cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recovery of plant diversity following N cessation: effects of recruitment, litter, and elevated N cycling

Plant species richness has declined and composition shifted in response to elevated atmospheric deposition of biologically active nitrogen over much of the industrialized world. Litter thickness, litter nitrogen (N) content, and soil N mineralization rates often remain elevated long after inputs cease, clouding the prospects that plant community diversity and composition would recover should N inputs be reduced. Here we determined how N cycling, litter accumulation, and recruitment limitation influenced community recovery following cessation of long-term N inputs to prairie-like grasslands. We alleviated each of these potential inhibitors through a two-year full-factorial experiment involving organic carbon addition, litter removal, and seed addition. Seed addition had the largest effect on increasing seedling and species numbers and may be necessary to overcome long-term burial of seeds of target perennial grassland species. Litter removal increased light availability and bare sites for colonization, though it had little effect on reducing the biomass of competing neighbors or altering extractable soil N. Nonetheless, these positive influences were enough to lead to small increases in species richness within one year. We found that, although C addition quickly altered many factors assumed favorable for the target community (decreased N availability and biomass of nearby competitors, increased light and site availability), these changes were insufficient to positively impact species richness or seedling numbers over the experimental duration. However, only carbon addition had species-specific effects on the existing plant community, suggesting that its apparent limited utility may be more a result of slow recovery under ambient recruitment rather than from a lack of a restorative effect. There were dramatic interactions among treatments, with the positive effects of litter removal largely negated by carbon addition, and the positive effects of seed addition generally amplified by litter removal. It remains unclear whether each mechanism explored here will induce community recovery, but over different temporal scales. Long-term monitoring will help resolve these remaining questions. Regardless, our results suggest that reversal of species loss and compositional shifts from N deposition in prairies may be more inhibited by habitat fragmentation, recruitment limitation, and long-term suppression of fire than from continued effects of elevated N.
The lymphoid system and its role in maintaining immunocompetence

Objectives To provide a review of the lymphoid system and its role in maintaining immunocompetence. Data Sources Review articles, book chapters, and research articles pertaining to immune function. Conclusions The lymphoid system is the backbone of immunocompetence, regulating the interplay of inflammatory cells and responses with immune cells. This system provides humans with “true immunity.” Implications for Nursing Practice Oncology nurses need a strong working knowledge of immune function to provide a safe environment, adequate patient support, and interventions when altered immune function is present.
FOOD WEBS AND INTRAGUILD PREDATION: COMMUNITY INTERACTIONS OF A NATIVE MESOCARNIVORE

Trophic level interactions between predators create complex relationships such as intraguild predation. Theoretical research has predicted two possible paths to stability in intraguild systems: intermediate predators either outcompete higher-order predators for shared resources or select habitat based on security. The effects of intraguild predation on intermediate mammalian predators such as swift foxes (Vulpes velox) are not well understood. We examined the relationships between swift foxes and both their predators and prey, as well the effect of vegetation structure on swift fox-coyote (Canis latrans) interactions, between August 2001 and August 2004. In a natural experiment created by the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site in southeastern Colorado, USA, we documented swift fox survival and density in a variety of landscapes and compared these parameters in relation to prey availability, coyote abundance, and vegetation structure. Swift fox density varied significantly between study sites, while survival did not. Coyote abundance was positively related to the basal prey species and vegetation structure, while swift fox density was negatively related to coyote abundance, basal prey species, and vegetation structure. Our results support the prediction that, under intraguild predation in terrestrial systems, top predator distribution matches resource availability (resource match), while intermediate predator distribution inversely matches predation risk (safety match). While predation by coyotes may be the specific cause of swift fox mortality in this system, the more general mechanism appears to be exposure to predation moderated by shrub density.
"Breaking the code", moving between private and public work in collaborative software development

Software development is typically cooperative endeavor where a group of engineers need to work together to achieve a common, coordinated result. As a cooperative effort, it is especially difficult because of the many interdependencies amongst the artifacts created during the process. This has lead software engineers to create tools, such as configuration management tools, that isolate developers from the effects of each other's work. In so doing, these tools create a distinction between private and public aspects of work of the developer. Technical support is provided to these aspects as well as for transitions between them. However, we present empirical material collected from a software development team that suggests that the transition from private to public work needs to be more carefully handled. Indeed, the analysis of our material suggests that different formal and informal work practices are adopted by the developers to allow a delicate transition, where software developers are not largely affected by the emergent public work. Finally, we discuss how groupware tools might support this transition.
Impact of influenza immunization on medical expenditures among Medicare elderly, 1999-2003.

Background The impact of influenza immunization on expenditures for inpatient, outpatient, and professional services among elderly Medicare beneficiaries between 1999 and 2003 was examined. Methods Data were from independent annual survey samples of 175,000 beneficiaries. Response rates ranged from 64% to 71%. Survey data included beneficiaries’ demographics, education, supplemental insurance, perceived health, and influenza vaccination. Baseline measures, derived from Medicare claims for the year prior to influenza season, included service utilization, comorbidities, influenza immunization, and health status. The outcome measure was medical expenditures for acute and chronic respiratory conditions (ACRCs) for each 33-week annual influenza season. Results Total expenditures for ACRCs were lower among the immunized population during all four seasons. The amount and statistical significance of the savings varied with the severity of the virus and the vaccine match to the prevalent influenza strains. During the 1999–2000 influenza season, which had the most severe virus and a close vaccine match, average costs for ACRCs were $88 lower among immunized beneficiaries than among nonimmunized beneficiaries (equivalent to a 3.06% savings). During the 2002–2003 season, which had a less severe virus but the highest vaccine match rate, average costs for ACRCs were $103 lower for immunized beneficiaries than for nonvaccinated beneficiaries (equivalent to a 3.12% savings). The relative reduction in ACRC expenditures among vaccinated beneficiaries is attributable to less frequent use of inpatient services. Conclusions In addition to improving the health of older Americans, meeting the Healthy People 2010 influenza immunization goal of 90% among the elderly should also result in lower Medicare expenditures.
Thrips tabaci and tomato spotted wilt virus: inheritance of vector competence

Populations of onion thrips, Thrips tabaci Lindeman (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), were shown to differ significantly in their ability to transmit an isolate of tomato spotted wilt virus (Tospovirus: Bunyaviridae) (TSWV) collected from potato [Solanum tuberosum L. (Solanaceae)]. To gain an understanding of the basis for this variation, we generated reciprocal crosses between an efficient and an inefficient transmitting population. The resulting F 1 progeny and progeny from the parental populations were tested for their ability to transmit TSWV. Our results indicate that the ability to transmit TSWV efficiently by T. tabaci is inherited as a recessive trait.
Involvement of Human Cytochrome P450 2D6 in the Bioactivation of Acetaminophen

Acetaminophen (APAP), a widely used analgesic and antipyretic agent, can cause acute hepatic necrosis in both humans and experimental animals when consumed in large doses. It is generally accepted that N -acetyl- p -benzoquinone imine (NAPQI) is the toxic, reactive intermediate whose formation from APAP is mediated by cytochrome P450. Several forms of P450 in humans, including 2E1, 1A2, 2A6, 3A4, have been shown to catalyze the oxidation of APAP to NAPQI. We now present evidence which demonstrates that human cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) is also involved in the bioactivation of APAP. The formation of NAPQI from APAP by cDNA-expressed CYP2D6 was examined. K m and V max values were 1.76 mM and 3.02 nmol/min/nmol of P450, respectively, such that the efficiency of CYP2D6 in the conversion of APAP to NAPQI is approximately one-third of that of CYP2E1. The contribution of CYP2D6 to the total formation of NAPQI from APAP (1 mM) in human liver was investigated using quinidine (1 μm) as a CYP2D6-specific inhibitor, and varied from 4.5 to 22.4% among 10 livers, with an average at 12.6%. The correlation between the contribution of CYP2D6 to NAPQI formation in human liver microsomes and the CYP2D6 activity probed by the O -demethylation of dextromethorphan was studied, and found to be strong ( r 2 = 0.85), and significant ( P
Status of the PBFA-II light ion beam fusion program

A summary of recent progress and the present status of the PBFA-II (Particle Beam Fusion Accelerator II) light-ion beam fusion program is given. An analytic theory of applied-B ion diodes has been developed that correctly predicts the diode operating points at peak power, and there is agreement between simulations and experiment for the ion beam transport to the diode axis. The anode plasma has been identified as an area for study to improve the ion beam focusing and diode impedance behavior further. An extensive array of ion beam diagnostics has been developed and proven to operate well in the harsh X-ray environment of PBFA II. Work on interpreting data from these diagnostics has provided insights into the physics of beam generation and transport and has stimulated advances in both analytic and calculational modeling of the processes. Three plasma opening switch configurations have been identified and tested. Efficient ion beam generation has been demonstrated, and a focal spot diameter of >
Long-term support with an ambulatory percutaneous paracorporeal artificial lung.

Background Conventional extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is bulky and non-ambulatory and requires multiple blood transfusions. We hypothesized that a percutaneous, paracorporeal artificial lung (PAL) could be established through a single venous cannulation to provide long-term ambulatory respiratory support. Methods Our PAL system was tested in 11 healthy sheep. An Avalon Elite dual-lumen cannula (DLC), inserted through the right jugular vein into the superior vena cava, right atrium, and inferior vena cava, was connected to a CentriMag pump and compact hollow-fiber gas exchanger, forming a short-circuit PAL system. All sheep were moved to intensive care unit and were ambulatory after anesthesia recovery. Hemodynamics and device performance were measured daily. Results The ambulatory PALs were successfully established in all sheep. The sheep were awake, ate, and moved freely in the metabolic cage, with no need of artificial nutrition or blood transfusion. All sheep had stable hemodynamics, with 2 liters/min of average circuit flow and hemoglobin levels exceeding 9.2 g/dl throughout the experiment. A progressive decrease of oxygen transfer and carbon dioxide removal capacity was observed. Sheep were euthanized between 10 and 24 days for bleeding ( n = 2), gas exchanger failure ( n = 6), and DLC issues ( n = 3). Conclusions We successfully established long-term ambulatory PAL for up to 24 days in 11 animals using our patented DLC through a single-site percutaneous venous cannulation. Critical bleeding/thrombosis formation and gas exchanger durability remain two major challenges for long-term-ambulatory PAL.
Multislice Display of the Fetal Face Using 3-Dimensional Ultrasonography

Objective. Multislice 3-dimensional ultrasonography (3DUS) allows ultrasonographic volume data to be presented in parallel slices. Our aim was to develop a technique using a multislice display to specifically differentiate the maxilla (primary palate) from the mandible and to display the orbits in a single image in fetuses with normal anatomy and cleft lip/palate. Methods. Three-dimensional ultrasonographic volumes of the fetal face were acquired in 142 patients (49 prospective and 93 retrospective). Fifteen patients had a confirmed diagnosis of cleft lip with or without cleft palate. Three readers manipulated volumes in a standardized fashion to show the orbits, maxilla, and mandible. The best interslice distance was determined. Image quality was assessed. Results. The mean gestational age of the fetuses was 23 weeks (range, 11–38 weeks). The mean interval distance used varied from 3 to 3.7 mm (range, 1–5.8 mm). The interval distance correlated with gestational age (Spearman ρ = 0.66; P < .0001). Image quality obtained through multislice evaluation of the orbits, maxilla, and mandible was high and did not vary with gestational age, interval distance, retrospective versus prospective acquisition, or 3DUS versus 4-dimensional volumes. A higher image quality rating was associated with axial and sagittal planes of acquisition as opposed to coronal and oblique planes (Wilcoxon P < .002). All cases of cleft lip with or without cleft palate were correctly identified retrospectively. Conclusions. Multislice 3DUS evaluation of the fetal face can be performed successfully with high image quality. This technique can be used to consistently and accurately differentiate the fetal primary palate and mandible. Fetuses with cleft lip with or without cleft palate can be identified with confidence. Key words: cleft palate; fetal cleft lip; fetal face; fetal palate; 3-dimensional ultrasonography; tomographic imaging.
In Vivo Metabolism of ApoB, ApoA-I, and VLDL Triglycerides in a Form of Hypobetalipoproteinemia Not Linked to the ApoB Gene

Familial hypobetalipoproteinemia (FHBL) is an autosomal codominant disorder that may result from different mutations in the apolipoprotein B (apoB) gene or chromosome 2. However, linkage of FHBL to the apoB gene was ruled out in 2 kindreds reported to date, and the genetic and metabolic bases for FHBL remain unknown. One of the reported kindreds is our 40-member F kindred, in which we found linkage of FHBL to a novel susceptibility region on chromosome 3p21. 1-2. In addition to having low apoB levels, some, but not all, of the affected subjects in the F kindred also had low levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and apoA-I. Our aim was to define the metabolic bases of the disorder in the F kindred. Therefore, we studied the in vivo kinetics of apoB and apoA-I and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglycerides in 4 affected subjects and 5 normolipidemic relatives. Deuterated leucine and deuterated glycerol were used to label the apolipoproteins and triglycerides, respectively. Compartmental modeling was used to obtain the kinetic parameters. Affected subjects had (1) normal fractional catabolic rates (FCRs) for VLDL apoB, (2) increased FCRs for low density lipoprotein (LDL) apoB (0.050+/-0.009 versus 0. 030+/-0.006 pools per hour for normal subjects, P=0.005), and (3) decreased production rates of VLDL apoB (11.4+/-1.7 versus 25.6+/-4. 9 mg. kg(-1). d(-1), P=0.003), LDL apoB (7.8+/-1.3 versus 12.7+/-3.7 mg. kg(-1). d(-1), P=0.04), and VLDL triglycerides (8.2+/-4.5 versus 19.6+/-10.8 58 micromol. kg(-1). h(-1), P=0.09). These data differ from those obtained in previously studied FHBL heterozygotes bearing apoB-2 and apoB-9, 2 very short truncations of apoB. Low HDL cholesterol and apoA-I levels were caused by higher apoA-I FCRs (0. 035+/-0.005 versus 0.018+/-0.005 pools per hour in controls, P<0.01) without significant decrease in apoA-I production rates (18.7+/-2.7 versus 22.8+/-5.6 mg. kg(-1). d(-1)). In conclusion, decreased secretion of apoB-containing lipoproteins and hypercatabolism of LDL account for low apoB and cholesterol levels in this novel form of FHBL.
Emergent Abelian Gauge Fields from Noncommutative Gravity

We construct exact solutions to noncommutative gravity following the formula- tion of Chamseddine and show that they are in general accompanied by Abelian gauge fields which are first order in the noncommutative scale. This provides a mechanism for genera- ting cosmological electromagnetic fields in an expanding space-time background, and also leads to multipole-like fields surrounding black holes. Exact solutions to noncommutative Einstein-Maxwell theory can give rise to first order corrections to the metric tensor, as well as to the electromagnetic fields. This leads to first order shifts in the horizons of charged black holes.
Spatiotemporal Variation in Fish Assemblage Structure in Tropical Floodplain Creeks

Biotic assemblages of aquatic floodplain systems have great potential to randomly reshuffle during annual flood periods, and have been described both as stochastically and deterministically assembled. However, only a limited number of studies have been conducted in relatively few habitat types. To evaluate large-bodied fish assemblage structure of floodplain creeks, we used experimental gill nets to sample fishes at sites spaced at even intervals within three creeks in consecutive dry seasons. A total of 60 species were collected, 41 of which were collected both years. The most frequently collected species were piscivores and algivores/detritivores. Multivariate analysis suggested non-random patterns of assemblage structure in both years. Correspondence analysis (CA) of the species abundance-by-site matrix for 2001 suggests species assemblages were most similar among sites within the same creek regardless of depth or longitudinal position. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) correctly predicted 100% of samples based on creek identity, and species ordination scores revealed creek-specific species subsets. In 2002, CA and DFA did not distinguish creeks based on species assemblages. Instead, we observed a significant positive relationship between assemblage composition and site depth and position along the creek longitudinal gradient. Assemblages were most similar among sites of comparable depth and longitudinal position, regardless of creek identity. Predators occurred almost exclusively at mouth and mid-reach sites. Flood duration prior to our 2002 sampling period was prolonged due to abnormally heavy rainfall in November and December 2001 (typically the falling-water period), and may account for the observed inter-annual variation in fish assemblage structure.
A test model for fluctuation-dissipation theorems with time-periodic statistics

Abstract The recently developed time-periodic fluctuation–dissipation theorem (FDT) provides a very convenient way of addressing the climate change of atmospheric systems with seasonal cycle by utilizing statistics of the present climate. A triad nonlinear stochastic model with exactly solvable first and second order statistics is introduced here as an unambiguous test model for FDT in a time-periodic setting. This model mimics the nonlinear interaction of two Rossby waves forced by baroclinic processes with a zonal jet forced by a polar temperature gradient. Periodic forcing naturally introduces the seasonal cycle into the model. The exactly solvable first and second order statistics are utilized to compute both the ideal mean and variance response to the perturbations in forcing or dissipation and the quasi-Gaussian approximation of FDT (qG-FDT) that uses the mean and the covariance in the equilibrium state. The time-averaged mean and variance qG-FDT response to perturbations of forcing or dissipation is compared with the corresponding ideal response utilizing the triad test model in a number of regimes with various dynamical and statistical properties such as weak or strong non-Gaussianity and resonant or non-resonant forcing. It is shown that even in a strongly non-Gaussian regime, qG-FDT has surprisingly high skill for the mean response to the changes in forcing. On the other hand, the performance of qG-FDT for the variance response to the perturbations of dissipation is good in the near-Gaussian regime and deteriorates in the strongly non-Gaussian regime. The results here on the test model should provide useful guidelines for applying the time-periodic FDT to more complex realistic systems such as atmospheric general circulation models.
Estimation of Continuous Subjective Probability Distributions in a Sequential Decision Task

Abstract : A range betting method (RBM) for measuring continuous subjective probability distributions is presented. Predictions derived from the method are tested in a computer-controlled sequential decision making task. In particular, twenty-two undergraduate students participated individually in the task. The subjects were asked occasionally ao place a wager upon the range of an unknown value of P, 0 < P < 1, generated by an LGP-30 computer. In addition, the subjects predicted the exact value of P by typing a number on a Flexowriter, and then estimated the value of P after obtaining information about its value. The information was given in the form of n values (1 < n < 20) of 0's or 1's generated by a binomial distribution with mean P and printed on the Flexowriter in front of the subject. Predicted decisions were derived both from the RBM method and from a relatively simple confidence limits' model. The subjects' estimates of the range boundaries were compared to the predicted values from both models. In both comparisons the results indicated a regression effect and a block-to-block tracking behavior. Attempts to compare two independent measures of the same subjective probability distribution were unsuccessful. (Author)
Differential response of the homoploid hybrid species Iris nelsonii (Iridaceae) and its progenitors to abiotic habitat conditions.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Homoploid hybrid speciation involves the evolution of reproductive isolation between a hybrid lineage and its progenitors without a change in chromosome number. Ecological divergence presumably plays a large role in the stabilization of hybrid lineages, as all homoploid hybrid species described to date are reported to be ecologically divergent from their progenitors. However, the described ecological divergence in most systems is anecdotal and has not been empirically tested. METHODS We assessed the vegetative response of Iris nelsonii, a homoploid hybrid species, and its three progenitor species, I. brevicaulis, I. fulva, and I. hexagona, to different abiotic conditions (i.e., varied sunlight availability and flooding conditions) that largely characterize the habitats of these four species in their natural habitats in Louisiana, USA. KEY RESULTS The species differed in their responses to the water-level treatment for many of the response variables, including rhizome weight, ramet growth, plant height, and two principal components used to characterize the data. The species differed in their response to the light-level treatment for root allocation and the principal component used to characterize plant size. Iris nelsonii significantly differed from its progenitors, including its most closely related progenitor species, in response to many of the treatments. CONCLUSIONS The differential response to abiotic habitat conditions of I. nelsonii suggests that this species is ecologically divergent from its progenitor species.
A Field Theory of International Organization and Global Governance

This paper builds a field theory of international organization to explain the practices of international organizations in the early days of the postwar international order and the subsequent fragmentation of global governance. Whereas IOs are often theorized as ontologically and historically distinct entities, my field theory embeds them in underlying networks of state actors, donors, international bureaucrats, experts, and activists. In the postwar era, these networks shared and reproduced a liberal humanitarian and scientific discourse that shaped the means and ends of international organization. The shared worldview of these actors structured the rules of the “global governance game.” Successful individuals and institutions seek distinction or status by gathering resources and pursuing goals in accordance with the rules of the field. Field theory explains social outcomes as a function both of the structure of the field and the individual biographies or organizational cultures of the actors embedded in the field. This overcomes material-ideational and levels of analysis dichotomies to push IR theory forward. However, field theory has a structuralist bias and therefore tends to be rigid. The incorporation of network and relational theories helps to break field theory from its traditional rigidities and explain the formation or alteration of fields. The theoretical framework and the findings presented here provide a model and prolegomena to a larger project on the field of global governance that explains the development of international institutions from 1945 through the present.
International trade and domestic politics: the domestic sources of international trade agreements and institutions

Introduction Over the past fifty years, barriers to international trade have decreased substantially. While the decline in protectionism since World War II has stemmed partly from unilateral changes in trade policy by countries, it also has been a result of agreements among countries to liberalize their trade policies. International trade agreements and especially the GATT (now the WTO) have played an important role in this liberalization process. This chapter analyzes the conditions under which states have concluded such agreements to lower their trade barriers and joined such international institutions. More generally, it explores the domestic factors affecting international economic cooperation. We make two central arguments, both relating international trade to domestic politics. The first is that domestic political reasons can provide an important motive for leaders to sign trade agreements and abide by international trade rules. The second is that the internal design of international trade agreements may depend in part on domestic politics. Again, domestic political reasons can be an important motive for leaders in choosing a specific structure for international trade agreements. In particular, we show that the inclusion of escape clause mechanisms in trade agreements can result from domestic incentives. Indeed, most strongly put, without such escape clauses in international agreements, political leaders could not afford to sign trade agreements because of domestic pressures. Hence their inclusion and character are important for such agreements and depend upon the nature of domestic politics in the countries. We thus join the debate over the causes of economic cooperation.
The Role of Knowledge on Opportunity Evaluation Decisions: An Example from Franchising

Knowledge is central to the concept of opportunity identification and evaluation. This research investigates the effects of a narrow set of general and specific knowledge--knowledge of business for...
Structural collapse in kaolinite, montmorillonite and illite clay and its role in the ceramic rehydroxylation dating of low-fired earthenware

The rehydroxylation dating of ancient pottery estimates the age of ceramic manufacture based upon the total hydroxyl (OH) accumulation since initial firing. The diffusion of OH is impacted by the structural porosity of the ceramic that becomes progressively, or suddenly, closed with increasing temperature as the clay structure collapses. Changes in ceramic mineral structure along the temperature continuum occur at certain thermal set points. Infrared spectroscopic analysis of heat-treated kaolin, illite, and montmorillonite reveals that shifts in the Si-O band correlate with the extent of structural collapse occurring between 600 and 1000 °C. Accelerated rehydroxylation experiments reveal that the activation energy of rehydroxylation decreases with greater structural collapse and indicates that the rate of rehydroxylation will be faster for ceramics fired at more elevated temperatures.
Measurements of Shallow Water Breaking Wave Rollers

Large scale laboratory experiments concerning breaking wave propagation over a fixed-bed, barred beach were performed. The primary observations of interest were video intensity time series obtained from a set of high-resolution video cameras in order to study the onset of wave breaking in shallow water and wave roller transformation in the surf zone. The approach is new in the sense that the analysis concentrates on individual breaking waves, as opposed to the more commonly used timeexposure technique, which averages the information over wave group time scales. A new parameter of interest is derived from the video observations based on the instantaneous intensity maximum, which propagates with the roller. The parameter is shown to provide high-resolution information regarding the onset of wave breaking and the spatial evolution of the wave roller. These observations provide a new and quite rigorous test for phaseresolving shallow water wave models.
Highly Transparent Superhydrophobic Surfaces from the Coassembly of Nanoparticles (≤100 nm)

We report a simple and versatile approach to creating a highly transparent superhydrophobic surface with dual-scale roughness on the nanoscale. 3-Aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTS)-functionalized silica nanoparticles of two different sizes (100 and 20 nm) were sequentially dip coated onto different substrates, followed by thermal annealing. After hydrophobilization of the nanoparticle film with (heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrodecyl)trichlorosilane for 30 min or longer, the surface became superhydrophobic with an advancing water contact angle of greater than 160° and a water droplet (10 μL) roll-off angle of less than 5°. The order of nanoparticles dip coated onto the silicon wafer (i.e., 100 nm first and 20 nm second or vice versa) did not seem to have a significant effect on the resulting apparent water contact angle. In contrast, when the substrate was dip coated with monoscale nanoparticles (20, 50, and 100 nm), a highly hydrophobic surface (with an advancing water contact angle of up to 143°) was o...
Lifestyle behaviors and illness-related factors as predictors of recurrent headache in U.S. adolescents.

PURPOSE This study describes a multivariate model showing how lifestyle behaviors (skipping meals, water intake, tobacco use, alcohol use, and physical activity) and illness-related factors (depression, somatic complaints, insomnia, and obesity) work together to predict headache in an adolescent population. METHOD A descriptive, cross-sectional, secondary analysis using survey data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (1996) is reported. The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health is a large database providing a nationally representative sample of adolescents (aged 11-17 years, n = 13,570). The database evaluated adolescent headache and is inclusive of all the predictors specific to this study. Frequency analysis and forward logistic regression were performed using each of the lifestyle behaviors and illness-related factors. RESULTS Approximately 26% of the adolescents experienced recurrent headache. Recurrent headache was reported by 19% of male adolescents and 26% of female adolescents. A multivariate model was developed that showed how lifestyle behaviors and illness-related factors predict recurrent headache in adolescents. The final model (Wald F = 86.88, p = .00) consisted of the following predictors: chest pain, muscle and joint pain, skip breakfast three or more times a week, skip lunch one or more times a week, and physical activity. The interactions of gender and age group, race and smoking regularly, and depression and insomnia were also included in the final model. CONCLUSION Providing evidence to clinicians that lifestyle behaviors and illness-related factors are associated with adolescent headache may improve overall headache assessment and may result in a more comprehensive plan of treatment.
354 ETHNIC GROUP, GENDER, AND PATIENTS' BELIEFS ABOUT THE SOUL AFTER DEATH.

Purpose The best end-of-life care addresses patients9 and families9 spiritual concerns. Cultural beliefs frame such concerns, but little research exists. We sought to characterize, by ethnic group and gender, one important spiritual concern, what happens to the soul after bodily death. Methods We conducted open-ended interviews with 26 Mexican American (MA), 18 European American (EA), and 14 African American (AA) men and women. A consensus-based content analysis identified themes. Because some subjects responded several ways about a theme, percentages may add to over 100%. Results Majorities of all groups believed the soul lives on after bodily death (see the Table). Majorities or near-majorities also expressed seemingly inconsistent beliefs that the soul both remains in the body and leaves it at bodily death. Yet clear differences arose over when, if ever, the soul leaves the body and where the soul is after bodily death. For example, subjects timed the soul9s departure from before life support stops to 15 minutes to a month after bodily death. Conclusion The ethnic-gender groups share one belief, that the soul lives on after bodily death, but differ on others. Sensitive end-of-life care requires health professionals to anticipate varying beliefs about the soul at bodily death and to adjust care accordingly. For example, professionals should time organ donation requests or invite discussions about encounters with the dead according to survivors9 beliefs.
Factors affecting post-permanency adjustment for children in adoption or guardianship placements: An ecological systems analysis

Despite a growing body of research on post-permanency adjustment for children adopted from public child welfare agencies, many studies lack a systematic review using a theoretical framework. To develop promising post-permanency services for adopted children with special needs and their families, the first step is to examine risk and protective factors affecting adoption or guardianship adjustment. This study systematically reviews and synthesizes current empirical studies investigating post-permanency outcomes using an ecological systems analysis, with an integration of family theories. A search of five electronic databases and relevant child welfare books identified 36 empirical studies on post-permanency adjustment. Risk factors include some individual factors such as caring for a child with special needs, raising children with a multiple placement or maltreatment history and involving parents with no parenting experience. Living in a family experiencing boundary ambiguity and lacking social support are also risk factors. Protective factors include having adoption preparation and having a child living with married parents, as well as a high level of adoption openness and the availability of formal and informal social support. Implications for child welfare practice and policy also are discussed.
Spectroscopic and Computational Investigations of a Mononuclear Manganese(IV)-Oxo Complex Reveal Electronic Structure Contributions to Reactivity.

The mononuclear Mn(IV)-oxo complex [MnIV(O)(N4py)]2+, where N4py is the pentadentate ligand N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-N-bis(2-pyridyl)methylamine, has been proposed to attack C–H bonds by an excited-state reactivity pattern [Cho, K.-B.; Shaik, S.; Nam, W. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2012, 3, 2851−2856 (DOI: 10.1021/jz301241z)]. In this model, a 4E excited state is utilized to provide a lower-energy barrier for hydrogen-atom transfer. This proposal is intriguing, as it offers both a rationale for the relatively high hydrogen-atom-transfer reactivity of [MnIV(O)(N4py)]2+ and a guideline for creating more reactive complexes through ligand modification. Here we employ a combination of electronic absorption and variable-temperature magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopy to experimentally evaluate this excited-state reactivity model. Using these spectroscopic methods, in conjunction with time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) and complete-active space self-consistent-field calculations (CASSCF), we d...
Markers of Thrombogenesis Activation and Endothelial Dysfunction in End Stage Renal Disease

Abstract 1151 INTRODUCTION The pathogenesis of ESRD is complex involving inflammatory, thrombotic, and calcification processes. The leading cause of morbidity and mortality in ESRD is cardiovascular disease (CVD), accounting for 50% of all deaths. Current studies suggest that chronic inflammation is a major risk factor in ESRD. This investigation profiles markers of inflammation, thrombogenesis, and vascular dysfunction in patients with ESRD. METHODS Samples from ESRD patients (n=117) over the age of 18 on maintenance hemodialysis for at least 3 months and aged matched control samples (n=50) obtained from healthy volunteers were included in the study. The Randox Evidence Investigator (Antrim, United Kingdom) was used to measure IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), Interferon-γ (INF-γ), Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α), Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1 (MCP-1), Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), C-Reactive Protein (CRP), D-Dimer, and Thrombomodulin (TM). Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor -1 (PAI-1) and Asymmetric Dimethylarginine (ADMA) were measured using ELISA kits from Diagnostica Stago (Paris, France) and DLD Diagnostika GmbH (Hamburg, Germany), respectively. RESULTS IL-6 levels in ESRD were 4.3 times the controls. VEGF and INF-γ were both elevated at 2.6 times the controls. MCP-1, IL-8, IL-10, EGF, TNF-α, and IL-1α were elevated at 2.0, 1.6, 1.4, 1.4, 1.3, 1.2 times the controls, respectively. IL-4, IL-2, and IL-1 β levels were reduced at 0.9, 0.9, and 0.5 times the controls. TM, CRP, DDMER, PAI-1, and ADMA were increased at 5.9, 4.4, 3.0, 1.4, and 1.6 times the controls, respectively, each demonstrating statistically significant p-values. DISCUSSION The elevation of the interleukins, INF-γ, TNF-α and MCP-1 reveals intense inflammatory activation of leukocytes. The increase in these cytokines also demonstrates the vascular and tissue damage that occurs in ESRD. VEGF and EGF are both elevated in the ESRD samples indicating a state of cellular proliferation, possibly in an attempt to replace damaged tissue caused by the heightened inflammatory state. These results also demonstrate that ESRD patients have a significant upregulation in markers of thrombogenesis and endothelial dysfunction. The upregulation of the nitric oxide inhibitor ADMA points to disturbances in vascular lumen size regulation while CRP and TM suggest significant endothelial damage. Additionally, the upregulation of PAI-1 and D-Dimer indicates an activation of coagulation in ESRD. The combined disruption of endothelial regulation and endothelial damage along with the upregulation of thrombogenic and inflammatory markers helps to explain the significant prevalence of DVT, PE and CVD in ESRD. These markers should be evaluated for their roles in kidney disease risk stratification and prognosis. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Exploring the contributions of spatial and non-spatial working memory to priming of pop-out

Priming of pop-out (PoP) refers to the facilitation of performance that occurs when a target-defining feature is repeated across consecutive trials in a pop-out oddball search task. The underlying mechanism of PoP has been poorly understood and raises important questions about how our visual system is guided by past experiences, even during bottom-up processing. Lee, Mozer, and Vecera (Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 71, 1059-1071, 2009) demonstrated that PoP remained unaffected by a concurrent non-spatial visual working memory (VWM) load, and they concluded that PoP occurs through feature gain modulation, essentially eliminating the contribution of memory representations in VWM to PoP. In the present study, we followed up on those results by (a) replicating the null effect of non-spatial VWM load on PoP and (b) examining the effect of spatial VWM load on PoP. The results showed that spatial VWM load does interfere with PoP, supporting the notion that spatial VWM is involved in PoP. In Experiment 2, we extended this finding by manipulating VWM load and observing its consequence on the magnitude of PoP. Increasing spatial VWM load decreased the amount of PoP observed, in a dose-dependent manner, whereas changes in non-spatial VWM load did not. Contrary to Lee et al.'s conclusions, these results suggest that VWM resources appear to contribute to the occurrence of PoP, supporting the theory that PoP is, in fact, a multilevel process in which the deployment of spatial attention, relying on VWM representations, plays an important role.
Safety and tolerability of transcranial direct current stimulation to stroke patients - A phase I current escalation study.

Abstract Background and objective A prior meta-analysis revealed that higher doses of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have a better post-stroke upper-extremity motor recovery. While this finding suggests that currents greater than the typically used 2 mA may be more efficacious, the safety and tolerability of higher currents have not been assessed in stroke patients. We aim to assess the safety and tolerability of single session of up to 4 mA in stroke patients. Methods We adapted a traditional 3 + 3 study design with a current escalation schedule of 1»2»2.5»3»3.5»4 mA for this tDCS safety study. We administered one 30-min session of bihemispheric montage tDCS and simultaneous customary occupational therapy to patients with first-ever ischemic stroke. We assessed safety with pre-defined stopping rules and investigated tolerability through a questionnaire. Additionally, we monitored body resistance and skin temperature in real-time at the electrode contact site. Results Eighteen patients completed the study. The current was escalated to 4 mA without meeting the pre-defined stopping rules or causing any major safety concern. 50% of patients experienced transient skin redness without injury. No rise in temperature (range 26°C–35 °C) was noted and skin barrier function remained intact (i.e. body resistance >1 kΩ). Conclusion Our phase I safety study supports that single session of bihemispheric tDCS with current up to 4 mA is safe and tolerable in stroke patients. A phase II study to further test the safety and preliminary efficacy with multi-session tDCS at 4 mA (as compared with lower current and sham stimulation) is a logical next step. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02763826 .
The Times They are A-Changin': Shifting Social Norms and Employee Privacy in the Technological Era

When it comes to employee privacy rights in emerging technologies, the times they are a changin.’ In the dawn of the modern technological era, when electronic mail and the Internet were in their relative infancy, the right to privacy meant almost nothing in the workplace. Employers could promise that e-mail would not be monitored, but then proceed to do so anyway. When employees sued, seeking vindication of their perceived privacy rights, courts cast aside any notion that an employee could expect privacy in the workplace, and they did so almost uniformly. The tide, however, appears to be turning. Judicial decisions rendered in more recent years, coupled with comparable statutory reform initiatives, suggest that as social norms shift in light of the rapid development and mainstreaming of modern technologies, the law is affording protection to employees that previously did not exist. This Article takes a retrospective-comparative approach to this turning tide, delving deeply into the law of the early era of modern technology, and juxtaposing it against more recent developments. The result is exposition of an unmistakable trend favoring employee rights. This Article therefore tackles head-on the ultra-modern legal problem of workplace privacy rights in emerging technologies, but it does so in novel ways, as the first to suggest that the trend is shifting toward greater recognition of employee rights at the expense of employer prerogative.
Study of various thermal responses of PVC – CPVC Blends

Binary blends of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) / Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride (CPVC) were prepared using Haake Polylab extruder. The blends were then compression molded and their thermal properties were evaluated and compared. 7 different batches including virgin PVC and CPVC were prepared with varying PVC compositions from 10 to 90%. DMA results showed the immiscibility of blends above a certain composition. Colorimetry results give an insight into Yellowness index values of various blends with different compositions. Similarly, other improvements and optimization was observed and recorded for different batches while studying their thermal properties.
Organelle Genetics and Transformation of Chlamydomonas

Of the more than 400 species of unicellular green algae in the genus Chlamydomonas (Ettl, 1976), only a few have been used for genetic investigations. The small cell size, rapid division time, and short sexual cycles of these green flagellates make them especially favorable organisms for genetic and molecular studies. The haploid heterothallic species C. reinhardtii has been the organism of choice for most molecular, cellular and developmental investigations (see Harris, 1989). Its nuclear genome of ca. 1-2 × 105 kb comprises 18 genetic linkage groups (Harris, 1989,1990), and physical maps are being developed for many of these (Ranum et al, 1988). Detailed molecular maps have also been established for the 196 kb chloroplast and 15.8 kb mitochondrial genomes of C. reinhardtii, and formal genetic studies are possible for both organelles (see Harris, 1989,1990). A fourth genome of 6–9 mb, localized in the basal body has recently been defined (Hall et al., 1989) and correlated with a unique quasi-Mendelian circular linkage group (Ramanis and Luck, 1986). Existence of closely related, interfertile isolates such as C. smithii mt + (CC-1373 = SAG 54.72 and UTEX 1062) and the Minnesota S-1 D-2 isolates (CC-2290 and CC-1952) that differ from C. reinhardtii by numerous restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) in two or more genomes (Boynton et al, 1987; Gross et al., 1988; Hall et al., 1989; Ranum et al., 1988) makes this species group especially useful for molecular genetic studies.