cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pit membrane remnants in perforation plates of Hydrangeales with comments on pit membrane remnant occurrence, physiological significance and phylogenetic distribution in dicotyledons

Perforation plates from ten species of seven genera of Hydrangeales sensu Thorne were studied using scanning elec tron microscopy (SEM). The presence of pit membranes in perforations ranges from abundant, as in Carpenteria and Ilydrangea, to minimal, as in Deutzia, Escallonia and Fhiladelphus. Abnormally great pit membrane presence may result from the presence of secondary compounds that inhibit lysis, as in Quintinia serrata; such interference with the natural lysis process may or may not be evident from coarseness and irregularity of pit membrane surface and of threads composing the pit membrane remnants. The presence of pit membrane remnants in perforation plates is hypothesized to be a symplesiomorphy, found in a fraction of dicotyledons with scalarifonn perforation plates (but still in an appreciable number of species). Pit membrane remnant presence may represent incomplete lysis of pri mary wall material (cellulose microfibrils) in species that occupy highly mesic habitats, where such impedance in the conductive stream does not have an appreciable negative s&ective value. This physiological interpretation of pit membrane remnants in perforations is enhanced by the phylogenetic distribution as well as the strongly mesic eco logical preferences of species that exempli’ this phenomenon in dicotyledons at large. Families with pit membrane presence in perforations are scattered throughout phylogenetic trees, but they occur most often in basal branches of major clades (superorders) or as basal branches of orders within the major clades. Further study will doubtless reveal other families and genera in which this phenomenon occurs, although it is readily detected only with SEM. Phylo genetic stages in the disappearance of pit membrane remnants from perforation plates are described, ranging from intact pit membranes except for presence of pores of various sizes, to presence of membrane remnants only at lateral ends of perforations and in one or two perforations (arguably pits) at the transition between a perforation plate and subadj scent lateral wall pitting. Developmental study of the mechanism and timing of lysis of pit membranes in per forations, and assessment of the role of the conductive stream in their removal, are needed to enhance present under standing of vessel evolution. © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Jottrnal of the Linnean Society, 2004, 146, 41—51. ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS: Cornales — ecological wood anatomy — Escalloniaceae — Ixerbaceae — Saxifragaceae — vessel evolution — wood evolution.
Systematic assessment of analog relationships between bioactive compounds and promiscuity of analog sets

A computational approach is introduced for the systematic detection of all synthetically accessible analogs of given active compounds. Notably, for more than 30% of all active compounds in ChEMBL, no analogs were detected. For the remaining compounds, sets of analogs were identified with varying R-groups at all possible substitution sites or only a subset of substitution sites. Active compounds without analogs were widely distributed over different target sets. They provide a large source of candidates for further chemical exploration and have been made available in an open access deposition. For the majority of compounds with analogs, chemical exploration had no detectable influence on promiscuity (i.e., the ability of a compound to interact with multiple targets). However, for a subset of ∼26% of active compounds with analog sets, notable increases in promiscuity were observed. In these cases, average promiscuity increased from ∼1.5 targets per active compound to approximately four targets for analogs. However, these increases were largely caused by small numbers of highly promiscuous analogs.
Genetic and environmental effects on seed weight in subspecies of big sagebrush: Applications for restoration

The sagebrush steppe is a patchwork of species and subspecies occupying distinct environmental niches across the intermountain regions of western North America. These ecosystems face degradation from disturbances and exotic weeds. Using sagebrush seed that is matched to its appropriate niche is a critical component to successful restoration, improving habitat for the threatened greater sage-grouse and other species. The need for restoration is greatest in basin habitats composed of two subspecies: diploid basin big sagebrush (A. tridentata subsp. tridentata) and tetraploid Wyoming big sagebrush (subsp. wyomingensis). In this study we assess seed weights across five subspecies-cytotype groups of big sagebrush and examine the genetic and environmental components. Our goal is to determine if seed weight can be used as a diagnostic test for subspecies and seed certification. Seed weight was measured from 55 wild collections and from progeny derived from these collections and grown in two common gardens. A linear mixed-effect model showed 91% of the variation in seed weight is explained by genetic, genetic × environment and environmental effects (conditional R2 = 0.91). Moreover, genetic effects alone, subspecies-cytotype groups, explained 39% of the variation (marginal R2 = 0.39). Of the five subspecies-cytotype groups, most had overlapping weights using conservative 99% confidence intervals. However, diploid tridentata and wyomingensis had non-overlapping 99% confidence intervals. To demonstrate the application of seed weighing to assess the subspecies purity of commercial seed lots, we compared confidence intervals of tridentata and wyomingensis developed from the experimental data to seed weights of commercial lots. The results showed that only 17% of the commercial seed lots certified as wyomingensis had mean seed weights that fell within the confidence intervals for this subspecies. The remaining lighter seed lots (83%) matched weights of tridentata. While restoring sagebrush ecosystems is a multifaceted problem, a fundamental component to restoration is ensuring the appropriate seed is used. We found seed weight is principally affected by genetic factors, with limited environmental effects. Seed weighing is an effective application to assess subspecies purity of wyomingensis and tridentata seed and could be used as a certification step for evaluating commercial collections used in restoration.
Walking-Induced Fatigue Leads to Increased Falls Risk in Older Adults

Abstract Background For older adults, falls are a serious health problem, with more than 30% of people older than 65 suffering a fall at least once a year. One element often overlooked in the assessment of falls is whether a person's balance, walking ability, and overall falls risk is affected by performing activities of daily living such as walking. Objective This study assessed the immediate impact of incline walking at a moderate pace on falls risk, leg strength, reaction time, gait, and balance in 75 healthy adults from 30 to 79 years of age. Subjects were subdivided into 5 equal groups based on their age (group 1, 30–39 years; group 2, 40–49 years; group 3, 50–59 years; group 4, 60–69 years; group 5, 70–79 years). Methods Each person's falls risk (using the Physiological Profile Assessment), simple reaction time, leg strength, walking ability, and standing balance were assessed before and after a period of incline walking on an automated treadmill. The walking task consisted of three 5-minute trials at a faster than preferred pace. Fatigue during walking was elicited by increasing the treadmill incline in increments of 2° (from level) every minute to a maximum of 8°. Results As predicted, significant age-related differences were observed before the walking activity. In general, increasing age was associated with declines in gait speed, lower limb strength, slower reaction times, and increases in overall falls risk. Following the treadmill task, older adults exhibited increased sway (path length 60–69 years; 10.2 ± 0.7 to 12.1 ± 0.7 cm: 70–79 years; 12.8 ± 1.1 to 15.1 ± 0.8 cm), slower reaction times (70–79 years; 256 ± 6 to 287 ± 8 ms), and declines in lower limb strength (60–69 years; 36 ± 2 to 31 ± 1 kg: 70–79 years; 32.3 ± 2 to 27 ± 1 kg). However, a significant increase in overall falls risk (pre; 0.51 ± 0.17: post; 1.01 ± 0.18) was only seen in the oldest group (70–79 years). For all other persons (30–69 years), changes resulting from the treadmill-walking task did not lead to a significant increase in falls risk. Conclusions As most falls occur when an individual is moving and/or fatigued, assessing functional properties related to balance, gait, strength, and falls risk in older adults both at rest and following activity may provide additional insight.
Analytical results for the skewness of the distribution of detector counts in a subcritical reactor

Abstract We show analytical results for the skewness of the distribution of counts of a detector inside a nuclear reactor. Like in the α -Feynman experiment, the departure of the skewness with respect to its Poisson value depends only on the correlation between counts and the detector efficiency and not on the source intensity, in addition its sensitivity to the correlation is larger. Therefore,without any extra experimental effort, the usual α -Feynman experiment can be improved with the analysis of the third moments.
A HYBRID METHOD OF MATRIX INVERSION SUITED FOR 3D IMPLICIT PRESTACK DEPTH MIGRATION

In depth wavefield migration, in order to extend the 2-D implicit method to 3-D case, a block-like diagonal matrix has to be inverted. General speaking, the matrix inversion will consume a large amount of computation time, which heavily hinder the application of 3-D implicit scheme in waveform migration. Under the helix boundary condition, the Helmhotz matrix has Toeplitz structure with positive definite property. The inversion of matrix can be realized by spectrum LU decomposition and direct solution. This paper proposes a hybrid scheme, which combines the advantages of spectrum LU decomposition and direct solution. Based on the table of matrix element of spectrum decomposition, the Helmhotz matrix can be decomposed by recursion of the direct solution. A numerical comparison has been made with the spectrum LU decomposition and direct solution. The accuracy of Helmhotz matrix is raised 10 times than that of spectrum, and the calculation speed is faster than that of the direct solution. In this way, the method can reduce the time of matrix inversion in 3-dimensional implicit difference migration and can be used to real data processing.
Binding of gamma-aminobutyric acid to crayfish muscle and its relationship to receptor sites.

Binding of γ-amino[ 14 C]butyric acid (GABA) to crayfish muscle particulate fractions was measured by equilibrium dialysis at 0° in Tris-buffered Van Harreveld9s solution containing β-mercaptoethanol. Binding was found to saturate at about 7 pmoles/mg of particulate protein (200 pmoles/g of wet tissue), and the concentration of GABA giving halfmaximal binding was 1.3 ± 0.5 µM. A single class of binding sites exhibiting no cooperativity was apparently involved. GABA binding was insensitive to several treatments which would break cell membranes. It was partially inhibited by Na + -free conditions, but was less sensitive in this regard than membrane transport of GABA in either unhomogenized crayfish muscle or mouse brain particles. Binding, however, like transport, was inhibited by sulfhydryl reagents. Picrotoxin did not inhibit binding at 0.3 mM, but bicuculline was a weak inhibitor ( K [unknown] = 350 µM). Chlorpromazine and imipramine were also weak inhibitors. The quantity, affinity, and tissue location of the binding sites were thus consistent with either synaptic receptor sites or transport binding sites. However, the K m value for GABA transport showed significantly lower affinity, 22 µM. Furthermore, comparison of inhibition potency for several GABA structural analogues revealed significant differences between binding and transport; in particular D-glutamic acid and imidazoleacetic acid inhibited binding but not transport; nipecotic acid inhibited transport but not binding. Reasonably good agreement in specificity was found for compounds active on GABA synaptic receptors and in inhibition of GABA binding. Although the concentration of GABA giving half-maximal binding is lower than the concentrations usually reported to give half-maximal synaptic responses, various explanations for this discrepancy are available. We conclude that these cell-free binding studies probably measure physiological GABA receptor sites, although high-affinity binding to sites involved in membrane transport or other biological activity of GABA could also contribute. Because of the lack of totally selective blocking agents, these sites cannot be unamibiguously distinguished at this time.
Analysis of tandem gene copies in maize chromosomal regions reconstructed from long sequence reads

Haplotype variation not only involves SNPs but also insertions and deletions, in particular gene copy number variations. However, comparisons of individual genomes have been difficult because traditional sequencing methods give too short reads to unambiguously reconstruct chromosomal regions containing repetitive DNA sequences. An example of such a case is the protein gene family in maize that acts as a sink for reduced nitrogen in the seed. Previously, 41-48 gene copies of the alpha zein gene family that spread over six loci spanning between 30- and 500-kb chromosomal regions have been described in two Iowa Stiff Stalk (SS) inbreds. Analyses of those regions were possible because of overlapping BAC clones, generated by an expensive and labor-intensive approach. Here we used single-molecule real-time (Pacific Biosciences) shotgun sequencing to assemble the six chromosomal regions from the Non-Stiff Stalk maize inbred W22 from a single DNA sequence dataset. To validate the reconstructed regions, we developed an optical map (BioNano genome map; BioNano Genomics) of W22 and found agreement between the two datasets. Using the sequences of full-length cDNAs from W22, we found that the error rate of PacBio sequencing seemed to be less than 0.1% after autocorrection and assembly. Expressed genes, some with premature stop codons, are interspersed with nonexpressed genes, giving rise to genotype-specific expression differences. Alignment of these regions with those from the previous analyzed regions of SS lines exhibits in part dramatic differences between these two heterotic groups.
Oral melphalan kinetics

The systemic availability of melphalan after oral administration is not well known. Most patients are put on a fixed oral dosage regimen. We have studied the disposition of melphalan in 14 patients after single oral doses. Five were also studied after receiving the same dose intravenously. Oral melphalan had a mean plasma terminal phase half-life (t1/2) of 90 +/- 17 min. The mean area under the plasma concentration:time curve (CXT) was 53 +/- 33 micrograms . min/ml. Urinary excretion of oral melphalan averaged 10.9 +/- 4.9% during the first 24 hr. The CXT ratio (oral:intravenous) for the 5 patients studied after both oral and intravenous melphalal (0.6 mg/kg) ranged between 0.25 and 0.89 and averaged 0.56. After oral dosing in 14 fasting patients, the time at which melphalan first appeared in the plasma varied between 15 min and 6 hr. In a myeloma patient who took oral melphalan, no melphalan was found in plasma or urine up to 24 hr. Some instances of failure of tumor response to oral melphalan may be due to inadequate bioavailability rather than inherent tumor resistance.
Information retrieval, where to find it when you need it

Discusses primary sources, references and guides including computer-aided retrieval services.
An Inhibition Study of the Effect of Azo Dyes on Bioactivity of Biofilms

An inhibition study showed that toxic compounds caused two responses when present at low concentration. One is stimulation of the biomass by simply serving as an energy source; this caused an increase in the total respiration rate. The other is inhibition of the reaction. AR14 was more toxic than AO7 for biofilm from reactors fed with a primary substrate. However, AO7 demonstrated inhibition for biofilm from reactors fed with AR14 and primary substrate, and AR14 could serve as a carbon source for the same film.
Brood-rearing habitat use by Rio Grande Wild Turkeys in Oregon

Wild turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo ) brood-rearing sites have been described for portions of their range, but brood-rearing habitat use and characteristics of brood-rearing sites used by Rio Grande Wild Turkeys ( M. g. intermedia ) in the Pacific Northwest were unknown. We described cover types at 362 brood-rearing sites and measured habitat characteristics at 64 of these sites used by a recently established Rio Grande Wild Turkey population in southwestern Oregon during May-September 1989 and 1990. Hens with broods used 9 of 10 available cover types. Meadows, mixed hardwood/conifer woodlands, and savannas were used more often than expected (47% of observations, P ≤ 0.05). Broods used mature mixed conifer and dense sapling/pole mixed conifer cover types less than expected and did not use brush-fields. Many brood-rearing sites were characterized by a parklike appearance. Understory vegetation averaged P ≤ 0.05). We suggest that land managers maintain mixed hardwood/conifer woodland and savanna cover types adjacent to meadows on south slopes to provide brood-rearing habitat for Rio Grande Wild Turkeys in southwestern Oregon.
Understanding the demand side of the prescription opioid epidemic: Does the initial source of opioids matter?

Abstract Background These studies were carried out to examine whether the onset and progression of an opioid substance use disorder (SUD) differed in those who first used opioids to get “high” compared to those who received a prescription from a doctor to relieve pain (Non-Rx vs. Rx groups, respectively). Methods A subset of patients (N = 214) from an ongoing larger study of patients entering one of 125 drug treatment programs for opioid use disorder across the country agreed to give up their anonymity and participate in structured and open-ended online interviews examining drug abuse patterns. Results With the exception that the Non-Rx group began their opioid abuse at a younger age than the Rx group and more quickly evolved from initial exposure to regular opioid abuse, there were relatively few differences in the characteristics, patterns and trajectories of opioid abuse. The vast majority of patients in both groups, most of whom had serious, antecedent psychiatric disorders, indicated that they used opioids to self-medicate psychological problems (67–73%) and/or stated that opioids provided a means to “escape” from the stresses of everyday life (79–85%). As the SUD progressed, for many individuals any “positive” attributes of opioids waned and avoidance of withdrawal became the overriding concern, often serving as the impetus for treatment. Conclusions Our results suggest that self-treatment of co-morbid psychiatric disturbances is a powerful motivating force to initiate and sustain abuse of opioids and that the initial source of drugs—a prescription or experimentation—is largely irrelevant in the progression to a SUD.
Steady-State Oxygen Isotope Effects of N2O Production in Paracoccus denitrificans

Knowledge of isotopic discrimination, or fractionation, by denitrifying bacteria can benefit agricultural fertilizer management, wastewater treatment, and other applications. However, the complexity of N transformation pathways in the environment and the sensitivity of denitrification to environmental conditions warrant better isotopic distinction between denitrification and other processes, especially for oxygen isotopes. Here, we present a dataset of δ18O measurements in continuous culture of Paracoccus denitrificans. The authors hope that it will be useful in further studies of N2O in the environment.
Photonic hypercrystals for control of light–matter interactions

Photonic crystals (PCs) have emerged as one of the most widely used platforms for controlling light-matter interaction in solid-state systems. They rely on Bragg scattering from wavelength-sized periodic modulation in the dielectric environment for manipulating the electromagnetic field. A complementary approach to manipulate light-matter interaction is offered by artificial media known as metamaterials that rely on the average response of deep-subwavelength unit cells. Here we demonstrate a class of artificial photonic media termed "photonic hypercrystals" (PHCs) that combine the large broadband photonic density of states provided by hyperbolic metamaterials with the light-scattering efficiency of PCs. Enhanced radiative rate (20×) and light outcoupling (100×) from PHCs embedded with quantum dots is observed. Such designer photonic media with complete control over the optical properties provide a platform for broadband control of light-matter interaction.
Fetal ventriculomegaly: Diagnosis, treatment, and future directions

Fetal ventriculomegaly (VM) refers to the enlargement of the cerebral ventricles in utero. It is associated with the postnatal diagnosis of hydrocephalus. VM is clinically diagnosed on ultrasound and is defined as an atrial diameter greater than 10 mm. Because of the anatomic detailed seen with advanced imaging, VM is often further characterized by fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Fetal VM is a heterogeneous condition with various etiologies and a wide range of neurodevelopmental outcomes. These outcomes are heavily dependent on the presence or absence of associated anomalies and the direct cause of the ventriculomegaly rather than on the absolute degree of VM. In this review article, we discuss diagnosis, work-up, counseling, and management strategies as they relate to fetal VM. We then describe imaging-based research efforts aimed at using prenatal data to predict postnatal outcome. Finally, we review the early experience with fetal therapy such as in utero shunting, as well as the advances in prenatal diagnosis and fetal surgery that may begin to address the limitations of previous therapeutic efforts.
Rhinovirus infection results in stronger and more persistent genomic dysregulation: Evidence for altered innate immune response in asthmatics at baseline, early in infection, and during convalescence

Background Rhinovirus (HRV) is associated with the large majority of virus-induced asthma exacerbations in children and young adults, but the mechanisms remain poorly defined. Methods Asthmatics and non-asthmatic controls were inoculated with HRV-A16, and nasal epithelial samples were obtained 7 days before, 36 hours after, and 7 days after viral inoculation. RNA was extracted and subjected to RNA-seq analysis. Results At baseline, 57 genes were differentially expressed between asthmatics and controls, and the asthmatics had decreased expression of viral replication inhibitors and increased expression of genes involved in inflammation. At 36 hours (before the emergence of peak symptoms), 1329 genes were significantly altered from baseline in the asthmatics compared to 62 genes in the controls. At this time point, asthmatics lacked an increase in IL-10 signaling observed in the controls. At 7 days following HRV inoculation, 222 genes were significantly dysregulated in the asthmatics, whereas only 4 genes were dysregulated among controls. At this time point, the controls but not asthmatics demonstrated upregulation of SPINK5. Conclusions As judged by the magnitude and persistence of dysregulated genes, asthmatics have a substantially different host response to HRV-A16 infection compared with non-asthmatic controls. Gene expression differences illuminate biologically plausible mechanisms that contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of HRV-induced asthma exacerbations.
Abstract 15194: Antioxidant-1, Proinflammatory Cu-Dependent Transcription Factor, Mediates Disturbed Flow-Induced Endothelial Cell Inflammation and Atherosclerosis

Introduction: Disturbed flow (d-flow) including oscillatory shear (OS) causes endothelial dysfunction, leading to atherosclerosis. SUMOylation alters localization and transcriptional activity of pr...
Validation of a portable hearing assessment tool: Agilis Health Mobile Audiogram.

Abstract Objectives To examine if the tablet-based Agilis Health Mobile Audiogram (Agilis Audiogram) is an effective and valid measure of hearing thresholds compared to a pure-tone audiogram in an adult and pediatric population. Methods Participants underwent an otologic exam, conventional audiometric evaluation and the self-administered Agilis Audiogram. We examined whether the difference of pure-tone average (PTA) between the two measurement techniques fell within the equivalence range of ±8 dB. The Agilis Audiogram was administered twice for each subject to assess test-retest reliability of the application. Results A total of 54 ears from 27 participants were evaluated. The average time to complete the self-administered Agilis Audiogram was 10 min. Among participants with normal hearing, the average PTA from conventional audiometric evaluation was 8.9 dB (±3.8) and the average PTA from the Agilis Audiogram was 8.5 dB (±4.5), with mean difference of 0.4 dB (±4.2; 95% CI -1.0 to 1.7 dB) falling within the equivalence range (−8 to 8 dB). Among participants with confirmed hearing loss, the average PTA was 22.5 dB (±17.1) from conventional audiometric evaluation and 24.3 dB (±16.6) from the Agilis Audiogram, with mean difference of −1.8 dB (±5.4; 95% CI -4.9 to 1.3 dB), falling within the equivalence range. Overall, there was a significant correlation between conventional audiometric evaluation and the Agilis Audiogram (Pearson correlation = 0.93; p Conclusion Thresholds obtained by the Agilis Audiogram were found to be a valid measure of hearing among adults with normal hearing and children with hearing loss in the mild-moderate range.
Quillen’s Methods

This chapter will be devoted mainly to the study of Quillen’s proof of Serre’s Conjecture and its various applications. The principal tool of Quillen’s methods is his celebrated Patching Theorem (1.6), which is a local-global characterization of extended modules over polynomial rings. The main objective in §1 will be to establish this important result.
Operators for propagating trust and their evaluation in social networks

Trust is a crucial basis for interactions among parties in large, open systems. Yet, the scale and dynamism of such systems make it infeasible for each party to have a direct basis for trusting another party. For this reason, the participants in an open system must share information about trust. However, they should not automatically trust such shared information. This paper studies the problem of propagating trust in multiagent systems. It describes a new algebraic approach, shows some theoretical properties of it, and empirically evaluates it on two social network datasets. This evaluation incorporates a new methodology that involves dealing with opinions in an evidential setting.
Nation, Religion, and Theology: What Do We Mean When We Say “Being Kyrgyz Means Being Muslim?”

Scholars of Central Asia often view religion and ethno-national identity as being linked: “to be Kyrgyz (or Uzbek, Kazakh, etc.) is to be Muslim.” The specific ways in which the relationship between ethno-national identity and religion is constructed and understood, however, have not been adequately researched. “Being Muslim” is not merely an ethnic marker: it can imply a range of different, perhaps even competing, theologies with different relationships to national identity. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Kyrgyzstan in 2014, this article investigates the question of what it means to be Kyrgyz and to be Muslim by undertaking a comparative analysis of two Islamic discourses: Kyrgyz ethno-national traditionalism and the normative Maturidi Hanafism promoted by the Kyrgyz state and the religious authorities. What emerges is a portrait of a complex and variegated religious landscape, one in which the meaning of being Kyrgyz and Muslim is continually questioned and renegotiated.
Evaluating the variation of ion energy under different parameter settings in traveling wave ion mobility mass spectrometry

Ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS) can be used to differentiate and identify isobaric ions. To improve IM-MS resolution, the second generation of traveling wave ion mobility (TWIM) technology was launched. There were reports showing ions were heated up by TWIM. With higher ion energy, it could alter the conformation of larger ions or MS/MS experiments. To monitor the energy exchange relating to the TWIM process, the combined use of thermometer ions with unique molecular structure and theoretical calculations to determine the effective temperature of ions had been explored. In this report, the use of a simple experimental approach to estimate the variation on the ion energy that result from changing a TWIM parameter setting is demonstrated. The approach aims to achieve the same percentage of ion dissociation in a collision cell, which is part of the original instrument and located at the exit of TWIM cell. Similar to the traditional MS/MS experiments, the same level of ion dissociation could be achieved by adjusting the electrical potential that was applied to the collision cell. The higher the ion energy after the TWIM separation, the lower the electrical potential was required to achieve the same level of ion dissociation. Together with the information on the number of electrical charge in the selected ion, the difference in the required electrical potentials could be converted into electron volt of ion energy that resulted from changing the TWIM parameter setting. The results showed ion energy could be changed 1–9 eV when the parameter of TWIM was adjusted.
Coal desulfurization by bacteria

To meet federal air pollution guidelines, it is necessary to remove a considerable quantity of sulfur from many North American coals. This may be accomplished by oxidizing the sulfur to water soluble forms, followed by washing the coal. Selective oxidation of the various sulfur forms can be accomplished through the use of a variety of types of bacteria. In this paper, the various bacteria and their requirements are described, and processes using bacteria to remove coal sulfur are discussed.
Which author is which? Gender Authorship Position in Aquaculture Literature

ABSTRACT Examining authorship position in aquaculture facilitates an improved understanding of status of women in the discipline, as authorship is a critical factor in professional success. In a review of more than eight million papers in the JSTOR Corpus across disciplines, West et al. 2013 found that men predominate in the first and last author positions and women are underrepresented in single-authored papers. Other studies have assessed women authorship, and found that a gender gap in published literature persists. This study applies the large sample size and methodology of West et al. 2013 to the broad discipline of aquaculture, and compares these results to gender authorship in the International Aquaculture Curated Database (IACD) – a compilation of 543 peer-reviewed publications supported by four international aquaculture programs headquartered at Oregon State University -- and two curated databases in the JSTOR in the Web of Science. Results reveal that the percentage of women authors (13.8%) was similar for the JSTOR aquaculture subsample and the IACD (15.7%), yet significantly lower for that of the Web of Science database (3.7%). Women are not well represented any of the databases, and remain underrepresented as authors in any position in aquaculture journals. To contextualize our findings, we examined the number of women graduates in agricultural, biological, natural, and social sciences who earned degrees in the U.S. from 1991-2015. Results from the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics and the percent of female graduates in the IACD show that the percent of women graduates each year has increased with women representing more than 50% of graduates, providing contextualization for the proportion of women in the discipline. Learning how authorship has changed in the aquaculture discipline over the recent decades is critical for promoting gender equity for future aquaculture scholarship and the sustainability of the professional discipline.
Mobile App and Malware Classifications by Mobile Usage with Time Dynamics.

Smartphones have become a popular target for cyberattacks. Malware can be embedded into the mobile applications. Several techniques have been proposed to alleviate these problems. However, these solutions may perform experiments by using simulated data, or may require root system privileges, or did not take advantage of the discovered patterns to build more effective malware detection methods. In this paper, we use the SherLock data which is a labeled smartphone dataset that captures ongoing attacks within the low-privileged monitorable features. We analyze the usage behaviors, discover temporal and usage patterns, and further examine multiple classification techniques to predict the type and the running state (i.e., benign and malicious) of the mobile apps by using different combinations of feature sets. Our experiments identified the best feature sets and methods to detect malwares, and we demonstrate the usefulness of temporal information in the predictive analysis.
Sodium Appetite Induced by Sodium Depletion is Suppressed by Intracerebroventricular Captopril

We have previously shown1 that systemic captopril (CAP) has effects that implicate angiotensin II in the expression of sodium appetite induced by sodium depletion in the rat. In addition, that report suggested that it is angiotensin II (Ang II) in the brain that was important.
Metabolic tradeoffs and heterogeneity in microbial responses to temperature determine the fate of litter carbon in a warmer world

Abstract. Climate change has the potential to destabilize the Earth’s massive terrestrial carbon (C) stocks, but the degree to which models project this destabilization to occur depends on the kinds and complexities of microbial processes they simulate. Of particular note is carbon use efficiency (CUE), which determines the fraction of C processed by microbes that is anabolized into microbial biomass rather than being lost to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. The temperature sensitivity of CUE is often modeled as a homogeneous property of the community, which contrasts with empirical data and has unknown impacts on projected changes to the soil carbon cycle under global warming. We used the DEMENT model – which simulates taxon-level litter decomposition dynamics – to explore the effects of introducing organism-level heterogeneity into the CUE response to temperature for decomposition of leaf litter under 5 °C of warming. We found that allowing CUE temperature response to differ between taxa facilitated increased loss of litter C, unless fungal taxa were specifically restricted to decreasing CUE with temperature. Increased loss of litter C was observed when the growth of a larger microbial biomass pool was fueled by higher community-level average CUE at higher temperature in the heterogeneous microbial community, with effectively lower costs for extracellular enzyme production. Together these results implicate a role for diversity of taxon-level CUE responses in driving the fate of litter C in a warmer world.
Cockroaches, performance, and an audience: Reexamining social facilitation 50 years later

Abstract What are the underlying mechanisms driving social facilitation? Some social psychologists have proposed that social facilitation may be driven by basic mechanisms such as the level of arousal produced by the presence of an audience, while others have ascribed it to more socially and cognitively complex drivers such as a self-aware quest for social approval. In a now seminal study, Zajonc, Heingartner, and Herman (ZHH) (1969) demonstrated that the audience effect of social facilitation was exhibited in the Blatta orientalis cockroach: cockroaches were faster to complete a simple task (traversing a runway) when among other cockroaches than when alone, yet slower when the task was complex (traversing a maze). This finding suggested that arousal was a likely driver of social facilitation in the cockroach (since self-aware mechanisms were unlikely to apply). It also invited consideration of the possibility that arousal may be a contributing factor to social facilitation in humans. Despite ZHH's influence, a faithful direct replication has never been attempted. Such a replication is crucial in illuminating the underlying drivers of social facilitation.
Genetic Engineering: Don’t Dust Off the Slide Rule Just Yet

The “modern synthesis,” as explained by Ernst Mayr (1963) in classic Darwinian style, noted that “the diversity of organisms is reflective of a steady production of variation and the resultant of the selective effects of the environment.” Our phenotype, a complex resultant interacting system, is a product of natural selection; yet natural selection is not an all-or-none process but rather a statistical concept involving the interplay of isolation. Isolation contributes to speciation as a dual phenomenon—a separation of populations by environmental barriers and the maintenance of genetic integrity of gene pools by isolating mechanisms, including sexual reproductive barriers. Mutations (or their background occurrences) do not guide evolution because they may not always be viable and a recombination makes a much greater contribution—all this in the mix of a constantly changing environment (Mayr 1970). It is also understood that relatively few offspring of any species survive to reproduce. Charles Darwin understood that natural selection must occur because some species have a higher probability of surviving over other species and, on average, such survivors will then leave more offspring than other less adapted species. The key idea in this approach to community structure is that of a species niche. Species can coexist if they occupy different niches within the habitat. The word was first used by Grinnell (1917) when he noted that the structure and physiology of the Californian thrasher (Taxostoma redivivum) implies definite requirements from the environment that these requirements delimit the species niche. According to Moriarty (1983), Elton (1927) used the term niche to highlight an organism’s interaction with other species. Today, it is commonly used as a measure of the resources set that is used by a population. Figure 4.1 illustrates the use of one such resource, food, by a group of potentially competing species (Pianka 1976). The relative supply and demand indicate the severity of competition.
Diseases of the Scalp

Afro-ethnic hair is different from Caucasian and Asian hair and has unique features. The scalp and the hair of African American patients are more prone to certain conditions, and scalp disorders are among the most common dermatologic complaints.
Simulating alternative sustainable water futures

In the United States of America, urban areas of the arid Southwest are prone to drought risk and changing precipitation patterns; future water supplies are uncertain. A collaborative working group of researchers and practitioners developed alternative future scenarios for 2060—sustainable water futures—that incorporate standard and novel water-adaptation strategies for the Phoenix metropolitan area (hereafter “Phoenix”) in central Arizona, USA. The authors adapted WaterSim-6, a water policy and planning model, to explore differences in water demand and supply for three scenarios as influenced by (1) runoff from the rivers that supply surface water to Phoenix, (2) population growth, (3) water use efficiency, (4) annual rainfall, and (5) land-cover land-use changes. Centralized water-management strategies (direct and indirect potable water reuse and reclaimed supplies) and decentralized strategies (rainwater harvesting and greywater use) were explored. We observed decreased reliance on surface water supplies, offset by increased municipal groundwater pumping in the Strategic scenario, but by alternative water supplies (non-potable water sources including greywater, reclaimed water, and rainwater harvested) in the Desert Wetland and Almost Zero Waste (AZW) scenarios. Even under modest policy implementation and service-connection adoption rates associated with our Strategic scenario, by 2060 alternative supplies from non-potable sources could offset 30% or more of outdoor water demand. Aggressive policy implementations associated with the AZW scenario suggest that up to 80% of outdoor water demand could likewise be met. The WaterSim platform combined with co-produced future scenarios illuminates tradeoffs in support of decision making for long-term sustainability of a water-limited region.
Osteopathic Manipulation in the Management of Chronic Pain: Current Perspectives

Chronic pain is a common condition that often interferes with work or other activities. Guidelines support the use of non-pharmacological treatments, such as spinal manipulation, in patients with chronic pain. Osteopathic physicians in the United States are uniquely positioned to manage chronic pain because their professional philosophy embraces the biopsychosocial model and they are trained in the use of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) to complement conventional medical care. This narrative review provides current perspectives on the osteopathic approach to chronic pain management, including evidence for the efficacy of OMT based on systematic searches of the biomedical literature and the ClinicalTrials.gov database. Men, persons with low levels of education, and non-White and Hispanic patients are significantly less likely to have received OMT during their lifetime. Patients with low back and neck pain are most likely to be treated with OMT, and osteopathic manipulative medicine specialty physicians and family medicine physicians most often use OMT. However, many osteopathic physicians report using OMT infrequently. Although OMT is considered safe, based on millions of patient encounters over more than a century, there is limited evidence on its efficacy in treating chronic pain. The lone exception involves chronic low back pain, wherein there is evidence from systematic reviews, a large clinical trial, and observational studies. There is lesser evidence to support cost effectiveness and patient satisfaction associated with OMT for chronic pain. The only clinical practice guideline established by the American Osteopathic Association recommends that OMT should be used to treat chronic low back pain in patients with somatic dysfunction. Given the philosophy of osteopathic medicine, universal training of osteopathic physicians to use OMT, and national guidelines supporting non-pharmacological treatments for chronic pain, it is unclear why OMT use is reported to be remarkably low in physician surveys.
Nanomaterials and Human Health: An Overview

With the advent of nanotechnology in commercial products, the risk of exposure of nanomaterials to humans and the environment is increasing at an accelerating rate. The impact of nanomaterials on humans is complex and not yet fully understood. A comprehensive understanding of the adverse effect of long-term exposure to nanomaterials on humans is warranted, and a balance between benefits and risks is required before nanomaterials are unleashed in large quantities as a part of commercial products. Most data on the consequences of nanomaterial exposure are obtained using in vitro and in vivo studies using animal models. The risk to human health is implied by these studies. In this chapter, the possible methods of exposure of humans to nanomaterials, the effect of some frequently used nanomaterials on human cells, and animal models are discussed. The primary methods of exposure to nanomaterials include oral, dermal, intravenous, and inhalation. The route of exposure can cause variation in the adverse effect on the human health. Nanomaterials elicit different negative effects/damage repair pathways depending on the type of cell, and the toxicity may vary vastly based on the type of nanomaterial. Also, the psychochemical parameters of nanomaterials such as size, shape, functionalization, and defects as well as the gender of the person can significantly alter the adverse effect on biological entities.
Nutrient Digestibility of Reduced-Soybean-Meal Diets Containing Moringa or Leucaena Leaf Meals for Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

Vegetable leaf meals are cheaper feed ingredients than soybean meal (SBM) in developing countries, and leaf meals are less important as human food. We evaluated the nutrient digestibility of practical diets containing reduced levels of SBM in combination with leaf meals made from Moringa oleifera and Leucaena leucocephala in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. Five isonitrogenous diets (32% crude protein) were made: the control diet contained 50% SBM, and the test diets were made by substituting 15 or 30% of SBM protein with either Moringa or Leucaena. Dry matter, protein, and lipid digestibility decreased with increasing Moringa or Leucaena in the diet. Protein and lipid digestibility were high across diets (75–90%). Ash digestibility of the control diet was similar to that of both Moringa diets, while the ash digestibility of the Leucaena diets was lower than other diets. Overall, nutrient digestibilities of Moringa diets exceeded those of Leucaena diets. Dry matter, protein, and lipid digestibilities decreased with increasing dietary fiber, which increased with increasing leaf meals. Ash digestibility was generally low for all diets. Better digestibility of practical diets containing Moringa compared to Leucaena indicates greater potential for Moringa to replace SBM in Nile tilapia diets without compromising fish performance.
Polymer films on electrodes: Part XVIII. Determination of heterogeneous electron transfer kinetics at poly(vinylferrocene) and nafion/Ru(bpy)2+3 polymer-modified electrodes by convolution voltammetry

Abstract Convolution voltammetry was used to evaluate the rates of heterogeneous charge transfer to ferrocene groups in poly(vinylferrocene) and to Ru(bpy) 2+ 3 in Nafion-modified electrodes under semi-infinite conditions. This technique allows correction for uncompensated resistance and double layer capacitance, as well as detrmination of the diffusion coefficient, D , transfer coefficient, α, and half-wave potential, E 1/2 , from a single cyclic voltammogram. Vinylferrocene in solution and a bound copolymer of vinylferrocene and styrene in a ratio of 58:42 were also examined. For the polymer films, the heterogeneous charge transfer rate constants, k °, are 10 −4 ≥ k ° ≥ 10 −5 cm/s; these values are about two order of magnitude smaller than those for the similar species in homogeneous solution. The values of k °/ D 1/2 , however, are comparable to those in soluton; 10 > ( k °/ D 1/2 ) > 0.1 s −1/2 .
Multimodal integration of disparate information sources with attribution

In this paper, we describe results from a preliminary effort to better understand issues of attribution that arise from the application of knowledge-based systems to the blending of structured querying and document retrieval over disparate (heterogeneous, distributed) information sources. The term multimodal integration is introduced to refer to such a blending of structured querying and document retrieval.
Multiple local kernel integrated feature selection for image classification

Feature redundancy and loss of local feature are central problems for image classification. Feature selection decreases the feature redundancy by choosing a subset of features and eliminating those with low prediction. The local feature representation is able to highlight objects in an image, thus, overcoming the drawbacks of global features. This paper presents a new method, called the local kernel for feature selection, which integrates a local kernel of the segmentation regions into feature selection to provide improved image classification, by means of the region-based image distance integrated into the kernel of the Bayesian classifier. The proposed method is tested on two standard image databases and the classification results are higher than the current feature selection and classification methods.