cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Circadian rhythms as an organizational management consideration

Redesigning a work schedule around circadian rhythms can provide a fundamental and international competitive vantage within the aerospace industry, Space Station Freedom, the Lunar Colony, and will assist in providingoperational support for the impending Mars missions. This paper addresses the additional consideration required, in the quantitative nature of establishing the criteria, for analyzlng and evaluating the organizational management practices of a contract. The additional consideration recommended herein is the implementation of a circadian rhythm work schedule. Circadian rhythm is defined as the physiological rhythms associated with the 24-hour cycle of the Earth's rotation relative to the body's own biological clock. One organization that experienced shift wo.rk complications was the Philadelphia Police Department in Philadephia, Pennsylvania. The incorporation of circadian rhythms at one particular precinct has provided indisputable evidence that the circadian rhythm theory surmounts any disputed criticism and can succeed in today's working environment. Therefore, with the eventual complex physical requirements on the astronauts supporting the Space Station, the Lunar Colony, and the Mars missions, mandatory implementation of the circadian work schedule will eliminate any doubt of the astronauts far exceeding a nominal job performance. Further detail is emphasized on the physiological limitations of the 24-hour human internalclock, the possibilities for improved productivity, the ability lo diversify the circadian rhythm in any industry and theoperational needsof acontract. Theoperational needs of a contract are realized in Total Quality Management (TQM),which accentuatesemployee interfunctional needs. A modified work schedule to human circadian rhythms will furlher assist a company's upper level management in realizing the hidden costs associated with a poorly designed work schedule. Conclusively, a work schedule of the circadian nature will resun in a 25% improvement in worker productivity and health.
Creative placemaking and the NEA: unpacking a multi-level governance

ABSTRACTThe role of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in shaping the arts and cultural sector is not well understood. In this paper, I focus on the development of the governance of the creative placemaking policy to unpack the complexity of the role of the NEA. Governance is used to refer to collective action designed to achieve a general interest through different actors from both the government and civic society. I use intergovernmental relations theory to capture governance dynamics in creative placemaking. In particular, I focus on three main tools developed by the NEA to spur a multi-level governance: research, grants, and partnerships. What emerges is that the role of the NEA in the development of the creative placemaking policy is multifaceted as it includes offering and leveraging funding, shaping the conversation, providing insights, and spurring collaborations. These actions create a multi-level governance based on a dynamic exchange between national and local governments, and the involv...
Cellular mechanisms of delayed recovery of excitability in ventricular tissue

It is well established that ventricular tissue, under some conditions, exhibits the phenomenon of postrepolarization refractoriness (PRR) in which the tissue excitability is depressed after an action potential. We have done parallel experiments on rabbit papillary muscles and on isolated rabbit ventricular cells to explain the cellular basis of this phenomenon, using elevated extracellular K+ concentration ([K+]o) (8 mM) to depolarize the tissue and the isolated cells. For isolated cells, we could separately measure cellular excitability (the inverse of the cellular current threshold) and the cellular responsiveness (the ability of the cell to generate inward current after excitation has occurred). We present two hypotheses that could explain the magnitude and time course of tissue PRR in terms of either changes in cellular excitability or changes in cellular responsiveness. We show that, although small changes in cellular excitability do occur, the predominant cellular mechanism for tissue PRR is the time course of recovery of the cellular responsiveness.
Research Expenditures and Growth Accounting

Many aspects of the economics of research have been discussed ably in a number of recent books and articles and will not be resurveyed here.2 I shall concentrate instead on a relatively limited topic, the possible contribution of public and private research expenditures to the growth in the ‘residual’ as conventionally measured. Sections I to III of this paper review and summarise earlier work on returns to research, explain the logic behind them, and present some additional estimates of the impact of research expenditures in United States manufacturing industries on subsequent growth in their total factor productivity. Sections IV to VI discuss how research might be treated consistently in a set of real product and input accounts and explore what traces, if any, such expenditures leave in the conventional United States productivity accounts. Section VII closes the paper with a discussion of some, only slightly related, policy implications.
Is a Testis Located at the Superficial Inguinal Pouch (Denis Browne Pouch) Comparable to a True Cryptorchid Testis

AbstractIn a clinical study 96 prepubertal boys with 100 testes located in the superficial inguinal pouch underwent routine orchiopexy. Of 65 patients 45 (69%) who had received hormonal treatment before the surgical procedure had a closed processus vaginalis compared with only 11 of 35 (31%) who had not (p <0.0002). A normal epididymis was also present significantly more often in those patients receiving hormonal treatment than in those who did not (p <0.039). While those testes located in the superficial inguinal pouch had significantly better histology and a greater number of germ cells than those located in a high inguinal or abdominal position (p <0.01), the number of germ cells per tubule was nonetheless lower than that seen in the normal controls (p <0.01). In conclusion, a testis located at the superficial inguinal pouch behaves as a true cryptorchid testis. Furthermore, hormonal treatment before surgery has a significant effect on epididymal development and closure of the processus vaginalis.
Fundamentals of Chemical Kinetics

This chapter focuses on chemical kinetic principles and the basic physical chemistry of chemical reactivity in aqueous solutions. It provides the underpinnings for subsequent chapters on the kinetic investigation of enzyme catalysis and control. Chemical kinetics provides the systematic framework for defining time-dependent changes in single- and multistep rate processes. The latter are especially important in enzyme kinetics, because each catalytic cycle can be treated as a series of chemical reactions, wherein the product of one step is an enzyme species that then becomes a reactant in the next step. There are two fundamentally different ways to treat the kinetic behavior of chemical systems: classically, as a continuous quantity that varies deterministically over time and that can therefore be represented by a set of coupled, first-order, ordinary differential equations, and stochastically, as discrete processes, whose variables are numbers of molecules, with a time-dependent behavior that is probablistic, as controlled by mesoscopic rate constants. The nature of enzyme interactions within special solvent–solute niches represents a fertile area for discovering new catalytic principles. Some enzymatic reactions occur on the surface of or deep within the phospholipid bilayer of biomembranes. Such processes are apt to exploit special opportunities for dehydration of active sites as well as facilitation of nucleophilic chemistry. This chapter also reinforces the important interplay of kinetics and thermodynamics as well as the constraints of microscopic reversibility on rate constants and multistep processes. Because catalysts return to their initial-state configuration after each catalytic round, enzyme catalysis is an inherently cyclical process, and the importance of thermodynamic constraints cannot be overstated.
Routledge handbook of the philosophy of sport

In the preface of the text is written,The book explores the ways in which an understanding of philosophy can inform our understanding of important prevailing issues in sport. Edited by two of the m...
Microbiome and food allergy

Food allergy is a common disease affecting approximately 8% of children and 5% of adults. The prevalence has increased over the last two decades, suggesting an important environmental contribution to susceptibility. Studies have identified mode of birth, pet exposure, and having older siblings as being significant risk modifying factors in the development of food allergy. With the discovery that these factors significantly impact the composition of the intestinal microbiome, which is known to play a critical role in shaping the immune system, recent studies have begun to address the role of the intestinal microbiota in the development of food allergy. Studies in human cohorts support a dysbiosis in food allergy, and limited data suggest that this dysbiosis occurs early in life, preceding the onset of sensitization. Studies from animal models have clearly shown that the composition of the intestinal microbiota confers susceptibility to food allergy, and that there are organisms such as Clostridia species that are protective in the development of food allergy. Our understanding of microbial regulation of food allergy is in its nascency, but the state of the field supports an important contribution of intestinal microbes to susceptibility. Challenges going forward are to identify commensal-derived microorganisms that could be used therapeutically to prevent or perhaps treat food allergy.
Epidemiology of Ocular Chemical Burn Injuries

The epidemiology of ocular chemical accidental exposures remains incompletely understood. This chapter illuminates and analyzes the available published information on this subject from various countries around the world. Reviewed here are causal chemical agents, the nature of the described lesions, and the duration of lost work time amongst workplace ocular chemical accident victims. Also clarified is the issue of deliberate chemical assaults in industrialized countries and those with developing or emerging economies. The potential adverse effects of cosmetic chemical skin peeling therapy are described. This chapter concludes that it would be highly desirable to improve data collection on these not uncommon injuries in order to provide more precise recommendations for their prevention and medical treatment.
Disruption of the interfacial membrane leads to Magnaporthe oryzae effector re-location and lifestyle switch during rice blast disease

The hemibiotrophic fungus Magnaporthe oryzae produces invasive hyphae enclosed in a plant-derived interfacial membrane, known as the extra-invasive hyphal membrane (EIHM), in living rice cells. Little is known about when the EIHM is disrupted and how the disruption contributes to blast disease. Here we show that EIHM disruption correlates with the hyphal growth stage in first-invaded susceptible rice cells. Our approach utilized GFP secreted from invasive hyphae as an EIHM integrity reporter. Secreted-GFP accumulated in the EIHM compartment but appeared in the rice cytoplasm when the EIHM integrity was compromised. Live-cell imaging of secreted-GFP and various fluorescent reporters revealed that EIHM disruption led to rice vacuole rupture and cell death limited to the invaded cell with closed plasmodesmata. We report that EIHM disruption and host cell death are landmarks delineating three distinct infection phases (early biotrophic, late biotrophic, and transient necrotrophic phases) within the first-invaded cell before reestablishment of biotrophy in second-invaded cells. M. oryzae effectors exhibited phase-specific localizations, including entry of the apoplastic effector Bas4 into the rice cytoplasm during the late biotrophic phase. Understanding how the phase-specific dynamics are regulated and linked to host susceptibility will offer potential targets that can be exploited to control blast disease.
Epitaxy of 5d transition metal oxide thin films and heterostructures

Abstract The epitaxy of complex-oxide thin films and heterostructures provides an immense challenge in designing novel functional oxides, enabling us to explore previously unavailable phase space regions. It has been recently shown that strong spin-orbit coupling offered in 5 d transition metal oxides can be used to create or manipulate many interesting quantum mechanical behaviors. This perfect marriage between exotic materials and thin film synthesis has inspired many researchers to overcome the technical challenges associated with growing thin films and artificial heterostructures that include these 5 d oxides to manipulate their novel properties. Here, we chronicle the motivation and results of these recent studies, which include details of thin film synthesis along with results for both phase pure and multilayer systems. In addition, we also provide some insight for the future direction of this community.
A sex attractant for the Siberian moth Dendrolimus superans sibiricus (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae).

Field trapping experiments were conducted against the Siberian moth, Dendrolimus superans sibiricus Butler, in Siberia, Russia, using traps baited with a virgin female moth or 100 μg synthetic mixtures of C12 straight chain-length aldehydes, alcohols, and acetates alone or in combinations on rubber septa. Traps baited with a 1:1 blend of aldehydes and alcohols captured many males. The capture rate was similar to the rate of capture seen in traps baited with virgin females. The mixture of aldehydes and alcohols (64% Z,E-5,7-dodecadienal, 10% Z-5-dodecenal, 18% E-7-dodecenal, 8% E-6-dodecenal) and (64% Z,E-5,7-dodecadien-1-ol, 10% Z-5-dodecen-1-ol, 18% E-7-dodecen-1-ol, 8% E-6-dodecen-1-ol) can be used as a sex attractant to monitor endemic Siberian moth populations in Asia, and for surveillance and detection of the moth in countries where the insect might be accidentally introduced.
Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in Hospitalized Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Nationwide Cohort Analysis

BACKGROUND Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) entails a higher risk of infections, including those that could be prevented with immunizations. Current Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and American College of Gastroenterology vaccine recommendations for patients with IBD are based on low levels of evidence. METHODS We conducted a population-based descriptive cohort study using the US National Inpatient Sample ICD-9 codes from 2012 to 2015. We measured the frequency of patients with IBD who were admitted to the hospital with a vaccine-preventable disease (VPD). Frequencies and demographics were determined and compared between patients with IBD and patients without IBD. RESULTS Of discharges, 596,485 (2.08%) were secondary to a VPD, and 7180 (1.2%) were found to have both a VPD and IBD (including Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis). The most common VPDs among patients with IBD were herpes zoster virus (HZV) (34.9%) and hepatitis B virus (31.6%), followed by influenza (22.1%). Pneumococcal pneumonia (9.1%) and hepatitis A virus (2.4%) were less common. Inpatients with IBD were twice as likely to have HZV when compared to non-IBD inpatients (odds ratios [OR] = 2.30 [95% CI, 2.06-2.58], P < 0.0001) This finding was consistent for every study year. Pneumococcal pneumonia [OR = 0.62 (95% CI, 0.52-0.74), P < 0.0001] and influenza [OR = 0.72 (95% CI, 0.63-0.81), P < 0.0001] were significantly lower in the IBD population. There was no difference for other VPDs. CONCLUSIONS HZV was the most frequent VPD in IBD inpatients. Patients with IBD have a higher rate of hospital admissions with HZV and a lower rate of pneumococcal pneumonia and influenza admissions when compared with non-IBD patients. For other VPDs, patients with IBD have the same rate of admission as the general population.
Prostaglandins and Defects in Vascular Function

Atherosclerotic arterial lesions have been reported to exhibit altered arachidonic acid metabolism (1–4). These alterations have consistently involved decreases in arterial prostacyclin (prostaglandin I2 or PGI2) synthesis; arterial thromboxane A2 (TXA2) formation (3) and increased PGE2 formation (2) have also been associated with atherosclerotic lesions. Conversely, it has been recently reported that total urinary excretion of 2,3-dinor-6-keto-PGFlα, one of the metabolites of PGI2 produced. in vivo, is higher in patients with severe atherosclerosis than normal subjects (5). It was suggested that there was an increase in PGI2 formation due to stimulation of PGI2 synthetase as there may be increased platelet-endothelial interactions in patients with severe atherosclerosis. The present study reports that there are graduated decreases in human arterial PGI2 synthetase activity within atherosclerotic plaque but that these decreases are focal, as the arterial regions immediately adjacent to the plaque exhibit normal PGI2 synthetase activity.
6.615 – Intervertebral Disc

The current tools available to physicians for the treatment of back pain are relatively limited, palliative in nature, and often lead to deleterious side effects. As a result, much research is occurring in the biomaterials realm to create new treatments that not only relieve pain, but restore function to the spine and circumvent the unwanted side effects. Both traditional metal/polyethylene hardware approaches, often associated with joint replacements, and more novel regenerative medicine approaches are being investigated. It is currently unclear which procedures and materials will be best suited for the treatment of back pain, but a wide range of materials are being investigated. This chapter reviews the current state of biomaterial-based treatment of intervertebral disc-originated back pain. Topics cover established treatments such as spinal fusion and total disc replacement, as well as novel regenerative treatments such as nucleus pulposus replacement, annulus fibrosus repair, and tissue-engineered total disc replacement.
Efficient heuristic natural language parsing

Most artificial natural language processing (NLP) systems make use of some simple algorithm for parsing. These algorithms overlook the inextricable link between parsing natural language and understanding it. Humans parse language in a linear fashion. Our goal is to develop an NLP system that parses in a linear and psychologically valid fashion. When this goal is achieved, our NLP system will be efficient, and it will generate the correct interpretation in ambiguous situations. In this paper, we describe two NLP systems, whose parsing is driven by several heuristics. The first is a bottom-up system which is based on the work of (Ford, Bresnan & Kaplan 1982). The second system is a more expansive attempt, incorporating the initial heuristics and several more. This system runs on a much larger domain and incorporates several new syntactic forms. It has its weaknesses, but it shows good progress toward the goal of linearity.
Two Simple and Inexpensive Desk-Top Experiments with Vibrations of a Uniform Beam

The study of vibration in uniform beams provides physics teachers with a platform by which a broad range of physics vibration-related topics can be explored without expensive and specialized equipment. This paper presents two laboratory exercises related to lateral beam vibrations. These exercises use beam theory coupled with free sound-analysis software (Raven Lite 2.0), and are appropriate for both high school and first-year college physics students. In this paper, the uniform beam is a slender tube with unsupported (or free) ends—such as a wind chime.
Was Postwar Suburbanization

Residential segregation by jurisdiction generates disparities in public services and education. The distinctive American pattern - in which blacks live in cities and whites in suburbs - was enhanced by a large black migration from the rural South. I show that whites responded to this black influx by leaving cities and rule out an indirect effect on housing prices as a sole cause. I instrument for changes in black population by using local economic conditions to predict black migration from southern states and assigning predicted flows to northern cities according to established settlement patterns. The best causal estimates imply that each black arrival led to 2.7 white departures.
Formative Learning Experiences of Urban Mathematics Teachers’ and Their Role in Classroom Care Practices and Student Belonging:

Mathematics teachers’ preteaching experiences as mathematics learners can affect their identity and practice in supporting their own students’ learning and motivation in mathematics. However, littl...
A Comparative Study of Switched-Tank Converter and Cascaded Voltage Divider for 48-V Data Center Application

This paper presents a comparative study of the switched-tank converter (STC) and the cascaded voltage divider (CVD). The operating principles of the STC and the CVD with four times input-to-output conversion ratio ( $4\times$ ) are discussed. Two design approaches of the CVD are considered, including the high-density CVD (CVD-HD) and the high-efficiency low-density CVD (CVD-LD). The power loss breakdown analysis and system efficiency evaluation are provided for both converters. From these results, it is found that the STC is more efficient and smaller in size than the CVD converter. Gallium nitride (GaN)-based hardware prototypes of both converters are built and tested. The $4\times $ -STC can achieve ~1500-W/in3 power density and 98.79% efficiency. The $4\times $ -CVD-LD can achieve 1061-W/in3 power density and 98.41% efficiency. Therefore, the $4\times $ -STC has 41% higher power density and 24% less power loss than the $4\times $ -CVD-LD.
Asset shortages, liquidity and speculative bubbles

Abstract We study the effect of asset shortages on liquidity in economies with limited enforcement of debt contracts. We establish that, under a suitable assumption in terms of gains from trade, liquidity does not dry up and trading volumes do not disappear as credit conditions worsen. The equilibrium outcome becomes arbitrarily close to a purely speculative equilibrium, and bubbles occur in the limit. The result applies to incomplete markets and, more generally, to equilibria where collateral constraints interfere with the additivity of the payoff pricing functional.
Effects of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and learning disability on vestibular and ocular baseline concussion assessment in pediatric athletes

Vestibular and ocular motor assessment has gained popularity as a tool for sport-related concussion among healthcare professionals. With awareness of premorbid risk factors, such as attentional pro...
Application of Solution-Processed CuSCN and AgSCN for High Efficient CdTe Solar Cells

Solution processed CuSCN and AgSCN were employed as Cu and Ag doping source in the CdTe solar cell. The effect of Cu and Ag on the CdTe device performance was investigated. It is promising to show that the CuSCN and AgSCN with similarity role to increase devices performance to power conversion efficiency to 17% and 16%, respectively. The benefit from CuSCN is that the dual role of CuSCN, one is the hole transport layer and one is Cu doping, while AgSCN with a higher resistive may play as Ag doping source with slower diffusion rate.
Moving beyond PARP Inhibition in ATM-Deficient Prostate Cancer

DNA repair defects are found in primary and metastatic prostate cancer. Alterations in the ATM gene are the second most common defect after BRCA2, but their sensitivity to PARP inhibitors has been questioned by recent clinical literature. The work by Rafiei and colleagues in this issue of Cancer Research now supports this observation with genetically engineered cells and quantitative responses. ATR inhibitors have not yet found a clear role in the clinic, but the new work suggests that ATM-deficient cancers may be more vulnerable to ATR inhibition rather than PARP inhibitors, which is a testable hypothesis for clinical trials. See related article by Rafiei et al., p. 2094
Microvascular Decompression for Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia

Microvascular decompression is one of the most well-established treatments for trigeminal neuralgia. Over the past few decades, the popularity of the treatment has risen due to the effectiveness of the treatment and the relatively mild associated side effects. Large case series with long-term follow-up provide evidence to support microvascular decompression as a primary treatment strategy in appropriately selected patients failing medical management.
Blue light cystoscopy for detection of invasive bladder tumor: Results from multi-institutional registry

Introduction The role of blue light cystoscopy in increasing detection and decreasing recurrence and possibly progression rates in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer compared to white light cystoscopy is well supported in the literature. Here we evaluated the role of blue light cystoscopy in detecting invasive tumors that were not visible on white light cystoscopy. Methods Using the multi-institutional Cysview registry database, patients who had at least one white light negative/blue light positive lesion with invasive pathology (≥T1) as highest stage tumor were identified. All white light negative/blue light positive lesions and all invasive tumors in the database were used as denominators. Relevant baseline and outcome data were collected. Results A total of 3514 lesions from 1257 unique patients were evaluated. Of all the lesions in the database, 818 (23.2%) lesions were white light negative/blue light positive of which, 7% (55 lesions from 47 unique patients) were invasive. When all the invasive lesions in the database were considered (total of 494 lesions), 11% were white light negative/blue light positive. Of patients with complete follow up in the database (32), 22 (68%) patients underwent radical cystectomy and 11/22 (50%) showed pathologic upstaging including 4/22 (18%) patients with node positive disease. Conclusions A considerable proportion of invasive lesions are only detectable by blue light cystoscopy and rate of pathologic upstaging is significant. Our findings suggest an additional benefit of blue light cystoscopy in detection of invasive bladder tumors that has implications for treatment approach.
A Redirected Learning Architecture for Non-linear Digital Pre-distortion

This paper introduces the redirected learning architecture (RLA) for estimating non-linear digital pre-distortion models for non-linear devices such as power amplifiers. Existing architectures can be classified as direct learning architectures (DLA) or indirect learning architectures (ILA). DLAs first learn a model of the device and then determine a pre-distorter by either directly inverting the device model or estimating a pre-inverse of the model. The RLA is similar to a DLA, but rather than learning a model of the device, the RLA uses fixed-point iteration to determine a set of input/output pairs which characterize the device. These pairs are then used to estimate the pre-distorter by redirecting learning from the device to the pre-distorter. The fixed-point iteration is shown to converge under a mild condition. Simulation of a class AB power amplifier reveals improved suppression of harmonic distortion compared to a pth order inverse approach.
The Ontology of the Offense: Rowan Williams and Johannes Climacus on Christology and Ontology

In Christ the Heart of Creation, Rowan Williams argues that Christology as expounded by the classical tradition in Western theology holds a bounty for thinking in Christian ontology about the God-world relation. In particular, he uses the work of Soren Kierkegaard throughout to show that the relation between finite and infinite, immanent and transcendent, is not competitive, and thus there need be no metaphysical problem when holding that the incarnate God-man is both fully human and divine. This essay argues, however, that Kierkegaard’s own pseudonymous work cited by Williams holds the incarnation to be far more paradoxical and intellectually offensive than Williams allows. However, such priority of offense does not put an end to Christ’s central ontological position but rather shifts it to new directions in our thinking about theological ontology. Rather than Williams’ own conception of a cosmos in which the divine and non-divine are compatible and harmonious, Kierkegaard presents a doctrine of existence in which God and the human are in constant, dynamic engagement and in which temporal being bears ultimate primacy for Christian existence.
Transverse Reaction in Synchronous Machines

The confusion existing at present in the theory of synchronous machines is shown to be due to insufficient experimental evidence of the behavior of this type of machine under transverse magnetizing (cross magnetizing) conditions. A method of testing which yields the needed data is described. The results of these tests on a particular machine are given and analyzed. It is proved, for the machine tested, that the effect of transverse reaction can be most accurately estimated by the use of a magnetomotive force diagram. Experimental constants useful in design are found. A theory of the operation of synchronous machines is proposed, and a diagram for finding the performance of a synchronous machine from experimental tests is given; which, it is hoped, will be more accurate than present methods.
Secondary Metabolite Production in Plant Cell Culture: A New Epigenetic Frontier

Plant-derived secondary metabolites have many applications as fragrances, food additives, dyes, and bioactive medicinal compounds. Production of these compounds in plant cell culture has many advantages, and metabolic engineering strategies have been developed to increase yields. Yet, long-term subculturing can reduce productivity due to epigenetic downregulation of secondary metabolism. Innovative techniques that take advantage of new insights into epigenetic regulation have been developed for a variety of eukaryotes. Applying this epigenetic control to plant cell culture could restore and maintain high productivity, even in cultures that have been in suspension for many years. Here, we highlight current strategies for plant metabolic engineering and review the current understanding of epigenetic regulation in plants, with particular emphasis on applications to secondary metabolic engineering. We then discuss work in the emerging field of epigenetic engineering and postulate how epigenetic engineering techniques developed in mammalian systems could be used to overcome current limitations for industrial production of natural products in plant systems.
Genome-wide data reveal extensive gene flow during the diversification of the western rattlesnakes (Viperidae: Crotalinae: Crotalus)

Abstract Hybridization and introgression are important, but often overlooked processes when inferring phylogenies. When these processes are not accounted for and a strictly diverging phylogenetic model is applied to groups with a history of hybridization, phylogenetic inference and parameter estimation can be inaccurate. Recent developments in phylogenetic network approaches coupled with the increasing availability of genomic data allow inferences of reticulate evolutionary histories across the tree of life. The western rattlesnake species group (C. viridis species complex, C. mitchellii species complex, C. scutulutas, and C. tigris) is an iconic snake lineage that is widespread across western North America. This group is composed of several species complexes with unclear species limits, likely the result of ongoing gene flow among nascent lineages. Here I generate reduced representation genomic data and test for a history of reticulation within this group. I demonstrate that all species have undergone hybridization with at least one other lineage, suggesting introgression is widespread in this group. Topologies differ between phylogenies estimated under the multispecies coalescent and multispecies network coalescent methods, indicating that gene flow has obscured phylogenetic relationships within this group. These past introgression events are predominantly restricted to species that co-occur geographically. However, within species that have a history of introgression, this signature is detected regardless of specimen sampling across geography. Overall, my results suggest the accumulation of reproductive isolating barriers occurs slowly in rattlesnakes which likely leads to the difficulty in delimiting species, furthermore, the results of this study have implications for trait evolution in this group.
Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding: Procedure and Outcomes

The laparoscopic adjustable gastric band is a silicone device placed around the upper aspect of the stomach. It allows restriction of food intake by providing early satiety with smaller portions of food, leading to decreased calorie consumption, weight loss, and comorbidity improvement or resolution. It has proven to be an excellent option for safe, effective, and durable weight loss.
Task Effects on Decompositional Utility Estimation

This paper examines the effects of two different conjoint data collection tasks moderated by the degree of task complexity on the performance of conjoint analysis. Performance of conjoint analysis was evaluated with respect to its use as a tool for the estimation of the dimensionality of individual preferences. The literature on behavioral decision making was examined and used as a basis to develop hypotheses regarding expected performance differences between conjoint data collection tasks under conditions of increasing task complexity.
Inconsistent Range Shifts within Species Highlight Idiosyncratic Responses to Climate Warming

Climate in part determines species’ distributions, and species’ distributions are shifting in response to climate change. Strong correlations between the magnitude of temperature changes and the extent of range shifts point to warming temperatures as the single most influential factor causing shifts in species’ distributions species. However, other abiotic and biotic factors may alter or even reverse these patterns. The importance of temperature relative to these other factors can be evaluated by examining range shifts of the same species in different geographic areas. When the same species experience warming in different geographic areas, the extent to which they show range shifts that are similar in direction and magnitude is a measure of temperature’s importance. We analyzed published studies to identify species that have documented range shifts in separate areas. For 273 species of plants, birds, mammals, and marine invertebrates with range shifts measured in multiple geographic areas, 42-50% show inconsistency in the direction of their range shifts, despite experiencing similar warming trends. Inconsistency of within-species range shifts highlights how biotic interactions and local, non-thermal abiotic conditions may often supersede the direct physiological effects of temperature. Assemblages show consistent responses to climate change, but this predictability does not appear to extend to species considered individually.
Unequivocal determination of cocaine in simulated street drugs by a combination of high performance liquid chromatography and infrared spectrophotometry.

Since the development of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in the late 1960s papers have appeared in the literature describing the identification of drugs of abuse by this method. For example, Jane [1] reported a separation of a number of drugs on a Partisil column. However, while extremely useful in the forensic laboratory, HPLC has not attained its full potential because of the presumptive nature of the determination, that is, one cannot rule out the possibility that two compounds might have the same retention time. In an attempt to improve this situation a few companies are investigating the feasibility of interfacing the HPLC with a mass spectrometer. If such interfacing is successful, though, the cost probably will be prohibitive for most forensic laboratories. Also, some progress is being made in the technique of “absorbance ratioing” [2]. In this method the drug is monitored at more than one wavelength and the ratio of these absorbances is reported to be solely characteristic of the particular compound. Although promising, this technique requires a more elaborate and expensive detector system. Also more data need to be collected to prove statistically the premise that no two compounds will have the same absorbance ratios.
Variation in the Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Gene and Muscle Strength in Older Caucasian Women

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether genetic variants in the ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) gene are associated with muscle strength in older women. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the Women's Health and Aging Studies I (1992) and II (1994), complementary population-based studies. SETTING: Twelve contiguous ZIP code areas in Baltimore, Maryland. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred sixty-three Caucasian, community-dwelling women aged 70 to 79. MEASUREMENTS: Participants were genotyped at the CNTF locus for eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including the null allele rs1800169. The dependent variables were grip strength and the frailty syndrome, identified as presence of three or more of five frailty indicators (weakness, slowness, weight loss, low physical activity, exhaustion). In addition to genotypes, independent variables of body mass index (BMI) and osteoarthritis of the hands were included. RESULTS: Using multivariate linear regression, single SNP analysis identified five SNPs significantly associated with grip strength (P<.05), after adjusting for age, BMI, and osteoarthritis. Haplotype analysis was performed, and a single haplotype associated with grip strength was identified (P<.01). The rs1800169 null allele fully explained the association between this haplotype and grip strength under a recessive model, with individuals homozygous for the null allele exhibiting a 3.80-kg lower (95% confidence interval=1.01–6.58) grip strength. No association was seen between the CNTF null allele and frailty. CONCLUSION: Individuals homozygous for the CNTF null allele had significantly lower grip strength but did not exhibit overt frailty. Larger prospective studies are needed to confirm this finding and extend it to additional populations.
Stellar chromospheres, coronae, and winds

The three subjects listed in the title of this chapter were originally defined for phenomena that are observed in the Sun. Observations of other stars have now been made at a wide range of wavelengths and have revealed that one or more of these phenomena are present in stars of every class.
Vagueness in Law and Language: Some Philosophical Issues

This Article is devoted to a philosophical account of the various problems with meaning that lawyers associate with the "void-for-vagueness" doctrine. I shall not attempt any detailed consideration of the doctrine itself. Apart from some comments in the concluding section, my contribution is intended to set the conceptual stage for, rather than preempt, the substantive discussion of problems of vagueness in the law. I am employed here, in John Locke's words, as an underlabourer in clearing ground a little, and removing some of the rubbish that lies in the way of knowledge; which certainly had been very much more advanced in the world, if the endeavours of ingenious and industrious men had not been so much encumbered with the learned but frivolous use of uncouth, affected, or unintelligible terms.'
The Structure of Circular Decomposable Metrics

Circular decomposable metrics (CDM) are sums of cut metrics that satisfy a circularity condition. A number of combinatorial optimization problems, including the traveling salesman problem, are easily solved if the underlying cost matrix represents a CDM. We give a linear time algorithm for recognizing CDMs and show that they are identical to another class of metrics: the Kalmanson metric.
Interaction between Adenosine Triphosphate and Glyceraldehyde 3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase: III. MECHANISM OF ACTION AND METABOLIC CONTROL OF THE ENZYME UNDER SIMULATED IN VIVO CONDITIONS

Abstract The inhibitory effect of ATP on glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.12) has been investigated under conditions simulating the intracellular milieu. The inhibition is strongly pH-dependent. With the physiological concentrations of ATP, NAD, and orthophosphate, the dehydrogenase reaction is 87 % inhibited at pH 6.8, 67 % at pH 7.4, and only 20 % at pH 8.1. ADP, adenosine 5'-monophosphate, and cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate are almost equally inhibitory but have less physiological significance since the intracellular levels are much lower than ATP. The ATP inhibition is mixed type inhibition in which ATP is nearly competitive with respect to either NAD or Pi. ATP (6 mm) increases Km for NAD from 0.06 to 0.3 mm and decreases Vmax from 91 to 65 µmoles of NADH per min per mg of protein. Similarly the Km for Pi is changed from 1.2 to 6.1 mm whereas Vmax is decreased from 89 to 61. Experiments using AMP or pyrophosphate as the component parts of ATP have also been carried out. AMP reacts competitively with respect to NAD but not Pi, whereas PPi is nearly competitive with Pi but not NAD. These data suggest that ATP simultaneously obstructs both NAD and Pi binding in the active center. ATP is noncompetitive with regard to glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. Mg2+ or Mn2+ reduces the inhibitory effect of ATP by complexing with the nucleotide. ATP also effects a time-dependent inactivation, which is additive with the instantaneous inhibition mentioned above. This time-dependent inhibition is counteracted by NAD but not Pi. The physiological implication of ATP inhibition on the dehydrogenase is discussed in the connection with muscle physiology. ATP inhibition may in part account for the high levels of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase in the muscle, protect against excessive acidity due to lactic production, limit maximal glycolytic flux, and modify the turnover of the enzyme.
The Relationship between Obesity and Cognitive Performance in Children: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract Background: The relationship between obesity and academic outcomes remains unclear. We evaluated the association between obesity and cognitive performance in US children. Methods: We analyzed two nationally representative prospective cohorts of children in the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, ages 2 through 8 at baseline and followed for 6 years, from 1988 to 1994 (cohort 1, n=2672) and 1994 to 2000 (cohort 2, n=1991). The main exposure variable was obesity (defined as never obese, became obese, always obese, and became nonobese). The main outcomes were standardized scores on four cognitive assessments. Univariate regression analyses of test scores on obesity were performed. Fixed-effects regression models, controlling for measured and unmeasured time-invariant confounders, were additionally adjusted for time-variant confounders to analyze the impact of change in obesity status on change in test scores. Results: Unadjusted analyses revealed a significant association between obesity and...
Diabetes Increases Cryoinjury Size with Associated Effects on Cx43 Gap Junction Function and Phosphorylation in the Mouse Heart

Diabetic patients develop larger myocardial infarctions and have an increased risk of death following a heart attack. The poor response to myocardial injury in the diabetic heart is likely related to the many metabolic derangements from diabetes that create a poor substrate in general for wound healing, response to injury and infection. Studies in rodents have implicated a role for the gap junction protein connexin 43 (Cx43) in regulating the injury response in diabetic skin wounds. In this study, we sought to determine whether diabetes alters Cx43 molecular interactions or intracellular communication in the cryoinjured STZ type I diabetic mouse heart. We found that epicardial cryoinjury size is increased in diabetic mice and this increase is prevented by preinjury insulin administration. Consistent with these findings, we found that intercellular coupling via gap junctions is decreased after insulin administration in diabetic and nondiabetic mice. This decrease in coupling is associated with a concomitant increase in phosphorylation of Cx43 at serine 368, a residue known to decrease channel conductance. Taken together, our results suggest that insulin regulates both gap junction-mediated intercellular communication and injury propagation in the mouse heart.
Cutting Edge: Immature Human Dendritic Cells Express Latency-Associated Peptide and Inhibit T Cell Activation in a TGF-β-Dependent Manner

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a critical role in both initiating immune responses and in maintaining peripheral tolerance. However, the exact mechanism by which DCs instruct/influence the generation of effector vs regulatory T cells is not clear. In this study, we present evidence that TGF-β, an important immunoregulatory molecule, is present on the surface of ex vivo immature human DCs bound by latency-associated peptide (LAP). Maturation of DCs upon stimulation with LPS results in loss of membrane-bound LAP and up-regulation of HLA class II and costimulatory molecules. The presence of LAP on immature DCs selectively inhibits Th1 cell but not Th17 cell differentiation and is required for differentiation and/or survival of Foxp3-positive regulatory T cells. Taken together, our results indicate that surface expression of TGF-β on DCs in association with LAP is one of the mechanisms by which immature DCs limit T cell activation and thus prevent autoimmune responses.
Effects of body temperature during exercise training on myocardial adaptations

This study determined the role of body temperature during chronic exercise on myocardial stress proteins and antioxidant enzymes as well as functional recovery after an ischemic insult. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exercised for 3, 6, or 9 wk in a 23 degrees C room (3WK, 6WK, and 9WK, respectively) or in a 4-8 degrees C environment with wetted fur (3WKC, 6WKC, and 9WKC, respectively). The colder room prevented elevations in core temperature. During weeks 3-9 the animals ran 5 days/wk up a 6% grade at 20 m/min for 60 min. Myocardial heat shock protein 70 (HSP 70) increased 12.3-fold (P < 0.05) in 9WK versus sedentary (SED) rats but was unchanged in the cold-room runners. Compared with SED rats, alphaB-crystallin was 90% higher in 9WKC animals, HSP 90 was 50% higher in 3WKC and 6WKC animals, and catalase was 23% higher in 3WK animals (P < 0.05 for all). Cytosolic superoxide dismutase increased and mitochondrial SOD decreased (P < 0.05) in 3WK and 6WK rats compared with 3WKC and 6WKC rats. Antioxidant enzymes returned to SED values in all runners by 9 wk. No differences were observed among any of the groups for glucose-regulated protein 75, heme oxygenase-1, or glutathione peroxidase. Mechanical recovery of isolated working hearts after 22.5 min of global ischemia was enhanced in 9WK (P < 0.05) but not in 9WKC rats. We conclude that exercise training results in dynamic changes in cardioprotective proteins over time which are influenced by core temperature. In addition, cardioprotection resulting from chronic exercise appears to be due to increased HSP 70.
Controlled/“Living” Radical Polymerization Applied to Water‐Borne Systems

Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), a controlled/“living” radical polymerization, has been extended to water-borne polymerization systems. In order to obtain a controlled ATRP reaction in a water-borne system, various criteria must be met, which are not necessary when conducted in organic solvents. The effect of surfactant, monomer, catalyst and initiator employed will be discussed, as each had a profound effect on the success of the ATRP reaction.