difficulties accommodating the possibility of there being a lonely alien electron. This problem is distinct from one of the better-known alien problems—concerning iterated modal properties of aliens—and can’t be solved using a standard response to the iterated case. Second, though the lonely alien electron problem might seem to be reason to reject the sort of Existentialist view at hand, there’s a plausible way to preserve the view: accept the existence of possible worlds that directly refer to individuals that don’t exist in those worlds. Such a solution might seem incompatible with Existentialism, but I show that Existentialists can avoid the incompatibility and should find the resulting view plausible.
Characterizing the Killer Colorectal Carcinomas.

In this issue of Cancer Cell, Yaeger et al. report mutations, copy number variations, and selected rearrangements from a large series of metastatic colorectal carcinomas and primaries that produced metastases. The results provide important insights into differences in anatomical site of origin, age at onset, etiologic factors, and therapeutic responses.
Cultural Sensitivity: What Should We Understand About Latinos?

The Latino population is increasing at a rate far surpassing the capacity needed to understand and respond to their mental health needs. In the next 20 years, Latinos will account for one in every three persons born in the USA. According to the Pew Hispanic Center one in every four newborns is Latino and by 2050, 82 % of US growth will be attributed to the Latino population. Latinos make up the fastest-growing population segment of the USA; estimated at 50.5 million in 2010, Latinos are projected to comprise 30 % of the total US population by 2050. This dramatic demographic shift raises questions about whether or not mental health systems will be able to address the needs of this rapidly growing and diverse Latino population.
Anticlinal Cambial Divisions

Sachs (1878) introduced the terms anticlinal and periclinal with reference to the division planes of cells in the shoot apex. The terms were later adopted for the division patterns in cells of the lateral meristems. Anticlinal division is the process by which new cell files are added to the cambial layer (Figs. 6.1, 6.2, 6.11, 6.49, 9.6B). These divisions are sometimes referred to as pseudotransverse and multiplicative, and in the older literature as radial. Radial as opposed to tangential cell division was one of the criteria Sanio (1873) used to identify cambial initial cells in Pinus sylvestris. According to Sanio, each time a cambial initial cell divided radially, a new file of initial cells was produced that in turn gave rise to a new file of wood and bast daughter cells. The initial cell could then be located retrospectively by the doubling of a cambial initial (Fig. 6.2A). Because doubling of the radial file occurred in both wood and bast, Sanio concluded that the radial division must have taken place in the initial cell. Mischke (1890) verified this fact in Picea abies as well as in P. sylvestris by agreeing that radial divisions were confined to cambial initial cells. Hartig (1855a, 1859a, 1878), however, held fast to his view of a biseriate cambium (Chap. 4.1.1). He believed that radial increase of the cambium occurred by “diagonal segmentation” of each member of the “Muterfasernpaare”, or mother-fiber pairs (Fig. 3.5), but tangential increase occurred by “radial segmentation” of the same mother fibers. According to this scheme, a continuous double file from wood to bast across the cambium would require simultaneous radial division of both members of the mother-fiber pair, a rather unlikely event.
The Feynman-Kac Connection

The basic, stripped-down, Feynman-Kac representation theorem tells us that for any pair of bounded functions q : ℝ → ℝ and f : and ℝ → ℝfor any bounded solution u(t, x) of the initial-value problem $$ ut(t,x) = \frac{1}{2}u_xx(t,x) + q(x)u(t,x)\;u(0,x) = f(x) $$ (15.1) we can represent u(t, x) by the Feynman-Kac Formula: $$ u(t,x) = E\left[ {f(x + {B_{t}})\exp \left( {\int_{0}^{t} {q(x + {B_{s}})ds} } \right)} \right] $$ (15.2) .
Organelle isolation by magnetic immunoabsorption.

Currently, most organelle isolation procedures rely on physical parameters and centrifugation for separation. Here, we report the rapid and gentle isolation of a variety of organelles by immunolabe...
Quantitative Evaluation of Optical Free Carrier Generation in Semiconducting Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes.

Gauging free carrier generation (FCG) in optically excited, charge-neutral single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) has important implications for SWNT-based optoelectronics that rely upon conversion of photons to electrical current. Earlier investigations have largely provided only qualitative insights into optically triggered SWNT FCG, due to the heterogeneous nature of commonly interrogated SWNT samples and the lack of direct, unambiguous spectroscopic signatures that could be used to quantify charges. Here, employing ultrafast pump–probe spectroscopy in conjunction with chirality-enriched, length-sorted, ionic-polymer-wrapped SWNTs, we develop a straightforward approach for quantitatively evaluating the extent of optically driven FCG in SWNTs. Owing to the previously identified trion transient absorptive hallmark (Tr+11 → Tr+nm) and the rapid nature of trion formation dynamics ( ns), we correlate FCG with trion formation dynamics. Experiment...
Hedging Recognized Foreign Currency Denominated Receivables or Payables

Entities frequently acquire foreign currency forward or option contracts to mitigate the exposure of recognized foreign currency-denominated receivables and payables. FASB Accounting Standards Codification 815 supports four designations for such contracts with respect to their corresponding foreign currency-denominated receivables or payables: 1) no hedge; 2) fair value hedge; 3) cash flow hedge with hedge effectiveness based on changes in spot rates; and, 4) cash flow hedge with hedge effectiveness based on changes in the contractsâ€™ total values. Accounting Standards Update No. 2017-12: Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities (FASB 2017) modified the reporting for the gains and losses on foreign currency forward and option contracts designated as hedges. Over sixty-six percent of firms disclosing foreign currency hedges designated foreign currency forward and option contracts as cash flow hedges. This contrasts with the fourteen percent coverage of cash flow hedges in advanced accounting textbooks We provide three examples to supplement current textbook coverage illustrating the accounting for recognized foreign currency receivables and payables and corresponding foreign currency forward and option contracts. We demonstrate the similarities and differences between the four allowable designations and highlight the changes in the reporting of gains and losses in Accounting Standards Update No. 2017-12.
Affective and Situational Precipitants of Smoking Lapses Among Adolescents.

Introduction Most adolescent smokers report a desire to quit, and many have made several unsuccessful quit attempts; however, when adolescents attempt to quit, they often resume smoking quickly. This ecological study aimed to (1) characterize affective and situational precipitants of smoking lapses among adolescents and (2) explore the moderating influence of nicotine dependence severity on lapse precipitants. Methods Adolescent daily smokers (n = 166; ages 14-18 years) completed electronic diaries of cigarettes smoked, craving and affective states, and situational variables on handheld computers in their natural environment for 2 weeks following an unassisted quit attempt. On average, adolescents were moderately nicotine dependent (Modified Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire [mFTQ] score = 4.9; SD = 1.6). Results Craving was a significant episodic cue for lapse and stable influence on lapse, relating to 44% and 15% increased odds of lapse, respectively. High-arousal affective states-regardless of valence-were associated with 12%-13% increased odds of lapse. Low-arousal positive affective states were associated with 17% decreased odds of lapse. A 1-unit difference in a teen's mFTQ score related to 27% increased odds of lapse, but dependence severity did not moderate proximal lapse influences. Conclusions This report provides some of the first ecological data characterizing adolescent smoking lapses following a quit attempt. As in prior work with teens, lapses were nearly universal and quickly followed the quit attempt. Specific situational and affective contexts of smoking lapses for adolescents were implicated, indicating the need for cessation interventions to address craving and high-arousal affective states as precipitators of lapse in this high-risk group. Implications This report provides some of the first ecological data characterizing smoking lapses among teens attempting to quit smoking on their own. Like adults, adolescents face many barriers when making quit attempts. The present work provides ecological data to suggest that the experience of heightened arousal in teens' daily lives interferes with their efforts to quit smoking. Thus, this work highlights the importance of affective dysregulation, or amplitude of emotional feelings, for teen smoking lapses. Moment-to-moment fluctuation in craving was also implicated as a dynamic precipitator of smoking lapse in this high-risk group.
Exploring Predictors of Moral Disengagement in Collegiate Athletic Trainers

Context Considering recent high-profile reports of malpractice and negligence by National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletic trainers (ATs), it is prudent to investigate the psychologi...
Probabilistic Power Flow Based on a Gaussian Process Emulator

In this letter, a novel Gaussian process emulator is proposed, for the first time, to conduct the probabilistic power-flow calculation. Based on Bayesian inference, a Gaussian process emulator is trained and served as a nonparametric, reduced-order model of the nonlinear power-flow model. This emulator allows us to evaluate the time-consuming power-flow solver at the sampled values with a negligible computational cost. The simulations reveal the excellent performance of this method.
Willing Assent and Forceful Jurisdiction in Bartolomé de Las Casas

Bartolome de Las Casas (1484-1566) is commonly known for his defense of Native Americans rights and rationality. For this, Las Casas is revered as a patron of anti-colonialism and human rights. This paper shows how his Defense of the Indians, rather than being chiefly concerned with distinguishing Indians from racially different barbarians and natural slaves—the standard anthropological interpretation of modern interpreters—is understood as distinguishing Indians from religiously different Moors, Turks, Saracens, and Jews. It explores the jurisprudential context of the crusades in Las Casas’s argument, and highlights the supreme importance of how a Christian’s right to “contentious jurisdiction” over territory is exercised. Final comments urge the distinction of Las Casas’s anthropological and territorial concerns, and encourage interreligious dialogue to better address the problem of territory.
Characterizing Emergency Department Use in Assisted Living.

Abstract Objectives Little is known about emergency department (ED) utilization among the nearly 1 million older adults residing in assisted living (AL) settings. Unlike federally regulated nursing homes, states create and enforce AL regulations with great variability, which may affect the quality of care provided. The objective of this study was to examine state variability in all-cause and injury-related ED use among residents in AL. Design Observational retrospective cohort study. Setting and Participants We identified a cohort of 293,336 traditional Medicare beneficiaries residing in larger AL communities (25+ beds). Methods With Medicare enrollment and claims data, we identified ED visits and classified those because of injury. We present rates of all-cause and injury-related ED use per 100 person-years in AL, by state, adjusting for age, sex, race, dual-eligibility, and chronic conditions. Results Risk-adjusted state rates of all-cause ED visits ranged from 100.9 visits/100 AL person-years [95% confidence interval (CI) 92.8, 109.9] in New Mexico to 162.3 visits/100 AL person-years (95% CI 154.0, 174.7) in Rhode Island. The risk-adjusted rate of injury-related ED visits ranged from 18.7 visits/100 AL person-years (95% CI 17.2, 20.3) in New Mexico to 35.7 visits/100 AL person-years (95% CI 34.7, 36.8) in North Carolina. Conclusions and Implications We observed significant variability among states in all-cause and injury-related ED use among AL residents. There is an urgent need to better understand why this variability is occurring to prevent avoidable visits to the ED.
Synthesis of sulfur-doped porous carbon from heavy coker gas oil and its application in CO2 capture

Elemental sulfur is used to cross-link heavy coker gas oil (HKGO) with only 0.44 wt% olefinic hydrogen content in the absence of solvent; subsequent pyrolysis yields sulfur-doped porous carbon with Brunauer–Emmett–Tell (BET) surface area (s.a.) around 1714–1785 m2 g−1. The heavy coker gas oil does not need demetallation or hydrotreating to enable this. The usual problems (residue metal and sulfur/nitrogen) in HKGO became an opportunity in product carbon to anchor CO2 resulting in high sorption capacity.
In Search of Civil Society: Disentangling Associational Practices and Civil Society Conceptions in Germany:

The historical case study of German associations during World War I highlights the limits of sociability in times of political polarization. At the war’s beginning, German elites supported politica...
Exposure to Media Images of Female Attractiveness and Concern with Body Weight Among Young Women

Despite the popular belief that the thin standard of female attractiveness currently presented in the media is a primary contributor to the high level of concern with body weight among women‚ experimental studies have not shown that exposure to media images increases women’s weight concern. Three experiments are reported demonstrating that exposure to media images does often result in in creased weight concern among women‚ but that body dissatisfaction‚ a stable personality characteristic‚ is a moderator of vulnerability to this effect. Although most women reported higher weight concern when exposed to media vs. neutral images‚ women with low initialbody dissatisfaction did not. In addition ‚ this research suggests that negative effects on weight concern may result from even passive exposure to media images‚ but that exposure to realistic attractiveness is less likely to cause increased weight concern. The ethnicity of the participants in these studies reflected that of the local population‚ with over 90% white. The nonwhite participants primarily belonged to one of the following groups; Asian‚ Pacific Islander‚ Latino.
Blockchain-Based Secure Collaboration Platform for Sharing and Accessing Scientific Research Data

Research teams or institutions in different countries need an effective and secure online platform for collaboration and data sharing. It is essential to build such a collaboration platform with strong data security and privacy. In this paper, we propose a platform for researchers to collaborate and share their data by leveraging attribute-based access control (ABAC) and blockchain technologies. ABAC provides an access control paradigm whereby access rights are granted to users through attribute-based policies, instead of user identities and roles. Hyperledger fabric permission blockchain is used to enable a decentralized secure data sharing environment and preserves user’s privacy. The proposed platform allows researchers to fully control their data, manage access to the data at a fine-grained level, keep file updates with proof of authorship, and ensure data integrity and privacy.
Cedar Fortran and other vector and parallel Fortran dialects

The development of vector and multiprocessor language constructs in Fortran is outlined. The significant architectures, their languages, and optimizers are described. A description is given of Cedar Fortran, the language for the Cedar multiprocessor, a hierarchical, shared-memory, vector multiprocessor currently under development.
Visión sobre evaluación en clase de iniciación a la didáctica de la ciencia en educadoras de párvulos en formación inicial

La investigacion realizada tiene por objetivo conocer la vision de Evaluacion de Competencias de Pensamiento Cientifico (CPC) en Educadoras en Formacion Inicial (EPAFI), por la importancia e implicancias que tiene conocer esta condicion que se vincula con el desarrollo de la formacion cientifica desde las primeras edades, condicion que es asumida como desconocida. Esta accion investigativa se focaliza en estudiantes que cursan la asignatura de “Didactica de la Iniciacion a las Ciencias de la Naturaleza”. Las futuras educadoras tuvieron la posibilidad de dialogar sobre su vision de evaluacion de (CPC) en las primeras edades, realizar Producciones Estudiantiles (PE), en las que contestaron dos preguntas sobre su comprension de evaluacion en ciencias y como implementarla en educacion parvularia. Se levantaron registros durante los anos 2016 y 2017, por lo que se trabajo con dos promociones de estudiantes (Grupo A y B). El analisis investigativo incluye la aplicacion de un Cuestionario y de Entrevista en Grupo Focal (Pre y Pos desarrollo del curso). Estas acciones fueron develando paulatinamente este rasgo latente y visualiza el impacto formativo que tuvo el curso en la vision de evaluacion de CPC de las EPAFI
The effect of preoperative tamsulosin on ureteroscopic access in school-aged children

Summary Introduction Flexible ureteroscopes are not tailored for pediatric ureteral size and may not pass at first attempt into the pediatric ureter. Administration of tamsulosin preoperatively in adults has been shown to facilitate ureteral access sheath placement. Several studies have shown tamsulosin to be safe and effective when utilized for medical expulsive therapy in pediatric patients, but its utility for preoperative ureteral dilation has not been studied to date. Objective We hypothesized that preoperative tamsulosin reduces failed ureteroscopic access in children. Materials and methods We conducted a retrospective review of patients aged 0–18 years undergoing flexible ureteroscopy (URS) from 2014 to 2019 at a single institution. Patients were divided into those taking 0.4 mg of tamsulosin daily for at least 1 week prior to surgery and those not taking tamsulosin. The primary outcome was failure to pass a 7.95 Fr flexible ureteroscope on initial attempt, requiring stent placement and staged management. Patients undergoing URS or stent placement within the prior year, requiring semi-rigid URS, or with genitourinary anomalies were excluded. Results and discussion A total of 49 patients met inclusion criteria. The tamsulosin group (n = 13) and non-tamsulosin group (n = 36) were similar with respect to demographic data. The percentage of prepubertal patients was 53% vs 33% (p = 0.19). The tamsulosin group had lower failed URS (38% vs 61%, p = 0.20). When stratified by age, both prepubertal and postpubertal patients in the tamsulosin group had lower failed URS (43% vs 67%, p = 0.67 and 33% vs 58%, p = 0.38). These clinically significant results suggest initial passage of a flexible ureteroscope is more successful in pediatric patients on preoperative tamsulosin. This study was largely limited by its low power and flaws inherent to its retrospective design. Conclusion Our results have implications for prescribing tamsulosin preoperatively to reduce multiple procedures and anesthetics in children. Adequately powered prospective trials are warranted to confirm preoperative tamsulosin reduces failed first-attempt flexible URS in children. Download : Download high-res image (143KB) Download : Download full-size image Summary Figure . Comparison of failed URS at initial surgical attempt in pediatric patients receiving 7 or more days of tamsulosin preoperatively compared to those who received no tamsulosin.
Effects of Blast Chilling on Fresh Pork Quality in Chops from the Longissimus Dorsi

Carcasses (n=40) with defined fat free lean and carcass weight were selected 45 minutes postmortem. Carcasses were split, and sides subjected to conventional or blast chilling regimens. Sides that were blast chilled had Longissimus dorsi (LD) chops with slower pH decline, greater cook loss and greater Warner-Bratzler Shear force than chops from conventionally chilled sides. These results demonstrate that current blast chilling practices have the potential to negatively impact pork tenderness.
Metamorphic optical receiver components

GaAs based metamorphic HEMT (MHEMT) technology has emerged as an attractive, low cost alternative to InP HEMTs. The strain-induced imperfections caused by high indium content layers on GaAs are eliminated in metamorphic devices by providing a properly grown lattice-matching buffer between the substrate and active device layers. Metamorphic device technology has now expanded to optical receiver components and shows performance suitable for 40 Gb/s digital and analog optical links.
An Initial-Value Problem for a Hyperbolic Equation

We consider the equation for the homogeneous operator P: $$P(u)\, \equiv \,\sum\limits_{\left| \alpha \right|\, = \,m} {{a_\alpha }{D^\alpha }u\, = \,\phi (x),\,x\, = \,(t,\,\xi )\, \in \,{R_ + }\, \times \,{R^n},} $$ (6.1) with initial data $$D_0^j\,u(0,\,\xi )\, = \,{\psi _j}(\xi ),\,0 \leqslant \,j\,{\text{ < }}\,m.$$ (6.2) We assume that each aα is constant, and that the hyperplane t = 0 is non-characteristic with respect to P. Since the normal vector to the surface t = 0 is (1, 0, …, 0), this means a m …0 ≠ 0; thus we assume a m …0 = 1.
Deployment and Localization for Mobile Robot Teams

This paper briefly sketches a pair of algorithms for deploying and localizing large mobile robot teams. For deployment, we have developed a potential-fieldbased approach that ensures that a compact initial configuration of robots will spread out such that the area ‘covered’ by the team is maximized. For localization, we have developed an approach that makes use of the robots themselves as landmarks. Through a combination of maximum likelihood estimation and numerical optimization, we can, for each robot, estimate the relative range, bearing and orientation of every other robot in the team. This paper sketches the basic formalism behind these algorithms and presents some experimental results.
Joseph M. Ortiz, ed., Shakespeare and the Culture of Romanticism

Review by Katherine Scheil (University of Minnesota) of Joseph M. Ortiz, ed., Shakespeare and the Culture of Romanticism . Farnham, Surrey and Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2013. Pp 306. £70. ISBN 9781409455813.
"The children don't have any idea": How case studies of controversy can help build democratic habits of mind

Este articulo explora los caminos que hay que seguir y los desafios que hay que enfrentar para fortalecer la educacion civica en las democracias emergentes. En primer lugar, se presenta la idea de emplear temas polemicos como una manera de lograr este objetivo, en especial cuando tales temas se trabajan en conjunto con el pensamiento reflexivo. Luego, apoyados en tres estudios recientes, se entrelazan las caracteristicas culturales y contextuales de las experiencias escolares y se presenta una tipologia emergente dirigida a investigadores y a encargados de formular politicas en distintos contextos para que exploren la forma de tratar de manera consciente y deliberada temas polemicos en entornos especiales
Generalized Fierz Identities and the Superselection Rule for Geometric Multispinors

The inverse problem, to reconstruct the general multivector wave function from the observable quadratic densities, is solved for 3D geometric algebra. It is found that operators which are applied to the right side of the wave function must be considered, and the standard Fierz identities do not necessarily hold except in restricted situations, corresponding to the spin-isospin superselection rule. The Greider idempotent and Hestenes quaterionic spinors are included as extreme cases of a single superselection parameter.
Sensitivity and specificity of a procedure for early human screening of novel smoking cessation medications.

Background and aim It is important to find economical methods in early Phase 2 studies to screen drugs potentially useful to aid smoking cessation. A method has been developed that detects efficacy of varenicline and nicotine patch. This study aimed to evaluate whether the method would detect the efficacy of bupropion and identify correctly the lack of efficacy of modafinil. Design Using a within-subject double cross-over design, smokers attempted to quit during each treatment, with bupropion (150 mg b.i.d.), modafinil [100 mg twice daily (b.i.d.)] or placebo (double-blind, counterbalanced order). In each of three medication periods, all smoked with no drug on week 1 (baseline or washout), began dose run-up on week 2, and tried to quit every day during week 3. Setting A university research center in the United States. Participants Forty-five adult smokers high in quit interest. Measurements Abstinence was verified daily each quit week by self-report of no smoking over the prior 24 hours and carbon monoxide (CO) < 5 parts per million. Findings Compared with placebo, bupropion did (F(1,44) = 6.98, P = 0.01), but modafinil did not (F(1,44) = 0.29, P = 0.60), increase the number of abstinent days. Also, bupropion (versus placebo) significantly increased the number of those able to maintain continuous abstinence on all 5 days throughout the quit week (11 versus four), Z = 2.11, P < 0.05, while modafinil did not (six). Conclusions Assessing days abstinent during 1 week of use of medication versus placebo in a cross-over design could be a useful early Phase 2 study design for discriminating between medications useful versus not useful in aiding smoking cessation.
Star magnitude and manual navigation sighting accuracy using the Apollo T2 sextant.

This laboratory study investigated the effect of four star magnitudes (0, +1, +2, +3) upon the angular sighting accuracy attainable between a star and a lunar limb using a space-rated sextant with an 8-power telescope. Four males were tested. The results indicated that over a series of daily sightings sighting accuracy increases as star magnitude decreases; i.e., the angle between the actual lunar limb and the perceived lunar limb decreases as the intensity of the star increases. The significant subject and day main effects that were found indicate that each individual must be calibrated against himself and that extreme care must be taken to center the various images correctly within the sextant's field of view each time the instrument is set up. These findings are discussed in relation to further refinement of a graphic model of the distribution of energy on the retina. A discussion is also presented on the differences between sextant sighting research conducted in the laboratory and in the real, high-altitude or space environment.
Nesting microhabitat comparison of Central stoneroller and Bluehead chub: potential inference for host-switching by nest associates

Several nest-building North American minnows (Cyprinidae) function as reproductive hosts to nest associates–species that require nests of other species for spawning. Understanding the microhabitat preferences of hosts can yield insight into the reproductive ecology of many species, especially of nest associates that can utilize nests of two or more hosts. We observed nests of Central stoneroller Campostoma anomalum in which several associate species were actively spawning. Bluehead chubs Nocomis leptocephalus began constructing nests two days later in the same stream, at which time associates abandoned stoneroller nests and continued on to spawn on chub nests. This presented a unique opportunity for accomplishing two objectives: (1) quantifying stoneroller nesting microhabitat preference and (2) comparing stoneroller and chub habitat preference to gain insight into the mechanisms that may drive host switching by nest associates. We measured substrate size, current velocity, water depth, and egg depth on s...
Metastatic Breast Cancer

Metastatic breast cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality that needs to be understood and conquered. Although fewer than 10% of patients with breast cancer initially present with the metastatic disease, it will eventually develop in a substantial proportion of them [1]. Therapy for metastatic breast cancer remains palliative. The average survival time after the diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer is 24 months, although it varies widely according to the metastatic site, biological characteristics, patient condition and treatment [1]. The median survival time traditionally has been lower for patients with visceral disease (6–13 months) compared with those with bone-only disease (18–30 months). There has been recent epidemiological data to suggest improvement in breast cancer mortality in the past 15 years in the United Kingdom and the United States [2]. One of the reports demonstrated that after adjustment of several factors, similar cohort of women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in late 1990s compared with early 1990s, had better survival by 30%.
Lumbar support thickness: effect on seated buttock pressure in individuals with and without spinal cord injury.

We compared the effects of different lumbar support thicknesses on seated buttock pressure in individuals with and without spinal cord injury (SCI). Eighteen subjects with SCI (SCI group) and 18 subjects without SCI (control group) were seated on a pressure-sensing transducer incorporated into an adjustable chair. The output was calibrated so that eight pressure intervals (colors) were displayed. The lumbar support thickness was adjusted to 0, 2.5, 5, and 7.5 cm, and the highest and lowest seated buttock pressures were analyzed. External measurements of the hip angle were taken for each lumbar support condition. High reliability of repeated seated test positions was found (intraclass correlation coefficient = .93). The 5- and 7.5-cm-thick lumbar supports caused a decrease in the highest pressure areas in the control group, but no change in the SCI group. The hip angle was increased with each increment in lumbar support thickness in both groups, but the SCI group's hip angle was consistently less than that of the control group for each lumbar support condition. The results of this study suggest that in individuals with chronic paralysis (greater than or equal to 3 years), the use of a wheelchair lumbar support has a negligible effect on seated buttock pressure.
Controlled-distortion constrained global parametrization

The quality of a global parametrization is determined by a number of factors, including amount of distortion, number of singularities (cones), and alignment with features and boundaries. Placement of cones plays a decisive role in determining the overall distortion of the parametrization; at the same time, feature and boundary alignment also affect the cone placement. A number of methods were proposed for automatic choice of cone positions, either based on singularities of cross-fields and emphasizing alignment, or based on distortion optimization.In this paper we describe a method for placing cones for seamless global parametrizations with alignment constraints. We use a close relation between variation-minimizing cross-fields and related 1-forms and conformal maps, and demonstrate how it leads to a constrained optimization problem formulation. We show for boundary-aligned parametrizations metric distortion may be reduced by cone chains, sometimes to an arbitrarily small value, and the trade-off between the distortion and the number of cones can be controlled by a regularization term. Constrained parametrizations computed using our method have significantly lower distortion compared to the state-of-the art field-based method, yet maintain feature and boundary alignment. In the most extreme cases, parametrization collapse due to alignment constraints is eliminated.
Mean time for the development of large workloads and large queue lengths in the GI/G/1 queue

We consider the GI/G/1 queue described by either the workload U(t) (unfinished work) or the number of customers N(t) in the system. We compute the mean time until U(t) reaches excess of the level K, and also the mean time until N(t) reaches N0. For the M/G/1 and GI/M/1 models, we obtain exact contour integral representations for these mean first passage times. We then compute the mean times asymptotically, as K and N0&#8594;&#8734;, by evaluating these contour integrals. For the general GI/G/1 model, we obtain asymptotic results by a singular perturbation analysis of the appropriate backward Kolmogorov equation(s). Numerical comparisons show that the asymptotic formulas are very accurate even for moderate values of K and N0.
Avermectin-milbemycin studies. 2. An efficient chemical degradation of avermectin b1a

Abstract An efficient chemical degradation of avermectin B 1a affording intact northern and southern hemispheres has been achieved.
Stochastic dynamic pricing: Utilizing demand response in an adaptive manner

Dynamic pricing to residential customers has been proposed recently, as extensions of static network utility maximization problems. Those deterministic models do not exploit the refined information as time advances. To address this issue, we formulate a stochastic dynamic pricing framework, in which we show the existence of an optimal price process that incentives the agents to choose the socially optimal decisions. We develop a distributed algorithm and investigate the information structure of the involved stochastic processes via a numerical example, which also illustrates the advantage of stochastic dynamic pricing over deterministic dynamic pricing.
The inhibitory mGluR agonist, s-4-carboxy-3-hydroxy-phenylglycine selectively attenuates NMDA neurotoxicity and oxygen-glucose deprivation-induced neuronal death

Abstract We examined the effect of two novel phenylglycine derivative drugs on excitotoxicity in murine cortical cell cultures: s-4-carboxy-3-hydroxy-phenylglycine (4C3HPG), a selective agonist of mGluRs 2 3 and an antagonist at mGluRs 1 5 , and s-3 hydroxy-phenylglycine (3HPG), an agonist of mGluRs 1 5 . 4C3HPG attenuated slowly-triggered NMDA-induced excitotoxic neuronal death, as well as the death induced by combined oxygen-glucose deprivation, but did not affect slowly-triggered excitotoxicity induced by AMPA or kainate. As expected, 4C3HPG also reduced NMDA-induced increases in cAMP in near-pure neuronal cultures, and the protective effect of 4C3HPG on NMDA toxicity could be reversed by adding 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)adenosine 3′:5′-cyclic-monophosphate (CPT cAMP) to the exposure medium. In contrast, 3HPG did not did not have any protective effects in these paradigms; in fact, slowly-triggered NMDA-induced excitotoxicity and the neuronal cell death induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation were potentiated. These results are consistent with the idea that the “inhibitory” mGluRs 2 3 exert a negative modulatory action on NMDA receptor-mediated excitotoxicity via reduction in neuronal cAMP levels.
Cell-autonomous determination of cell-type choice in Dictyostelium development by cell-cycle phase

The developmental fate of individual cells has been examined in a system that allows Dictyostelium discoideum cells to differentiate in the absence of aggregation. The results show that the propensity of single amoebae to differentiate into either prespore or prestalk cells occurs by a cell-autonomous mechanism dependent on the cell's position in the cell cycle at the initiation of development. Cells that divide between approximately 1 1/2 hours before and approximately 40 minutes after the differentiation-inducing starvation become prestalk, whereas cells dividing at other times become prespore cells. These results suggest mechanisms by which an initial proportioning of the two cell types within the aggregate is achieved.
Gestural Enthymemes Delivering Movement in 18th- and 19th-Century Medical Images

This article contributes to recent efforts to add life and movement to rhetorical studies by focusing on the representation of movement in medical texts. More specifically, this study examines medi...
Physiological anemia of infancy and anemia of prematurity.

It is important to recognize the significance and magnitude of the physiological anemia of the infant. Wherever necessary, appropriate supportive therapy using nutritional factors must be considered. Prematurity, dietary history, clinical condition, initial hemoglobin value and the volume of iatrogenic blood loss should all help in making judgments whether the anemia is physiological or pathological in origin. It is difficult to make arbitrary recommendations that will apply to all infants under all circumstances. Decisions to transfuse any infant should be based on the infants' cilnical condition and not merely on an arbitrarily selected laboratory value. In the breast fed premature infant, prophylactic iron supplementation is essential.
Persistent oro-nasal fistula after primary cleft palate repair: minimizing the rate via a standardized protocol.

Abstract Objectives Multiple methods are described for cleft palate repair. Similarly, a wide range of postoperative oro-nasal fistula rates are described, depending on technique and series examined. We describe long-term outcomes and fistula rates for primary cleft palate repair for a single surgeon using a standardized protocol. Furlow palatoplasty was used for clefts limited to the soft palate, and two-flap palatoplasty was used for clefts involving both the hard and soft palate. Methods Retrospective review of prospectively gathered data. Results Eighty-two patients underwent cleft palate repair within the study period. Average age at time of repair was 1.69 years (range 0.47–12.1 years), 19 patients had cleft palate as a part of a known genetic syndrome, and male:female ratio was 1.05:1. Overall fistula rate requiring repair was 5.5%, and fistula development was not significantly associated with type of cleft repair or use of AlloDerm in the repair. Conclusions A very low rate of oro-nasal fistula and good postoperative outcomes were achieved utilizing this protocol for cleft palate repair. It is effective both in isolated cleft palate, as well as in more complicated syndromic patients. It is possible that significant associations between repair technique and fistula rate exist that were not elucidated in this study as a result of the small number of oro-nasal fistulas.
Almost tight upper bounds for the single cell and zone problems in three dimensions

We consider the problem of bounding the combinatorial complexity of a single cell in an arrangement ofn low-degree algebraic surface patches in 3-space. We show that this complexity isO(n2+?), for any ?>0, where the constant of proportionality depends on ? and on the maximum degree of the given surfaces and of their boundaries. This extends several previous results, almost settles a 9-year-old open problem, and has applications to motion planning of general robot systems with three degrees of freedom. As a corollary of the above result, we show that the overall complexity of all the three-dimensional cells of an arrangement ofn low-degree algebraic surface patches, intersected by an additional low-degree algebraic surface patch ? (the so-calledzone of ? in the arrangement) isO(n2+?), for any ?>0, where the constant of proportionality depends on ? and on the maximum degree of the given surfaces and of their boundaries.
163 RE-ESTABLISHING REPRODUCTIVE CYCLICITY IN A FEMALE ASIAN SMALL-CLAWED OTTER FOLLOWING SUPRELORIN-INDUCED CONTRACEPTION: A CASE STUDY

Asian small-clawed otters (ASCO) are a popular species to exhibit in zoological institutions globally, and are found in managed populations in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Captive breeding of these otters is integral to population sustainability, with management programs using pedigree analyses to make specific breeding recommendations to ensure long-term genetic viability. Because of the familial social structure of ASCO and limited space within zoos, physical separation of animals is not always possible for temporary breeding prevention, and short-term contraception may be preferred. In US zoos, Suprelorin (deslorelin; Virbac Australia, Milperra, Australia), a GnRH agonist, has been recommended for contraception of female carnivores, due to its small implant size and lack of side effects often associated with hormone-based contraceptives. However, the duration of reproductive suppression with Suprelorin may be excessive and reversibility (i.e. resumption of cyclicity, ovulation, and pregnancies) in implanted females across a range of species has been variable, unpredictable, and prolonged. Since 2006, 49 female ASCO have been implanted with Suprelorin at least once, and, of these, only two females have shown confirmed reversibility with pregnancies. No ASCO females implanted more than once have thus far exhibited reversibility (personal communication, AZA Wildlife Contraceptive Center, St. Louis, MO, USA). In this case study, fecal hormone monitoring of one female ASCO implanted with Suprelorin three times (Dec 2007, Jan 2009, Mar 2010), showed a lack of ovarian cyclicity and ovulation during the three years since her last implant. In an attempt to induce ovarian follicular growth and ovulation, this female was injected (IM) with exogenous gonadotropins (100 IU of equine chorionic gonadotropin followed 80 h later with 3000 IU of porcine luteinizing hormone). Fecal progesterone monitoring confirmed ovulation followed by a 76 day pseudopregnancy, with temporal characteristics similar to those previously reported in naturally cycling ASCO (Bateman et al. 2009 Zoo Biol. 28, 107–126). Following the induced pseudopregnancy and ~55 days of basal progestin levels, this female was observed breeding with a cohabitating ASCO male. Fecal hormone monitoring revealed subsequent ovulation and the occurrence of another pseudopregnancy of normal duration. These preliminary findings suggest that exogenous gonadotropin treatment may be useful for promoting resumption of normal ovarian cyclicity and ovulatory responses in ASCO following prolonged reproductive suppression with Suprelorin.
Convergence domains of the SSOR method for a class of generalized consistently ordered matrices

Abstract The functional equation relating the eigenvalues of the block Symmetric Successive Overrelaxation (SSOR) iteration matrix with those of the block Jacobi iteration matrix found by Chong and Cai (1985) is used in order to obtain precise domains of convergence of the block SSOR iteration method associated with a class of generalized consistently ordered (GCO) ( k , p − k )-matrices A ( p ⩾2, k =1, …, p −1). We show that the domain of convergence depends only on the relaxation parameter ω, the spectral radius of the block Jacobi iteration matrix and the value of l = k p . Unlike the case ( k , p − k ) = (1, p −1), p ⩾3, which was studied in an earlier paper by the authors (1989), beyond certain critical values of l the domain of convergence does not grow monotonically with l and manifests various sorts of behavior . However, as in the case ( k , p − k ) = (1, p −1), it is shown that the intersection of the convergence domains taken over all pairs ( p , k ) coincides with the exact domain of convergence of the point SSOR iteration method associated with nonsingular H -matrices A , that is, matrices which can be diagonally scaled to being strictly diagonally dominant.
Continuity of solvent quality in polymer solutions. Poor-solvent to θ-solvent continuity in some polystyrene solutions

Critical temperatures for polystyrene/methyl acetate (PS/MA) and polystyrene/ethyl formate (PS/EF) solutions were measured at positive (PS/MA, PS/EF) and negative (PS/MA) pressure. The results confirm that solvent quality is sensitive to pressure; some solvents, designated Θ, at Pnominal ∼ 0, undergo a Θ-to-poor transition at negative pressure, and others, nominally designated “poor,” show a poor-to-Θ transition at positive pressure. Thus, any dichotomous division into sets of “poor” and “Θ” solvents is inaccurate, unless it accounts for the effects of pressure and other variables on solvent quality. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 35: 1251–1259, 1997
Phosphorylation of proteins of ribosomes and nucleolar preribosomal particles from Novikoff hepatoma ascites cells

Abstract After labeling for two hours in vivo with 32P-labeled orthophosphate, proteins from cytoplasmic ribosomes and nucleolar preribosomal particles of Novikoff hepatoma ascites cells were analyzed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. Five proteins (B2, B3, B6, B32 and B35P) were phosphorylated in the ribosomes. Approximately 19 proteins were phosphorylated in the nucleolar preribosomal particles; although four of these were ribosomal proteins, they were different from the proteins labeled in the ribosomes. The 15 additional phosphorylated nucleolar preribosomal particle proteins were non-ribosomal. These results suggest that phosphorylation of proteins of the nucleolar preribosomal particles is independent of phosphorylation of the cytoplasmic ribosomal proteins and may be a part of the maturation process of preribosomal particles.