cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Written in Their Own Voice: First-Year and Older Students' Perceptions on Their University's Identity

Undergraduate students (218 women, 57 men) attending a Roman Catholic, suburban university with a Franciscan charism tradition completed open-ended items assessing their perception on the mission, vision, and values of their university. However, only 41 lower division, first-year students (33 women, 8 men) and 29 upper division students (22 women, 7 men) actually wrote about different aspects of their school's identity. Qualitative themes emerged in regard to students' assessment of their school identity, such as university mission activities are perceived important, and overall support for different institutional values within the university community.
Ruminal waste stream as a source of industrial chemicals

Abstract Acetic, propionic, and butyric acids, which are volatile fatty acids (VFAs), are present in significant concentration in the rumen of cattle and other ruminant animals. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) burden carried by rumen wastes and ways to salvage the value-added enzymes, α-amylase and cellulases, which are present in substantial quantities are presented. An average COD for grain/grass-fed animals was 50 g/l and for cobs/alfalfa-fed was 23 g/l. The effect of four diets (grain, grass, cobs, and alfalfa) on VFAs concentration and on the COD for rumen fluid is reported. Enzyme concentrations, protein content (0.22–1.15 mg/ml), and ionic strength (86.4–113.8 mM/l) of rumen fluid are also mentioned. The activity of cellulase (31–40 international unit per liter) (IU/l) was not very different for any diet, but grain-fed animals showed substantially greater amounts of α-amylase (500 IU/l). The average pH for all the diets was about 6.5. Grain and grass-feds produced more protein than cobs and alfalfa-fed animals. Product separation and recovery of these chemicals as co-products from ruminal fluid can be an attractive alternative, which not only reduces the COD processing costs (US$ 2,000,000 per year), but can also bring profits from the saleable recovered products (a total of US$ 1,114,143 per year, i.e., US$ 698,610 from calcium magnesium paunchate (CMP), US$ 142,533 from α-amylase, and US$ 273,000 from cellulase). A review of recovery processes applicable to volatile fatty acids and enzymes is also included.
Experiments of wave-driven soil transport in clay beds

The physical processes of instability and soil mass transport in a soft clay bed by waves were quantitatively reproduced and measured in a laboratory soil-wave tank. Soft clays behave like plasto-elastic materials and dissipate wave energy quickly. Waves destroy clay fabrics gradually and soften clay. Waves induce mass transport of clay in the clay bed. The clay mass transport increases with wave energy. The Froude-Mach similitude is applied to the experimental data to hindcast the soil mass transport caused by Hurricane Camille in 1969.
Utilization of unlabeled development data for speaker verification

State-of-the-art speaker verification systems model speaker identity by mapping i-Vectors onto a probabilistic linear discriminant analysis (PLDA) space. Compared to other modeling approaches (such as cosine distance scoring), PLDA provides a more efficient mechanism to separate speaker information from other sources of undesired variabilities and offers superior speaker verification performance. Unfortunately, this efficiency is obtained at the cost of a required large corpus of labeled development data, which is too expensive/unrealistic in many cases. This study investigates a potential solution to resolve this challenge by effectively utilizing unlabeled development data with universal imposter clustering. The proposed method offers +21.9% and +34.6% relative gains versus the baseline system on two public available corpora, respectively. This significant improvement proves the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Use of Brief Experimental Analyses in Outpatient Clinic and Home Settings

We describe the historic and current use of brief experimental analysis procedures in outpatient clinic and home settings. We discuss some applications of the designs and suggest design modifications for improving internal validity. We describe our application of the designs to longitudinal, in-home programs for children with severe behavior disorders and demonstrate how related versions of brief experimental analysis procedures can be linked to form a more comprehensive evaluation.
Mutational analysis of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A associated with Hirschsprung's disease.

Background. The clinical association of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN 2A) and Hirschsprung's disease (HD), although rare, has been previously observed. Recently, germline mutations in the RET proto-oncogene, a transmembrane receptor with tyrosine kinase activity, have been detected in patients with familial HD. RET is also the predisposition gene for the inherited cancer syndrome MEN 2A. Methods. We describe a DNA sequence variation within the coding region of RET in two large unrelated kindreds with MEN 2A (with 83 and 42 persons affected) in which HD cosegregated with MEN 2A in seven patients. Mutational analysis was performed with a highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction-based denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis technique followed by direct sequencing of mutants. Results. Genetic analysis by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis detected mutant bands in RET exon 10 in patients with MEN 2A from both kindreds. Direct DNA sequencing of mutants revealed a thymine-to-adenine base change in codon 618, resulting in a cysteine-to-serine substitution. The identical mutation was present in all seven children with HD. Of these children five underwent thyroidectomy for C-cell abnormalities; one 3-year-old child is awaiting thyroid surgery, and the remaining patient died at age of 12 weeks. Conclusions. The RET codon 618 Ser mutation could predispose patients with MEN 2A to HD. RET may assume a critical role in embryologic enteric nerve migration and tumorigenesis of cells from neural crest lineage.
Applications of laser-created dense e+e− pairs

We review the recent developments of laser pair creation in the laboratory and their potential applications to astrophysics and other frontiers. Many astrophysical phenomena involving e+e− plasmas may be systematically investigated in the laboratory setting. We also discuss potential applications of dense positronium gas.
Qualitative and quantitative simulation: bridging the gap

Abstract Shortcomings of qualitative simulation and of quantitative simulation motivate combining them to do simulations exhibiting strengths of both. The resulting class of techniques is called semiquantitative simulation . One approach to semi-quantitative simulation is to use numeric intervals to represent incomplete quantitative information. In this research we demonstrate semi-quantitative simulation using intervals in an implemented semi-quantitative simulator called Q3. Q3 progressively refines a qualitative simulation, providing increasingly specific quantitative predictions which can converge to a numerical simulation in the limit while retaining important correctness guarantees from qualitative and interval simulation techniques. Q3's simulations are based on a technique we call step size refinement . While a pure qualitative simulation has a very coarse step size, representing the state of a system trajectory at relatively few qualitatively distinct states, Q3 interpolates newly explicit states between distinct qualitative states, thereby representing more states which instantiate new constraints, leading to improved quantitative inferences. Q3's techniques have been used for prediction, measurement interpretation, diagnosis, and even analysis of the probabilities of qualitative behaviors. Because Q3 shares important expressive and inferential properties of both qualitative and quantitative simulation, Q3 helps to bridge the gap between qualitative and quantitative simulation.
Satisfaction, quality and value and effects on repurchase and positive word‐of‐mouth behavioral intentions in a B2B services context

Purpose – The aim of this article is to provide an understanding of how satisfaction, quality, and value affect repurchase and positive word‐of‐mouth in a business‐to‐business (B2B) setting. Most previous studies in this area apply to business‐to‐consumer (B2C) situations.Design/methodology/approach – A survey of 382 users of freight services was undertaken in the USA. An exploratory pilot study was undertaken to gain a better understanding of these users and to test the research instrument. Structural equation modeling was used to test the constructs.Findings – The results showing the best‐fit model identified a number of relationships that were unexpected. These are discussed in detail.Practical implications – Managers have a model, survey instrument and methodology that service firms can use to establish what they are doing right or wrong to retain customers. Managers are also given guidelines on how to increase customer satisfaction in B2B services.Originality/value – This paper deals with these const...
Spatial and temporal characteristics of V1 microstimulation during chronic implantation of a microelectrode array in a behaving macaque.

Objective. It has been hypothesized that a vision prosthesis capable of evoking useful visual percepts can be based upon electrically stimulating the primary visual cortex (V1) of a blind human subject via penetrating microelectrode arrays. As a continuation of earlier work, we examined several spatial and temporal characteristics of V1 microstimulation. Approach. An array of 100 penetrating microelectrodes was chronically implanted in V1 of a behaving macaque monkey. Microstimulation thresholds were measured using a two-alternative forced choice detection task. Relative locations of electrically-evoked percepts were measured using a memory saccade-to-target task. Main results. The principal finding was that two years after implantation we were able to evoke behavioural responses to electric stimulation across the spatial extent of the array using groups of contiguous electrodes. Consistent responses to stimulation were evoked at an average threshold current per electrode of 204 ± 49 µA (mean ± std) for groups of four electrodes and 91 ± 25 µA for groups of nine electrodes. Saccades to electrically-evoked percepts using groups of nine electrodes showed that the animal could discriminate spatially distinct percepts with groups having an average separation of 1.6 ± 0.3 mm (mean ± std) in cortex and 1.0° ± 0.2° in visual space. Significance. These results demonstrate chronic perceptual functionality and provide evidence for the feasibility of a cortically-based vision prosthesis for the blind using penetrating microelectrodes.
Uncertain lifetime, the annuity market, and estate taxation

Abstract This paper extends traditional studies of estate taxation to allow for the possibility that taxpayers may avoid the burden of the estate tax by strategically timing bequests to their children. In this model, the lifespan of the individual is uncertain and bequests can be left either in the middle or at the end of the lifespan. Bequests are subject to the estate tax only when they are left upon death. It is shown that the effects of the estate tax depend on the ability of the individual to make intra vivos gifts, which in turn is affected by the existence of a competitive annuity market.
Immunogenicity, the elephant in the room. Comment on "Drug levels, anti-drug antibodies and clinical efficacy of the anti-TNFα biologics in rheumatic diseases".

Biologic therapy has been a major advance in the treatment of patients with immune diseases. Yet, it is clear that long-term disease management requires a more detailed understanding of factors that influence these drugs’ effectiveness. The authors confirm at least 10 years of observations that immunogenicity most notably with monoclonal antibody therapies results in treatment failure [1]. By contrast, receptor-based constructs seem less likely to be associated with the development of patient-derived antibody failure [2–4]. Also as pointed out by the authors, the development of neutralizing antibodies is independent of underlying immune disease. It is interesting to note that a recently commissioned consensus statement on biologic treatment of rheumatic disease mentioned immunogenicity two times (one time with regard to abatacept and the other time with regard to concomitant methotrexate). A simultaneous search for neutralizing antibodies was fruitless [5]. Long-term observations demonstrate that drop-off rates after institution of biologic treatment is high (likely greater that 50 %). The reasons thought to contribute to this drop-off rate include toxicity, compliance (cost), or loss of effect [6]. As presented in this paper, antibody formation may be as high as 30 % even if the antibody is humanized. The implications of these findings include at least the following:
Intelligent vehicle power control based on effective roadway types and traffic congestion levels

This paper presents a new method for defining standard roadway types used in a machine learning approach for intelligent vehicle power management. The machine learning approach uses a roadway specific energy optimization method to train an intelligent power controller(IPC) for a conventional (non-hybrid) vehicle. Experiments are conducted under the simulation program PSAT to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed standard drive cycles. The intelligent power controller is implemented in a Ford Taurus model provided by PSAT. The experiments on 11 test drive cycles show that the IPC used the proposed standard drive cycles performed better than the IPC used the 11 Sierra standard drive cycles.
Calbindin-D28K expression increases in the dorsolateral hippocampus following corticosterone treatment in female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

The hippocampus (HP) in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) is important in the consolidation of spatial memories. Chronic, elevated levels of steroid hormones, like the glucocorticoids, can decrease this type of memory function in birds and mammals; neuronal atrophy, loss, and a decrease in synaptic contacts in the mammalian HP are observed as the underlying cause. Calbindin-D28k is constitutively expressed in cells of the nervous system but increases in concentration following a neurotoxic insult, protecting neurons against apoptotic cell death. We hypothesized that treatment of female zebra finches with a glucocorticoid (corticosterone) would increase calbindin expression in the HP and the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM), a region important for perceptual (song) memories, relative to “blank” controls. Additionally, because the HP in zebra finches appears similar to that in mammals, based on a variety of structural and functional factors, and as particular regions of the HP in mammals are more vulnerable to glucocorticoid-induced damage, we also hypothesized that expression of calbindin would vary among the HP subdivisions. Overall levels of calbindin were higher in the HP of corticosterone-treated birds, due almost entirely to elevated calbindin expression in the dorsolateral subdivision of the HP only. In contrast, the dorsomedial HP, ventral HP, and NCM appear less affected by glucocorticoid exposure. These results suggest a role for glucocorticoids in the modulation of HP- but not NCM-dependent memories as well as a further functional differentiation among the HP subdivisions. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat) 5 controls the proliferation and differentiation of mammary alveolar epithelium

Functional development of mammary epithelium during pregnancy depends on prolactin signaling. However, the underlying molecular and cellular events are not fully understood. We examined the specific contributions of the prolactin receptor (PrlR) and the signal transducers and activators of transcription 5a and 5b (referred to as Stat5) in the formation and differentiation of mammary alveolar epithelium. PrlR- and Stat5-null mammary epithelia were transplanted into wild-type hosts, and pregnancy-mediated development was investigated at a histological and molecular level. Stat5-null mammary epithelium developed ducts but failed to form alveoli, and no milk protein gene expression was observed. In contrast, PrlR-null epithelium formed alveoli-like structures with small open lumina. Electron microscopy revealed undifferentiated features of organelles and a perturbation of cell–cell contacts in PrlR- and Stat5-null epithelia. Expression of NKCC1, an Na-K-Cl cotransporter characteristic for ductal epithelia, and ZO-1, a protein associated with tight junction, were maintained in the alveoli-like structures of PrlR- and Stat5-null epithelia. In contrast, the Na-Pi cotransporter Npt2b, and the gap junction component connexin 32, usually expressed in secretory epithelia, were undetectable in PrlR- and Stat5-null mice. These data demonstrate that signaling via the PrlR and Stat5 is critical for the proliferation and differentiation of mammary alveoli during pregnancy.
Atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry of the polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins

The branching ratios for the reaction pathways of 39 polychlorinate dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) under oxygen negative chemical ionization/atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometric conditions were measured. These results demonstrated that the PCDDs could be separated into 14 groups by this technique. These results were compared with those reported previously for 14 PCDDs using oxygen negative chemical ionization mass spectrometry.
A framework to determine the probability density function for the output power of wind farms

This paper proposes a numerical framework to propagate wind-speed uncertainty through to the power output of a wind farm while factoring in the availability of the wind turbines in the farm. In particular, given a probability density function (pdf) that describes wind speed, and a statistical availability model for the wind turbines, we propose a method to determine the wind-farm power output pdf. The proposed framework offers several advantages over conventional methods, e.g., it is agnostic to the wind-speed distribution and easily incorporates wind farm availability. Case studies compare the wind farm power distributions computed using the proposed framework with field data for an actual wind farm. In addition, we demonstrate how the framework allows the computation of common wind generation indices such as the expected available wind energy, expected generated wind energy, and capacity factor.
A Phase I study of weekly intravenous oxaliplatin in combination with oral daily capecitabine and radiation therapy in the neoadjuvant treatment of rectal adenocarcinoma

Purpose: We conducted a Phase I study to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of neoadjuvant capecitabine, oxaliplatin, and radiation therapy (RT) in Stage II to III rectal adenocarcinoma. Methods and Materials: Capecitabine was given orally twice daily Monday through Friday concurrently with RT. Oxaliplatin was given i.v. once weekly × 5 (for 5 weeks) starting the first day of RT. RT was given daily except on weekends and holidays at 1.8 Gy per fraction × 28. Escalation for capecitabine or oxaliplatin was to occur in cohorts of three patients until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was defined. Endorectal tumor biopsy samples were obtained before and on Day 3 of treatment to explore the effects of treatment on thymidine phosphorylase, thymidylate synthase, dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, DNA repair, and apoptosis. Results: Twelve patients were enrolled on this study. Two of 6 patients at dose level (DL) 1 (capecitabine 825 mg/m 2 orally (p.o.) given twice daily (b.i.d.); oxaliplatin 50 mg/m 2 /week) had a dose-limiting diarrhea. One of 6 patients at DL (−)1 (capecitabine 725 mg/m 2 p.o., b.i.d.; oxaliplatin 50 mg/m 2 /week) experienced-dose-limiting diarrhea. Three of 11 patients who underwent resection had a complete pathologic response. No remarkable variations in rectal tumor biologic endpoints were noted on Day 3 of treatment in comparison to baseline. However, a higher apotosis index was observed at baseline and on Day 3 in complete pathologic responders (no statistical analysis performed). Conclusions: Capecitabine 725 mg/m 2 p.o., twice daily in combination with oxaliplatin 50 mg/m 2 /week and RT 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions is the recommended dose for future studies.
Purification and properties of P-450LM3b, a constitutive form of cytochrome P-450, from rabbit liver microsomes.

Abstract This laboratory has previously reported the occurrence in rabbit liver microsomes of a non-inducible form of cytochrome P-450, designated P-450 lm 3b because of its electrophoretic mobility relative to that of phenobarbital-inducible P-450 lm 2 and 5,6-benzoflavone-inducible P-450 lm 4 . In the present study, P-450 lm 3b was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity and a specific content of over 19 nmol per mg of protein by chromatographic procedures carried out in the presence of detergents. The isolated cytochrome has a minimal molecular weight of 52,000 and exhibits absorption maxima at 418, 537, and 571 nm in the oxidized state, 412 and 547 nm in the reduced state, and 451 and 555 nm as the CO complex. In a reconstituted system containing NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase and phosphatidylcholine, P-450 lm 3b has relatively high activity in the hydroxylation of testosterone in the 6β and 16α positions as well as significant activity toward a number of other substrates tested. The NADPH oxidase activity of P-450 lm 3b is less than half that of P-450 lm 2 and lm 4 .
Rational Synthesis of Contra-Thermodynamic Spiroacetals by Reductive Cyclizations

A synthesis of spiroacetals was developed using a reductive cyclization strategy that leads stereoselectively to spiroacetals with a single anomeric stabilization. The method begins with the synthesis of spiro ortho esters. The ortho ester is converted to a cyano acetal. Reductive lithiation of the cyano acetal generates an axial dialkoxylithium reagent, and intramolecular cyclization produces a new ring with retention of configuration. The strategy is convergent and produces complex spiro acetals in only a few steps. The method will be useful in the synthesis of natural products and will facilitate the synthesis of previously inaccessible contra-thermodynamic acetals.
Acute Pneumonitis After Subcutaneous Injections of Silicone for Augmentation Mammaplasty

In a period of 3 years, seven cases of acute pneumonitis have been found after patients have been subcutaneously injected with silicone for the sole purpose of augmentation mammaplasty. Adverse symptoms following these silicone injections were fever, hypoxemia, hemoptysis, and abnormal diffuse bilateral alveolar infiltrates in both lungs. Pulmonary hemorrhaging occurred, and this was substantiated by using the bronchoscope with the bronchealveolar lavage (BAL). The alveolar macrophage obtained from the BAL contained large quantities of pleomorphic cytoplasmic particles, which in actual fact were silicone particles. They were identified as silicone by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive analysis of x-rays. This evidently showed that silicone diffusion into the circulatory system and subsequent embolization of the lung. Pulmonary function studies had shown restrictive changes with increase or normal single-breath carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (Dsb). Perfusion lung scans were interpreted as showing diffuse abnormalities consisting of decreased peripheral uptake. Acute hypoxemic respiratory failure was noted in four of these patients. Silicone injections of this nature were therefore a respiratory risk and caused the inducement of pneumonitis.
Scoring of 2,788 endomyocardial biopsies correlate rejection to the development of transplant coronary artery disease after heart transplantation

Transplant coronary artery disease (TCAD) is one of the major factors limiting long-term survival in heart transplant patients. The mechanism of this long-term complication is unknown, however is felt to be primarily immune-mediated. Cellular rejection is diagnosed via the endomyocardial biopsy (Embx), which is the gold standard to detect rejection. There have been conflicting reports that rejection leads to the development of subsequent TCAD. Between 1990 and 1995, we reviewed 2,788 Embx in the first year after transplant from 198 heart transplant patients. Embx were graded according to the ISHLT grading scale and given a biopsy score as follows: ISHLT Grade 0 = 0, Grade 1A = 1, Grade 1B = 2, Grade 2 = 3, Grade 3A = 4, Grade 3B = 5, and Grade 4 = 6. All biopsy scores for each patient were added and divided by the total number of biopsies to obtain the average biopsy score for the first year after heart transplantation for that particular patient. Patients were then divided into those that did not develop TCAD and those that developed angiographically-confirmed TCAD. The average biopsy scores for the two groups were then compared. There were 109 heart transplant patients that did not develop TCAD who had a mean biopsy score of 0.63 ± 0.39 which compared to 89 heart transplant patients with TCAD who had a mean biopsy score of 0.72 ± 0.40 (p < 0.05). The incidence of at least one episode of 3A rejection did not correlate to the development of TCAD (41.5% patients in TCAD group vs. 58.5% patients in no TCAD group). Conclusion: Repeated episodes of all grades of cardiac rejection (not 3A rejections alone) as reflected by the mean Embx score in the first year after heart transplant appears to be associated with the subsequent development of TCAD. This supports a chronic or smoldering immune-mediated mechanism as being causative in the development of this long-term complication. Treatment of all grades of rejection may favorably affect development of TCAD.
Natural language-enabled data modeling: improving validation and integration

Although data modeling has been an area of intensive research, there is a lack of operational procedures for measuring model quality and for integrating large-scale models. Progress has been limited because the meaning associated with the individual elements of a model needs to be taken into account. This meaning rarely is made explicit and therefore not directly available for validation and integration procedures. In this paper we show that natural language processing techniques based on a custom-built dictionary can be used to interpret data models and leverage meaning for validation and integration procedures. We describe a general-purpose dictionary which contains syntactic and semantic word categories for 23.000 English words. We show how the syntactic and semantic information in the dictionary can be used to detect semantic inconsistencies, reject inconsistent naming, identify unregistered abbreviations and detect synonym candidates. To prove feasibility of our approach, we describe a prototype tool which has been implemented on a standard personal computer.
Dimensional changes of endodontic sealers

The purpose of this study was a long-term comparison of the dimensional changes of endodontic sealers of diverse properties. The sealers were injected as thin layers on the internal walls of glass pipettes 1 mm in diameter. The pipettes were filled with deionized water, and the water meniscus levels were recorded periodically up to 180 days. The water was removed from the pipettes, samples were allowed to dry, and the mass and the volume of the sealers were measured. AH26 and Endo-Fill had an initial expansion followed by a volumetric loss. The two zinc oxide eugenol-based sealers studied started to shrink within hours after mixing; the first volumetric loss for AH26 was recorded during the first 30 days and for Endo-Fill after 30 days. The least dimensional change at any time was observed for Endo-Fill. It was concluded that a significant dimensional change and continued volume loss can occur in some endodontic sealers.
Network governance in activation policy – health care as an emergent partner

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to describe the implementation and results of Finnish activation policy from the viewpoint of integrated services and in the framework of network governance. Special emphasis is given to examining the role of health care as an emergent partner in activation.Design/methodology/approach – The functioning of integrated activation policy is addressed from the perspective of network governance. Network governance refers to an ideal type of governance based on strong strategic partnership and joint action. In Finland the one‐stop model of LAFOS represents a culmination of integrated activation policy. Implementation and results of LAFOS highlight the governance demands of joined‐up service delivery. Health care proposes yet another viewpoint to the development. The analysis is based on the results of two national evaluations.Findings – Network governance has been a good starting point in Finnish activation policy for creating a client‐centered approach and for the co‐ord...
Prepregnancy body mass index and pregnancy weight gain: associations with preterm delivery

Objective: To examine associations between rate of pregnancy weight gain and preterm delivery among women of varying prepregnancy body mass indices (BMI). Methods: Subjects were 3511 mother-infant pairs from the 1988 National Maternal and Infant Health Survey. Prenatal weight measured between 14 and 28 weeks’ gestation was used to calculate rate of pregnancy weight gain for each woman. Weight gain (lb/week) was categorized as low (under 0.5), average (0.5–1.5), or high (above 1.5). Prepregnancy BMI was calculated as weight divided by height in (kg/m2) and categorized as low (under 19.8), average (19.8–26.0), and high (above 26). Delivery before 37 weeks’ gestation was considered preterm. Associations between BMI, weight gain, and preterm delivery were examined before and after exclusion of medically indicated preterm deliveries and pregnancies complicated by maternal medical conditions potentially related to weight gain or fetal growth restriction. Associations were expressed as odds ratios (OR) adjusted for several potential confounding factors. Results: Women with low pregnancy weight gain were at increased risk of preterm delivery. The magnitude of risk varied according to a woman’s prepregnancy BMI. After all exclusions and adjustments for confounders, ORs, and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for low pregnancy weight gain were 6.7 (1.1, 40.6) for underweight women, 3.6 (1.6, 8.0) for average-weight women, and 1.6 (0.7, 3.5) for overweight women compared with average-weight women with average pregnancy weight gain. Conclusions: Low weight gain in pregnancy was associated with increased risk of preterm delivery, particularly if women were underweight or of average weight before pregnancy.
“We’re Changing Our Ways”: Women’s Coping Strategies for Obesity Risk-reducing Behaviors in American Indian Households

This article reveals women caregivers’ perceptions and coping strategies to improve households’ food and physical activity habits. Results emerged from the pre-intervention formative research phase of a multi-site, multi-level obesity prevention pilot intervention on American Indian (AI) reservations. Using purposive sampling, 250 adults and children participated in qualitative research. Results reveal that having local institutional support was a key structural facilitator. ‘Family connectedness’ emerged as a key relational facilitator. Hegemony of systems, food deserts, transportation, and weather were key structural barriers; Childcare needs and time constraints were key relational barriers. Women’s coping strategies included planning ahead, maximizing, apportioning, tempting healthy, and social support. Findings informed the development and implementation of a novel obesity prevention pilot intervention tailored for each participating AI community addressing culturally relevant messages, institutional...
n -qubit-controlled phase gate with superconducting quantum-interference devices coupled to a resonator

We present a way to realize an $n$-qubit controlled phase gate with superconducting quantum-interference devices (SQUIDs) by coupling them to a superconducting resonator. In this proposal, the two logical states of a qubit are represented by the two lowest levels of a SQUID. An intermediate level of each SQUID is utilized to facilitate coherent control and manipulation of quantum states of the qubits. It is interesting to note that an $n$-qubit controlled phase gate can be achieved with $n$ SQUIDs by successively applying a $\ensuremath{\pi}∕2$ Jaynes-Cummings pulse to each of the $n\ensuremath{-}1$ control SQUIDs before and after a $\ensuremath{\pi}$ Jaynes-Cummings pulse on the target SQUID.
In Vivo Quantification of Protein Interactions Using Lifetime Resolved FRET and FCS

Microanalysis incorporating fluorescence lifetime-resolved resonance energy transfer and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy allows the kinetics and the thermodynamics of protein association to be quantified in vivo.
Ethnic and sectarian violence and the propensity towards praetorianism in Pakistan

This article focuses on Pakistan and its divided society, and on its decades of characteristic irresponsible and unaccountable leaderships. It argues that a culture of mistrust--a product of a society divided along ethnic and sectarian lines--and poor governance has facilitated fluid civil and civil-military alliances which have in turn legitimised praetorianism by either 1) giving rise to inter-ethnic clashes; 2) fomentation of ethnic and sectarian violence; or 3) formidable multi-ethnic opposition to civilian governments. These outcomes have consequently increased the utility of coercion and the saliency of praetorianism (direct or indirect military intervention). As such this article utilises the 'coercion thesis', put forth by scholars of Asian civil-military relations, which maintains that, as the utility of coercion increases, so does the influence and saliency of praetorianism. It is ultimately argued that Pakistan's divided society, with its subsequent ethnic and sectarian violence and fluid allia...
Recent trials of antithrombotics in the management of patients with acute coronary syndromes.

This is an exciting time to practice acute care cardiology as the tools of molecular biology are being used to discover multiple new therapies that affect the thrombotic system and may offer real benefit to patients. Correspondingly, the tools of information technology offer the real possibility that these new therapies can be rapidly and definitively studied in large outcome trials. Continued biologic discovery, coupled with reliable clinical trials methodology should allow clinicians to offer patients and society therapies with proven benefits and understood risks.
Prey recognition and selection by the constant frequency bat, Pteronotus p. parnellii

In the laboratory the neotropical bat, Pteronotus p. parnellii of Jamaica W.I., will readily capture free flying and tethered insects. It will also attack a stationary mechanical insect model when its wing-like parts are rapidly moving. On the basis of our observations we conclude that: 1. P. parnellii are attracted to flying insects and recognition of these rather than background objects is dependent on insect wing movements. Insects which are not beating wings are relatively immune from predation. 2. The frequency of the wingbeats of the insects is important in prey recognition. P. parnellii are not attracted to insects or to mechanical models of insects when the wing movements are slow. 3. These bats are selective in the acquisition of their prey and not simply opportunistic. They ignore or reject lampyrid beetles, arctiid and ctenuchid moths and the geometrid moth, Thyrinteina arnobia. They consume a variety of other Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and insects from other orders. Their prey consists of both large and small insects. 4. In spite of the emission of intense sonar pulses with a constant frequency component of long duration, they can effectively hunt their prey in relatively confined spaces. They can chase their prey among simple arrays of obstacles and they can pursue insects to within several centimeters of large obstacles. 5. Evidence supports the hypothesis that the basis for insect wingbeat detection is the rapid and repetitive pattern of Doppler-shifts which the beating wings impose on the echoes of the constant frequency component of the bat's pulses.
Effect of various antibiotics on neuromuscular transmission

Abstract The effects of streptomycin, neomycin, kanamycin, polymixin and gentamycin on release of acetylcholine from nerve terminal and on muscle twitch were studied using the frog sciatic nerve-gastrocnemius muscle preparation. The first 4 agents were found to be devoid of any inhibitory action on prejunctional acetylcholine release while producing myoneural blockade. Gentamycin reduced acetylcholine output concomitant with myoneural blockade. It is concluded that the first 4 antibiotics act postsynaptically while gentamycin has a presynaptic component of action.
Environmental filtering increases in intensity at both ends of climatic gradients, though driven by different factors, across woody vegetation types of the southwest USA

Species distributions are theorized to be more intensively constrained by abiotic factors in severe than in benign environments. A similar concept can be applied to assemblages of species: environmental filtering is expected to increase in intensity in colder and drier environments. To assess the filtering effects of climate on vegetation at a regional scale, climate niche values were estimated for 338 woody species across 93 vegetation types from arid sub-tropical to alpine ecosystems of the southwest USA. The standardized range and spacing of climatic niche values in each vegetation type – used as estimates of the intensity of climatic and micro-environmental filtering, respectively – were correlated with the mean niche values of those vegetation types – used as surrogates for climatic gradients – in order to assess how filtering of vegetation composition varies along broad climatic gradients. The range of climatic niche values was narrower than expected in most vegetation types, indicating significant climatic filtering, with frost having the strongest average effect. Niche spacing differed little from null expectations. Variation in the intensity of climatic filtering along gradients of the same climate variable was primarily asymmetrical, and provided support for the hypothesis that abiotic filtering is most intense in cold and growing season dry environments. However, filtering patterns of at least one climatic factor along gradients of other climatic factors ran counter to the trend of increasing filter intensity in cold or dry environments. In other words, climatic factors exhibited interactive effects on vegetation filtering, often in antagonistic ways. The majority of these interactions were compatible with interspecific niche relationships that correspond with anatomical and physiological tradeoffs among drought, frost and heat tolerances. Filtering patterns and interspecific tradeoffs are likely to vary across taxa and biomes, and application of the methods presented here could help to explain such variation.
Repression of one-bond modulations in long-range heteronuclear 2D NMR spectra using a modified long-range optimized heteronuclear chemical shift correlation pulse sequence

A modified long-range heteronuclear chemical shift correlation pulse sequence which eliminates modulations of response intensity due to one-bond proton-carbon [1J(CH)] spin couplings is described. The ‘decoupling’ of one-bond modulation has been accomplished through the use of a bilinear rotational decoupling (BIRD) pulse of the type 90° x(1H)-τ-180° x(1H)/180° x(13C)-τ-90° -x(1H) midway through the second magnetization transfer delay, Δ2. One-bond modulation of response intensities over a range of optimization values is demonstrated for the simple alkaloid norharmane when long-range optimization of the conventional heteronuclear chemical shift correlation pulse sequence is employed. The modified pulse sequence described eliminates one-bond modulations over the same range of optimization values. Slower modulations which arise due to long-range couplings other than that optimized for are present in both experiments. Removal of the effects of one-bond modulation represents a potentially significant improvement in the utility of long-range heteronuclear chemical shift correlation experiments as a tool in spectral assignments and structure elucidation.
Purification of Peroxidase from Rice Bran Using Expanded-Bed Ion-Exchange Chromatography:

Peroxidase catalyzes the oxidation of various substrates at the expense of hydrogen peroxide. Among the various techniques used for the purification of enzymes, expanded-bed adsorption chromatography is particularly popular because it offers several advantages, such as greater interactions between adsorbents and target molecules, increased overall yield, potential for a scale-up and shorter process times. It relies on the interaction between charged molecules in the mobile phase (i.e. buffer and sample) and oppositely charged groups coupled to the resin in the expanded-bed form. Other chromatographic techniques are also commonly used for peroxidase purification and characterization; however, there are no reports in the literature about the use of expanded-bed adsorption chromatography for this purpose. In this paper, the purification of peroxidase from rice bran using ion-exchange chromatography (expanded-bed column) was investigated. Chromatographic assays were carried out using STREAMLINE SP cationic re...
Novel Inhibitors Against the Transglutaminase-catalysed Crosslinking of Lens Proteins

Abstract Post-translational modifications by transglutaminase may contribute to the remodeling of cellular architecture in the development of lens fiber cells, and there is evidence that the enzyme may also play a role in cataract formation. It catalyses hydrolytic deamidations as well as amide exchanges on select glutamine side chains at endo positions in a small subset of proteins of the lens. N ϵ (γ-glutamyl)lysine crosslinks, the characteristic hallmarks of transglutaminase activity, were identified in polymers isolated from human cataract. Following up on our earlier studies relating to the inhibition of protein crosslinking by the Ca 2+ -activated transglutaminase in the lens, we have now examined the effects of 2-[(2-oxopropyl)thio]imidazolium derivatives, recently described as active site-directed inhibitors for this family of enzymes. First, we have shown that the compounds at concentrations of 1–2 μ m were effective in blocking the transamidating activities of partially purified lens transglutaminase. Then we focused on their efficacy in preventing the formation of the ca. 55 kDa β crystallin dimers in the whole lens tissue. The production of these dimers, crosslinked by N ϵ (γ-glutamyl)lysine isopeptide bridges, is an early sign of transglutaminase action in rabbit lens, and it can be readily documented by the SDS-PAGE analysis of proteins remaining in the soluble phase after brief exposure of the homogenate to Ca 2+ . The new compounds proved to be potent inhibitors of transglutaminase also in this preparation, preventing the crosslinking event at ca. 1 μ m concentration. Moreover, even when applied at a 1,000-fold greater concentration (2 m m), they did not interfere with the action of calpain which, similarly to the activation of the transglutaminase system, is triggered by the addition of Ca 2+ . The high selectivity of the new compounds for differentially blocking only the transglutaminase and not the calpain of the lens, is all the more remarkable because these two enzymes share several mechanistic and structural similarities.
Transport properties of helium near the liquid-vapor critical point. III. Thermal diffusion ratio, conductivity, and relaxation times of3He-4He mixtures

Measurements of the density and temperature gradient induced by a heat flux in two3He-4He mixtures along their critical isochore are reported. From these measurements, the thermal diffusion ratiokT and the thermal conductivity κ are derived. In addition, similar measurements were made for3He. It is found that for the mixtureskT and κ diverge with respective exponents of φ=1.23 and ψ≈0.6, which differs from the asymptotic predictions for binary mixtures. It therefore appears that the crossover to the expected “mixture” behavior has not been reached within the investigated range 10−1>(T-Tc)/Tc>7×10−4, where the limit close toTc is set by the very long observed relaxation times. The characteristic times for the establishment of steady state conditions in the density and temperature gradients τ(Δρ) and τ(ΔT) are reported. Within experimental uncertainty they are found to be the same and nearly independent of isotopic composition. They are compared with the predictions from the hydrodynamic diffusion equations that lead to the characteristic times of the diffusion modes. The slowest calculated times are found to be in fair agreement with the observed ones.
The Gödelian Inferences

I attribute an ‘intensional reading’ of the second incompleteness theorem to its author, Kurt Godel. My argument builds partially on an analysis of intensional and extensional conceptions of meta-mathematics and partially on the context in which Godel drew two familiar inferences from his theorem. Those inferences, and in particular the way that they appear in Godel's writing, are so dubious on the extensional conception that one must doubt that Godel could have understood his theorem extensionally. However, on the intensional conception, the inferences are straightforward. For that reason I conclude that Godel had an intensional understanding of his theorem. Since this conclusion is in tension with the generally accepted view of Godel's understanding of mathematical truth, I explain how to reconcile that view with the intensional reading of the theorem that I attribute to Godel. The result is a more detailed account of Godel's conception of meta-mathematics than is currently available.
A general framework for scalable transductive transfer learning

Transductive transfer learning is one special type of transfer learning problem, in which abundant labeled examples are available in the source domain and only unlabeled examples are available in the target domain. It easily finds applications in spam filtering, microblogging mining, and so on. In this paper, we propose a general framework to solve the problem by mapping the input features in both the source domain and the target domain into a shared latent space and simultaneously minimizing the feature reconstruction loss and prediction loss. We develop one specific example of the framework, namely latent large-margin transductive transfer learning algorithm, and analyze its theoretic bound of classification loss via Rademacher complexity. We also provide a unified view of several popular transfer learning algorithms under our framework. Experiment results on one synthetic dataset and three application datasets demonstrate the advantages of the proposed algorithm over the other state-of-the-art ones.