cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modifications to Ovsynch improve fertility during resynchronization: Evaluation of presynchronization with gonadotropin-releasing hormone 6 d before initiation of Ovsynch and addition of a second prostaglandin F2α treatment

Lactating Holstein cows (n=897) were randomly assigned to a 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments to compare the main effects of presynchronization with GnRH 6 d before beginning an Ovsynch protocol (±GnRH) and a second PGF2α treatment 24h after the first (1 vs. 2 PGF2α) on pregnancies per artificial insemination (P/AI). This resulted in the following 4 treatments: (1) an Ovsynch protocol (GPG, control); (2) presynchronization with GnRH followed by an Ovsynch protocol (GGPG); (3) an Ovsynch protocol with a second PGF2α treatment (GPPG); and (4) presynchronization with GnRH followed by an Ovsynch protocol with a second PGF2α treatment (GGPPG). All cows were submitted for first timed artificial insemination (TAI) using a Presynch Ovsynch protocol, and cows detected in estrus after the second PGF2α treatment of the Presynch portion of the protocol were inseminated and removed from the experiment. Nonpregnant cows were resynchronized using an Ovsynch protocol initiated 32±3 d after artificial insemination. Blood samples were collected at the first GnRH treatment (G1), at the PGF2α treatment (PGF), and at the last GnRH treatment (G2) of the Ovsynch protocol and were assayed for progesterone (P4) concentrations. Overall, P/AI tended to be greater for cows receiving a second PGF2α treatment compared with cows not receiving the second PGF2α treatment (40 and 37% for GGPPG and GPPG treatments, respectively, vs. 33 and 32% for GGPG and GPG treatments, respectively). Interestingly, treatment effects on P/AI were detected only for resynchronized cows receiving second and greater TAI, but not for cows receiving first TAI. Fewer cows presynchronized with GnRH had low (<0.5ng/mL) P4 at G1 than cows not presynchronized (13 vs. 25%), and P4 was greater at PGF2α for cows presynchronized with GnRH (4.4 vs. 4.0ng/mL). Cows receiving 2 PGF2α treatments had lower P4 at G2 than cows receiving 1 PGF2α treatment (0.15 vs. 0.35ng/mL). Differences in P4 at PGF2α were detected only for resynchronized cows and not for cows submitted for first TAI. We conclude that presynchronization with GnRH 6 d before beginning an Ovsynch protocol tended to increase P4 at the first GnRH treatment of an Ovsynch protocol, and that a second PGF2α treatment 24h after the first decreased P4 at TAI, thereby increasing P/AI in cows resynchronized for second and greater TAI.
In Defense of the Ecotourism Shield: A Response to Geffroy et al.

Geffroy et al. [1] pose a bold scenario: nature tourists and ecotourists may create a ‘human shield’ in some circumstances, but ultimately tourism habituates animals and makes them susceptible to poaching and predation. In short, tourism is harmful to wildlife. The authors state that these problems from tourism can extend across entire populations of species and they suggest that tourism can even select for increased predation risk and drive loss of genetic diversity. We argue that these ideas are speculative and merit more careful analysis.
Drug Degradation during HPLC Analysis of Aztreonam: Effect on Pharmacokinetic Parameter Estimation

OBJECTIVE:To assess the impact of degradation of aztreonam, a beta-lactam antibiotic, during HPLC analysis on pharmacokinetic parameter estimates.METHODS:The baseline (B) serum concentration-time data from a published pharmacokinetic study of aztreonam were degraded using first-order equations and a degradation rate constant (0.014 h-1) determined from a preliminary degradation study. Samples were mathematically degraded for autosampler run times of 8–13 h (D1) to approximate a normal work day and for autosampler run times of 16–17 h (D2) and compared with B data. It was assumed that B data were nondegraded and that changes in chromatography were the result of degradation of azetreonam and not to any changes in chromatographic conditions. A two-compartment model was used to fit the data and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using standard equations. Statistical significance between all pharmacokinetic parameters for B and D1 and B and D2 was determined using the paired, two-tailed Student's t-tes...
Photoelectrochemical Oxidation of Water Using Nanostructured BiVO4 Films

Nanostructured BiVO4 films were synthesized by coevaporation of bismuth and vanadium in an oxygen ambient, a process referred to as reactive ballistic deposition (RBD). The films were tested in various electrolyte solutions to assess their activity for photoelectrochemical water oxidation. Deposition parameters, including the V/Bi atomic flux ratio and the incident angle of deposition, were adjusted. Films deposited with excess vanadium (V/Bi = 2) and incident angles of deposition at 65° showed the highest initial photocurrents with IPCE values above 21% for light wavelengths of 340−460 nm (in 0.5 M Na2SO4 at 1.0 V vs Ag/AgCl). With continued illumination the excess vanadium in these films dissolved into the electrolyte and the photocurrents dropped by 60−75% before reaching steady state. The steady-state photocurrent and IPCE values (above 14% for 340−460 nm light) were higher than the initial values for films synthesized with stoichiometric amounts of vanadium and bismuth (V/Bi = 1) and incident angles ...
Evaluation Researcher: Scientist or Advocate?

The traditional view of evaluation researchers holds that evaluators must adhere to the role of objective scientist, but recently arguments have appeared in the literature critical of the notion that evaluation research can be conducted objectively. The author examines the validity of these arguments and posits that if these arguments are conceded, it becomes more acceptable to see evaluation research as a process of valuation and advocacy. There is a risk that evaluators who adopt the role of advocate may discredit their role as objective expert.
The University of Arizona Archaeological Field School at Grasshopper, East Central Arizona

The University of Arizona Archaeological Field School has now completed three seasons’ work at the Grasshopper Ruin, a 14th century pueblo in east central Arizona. The teaching program stresses stu...
Hot Water Epilepsy (HWE)

Seizures precipitated by very hot water-head baths (40-50° C), a regional religious custom, or showers were seen in 279 patients between 1980-83 in Bangalore, Southern India, and are reported from the Depts of Neurology and Biostatistics, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India, and the Neuroepidemiology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
On krypton-doped capsule implosion experiments at the National Ignition Facility

This paper presents the spectroscopic aspects of using Krypton as a dopant in NIF capsule implosions through simulation studies and the first set of NIF experiments. Using a combination of 2D hohlraum and 1D capsule simulations with comprehensive spectroscopic modeling, the calculations focused on the effect of dopant concentration on the implosion, and the impact of gradients in the electron density and temperature to the Kr line features and plasma opacity. Experimental data were obtained from three NIF Kr-dopant experiments, performed with varying Kr dopant concentrations between 0.01% and 0.03%. The implosion performance, hotspot images, and detailed Kr spectral analysis are summarized relative to the predictions. Data show that fuel-dopant spectroscopy can serve as a powerful and viable diagnostic for inertial confinement fusion implosions.
Continuous Release of Tumor-Derived Factors Improves the Modeling of Cachexia in Muscle Cell Culture.

Cachexia is strongly associated with a poor prognosis in cancer patients but the biological trigger is unknown and therefore no therapeutics exist. The loss of skeletal muscle is the most deleterious aspect of cachexia and it appears to depend on secretions from tumor cells. Models for studying wasting in cell culture consist of experiments where skeletal muscle cells are incubated with medium conditioned by tumor cells. This has led to candidates for cachectic factors but some of the features of cachexia in vivo are not yet well modeled in cell culture experiments. Mouse myotube atrophy measured by myotube diameter in response to medium conditioned by mouse colon carcinoma cells (C26) is consistently less than what is seen in muscles of mice bearing C26 tumors with moderate to severe cachexia. One possible reason for this discrepancy is that in vivo the C26 tumor and skeletal muscle share a circulatory system exposing the muscle to tumor factors in a constant and increasing way. We have applied Transwell®-adapted cell culture conditions to more closely simulate conditions found in vivo where muscle is exposed to the ongoing kinetics of constant tumor secretion of active factors. C26 cells were incubated on a microporous membrane (a Transwell® insert) that constitutes the upper compartment of wells containing plated myotubes. In this model, myotubes are exposed to a constant supply of cancer cell secretions in the medium but without direct contact with the cancer cells, analogous to a shared circulation of muscle and cancer cells in tumor-bearing animals. The results for myotube diameter support the idea that the use of Transwell® inserts serves as a more physiological model of the muscle wasting associated with cancer cachexia than the bolus addition of cancer cell conditioned medium. The Transwell® model supports the notion that the dose and kinetics of cachectic factor delivery to muscle play a significant role in the extent of pathology.
Long-term record of Argentine ant invasions reveals enduring ecological impacts

The ecological effects of species introductions can change in magnitude over time, but an understanding of how and why they do so remains incompletely understood. Clarifying this issue requires consideration of how temporal variation in invader traits affects invasion impacts (e.g., through differential effects on the diversity and composition of native species assemblages). We examine the temporal dynamics of Argentine ant invasions in northern California by resurveying 202 sites first sampled 30-40 yr ago. To test how invasion impacts change over time, we estimated native ant richness and species composition at 20 riparian woodland sites that span a 30-yr invasion chronosequence. We then use these data to test how variation in two invader traits (aggression and relative abundance) is related to time since invasion and invasion impact. Native ant assemblages along the chronosequence exhibited reduced native ant richness and altered species composition (compared to uninvaded control sites), but the magnitude of these impacts was independent of time since invasion. These results are corroborated by additional temporal comparisons of native ant assemblages at riparian sites sampled 20-30 yr ago. Our findings together illustrate that the impacts of invasions can persist undiminished over at least a 30-yr time frame and remain evident at regional scales. Although neither invader trait varied with time since invasion, native ant richness declined as the relative abundance of the Argentine ant increased. This latter result supports the hypothesis that factors reducing invader abundance at particular sites can decrease invasion impacts, but also that such changes may be due to site-specific factors (e.g., abiotic conditions) that affect invader abundance rather than time since invasion per se. Future studies should attempt to differentiate factors that are intrinsic to the process of invasion (e.g., changes in invader populations) from long-term environmental changes (e.g., climate change) that represent extrinsic influences on the dynamics of invasion.
Becoming a Moral Person – Moral Development and Moral Character Education as a Result of Social Interactions

It is commonly assumed that humans do not begin life with moral character or virtue. Most documented societies through history considered infants to be unformed persons, not yet moral members of society, “humanity-in-becoming” who have “watery souls” (Fijian) (Sahlins 2008: 101–102). This person-becoming view fits well with human sciences today, as a child’s development is viewed as the unfolding and co-construction of a complex dynamic system. At first, the infant is co-constructed by other complex, dynamic systems—caregivers. The personality that is formed is very much dependent on this early formation, which is largely beyond the control of the individual. However, over time, the individual takes on more choices about her or his own character development within the framework of subsequent social experience and enculturation.
Comparing thigh muscle cross-sectional area and squat strength among national class Olympic weightlifters, power lifters, and bodybuilders

Background : Few studies have compared anthropometric characteristics among national class athletes from different resistance training disciplines, such as Olympic Weightlifting (OL), Power Lifting (PL), and Bodybuilding (BB). Objective : The purpose of the current study was to determine if significant differences exist in the relationship between thigh muscle cross-sectional area and back squat strength among national class athletes from the sports of OL, PL, and BB. Methods : Fifteen national class athletes were assessed for back squat strength, mid-thigh circumference, and mid-thigh skinfold from which total thigh cross-sectional was estimated. A series of One-Way ANOVAs and Pearson Product Moment Correlations were used to compare groups and assess the relationship between variables. Results : The OL (200.18 + 25.16kg) and PL (205.45 + 17.28kg) groups were significantly stronger than the BB (160 + 16.80 kg; p < 0.05) group. However, mid-thigh skinfold thickness (p = 0.36), mid-thigh circumference (p = 0.87), and estimated thigh cross-sectional area (p = 0.34) were not significantly different between groups. Thigh muscle cross-sectional area was weakly correlated to back squat strength in the OL (r = .42) and PL (r = .12) groups, but moderately correlated in the BB (r = .70) group. Conclusion : Thigh cross-sectional area was of relatively minor importance in determining back squat strength for the OL and PL groups, despite these groups being significantly stronger than the BB group. Specific training protocols will elicit different outcomes with regard to muscular hypertrophy that may or may not contribute to a functional increase in back squat strength.
Calreticulin biosynthesis and processing in human myeloid cells : Demonstration of signal peptide cleavage and N-glycosylation

Calreticulin is a soluble endoplasmic reticulum protein comprising the major storage reservoir for inositol trisphosphate-releasable calcium. Although its highly conserved primary structure and a wide range of functions have been well described, less attention has been paid to its biosynthesis, particularly in human tissues. We report analyses of synthesis, proteolytic processing and glycosylation of human calreticulin. In both HL-60 and PLB-985 myeloid cell lines calreticulin was immunoprecipitated as a single 60-kD species without evidence of precursor forms. However, in vitro cell-free synthesis produced a 62-kD primary translation product, which in the presence of microsomal membranes, was processed by cotranslational signal peptide cleavage to a 60-kD species that comigrated with mature calreticulin produced in myeloid cells. Neither tunicamycin treatment of the cells nor endoglycosidase digestion of calreticulin resulted in any forms other than the 60-kD protein on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis, suggesting that the potential site for N-glycosylation at asparagine-327 was unmodified. However, oxidative derivatization of carbohydrate components with digoxigenin showed that human calreticulin produced in either HL-60 cells or Sf9 insect cells is glycosylated, indicating that glycosylated and nonglycosylated human calreticulin have indistinguishable electrophoretic mobilities. Direct measurement by phenol-H2SO4 confirmed the presence of carbohydrate on recombinant human calreticulin. These data show that human myeloid calreticulin undergoes cotranslational signal peptide cleavage and posttranslational N-linked glycosylation. Although glycosylation of calreticulin has been shown in rat liver and bovine liver and brain, it has been reported to be lacking in other tissues including human lymphocytes.
An Overview of Techniques Used in FT-IR Spectroscopy

The advent of commercial Fourier transform interferometry (FT-IR) instrumentation has provided the materials scientist, the analytical chemist, the research scientist and others, with another tool to solve their problems. It is our intention in this paper to present an overview of the techniques that can be used in FT-IR, and can be directed toward materials characterization.
The Wilcoxon Two-Sample Test

In this chapter, we investigate the test procedure that led to our discussion of hypothesis testing in more detail. The test is known as the Wilcoxon two-sample test or, more accurately, as the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test.
HLA-DQA1 and Polymarker Allele Frequencies in Two New York City Jewish Populations

Allele and genotype frequencies were determined for the HLA-DQA1 and Amplitype® Polymarker loci (low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), glycophorin A (GYPA), hemoglobin G gammaglobin (HBGG), D7S8, and group-specific component (Gc)) in Hasidic and non-Hasidic Ashkenazi New York City Jewish subpopulations. For all loci tested, except HBGG, the 2 subpopulations meet the assumption of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Comparison of various allele and genotype frequencies for the Hasidic and the non-Hasidic groups showed no significant differences. Comparison of the various allele frequencies in the two subpopulations to another Caucasian group revealed significant differences at the HLA-DQA1 and D7S8 loci in the Hasidic group. These frequency data can be used for comparison to other populations and for frequency estimates in DNA profiling.
Neurodegenerative Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease as a case study to decipher novel functions of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are essential enzymes that catalyze the first reaction in protein biosynthesis, namely the charging of transfer RNAs (tRNAs) with their cognate amino acids. aaRSs have been increasingly implicated in dominantly and recessively inherited human diseases. The most common aaRS-associated monogenic disorder is the incurable neurodegenerative disease Charcot–Marie–Tooth neuropathy (CMT), caused by dominant mono-allelic mutations in aaRSs. With six currently known members (GlyRS, TyrRS, AlaRS, HisRS, TrpRS, and MetRS), aaRSs represent the largest protein family implicated in CMT etiology. After the initial discovery linking aaRSs to CMT, the field has progressed from understanding whether impaired tRNA charging is a critical component of this disease to elucidating the specific pathways affected by CMT-causing mutations in aaRSs. Although many aaRS CMT mutants result in loss of tRNA aminoacylation function, animal genetics studies demonstrated that dominant mutations in GlyRS cause CMT through toxic gain-of-function effects, which also may apply to other aaRS-linked CMT subtypes. The CMT-causing mechanism is likely to be multifactorial and involves multiple cellular compartments, including the nucleus and the extracellular space, where the normal WT enzymes also appear. Thus, the association of aaRSs with neuropathy is relevant to discoveries indicating that aaRSs also have nonenzymatic regulatory functions that coordinate protein synthesis with other biological processes. Through genetic, functional, and structural analyses, commonalities among different mutations and different aaRS-linked CMT subtypes have begun to emerge, providing insights into the nonenzymatic functions of aaRSs and the pathogenesis of aaRS-linked CMT to guide therapeutic development to treat this disease.
Research note: The effect of stream restoration project attributes on property sale prices

Abstract Attributes of stream restoration projects, such as if restoration occurred in-stream or streamside, if the project site was purchased and permanently protected from development, or if there is public access, may affect the sale price of nearby properties. We use a repeat-sales model to estimate the effect of eight project attributes for 209 restoration projects in the Johnson Creek Watershed, Oregon. Estimated effects are found to vary by attribute, distance, and project phase. In-stream restoration efforts are positive while restoration that occurs streamside has mostly negative effects. Nearby property owners experience positive effects if land is purchased for the project, and if recreation facilities are available on site, but negative effects if restoration involves heavy machinery. The effects of some project attributes are capitalized even before restoration work begins.
Spillover Effects From A Consumer-Based Intervention To Increase High-Value Preventive Care.

Increasing the use of high-value medical services and reducing the use of services with little or no clinical value are key goals for efficient health systems. Yet encouraging the use of high-value...
Germline genetic determination of cancer progression and survival

We report the surprising finding that common germline polymorphisms of APOE, present in approximately 39% of Caucasians, predict survival outcomes in human melanoma. Analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas revealed that carriers of the APOE2 variant experienced shorter survival relative to APOE3 homozygotes, while APOE4 variant carriers exhibited increased survival. Consistent with this, melanoma growth in human APOE knock-in mice followed the order of APOE2 > APOE3 > APOE4, revealing causal regulation of progression by APOE variants. Mechanistically, recombinant ApoE protein variants differentially suppressed melanoma cell invasion and endothelial recruitment phenotypes. Moreover, tumors in APOE4 mice exhibited greater immune cell infiltration and activation relative to tumors of APOE2 mice. These findings support the notion that human germline genetic makeup can impact the trajectory of a future malignancy.
Are Computer Science and Information Systems Students More Likely To Earn a Better Grade in Basic Computer Literacy Courses Than Their Peers: A Case Study

Computer Science and Information Systems students spend the majority of their University level coursework studying computer hardware and software. These courses are typically judged more difficult, either technically or theoretically, than traditional digital literacy courses that teach basic computer fundamentals such as the Microsoft Office Suite. This paper presents final grade data from a medium sized university that helps explore this issue. The data is further broken down by college and gender.
High-dynamic-range time-domain terahertz spectroscopy system operating at 1 μm optical wavelength (Conference Presentation)

We demonstrate a high dynamic range, broadband THz-TDS system that is compatible with 1 μm femtosecond lasers. In order to improve the dynamic range and bandwidth, we designed and fabricated photoconductive terahertz sources and detectors equipped with arrays of plasmonic nano-antennas fabricated on an epitaxially-grown In0.24Ga0.76As substrate. Plasmonic nano-antennas concentrate the photo-generated carriers close to the antenna-photoconductor interface. This ensures a superior performance both in terahertz generation and detection by increasing the induced ultrafast current at the antenna terminals. We demonstrate a THz-TDS system with more than a 100 dB dynamic range and a 4 THz bandwidth.
Addressing Challenges with the Categorization of Foods Processed at Home: A Pilot Methodology to Inform Consumer-Facing Guidance

The objective of this study was to inform consumer-facing dietary guidance by (1) adapting the current University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) food processing framework to include a home processing (HP) component and (2) pilot testing the adapted version using a nationally representative sample of foods consumed in the U.S. The UNC framework was adapted to include guidelines for categorizing home-prepared (HP) foods. The original UNC and adapted HP frameworks were used to code dietary recalls from a random sample of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2015-2016 cycle) participants (n = 100; ages 2-80 years). Percent changes between the UNC and HP adapted frameworks for each processing category were calculated using Microsoft Excel, version 16.23. Participants were 56% female, 35% non-Hispanic white (mean age = 31.3 ± 23.8). There were 1,376 foods with 651 unique foods reported. Using the HP compared to the UNC framework, unprocessed/minimally processed foods declined by 11.7% (UNC: 31.0% vs. HP: 27.4%); basic processed foods increased by 116.8% (UNC: 8.2% vs. HP: 17.8%); moderately processed foods increased by 16.3% (UNC: 14.2% vs. HP: 16.6%); and highly processed foods decreased by 17.8% (UNC: 46.5% vs. HP: 38.2%). Home-prepared foods should be considered as distinct from industrially produced foods when coding dietary data by processing category. This has implications for consumer-facing dietary guidance that incorporates processing level as an indicator of diet quality.
“Can-Do” Statements for a Diverse Japanese Teacher Pipeline: Let’s Widen the Funnel!

In order to address the lack of diversity among L2 Japanese educators, we must consider how to give more students with diverse backgrounds the opportunity to study Japanese, become language educators, pursue and attain Japanese teacher certification, and find jobs in the field. The NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements (2018) defined a path to language proficiency. This article presents a list of “can-do statements” on the path to becoming an L2 Japanese educator. These statements illustrate the experiences that students must have access to in order to stay on the path to becoming a Japanese educator, beginning in kindergarten through their job search and satisfaction. Many of these statements may not be “can-dos” for most students in the U.S currently. If we as a field can change that reality, we have the potential to widen and diversify the pool of potential L2 Japanese educators for years to come.
Progress Evaluation in Eyes with Geographic Atrophy and Retina Pseudocyst.

Abstract: Retinal pseudocysts can be seen overlying geographic atrophy in non-exudative age-related macular degeneration. Central retinal thickness and CVI decreased significantly in both groups. These pseudocysts would not increase the risk of GA progression and CNV.
Hypergraph States in SU(N)1, N odd prime, Chern-Simons Theory

Graph states and hypergraph states can be constructed from products of basic operations that appear in SU(N)1. The level-rank dual of a theorem of Salton, Swingle, and Walter implies that these operations can be prepared topologically in the n-torus Hilbert space of Chern-Simons theory for N neq 5 mod 4. For SU(N)1, N = 5 mod 4, only stabilizer states can be prepared on the n-torus Hilbert space, which restricts the construction to graph states.
Effects of the nanotube length and network morphology on the deformation mechanisms and mechanical properties of cross-linked carbon nanotube films

The effects of the carbon nanotube (CNT) length and material structure on the mechanical properties of free-standing thin CNT films with continuous networks of bundles of nanotubes and covalent cross-links are studied in large-scale simulations. The simulations are performed based on a dynamic mesoscopic model that accounts for stretching and bending of CNTs, van der Waals interaction between nanotubes, and inter-tube cross-links. It is found that the tensile modulus and strength of the CNT films strongly increase with increasing CNT length, but the effect of the nanotube length is altered by the cross-link density. The mutual effect of the nanotube length and cross-link density on the modulus and strength is primarily determined by a single parameter that is equal to the average number of cross-links per nanotube. The modulus and strength, as functions of this parameter, follow the power-type scaling laws with strongly different exponents. The film elongation at the maximum stress is dominated by the value of the cross-link density. The dispersion of nanotubes without formation of thick bundles results in a few-fold increase in the modulus and strength. The variation of the film properties is explained by the effects of the CNT length, cross-link density, and network morphology on the network connectivity. The in-plane compression results in the collective bending of nanotubes and folding of the whole film with only minor irreversible changes in the film structure. Depending on the CNT length, the reliefs of the folded films vary from a complex two-dimensional landscape to a quasi-one-dimensional wavy surface.
A classification of invertible phases of bosonic quantum lattice systems in one dimension

We study invertible states of 1D bosonic quantum lattice systems. We show that every invertible 1D state is in a trivial phase: after tensoring with some unentangled ancillas, it can be disentangled by a fuzzy analog of a finite-depth quantum circuit. If an invertible state has symmetries, it may be impossible to disentangle it in a way that preserves the symmetries, even after adding unentagled ancillas. We show that in the case of a finite unitary symmetry G, the only obstruction is an index valued in degree-2 cohomology of G. We show that two invertible G-invariant states are in the same phase if and only if their indices coincide.
Uncertainty analysis for CCD-augmented CASI® BRDF measurement system

This work presents a measurement uncertainty analysis for a system designed to simultaneously capture specular in-plane and out-of-plane bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) data with high spatial resolution by augmenting the Complete Angle Scatter Instrument (CASI®) with a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. Various scatter flux, incident flux, scatter angle, and detector solid angle uncertainty contributions are considered and evaluated based on imperfectly known system parameters. In particular, incident flux temporal fluctuation, detector noise and non-linearity, and out-of-plane aperture misalignment considerations each require significant adjustment from original CASI® uncertainty analysis, and expressions for neutral density (ND) filter, scatter angle, and solid angle uncertainties each require new formulations. Ultimately, ND filter uncertainty produces the largest contribution for the augmented system—at least when using unrefined worst-case tolerances—followed by solid angle uncertainty and pixel non-linearity. Total BRDF uncertainty and its contributing terms are compiled for several measurement scenarios, and compared with those from original analyses for single-pixel detectors. In particular, when ND filter uncertainty can be ignored or mitigated, total BRDF uncertainty values are comparable to those for the original system.
Agglutinating and Bactericidal Properties of Fractions of Rabbit Anti-Vibrio cholerae Serum

The major portion of the agglutinating and bactericidal activity of the sera of rabbits immunized with live Vibrio cholerae or with cholera vaccine was found in the γM fractions during the early stages of immunization. After 5 weeks or more, γG fractions accounted for more than half of the agglutinating activity. When late antibody was measured as the amount of protein precipitated by somatic antigens, nearly 3 times as much γG as γM was required for agglutination, and about 30 times as much γG as γM was required to kill 50% of a standard inoculum in the presence of complement. The ratio of vibriocidal to agglutinin titer of γG fractions at different stages of immunization was more variable than that of γM fractions. More complement was required for a vibriocidal effect by γG than by γM. Increasing the amount of complement decreased the amount of both γG and γM required to kill, but smaller amounts of γM required disproportionately larger amounts of complement. Less time was required by γM than by γG to kill 50% of the inoculum. Removal of the group-reactive antibody from anti-Ogawa serum and serum fractions by absorption with Inaba reduced the vibriocidal titer by more than one-half.
Optimal path planning and resource allocation for active target localization

This paper addresses optimal path planning and resource allocation for active multi-target localization. For each target, we solve a local Dynamic Program (DP) that plans optimal trajectories in the joint state-space of robot positions and target location uncertainties, captured by a cumulative error covariance matrix. The transitions in the space of robot positions are governed by the robot dynamics, while the transitions in the space of target uncertainties are regulated by a Kalman filter (KF) that fuses new information about the target locations with the current beliefs. The fused target uncertainties enter the objective function of the local DP using the trace of the associated covariance matrix. Using the optimal sensing policies local to each target, we construct a global DP to determine how far along the single target optimal trajectories the sensor should travel before transitioning to the next target. The integrated system jointly optimizes the collective target localization uncertainty and the total distance traveled by the sensing agent. The proposed control scheme is more computationally efficient than methods that use only the sensor configuration to compute future uncertainty and more exact than methods that abstract away the filtered sensing uncertainty.
One of Two Genes Encoding Glycyl-tRNA Synthetase inSaccharomyces cerevisiae Provides Mitochondrial and Cytoplasmic Functions

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, two genes (GRS1 and GRS2) encode glycyl-tRNA synthetase (GlyRS1 and GlyRS2, respectively). 59% of the sequence of GlyRS2 is identical to that of GlyRS1. Others have proposed that GRS1 and GRS2 encode the cytoplasmic and mitochondrial enzymes, respectively. In this work, we show that GRS1 encodes both functions, whereasGRS2 is dispensable. In addition, both cytoplasmic and mitochondrial phenotypes of the knockout allele of GRS1 inS. cerevisiae are complemented by the expression of the only known gene for glycyl-tRNA synthetase in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Thus, a single gene for glycyl-tRNA synthetase likely encodes both cytoplasmic and mitochondrial activities in most or all yeast. Phylogenetic analysis shows that GlyRS2 is a predecessor of all yeast GlyRS homologues. Thus, GRS1 appears to be the result of a duplication of GRS2, which itself is pseudogene-like.
AN INTELLIGENT SYSTEM’S APPROACH FOR REVITALIZATION OF BROWN FIELDS USING ONLY PRODUCTION RATE DATA

State-of-the-art data analysis in production allows engineers to characterize reservoirs using production data. This saves companies large sums that should otherwise be spend on well testing and reservoir simulation and modeling. There are two shortcomings with today's production data analysis: It needs bottom-hole or well-head pressure data in addition to data for rating reservoirs' characterization. Analysis remains at the individual well level. It does not offer integration of results from individual wells to create a field-wide analysis. A new technique called Intelligent Production Data Analysis, IPDA, addresses both of these short-comings. Through an iterative technique, IPDA integrates Decline Curve Analysis, Type Curve Matching, and Numerical Reservoir Simulation (History Matching) in order to converge to a set of reservoir characteristics, compatible with all three techniques. Furthermore, once reservoir characteristics for individual wells in the field are identified through above process, and by using a unique Fuzzy Pattern Recognition technology the results are mapped on the entire field in order to evaluate reserve estimates, pin-point optimum infill drilling locations, track fluid flow and depletion, remaining reserves and finally identify under-performer wells.
Systematic Temporal Patterns in the Relationship Between Housing Development and Forest Bird Biodiversity

As people encroach increasingly on natural areas, one question is how this affects avian biodiversity. The answer to this is partly scale-dependent. At broad scales, human populations and biodiversity concentrate in the same areas and are positively associated, but at local scales people and biodiversity are negatively associated with biodiversity. We investigated whether there is also a systematic temporal trend in the relationship between bird biodiversity and housing development. We used linear regression to examine associations between forest bird species richness and housing growth in the conterminous United States over 30 years. Our data sources were the North American Breeding Bird Survey and the 2000 decennial U.S. Census. In the 9 largest forested ecoregions, housing density increased continually over time. Across the conterminous United States, the association between bird species richness and housing density was positive for virtually all guilds except ground nesting birds. We found a systematic trajectory of declining bird species richness as housing increased through time. In more recently developed ecoregions, where housing density was still low, the association with bird species richness was neutral or positive. In ecoregions that were developed earlier and where housing density was highest, the association of housing density with bird species richness for most guilds was negative and grew stronger with advancing decades. We propose that in general the relationship between human settlement and biodiversity over time unfolds as a 2-phase process. The first phase is apparently innocuous; associations are positive due to coincidence of low-density housing with high biodiversity. The second phase is highly detrimental to biodiversity, and increases in housing density are associated with biodiversity losses. The long-term effect on biodiversity depends on the final housing density. This general pattern can help unify our understanding of the relationship of human encroachment and biodiversity response.
Heritability and molecular genetic basis of electrodermal activity: a genome-wide association study.

The molecular genetic basis of electrodermal activity (EDA) was analyzed using 527,829 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a large population-representative sample of twins and parents (N = 4,424) in relation to various EDA indices. Biometric analyses suggested that approximately 50% or more of variance in all EDA indices was heritable. The combined effect of all SNPs together accounted for a significant amount of variance in each index, affirming their polygenic basis and heritability. However, none of the SNPs were genome-wide significant for any EDA index. Previously reported SNP associations with disorders such as substance dependence or schizophrenia, which have been linked to EDA abnormalities, were not significant; nor were associations between EDA and genes in specific neurotransmitter systems. These results suggest that EDA is influenced by multiple genes rather than by polymorphisms with large effects.
Small spherical nilpotent orbits and K-types of Harish Chandra modules

Let G be a connected linear semisimple Lie group with Lie algebra g and maximal compact subgroup K. Let K_C -> Aut(p_C) be the complexified isotropy representation at the identity coset of the corresponding symmetric space. Suppose that O is a nilpotent K_C-orbit in p_C, and bar(O} is its Zariski closure in p_C. We study the K-type decomposition of the ring of regular functions on bar(O} when O is spherical and ``small''. We also show that this decomposition gives the asymptotic directions of K-types in any irreducible (g_C, K)-module whose associated variety is bar(O).
Flood Frequency of the Mojave River and the Formation of Late Holocene Playa Lakes, Southern California, USA:

Perennial lakes lasting several decades occupied Silver Lake playa, the terminus of the Mojave River, as recently as 390 ± 90 and 3620 ± 70 BP. Flood routings from the Mojave River headwaters to its terminal playa, and water balance calculations for the resulting lakes, indicate that floods comparable in magnitude to the largest floods in the modern record must occur almost annually to generate and maintain perennial lakes. In contrast, the modern floods of this magnitude have recurrence intervals greater than 18 years. Such an increase in flood frequency is required even if lake evaporation is reduced by as much as 50%. Modern extreme floods of the Mojave River are related to meridional atmospheric circulation and a southeastward shift in the winter low pressure center over the North Pacific Ocean, causing vigorous storms over the headwaters in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California. This winter pattern probably occurred more frequently to induce the large number of storms and floods needed ...
Dynamic populations in genetic algorithms

Biological populations are dynamic in both space and time, that is, the population size of a species fluctuates across their habitats over time. There are rarely any static or fixed size populations in nature. In evolutionary computation (EC), population size is one of the most important parameters and it received attention from EC pioneers from the very beginning. Despite many attempts to optimize the population sizing, the prevailing scheme in EC is still possibly the simplest --- the fixed size population. This is in strong contrast with population entities in nature. In this paper, we explore the effects of dynamic (fluctuating) populations on the performance of genetic algorithms (GA). In particular, we test five dynamic population-sizing patterns: random fluctuating population, increasing population, decreasing population, bell-shaped population, and inverse bell-shaped population and compare them against the fixed size population. Our experiment shows very promising results that the dynamic populations perform more efficiently than the traditional fixed size populations, in terms of the number of fitness function evaluations and memory space requirements. We also analyze why the dynamic populations should perform superior to the fixed size populations from the biological perspective.
The relationship between water stress induced proline accumulation and inhibition of protein synthesis in tobacco leaves

Abstract Turgid tobacco leaves do not accumulate proline when cycloheximide is supplied at concentrations that inhibit protein synthesis to a similar degree as is observed under water stress. These concentrations of cycloheximide are not inhibitory to proline synthesis as indicated by the fact that water-stressed leaves accumulate proline in the presence of cycloheximide. Furthermore, cycloheximide only slightly inhibits the incorporation of [ 14 C]glutamate into proline in the same leaves that it substantially inhibits the incorporation of [ 3 H]leucine into protein. Cytcloheximide was found to lower water potentials in tobacco leaves. Precautions were therefore necessary to maintain turgor pressure in the leaves so that the effects of the inhibitor and low water potentials were separated. It is concluded that stress-induced proline accumulation requires effect(s) of water stress on aspects of metabolism other than, or in addition to, protein synthesis.
Retrograde amnesia gradients as a function of ECS-intensity.

Mice trained on an inhibitory (passive) avoidance task were administered transcorneal electroconvulsive shock of varying intensity (0, 5, 10 and 15 mA) at different training-treatment intervals (8, 20 and 30 sec). Amnesia, as measured on a 24-hr test, varied directly with ECS intensity and inversely with the training-treatment interval. The findings indicate that retrograde amnesia gradients reflect the changing susceptibility of a memory to an amnesic treatment.
Ultimate Answers to Proximate Questions: The Evolutionary Motivations behind Tattoos and Body Piercings in Popular Culture:

Numerous studies have found that piercing and tattooing the body is an increasingly prevalent trend in modern popular culture; however, this is not only a modern practice. Evidence of various forms of body ornamentation has been found in human societies dating back thousands of years. Although prior research has focused on the potential relationships between various personality traits and the likelihood of piercing or tattooing the body, few have approached this topic from an evolutionary perspective. For instance, the general motivations for getting tattoos and piercings have tended to fall into the same three categories for hundreds of years: (a) a symbol of an important past event, love, or friendship, (b) group membership, and/or (c) a marker of individuality. We argue that these motivations are simply proximate behaviors for an ultimate evolutionary reason: the perpetuation of one’s genes. In this article, we propose two new theories about the origins of body ornamentation. First, in our “human canvas” hypothesis, we propose a link between body ornamentation and the human species’ historical use of symbolic thought. Second, in our “upping the ante” hypothesis, we suggest that the steady rise in popularity of tattooing and piercing in Western culture has come about due to larger population densities and advancements in healthcare, which has led individuals to seek new and unique displays of fitness (i.e., body ornamentation). We then conclude with proximate examples in popular culture to display the proposed ultimate evolutionary reasoning behind body ornamentation.
Concentrations and Intakes of H, B, S, K, Na, Cl, and NaCl in Foods

Abstract Neutron capture prompt γ-ray activation analysis was used to determine H, B, Na, S, Cl, and K in 234 foods from US Food and Drug Administration Total Diet Study collection K11 (November 1990 to January 1991). Fruits, vegetables, and nuts had the highest B concentrations and supplied over 50% of the dietary intake for B in eight age/sex groups. Higher B concentrations in drinking water and greater fruit and vegetable consumption could significantly increase B intakes. Added NaCl (i.e., that introduced during processing or preparation) was estimated to account for about half the dietary Na and Cl for 6- to 11-month-old children and ∼75% of Na and ∼80% of Cl for all other age/sex groups. An estimated 10% of dietary Na was contributed by other additives, e.g., baking powder in grain products, emulsifying agents in processed cheese, and a variety of preservatives. Sulfur concentrations in food and S intakes were dominated by protein-related cysteine, with relatively little contribution from food additives. Potassium and Na concentrations and intakes determined for collection K11 agreed very well with the 1982–1989 Total Diet Study averages.
Reactivation of Succinate-Cytochrome c Reductase in Acetone-extracted Particles of Azotobacter vinelandii

SINCE the discovery of coenzyme Q in beef-heart mitochondria1, its significant role in the electron transport system has been well established2. However, knowledge regarding the function of coenzyme Q in micro-organisms is somewhat incomplete although it has been found in various species3. Since Azotobacter vinelandii, strain O, contains vitamin K as well as coenzyme Q8 (ref. 3), it would be of considerable interest to know whether both factors are involved in the electron transport system.