cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What are our AIMs? Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Use of Ancestry Estimation in Disease Research

Background: Ancestry estimation serves as a tool to identify genetic contributions to disease but may contribute to racial discrimination and stigmatization. We sought to understand user perspectives on the benefits and harms of ancestry estimation to inform research practice and contribute to debates about the use of race and ancestry in genetics. Methods: Key informant interviews with 22 scientists were conducted to examine scientists’ understandings of the benefits and harms of ancestry estimation. Results: Three main perspectives were observed among key informant scientists who use ancestry estimation in genetic epidemiology research. Population geneticists self-identified as educators who controlled the meaning and application of ancestry estimation in research. Clinician-researchers were optimistic about the application of ancestry estimation to individualized risk assessment and personalized medicine. Epidemiologists remained ambivalent toward ancestry estimation and suggested a continued role for ...
PICOSECOND FLUORESCENCE FROM PHYCOCYANIN 612

— The biliprotein, phycocyanin 612, was purified from a cryptomonad, Hemiselmis virescens. The protein, which is an α2β2 dimer having four spectrally different tetrapyrrole chromophores, was studied using picosecond fluorescence by exciting the various chromophores at three wavelengths, 565, 585 and 615 nm. These wavelengths were chosen to excite selectively the three highest energy chromophores. Decay times were measured as the excitation energy migrated from each of the three excited chromophores to the lowest-energy chromophore. The ps decay times were found to be 9, 13, and 12 ps for excitations at 565, 585, and 615 nm, respectively. A comparison is made between phycocyanin 612 and phycocyanin 645 with regard to the causes of their differing absorption maxima.
Cellular mechanisms governing cross-presentation of exogenous antigens

The recent discovery of fusion of endoplasmic reticulum membrane with nascent phagosomes suggests that this peripheral compartment in macrophages and dendritic cells may serve as an organelle optimized for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-restricted cross-presentation of exogenous antigens. The process allows intersection of the endosomal system with the endoplasmic reticulum, the classical site of MHC class I peptide loading, and may reconcile the seemingly conflicting evidence indicating both of these sites are crucial in cross-presentation. Here we discuss the potential mechanisms involved in loading exogenous antigens onto MHC class I molecules and the implications of this new evidence for the in vivo function of dendritic cells.
Synthetic Biology of Multicellular Systems: New Platforms and Applications for Animal Cells and Organisms

Like life itself, synthetic biology began with unicellular organisms. Early synthetic biologists built genetic circuits in model prokaryotes and yeast because of their relative biological simplicity and ease of genetic manipulation. With superior genetic tools, faster generation times, and betterunderstood endogenous gene expression machinery, prokaryotes and yeast were (and remain) appealing hosts for the engineering of synthetic systems. Now in its second decade, synthetic biology in unicellular organisms has produced myriad synthetic genetic circuits, a number of industrial applications, and fundamental new biological insights unlikely to have emerged from nonsynthetic approaches.
The infrared spectrum of 12C18O2

Abstract Eight vibration-rotation bands of 12 C 18 O 2 and two of 13 C 18 O 2 have been observed with 0.3 to 0.6 cm −1 resolution. Rotational constants obtained from the analysis are reported and discussed briefly.
Measurement of cardiac output in pregnancy by thermodilution and impedance techniques.

Summary. To assess the value of impedance cardiography in pregnancy, simultaneous measurements of cardiae output were made with impedance and thermodilution techniques in 10 patients who required pulmonary artery catheterization. The methods correlated poorly (r=0·17). The discrepancy between methods was particularly pronounced in hypertensive patients. Impedance cardiography does not measure cardiac output accurately in hypertensive pregnant women.
Planetary Nebulae in the NRAO VLA Sky Survey

The 1.4 GHz NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) images and source catalog were used to detect radio emission from the 885 planetary nebulae north of J2000 declination δ = -40° in the Strasbourg-ESO Catalogue of Galactic Planetary Nebulae. We identified 680 radio sources brighter than about S = 2.5 mJy beam-1 (equivalent to T ≈ 0.8 K in the 45'' FWHM NVSS beam) with planetary nebulae by coincidence with accurate optical positions measured from Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) images. Total extinction coefficients c at λ = 4861 A were calculated for the 429 planetary nebulae with available Hβ fluxes and low free-free optical depths at 1.4 GHz. The variation of c with Galactic latitude and longitude is consistent with the extinction being primarily interstellar and not intrinsic.
Artifacts of Coding Amino Acids and Other Composite Characters for Phylogenetic Analysis

A phylogenetic analysis can be no better than the characters on which it is based. Just as it is inappropriate to code character states of individual characters as separate presence/absence characters, it is inappropriate to combine independent characters because not all information in the data is being utilized. Composite characters link otherwise discernible states from different characters together to form new character states. There are two related problems with this coding. First, there is a loss of hierarchic information between the reductive and composite characters when unordered states are used. Second, the linking of separate characters that occurs during the construction of composite character states can create putative synapomorphies that were not present in the separate characters. For amino acid characters, the problem may occur whenever more than one position of a codon is variable among the terminals sampled. Groups that are resolved as paraphyletic with reductive coding may be resolved as monophyletic with composite coding. The artificial character states indicated by the amino acid characters are unlikely to be congruent with the true gene tree.
Methanolysis of cerebrosides with boron trifluoride-methanol.

A time study was carried out to determine conditions under which BF3-methanol could be used reliably for methanolysis of cerebrosides. Results indicate that heating at 100 C in a sealed tube with 14% w/v BF3-methanol for 60 min yields satisfactory cleavage of cerebrosides to fatty acid methyl esters without significant destruction of normal or hydroxy fatty acids.
Population Policy and Age Structure

The 20th century swings of high and low fertility in the U.S. "resulted from a combination of economic conditions with the relative size and social aspirations of the cohorts entering the labor force." The initial backers of the Zero Population Growth (ZPG)/movement were boom babies mostly male college students and young recent male graduates. Most ZPG supporters did not consider the implications of their movement. If the American population heads toward zero growth the age structure will fluctuate for several decades and then move toward a stationary condition. There will be a proportionate growth of the elderly in the population. The adjustment to problems created by such a radical change in the age composition of the population could be better made if the change came gradually. The U.S. might consider immigration as a means of mitigating the disadvantages of a stationary population.
Text entry for mobile devices using ad-hoc abbreviation

This paper presents a new method for improving the number of keystrokes and time required for text entry on mobile devices using ad-hoc abbreviations. The approach is easy-to-use because: users are not required to learn any pre-defined abbreviation rules; abbreviated input phrases are automatically detected and expanded; and it is possible to recover words that may be omitted from phrases either by accident or intention. The paper develops algorithms to detect abbreviated phrases using a Support Vector Machine trained on abbreviation examples and to expand abbreviations into complete phrases using a Hidden Markov Model learned from a text corpus. The abbreviation detector was evaluated on 3,000 word-abbreviation pairs and achieved 90% accuracy. The abbreviation expander was evaluated on 100,000 phrases and achieved 95% accuracy. A user study with 10 participants was performed to measure time and keystroke savings of the new approach compared to the existing iPhone® text entry system. Keystroke savings were consistent amongst users, with an average decrease of 32%. Time for input varied considerably depending on familiarity with the approach, increasing for novice users. However, experienced users achieved an average time saving of 26%. Observations suggest that novice users were spending time thinking about how they wanted to abbreviate words.
Non-Image-Forming Optical Components

In this paper we review the geometrical characteristics of optical components such as plane-parallel plates, flat mirrors, and prisms that serve extremely useful purposes in optical instruments, but nominally do not contribute optical power and, hence, cannot form images by themselves. The principal uses of such components as windows; filters; reticles; beam-folding optics; beamsplitters/combiners; image erectors, rotators and scanners; etc. are addressed. Representative configurations for these components and typical designs for mounting them into common types of instruments also are described.
An interactional model of achievement motivation and fear of success

Over the past 20 years, research on Fear of Success (FOS) has generated many inconsistent and contradictory results. The thesis of this article is that misinterpretations of Horner's (Sex Differences in Achievement Motivation and Performance in Competitive and Non-Competitive Situations, unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Michigan, 1968) theory are responsible for such findings. Therefore, Horner's theory regarding the motivational dynamics underlying the performance of males and females is reviewed and contrasted with later interpretations. Based on Horner's formulations, a model of FOS and achievement motivation is presented that both accommodates previous research and provides a framework for guiding future research. Empirical findings are presented that support the utility of this model.
Multiple Aromaticity and Antiaromaticity in Silicon Clusters

A series of silicon clusters containing four atoms but with different charge states (Si4(2+), Si4, Si4(2-), and NaSi4-) were studied by photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. Structure evolution and chemical bonding in this series were interpreted in terms of aromaticity and antiaromaticity, which allowed the prediction of how structures of the four-atom silicon clusters change upon addition or removal of two electrons. It is shown that Si4(2+) is square-planar, analogous to the recently discovered aromatic Al4(2-) cluster. Upon of two electrons, neutral Si4 becomes sigma-antiaromatic and exhibits a rhombus distortion. Adding two more electrons to Si4 leads to two energetically close structures of Si4(2-): either a double antiaromatic parallelogram structure or an aromatic system with a butterfly distortion. Because of the electronic instability of doubly charged Si4(2-), a stabilizing cation (Na+) was used to produce Si4(2-) in the gas phase in the form of Na+[Si4(2-)], which was characterized experimentally by photoelectron spectroscopy. Multiple antiaromaticity in the parallelogram Na+[Si4(2-)] species is highly unusual.
Treatment of aged rat sensory neurons in short-term, serum-free culture with nerve growth factor reverses the effect of aging on neurite outgrowth, calcium currents, and neuronal survival.

Abstract Impaired NGF production and release has been documented in aged animals, suggesting that decreased NGF receptor stimulation may be one factor contributing to neuronal dysfunction with aging. Other studies have suggested that aging may be associated with impaired intracellular responses to NGF. Because aging-associated neuronal dysfunction contributes to morbidity and mortality in the geriatric population, it is important to determine whether the effects of aging on sensory neuron function and survival are reversible. In the present study, we observed significantly decreased neurite outgrowth and neuronal survival in short-term cultures (0–96 h) of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons from aged (>22 months) Fisher 344×Brown Norway F1 hybrid rats, compared to young (4–6 month) and middle-aged (14 month) animals. From 24 to 96 h in culture, diminished survival of aged neurons appeared to be due to an increased rate of apoptotic cell death. DRG neurons from aged animals also exhibited significantly decreased whole cell, high-threshold voltage-dependent calcium currents, with a larger proportion of L-type current, compared to youthful and middle-aged animals. Treatment of aged DRG neurons with NGF restored neurite outgrowth, neuronal survival and calcium current amplitude and subtype distribution to those observed in youthful DRG neurons.
Ontology-based multimode information fusion method

In order to better use with massive, heterogeneous, multimode and other characteristics of information, eliminate redundancy, the formation of the system environment is relatively complete and consistent description. It can ensure rapid and correct decision-making, planning and reflection. In this paper, a multimode information fusion method is proposed aimed at the shortcomings of hierarchical structure. Different databases and data files between different formats can be shielded, while the fuzzy neural network algorithm, make text, images and video seamless fusion by continuous learning. Experimental results show that the method of this paper is better than exist on fusion algorithms at the right rate, leakage pick up rate and false acceptance rata.
Model for J/ψ absorption in hadronic matter

The cross sections for $J/\psi$ absorption by $\pi$ and $\rho$ mesons are studied in a meson-exchange model that includes not only pseudoscalar-pseudoscalar-vector-meson couplings but also three-vector-meson and four-point couplings. We find that they are much larger than in a previous study where only pseudoscalar-pseudoscalar-vector-meson couplings were considered. Including form factors at interaction vertices, the $J/\psi$ absorption cross sections $\sigma_{\pi \psi}$ and $\sigma_{\rho \psi}$ are found to have values on the order of 7 mb and 3 mb, respectively. Their thermal averages in hadronic matter at temperature T=150 MeV are, respectively, about 1 mb and 2 mb.
Correlates of unintended birth among low-income Hispanic immigrants at high risk for depression.

Hispanic women, a large and growing ethnic minority group in the U.S., have an unintended birth rate over twice the national average. However, little is known about unintended birth among Hispanic immigrants. The purpose of this study is to determine the sociodemographic, including immigration-related, correlates of unintended birth in this population. Data were collected as part of a preventive intervention among pregnant Hispanic immigrants at increased risk for depression (n = 215). The correlates of women’s self-reported pregnancy intention (intended, mistimed, unwanted) were examined using multinomial logistic regression. Similar to nationally representative findings, unintended birth was more common among younger women, single women and women not cohabiting with their partners, and women with more children. Additionally, women who had immigrated to the U.S. less than 1 year ago had almost a 4 times greater risk of a mistimed birth (RRR = 3.82, P < 0.05) compared to women who immigrated 1–4 years ago. Women with greater social support scores had a reduced chance of mistimed (RRR = 0.98, P < 0.10) and unwanted (RRR = 0.97, P < 0.05) birth. The findings have implications for development of effective and culturally appropriate family planning programs. They suggest that interventions should target young women, women who have achieved their desired family size, and very recent immigrants.
Purification of Synthetic Oligonucleotides via Catching by Polymerization

This unit describes the purification of synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotides (ODN) using a catching-by-polymerization approach. In a crude ODN, the major impurity is the failure sequences generated in the coupling step of each synthetic cycle. They are difficult to remove due to the similarity of their physical properties to the full-length sequences. Two non-chromatographic methods are described in the unit to solve the problem. In the first one, during automated synthesis, the failure sequences are tagged with a methacrylamide group, which is polymerizable and can participate in acrylamide radical polymerization reactions; the full-length sequences are not tagged. After synthesis, the crude mixture is subjected to polymerization. The failure sequences are incorporated into an insoluble polymer; the full-length sequences are extracted with water. In the second method, the full-length sequences are tagged with a methacrylamide group via a cleavable linker; the failure sequences are not tagged. After synthesis, the full-length sequences are incorporated into a polymer; the failure sequences are washed away with water. Pure full-length sequences are cleaved from the polymer. The two methods are complementary. Curr. Protoc. Nucleic Acid Chem. 49:10.14.1-10.14.21. © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: oligonucleotide; purification; catching by polymerization; scalable purification; acrylamide radical polymerization; full-length sequence; failure sequence
A Toxic Cardiomyopathy Caused by Cassia occidentalis II. Biochemical Studies in Poisoned Rabbits

Mitochondrial damage was evident in the earliest lesions in cardiac muscle of rabbits poisoned by coffee senna (Cassia occidentalis), suggesting that mitochondria might be the target for the toxic action of coffee senna. Oxidative phosphorylation by mitochondria isolated from poisoned rabbits was uncoupled, and in more severely affected rabbits mitochondrial respiration was depressed. The activities of myocardial malic de­ hydrogenase, isocitric dehydrogenase and lactic dehydrogenase were increased, glycogen was depleted, and lactate accumulated in poisoned rabbits. The toxin(s) of coffee senna induced uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation in myocardial mitochondria. Thus, the mitochondria, deprived of their ability to convert the energy derived from respiration into adenosine triphosphate, were unable to maintain ionic gradients and became swollen. This caused progressive failure of respiration with subsequent disruption of myocardial mitochondrial structure and myocardial degeneration. The morphologic characteristics of the cardiomyopathy of rabbits poi­ soned by coffee senna (Cassia occidentalis) have been described (27). This and other studies (29) indicated that mitochondrial degeneration was an early lesion of coffee senna poisoning of rabbits and cattle that preceded myofibriIIar degeneration and also that mitochondria might be the target of the toxin(s) of coffee senna. Biochemical studies of animals poisoned by coffee senna have been lim­ ited to demonstration of increased activities of glutamic-oxalacetic trans­ aminase (GOT), creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and isocitric dehydrogenase (I CD) in serum, hyperkalemia and myoglobinuria (23, 27). These changes are consistent with acute myodegenerative disease but do not reveal the pathogenesis of the muscle degeneration. In view of the morphological evi­ dence of mitochondrial damage, the function of mitochondria isolated from the hearts of rabbits poisoned by coffee senna was studied using polaro­ graphic techniques to evaluate the status of mitochondrial respiration (5,20). These techniques have been used by others in the study of various cardio-
Housing Affordability and Children's Well-Being: Evidence from the National Survey of America's Families

Abstract Affordability is a major housing problem for many families. However, no research has documented the harmful effects of unaffordable housing on children. It could hurt poor children by restricting the consumption of other basic necessities or stressing parents’ emotional reserves. This article takes a first look at whether poor children living in areas with more affordable housing fare better than their counterparts in less affordable areas. Results suggest that they do. But some models also suggest that the best educational outcomes are found in the most and least affordable housing markets, the latter likely because of unmeasured variables. Affordable housing has a stronger impact on older children than on younger ones, indicating that the effects may be cumulative. Consistent with studies on the effects of income, affordability appears to affect poor children's well‐being primarily through its impact on the material consumption of basic necessities when they are young.
Letter by Rebello et al Regarding Article, “Cryptic Loss of Consciousness in a 36-Year-Old Woman”

We read with great interest the Illustrative Teaching Case of Majander et al concerning the loss of consciousness in a 36-year-old woman related to bilateral thalamic infarcts.1 We would like to consider cerebral venous thrombosis leading to venous infarct as a differential diagnosis. Cerebral venous thrombosis may involve the bilateral thalami after …
The need for improved risk stratification in chronic critical limb ischemia

Vascular surgeons are well acquainted with chronic critical limb ischemia (CLI), the most severe manifestation of peripheral arterial disease, with patients presenting with ischemic rest pain or ulcerations, or both. Epidemiologic data predict a burgeoning epidemic of CLI within the United States, commensurate with the increasing incidence and prevalence of atherosclerotic risk factors, especially age and diabetes. Untreated, the risk of major amputation (above the ankle) or death, or both, ranges between 20% and 40% at 1 year. Current open and endovascular therapies have imperfect results, diverse treatment options, and recommendations that are often conflicting and confuse physicians, industry, and patients alike. The best treatment options are ideally evaluated by prospective, randomized controlled trials. However, these have proven impractical in CLI because the rapid evolution of devices and techniques has outstripped the ability to measure outcomes and compare treatment options. Alternatively, risk-stratifying models have been proposed to allow physicians, patients, and industry to objectively evaluate new therapeutics and devices as they evolve. These models are developed from prospective cohorts to identify and quantify variables that can subsequently predict outcome in individual patients. The risk stratification models can also compare CLI outcomes between physicians and institutions, supporting quality assessments, and compensation decisions within Accountable Care Organizations under the Affordable Health Care Act (ACA). Widespread adoption of risk-stratification schemes has yet to occur, despite the critical need for such a tool in CLI, because present models lack optimal predictive ability and generalizability. The passage of the ACA amplifies the importance of developing an improved risk-stratification tool to ensure equitable quality assessments and compensation. This review presents current risk-stratification models for CLI with a summary of the respective strengths and limitations of each. Future research is needed to simplify and improve the accuracy and generalizability of risk stratification in CLI.
Thoughts about future power generation systems and the role of exergy analysis in their development

Abstract In face of the likely doubling of the world population and perhaps tripling of the power demand over the next 50 years, this paper (1) presents some thoughts on the possible ways to meet the power demands under the constraints of increased population and land use while holding the environmental impact to a tolerable one, and (2) outlines the ways exergy analysis may be effectively used in the conception and development of such processes. To effectively develop the innovative power generation systems needed in the 21st century, irreversibility and exergy analysis should be much more focused on the intrinsic process details.
Loss of Estrogen-Regulated microRNA Expression Increases HER2 Signaling and Is Prognostic of Poor Outcome in Luminal Breast Cancer

Among the genes regulated by estrogen receptor (ER) are miRNAs that play a role in breast cancer signaling pathways. To determine whether miRNAs are involved in ER-positive breast cancer progression to hormone independence, we profiled the expression of 800 miRNAs in the estrogen-dependent human breast cancer cell line MCF7 and its estrogen-independent derivative MCF7:2A (MCF7:2A) using NanoString. We found 78 miRNAs differentially expressed between the two cell lines, including a cluster comprising let-7c, miR99a, and miR125b, which is encoded in an intron of the long noncoding RNA LINC00478. These miRNAs are ER targets in MCF7 cells, and nearby ER binding and their expression are significantly decreased in MCF7:2A cells. The expression of these miRNAs was interrogated in patient samples profiled in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Among luminal tumors, these miRNAs are expressed at higher levels in luminal A versus B tumors. Although their expression is uniformly low in luminal B tumors, they are lost only in a subset of luminal A patients. Interestingly, this subset with low expression of these miRNAs had worse overall survival compared with luminal A patients with high expression. We confirmed that miR125b directly targets HER2 and that let-7c also regulates HER2 protein expression. In addition, HER2 protein expression and activity are negatively correlated with let-7c expression in TCGA. In summary, we identified an ER-regulated miRNA cluster that regulates HER2, is lost with progression to estrogen independence, and may serve as a biomarker of poor outcome in ER(+) luminal A breast cancer patients.
Polarization Effects in Nucleon-Nucleon Scattering

If a beam of unpolarized nucleons is scattered from a target of unpolarized nucleons, the scattered particles are polarized (in a direction normal to the scattering plane) provided that the interaction contains tensor or spin-orbit forces. The polarization can be detected by means of a second similar scattering since the cross section then contains an azimuthal dependence: $I(\ensuremath{\theta}, \ensuremath{\varphi})={I}_{0}(\ensuremath{\theta})(1+\ensuremath{\epsilon}cos\ensuremath{\varphi}),$ where $\ensuremath{\epsilon}(\ensuremath{\theta})$ is essentially the square of the polarization. Calculations are carried out by the author for a double $p\ensuremath{-}p$ scattering using the tensor interaction described in the preceding paper, and for a double $n\ensuremath{-}p$ scattering using the central and tensor potential of Christian and Hart (containing the "half-exchange" dependence proposed by Serber). The polarization produced by the first scattering at the optimum angle of $\ensuremath{\theta}\ensuremath{\approx}50\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ was found to vary from 6 percent at 40 Mev to 33 percent at 285 Mev for $n\ensuremath{-}p$ scattering and from 10 percent 129 Mev to 15 percent at 350 Mev for $p\ensuremath{-}p$ scattering. The $n\ensuremath{-}p$ results (previously published) are consistent with the azimuthal asymmetry detected in a double scattering experiment reported by L. Wouters.
Evaluation of personal communications dual-antenna handset diversity performance

In personal wireless communications systems, multipath propagation has a significant effect on system design and performance. Signal strength fading caused by destructive interference between multiple replicas of the signal of interest arriving at the receiver over different paths often is the limiting factor in system range/fidelity. Antenna diversity is one technique that can be used to help overcome multipath fading. This paper presents a description of experiments, data processing, and results used to evaluate the diversity performance of three candidate dual-antenna handset configurations: two side-mounted planar-inverted F antennas (PIFAs), a back-mounted PIFA with a top-mounted helix, a top-mounted PIFA, and a "flip" monopole. In particular, the indoor industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band (902-928 MHz) propagation channel was of interest. These experiments did not include operator proximity effects, and in these tests, the dual-antenna handset remained stationary while the transmitter was moved along predetermined indoor paths. The issue of data normalization for extraction of fast fading behavior from measured data is addressed, with results showing its effect on observed correlation presented. Also, measured indoor fading distributions are presented and seen to fit the Rician and Rayleigh models well. From the diversity results presented, it is seen that the three proposed dual-antenna handsets yield sufficient decorrelation to warrant consideration for use in diversity systems.
Reconstructing mitochondrial genomes directly from genomic next-generation sequencing reads—a baiting and iterative mapping approach

We present an in silico approach for the reconstruction of complete mitochondrial genomes of nonmodel organisms directly from next-generation sequencing (NGS) data—mitochondrial baiting and iterative mapping (MITObim). The method is straightforward even if only (i) distantly related mitochondrial genomes or (ii) mitochondrial barcode sequences are available as starting-reference sequences or seeds, respectively. We demonstrate the efficiency of the approach in case studies using real NGS data sets of the two monogenean ectoparasites species Gyrodactylus thymalli and Gyrodactylus derjavinoides including their respective teleost hosts European grayling (Thymallus thymallus) and Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). MITObim appeared superior to existing tools in terms of accuracy, runtime and memory requirements and fully automatically recovered mitochondrial genomes exceeding 99.5% accuracy from total genomic DNA derived NGS data sets in <24 h using a standard desktop computer. The approach overcomes the limitations of traditional strategies for obtaining mitochondrial genomes for species with little or no mitochondrial sequence information at hand and represents a fast and highly efficient in silico alternative to laborious conventional strategies relying on initial long-range PCR. We furthermore demonstrate the applicability of MITObim for metagenomic/pooled data sets using simulated data. MITObim is an easy to use tool even for biologists with modest bioinformatics experience. The software is made available as open source pipeline under the MIT license at https://github.com/ chrishah/MITObim.
Estimating Unknown Input Parameters when Implementing the NGA Ground-Motion Prediction Equations in Engineering Practice

The ground-motion prediction equations (GMPEs) developed as part of the Next Generation Attenuation of Ground Motions (NGA-West) project in 2008 are becoming widely used in seismic hazard analyses. However, these new models are considerably more complicated than previous GMPEs, and they require several more input parameters. When employing the NGA models, users routinely face situations in which some of the required input parameters are unknown. In this paper, we present a framework for estimating the unknown source, path, and site parameters when implementing the NGA models in engineering practice, and we derive geometrically-based equations relating the three distance measures found in the NGA models. Our intent is for the content of this paper not only to make the NGA models more accessible, but also to help with the implementation of other present or future GMPEs. [DOI: 10.1193/1.3650372]
Orexin B immunoreactive fibers and terminals innervate the sensory and motor neurons of jaw-elevator muscles in the rat.

The relationship between orexinergic terminals and the sensory and motor neurons of jaw-elevator muscles was examined by means of anti-orexin B (OXB) immunohistochemistry combined with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) retrograde tracing in the rat. HRP was initially injected into the jaw-elevator muscles; 48 h later the animals were sacrificed and fixed for HRP reaction and anti-OXB immunohistochemistry. OXB-like terminals were observed to distribute in the trigeminal mesencephalic nucleus (Vme) and the trigeminal motor nucleus (Vmo) where they closely contact the Vme neuronal somata and the Vmo neuronal somata and dendrites retrogradely labeled with HRP. The results of this study provide anatomical evidence of a direct OXB orexinergic innervation of the sensory and motor neurons controlling jaw-elevator muscles involved in mastication. Its functional significance related to the feeding behavior and bruxism is discussed.
Modalities and Quantification

The purpose of this article is to give a survey of some results I have found in investigations concerning logical modalities. The results refer: (1) to semantical systems, i.e., symbolic language systems for which semantical rules of interpretation are laid down; (2) to corresponding calculi, i.e., syntactical systems with primitive sentences and a rule of inference; (3) to relations between a semantical system and the corresponding calculus.The semantical systems to be dealt with are the following: pro positional logic (PL), functional logic (FL), and the corresponding modal systems, viz. modal propositional logic (MPL) and modal functional logic (MFL).
Effect of Season, City Size, and Recruitment Source on Latinos' Participation in a Statewide Smoking Cessation Program

Latino No Fumes: Protege tu Salud was a smoking cessation demonstration project carried out in 2003 to 2004 that recruited Spanish-speaking smokers in 8 Connecticut cities. Recruitment was through radio and TV announcements, by mail, and at clinics and hospitals. 252 current smokers - mainly of Puerto Rican ancestry - signed up for the program; 75% of them attended one or more of the program's 6 weekly, group counselling sessions. One third of the registrants attended at least 5 of the sessions offered. Attendance of one or more sessions was only 55% for summer or winter groups, but 98% for sessions held in the fall. For the summer or winter sessions (only), attendance at one or more sessions was significantly greater in small than in larger cities. At program end, 14% of the participants were verified nonsmokers (self-reported abstinence and carbon monoxide readings < 9 ppm). The reported quit rates were 18% and 13%, respectively, at 3 and 6 months. The amount of attendance was not significantly related to the reported end of program quit-rates. Nearly all nonsmokers at program end had attended groups conducted by just 3 (of the 7) trained counsellors, who were presumably more effective in helping these Latino smokers to quit.
Synchrotron Radiation Studies of Ternary Semimagnetic Semiconductors

A number of spectroscopic techniques that exploit synchrotron radiation are providing new insight into the properties of ternary semimagnetic semiconducting alloys. Photon energy-dependent photoemission methods are being used to characterize the electronic structure and the elemental and orbital contributions to the valence states. Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Spectroscopy (EXAFS) is providing a detailed understanding of the atomic structure and of the local phenomena that make the virtual crystal approximation inadequate. The new experimental information is stimulating novel theoretical work on the electronic structure, lattice stability and thermodynamics of these materials. We will review the results of a number of recent experimental studies and emphasize systematic trends and promising new areas of research.
Packaging of tobacco mosaic virus subgenomic RNAs by Brome mosaic virus coat protein exhibits RNA controlled polymorphism.

The coat protein (CP) of icosahedral Brome mosaic virus (BMV) was expressed from a genetically engineered rod-shape Tobacco mosaic virus. Molecular characterization of the progeny recovered from symptomatic plants revealed that BMV CP selectively packaged the three subgenomic RNAs of the hybrid virus into two differently sized icosahedral virus-like particles (VLPs). The smaller VLPs packaged only the two smaller subgenomic RNAs. Additional in vitro reassembly assays with BMV CP subunits and transcripts of hybrid subgenomic RNAs further demonstrated that the ability of BMV capsids to display polymorphism is not dependent on the RNA size alone and appears to be controlled by some other feature(s) of the genetically engineered RNA.
Emergency physicians in the United States military: a primer.

Of the approximately 2.2 million citizens serving in our armed forces today, just over half are active duty members: regular full-time military personnel whose jobs are part of and within the military.1 The rest of our armed forces are composed of reservists who serve in either the Guard or the Reserve. These citizens are the “weekend warrior” part-time personnel who hold regular full-time civilian jobs while also serving in the military. Reservists train part time, amounting to at least one weekend a month plus a 2-week block per year, outside of their civilian jobs. Reservists and Guardsmen are considered military personnel even while at their civilian jobs. They undergo the same training as active duty personnel, often with regular members. They leave their full-time civilian jobs for weeks to months at a time to meet their military training requirements or to fill mission positions. Their rank, promotion, uniEmergency Physicians in the United States Military: A Primer
Interactive Pattern Recognition: Techniques and Systems

Pattern recognition is not a new subject. Its principles and methodologies have influenced the course of technological development for many years in almost every knowledge-based field. To some fields, pattern recognition is a major tool for problem- solving, capable of producing dramatic results. To others, it has been accompanied by failure and disappointment. Despite the mixed results, however, pattern recognition has continued to be a fascinating field of research and development in its own right. This is evidenced by the growing list of activities, academic and industrial alike, relating to pattern recognition work.
A data-analysis method for decomposing synchronization variability of anticipatory systems into stochastic and deterministic components

Synchronization has been shown to be a valuable concept in the field of nonlinear dynamics and dynamical systems in general. Deviation from perfect synchronization results from an interplay of deterministic coupling forces and stochastic fluctuating forces. When the exact details of these two sources of variance are unknown, it becomes useful to estimate them directly from data. To this end, we develop a data analysis method for estimating parameters associated with these deterministic and stochastic components. The method relies on separating their respective contributions to synchronization error. We focus on the case where a slave system synchronizes with the future of a master system, so-called anticipating synchronization.
An Experimental Study of the Effects of Dilute Solutions of Polymer Additives on Boundary Layer Characteristics

Experimental measurements of drag, root mean square surface pressure fluctuation, surface pressure fluctuation spectrum, and radiated flow noise on a rotating cylinder in water are described. It was found that the addition of the dilute solution of polymer additive would reduce drag, surface pressure fluctuation, and also high frequency radiated flow noise.
Nuclear Image-Guided Approaches for Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT)

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is a standard treatment for patients with heart failure. However, 30-40 % of the patients having CRT do not respond to CRT with improved clinical symptom and cardiac functions. It is important for CRT response that left ventricular (LV) lead is placed away from scar and at or near the site of the latest mechanical activation. Nuclear image-guided approaches for CRT have shown significant clinical value to assess LV myocardial viability and mechanical dyssynchrony, recommend the optimal LV lead position, and navigate the LV lead to the target coronary venous site. All these techniques, once validated and implemented, should impact the current clinical practice.
Analysis of the mutation rate in lymphocytes derived from patients with cutaneous T-cell neoplasms using the PIG-a gene.

e21082 Background: It has been proposed that genomic instability may account for the high number of mutations observed in cancer. Inherited mutations in repair genes might play a role; alternativel...
Iodine nutrition and thyroid nodules among children and adolescents in a coastal area of China

This study aims to assess iodine nutritional status and investigate the prevalence of thyroid nodules in children and adolescents in Ningbo city, China. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Ningbo, China, in 2011. Salt iodine, urine iodine concentration (UIC) and thyroid nodules (by ultrasonography) were measured in 329 participants aged 6–17 years. The median UIC of all participants was 167.23 μg/L. No significant differences in UICs were observed between boys and girls (Z = −1.06, P = 0.29), children and adolescents (Z = −1.88, P = 0.06), iodized salt users and noniodized salt users (Z = −0.10, P = 0.92). A total of 114 nodules with maximum diameters between 1.5 and 12 mm were found among 51 (15.50 %) participants, the prevalence of thyroid nodules between children and adolescents has no significant difference (χ 2 = 0.29, P = 0.59), and there were no significant differences in age (t = 1.56, P = 0.12), gender (χ 2 = 0.13, P = 0.72), type of salt (χ 2 = 0.14, P = 0.71), family history of thyroid diseases (P = 0.46, Fisher’s exact test) and UICs (Z = −1.12, P = 0.26) between the participants with thyroid nodules and those without. The iodine nutrition was adequate in children and adolescents in Ningbo city, but the prevalence of thyroid nodules among children and adolescents was high.
AMP-activated protein kinase mediates mitochondrial fission in response to energy stress

Mitochondria undergo fragmentation in response to electron transport chain (ETC) poisons and mitochondrial DNA–linked disease mutations, yet how these stimuli mechanistically connect to the mitochondrial fission and fusion machinery is poorly understood. We found that the energy-sensing adenosine monophosphate (AMP)–activated protein kinase (AMPK) is genetically required for cells to undergo rapid mitochondrial fragmentation after treatment with ETC inhibitors. Moreover, direct pharmacological activation of AMPK was sufficient to rapidly promote mitochondrial fragmentation even in the absence of mitochondrial stress. A screen for substrates of AMPK identified mitochondrial fission factor (MFF), a mitochondrial outer-membrane receptor for DRP1, the cytoplasmic guanosine triphosphatase that catalyzes mitochondrial fission. Nonphosphorylatable and phosphomimetic alleles of the AMPK sites in MFF revealed that it is a key effector of AMPK-mediated mitochondrial fission.
Ground-state tuning of metal-insulator transition by compositional variations in BaI r 1 − x R u x O 3 ( 0 ≤ x ≤ 1 )

Hexagonal $\mathrm{BaIr}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ is a magnetic insulator driven by the spin-orbit interaction (SOI), whereas $\mathrm{BaRu}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ is an enhanced paramagnetic metal. Our investigation of structural, magnetic, transport, and thermal properties reveals that substitution of $\mathrm{R}{\mathrm{u}}^{4+} (4{d}^{4})$ ions for $\mathrm{I}{\mathrm{r}}^{4+} (5{d}^{5})$ ions in $\mathrm{BaIr}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ reduces the magnitudes of the SOI and a monoclinic structural distortion and rebalances the competition between the SOI and the lattice degrees of freedom to render an evolution from a magnetic insulting state to a robust metallic state. The central findings of this paper are as follows: (1) light Ru doping $(0lx\ensuremath{\le}0.15)$ prompts simultaneous, precipitous drops in both the magnetic ordering temperature ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}$ and the electrical resistivity, and (2) heavier Ru doping $(0.41\ensuremath{\le}x\ensuremath{\le}0.9)$ induces a robust metallic state without any long-range magnetic order. All results suggest a critical role of the lattice degrees of freedom in determining the ground state in the heavy transition-metal oxides.
Ensuring an Effective, Safe, Reliable, and Affordable Architecture for Earth to Lunar Space Transportation

This paper discusses the type of architecture attributes that should provide a safe, reliable, and affordable means of supporting a future lunar base. Architecture attributes discussed in the paper include launch vehicle selection, advanced technologies, modularity & commonality, redundancy, reusability, failure mitigation and recovery strategies, and the selection of architecture nodes. The conclusions presented in this paper are the result of studies the authors have undertaken in analyzing historical data from the Apollo program, the Space Shuttle program, and the International Space Station program, and utilizing these data as a foundation for the analysis of conceptual launch vehicles and spacecraft for various NASA conceptual design programs such as the NGLT, OSP and CE&R programs. The results of these studies have shown that there are benefits and disadvantages to depending on expendable or long-life multi-use systems for space operations. Safety and reliability of the architecture elements is dependent on proper maintenance and management principles which have a significant impact on the cost of operations. By properly assessing the risk profile of a lunar transport mission and minimizing the exposure to that risk by building in the required redundancy and maintenance capability, it is believed that a lunar base may be sustained at a reasonable cost. In turn, by minimizing risk fewer rigors will be required to maintain acceptable levels of safety and reliability. Additionally, by selecting the lifetime and level of redundancy of each element in accordance with the expected criticality and utility of each element within the mission, the elements may be maintained or produced such that the operations cost are minimized.
Thyroidectomy for Graves' disease in children: Indications and complications.

Abstract Background The utilization of thyroidectomy for Graves' disease remains controversial; we aim to evaluate the indications for and complications of thyroidectomy for Graves' in children. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on all Graves' patients who underwent thyroidectomy from 2009 to 2013 at a high volume academic center. Pediatric patients were Results 167 patients underwent thyroidectomy: 31 pediatric patients and 136 adults. Failure of antithyroid medications was the indication for surgery in 55% of the children vs 36% of adults ( p =0.05). Mean duration of medications prior to surgery was similar. No children had failed RAI therapy prior to surgery, but 12.5% of the adult population had ( p =0.04). Surgical outcomes were similar. Conclusion Clinicians may be more likely to refer children who fail medical treatment to surgery over RAI. Thyroidectomy at a high volume hospital should be discussed as a treatment option for children with Graves'.