cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The bioinvasion of Guam: inferring geographic origin, pace, pattern and process of an invasive lizard (Carlia) in the Pacific using multi-locus genomic data

Invasive species often have dramatic negative effects that lead to the deterioration and loss of biodiversity frequently coupled with the burden of expensive biocontrol programs and subversion of socioeconomic stability. The fauna and flora of oceanic islands are particularly susceptible to invasive species and the increase of global movements of humans and their products since WW II has caused numerous anthropogenic translocations and increased the ills of human-mediated invasions. We use a multi-locus genomic dataset to identify geographic origin, pace, pattern and historical process of an invasive scincid lizard (Carlia) that has been inadvertently introduced to Guam, the Northern Marianas, and Palau. This lizard is of major importance as its introduction is thought to have assisted in the establishment of the invasive brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) on Guam by providing a food resource. Our findings demonstrate multiple waves of introductions that appear to be concordant with movements of Allied and Imperial Japanese forces in the Pacific during World War II.
A knowledge-based systems engineering tool for global design tradeoffs

Exploring tradeoffs is the main activity in design. Therefore, a design environment must assist designers in building software models that can be used in tradeoff studies. The importance of integrating models, providing communication among sets of models, and verifying the correctness and scope of the models are described. The VEHICLES design environment, which is built to support the design of space systems and exemplifies a knowledge-based approach to satisfying these requirements on a design environment, is presented. >
3D object watermarking by a 3D hidden object

In this paper we present a method to watermark a 3D object with another hidden 3D object using digital holography. The watermark or the hidden information is a 3D object that is embedded in the digital hologram of a 3D host object. The digital holograms are obtained optically by phase shift interferometery. The hologram of the hidden 3D object is double phase encoded before embedding it to the host 3D object hologram. Then, the watermarked hologram is double phase encoded again using different set of codes. The resultant watermarked hologram is very secure because of the multi-key nature of the watermarking process. We discuss the effect of distortion caused by hologram quantization and occlusion of some of the hologram pixels. We present tests to illustrate the effect of using a window of the hologram to reconstruct the hidden 3D object and the host 3D object. Both mathematical analysis and simulations are presented to illustrate the system performance. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of embedding a 3D objects within another 3D object.
The Evolution of Mindfulness-Based Physical Interventions in Breast Cancer Survivors

Survivors of breast cancer are faced with a multitude of medical and psychological impairments during and after treatment and throughout their lifespan. Physical exercise has been shown to improve survival and recurrence in this population. Mind-body interventions combine a light-moderate intensity physical exercise with mindfulness, thus having the potential to improve both physical and psychological sequelae of breast cancer treatments. We conducted a review of mindfulness-based physical exercise interventions which included yoga, tai chi chuan, Pilates, and qigong, in breast cancer survivors. Among the mindfulness-based interventions, yoga was significantly more studied in this population as compared to tai chi chuan, Pilates, and qigong. The participants and the outcomes of the majority of the studies reviewed were heterogeneous, and the population included was generally not selected for symptoms. Yoga was shown to improve fatigue in a few methodologically strong studies, providing reasonable evidence for benefit in this population. Improvements were also seen in sleep, anxiety, depression, distress, quality of life, and postchemotherapy nausea and vomiting in the yoga studies. Tai chi chuan, Pilates, and qigong were not studied sufficiently in breast cancer survivors in order to be implemented in clinical practice.
Digital PWM controller with feed-forward compensation

This paper describes a complete digital PWM controller IC with feed-forward compensation of the input voltage. The feed-forward compensation is accomplished through a delay-line digital pulse-width modulator (DPWM) where the cell delay is made inversely proportional to the input voltage. The complete digital controller IC with the feed-forward DPWM operating at 1 MHz switching frequency can be used in a range of DC-DC applications. In particular, with low power consumption, small silicon area (less than 0.25 mm/sup 2/ in a standard 0.5 /spl mu/ CMOS process) and a programmable compensator requiring no external passive components, the controller is targeted to DC-DC conversion applications in low-power battery-operated electronics. Experimental results are presented for the feedforward DPWM and mixed signal simulations show the validity of the complete digital PWM controller chip.
Adjusting for Screening History in Epidemiologic Studies of Cancer: Why, When, and How to Do It

In epidemiologic studies of cancer, differences between exposed and nonexposed persons with regard to a history of cancer screening during the time the malignancy (or an antecedent lesion) typically is present prior to diagnosis can be a source of confounding if one of the following conditions is present: (1) the screening modality identifies premalignant changes whose treatment has the potential to prevent the cancer from developing; or (2) the number of cases included in the study would have been smaller but for the presence of screening. These situations occur commonly, arguing that consideration be given to screening history in the design (with attention to distinguishing true screening tests from those administered to persons with signs or symptoms of cancer) and analysis of epidemiologic studies of those cancers for which screening modalities are in use in the study population.
Dynamic Pricing Strategies for Maximizing Customer Satisfaction

Accountants are often asked for advice on pricing products, and their input is often quite helpful and necessary. Accountants, however, are very likely to focus on costs when trying to advise management on appropriate pricing strategies. Economists might focus on rules for maximizing short-run profits, i.e., set marginal revenue equal to marginal cost. This is because economists are more interested in studying the demand-curve for a product than in focusing on the actual costs; they are concerned with using demand (marginal revenue is derived from the demand curve) to determine the optimum price. Marketing executives, on the other hand, are more likely to focus on the different consumer segments since marketers are attuned to the idea of market segmentation. Market segmentation involves dividing the market into distinct groups of customers, each with their own needs, and considering each as a possible target market. The firm will then decide which segments to target and will provide the selected target markets with different products and/or different marketing mixes. Each of these approaches are valuable in pricing.The purpose of this paper is to introduce accountants to ideas from marketing and economics that can be quite helpful in determining the ideal price to charge for a product or service.
Interpreting Change Scores of Tests and Measures Used in Physical Therapy

Over the past decade, the methods and science used to describe changes in outcomes of physical therapy services have become more refined. Recently, emphasis has been placed not only on changes beyond expected measurement error, but also on the identification of changes that make a real difference in the lives of patients and families. This article will highlight a case example of how to determine and interpret "clinically significant change" from both of these perspectives. The authors also examine how to use item maps within an item response theory model to enhance the interpretation of change at a content level. Recommendations are provided for physical therapists who are interpreting changes in the context of clinical practice, case reports, and intervention research. These recommendations include a greater application of indexes that help interpret the meaning of clinically significant change to multiple clinical, research, consumer, and payer communities.
Valuation of Government Policies and Projects

Governments play a central role in the allocation of capital and risk in the economy. Evaluating the cost to taxpayers of government investments requires an assumption about the government’s cost of capital. Governments often take their borrowing rate to be their cost of capital, which implicitly treats the market risk associated with their activities as having no cost to taxpayers. This article reviews the theoretical and practical rationale for treating market risk as a cost to governments, presents an interpretive review of the growing literature that applies the concepts and tools of modern finance to evaluating the costs of government policies and projects, and suggests directions for future research. Examples considered include deposit insurance, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Federal Reserve’s emergency lending facilities, student loans, real infrastructure investments, and public pension plans.
On the Importance of Attribution Theory in Political Psychology

Attribution theory, which was initially applied to the study of academic achievement, has generated a large amount of research in psychology. Judgments of causal responsibility, an important facet of attributions, have since been studied in a variety of other contexts, revealing that they pervade our understandingofthesocialworld.Thepresent paperconsidersthemanywaysinwhichcausaljudgments, particularlyattributionsofresponsibility,in! uencepoliticallife.Examiningscholarshipprimarilyfromthe " eldsof psychology, political science, and sociology,I discuss how perceptions ofresponsibility are linked to ideology and how they in! uence policy attitudes (welfare, af" rmative action, abortion, gay rights) and perceptions of international con! ict (beliefs about terrorism and war). An argument is made for increased communication among " elds and a more systematic application of attributional models to the study of political judgments.
Propagation of ultra-wide-band electromagnetic pulses through dispersive media

We develop an efficient method for the analysis of ultra-wide-band (UWB) electromagnetic pulses (e.g., double-exponential pulse) propagating through a waveguide or cold plasma (i.e., the ionosphere). First we show that the inverse Fourier-transform representations for the electric and magnetic fields satisfy second order, nonhomogeneous, ordinary, differential equations. These differential equations are solved analytically, thereby yielding closed-form expressions involving incomplete Lipschitz-Hankel integrals (ILHIs). The ILHIs are computed using efficient convergent and asymptotic series expansions. We demonstrate the usefulness of the ILHI expressions by comparing them with the fast Fourier-transform technique (FFT). Because of the long tails associated with UWB pulses, a large number of sample points are required in the FFT, to avoid aliasing errors. In contrast, the ILHI expressions provide accurate and efficient numerical results, regardless of the number of points computed. An asymptotic series representation for the ILHIs is also employed, to obtain a relatively simple, late-time approximation for the transient fields. This approximate late-time expression is shown to accurately model the waveform over a large portion of its time history. >
Effect of Excipient and Processing Variables on Adhesive Properties and Release Profile of Pentoxifylline From Mucoadhesive Tablets

The bioavailability and onset of action of drugs with high first-pass metabolism can be significantly improved by administration via the sublingual route. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of polymer type and tablet compaction parameters on the adhesive properties and drug release profile from mucoadhesive sublingual tablet formulations. Pentoxifylline was selected as the model drug because it has poor oral bioavailability due to extensive first-pass metabolism. Two polymers known to possess mucoadhesive properties, carbomer and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), were used to prepare the formulations. Tablets were prepared by using direct compression technique and evaluated for in vitro dissolution, drug-excipient interactions, and adhesive properties. In general, there was a decrease in the rate of drug release with an increase in the concentration of polymers. No drug-excipient interactions were evident from differential scanning calorimetry or high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. For the formulations containing HPMC, the force of mucoadhesion increased with an increase in the concentration of polymer; however, for carbomer formulations, no such correlation was observed. Force of mucoadhesion decreased as a function of hydration time in both of the polymers.
Development of Host Range Mutants of Xanthomonas campestris pv. translucens

Xanthomonas campestris pv. translucens is the causal agent of bacterial leaf streak of cereal grains and grasses, and individual strains within the pathovar differ in their host range among the cereals. Coinoculation of a wide-host-range and a narrow-host-range strain resulted in the wide-host-range reaction. Transposon and chemical mutagenesis of the wide-host-range strain Xct4, pathogenic on barley, wheat, rye, and triticale, resulted in variants with reduced host range. When pathogenicity was inactivated independently for barley, wheat, triticale, and rye, wild-type symptoms were retained on the other members in the host range. Testing of some host range mutants on additional varieties of the cereals indicated some cultivar specificity. In addition, mutants nonpathogenic on combinations of the hosts or on all hosts were isolated. This suggests that there are independent positive factors determining host range in this species, rather than an avirulence gene system such as those determining race specificity in other plant pathogens. Images
The effects of job demands and control on employee attendance and satisfaction

We examined the impact of stressful job demands on employee attitudes and attendance. Using Karasek's (1979) theory of job decision latitude as the conceptual foundation, we hypothesized that mental and physical work demands would interact with employee beliefs of personal control. Survey data from 90 male manufacturing employees regarding their control beliefs were combined with objective job analysis data concerning mental and physical demands and one year's worth of archival data regarding unexcused absences, sick days, and days tardy. There were significant interactions between control and objective psychological demands that indicated that these demands were associated with higher levels of tardiness and sick days only under conditions of low perceived control. In contrast, subjective workload ratings showed no relationship with tardiness and sick days, but, in interaction with control, predicted work satisfaction and voluntary absence. We discussed these results in terms of a stress process that affects health-related attendance independent of employee attitudes.
Complexity of Data Collection, Aggregation, and Selection for Wireless Sensor Networks

Processing the gathered information efficiently is a key functionality for wireless sensor networks. In this paper, we study the time complexity, message complexity (number of messages used by all nodes), and energy cost complexity (total energy used by all nodes for transmitting messages) of some tasks, such as data collection (collecting raw data of all nodes to a sink), data aggregation (computing the aggregated value of data of all nodes), and queries for a multihop wireless sensor network of n nodes. We first present a lower bound on the complexity for the optimal methods, and then, for most of the tasks studied in this paper, we provide an (asymptotically matching) upper bound on the complexity by presenting efficient distributed algorithms to solve these problems.
Algebraically generalized recursive function theory

The Uniformly Reflexive Structure (URS) introduced by E. G. Wagner is, for this paper, a nonassociative algebra consisting of a domain and a binary operation satisfying the following axioms: 0. (∃*)(∀a)[aċ* = * ċ a = *]; 1. (∃ψ)(∀a, b, c, d)[ψ ≠ * & ((a ≠ * & b ≠ * & c ≠ * & d ≠ *) → ((a = d &(((ψ ċ a)ċb)ċc)ċd = b) or (a ≠ d & (((ψ ċ a)ċb)ċc)ċd = c)))]; and 2. (∃α)(∀b, c, d)[α ≠ ψ ((b ≠ * & c ≠ * & d ≠ *) → ((α ċ b)ċ c ≠ * & ((α ċ b)ċ c)ċ d = (b ċ d)ċ(c ċ d)))]. Wagner showed that these structures generalize much of Recursive Function Theory (RFT). In this paper the functions "computed" by a URS are the functions given by left multiplications by elements of the URS. A family of functions is said to form a URS if it is the family of left multiplications of some URS. Axioms for Basic Recursive Function Theory are given characterizing those families of functions which form URS's. The Partial Metarecursive Functions and the Computable Functionals of McCarthy are shown to form URS's. An investigation of notions analogous to the "recursively enumerable" notion in RFT shows that if any splinter ("successor set") of a URS is semicomputable, then all are, A partial analogue to the Rice-Myhill-Shapiro Theorem is proved for URS's satisfying an axiom corresponding to Kleene's "indefinite description." Finally, a study of pairing functions leads to work analogous to Rogers' on Godel numberings and generalizes similar work of Wagner.
Corrugated-sidewall distributed-feedback interband cascade lasers emitting high single-mode powers

We report corrugated-sidewall distributed-feedback interband cascade lasers that produce 45 mW of cw power in a single spectral mode at -20oC, with maximum wall-plug efficiency of 7.6%. The current tuning range (0-25oC) is 11 nm.
Measuring Household Work: Recent Experience in the United States

Abstract There is evidence to indicate that the amount of time spent on household work in the United States is decreasing and that the division of work among household members is changing. However, involvement in household work is rarely measured in surveys, and when it is measured, there is reason to question the reliability and validity of the measures used. This paper describes the ways in which household work has been measured and compares results obtained using different approaches to data collection. Our analysis indicates that direct questions on the amount of time spent doing housework tend to overestimate the time spent when compared with time diaries. We conclude that methodologically oriented research designed to create reliable and valid measures of involvement in household work for inclusion in surveys is needed.
Generalized ellipsoidal and sphero-conal harmonics.

Classical ellipsoidal and sphero-conal harmonics are polynomial solutions of the Laplace equation that can be expressed in terms of Lame polynomials. Generalized ellipsoidal and sphero-conal harmonics are polynomial solutions of the more general Dunkl equation that can be expressed in terms of Stieltjes polynomials. Niven's formula connec- ting ellipsoidal and sphero-conal harmonics is generalized. Moreover, generalized ellipsoidal harmonics are applied to solve the Dirichlet problem for Dunkl's equation on ellipsoids.
Changes in hyoid bone position following rapid maxillary expansion in adolescents.

Abstract Objective: To examine changes in hyoid to mandibular plane distance (H-MP) and tongue length (TL) between children who had orthodontic treatment with and without rapid maxillary expansion (RME). Materials and Methods: Lateral and frontal cephalograms of 138 patients treated with RME and 148 controls treated without RME were used to measure pretreatment (T1) and posttreatment (T2) intermolar (IM) distance, lateronasal width (LNW), H-MP, and TL. Medical histories were used to collect demographic information, history of mouth breathing, difficulty breathing through the nose, and previous adenotonsillectomy. Groups were group-matched for age and gender. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Group means were compared using t-tests and chi-square statistics. Reliability was estimated using intraclass correlations and kappa statistics. Statistical significance was set at P < .05. Results: At T1, the RME group showed smaller LNW (24.83 ± 1.99 vs 26.18 ± 2.05) and IM (50.17 ± 2.3 vs 51.58 ± 2.83). The d...
MISSISSIPPIAN (EARLY OSAGEAN) CAVE RUN LAKE AMMONOID FAUNA, BORDEN FORMATION, NORTHEASTERN KENTUCKY

Abstract The Mississippian ammonoids Kazakhstania mangeri new species, Muensteroceras cf. oweni (Hall, 1860), and Masonoceras kentuckiense Work and Manger, 2002 occur near the base of the Nancy Member of the Borden Formation in northeastern Kentucky. Associated conodonts indicate an early Osagean [Fern Glen or lower Burlington (Dolbee Creek Member) equivalent] age corresponding to the lower Ivorian Stage of the Belgian upper Tournaisian succession.
Mini-Channel Supercritical CO2 Heat Transfer Measurements for Brayton Cycle Regenerators

Recently, it has become increasingly important to improve efficiency and reduce capital costs in nuclear power plants. This prompted significant work in studying advanced Brayton cycles for high temperature energy conversion. A particular improvement in the operation of an advanced carbon dioxide cycle, is the use of compact, highly efficient, diffusion bonded heat exchangers for the recuperators. These heat exchangers operate near the pseudo-critical point of liquid carbon dioxide, making use of the drastic variation of the thermo-physical properties. This paper focuses on the experimental measurements of heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics within mini-channels. Two test section channel geometries are studied: a straight channel and a zig-zag channel. Both configurations are 0.5m in length and constructed out of 316 stainless steel with a series of nine parallel 1.9mm semi-circular channels. The zig-zag configuration has an angle of 115 degrees with an effective length of ∼0.58m. Heat transfer measurements are conducted for varying ranges of inlet temperatures, pressures, and mass flow rates. Local and average heat transfer coefficients near the critical point are determined from measured wall temperatures and calculated local bulk temperatures.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Comparison of Leaf Sequencing Techniques: Dynamic vs. Multiple Static Segments

Static and dynamic multileaf collimation have been so far identified as two fundementally different methods of intensity modulation in radiotherapy. In multiple static collimation, the desired fluence is deposited using two steps: In the first step, the leaves (and the backup diaphragms if available) are moved to create the desired field, but no radiation is delivered in this step. In the second step, the beam is turned on, but no leaf motion occurs. This process is repeated for each static field until the desired fluence deposition has been obtained. This type of delivery has been chiefly used for the delivery of plans with constant fluence levels over several contiguous bixels.
Munc13 and Associated Molecules

UNC-13 and its homologs are large multidomain presynaptic proteins required for the priming of synaptic vesicles at active zones. Priming is mediated by the formation of trans -SNARE complexes of synaptobrevin, SNAP-25, and syntaxin. Here we review evidence implicating UNC-13/Munc13 in vesicle priming via interactions with SNARE proteins. Furthermore, we discuss how UNC-13/Munc13 itself might be regulated through diacglycerol binding, phosphorylation, Ca 2 + /calmodulin, ubiquitination, and diffusion/translocation to set the size of readily releasable pool and probability of release of vesicles at release sites.
Manejo de los embalses del río Colorado

La frontera entre Mexico y Estados Unidos constituye una zona de problemas compartidos para ambos paises. Entre los cauces de agua comunes destaca el sistema del rio Colorado, cuya utilidad beneficia a multitud de personas, sobre todo si se considera su ubicacion en un area desertica, donde el recurso hidraulico tiene un alto valor eco- nomico. La intensa competencia por el agua del rio ha planteado la necesidad de llegar a acuerdos entre ambos paises, iniciados desde 1944. En este articulo se revisan la historia del control del rio Colorado y las caracteristicas del almacenamiento del embalse -salinidad y nutrientes. Se presenta un analisis, de algunos de los principales aspectos de la calidad del agua y se aborda tambien el papel que juegan los embalses en el manejo de dicha calidad.
Time-Varying Effects of Academic and Social Integration on Student Persistence for First and Second Years in College: National Data Approach

While a myriad of studies focused on the first-year student retention, less known is what happens to students during their second year in college. Coupled with the most recent national data, this study investigated the effects of student and institutional characteristics on first- and second-year student persistence behavior. In particular, this study examined time-varying effects of certain factors, such as academic and social integration on student retention. The study data included 7,571 first-time freshman students enrolled in public and private 4-year institutions. Using multilevel logistic regression, study findings suggest that academic integration was only effective to retaining students for the first year and was ineffective to promote second-year student persistence.
Biological variation of rabbit chondrocyte 5'nucleotidase

The activity of 5'nucleotidase was investigated in rabbit chondrocytes. Studies of chondrocytes in organ culture and intact cells revealed that ecto-5'nucleotidase activity varies with the age of the animal. Specific activities of 0.29, 0.62, 1.97, and 1.39 mumole/hr/10(6) cells were observed in intact cells from 3-week-, 3-month-, 6-month-, and 2-year-old animals. Specific activities of 15.5, 33.1, 80.3, and 39.5 mumole/hr/mg protein, respectively, were observed when the enzyme protein was solubilized from disrupted cells with the detergent octyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside. Membrane-bound nonspecific neutral phosphatase activity did not vary with age. Activity of 5'nucleotidase was observed on all chondrocytes using a histochemical staining technique. Kinetic properties of the enzyme from animals of different ages were investigated. No differences were noted in apparent Km value for AMP (23 microM), pH optima (7.3), substrate competition studies, and effects of MgCl2 or CaCl2. These data demonstrate a biological variation in rabbit chondrocyte 5'nucleotidase activity with age. The variation of activity represents an apparent increase in the amount of enzyme protein rather than an alteration in kinetic properties.
Quantitative EEG, Cognitive Deficits, and BECTS

Researchers at Pontificia Universidade Catolica, Campinas, Brazil studied the relationship between educational problems and clinical/EEG aspects of benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) in 38 children, ages 8 to 11 years (average age 9.29 +/- 1.27).
A preliminary discourse analysis of constructivist-oriented mathematics instruction for a student with learning disabilities

ABSTRACTReform efforts in mathematics education arose, in part, in response to constructivist works on conceptual learning. However, little research has examined how students with learning disabilities (LD) respond to constructivist-oriented instruction in mathematics, particularly in moment-to-moment interactions. To understand the nature of constructivist-oriented mathematics instruction involving students with LD, the authors conducted a case study to analyze teacher–student interactions during constructivist-oriented small group instruction involving a student with LD. The student demonstrated, to a certain degree, the ability to reason mathematically when provided with appropriate opportunities and prompting. However, given the limited intervention time, his reasoning and problem solving did not seem to go beyond the semiconcrete level of operation, which may have inhibited his solving of complex word problems with large numbers. Findings indicate that more efforts are needed to support students, tho...
Pundonor calderoniano en Hispanoámerica : (con ilustración en Crónica de una muerte anunciada de García Márquez)

El tema del articulo es atemporal, fuera de cualquier limite del tiempo, porque trata el concepto de honor en el mundo hispanico, ilustrandolo con ejemplos literarios. El autor dedica su especial atencion a la novela de Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Cronica de una muerte anunciada, cuyo tema principal es justamente el concepto de honor en el mundo hispanoamericano. Zimic se acerca al dicho tema desde la perspectiva historica buscando las raices en el Siglo de Oro espanol, sobre todo en la obra Calderon de la Barca.
Renal reabsorption of phosphate during development: transport kinetics in BBMV

The mechanism responsible for enhanced reabsorption of phosphate (Pi) in growing animals was assessed in renal brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMV) prepared from 3- to 14-day-old and greater than 57-day-old guinea pigs. On standard diet, Vmax (pmol.mg-1.s-1) of Na+-Pi cotransport was higher (P less than 0.001) in newborn (650 +/- 77) than in adult (144 +/- 17) but Vmax of Na+-glucose cotransport did not differ with age. Low dietary Pi did not affect significantly Vmax of Na+-Pi cotransport in the newborn (P greater than 0.8) but increased it in the adult (to 318 +/- 32, P less than 0.05). A high Pi intake resulted in a smaller relative decrease in Vmax in the newborn than in the adult (27 vs. 44%, P less than 0.05). In the newborn, the serum Pi (mM) decreased on a low-Pi diet (from 1.8 +/- 0.1 to 0.8 +/- 0.1, P less than 0.001) and rose by twofold on the high-Pi diet (to 3.5 +/- 0.2, P less than 0.001). In the adult, there were no significant changes in serum Pi with changes in Pi intake (P greater than 0.5). Thus in the newborn the Na+-Pi cotransport system is characterized by high transport capacity but low adaptability to changes in dietary Pi.
Layered Xerogel Films Incorporating Monolayer-Protected Cluster Networks on Platinum-Black-Modified Electrodes for Enhanced Sensitivity in First-Generation Uric Acid Biosensing

Amperometric uric acid (UA) biosensing schemes incorporating networks of alkanethiolate-protected gold nanoparticles, monolayer protected clusters (MPCs), and platinum black (Pt-B) electrode modification through the layer-by-layer construction of xerogels are investigated. MPC doping and Pt-B augmentation are implemented within hydroxymethyltriethoxysilane xerogel bilayers at platinum electrodes. The first xerogel adlayer is doped with an MPC network and houses uricase for the enzymatic reaction required for first-generation schemes. Polyluminol–aniline and polyurethane are used as selective/stabilizing interfacial layers. The sensing performance with and without Pt-B and/or MPC doping is assessed by amperometry with standardized UA injections. The use of each individual material results in an enhancement of UA sensitivity compared with analogous films without these materials. The use of Pt-B and MPC doping in concert results in a biosensor design with the highest observed UA sensitivity (0.97 μA mm−1) and fast, linear responses over physiologically relevant UA concentrations. Enhancement is attributed to Pt-B providing increased electrode surface area and integration into the xerogel for greater electronic coupling of the MPC network and more efficient reporting of H2O2 oxidation. The findings have implications for advancing clinical in vivo sensing devices that require scalability or additional biocompatibility layering, both of which would benefit from signal enhancement strategies.
Creating converged trace schedules using string matching

We focus on generating efficient software pipelined schedules for in-order machines, which we call converged trace schedules. For a candidate loop, we form a string of trace block identifiers by hashing together addresses of aggressively scheduled instructions from multiple iterations of a loop. In this process, the loop is unrolled and scheduled until we identify a repeating pattern in the string. Instructions corresponding to this repeating pattern form the kernel for our software pipelined schedule. We evaluate this approach to create aggressive schedules by using it in dynamic hardware and software optimization systems for an in-order architecture.
Optical Shutters Using Microchannel Plate (MCP) Intensifier Tubes

Optical shutters with exposure times approaching 1 ns have been achieved by gating either the photocathode or the microchannel plate of 18-mm proximity-focused microchannel plate intensifier tubes. We present measurements of the shutter performance, including the total optical gate, uniformity vs time, resolution, linearity, and dynamic range, for a number of intensifier tubes under various types of pulsing configurations. Properties of intensifier tubes related to fast gating and limitations on the gating speed imposed by the intensifier tube geometry are discussed. We also give results with a specially modified intensifier in which all but a 3 mm x 18 mm portion of the photocathode was masked off by an opaque metallic undercoating, along with preliminary results of gating third-generation (GaAs photocathode) intensifier tubes. A characterization procedure used to evaluate the performance of each optical shutter is discussed, along with a review of fast electrical pulsers suitable for gating intensifier tubes.
School environments and obesity: The mediating role of personal stress.

Background Youth spend a large amount of time in the school environment. Given the multiple influences of teachers, peers, and food and physical activity options, youth are likely to experience stressors that can influence their weight. This study examines the association between school climate and weight status. Method Students (n = 28,582; 58 schools) completed an online, anonymous school climate survey as part of the Maryland Safe and Supportive Schools Project. Multilevel structural equation modeling was used to explore the association between school climate, personal stress, and obesity. Analyses were stratified by gender. Results At the individual level, poor school climate (bullying, physical safety, and lack of whole-school connectedness) was associated with an increased likelihood of being overweight among females (β =.115, p = .019) but not males (β = .138; p =.244), after controlling for age, race, and physical activity. There was no association between school climate at the school level and being overweight among males or females. A second model included stress as a potential mediator; stress attenuated the relationship between poor school-related climate and being overweight (β = .039; p = .048) among females. Conclusion Findings suggest that stress related to school climate can play a role in the health and weight status of youth.
Iterative solution to bulk wave propagation in polycrystalline materials.

This article reevaluates two foundational models for bulk ultrasonic wave propagation in polycrystals. A decoupling of real and imaginary parts of the effective wave number permits a simple iterative method to obtain longitudinal and shear wave attenuation constants and phase velocity relations. The zeroth-order solution is that of Weaver [J. Mech. Phys. Solids 38, 55–86 (1990)]. Continued iteration converges to the unified theory solution of Stanke and Kino [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 75, 665–681 (1984)]. The converged solution is valid for all frequencies. The iterative method mitigates the need to solve a nonlinear, complex-valued system of equations, which makes the models more robust and accessible to researchers. An analysis of the variation between the solutions is conducted and is shown to be proportional to the degree of inhomogeneity in the polycrystal.
Sperm DNA fragmentation: indication and uses.

If you really think about it, the microscopic portion of conventional sperm analysis relies on the same principles of light microscopy that have been present since Antony van Leeuwenhoek first saw sperm cells in the 17th century. Cell counts, motility, and cellular beauty (based on our idea of an ideal sperm) guide us on a daily basis.
Differential translation: A proposed strategy for translating polysemous language in German philosophy

Translators of German philosophy into English must often choose whether to express concrete or abstract meanings for polysemous German keywords. This article discusses “differential translation,” a widely underestimated strategy for representing polysemous words in translation. Disavowing both untranslatability and the necessity of terminological equivalence, this strategy integrates signs of polysemy into the reading experience by presenting foreign keywords in brackets after their differing, context-dependent meanings. The article discusses how translators have already responded and how they might respond even more constructively to passages where Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, and Hans Blumenberg, respectively, choose words that link abstractions to images: by presenting existence as both foundational and ground-like (grundlich), time as both fluctuating and fluid (stromend), and common sense as both obvious and nearby (naheliegend). Encountering differentially translated texts would challenge future scholars to evaluate the unity of the concepts behind the words.
Current Approaches in Producing Oil and Biodiesel from Microalgal Biomass

Alternative biofuel sources, such as biodiesel, produced from nontoxic, biodegradable, and renewable materials are currently attracting great interest given the growing global energy demand. Microalgae are an exceptional biofuel source due to their potential for generating significant quantities of biomass and oil and for combining their production with environmental technologies such as wastewater treatment. Technologies for producing biodiesel from microalgae have been widely studied, especially increasing the lipid content in the cell, strain selection, lipid extraction, and transesterification methods and innovations that use wet biomass for extraction, which reduces the environmental impact and production cost. These aspects are explored in this chapter to identify the different production methods and technologies under development for expanding biodiesel production from microalgae.
Emerging Self-identities and Emotion in Foreign Language Learning: A Narrative-oriented Approach, by Miyahara, M.: (2015). Bristol, England: Multilingual Matters. 216 pp. $139.95 (hardcover); $25 (Kindle). ISBN: 9781783093816; 9781783093830

L2 identity has increasingly attracted researchers because of the intricately intertwined relationship between additional language learning and identity (Alsagoff, 2012; Norton, 2013; Ricento, 2005...
Contemporary Russian cinema: symbols of a new era

Vlad Strukov devotes his monograph to the Putin period of Russian film: 1999 to the recent years of the 2010s. These years, as Strukov writes, are marked by the revival of imperial vertical structu...
Intensive immunosuppression with antithymocyte globulin and cyclosporine as treatment for severe acquired aplastic anemia

Immunosuppressive therapy can produce hematologic improvement in a large proportion of patients with severe aplastic anemia. Antithymocyte globulin (ATG) is the current treatment of choice for patients who do not have histocompatible sibling donors or who are otherwise inegligible for allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. About 50% of patients respond to an initial course of ATG, and many nonresponders can be salvaged by subsequent treatment with cyclosporine (CsA). To determine whether simultaneous administration of these agents could further improve response rates, we enrolled 55 patients in a therapeutic trial of 4 days of ATG and 6 months of CsA. Among the 51 patients who had not received previous courses of ATG or CsA, 67% had responded by 3 months, and 78% had responded by 1 year (response was defined as an increase in peripheral blood counts sufficient that a patient no longer met the criteria for severe disease). There was a high incidence of relapse (36% actuarial risk at 2 years), but most relapsed patients responded to additional courses of immunosuppression, and relapse was not associated with a significant survival disadvantage. Evolution to myelodysplastic syndromes and acute leukemia was rare (1 of 51 patients), but the later appearance of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria was more common (5 of 51 patients). Actuarial survival was 86% at 1 year and 72% at 2 years. These data support the use of a combination immunosuppressive regimen containing both ATG and CsA as first-line therapy for severe aplastic anemia.
Seismic Design of Pile Foundations for Liquefaction Effects

Procedures for the seismic design of pile foundations for liquefaction effects are presented with emphasis on the conditions relevant to bridges. Two local subsystems for a bridge are discussed in detail: (1) pile groups in laterally spreading ground away from the abutments and (2) pile groups at the abutments where the restraining or “pinning” effects of the piles and bridge superstructure can be advantageous. The recommended design procedures involve equivalent static analyses using beam on nonlinear Winkler foundation models. Guidance for these design procedures was derived from a combination of dynamic centrifuge model tests and associated nonlinear dynamic finite element studies. The design procedures, their basis, and other issues for design of bridges for liquefaction effects are discussed.
Computationally Efficient Nonlinear Dynamic Analysis for Stress/Strain Applications

Dynamic response of analytical models is commonly studied to determine strain induced on systems for normal design loadings. Due to the complexity of the analytical models combined with the possibility of nonlinear effects encountered, traditional methods for computing the time response can be extremely computationally intensive.
Serologic assessment for exposure to spotted fever group rickettsiae in dogs in the Arizona-Sonora border region

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a severe tick-borne rickettsial illness. In the south-western United States and Mexico, RMSF displays unique epidemiologic and ecologic characteristics, including Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (brown dog tick) as the primary vector. Expansion and spread of the disease from hyperendemic regions of Arizona or Mexico to new areas is a key public health concern. Dogs are thought to play an important role in the emergence and circulation of R. rickettsii in these regions and are often one of earliest indicators of RMSF presence. A canine serosurvey was conducted in 2015 among owned and stray dogs at rabies clinic and animal shelters in three southern Arizona counties where RMSF had not previously been identified. Of the 217 dogs sampled, 11 (5.1%) tested positive for spotted fever group rickettsia (SFGR) IgG antibodies, with seropositivity ranging from 2.9% to 12.2% across the three counties. Large dogs were significantly more likely than small dogs to have positive titres reactive with R. rickettsii; no additional statistically significant relationships were observed between seropositivity of canine age, sex, neuter or ownership status. In addition, 17 (7.8%) dogs had ticks attached at the time of sampling, and stray dogs were significantly more likely to have ticks present than owned dogs (p < 0.001). All 57 ticks collected were identified as Rh. sanguineus s.l., and four (7%) had DNA evidence of genera-wide Rickettsia species. The results of this project demonstrated canine seroprevalence levels lower than those previously reported from dogs in highly endemic areas, indicating a low risk of SFGR transmission to humans in the southern Arizona border region at this time. Continued surveillance is critical to identify SFGR emergence in new geographic regions and to inform prevention efforts for humans and dogs in those areas.
Venous thromboembolism following inpatient pediatric surgery: Analysis of 153,220 patients

Abstract Purpose To evaluate venous thromboembolism (VTE) rates and risk factors following inpatient pediatric surgery. Methods 153,220 inpatient pediatric surgical patients were selected from the 2012–2015 NSQIP-P database. Demographic and perioperative variables were documented. Primary outcome was VTE requiring treatment within 30 postoperative days. Secondary outcomes included length of stay (LOS) and 30-day mortality. Prediction models were generated using logistic regression. Mortality and time to VTE were assessed using Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. Results 305 patients (0.20%) developed 296 venous thromboses and 12 pulmonary emboli (3 cooccurrences). Median time to VTE was 9 days. Most VTEs (81%) occurred predischarge. Subspecialties with highest VTE rates were cardiothoracic (0.72%) and general surgery (0.28%). No differences were seen for elective vs. urgent/emergent procedures (p = 0.106). All-cause mortality VTE patients was 1.2% vs. 0.2% in patients without VTE (p Conclusions Pediatric postsurgical patients have unique risk factors for developing VTE. Level of evidence Level II.
Metabolic flexibility is impaired in women who are pregnant and overweight/obese and related to insulin resistance and inflammation.

Abstract Context Maternal obesity is a significant public health concern that contributes to unfavorable outcomes such as inflammation and insulin resistance. Women with obesity may have impaired metabolic flexibility (i.e. an inability to adjust substrate metabolism according to fuel availability). Impaired metabolic flexibility during pregnancy may mediate poor pregnancy outcomes in women with obesity. Purpose The purposes of this study were to: 1) compare metabolic flexibility between overweight/obese and lean women; and 2) determine the relationships between metabolic flexibility, inflammation following a high-fat meal, and maternal metabolic health outcomes (i.e. gestational weight gain and insulin resistance). Procedures This interventional physiology study assessed lipid oxidation rates via indirect calorimetry before and after consumption of a high-fat meal. The percent change in lipid metabolism was calculated to determine ‘metabolic flexibility.’ Maternal inflammatory profiles (CRP, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, TNF-α) and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were determined via plasma analyses. Main findings 64 women who were pregnant (lean = 35, overweight/obese = 29) participated between 32 and 38 weeks gestation. Lean women had significantly higher metabolic flexibility compared to overweight/obese women (lean 48.0 ± 34.1% vs overweight/obese 29.3 ± 34.3%, p = .035). Even when controlling for pre-pregnancy BMI, there was a negative relationship between metabolic flexibility and percent change in CRP among the overweight/obese group (r = −0.526, p = .017). Metabolic flexibility (per kg fat free mass) was negatively correlated with postprandial HOMA-IR (2 h: r = −0.325, p = .016; 4 h: r = −0.319, p = .019). Conclusions Overweight and obese women who are pregnant are less ‘metabolically flexible’ than lean women, and this is related to postprandial inflammation and insulin resistance.
Integrated Green DWDM Photonics for Next-Gen High-Performance Computing

We discuss our strategy to build a dense wavelength division multiplexing optical transceiver to enable high energy efficiency, scalable bandwidth, low latency data communication, and low-cost photonic integration simultaneously for high-performance computing applications.