cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lipogenesis from ketone bodies in perfused livers from streptozocin-induced diabetic rats.

Production of ketone bodies and their contribution to lipogenesis were measured in isolated livers from normal and streptozocin-induced diabetic (STZ-D) rats perfused with tracer amounts of 3 H 2 O and (R)-3-hydroxy[3- 14 C]butyrate. Diabetes decreased by 80–95% the total rates of fatty acid and 3-β-hydroxysterol synthesis in perfused livers and livers of live rats. The activity of cytosolic acetoacetyl-CoA synthetase was slightly (17%) decreased in livers from STZ-D rats. The incorporation of ketone bodies into fatty acids and sterols was markedly inhibited in perfused livers from STZ-D rats despite the stimulation of ketogenesis by diabetes and the presence of oleate. Treatment of the rats with insulin before liver perfusion led to a normalization of the rates of ketogenesis and fatty acid synthesis. The rates of sterol synthesis were only partially normalized by insulin treatment. We conclude that in STZ-D, ketosis does not stimulate hepatic lipogenesis via cytosolic activation of acetoacetate.
Hydrolysis and Absorption of Pantothenate and Its Coenzymes in the Rat Small Intestine

The transport of pantothenate by the rat small intestine occurs by simple diffusion. There was no significant difference in the rate of pantothenate ab sorption in the upper, middle or lower sections of the intestine Coenzyme A was hy- drolyzed to pantetheine and pantothenate in the intestinal lumen via the following series of reactions: coenzyme A â€"phosphopantetheine â€"pantetheine â€"pantothen ate Intestinal tissue, which contains high levels of pantetheinase, quickly degrades pantetheine to pantothenate, which is then transported to the blood and thence to other tissues. Tissue distribution patterns of 14C5 hours after intraluminal administra tion of 14C-labeled coenzyme A or (uC)pantothenate were similar; approximately 40% of the HC was present in muscle and 10% in liver. J. Nutr. 113: 2207-2215,
First Classification Score and Length of Herd Life

Abstract The relationship of first score and length of life in the herd was measured in Holstein females two or three years of age at first classification. The regression of herd life (number of times classified) on the first over-all type score (nearly all values were between 65 and 90 points) was 1.7 months. Correlation between first classification score and herd life was approximately 0.2, indicating that less than 5% of the variation in herd life could be attributed to the relationship between first score and herd life. Differences among herds accounted for about 10% of the total variance in overall type score and in the individual type traits. Differences among sires accounted for from 5 to 8% of the variation in over-all score and in each of the categories (general appearance, dairy character, body capacity, mammary system, fore udder, rear udder, legs and feet, and rump) of the Holstein classification system. Similarly, differences among classifiers accounted for 2 to 6% of the total variance. Classifier variation was greatest in the areas of general appearance, body capacity, and legs and feet. An analysis of variance components on 7,927 artificially inseminated (AI) sired animals scored from 1958 through 1963 gave a heritability of 0.16 for over-all type score. Heritabilities of over-all score from each of the six years varied widely.
Defying gravity: can Japanese sovereign debt continue to increase without a crisis?

Japan has the highest debt to GDP ratio among advanced countries, and many studies find that the current fiscal regime of Japan is not sustainable. Yet, the Japanese government bond continues to enjoy low and stable interest rates. The most plausible explanation for such an apparent anomaly is that the bonds are predominantly held by the Japanese residents, who are willing to absorb increasing amount of Japanese Government Bonds (JGB) without requiring high yields. Even if the Japanese residents continue to invest their new saving into the government bonds, however, Japan's fiscal situation is not sustainable, which this paper shows through simulations under various scenarios. In all of the scenarios that assume the fiscal policy stance of the Japanese government does not change in the future, we find that the amount of government debt will exceed the private sector financial assets available for the government debt purchase in the next 10 years or so. The paper also shows that sufficiently large tax increases and/or expenditure cuts in the future would put the government debt on a sustainable path. Thus, if the market believes that Japan will embark on such fiscal consolidation in the next 10 years, at most, the low JGB yields are justifiable. If and when the expectation changes, however, a fiscal crisis can be triggered even before the government debt hits the ceiling of the private sector financial assets. — Takeo Hoshi and Takatoshi Ito
PCR-assist CBR for delivering pre-recorded MPEG-2 transport streams

Transmitting compressed variable bit-rate (VBR) video with a traditional constant bit-rate (CBR) service for continuous playback requires a large buffer on the viewer's side. In this paper, we study a new CBR transmission scheme which employs the program clock references (PCR) that are embedded in the MPEG-2 transport streams to reduce the buffer requirement. The scheme is called "PCR-assist CBR" (PCBR). The PCBR scheme uses PCRs to examine its transmission regularly. It holds up the transmission if it is ahead of schedule. Based on experimental results with video traces, the PCBR scheme reduces the buffer requirement at the cost of a higher transmission rate.
Large airtanker use and outcomes in suppressing wildland fires in the United States

Wildfire activity in the United States incurs substantial costs and losses, and presents challenges to federal, state, tribal and local agencies that have responsibility for wildfire management. Beyond the potential socioeconomic and ecological losses, and the monetary costs to taxpayers due to suppression, wildfire management is a dangerous occupation. Aviation resources, in particular large airtankers, currently play a critical role in wildfire management, and account for a relatively large share of both suppression expenditure and firefighting fatalities. A recent airtanker modernisation strategy released by the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service and the US Department of Interior highlighted cost effectiveness as the fundamental tenet of both the replacement strategy and the use of aerial firefighting resources. However, determining the cost effectiveness of alternative airtanker fleets is challenging due to limited data and substantial uncertainty regarding aerial firefighting effectiveness. In this paper, we significantly expand on current airtanker usage and effectiveness knowledge, by incorporating spatially explicit drop location data linked to firefighting resource orders to better identify the period in the fire history when drops occurred, and through characterisation of the resulting outcomes of fires that received drops during initial attack. Our results confirm earlier work suggesting extensive use of large airtankers on extended attack, despite policy suggesting priority use in initial attack. Further, results suggest that containment rates for fires receiving large airtanker use during initial attack are quite low. We explore possible causes for these results, address potential limitations with our methods and data, and offer recommendations for improvements in data collection and aviation management.
Sulfur-induced changes in phosphorus distribution in Everglades Agricultural Area soils

Elemental S is used as an amendment for Everglades Agricultural Area soils of south Florida to decrease pH and increase P availability to crops. Our objectives were to determine how S application altered phosphorus distribution and availability in organic soils under sugarcane cultivation. Soils were sampled four times during the growing season at 2, 6, 9, and 13 months after sulfur application and sub- jected to chemical P fractionation. Sulfur application had minimal effect on soil pH and thus generally failed to increase P supply to sugarcane during the entire growing season at the application rates tested due to the high soil buffering capacity against acidification. Yet, a significant reduction in soil pH did increase P concentrations in labile P and Fe-Al bound P fractions at 2 months for the highest S rate. Concentrations of labile P and Fe-Al bound P declined during the sugarcane growing season. The size of Ca-P fraction remained unchanged during the early season but significantly decreased at the end of the growing season. Humic-fulvic acid P fluctuated seasonally, averaging 143, 172, 139, and 181 mg P kg -1 for 2, 6, 9, and 13 months, respectively. Residual P fluctuated in a contrasting pattern to humic-fulvic acid P and contributed approximately 50% to the total P. Overall, S application did not result in large P accumulation in labile pools, thus S application does not appear to enhance potential P export from fields into wetlands.
The equations of motion in porous media

Abstract The continuity equation and the equations of motion are developed for flow in anisotropic porous media, and the conditions under which Darcy's law holds are clearly established.
Strategies to Prevent Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections in Acute Care Hospitals

Previously published guidelines are available that provide comprehensive recommendations for detecting and preventing healthcare-associated infections. The intent of this document is to highlight practical recommendations in a concise format designed to assist acute care hospitals in implementing and prioritizing their central line–associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) prevention efforts. Refer to the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America/Infectious Diseases Society of America “Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections” Executive Summary and Introduction and accompanying editorial for additional discussion.1. Patients at risk for CLABSIs in acute care facilitiesa. Intensive care unit (ICU) population: The risk of CLABSI in ICU patients is high. Reasons for this include the frequent insertion of multiple catheters, the use of specific types of catheters that are almost exclusively inserted in ICU patients and associated with substantial risk (eg, arterial catheters), and the fact that catheters are frequently placed in emergency circumstances, repeatedly accessed each day, and often needed for extended periods.b. Non-ICU population: Although the primary focus of attention over the past 2 decades has been the ICU setting, recent data suggest that the greatest numbers of patients with central lines are in hospital units outside the ICU, where there is a substantial risk of CLABSI.2. Outcomes associated with hospital-acquired CLABSIa. Increased length of hospital stayb. Increased cost; the non-inflation-adjusted attributable cost of CLABSIs has been found to vary from 29,000 per episode
Leukotriene Inhibitors in Sinusitis

It has been recognized for many years that leukotrienes play an important role in mediating various effects of the allergic reaction. Recent evidence has shown that they play a role in other diseases including chronic sinusitis, particularly those sub-types involving eosinophils. Leukotrienes can be separated into the fairly well characterized cysteinyl leukotrienes and less well characterized leukotriene B4. Effects of the leukotrienes are mediated through receptors that are expressed on a variety of cell types and can be modulated based on the inflammatory environment present. The pharmaceutical industry has long been interested in blocking leukotriene action and as such, two approaches have been developed that led to drugs approved for treatment of allergic disease. The most widely used class is the cysteinyl type 1 receptor antagonists, which block binding of the cysteinyl leukotrienes to the cell. The second class is an inhibitor of the 5-lipoxygenase enzyme that prevents synthesis of both the cysteinyl leukotrienes and leukotriene B4. This review will focus on the role that leukotrienes play in chronic sinusitis and consider the rationale for choosing either a leukotriene antagonist or synthesis inhibitor as a treatment option. We will also discuss off-label uses for other medications that might be useful in these diseases as they relate to their ability to modulate leukotriene action.
Aspects of the BEIR VII Report: a critical evaluation

The Biological Effects of Ionising Radiation (BEIR) Reports have historically played a major role in determining how regulatory bodies characterise radiation risks at the doses and dose rates experienced by radiation workers and members of the general public. The latest report, BEIR VII, whose stated purpose was to provide risk estimate for exposure to low-dose, low Linear-Energy-Transfer (LET) radiation in human subjects, will most likely be a major factor in setting future regulatory standards. One of the main purposes of the BEIR VII Report was to review epidemiological and experimental studies that have accumulated since its most recent predecessor publication. The study being reported here consists of critical evaluations of some of the epidemiological and experimental laboratory data underpinning BEIR VII. These evaluations have raised serious questions about the utility of various aspects of the BEIR VII Report.
Comparative analysis and characterization of the soybean sudden death syndrome pathogen Fusarium virguliforme in the northern United States

Sudden death syndrome (SDS), caused by Fusarium virguliforme, has occurred in several US states and Ontario since 1985 but is a new problem in the northern states, including Minnesota. The characteristics and distribution of F. virguliforme and SDS in Minnesota and other northern soybean production areas were unknown. In 2006 and 2007, SDS was confirmed in 21 counties from the eastern to western borders of Minnesota and to 45°N based on symptoms and a polymerase chain reaction assay. It was also confirmed that F. virguliforme and Phialophora gregata, the cause of brown stem rot, can simultaneously infect a single plant. Isolates of F. virguliforme from soybeans in Minnesota were morphologically identical to those from other states and induced typical SDS symptoms on soybean seedlings. Isolates (n = 15) obtained from 15 fields in 10 Minnesota counties were compared genotypically and phenotypically to a group of 13 isolates of F. virguliforme from other states. Genetic similarity was very high among isolate...
Optimal Reliability-based Placement of Plug-In Electric Vehicles in Smart Distribution Network

Distributed renewable resources are one of the major technological inclinations that play a pivotal role in the future green power system. In this context, high penetration of Plug-In Electric Vehicles (PIEVs) may bring many challenges for the smart grid. PIEVs’ unscheduled utilization will cause technical issues for both generation side and demand side. High penetration of PIEVs may lead to reliability deterioration of smart distribution network. In this paper, firstly a PIEV owner behavior model is introduced. The output of this model is the hourly demand of PIEVs per day. Secondly, a comprehensive reliability-based objective function is proposed to allocate these modeled PIEVs in smart distribution network. Finally, IEEE RBTS bus 2 is used for implementing allocation algorithm utilizing both genetic algorithm and particle swarm optimization.
168 channel /spl times/ 6-Gb/s optical WDM transmitter using a multiwavelength modelocked semiconductor diode laser

This summary describes a recent advance in the number of WDM channels that have been generated by a single semiconductor diode laser (SDL) transmitter. The multiwavelength SDL emits 100 ps return-to-zero (RZ) pulses in 60 discrete wavelength channels at a repetition rate of 898 MHz. The 60 WDM channels are spread over approximately 11 nm (centered near 830 nm), yielding a channel separation of 75 GHz. The 898 Mb/s signal is directed through a 1 /spl times/ 4 OTDM multiplexer to increase the single channel bit rate to 3.592-Gb/s in order to match the SONET OC-48 protocol with ample room for overhead. This transmitter configuration thus produces an aggregate bit rate of 215-Gb/s (60 /spl times/ 3.592-Gb/s) utilizing a single laser.
Intracellular recording from photoreceptor neurons in the eyes of a nudibranch mollusc (Hermissendacrassicornis)

Abstract 1. 1. Intracellular records obtained from retinal neurons of nudibranch eyes show both excitation and inhibition of impulse discharge upon appropriate photic stimulation, as well as the slow potential changes associated with these events. 2. 2. Evidence is presented that the action potentials originate at some distance from the soma and do not invade it in a retrograde fashion. 3. 3. The presence of synaptic inhibition is demonstrated, but the additional phenomenon of primary observed in other molluscs has not been etablished.
Fine-scale population genetic structure of the yellow perch Perca flavescens in Lake Erie

Discerning the genetic basis underlying fine-scale population structure of exploited native species and its relation- ship to management units is a critical goal for effective conservation. This study provides the first high-resolution genetic test of fine-scale relationships among spawning groups of the yellow perch Perca flavescens. Lake Erie yellow perch stocks comprise valuable sport and commercial fisheries and have fluctuated extensively owing to highly variable annual recruit- ment patterns. Fifteen nuclear DNA microsatellite loci are analyzed for 569 individuals from 13 primary Lake Erie spawn- ing sites and compared with those spawning in Lakes St. Clair and Ontario. Additional comparisons test for possible genetic differences between sexes and among size-age cohorts. Results demonstrate that yellow perch spawning groups in Lake Erie are genetically distinguishable and do not differ between sexes and among age cohorts. Population genetic structure does not follow a genetic isolation with geographic distance pattern, and some spawning groups contribute more to overall lake-wide genetic diversity than do others. Partitioning of the yellow perch's genetic structure shows little congruence to lake basins or to current management units. Our findings underlie the importance of understanding spawning habitat and be- havior to conserve the genetic stock structure of a key fishery.
Using Consumer Panels to Understand the Characteristics of US Jewry

To understand the characteristics and attitudes of the US Jewish population, researchers have increasingly relied on respondents drawn from established online consumer survey panels. In the absence of a large, nationally representative study of US Jews, online panels provide a faster and lower cost alternative to cross-sectional surveys. The present paper describes general issues associated with studies conducted with consumer panels that affect the validity and generalizability of their findings. The paper focuses on one of the largest and most often utilized probability based consumer panels, that of Knowledge Networks. The key question about the results of studies based on the Knowledge Networks panel, as well as studies based on nonprobability samples, is whether their findings represent the population. Along with considering the bias that may result from sampling designs, including the willingness to participate in consumer research, the paper also considers whether bias can be addressed by application of post-stratification weights. Analyses are reported of a survey conducted using the Knowledge Networks panel. Various alternative weighting protocols were applied. Relationships between variables appear robust regardless of survey weights, but precise estimates of the magnitude of such relationships as well as overall population proportions require current and accurate socio-demographic data about American Jews for development of weights. Although it is possible that there is systematic bias in regard to willingness to participate in a consumer panel, the availability of high quality demographic data makes a prerecruited probability sample a valuable source of information for ongoing study of the American Jewish community.
PEGASUS: A Peta-Scale Graph Mining System Implementation and Observations

In this paper, we describe PEGASUS, an open source Peta Graph Mining library which performs typical graph mining tasks such as computing the diameter of the graph, computing the radius of each node and finding the connected components. As the size of graphs reaches several Giga-, Tera- or Peta-bytes, the necessity for such a library grows too. To the best of our knowledge, PEGASUS is the first such library, implemented on the top of the Hadoop platform, the open source version of MapReduce. Many graph mining operations (PageRank, spectral clustering, diameter estimation, connected components etc.) are essentially a repeated matrix-vector multiplication. In this paper we describe a very important primitive for PEGASUS, called GIM-V (Generalized Iterated Matrix-Vector multiplication). GIM-V is highly optimized, achieving (a) good scale-up on the number of available machines (b) linear running time on the number of edges, and (c) more than 5 times faster performance over the non-optimized version of GIM-V. Our experiments ran on M45, one of the top 50 supercomputers in the world. We report our findings on several real graphs, including one of the largest publicly available Web Graphs, thanks to Yahoo!, with 6,7 billion edges.
Severe lupus nephritis: the predictive value of a ≥50% reduction in proteinuria at 6 months

Background A complete remission (CR) in severe lupus nephritis (SLN) is associated with a favorable long-term outcome. Initial therapy may be up to 6 months, but many patients do not achieve a CR until after 12 months. We assess the value of a ≥50% reduction in proteinuria (UPro) at 6 months in predicting the outcome in SLN patients. Methods We evaluated the 86 adult patients in the prospective, controlled trial of plasmapheresis (PP) in SLN (NEJM 1992). Patients with a CR (n = 12), end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or death (n = 13) at ≤6 months were excluded. The remaining 61 patients were categorized into two groups based on having attained a ≥50% reduction in UPro at 6 months: (yes) 34 patients and (no) 27 patients. The long-term outcomes were compared. A CR was defined by a serum creatinine (SCr) of ≤1.4 mg/dL and UPro of ≤0.33 g/day. Results Baseline features were similar, but the UPro was higher (7.1 ± 3.6 versus 4.6 ± 3.2, P 0.002) in the group with a ≥50% reduction in UPro at 6 months. At follow-up, a CR was attained in 56% of patients with a ≥50% reduction in UPro at 6 months compared with 22% (P = 0.009) in the group without. The 15-year renal survival (71 versus 25%, P = 0.005) and patient survival without ESRD (66 versus 18%, P = 0.004) was greatest in the patients with a ≥50% reduction in UPro at 6 months. Conclusion A ≥50% reduction in UPro at 6 months predicts a favorable outcome in SLN.
Mariosousa, a New Segregate Genus from Acacia s.l. (Fabaceae, Mimosoideae) from Central and North America

Recent studies have shown that the genus Acacia Miller s.l. is polyphyletic, consisting of at least five distinct groups of species. One of these groups, the proposed genus Mariosousa Seigler & Ebinger, consists of 13 species. We have made the following new combinations: Mariosousa acatlensis (Bentham) Seigler & Ebinger, M. centralis (Britton & Rose) Seigler & Ebinger, M. compacta (Rose) Seigler & Ebinger, M. coulteri (Bentham in A. Gray) Seigler & Ebinger, M. dolichostachya (S. F. Blake) Seigler & Ebinger, M. durangensis (Britton & Rose) Seigler & Ebinger, M. mammifera (Schlechtendal) Seigler & Ebinger, M. millefolia (S. Watson) Seigler & Ebinger, M. russelliana (Britton & Rose) Seigler & Ebinger, M. salazarii (Britton & Rose) Seigler & Ebinger, M. sericea (Martens & Galeotii) Seigler & Ebinger, M. usumacintensis (Lundell) Seigler & Ebinger, and M. willardiana (Rose in Vasey & Rose) Seigler & Ebinger. These species are restricted to tropical and subtropical regions of the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America. In addition to their close geographic affinities, a series of morphological characteristics, as well as recent molecular data, separate this new genus, which has been commonly referred to as the Acacia coulteri group. They are morphologically distinct from other species of Acacia subg. Aculeiferum Vassal in that they always lack prickles and are never lianas. Although this group of species is monophyletic, previous taxonomic treatments have not dealt with them as a separate unit within Acacia subg. Aculeiferum.
Spreadsheet programming for collecting, exploring and publishing web data

The Internet has all kinds of data available. Many companies provide web services that let people access their data programmatically. These data are used every day by thousands of businesses and individuals to create custom applications or to gain insights about specific topics1. The increasing use of web services has led to the increasing amount of JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) data, the predominant data format used by current web services. JSON data is hierarchical and can contain multiple levels of structure. Currently, a person needs to write code to extract and compute data from JSON documents. To retrieve data from web services and to create custom applications that use the collected data require additional programming efforts.
Integration of Computational Chemistry into the Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Laboratory Curriculum

Advances in software and hardware have promoted the use of computational chemistry in all branches of chemical research to probe important chemical concepts and to support experimentation. Consequently, it has become imperative that students in the modern undergraduate curriculum become adept at performing simple calculations using computational software, interpreting computational data, and applying computational data to explain chemical phenomena. We utilize computational chemistry in a high-enrollment (>1200 students/year), undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory course in a manner similar to that of organic chemistry researchers. We have employed WebMO as a web-based, easy-to-use, and free front-end interface for Gaussian09 that allows our students to complete ab initio and density functional theory (DFT) calculations throughout the curriculum. Rather than an isolated exposure to computational chemistry, our students use computational chemistry to obtain a deeper understanding of their experimental...
Neurological complications of laparoscopy

2 cases of severe cerebral dysfunction after laparoscopy are reported and possible mechanisms of damage are discussed. The first case was 20 years old and experienced a cardiopulmonary arrest during elective laparoscopy rendering a once effervescent woman unemployable and without spontaneity. Case 2 was 39 years old and became apneic and hypotensive and had a cardiac arrest during laparoscopy. 18 months later she remains bedridden with some grasp reflexes. 2 possible mechanisms are considered. The first is that of gas infiltration into the venous system; the second possibility is hypoxia secondary to cardiac arrest. The cardiac arrest may be anesthesia-related or may be accentuated by the Trendelenburg position. Once cerebral insult occurs following hypotension supportive care includes massive doses of steroids judicious use of fluids and prevention of medical complications of coma. However once a cerebral event has occurred prognosis is the same as after other diffuse cerebral insults to patients of similar age.
PET/CT acquisition protocol using 11C-acetate for prostate cancer

2226 Objectives An acquisition protocol was defined to evaluate 11C-acetate oxidative metabolism for prostate cancer on a GEDVCT 3D PET/CT scanner. Methods Patients were scanned from neck to the groin area. The PET acquisition includes a 15 cm field of view in a five minute time frame. Each frame included an 11-slice overlap and was acquired in word mode. The CT parameter was set in helical scan mode with a 120 kvp and 3.75 mm slice thickness. Total CT scan time for 6 fields of view was 11.5 seconds. The mA was set with automatic dose modulation. Results 17 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer were scanned using the 11C-Acetate acquisition protocol. Nine scans demonstrated positive 11C-acetate uptake. Six scans demonstrated no 11C-acetate uptake. Two reports are not available. Conclusions This acquisition protocol can be used on a GEDVCT 3D PET/CT scanner to evaluate oxidative metabolism in prostate cancer
Medical management of extrathyroidal manifestation of graves disease.

ABSTRACT Objective To review preventive measures and the current medical management of extrathyroidal manifestation of Graves disease and to provide an overview of potential immune therapies. Methods A literature review of investigative trials of treatments for Graves disease and its extrathyroidal manifestations. Results Given new knowledge of the stages of the autoimmune cascade responsible for the development of these extrathyroidal manifestations, the possibility has been raised of performing randomized trials of agents shown to provide benefits in other immune conditions. Two randomized trials on the efficacy of rituximab in moderate-to-severe Graves ophthalmopathy have reported conflicting results. Conclusion Additional studies of rituximab and other agents are needed before they become routinely used in treating Graves disease. Meanwhile, the standard medical therapy for moderate-to-severe ophthalmopathy is intravenous (IV) or oral corticosteroids and, for dermopathy, local corticosteroid application with occlusive dressing. Because major adverse effects such as life-threatening hepatic failure can occur with very high doses of IV prednisolone, the cumulative total dose should not exceed 8 g. (Endocr Pract. 2014;20:1333-1344)
Plumage Variation in the Broad-billed Fairy-wren Malurus grayi

By comparing 31 of the 37 known fledged specimens, we analysed variation in the Broad-billed Fairy-wren Malurus grayi, endemic to New Guinea. The species occurs in hilly terrain at low elevations, with apparently large distributional gaps on New Guinea's south-eastem peninsula and along much of the southern watershed. We report the second-known southern watershed population, from the Kumawa Mountains. Adult males and females differ mainly in crown color, belly colour and size. As regards geographic variation, the Mt. Bosavi population, campbelli, which we assess as a subspecies rather than a full species, is distinct mainly in its small size, dark-crowned adult males and browner back. The north-east population (pileatus) may be more weakly distinct from the western population (nominate grayi). We also describe age-related variation and individual variation. Thus, like numerous other species of New Guinea's lowland and hill forests, Malurus grayi populations are divided at the isthmus known as Zoogeographer's Gap into western, northern and southern populations, among which the westem and northern populations are the most similar ones.
Vibrational Spectroscopy of Structurally Relaxed Self-Trapped Excitons via Excited-State Resonant Impulsive Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy

We probe the vibrational modes of the equilibrated self-trapped exciton (STE) in the mixed-valence linear chain material [Pt(en)2][Pt(en)2Br2]·(ClO4)4 using resonantly enhanced impulsive stimulated Raman excitation of the excited electronic state. In these measurements, excitons are created by photoexcitation of the optical intervalence charge transfer band, and after a delay to allow self-trapping and equilibration, the metastable STE is impulsively excited and probed within its red-shifted absorption band. The pump–pump–probe response reveals wavepacket oscillations at a frequency of 125 cm–1 that are assigned to a Raman-active mode of the STE having Br–Pt–Br symmetric stretching character. This frequency is shifted from the 171 cm–1 symmetric stretch Raman frequency of the ground electronic state, and from the previously observed 110 cm–1 wavepacket modulation that accompanies the formation of the STE from the initially excited electronic state, reflecting a new component of the structural relaxation o...
Predicting invasion in the excision specimen from breast core needle biopsy specimens with only ductal carcinoma in situ.

Abstract Objective.—Some patients with ductal carcinoma in situ on breast core needle biopsy will have invasion at excision. The aim of this study was to determine if patients at increased risk for invasion could be identified. Methods.—The results of all breast core needle biopsies with a diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ during a 50-month period were reviewed. A variety of histologic features were identified and correlated with the presence of invasion at excision. Results.—Of 3026 cases, 152 (5%) were diagnosed as ductal carcinoma in situ; excisional biopsies were available for 91 (60%) of these 152 cases, and 17 (19%) showed invasive tumor. Neither the radiographic findings, presence of comedonecrosis, comedo histology, lobular extension, size of the largest focus, nor aggregate size was significantly associated with an increased incidence of invasion (all P > .05). However, comedo histology with a cribriform/papillary architecture was significantly associated with an increased risk of invasion (5...
Middle ear muscle activity (MEMA) in schizophrenia using a noninvasive technique

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep middle ear muscle activity (MEMA) was recorded in four diagnostic groups: schizophrenics (n = 18), schizoaffectives (n = 8), depressives (n = 11) and healthy, nonpsychiatric controls (n = 10). Previous work suggested that schizophrenics have higher than normal rates of REM sleep MEMA; this previous study employed the MEMA recording technique of impedance audiometry, which involves a 90-dB stimulus probe tone. The present study, which utilized a silent, pressure-sensitive transducer (i.e. no acoustic stimulus), was undertaken to determine if the stimulus tone might have elicited excess MEMA in the schizophrenics. In this present study, we observed no significant differences in REM sleep MEMA among the four diagnostic groups, suggesting that REM sleep MEMA cannot be used as a biological marker to differentiate clinical disorders. This failure to replicate our previous finding of high MEMA rates in schizophrenics is likely due to sampling error; alternatively, high REM sleep MEMA rates might be elicited in a subgroup of schizophrenics with an acoustic stimulus.
Cognitive Aging in a Social and Affective Context: Advances Over the Past 50 Years

Objective This review contemplates the recent consideration of social and affective factors within the study of cognitive aging and examines the multiple ways in which these factors intersect. Methods The article briefly reviews the models applied to cognitive aging and considers how they can inform the understanding of socioaffective aging. It then discusses the ways in which socioaffective and cognitive abilities intersect. Results Models of cognitive aging can fruitfully be applied to socioaffective aging, although with some points of divergence. The interactions between cognitive and socioaffective aging are multifaceted and include bidirectional influences. Discussion Socioaffective domains may preserve function within cognitive domains in part because socioaffective processing provides a rich source of environmental support and links to motivated cognition. The authors outline future directions related to these hypotheses.
Drunk Driving or Dry Run? Cowboys and Alcohol on the Cattle Trail

The tens of thousands of cowboys who herded cattle up the trails to market in the late 19th century lived in a time and place in which heavy drinking was common, even on the job. It is well-known that cowboys drank heartily in the end-of-the-trail cattle towns. It is less clear whether cowboys drank on the cattle drives, and with what consequence, although there is a general presumption that they did not. This paper examines many of the reminiscences and accounts of cowboys and contemporaneous observers for evidence of drinking on the cattle drives.
Explaining Eye Movements in the Visual Search of Varying Density Layouts.

This research advances computational cognitive modeling of visual search, and the synergistic relationship between cognitive modeling and eye tracking. The paper presents cognitive models of the perceptual, cognitive, and motor processing involved in the visual search of words in structured layouts that vary in density. The layouts are allsparse, all-dense, or mixed. A principled approach is taken to account for eye movement data, specifically the mean number of fixations per trial and mean fixation durations. A random search strategy without replacement is used as a base model. The best-fitting model assumes that people examine two to three items per fixation regardless of the density. A new implementation of the EPIC cognitive architecture is used to build the models in this study. Modeling adjustments necessary to account for the data are discussed.
Reaction: And You, of Tender Years1

Ryan Shenvi is a tenured associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at the Scripps Research Institute. His lab is engaged in three main topics: the study of secondary metabolites containing unusual pharmacophores, the design of combinatorial routes to neurotransmitter receptor ligands, and the development of transition-metal-catalyzed hydrogen-atom-transfer reactions.
Melatonin and chlorpromazine: thermal selection in the mudpuppy, Necturus maculosus.

Abstract Intraperitonel (IP) injections of melatonin (4 mg kg −1 ) and chlorpromazine (25 mg kg −1 ), which blocks the breakdown of endogenous melatonin, significantly decreased temperatures selected by salamanders in a linear thermal gradient and eliminated the normal diel cycle in behavioral thermoregulation shown by control animals. Both endogenous and exogenous melatonin may play a crucial role in both physiological and behavioral thermoregulation of vertebrates.
Evaluation of opt-out inpatient HIV screening at an urban teaching hospital

ABSTRACTThis study evaluated opt-out inpatient HIV screening delivered by admitting physicians, and compared number of HIV tests and diagnoses to signs and symptoms-directed HIV testing (based on physician orders) in the emergency department (ED). The opt-out inpatient HIV screening program was conducted over a one year period in patients who were admitted to the 386-bed University of California San Diego (UCSD) teaching hospital. Numbers of HIV tests and diagnoses were compared to those observed among ED patients who underwent physician-directed HIV testing during the same time period. Survey data were collected from a convenience sample of patients and providers regarding the opt-out testing program. Among 8488 eligible inpatients, opt-out HIV testing was offered to 3017 (36%) patients, and rapid antibody testing was performed in 1389 (16.4%) inpatients, resulting in 6 (0.4% of all tests) newly identified HIV infections (5/6 were admitted through the ED). Among 27,893 ED patients, rapid antibody testing...
The effects of state and Federal gun control laws on school shootings

School shootings are the highest profile type of murder in the United States. They are also the rarest type of murder. In 2014, there were only 17 firearm murders that were perpetrated in schools a...
Abstract 421: Nck Promotes Podosome Formation and Function in Vascular Endothelial Cells

Podosomes are actin rich adhesion structures capable of extracellular matrix remodeling (ECM) and facilitate invasive cell migration. ECM remodeling and migration of endothelial cells (ECs) are prerequisites for angiogenesis, an important process in development and cardiovascular disease. In this study using a combination of molecular genetics and high resolution microscopy, we have demonstrated that adaptor proteins Nck1 and Nck2, that links signaling by tyrosine phosphorylation with actin dynamics, promote podosome formation and function. Expression of human Nck1-YFP or human Nck2-mCherry induces podosome formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Silencing of Nck by retroviral expression of short hairpin RNA disrupted podosome formation in Src transformed endothelial cells. Both number of cells with podosomes and number of podosomes per cell decreased significantly (P<0.05) compared with control and rescued cells. Functionally, Nck silenced cells were deficient in fluorescent gelatin matrix degradation, an effect that could be almost completely reversed by expression of siRNA-resistant Nck2. Further, overexpression of Nck in Src transformed endothelial cells induced an even higher (p<0.05) index of matrix degradation when compared with Src transformed control cells. Overall, a high degree of colocalization between F-actin and areas of degradation was observed. However, areas of degradation without cellular/F-actin colocalization [[Unable to Display Character: –]] presumably due to the highly motile nature of HUVEC [[Unable to Display Character: –]] were also observed. Mechanistically we found that Nck promote podosome biogenesis through interaction with p62Dok. Collectively, these results provide strong support for a critical role of Nck adaptors in the invasive program of endothelial cells which is important in health and diseases.
An adaptive control strategy for power balance and the intermittency mitigation in battery-PV energy system at residential DC microgrid level

This paper presents the integration of the battery and photovoltaic (PV) system and the adaptive control strategy for power balance and the intermittency mitigation in residential dc microgrid system. The excessive power leads to the overvoltage in the dc bus when available power from PV arrays is greater than the sum of the load power. While clouds pass over the panels, the dc bus becomes dynamically unstable. This paper is proposing the adaptive control strategy in residential dc microgrid to stabilize the dc bus and prevent over-voltage issues. The circuit topology has been selected as a suitable candidate for dc distribution system in residential applications. The implemented circuit topology provides two main dc bus voltage levels for residential applications, 48 V dc, and 400 V dc, and a 100 V dc intermediary bus for power transfer from one bus level to the other. The circuit topology consists of a boost converter for a PV power generation, a buck-boost converter for both discharging and charging the battery from 100 V dc bus, and a bidirectional half-bridge converter to regulate 400 V dc bus. The proposed adaptive control strategy monitors the PV power generation, dc load power demand and optimizes the state of charge (SOC) of the battery in order to constantly balance power generation and the load power demand accordingly. The simulation and experimental results reported in this paper verify the dynamics and performance of the proposed adaptive control strategy for PV-battery system in residential dc microgrid. This control strategy has been implemented and verified in A 2 kW prototype.
Abstract 236: Myocardial Relaxation is Modified by Fast Stretch but not Titin Isoform Size

Fast myocardial relaxation is important in vivo to reduce left ventricular pressure and promote efficient filling after cardiac contraction and ejection. Afterload is theorized to be a modifier of relaxation, but afterload reduction does not appear to help patients with diastolic dysfunction or Heart Failure with preserved Ejection Fraction. We hypothesized that a fast stretch, not afterload, modifies the relaxation rate, and that this relationship is modified by the giant elastic protein titin. A rat model carrying a spontaneous mutation in the RNA binding motif-20 (RBM20) results in long titin isoforms. Cardiac trabeculae from wild-type and RBM20 rats were dissected, paced at 0.5 Hz, and stretched to Lo, the length at which maximum isometric twitch force was developed. Isotonic load clamps maintained a specified afterload in experimental twitches by shortening and (if needed) relengthening the muscles using feedback control. Identical protocols were performed at reduced preload and two temperature conditions (37°C and 25°C). We determined that myocardial relaxation rate (1/tau) was modified by fast stretch (strain rate) just prior to relaxation; preventing stretch eliminated the inverse relationship between afterload and relaxation rate. Computational modeling indicates that fast stretch enhances crossbridge detachment and that passive tension compensates for some of the active force reduction during stretch. Stretch of 1 length•s -1 causes a 240% increase in relaxation rate (54.6 s -1 vs 22.5 s -1 ) at 37°C. Relaxation rate was preload independent and was slower but more responsive to stretch at 25°C. Trabeculae from long-titin mutant rats were not statistically different than control animals, but trend (p
Usability of absorber-lined shielded environment for low-frequency magnetic field measurement

This paper discusses the results of a study the authors conducted to clarify the usability of an absorber-lined shielded environment (ALSE) as a 150 kHz and lower frequency magnetic field measurement environment using the mirror image method. The magnetic field strength at a measurement point obtained from the mirror image method almost agreed with the measured value and the value obtained by a 3D electromagnetic field analysis, confirming that the mirror image method is effective for estimating the magnetic field strength at a specific measurement point. It was also confirmed that the usability of ALSE for magnetic field measurement depends largely on the distance of the magnetic field source and measurement point from the six walls of the ALSE. The study confirmed that, if the distance between the magnetic field source and measurement point is 1 m or less and they are 1 m or more from the ALSE's wall surfaces, the value measured in an ALSE that can be used to measure electromagnetic emissions from components does not differ by more than 3 dB from the value measured at an outdoor test site (OTS) for automobile evaluation.
Conducting a randomized trial in rural and urban safety-net health centers: Added value of community-based participatory research.

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cancer in the US. Despite evidence that screening reduces CRC incidence and mortality, screening rates are sub-optimal with disparities by race/ethnicity, income, and geography. Rural-urban differences in CRC screening are understudied even though approximately one-fifth of the US population lives in rural areas. This focus on urban populations limits the generalizability and dissemination potential of screening interventions. Methods Using community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles, we designed a cluster-randomized trial, adaptable to a range of settings, including rural and urban health centers. We enrolled 483 participants across 11 health centers representing 2 separate networks. Both networks serve medically-underserved communities; however one is primarily rural and one primarily urban. Results Our goal in this analysis is to describe baseline characteristics of participants and examine setting-level differences. CBPR was a critical for recruiting networks to the trial. Patient respondents were predominately female (61.3%), African-American (66.5%), and earned <$1200 per month (87.1%). The rural network sample was older; more likely to be female, white, disabled or retired, and have a higher income, but fewer years of education. Conclusions Variation in the samples partly reflects the CBPR process and partly reflects inherent differences in the communities. This confirmed the importance of using CBPR when planning for eventual dissemination, as it enhanced our ability to work within diverse settings. These baseline findings indicate that using a uniform approach to implementing a trial or intervention across diverse settings might not be effective or efficient.