cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ADDITIONAL SPECIES OF PODODIMERIA (LOCULOASCOMYCETES)

Pododimeria, containing the brown-spored species P. gallica and P. andina, is expanded to include species with hyaline as well as brown ascospores. Two new hyalodidymous taxa, P. juniperi and P. gelatinosa, are added to the genus. Species of Pododimeria occur as ectocommensals on living shoots of Cupressaceae or Podocarpaceae. Although the superficial mycelium may extend into the labyrinthine chambers enclosed by the imbricated scale leaves of the host, it does not penetrate the cuticle. The tiny, black, subglobose, uniloculate ascocarps taper basally to stromatic stipes. The bitunicate asci are interspersed with pseudoparaphyses composed of broad, irregularly shaped cells that readily break apart. The thick, brown to bluish-green ascocarp wall of P. juniperi has a broad equatorial band of prosenchymatous cells. The ascocarp wall of P. gelatinosa is composed uniformly of subhyaline, gelatinous pseudoparenchymatous cells covered by a dark, amorphous crust. MEMBERS of the Dimeriaceae are arbitrarily separated from those of the Stigmateaceae on the basis of habit (von Arx and Muller, 1975). In members of the Dimeriaceae the mycelium on the living host is entirely superficial or partially innate with relatively limited development within the host tissues. The superficial habit of two fungi occurring on green shoots of Juniperus virginiana L. in Georgia indicated placement in the Dimeriaceae. It was difficult, however, to assign them to a genus in this family. The best possibility seemed to be Pododimeria, although they differed in several characters from the type species of this genus. The host specificity of these fungi also was difficult to explain because they appeared to be entirely superficial.
Iridium in some calcic and calc-alkalic batholithic rocks of the western United States

Abstract Neutron-activation determinations of Ir in rocks of the Southern California and Boulder (Montana) batholiths show that the Ir content is low and variable in both batholiths, extending over 1 to 2 orders of magnitude and having a combined median of 0.006 ppb Ir. The data suggest that the calc-alkalic Boulder batholith (0.002–0.5 ppb Ir, median 0.007) may be slightly enriched in Ir relative to the calcic Southern California batholith (
Ingestion of natural particulate organic matter and subsequent assimilation, respiration and growth by tropical lagoon zooplankton

Rates of ingestion of natural particulate organic matter and subsequent assimilation and respiration by zooplankton at Enewetak Atoll lagoon (Marshall Islands) were measured using a flow-through system. Maximum daily ingestion rates of carbon and nitrogen, expressed as a percentage of the body content, were 79 and 37%, respectively, for the large copepod Undinula vulgaris; 112 and 65%, respectively, for a group of mixed small copepods; and 61 and 34%, respectively, for the pteropod Creseis acicula. Daily metabolic carbon losses, expressed as above, were 63% for U. vulgaris, 88% for the small copepods, and 50% for C. acicula. Assimilation efficiences of carbon and nitrogen ranged from about 86 to 91%. The above rates are generally higher than in previous reports for similar sized zooplankton in temperate waters, while the daily growth increments, expressed as a percentage of the body carbon content (4.8% for U. vulgaris, 8.6% for the small copepods, and 2.6% for C. acicula), are comparable. It appears that the high rates of ingestion and assimilation of organic matter are compensated by high metabolic losses. These results indicate that at least for carbon, tropical zooplankton may have low growth efficiencies ranging from 4 to 9%.
Effects of L-glutamine supplementation on maternal and fetal hemodynamics in gestating ewes exposed to alcohol.

Not much is known about effects of gestational alcohol exposure on maternal and fetal cardiovascular adaptations. This study determined whether maternal binge alcohol exposure and l-glutamine supplementation could affect maternal-fetal hemodynamics and fetal regional brain blood flow during the brain growth spurt period. Pregnant sheep were randomly assigned to one of four groups: saline control, alcohol (1.75–2.5 g/kg body weight), glutamine (100 mg/kg body weight) or alcohol + glutamine. A chronic weekend binge drinking paradigm between gestational days (GD) 99 and 115 was utilized. Fetuses were surgically instrumented on GD 117 ± 1 and studied on GD 120 ± 1. Binge alcohol exposure caused maternal acidemia, hypercapnea, and hypoxemia. Fetuses were acidemic and hypercapnic, but not hypoxemic. Alcohol exposure increased fetal mean arterial pressure, whereas fetal heart rate was unaltered. Alcohol exposure resulted in ~40 % reduction in maternal uterine artery blood flow. Labeled microsphere analyses showed that alcohol induced >2-fold increases in fetal whole brain blood flow. The elevation in fetal brain blood flow was region-specific, particularly affecting the developing cerebellum, brain stem, and olfactory bulb. Maternal l-glutamine supplementation attenuated alcohol-induced maternal hypercapnea, fetal acidemia and increases in fetal brain blood flow. l-Glutamine supplementation did not affect uterine blood flow. Collectively, alcohol exposure alters maternal and fetal acid–base balance, decreases uterine blood flow, and alters fetal regional brain blood flow. Importantly, l-glutamine supplementation mitigates alcohol-induced acid–base imbalances and alterations in fetal regional brain blood flow. Further studies are warranted to elucidate mechanisms responsible for alcohol-induced programming of maternal uterine artery and fetal circulation adaptations in pregnancy.
A tour of information science through the pages of JASIS

Selection d'articles issus du journal JASIS et de son precurseur American Documentation sur plusieurs sujets : le paradigme de l'information et des sciences de l'information, la conception theorique de systeme de recherche d'information, la pertinence, la conception et l'evaluation des systemes de recherche d'information operationnels, les techniques et systemes d'indexation, la theorie et l'evaluation de l'information, la strategie et l'evaluation de la recherche, la conception d'interface, la recherche et les besoins d'information, l'utilisation des systemes d'information, la communication scientifique, les lois et analyses bibliometriques, les domaines de la litterature, les nouvelles formes documentaires, les bibliotheques, la politique et les normes, l'information internationale,, l'economie de l'information, la formation
Three Term Recurrences And Fast Algorithms For Toeplitz Matrices

In this work, we study the design of computationally efficient order-recursive algorithms for computing the predictor polynomial and the reflection coefficients associated with a real, symmetric, positive-definite Toeplitz matrix T,and for solving the linear systemTx=b. New algorithms are derived which lead to significant improvements in the computational com-plexity as compared to the previously known order-recursive algorithms. They also provide further insight into the mathematical properties of the structurally rich Toeplitz matrices.
Use of the ecosystem services concept in ecological risk assessment of chemicals.

The reason for expressing ecological protection goals in terms of ecosystem services is to make a connection between ecosystems and what people get out of them in terms of marketed goods and nonmarketed welfare. Here our focus will be on how the ecosystem services framework is and can be applied to the ecological risk assessment (ERA) of chemicals. We provide 2 contrasting examples of how the ecosystem services framework is currently being applied in regulatory risk assessment, and we discuss the challenges and knowledge gaps that need to be addressed if such a framework is to substantially improve ERAs and their ability to inform management decisions. We make the point that formulating protection goals in terms of ecosystem services only makes sense if they can be used in managing environmental impacts and if they are useful in informing the risk assessments behind these. Ecosystem services can make a contribution to management by connecting ecosystem structure and process to what is valued, and analyzing risk in this context is a way of making risk assessment more policy- and value-relevant. Using an ecosystem services framework to its fullest potential to support ERA will require the successful development of a suite of coupled Valuation Methods, Ecological Production Functions, and Mechanistic Effect Models that will require the establishment of strong multidisciplinary collaborations among ecologists, computer scientists, social scientists, and possibly others. In addition, buy-in from environmental decision makers and other stakeholders will be crucial. Some progress is being made on the research front, and the implementation of new legislation is providing incentives for developing risk assessment outputs that are much more directly related to environmental protection goals than those used currently. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2013; 9: 269–275. © 2012 SETAC
Far-infrared nonlinear response of electrons in semiconductor nanostructures

Electrons in semiconductor nanostructures such as quantum wells can exhibit a highly nonlinear response to far-infrared radiation of sufficient intensity, such as can be supplied by the free-electron lasers (FELs) at UCSB. Several different physical mechanisms can cause nonlinear behavior in nanostructures. Experimental results at UCSB demonstrate that transport, absorption, and harmonic generation can be used as probes of nonlinear response. In the future, it may be possible to use the UCSB-FELs to observe completely new nonlinear phenomena, such as non-perturbative quantum resonances in quantum wells driven by intense far-infrared radiation.
Mining for justice in the food system: perceptions, practices, and possibilities

Despite much popular interest in food issues, there remains a lack of social justice in the American agrifood system, as evidenced by prevalent hunger and obesity in low-income populations and exploitation of farmworkers. While many consumers and alternative agrifood organizations express interest in and support social justice goals, the incorporation of these goals into on-the-ground alternatives is often tenuous. Academics have an important role in calling out social justice issues and developing the critical thinking skills that can redress inequality in the agrifood system. Academics can challenge ideological categories of inquiry and problem definition, include justice factors in defining research problems, and develop participatory, problem-solving research within social justice movements. In addition, scholars can educate students about the power of epistemologies, discourse, and ideology, thereby expanding the limits and boundaries of what is possible in transforming the agrifood system. In these ways, the academy can be a key player in the creation of a diverse agrifood movement that embraces the discourse of social justice.
Firm track loss due to M of N track initiation of a radially inbound target

This paper examines the firm track loss incurred by a fixed frame time radar performing track initiation using search detections. Firm track loss is the additional beam energy needed to achieve a desired firm track probability on a radially inbound target compared to a stationary target at that same firm track range. Firm tracks are established using an M or more detections out of N observations criteria. The firm track loss in dB is nearly linear with the product of velocity and frame time divided by firm track range. It is also insensitive to probability of false alarm and target radar cross section fluctuation models. It can be represented by a simple quadratic equation. The loss can be included in a radar range calculation worksheet such as a Blake chart to predict firm track range. A linear relationship is found between the firm track range of a moving target and a stationary target.
Deterministic fixed order-level inventory models: An application for replenishment of radioactive source material for irradiation sterilizers

Abstract This paper investigates the timing of the replenishment of radioactive cobalt used in irradiation sterilizers. It is found that this model can be expressed as the continuous, deterministic case of a fixed order-level inventory model in which the demand rate is dependent on the level of inventory. The decision variable (the order point) can be determined using a univariable search technique. For certain values of the shape parameter of the demand function, the first derivative of the average profit function can be expressed as a polynomial from which the optimal order point can be determined. A numerical example is presented as well as an analysis of the sensitivity to changes in the solution and model parameters.
Echocardiographic predictors of mitral stenosis-related death or intervention in infants.

Background The purpose of this study is to identify independent echocardiographic predictors of mitral stenosis (MS)–related death or intervention in infants. Congenital MS is a rare and morphologically heterogeneous lesion with variable prognosis. Among patients diagnosed with MS in early infancy, echocardiographic factors associated with MS-related intervention or death have not been determined. Methods and Results The clinical and echocardiographic data of patients diagnosed with MS at age P = .009) and lower left ventricular (LV) diastolic length Z-score ( P = .006) at presentation as predictors of intervention or death. Among patients with an initial MV inflow gradient 2 and P = .005). Mitral valve morphology was not predictive of outcome. Conclusions In young infants with congenital MS, higher mean MV inflow gradient and shorter LV length, but not MV morphology, are associated with increased risk of MV intervention or MS-related death.
Kainate, GABAA and NMDA receptors in Xenopus oocytes expressing mRNA from the cortex of mice kindled with FG 7142.

Abstract The repeated administration of the β-carboline, FG 7142, to mice leads to ‘chemical kindling’, i.e., the development of seizures following doses which were initially insufficient to produce convulsive activity. Messenger RNA (mRNA) was prepared from the cortex of control and FG 7142-treated mice killed at 10–12 days or at 28–45 days after the last kindling injection, and this mRNA was injected into Xenopus oocytes. At 3–4 days following injection, a voltage clamp technique was used to record responses to kainic acid, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and N-methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA). Kainate was significantly more potent in oocytes expressing mRNA from kindled mice killed at either 10–12 or 28–45 days than in those injected with control mRNA. GABA also was more potent in oocytes with mRNA from kindled mice killed at 10–12 days, but this difference was not present at the longer interval. Chemical kindling did not change the response to NMDA. The current-voltage relation for kainate responses was linear, and plots from kindled and control mRNA were similar. The persistent increase in potency of kainate, an excitatory glutamate ligand, may play a role in producing the lowered FG 7142 threshold characteristic of kindled mice.
A note on “Clozentropy: A procedure for testing English language proficiency of foreign students”

(1971). A note on “Clozentropy: A procedure for testing English language proficiency of foreign students”. Speech Monographs: Vol. 38, No. 4, pp. 350-353.
Successful treatment by overdrive pacing of recurrent quinidine syncope due to ventricular tachycardia

Abstract A 54 year old patient who experienced recurrent ventricular tachycardia subsequent to quinidine administration for conversion of atrial fibrillation is described. Over a 10 hour period, 25 sustained episodes of ventricular tachycardia occurred for which electrical cardioversion was required in addition to numerous self-terminating paroxysms. Medical therapy with lidocaine, procainamide and propranolol was unsuccessful in controlling the arrhythmia. However, placement of a transvenous right ventricular pacemaker with overdrive pacing at a rate of 110 beats/min abruptly terminated all further ventricular ectopic activity during the period of quinidine elimination. Temporary overdrive pacing may be the treatment of choice for refractory, recurrent, ventricular tachycardia associated with quinidine therapy.
The origin of plasma arachidonic acid in dogs

Abstract Total hepatectomy and abdominal evisceration were performed in two groups of dogs to determine if the liver is the only source of plasma arachidonic acid. Venous blood was drawn prior to surgery and hourly for 5–6 hours. Plasma lipids were fractionated by column chromatography into unesterified fatty acids, phospholipids, cholesterol esters, and triglycerides. The per cent composition of the individual fatty acids of these fractions and total esterified fatty acids were determined by gas-liquid chromatography. Hepatectomy resulted in progressive fall of the per cent composition of arachidonic acid of the unesterified fatty acid fraction only. There was no significant depression of any other fatty acid in this fraction, nor was there a change in any fatty acid including arachidonic acid in the phospholipid, cholesterol ester, and triglyceride fractions. Palmitoleic acid was significantly elevated in the unesterfied fatty acid fraction. Similar results were observed in the eviscerated group. There was no change of any fatty acid in the various lipid fractions of a group of sham operated dogs. Lipolysis of adipose tissue triglyceride supplies all fatty acids of the plasma unesterified fatty acid fraction except arachidonic acid which is virtually absent from this tissue. Thus, as the unesterified fatty acids were utilized by the peripheral tissues, all fatty acids except arachidonic acid were replenished by lipolysis of adipose tissue triglyceride. Since the liver was absent in both groups of animals, it was concluded that the liver is the source of plasma arachidonic acid in the fasting dog.
Two Chlamydomonas CTR Copper Transporters with a Novel Cys-Met Motif Are Localized to the Plasma Membrane and Function in Copper Assimilation

Inducible high-affinity copper uptake is key to copper homeostasis in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii . We generated cDNAs and updated gene models for four genes, CTR1 , CTR2 , CTR3 , and COPT1 , encoding CTR-type copper transporters in Chlamydomonas . The expression of CTR1 , CTR2 , and CTR3 increases in copper deficient cells and in response to hypoxia or Ni 2+ supplementation; this response depends on the transcriptional activator CRR1. A copper response element was identified by mutational analysis of the 5′ upstream region of CTR1 . Functional analyses identify CTR1 and CTR2 as the assimilatory transporters of Chlamydomonas based on localization to the plasma membrane and ability to rescue a Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant defective in high-affinity copper transport. The Chlamydomonas CTRs contain a novel Cys-Met motif (CxxMxxMxxC-x 5/6 -C), which occurs also in homologous proteins in other green algae, amoebae, and pathogenic fungi. CTR3 appears to have arisen by duplication of CTR2 , but CTR3 lacks the characteristic transmembrane domains found in the transporters, suggesting that it may be a soluble protein. Thus, Chlamydomonas CTR genes encode a distinct subset of the classical CTR family of Cu(I) transporters and represent new targets of CRR1-dependent signaling.
Recent advances of TNF-α antagonists in rheumatoid arthritis and chronic heart failure

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha has been thoroughly investigated and established as a pivotal component of the inflammatory cascade. This review encompasses the safety and efficacy of TNF antagonists in rheumatoid arthritis, the interplay between rheumatoid arthritis and heart failure, as well as presentation of the available preclinical and clinical data discussing the use of anti-TNF therapy in patients with chronic heart failure. There is well-documented evidence for the role of anti-TNF-alpha in rheumatoid arthritis, in contrast to the controversial role of anti-TNF-alpha in heart failure. In animal models and small-scale clinical trials, anti-TNF therapy showed some promise in treating chronic heart failure, whereas larger, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials (i.e., RECOVER [Research into Etanercept Cytokine Antagonism in Ventricular Dysfunction] and RENAISSANCE [Randomized Etanercept North American Strategy to Study Antagonism of Cytokines]) failed to show a statistically significant difference in composite clinical function score for anti-TNF therapy versus placebo. Future investigation is needed to determine if individualized dosing of anti-TNF therapy is necessary and whether or not treating patients with earlier-stage disease will show a benefit.
Calorie Restriction and Skeletal Mass in Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca mulatta) Evidence for an Effect Mediated Through Changes in Body Size

Little is known regarding the effects of prolonged calorie restriction (CR) on skeletal health. We investigated long-term (11 years) and short-term (12 months) effects of moderate CR on bone mass and biochemical indices of bone metabolism in male rhesus monkeys across a range of ages. A lower bone mass in long-term CR monkeys was accounted for by adjusting for age and body weight differences. A further analysis indicated that lean mass, but not fat mass, was a strong predictor of bone mass in both CR and control monkeys. No effect of short-term CR on bone mass was observed in older monkeys (mean age, 19 years), although young monkeys (4 years) subjected to short-term CR exhibited slower gains in total body bone density and content than age-matched controls. Neither biochemical markers of bone turnover nor hormonal regulators of bone metabolism were affected by long-term CR. Although osteocalcin concentrations were significantly lower in young restricted males after 1 month on 30% CR in the short-term study, they were no longer different from control values by 6 months on 30% CR.
Signal transduction pathways involved in the regulation of protein synthesis by insulin in L6 myoblasts

The phosphorylation states of three proteins implicated in the action of insulin on translation were investigated, i.e., 70-kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70 S6k ), eukaryotic initiation factor ...
Retention of salmon-derived N and P by bryophytes and microbiota in mesocosm streams

AbstractAnnual migrations of anadromous salmon are an important source of nutrients for many coastal streams. Much of the current research on salmon-derived nutrients has focused on nutrient retention via carcass consumption by mammals, birds, and macroinvertebrates, whereas retention and transfer of nutrients by microbiota has received less attention. Our research objective was to investigate nutrient movement from decomposing salmon tissue into periphyton, bryophytes, leaf-pack microbiota, and amphipods in laboratory mesocosm streams. We measured δ15N of microbiota growing on unglazed tiles (periphyton), microbiota growing on leaf packs, bryophytes on partially submerged stones, and amphipods; C:N and C:P ratios of microbiota and bryophytes; and periphyton biomass (ash-free dry mass and chlorophyll a) in channels with and without decomposing salmon tissue. Periphyton, bryophytes, and leaf-pack microbiota had lower C:N ratios and leaf-pack microbiota had lower C:P ratios in salmon channels than in refere...
Outside the Box: Corporate Media, Globalization, and the UPS Strike

Students of the news will welcome Deepa Kumar’s analysis of coverage of the 1997 UPS strike. Media coverage of that strike was notable for its departure from standard narratives concerning labor-management disputes. Most often, strikes are framed as disruptive, inconvenient to the public, and harmful to the economy.While news reports about the UPS strike often reflected these pro-business sentiments, they also, at times, represented labor’s point of view. Kumar presents a comprehensive examination of why this coverage was anomalous. Kumar adopts a ‘‘domination/resistance’’ model of media power, following Gramsci’s notion of hegemony. Based on this model, she argues that the news media are contradictory institutions that most often uphold the status quo by an over-reliance on official sources, and by unreflectively reproducing a professional ideology congruent with values and beliefs of the country’s power structures. She takes liberal apologists of the news media to task for their easy acceptance of the marriage of capitalism and democracy, criticizes the Chomsky-Herman model of political economy of the media for its overemphasis on the engineering of consent, and skewers postmodernist versions of cultural studies for their valorization of textual reading as resistance. Kumar maintains that, for the last third of the twentieth century, neoliberal strategies of globalization have given rise to a whole series of working class issues that were not unique to UPS: part-time employment, stagnant wages, subcontracting, speedups, diminished safety and health protection, and the pension grab. The heart of her book resides in her textual/framing analyses of network television in chapter 3, and mainstream newspaper coverage by USA Today, the New York
Europe's guest worker policies and Mexicans in the United States.

This article attempts to evaluate the nature and significance of migration from Mexico both in its own right and in the light of evidence from "guest worker" experiences in western Europe. Although the guest workers phenomenon has been officially institutionalized it will be argued that it nevertheless provides instructive insights concerning illegal Mexican migration. In 1970 per capita income in the United States was approximately $4300; the corresponding figure for Mexico was $550. The magnitude of this difference has resulted in large-scale migration from the interior of Mexico to the border region and increasingly to midwestern and even East Coast cities. The annual number of legal immigrants from Mexico rose from about 43000 in the late 1960s to 70000 in 1973; but this figure is dwarfed by the number of people involved in illegal immigration. About 773000 illegal Mexican aliens were detected in 1976 but perhaps three or four times as many illegal aliens went undetected. Moreover the devaluation of the peso and the high unemployment levels in Mexico are resulting in a burgeoning influx of border jumpers. A number of scholars and highly placed officials maintain that this has created a national crisis theme also picked up widely in the press. (excerpt)
What’s Color Got To Do With It? Skin Color, Skin Color Satisfaction, Racial Identity, and Internalized Racism Among African American College Students:

Although skins tone perceptions influence the African American community, less is known about how skin color satisfaction differs across complexion. Employing an intersectionality framework, the cu...
TandTRAQ: an open-source tool for integrated protein identification and quantitation

Summary: Integrating qualitative protein identification with quantitative protein analysis is non-trivial, given incompatibility in output formats. We present TandTRAQ, a standalone utility that integrates results from i-Tracker, an open-source iTRAQ quantitation program with the search results from X!Tandem, an open-source proteome search engine. The utility runs from the command-line and can be easily integrated into a pipeline for automation. Availability: The TandTRAQ Perl scripts are freely available for download at http://www.ohsucancer.com/isrdev/tandtraq/
The light response of nitrogen fixation in Lake Valencia, Venezuela1

Water samples from six depths in the upper water column of Lake Valencia, Venezuela, were incubated in situ with acetylene at several depths corresponding to different light exposures. On five dates there was sufficient nitrogen fixation to define the light-response curve for samples taken at 2 and 100 cm. The light response of nitrogen fixation was modeled successfully with an equation previously developed for the light response of photosynthesis. All parameter values of the response curves for samples originating at a given depth were relatively stable across dates, but differed between depths. Rates of increase of N fixation with irradiance in the subsaturation range (..cap alpha..) were much lower than is typical of photosynthesis. While the general shape of nitrogen fixation curves was similar to that of photosynthesis curves, critical parameters were more sensitive to the light history (depth of origin) of cells than would be expected for photosynthesis.
Transmitter Precoding with Reduced-Complexity Soft Detection for MIMO Systems

We present a preceded reduced-complexity soft detection (PRCSD) algorithm for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. The linear operations at both transmit and receive sides based on complex Householder transform convert the MIMO channel to be multiple-diagonal, spatially partial-response-like, so that error propagation is alleviated when applying reduced-complexity soft detection at the receiver. The transform results in unitary precoding and feedforward matrices so that neither transmit power boost nor noise enhancement is present. Performance analysis based on pairwise error probability (PEP) shows that PRCSD achieves larger diversity advantage than existing preceding and multiple-beamforming (MB) schemes, which basically attempt to transmit signals through diagonal independent sub-channels and thus may suffer a diversity loss. PRCSD can achieve full diversity as maximum likelihood (ML) detection in some scenarios while reducing complexity significantly
The Data Augmentation Algorithm

Analogous to the EM algorithm, the data augmentation algorithm exploits the simplicity of the likelihood function or posterior distribution of the parameter given the augmented data. In contrast to the EM algorithm, the present goal is to obtain the entire (normalized) likelihood or posterior distribution, not just the maximizer and the curvature at the maximizer. In large samples, it is comforting that the posterior or likelihood is consistent with the normal approximation, though in practice it is not often clear when one is in a large sample setting. In a small sample situation, the data augmentation algorithm will provide a way of improving the inference, based on the entire posterior distribution or the entire likelihood function.
Similarity in the communication skills of young adults: Foundations of attraction, friendship, and relationship satisfaction

The current paper reports a study assessing how similarities in levels of social‐cognitive and communication skills affected friendship choices by young adults. Participants (208 college students) completed a battery of tasks providing assessments of one social‐cognitive and five communication skills. Sociometric procedures were used to determine interpersonal attraction and friendship patterns. Results indicated that participants were attracted to peers having social skill levels similar to their own. In addition, pairs of friends had similar levels of communication skills related to the expression and management of emotional states. Moreover, pairs of friends having low levels of communication skills were just as satisfied with their relationships as were pairs of friends having high levels of skills. The results are viewed as consistent with a “rewards of interaction”; analysis of the effects of similarity on interpersonal attraction.
Perinatal and obstetric outcomes of dichorionic vs trichorionic triplet pregnancies.

Background Clinical management and outcome of multiple gestation can be affected by chorionicity. In triplet pregnancies, fetal death has been associated with dichorionic (DC) and monochorionic placentation. Studies evaluating triplet pregnancy outcomes in relation to chorionicity have been few and may not reflect contemporary antenatal and neonatal care. Objective The objective of this study was to compare obstetric and perinatal outcomes in DC and trichorionic (TC) triplet pregnancies. Study Design We performed a retrospective cohort study of triplet pregnancies that delivered at ≥20 weeks' gestation at 2 Chicago area hospitals from January 1999 through December 2010. Chorionicity was determined by pathology specimen. Maternal and infant charts were reviewed for obstetric and perinatal outcomes. Results The study population included 159 pregnancies (477 neonates) of which 108 were TC (67.9%) and 51 were DC (32.1%). Over 94% of mothers in this study had all 3 infants survive to discharge regardless of chorionicity. No difference was found in perinatal mortality rate between DC and TC triplets (3.3% vs 4.6%; P = .3). DC triplets were significantly more likely to be very low birthweight (41.8% vs 22.2%; odds ratio, 2.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.2–4.2; P = .02) and to deliver at P = .002) compared to TC triplets. Criteria for twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) were present in 3 DC triplet pregnancies (5.9%). Neonates in pregnancies complicated by TTTS were less likely to survive 28 days as compared to neonates from DC pregnancies that were not affected by TTTS ( P = .02) or TC neonates ( P = .02) Neonatal survival was similar in DC pregnancies not affected by TTTS and TC pregnancies (98.6% and 96.6%; P = .7). Conclusion Although perinatal mortality did not correlate with chorionicity, DC pregnancies were more likely to deliver
Towards Social Norm Design for Crowdsourcing Markets

Crowdsourcing markets, such as Amazon Mechanical Turk, provide a platform for matching prospective workers around the world with tasks. However, they are often plagued by workers who attempt to exert as little effort as possible, and requesters who deny workers payment for their labor. For crowdsourcing markets to succeed, it is essential to discourage such behavior. With this in mind, we propose a framework for the design and analysis of incentive mechanisms based on social norms, which consist of a set of rules that participants are expected to follow, and a mechanism for updating participants’ public reputations based on whether or not they do. We start by considering the most basic version of our model, which contains only homogeneous participants and randomly matches workers with tasks. The optimal social norm in this setting turns out to be a simple, easily comprehensible incentive mechanism in which market participants are encouraged to play a tit-for-tat-like strategy. This simple mechanism is optimal even when the set of market participants changes dynamically over time, or when some fraction of the participants may be irrational. In addition to the basic model, we demonstrate how this framework can be applied to situations in which there are heterogeneous users by giving several illustrating examples. This work is a first step towards a complete theory of incentive design for crowdsourcing systems. We hope to build upon this framework and explore more interesting and practical aspects of real online labor markets in our future work.
The Role of Blood Pressure Regulation in Uremia

The risks of high blood pressure and the benefits of its control are well established in the nonuremic population.(1,2) Less well-controlled, older studies strongly support the benefits of blood pressure reduction in patients with moderate renal insufficiency.(3) There is little reason to doubt that treatment of hypertension is an important facet of the care of patients with end-stage renal disease. Indeed, attempts to prove this contention with studies that included a control group of untreated hypertensives would not be ethically defensible.
Transverse ac-driven and geometric ratchet effects for vortices in conformal crystal pinning arrays

A conformal pinning array is created by taking a conformal transformation of a uniform hexagonal lattice to create a structure in which the sixfold ordering of the original lattice is preserved but which has a spatial gradient in the pinning site density. With a series of conformal arrays it is possible to create asymmetric substrates, and it was previously shown that when an ac drive is applied parallel to the asymmetry direction, a pronounced ratchet effect occurs with a net dc flow of vortices in the same direction as the ac drive. Here, in this article, we show that when the ac drive is applied perpendicular to the substrate asymmetry direction, it is possible to realize a transverse ratchet effect where a net dc flow of vortices is generated perpendicular to the ac drive. The conformal transverse ratchet effect is distinct from previous versions of transverse ratchets in that it occurs due to the generation of non-Gaussian transverse vortex velocity fluctuations by the plastic motion of vortices, so that the system behaves as a noise correlation ratchet. The transverse ratchet effect is much more pronounced in the conformal arrays than in random gradient arrays and is absent in square gradientmore » arrays due the different nature of the vortex flow in each geometry. We show that a series of reversals can occur in the transverse ratchet effect due to changes in the vortex flow across the pinning gradient as a function of vortex filling, pinning strength, and ac amplitude. We also consider the case where a dc drive applied perpendicular to the substrate asymmetry direction generates a net flow of vortices perpendicular to the dc drive, producing what is known as a geometric or drift ratchet that again arises due to non-Gaussian dynamically generated fluctuations. The drift ratchet is more efficient than the ac driven ratchet and also exhibits a series of reversals for varied parameters. Lastly, our results should be general to a wide class of systems undergoing nonequilibrium dynamics on conformal substrates, such as colloidal particles on optical traps.« less
The Use of EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in EGFR Wild-Type Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

The objective response rate and progression-free survival observed with epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR TKIs) in patients with metastatic epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) wild-type non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are modest. The adverse events associated with EGFR TKIs are manageable but they must be considered in the context of the limited efficacy. The development of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy as second-line therapy has reduced the role of EGFR TKIs in EGFR wild-type NSCLC. Recently, there has been increased recognition of the benefit of the earlier integration of palliative care and symptom management, and this is reasonable alternative to treatment with an EGFR TKI for many patients. My practice pattern for patients with EGFR wild-type NSCLC is platinum-based chemotherapy as first-line therapy, immunotherapy as second-line therapy, and single-agent chemotherapy as third-line therapy for patients with preserved performance status who want to pursue further therapy. Only a small proportion of patients are eligible for fourth-line therapy, and I prefer to enroll them in clinical trials rather than use EGFR TKIs. I suspect that the use of EGFR TKIs in clinical use and as a comparator arm for clinical trials will continue to decline over the next several years.
Rolling the Dice Twice: Evolving Reconstructed Ancient Proteins in Extant Organisms

Scientists have access to artifacts of evolutionary history (namely, the fossil record and genomic sequences of living organisms) but they have limited means with which to infer the exact evolutionary events that occurred to produce today s living world. An intriguing question to arise from this historical limitation is whether the evolutionary paths of organisms are dominated by internal or external controlled processes (i.e., Life as a factory) or whether they are inherently random and subject to completely different outcomes if repeated under identical conditions (i.e., Life as a casino parlor). Two experimental approaches, ancestral sequence reconstruction and experimental evolution with microorganisms, can be used to recapitulate ancient adaptive pathways and provide valuable insights into the mutational steps that constitute an organism s genetic heritage. Ancestral sequence reconstruction follows a backwards-from-present-day strategy in which various ancestral forms of a modern gene or protein are reconstructed and then studied mechanistically. Experimental evolution, by contrast, follows a forward-from-present day strategy in which microbial populations are evolved in the laboratory under defined conditions in which their evolutionary paths may be closely monitored. Here I describe a novel hybrid of these two methods, in which synthetic components constructed from inferred ancestral gene or protein sequences are placed into the genomes of modern organisms that are then experimentally evolved. Through this system, we aim to establish the comparative study of ancient phenotypes as a novel, statistically rigorous methodology with which to explore the respective impacts of biophysics and chance in evolution within the scope of the Extended Synthesis.
Cortisone and mortality in mouse typhoid. III. Effect of natural and acquired immunity.

SummarySeven mouse strains which were selected for the wide range in their natural resistance to S. typhimurium were used. Typhoid resistance of every strain was decreased when 1 mg cortisone was given one day before typhoid inoculation. The difference between survival of cortisone treated mice and that of controls was evident at an earlier time in the genetically susceptible strains than in resistant strains. A single injection of 5 mg cortisone which reduced survival of non-immunized mice from 100% to 0% had no significant effect on survival of immunized mice.
Catalytic C–S Cross-Coupling Reactions Employing Ni Complexes of Pyrrole-Based Pincer Ligands

A series of catalytic C–S coupling reactions utilizing well-defined Ni(II) PNP pincer complexes as precatalysts are reported (PNP = anion of 2,5-bis[(dialkyl/aryl-phosphino)methyl]pyrrole, abbreviated as P2RPyr). Coupling reactions employing a variety of aryl iodides and thiols in the presence of base and DMF proceed in good to excellent yield at 80 °C with low catalyst loadings. Aryl bromides were found to result in substantially lower yields, and aryl chlorides were found to be unreactive under the catalytic conditions. In an effort to further understand the reactivity of the nickel PNP precatalysts, complexes of Ni(II) containing amide, alkoxide, hydroxide, thiolate, and hydrosulfide ligands have been prepared and examined in stoichiometric reactions relevant to carbon-heteroatom coupling. Full characterization of each nickel complex is provided, including solid-state structures. The results of stoichiometric reactions implicate a reduced Ni(I) species as the active catalyst, which forms by reduction o...
Interactions between RNA polymerase and the core recognition element are a determinant of transcription start site selection

During transcription initiation, RNA polymerase (RNAP) holoenzyme unwinds ∼13 bp of promoter DNA, forming an RNAP-promoter open complex (RPo) containing a single-stranded transcription bubble, and selects a template-strand nucleotide to serve as the transcription start site (TSS). In RPo, RNAP core enzyme makes sequence-specific protein–DNA interactions with the downstream part of the nontemplate strand of the transcription bubble (“core recognition element,” CRE). Here, we investigated whether sequence-specific RNAP–CRE interactions affect TSS selection. To do this, we used two next-generation sequencing-based approaches to compare the TSS profile of WT RNAP to that of an RNAP derivative defective in sequence-specific RNAP–CRE interactions. First, using massively systematic transcript end readout, MASTER, we assessed effects of RNAP–CRE interactions on TSS selection in vitro and in vivo for a library of 47 (∼16,000) consensus promoters containing different TSS region sequences, and we observed that the TSS profile of the RNAP derivative defective in RNAP–CRE interactions differed from that of WT RNAP, in a manner that correlated with the presence of consensus CRE sequences in the TSS region. Second, using 5′ merodiploid native-elongating-transcript sequencing, 5′ mNET-seq, we assessed effects of RNAP–CRE interactions at natural promoters in Escherichia coli, and we identified 39 promoters at which RNAP–CRE interactions determine TSS selection. Our findings establish RNAP–CRE interactions are a functional determinant of TSS selection. We propose that RNAP–CRE interactions modulate the position of the downstream end of the transcription bubble in RPo, and thereby modulate TSS selection, which involves transcription bubble expansion or transcription bubble contraction (scrunching or antiscrunching).
Rice Leaf and Butterfly Wing Effect

Fluid drag reduction and antifouling are of commercial interest (Bhushan and Jung 2011; Bixler and Bhushan 2012a, 2015). Many flora and fauna flourish in living nature due to their low drag and antifouling properties, with commonly studied examples including shark skin and lotus leaves. Inspired by shark skin and lotus leaves, Bixler and Bhushan (2012b) found rice leaves and butterfly wings combine the shark skin and lotus effects. Sinusoidal grooves in rice leaves and aligned shingle-like scales in butterfly wings provide the anisotropic flow.
Cooperative Federalism and Constructive Waiver of State Sovereign Immunity

In drafting cooperative federalism statutes, which rely on state government bodies to design and implement local regulation according to national standards,' Congress has generally provided for private suits against state regulators to ensure that the states properly carry out the regulatory tasks they undertake on Congress's behalf.2 The strengthening of the state sovereign immunity doctrine, a prominent aspect of the Rehnquist Court's federalism revival,3 has thrown several hurdles in the way of private litigation against states under these statutes. Congress may no longer directly abrogate states' sovereign immunity through statutes passed pursuant to its Article I powers; the Court sees this as necessary to avert the dignitary harm to the states of being hauled into court by private attorneys general.4 As a result, most suits that proceed against the states under cooperative federalism statutes do so under the Ex Parte Young fiction, which allows plaintiffs to sue state officials for prospective relief for ongoing violations of federal law.5 This route, however, is less effective than it once was. Additionally, Congress may still authorize private litigation against the states through a constructive waiver of their sovereign immunity-the subject of this Comment. While the Supreme Court has substantially narrowed the constructive waiver exception to prevent Congress from using it to make an end-run around the abrogation ban,' it has not, as some have urged, written it out of the law. Con-
EXTRACTION | Sorptive Extraction Methods

This article focuses on common extraction and cleanup techniques that utilize a solid support to extract organic analytes out of a solid, liquid, or gaseous sample. The techniques of solid-phase extraction (SPE), matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD), solid-phase microextraction (SPME), stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE), headspace sorptive extraction (HSSE), and sorptive tape extraction (STE) will be covered. This article is intended to give an overview of each technique with examples of application areas.