cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DO ASEXUAL POLYPLOID LINEAGES LEAD SHORT EVOLUTIONARY LIVES? A CASE STUDY FROM THE FERN GENUS ASTROLEPIS

A life-history transition to asexuality is typically viewed as leading to a heightened extinction risk, and a number of studies have evaluated this claim by examining the relative ages of asexual versus closely related sexual lineages. Surprisingly, a rigorous assessment of the age of an asexual plant lineage has never been published, although asexuality is extraordinarily common among plants. Here, we estimate the ages of sexual diploids and asexual polyploids in the fern genus Astrolepis using a well-supported plastid phylogeny and a relaxed-clock dating approach. The 50 asexual polyploid samples we included were conservatively estimated to comprise 19 distinct lineages, including a variety of auto- and allopolyploid genomic combinations. All were either the same age or younger than the crown group comprising their maternal sexual-diploid parents based simply on their phylogenetic position. Node ages estimated with the relaxed-clock approach indicated that the average maximum age of asexual lineages was 0.4 My, and individual lineages were on average 7 to 47 times younger than the crown- and total-ages of their sexual parents. Although the confounding association between asexuality and polyploidy precludes definite conclusions regarding the effect of asexuality, our results suggest that asexuality limits evolutionary potential in Astrolepis.
Noninvasive two-dimensional temperature imaging for guidance of thermal therapy

Two-dimensional temperature estimation using pulse-echo diagnostic ultrasound has been previously described. Measurement models in both time and frequency domains have been proposed. In a paper by Seip, R. et. al (1995), spectral shifts in the echo data have been shown to be proportional to changes in the local tissue temperature. In works by Simon, C. et. al (1998) and Maass-Moreno, R. et. al (1996), echo shifts were shown to be proportional to local change in tissue temperature. For both the spectral and echo shift methods, the proportionality was shown to be proportional to the local changes in the speed of sound and local tissue expansion. However, temperature images suffer from some artifacts due to the distortion of the imaging beam as it traverses the heated region. In particular, temperature imaging artifacts due to the thermoacoustic lens effects have been reported. In addition, tissue inhomogeneity leads to nonuniform speckle patterns which also lead to errors in the estimated temperature profiles. A reconstructive imaging method employing a physics-based 2D filter and a projection method is presented. The method of projection onto convex sets (POCS) is used. Experimental data was obtained during controlled temperature heating of in vitro bovine muscle using a helical RF ablation probe. Reconstructions using the POCS-based iterative algorithm are shown to produce artifact-free temperature fields. Both spatial and temporal characteristics of the reconstructed temperature conform well with the extent of the heating source and the temporal dynamics of the controlled temperature. These results demonstrate that noninvasive temperature imaging of a relatively large heating region (nearly 3 cm in diameter) can be reliably monitored using pulse-echo ultrasound with appropriate signal and image processing.
Optical arbitrary waveform characterization using linear spectrograms

We demonstrate the first application of linear spectrogram methods based on electro-optic phase modulation to characterize optical arbitrary waveforms generated under spectral line-by-line control. This approach offers both superior sensitivity and self-referencing capability for retrieval of periodic high repetition rate optical arbitrary waveforms.
PORCINE REPRODUCTIVE AND RESPIRATORY SYNDROME

In 1987, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) was recognized in the USA as a new disease of swine causing late-term reproductive failure and severe pneumonia in neonatal pigs. The syndrome is caused by an RNA virus referred to as PRRS virus (PRRSV), which is classified in the family Arteriviridae. Swine macrophages are the only indigenous cell type known to support PRRSV replication. Direct contact between infected and naive pigs is the predominant route of PRRSV transmission. Exposure of a mucosal surface to PRRSV leads to virus replication in regional macrophages, a prolonged viremia and systemic distribution of virus to other macrophage populations. Reproductive failure induced by PRRSV infection in late-gestation sows is characterized by premature farrowing of stillborn, partially autolyzed, and mummified fetuses. Pneumonia caused by PRRSV infection is more severe in young pigs compared to adults and may be complicated by concurrent bacterial infections. Gross lung lesions associated w...
Analysis and visualization of H7 influenza using genomic, evolutionary and geographic information in a modular web service

We have reported previously on use of a web-based application, Supramap (http://supramap.org) for the study of biogeographic, genotypic, and phenotypic evolution. Using Supramap we have developed maps of the spread of drug-resistant influenza and host shifts in H1N1 and H5N1 influenza and coronaviruses such as SARS. Here we report on another zoonotic pathogen, H7 influenza, and provide an update on the implementation of Supramap as a web service. We find that the emergence of pathogenic strains of H7 is labile with many transitions from high to low pathogenicity, and from low to high pathogenicity. We use Supramap to put these events in a temporal and geospatial context. We identify several lineages of H7 influenza with biomarkers of high pathogenicity in regions that have not been reported in the scientific literature. The original implementation of Supramap was built with tightly coupled client and server software. Now we have decoupled the components to provide a modular web service for POY (http://poyws.org) that can be consumed by a data provider to create a novel application. To demonstrate the web service, we have produced an application, Geogenes (http://geogenes.org). Unlike in Supramap, in which the user is required to create and upload data files, in Geogenes the user works from a graphical interface to query an underlying dataset. Geogenes demonstrates how the web service can provide underlying processing for any sequence and metadata database. © The Willi Hennig Society 2012.
Pion Radius and Isovector Nucleon Radii in the Limit of Small Pion Mass

We study the pion radius and the isovector nucleon radii in the limit in which the pion mass approaches zero. The leading terms in this limit are calculated.
Biochemical, phenotypic and neurophysiological characterization of a genetic mouse model of RSH/Smith–Lemli–Opitz syndrome

The RSH/Smith--Lemli--Opitz syndrome (RSH/SLOS) is a human autosomal recessive syndrome characterized by multiple malformations, a distinct behavioral phenotype with autistic features and mental retardation. RSH/SLOS is due to an inborn error of cholesterol biosynthesis caused by mutation of the 3 beta-hydroxysterol Delta(7)-reductase gene. To further our understanding of the developmental and neurological processes that underlie the pathophysiology of this disorder, we have developed a mouse model of RSH/SLOS by disruption of the 3 beta-hydroxysterol Delta(7)-reductase gene. Here we provide the biochemical, phenotypic and neurophysiological characterization of this genetic mouse model. As in human patients, the RSH/SLOS mouse has a marked reduction of serum and tissue cholesterol levels and a marked increase of serum and tissue 7-dehydrocholesterol levels. Phenotypic similarities between this mouse model and the human syndrome include intra-uterine growth retardation, variable craniofacial anomalies including cleft palate, poor feeding with an uncoordinated suck, hypotonia and decreased movement. Neurophysiological studies showed that although the response of frontal cortex neurons to the neurotransmitter gamma-amino-n-butyric acid was normal, the response of these same neurons to glutamate was significantly impaired. This finding provides insight into potential mechanisms underlying the neurological dysfunction seen in this human mental retardation syndrome and suggests that this mouse model will allow the testing of potential therapeutic interventions.
Transferrin mediated drug delivery to brain

Drug-delivery to the brain is a significant challenge due to the presence of the formidable blood-brain barrier (BBB). Current therapeutic interventions to treat brain disorders include surgical implants or catheters, both of which are highly invasive and carry the risk of long term neurological damage. In contrast, non-invasive strategies based on endogenous transport pathways in the brain are attractive alternatives for drug delivery to the brain. We are focusing on a specific pathway called receptor-mediated transcytosis (RMT) that involves dedicated cell-surface proteins for transport of protein cargoes across the cell. This pathway has previously shown great promise for transport of antibodies and drug conjugates of transport proteins like transferrin (Tf), insulin etc. We are developing a novel drug delivery strategy based on short peptides that bind to human Tf and can be used to deliver drugs via the RMT pathway of Tf. Herein we describe our initial results and future work on developing peptide based drug delivery systems to target the brain.
Smooth path planning and control for mobile robots

In this article a new complete sensor based path planning algorithm for autonomous mobile robot is presented. The algorithm guarantees global convergence to the target while at the same time the generated path is smooth, a key requirement for implementation on real robots. The completeness of the proposed scheme is proved using techniques from hybrid control.
Manometric Method for the Evaluation of Preservatives

Abstract A manometric method using the Warburg apparatus has been investigated as a possible screening technique for the evaluation of agents used as preservatives in pharmaceutical preparations. This procedure also was utilized to determine the relative effectiveness of different preservatives, and preservative-surfactant combinations. The respiratory effects on baker's yeast were determined with methyl-paraben, propylparaben, and sorbic acid, separately, and each in the presence of polysorbate 80. Each of the three preservatives caused a decrease in oxygen consumption by baker's yeast. In general, the order of effectiveness was propylparaben > sorbic acid > methylparaben. Polysorbate 80 decreased the effectiveness of each of the three preservatives. Sorbic acid was the least affected, except at a preservative concentration of 0.025%. These manometric results are rapidly obtained, informative, and in general agreement with results found by more time-consuming procedures.
Exosomes and other extracellular vesicles in host–pathogen interactions

An effective immune response requires the engagement of host receptors by pathogen-derived molecules and the stimulation of an appropriate cellular response. Therefore, a crucial factor in our ability to control an infection is the accessibility of our immune cells to the foreign material. Exosomes—which are extracellular vesicles that function in intercellular communication—may play a key role in the dissemination of pathogen- as well as host-derived molecules during infection. In this review, we highlight the composition and function of exosomes and other extracellular vesicles produced during viral, parasitic, fungal and bacterial infections and describe how these vesicles could function to either promote or inhibit host immunity.
Phylogeny of Leavenworthia and Selenia (Brassicaceae)

Abstract The present study aimed to develop a robust, extensively sampled phylogenetic hypothesis across all species in Leavenworthia and Selenia using chloroplast (psbJ—petA) and nuclear encoded (nrDNA ITS and LUMINIDEPENDENS) DNA sequence data. Parsimony and maximum likelihood methodologies were employed. Strong maximum likelihood bootstrap and parsimony jackknife support were recovered for the monophyly of the sister pair Leavenworthia plus Selenia and for the respective monophyly of each genus. Leavenworthia and Selenia are hypothesized to have diverged in the Ozark Mountains and results from an analysis of branch lengths leading to Leavenworthia and Selenia clades are consistent with Leavenworthia having diversified more recently than Selenia. Polyploidy and extensive aneuploidy complicate the interpretation of chromosomal evolution within and between these genera. Comparative results from phylogenetic analyses indicate that L. aurea and L. texana are hybrids with a shared set of putative parents. La...
Performance Analysis of Exponential Increase Exponential Decrease Back-Off Algorithm

Since the IEEE 802.11 DCF adopted the Binary Exponential Back-off (BEB) algorithm in its contention window adjustment scheme, many alternative back-off algorithms were proposed in order to enhance the performance. Among them is an Exponential Increase Exponential Decrease (EIED) back-off algorithm, whose performance was simulated and analyzed in a special case of doubling or halving the contention window size. This paper provides an analytical analysis for the general EIED algorithm. A closed form saturation throughput and a closed form saturation delay are derived. Our analytical results further establish the performance improvement of the general EIED algorithm over the BEB algorithm and the basic EIED algorithm.
Shared views and parent‐adolescent relationships

The implications of the preceding chapters for a developmental perspective on relationships between parents and adolescents are discussed, with a particular focus on differences among dyads and the process of transformation in relationships during the transition to adolescence. Agreement and disagreement are viewed as interrelated to interactive and emotional components of relationships.
The Strangest Thing About Software

Although there are times when random search is dangerous and should be avoided, software analysis should start with random methods because they are so cheap, moving to the more complex methods only when random methods fail
Screening for psychosocial dysfunction in inner-city children: further validation of the Pediatric Symptom checklist.

Abstract A sample of 123 6-to 12-year-old outpatients at an inner-city pediatric clinic was screened for psychosocial dysfunction using the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC), a brief parent-completed questionnaire. The prevalence of positive screening scores on the PSC was 22%, significantly higher than the rate found in lower middle to upper middle-class samples. Comparing PSC case classifications with comprehensive assessments made by clinicians, overall agreement was 92% (K = 0.82; sensitivity = 88%; specificity = 100%); a comparison with several other measures provided additional support for the validity of the PSC. The PSC's reliability over time was also acceptable. These findings provide preliminary evidence that the PSC is as valid and reliable for screening children from economically disadvantaged and minority backgrounds as it is for middle and upper middle-class populations.
Performance space of a GI/G/1 queueing system under a percentile goal criterion

The delay performance of a GT/G/1 queueing system with a single server and multiple classes is studied under a new criterion, namely the percentile goal criterion. We assume independent and identically distributed general interarrival times and general service times for each class of packets. The percentile goal criterion is characterized by a prespecified waiting time objective and the goal is to guarantee that a given fraction, or percentile, of packets from a class will be served with their waiting times less than the specified waiting time objective. We first characterize the performance space of such queueing systems. Then we describe a mixing strategy which achieves a given percentile goal. Later, we describe an adaptive algorithm which solves a relevant maxmin problem. >
Aspiring Educators, Urban Teens, and Conflicting Perspectives on the Social Contract

Watts, Williams, and Jagers (2003) define critical consciousness as an awareness of existing social inequities and their history, including the processes and outcomes of oppression. Many scholars and reformers are asking secondary-level educators to deepen the critical consciousness of their teenage students by teaching them about ways in which race, class, and gender systematically influence Americans' access to economic and educational opportunity. However, the widening demographic gap between teachers and students in urban secondary schools and associated differences in their beliefs about America's opportunity structure can pose serious challenges for teachers who are committed to critical consciousness education. In this article, we suggest that teacher preparation programs must offer aspiring urban teachers not only a sociological and historical perspective on inequality but also a developmental perspective on how people's beliefs about inequality evolve and are influenced by their social positionin...
Patterns of Single Mothers' Work and Welfare Use What Matters for Children's Well-Being?

Few studies have captured the variation in single mothers' work and welfare experiences and the implications for children. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and the Child Development Study, this study examines patterns of wages, work hours, and time spent on welfare in relation to children's well-being (N = 820). Six patterns emerged and were related to differences in children's outcomes, with lower well-being among children whose mothers had left welfare for work or who stayed on welfare. Findings differed by children's age and gender among some groups. Considering how these patterns relate to children may help in the design and implementation of programs or services.
Overexpression of SOD1 protects vulnerable motor neurons after spinal cord injury by attenuating mitochondrial cytochrome c release

Defective Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is responsible for some types of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and ventral horn motor neurons (VMN) have been shown to die through a mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathway after chronic exposure to high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). VMN are also selectively vulnerable to mild spinal cord injury (SCI); however, the involvement of SOD1, ROS, and apoptosis in their death has not been clarified. Mild compression SCI was induced in SOD1-overexpressing transgenic rats and wild-type littermates. Superoxide production, mitochondrial release of cytochrome c, and activation of caspase-9 were examined, and apoptotic DNA injury was also characterized. In the wild-type animals, increased superoxide production, mitochondrial release of cytochrome c, and cleaved caspase-9 were observed exclusively in VMN after SCI. Subsequently, a majority of VMN (75%) selectively underwent delayed apoptotic cell death. Transgenic animals showed less superoxide production, mitochondrial cytochrome c release, and caspase-9 activation, resulting in death of only 45% of the VMN. These results suggest that the ROS-initiated mitochondrial signaling pathway possibly plays a pivotal role in apoptotic VMN death after SCI and that increased levels of SOD1 in VMN reduce oxidative stress, thereby attenuating the activation of the pathway and delayed cell death.
How do you treat bleeding disorders with desmopressin

Desmopressin is an analog of vasopressin that exerts a substantial haemostatic effect by inducing the release of von Willebrand factor from its storage sites in endothelial cells. It has proved useful in treating or preventing bleeding episodes in patients with von Willebrand disease, haemophilia A and platelet function defects. Its efficacy in achieving a satisfactory level of haemostasis has reduced the use of blood products to treat bleeding episodes. Clinicians need to become familiar with the use of this drug that has become a home medication for many patients with inherited bleeding disorders.
Assessing student views of traditional, free, and interactive modifications for an introductory networking course

Common questions faced by instructors in their course designs are how to incorporate interactive technologies to increase student motivation as well as limiting the costs associated with education, contributed predominantly through course textbooks. We describe two course changes from a baseline scenario for a networking course, which aim at making the course no-cost using public domain content or, alternatively, focus on making the course highly interactive. We find that course cost benefits were offset by shortcomings in the open-source material replacing the textbook, but that the additional course costs of an interactive course are offset by increased course and learning perceptions reported by students. The focus on instructional interactivity, however, left the hands-on components up to students, with a potentially negative impact on the perceived quality of instruction.
Does the Gift Keep on Giving?: House Leadership PAC Donations Before and After Majority Status

The proliferation of external campaign financing at the expense of party financing has been thought of as a driver of political polarization. Party leaders face an immense tradeoff financing non-incumbent races when the party is out of power: while they care about gaining control of the House, they do not know how manageable a potential representative will be once elected. Leadership PAC (LPAC) contributions are a major mechanism of leadership control over the financing of congressional campaigns, with the hope of gaining influence over the future behavior of candidates. Using FEC contribution data from the 2006-2012 House elections and a new dataset that estimates candidate ideal points based on campaign finance donations the candidates received, we study differences between contributions of the LPACs of leaders and non-leaders of both parties, with distinction between when the party tries to regain or retain power. We find that the strength of ideologically extreme giving by party leaders is largely contingent on the electoral conditions of the election overall. Minority party leaders are generally incentivized to support more ideologically extreme candidates than when in the majority. We are directly interested in the impact of such donations on the propagation of ideologically extreme representatives, specifically how the weakening of tools of party leadership control over their members propels polarization.
Some cardiovascular effects of marihuana smoking in normal volunteers

Marihuana smoking caused a significant increase in heart rate in 25 normal male volunteers. The degree of techycardia was significantly related to the dose of Δ-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-9-THC). The marihuana smoked contained 0.5 and 2.9 per cent Δ-9-THC and was compared to extracted marihuana as a control in a single-blind experimental design. Dose of Δ-9-THC was expressed as the total amount available in the number of cigarettes smoked under standard conditions. The tachycardia reached a maximum within 30 minutes and persisted longer than 90 minutes. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly elevated after total doses of marihuana containing more than 10 mg. of THC, but blood pressure was better correlated to heart rate than to dose. Changes in the electrocardiogram were minimal, but there were premature ventricular contractions in some subjects.
Fiona Woollard, Doing and Allowing Harm

Fiona Woollard’s recent book, Doing and Allowing Harm, is an impressively rigorous defense of the Doctrine of Doing and Allowing (DDA). Woollard understands DDA (a central component of common sense morality) as the claim that other things being equal, doing harm is harder to justify than allowing harm: the personal cost that would permit me to allow a certain harm to befall a person may not be enough to permit me to do that same harm to that person. For example, I’m seemingly permitted to allow a child to drown if rescuing him results in the loss of my own life. But I wouldn’t be permitted to push the child into a pond, let’s say (whereupon he would drown), if that is the only way to save my own life. Anyone seeking to provide a robust defense of DDA must fulfill two tasks: (1) clearly describe the difference between doing and allowing harm and (2) show how that difference is morally relevant; show, for example, how that difference between doing and allowing harm warrants the view that the former is harder to justify than the latter. Woollard, in Part I, seeks to fulfill task (1). Building off of the work of Philippa Foot and Jonathan Bennett, Woollard provides a descriptive analysis of the nature of the distinction between doing and allowing harm. Part I also includes a helpful discussion on the complex issue of actively withdrawing life saving aid (does removing a safety net from underneath a person who is free falling or disconnecting someone from a respirator count as doing or allowing harm?). Woollard, in Part II, seeks to fulfill task (2). Here Woollard gives a different (though seemingly equivalent) characterization of DDA: roughly, a prima facie principle that both prohibits harm doing and permits harm allowing. Building off of the work of Warren Quinn and Frances Kamm, Woollard argues that DDA must be true if anything, including our bodies, is to genuinely belong to us. In my view, this is the most convincing aspect of the book. What she says here is quite plausible and
Studies on platelets. IV. A thrombocytopenic factor in normal human blood, plasma, or serum.

Summary1. Temporary, but significant thrombocytopenia was noted in 32 out of 36 individuals receiving compatible blood, plasma or serum from non-thrombocytopenic donors. No spontaneous bleeding manifestations, alterations of the various hemostatic mechanisms, changes in number or activity of the bone marrow megakaryocytes, alterations of function or morphology of the remaining platelets, agglutinating or lysing activity of the recipient's serum against normal platelets were noted. Heparinization of the recipient did not affect the thrombocytopenic effect of the transfusion of compatible plasma. 2. The thrombocytopenic effect was apparently due to a component of plasma, stable at 56°C, no absorbed by Seitz filters nor by ion-exchange resins, but absorbed on Ca3(PO4)2 gel from which it could be eluted with sodium citrate solution. Work is in progress to establish the nature, the mechanism of action of this agent, and its relation to products of platelet destruction.
Experiences on the Lateral Discus Meniscus of Knee Joint

We reported1. 2 Cases of clicking knee, which vanished spontaneously the clicking by degeneration of lateral disc.So clicking of knee vanisches not only by regeneration of meniscus, but by degeneration.2. A Cases of lateral disc with normal structure.
Constructing quality systems of engineering equipment based on ISM

Aiming at the particularity,complexity and indeterminacy existing in the evaluation of engineering equipment quality,interpretative structural modeling in systems engineering was introduced into the constructing process of engineering equipment evaluating system.Based on ascertaining engineering equipment impacting factors' logic relations in extension space,multilevel step-up structural model was erected after gaining the system reach matrix.According to the ISM,system nerve supporting structure and factors supporting effecting model were analyzed for confirming quality evaluating stands with systematic expatiation,based on engineering ability,economic ability and other factors,which influence the following research ability directly.
New Intellectual Forces: Hume and Newton

Carlyle entered Edinburgh University in 1809 as one of the ‘last products of an old system’, and this system was to prove unable to help him withstand the pressures of those new intellectual forces to which he was now to be subjected. However, and this point is a crucial one, Carlyle did not, as is commonly thought, and as Sartor with some exaggerations records, lose faith; he was, it is true, to suffer his own ‘Centre of Indifference’ for a number of years, chiefly over the choice of a career. However, the exact nature of the experience at Edinburgh and in the immediate following years is one that seems closer to readjustment rather than a complete loss of faith and a subsequent miraculous recovery through readings in German literature and philosophy. The distinction is a vital one, for it alters markedly the way one views Carlyle’s relationship to both science and scepticism, as well as to German literature.
A matching-based strategy for AP selection in sustainable heterogeneous wireless networks

This paper considers a problem of user and access point associations in heterogeneous wireless networks consisting of multiple radio access technologies. We propose a strategy for optimizing the problem that aims at maximizing the total minimal utility of users in the longer term. The minimal utilities can be obtained from bare essentials of the quality of experience and defined by considering different requirements of each user. In order to analyze characteristics of the proposed selection strategy, we conduct simulations comparing it with other selection mechanisms under criteria such as minimal utility, sustainability, fairness, and load balancing.
Reflecting respect: Transcultural communicative practices of muslim French youth

This article explores how ideologies derived from North African culture are transformed in local expressions of identity among Muslim French adolescents. Naturally-occurring interactional data were collected among adolescents of primarily Algerian descent living in a cite (a low-income housing project) outside Paris. The study shows that the local identity practices of Muslim French teens articulate with transcultural ideologies of identity, but in contradictory rather than wholly consistent ways. Specifically, teens in the study circulate seemingly static cultural ideologies pertaining to generation, gender, and sexuality, but also routinely challenge these ideologies in interactions with their peers. Through the innovative interactional genre of “parental name calling,” adolescents articulate their ambivalent relationship to the North African-derived cultural value they call le respect (‘respect’). In the process, they negotiate their own beliefs and practices regarding generation, gender, and sexuality in accommodation and opposition to their parents’ values.
Preference of Arabidopsis thaliana GH3.5 acyl amido synthetase for growth versus defense hormone acyl substrates is dictated by concentration of amino acid substrate aspartate

The GH3 family of adenylating enzymes conjugate acyl substrates such as the growth hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) to amino acids via a two-step reaction of acyl substrate adenylation followed by amino acid conjugation. Arabidopsis thaliana GH3.5 was previously shown to be unusual in that it could adenylate both IAA and the defense hormone salicylic acid (SA, 2-hydroxybenzoate). Our detailed studies of the kinetics of GH3.5 on a variety of auxin and benzoate substrates provides insight into the acyl preference and reaction mechanism of GH3.5. For example, we found GH3.5 activity on substituted benzoates is not defined by the substitution position as it is for GH3.12/PBS3. Most importantly, we show that GH3.5 strongly prefers Asp as the amino acid conjugate and that the concentration of Asp dictates the functional activity of GH3.5 on IAA vs. SA. Not only is Asp used in amino acid biosynthesis, but it also plays an important role in nitrogen mobilization and in the production of downstream metabolites, including pipecolic acid which propagates defense systemically. During active growth, [IAA] and [Asp] are high and the catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) of GH3.5 for IAA is 360-fold higher than with SA. GH3.5 is expressed under these conditions and conversion of IAA to inactive IAA-Asp would provide fine spatial and temporal control over local auxin developmental responses. By contrast, [SA] is dramatically elevated in response to (hemi)-biotrophic pathogens which also induce GH3.5 expression. Under these conditions, [Asp] is low and GH3.5 has equal affinity (Km) for SA and IAA with similar catalytic efficiencies. However, the concentration of IAA tends to be very low, well below the Km for IAA. Therefore, GH3.5 catalyzed formation of SA-Asp would occur, fine-tuning localized defensive responses through conversion of active free SA to SA-Asp. Taken together, we show how GH3.5, with dual activity on IAA and SA, can integrate cellular metabolic status via Asp to provide fine control of growth vs. defense outcomes and hormone homeostasis.
"Employment Transition Intention: Opportunity, Personality and the Perception of Risk"

This paper proposes a more encompassing model of work transition intentions that unifies models based on psychological traits and models of opportunity selection as they relate to the perceived ris...
Reduction of Particles in the Operating Room Using Ultraviolet Air Disinfection and Recirculation Units.

Abstract Background Airborne bacteria are a major source for wound contamination during total joint arthroplasty. Crystalline ultraviolet C (C-UVC) filter units were designed to disinfect and recirculate air in the operating room (OR). This preliminary study assessed the particle reducing capacity of C-UVC units in a highly controlled OR setting. Methods A particle counter was deployed in a positive-pressure OR to measure total and viable particle counts (TPC/VPC). Thirty 23-minute experiments were performed. At 4 designated times a person would walk through the door to mimic OR traffic. Ten experiments were performed as controls, 10 experiments used a C-UVC unit 4 meters (m) from the door, and 10 cases with the C-UVC unit at 8 m. Outcomes included overall, change (Δ), and maximum TPC/VPC. Mann-Whitney U-tests determined statistical differences in TPC/VPC. Results Compared to controls, the cases with the C-UVC unit at 4 m had significantly lower particle levels. Overall TPC/VPC, changes in TPC/VCP, and maximum TPC/VPC were all significantly lower (P Conclusion C-UVC units have shown to be capable of significantly reducing TPC and VPC in a highly controlled OR setting. Reducing airborne particles using C-UVC units may reduce infection rates following total joint arthroplasty.
Acoustic scaling of linear and mode-coupled anisotropic flow; implications for precision extraction of the specific shear viscosity

The $n\mathrm{th}$-order linear flow coefficients ${v}_{n}^{L}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}(n=2,3,4,5)$, and the corresponding nonlinear mode-coupled ($\mathrm{mc}$) coefficients ${v}_{4,(2,2)}^{\mathrm{mc}}$, ${v}_{5,(2,3)}^{\mathrm{mc}}$, ${v}_{6,(3,3)}^{\mathrm{mc}}$, and ${v}_{6,(2,2,2)}^{\mathrm{mc}}$, are studied for Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{{s}_{NN}}=2.76$ TeV. Both sets of coefficients indicate a common acoustic scaling pattern of exponential viscous modulation, with a rate proportional to the square of the harmonic numbers and the mean transverse momenta (respectively), and inversely proportional to the cube root of the charged particle multiplicity $[{({N}_{\mathrm{ch}})}^{1/3}]$, which characterizes the dimensionless size of the systems produced in the collisions. These patterns and their associated scaling parameters provide new stringent constraints for eccentricity-independent estimates of the specific shear viscosity $\frac{\ensuremath{\eta}}{s}(T)$ and the viscous correction to the thermal distribution function for the matter produced in the collisions. They also give crucial constraints for extraction of the initial-state eccentricity spectrum.
Unstable HPRTase in Subjects with Abnormal Urinary Oxypurine Excretion

Several genetic defects have been recognized which have presented different levels of residual IMP pyrophosphorylase (HPRTase) activity and concomitant modifications of the clinical manifestations. The most extreme is Lesch-Nyhan disease with little or no detectable enzyme in the red cells and severe neurological damage.1 If the enzyme deficiency is less complete, there may be only overproduction of uric acid and gout.
Synthesis and X-ray analysis of (RS)-N-tert-butyl-2-anilino-

The crystal and molecular structure of (RS)-N-Tert-butyl-2-anilino-3,3-dimethylbutanamide, a derivative of an amino acid that was obtained by highly selective cleavage of 1,3-di-tert-butylaziridinone by aniline, is described. The racemic mixture of the amide crystallizes in the space groupP 21/n with four molecules per unit cell. Crystal Data:a=10.483(2) A,b=6.206(1) A,c=24.767(5) A,β=90.39(3),V=1611.5(6) A3,R(F)[I>2σ(I)]=0.0679.wR(F 2) [I>2σ(I)]=0.1148.
Transport Properties of Some Transition Metals at High Temperatures

The measured high-temperature transport properties of the paramagnetic, cubic, transition metals of Group VIII cannot be described in terms of pure electron-phonon scattering: to achieve consistency among the measured properties, strong electron-electron scattering must be included in the analysis. Furthermore, the old postulate of Mott, that the relaxation time of the electrons is inversely proportional to the density of states, does not appear to be universally true. We briefly discuss the results and the analysis that leads to the above conclusions.
Interventions to Improve Dietary Quality in Children

Nutrient intake recommendations have been established to provide guidelines for nourishment and health in humans. Although obtaining adequate amounts of nutrients to meet basic needs remains a challenge for a significant proportion of the world’s population [1], a growing number of individuals are facing a different type of nutritional challenge—selected nutrient inadequacy combined with too many calories. This dietary profile is often referred to as “overnutrition,” and when prolonged, can lead to the development of overweight and obesity.
Refactoring the Web Interface

The web browser, which originated as a simple viewer for displaying static web pages, has evolved into an operating system for executing web applications. The quantity, diversity, and capability of web applications have grown dramatically, such that many modern web applications have begun to rival the breadth and functionality of desktop applications. What has fueled this trend? Why do users find a browser to be a better application platform than a traditional operating system? Somewhere within the amalgamation of standards and conventions that define what it means to be a web application, there must be some key properties that make such applications particularly attractive to users. We argue that these important properties are unrelated to most of the de facto web API, including HTML, DOM, CSS, GIF, JPEG, PNG, JavaScript, etc. In other words, an entirely different set of web standards could be just as attractive and successful, as long as it were to maintain a particular set of core properties. In particular, we posit that web apps are attractive because they are isolated, rich, on-demand, and networked: • Isolated: Web applications cannot unilaterally affect other applications, so they are safe to try. • Rich: Web applications are visually appealing, interactively responsive, and semantically powerful. • On-demand: Web applications do not require installation or OS configuration, so they are easy to test drive and easy to point others to. • Networked: Web applications make use of resources on the web, so they can access and integrate a growing and up-to-date set of disparate content. We argue that these properties—which we call the IRON properties—are individually necessary to preserve the attractiveness of the current web. If web apps were not isolated or on-demand, the increased risk or burden of trying out a new app would reduce its rate of proliferation. If they were not networked, many of today’s most interesting web apps (online maps, electronic commerce, cloud storage, etc.) could not function. And although the early static web was not very rich, the introduction of client-side execution (via JavaScript) was needed to enable virtually every web app in use today. We further believe that these properties are jointly sufficient to provide the user experience that makes web applications attractive to users. To demonstrate this, the Zoog project at Microsoft Research is constructing a minimal execution platform that satisfies the IRON properties. Our intent is to show that this platform can support the entire set of applications that exist on today’s web. 2 Weaknesses of the current web API
Achieving Microsurgical Competency in Orthopaedic Residents Utilizing a Self-Directed Microvascular Training Curriculum.

BACKGROUND Education in microvascular surgery is limited by variable experience, a difficult learning curve, and potentially catastrophic complications caused by failed anastomoses. Furthermore, utilization of live-animal training models can be difficult because of lack of access and high maintenance costs. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness and cost of a self-directed microvascular training curriculum utilizing synthetic microvessels and nonliving models in an orthopaedic residency program. METHODS Twenty-five orthopaedic residents ranging from postgraduate year (PGY)-1 to PGY-4 were prospectively enrolled. The curriculum consisted of learning the basics of microsurgery on nonliving models and progressed to anastomoses on a 1-mm synthetic microvessel. Outcomes included Global Rating Scale (GRS) scores (5 to 25 points), patency, anastomosis time, comfort level (1 to 10 points), time to complete the curriculum, and curriculum utility (1 to 10 points). Blinded qualitative assessments (from 1 to 10 points) of pre-curriculum and post-curriculum anastomoses were made by 4 hand surgery faculty members. Outcome measures were obtained at baseline and post-curriculum. The curriculum cost was calculated as the setup cost and the maintenance cost per resident. Student t tests and Fisher exact tests were utilized for significance. RESULTS All residents successfully completed the curriculum. The mean anastomosis time (and standard deviation) decreased from 40 ± 3 minutes to 22 ± 4 minutes (p < 0.001). The mean GRS score improved from 12 ± 2 points to 18 ± 2 points (p < 0.01). Patency was achieved by 44% at baseline evaluation and by 96% at post-curriculum evaluation (p < 0.0001). The mean comfort level improved from 3 ± 1.2 points to 6 ± 1.7 points (p < 0.0001) on a scale of 1 to 10 points. Also on a scale of 1 to 10, the blinded mean qualitative anastomoses score improved from 4.8 ± 2.2 points (poor) to 8.0 ± 1.1 points (good) (p < 0.0001). The mean time to complete the curriculum was 5.5 ± 1.4 hours, and, on a scale of 1 to 10, curriculum utility was rated by the residents to be 8 ± 1.8 points. The cost of the initial setup was $1,795 with a yearly utilization cost per resident of $42. CONCLUSIONS The implementation of a self-directed curriculum utilizing synthetic microvessels and nonliving models demonstrated significant improvements in resident microvascular skill. This curriculum represents a modest startup cost and low yearly cost per resident.
Unlocking mechanisms of development through advances in tools.

Abstract This perspective describes how our understanding of sea urchin development has been enabled by advances in technology. The early conceptual discoveries that put the sea urchin embryo on the research map had to wait until technologies were available to explain how those concepts worked. The explanatory phase continues as a number of mechanisms continue to be understood in ever greater detail, all made possible by further technical advances.
Getting by with a little help from my friends: siblings report on the amount of informal support received by adults with disabilities.

BACKGROUND Given decreased formal supports for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) in many industrialised countries, we need to know more about informal, or natural, supports. METHOD Adult siblings (N = 632) responded to a web-based survey about the informal supports received by their brothers/sisters with IDDs. RESULTS Informal support was organised by the life domains of recreation, employment and housing. Adults with IDDs received the most extensive informal support in recreation and the least extensive in housing; low levels characterised all domains. Individuals with greater numbers of supporters in a domain experienced higher levels of support, as did those residing with family and who received more state-supported, formal benefits. CONCLUSIONS Unpaid, informal supports supplement the support needs of adults with IDDs. Connections between formal and informal supports for adults with IDDs need to be examined further.
An Attempt at Theodicy

In this chapter, I consider whether goods, other than freedom, provided in this life, or goods provided in some n-inning afterlife could morally make up for the loss of significant freedom due to God’s permission of significant and especially horrendous consequences of wrongful actions.
Computationally Enabled Minimum Total Energy Tracking for a Performance Regulated Sub-Threshold Microprocessor in 65-nm CMOS

This article describes an architecture that auto- nomously sets the operating supply voltage ( $V_{dd}$ ) of a digital system for minimum total energy dissipation, inclusive of regulator loss. The technique directly computes the energy per cycle (EPC) delivered by the supply to the system, to guide $V_{dd}$ adjustment for minimum energy-per-cycle point (MEP; voltage: $V_{MEP}$ and frequency: $f_{MEP}$ ) tracking. The proposed approach avoids significant $V_{dd}$ margins typically required for system operation near-threshold and at sub-threshold $V_{dd}$ levels by employing a unified clock and power ( UniCaP ) architecture that regulates target performance across process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) variation with minimal guardband requirements. Measurement results from a 65-nm CMOS test chip demonstrate the $V_{MEP}$ tracking with less than 5 mV of error within the operating voltage range of 0.38–0.58 V. Measurement results also demonstrate the MEP tracking with temperature variation from −30 °C to 105 °C across varied loading conditions over 20 different test chips.
Characterization of performance on an automated visual recognition memory task in 7.5-month-old infants

Abstract Infant looking behaviors measured during visual assessment paradigms may be more reliable predictors of long-term cognitive outcomes than standard measures such as the Bayley Scales of Infant Development typically used in environmental epidemiology. Infrared eye tracking technology offers an innovative approach to automate collection and processing of looking behavior data, making it possible to efficiently assess large numbers of infants. The goals of this study were to characterize infant looking behavior measures including side preference, fixation duration, and novelty preference using eye tracking and an automated version of an established visual recognition memory paradigm that includes both human faces and geometric figures as stimuli. An ancillary goal was to assess the feasibility of obtaining a precise measure of looking to the eye region of faces from the eye-tracking data. In this study, 309 7.5-month-old infants from a prospective birth cohort were assessed using a visual recognition memory (VRM) paradigm. Infrared eye tracking was used to record looking time as infants were shown nine blocks of trials with a pair of identical faces or shapes followed by two trials in which the familiar stimulus was paired with a novel one. Infants were assessed in one of four conditions: in conditions A and B, stimulus set 1 were the familiar stimuli and set 2 were novel; in conditions C and D, set 2 were familiar and set 1 novel. The novel stimuli were presented on the right first in conditions A and C and on the left first in conditions B and D. We observed a significant right side preference, which has not been reported before (57% of looking time spent looking at right side stimulus, p-value