cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bacterial carbon processing by generalist species in the coastal ocean.

Metagenomics, or environmental genomics, has revolutionized our picture of microorganisms in the real world — as opposed to how they behave in laboratory cultivated 'clonal' cultures. A novel example of 'experimental metagenomics' is now reported, involving the creation of a 20-litre microcosm of sea water collected off Sapelo Island in the US state of Georgia. Manipulation of the system shows that this coastal microbial community is dominated by metabolic generalists capable of utilizing a wide variety of organic compounds, rather than by bacterial species that specialize in metabolizing a specific component of the dissolved organic carbon pool. This finding has important implications for identifying taxon–function relationships for carbon cycle-relevant processes and the construction of predictive models of ocean biogeochemistry. Experimental metagenomics is used to show that coastal communities are populated by taxa capable of metabolizing a wide variety of organic carbon compounds. It is concluded that metabolic generalists dominate coastal microbial communities, with important implications for identifying taxon–function relationships for carbon cycle-relevant processes and the construction of predictive models of ocean biogeochemistry. The assimilation and mineralization of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) by marine bacterioplankton is a major process in the ocean carbon cycle1. However, little information exists on the specific metabolic functions of participating bacteria and on whether individual taxa specialize on particular components of the marine DOC pool2. Here we use experimental metagenomics to show that coastal communities are populated by taxa capable of metabolizing a wide variety of organic carbon compounds. Genomic DNA captured from bacterial community subsets metabolizing a single model component of the DOC pool (either dimethylsulphoniopropionate or vanillate) showed substantial overlap in gene composition as well as a diversity of carbon-processing capabilities beyond the selected phenotypes. Our direct measure of niche breadth for bacterial functional assemblages indicates that, in accordance with ecological theory, heterogeneity in the composition and supply of organic carbon to coastal oceans may favour generalist bacteria. In the important interplay between microbial community structure and biogeochemical cycling, coastal heterotrophic communities may be controlled less by transient changes in the carbon reservoir that they process and more by factors such as trophic interactions and physical conditions.
Planned Flexibility for Course Reserves

Decades-old innovation in course reserves supply has turned into cumbersome and duplicated processes. The need to improve services at the University of South Florida was augmented by changing platforms and systems university-wide. Service enhancements are often bombarded with unforeseen obstacles. By building in a little flexibility into course reserves service, one university was able to deal with year after year of system migrations.
Human placental transfer of 17-hyrdoxyprogesterone caproate

SARAH HEMAUER, SVETLANA PATRIKEEVA, GARY HANKINS, MAHMOUD AHMED, TATIANA NANOVSKAYA, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Galveston, Texas OBJECTIVE: 17a-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17HPC) results in 30% reduction in the rate of recurrent preterm deliveries. However, the mechanism and site of action of 17HPC as well as its pharmacokinetics are yet to be elucidated. Investigations in our laboratory focus on the transplacental transfer and metabolism of drugs used in treatment of the pregnant patient. The objective of this investigation is to determine the in vitro transplacental transfer and distribution of 17HPC between placental tissue, maternal and fetal circuits. STUDY DESIGN: The technique of dual perfusion of term placental lobule was utilized. The placentas were perfused with 17HPC added to the maternal reservoir at a concentration of 21ng/ml, which is equivalent to its peak levels in maternal circulation following 1000 mg intramuscular injection, together with its dual labeled radioactive isotope (H-hydroxyprogesterone and Ccaproate). The amounts of the drug in the tissue and both circuits were determined by liquid scintillation spectrometry. RESULTS: A biphasic decline in concentration of the drug in the maternal circuit was observed, initially rapid then slow. At the end of the perfusion period, a concentration gradient of the drug between the tissue and the two circuits was observed with the following ratios: tissue/maternal circuit, 2.23 G 0.70; tissue/fetal circuit, 2.89 G 1.07 and fetal/maternal circuit 0.79 G 0.07. The drug retained in the tissue did not have any adverse effects on the determined placental tissue viability and functional parameters. CONCLUSION: 17 HPC readily crosses the placenta from the maternal to fetal circuit, is retained by placental tissue and does not affect the in vitro determined placental functions. Supported by the Obstetrics Pharmacology Research Network, NICHD.
Postprandial metabolism of meal triglyceride in humans

The intake of dietary fat above energy needs has contributed to the growing rates of obesity worldwide. The concept of disease development occurring in the fed state now has much support and dysregulation of substrate flux may occur due to poor handling of dietary fat in the immediate postprandial period. The present paper will review recent observations implicating cephalic phase events in the control of enterocyte lipid transport, the impact of varying the composition of meals on subsequent fat metabolism, and the means by which dietary lipid carried in chylomicrons can lead to elevated postprandial non-esterified fatty acid concentrations. This discussion is followed by an evaluation of the data on quantitative meal fat oxidation at the whole body level and an examination of dietary fat clearance to peripheral tissues — with particular attention paid to skeletal muscle and liver given the role of ectopic lipid deposition in insulin resistance. Estimates derived from data of dietary-TG clearance show good agreement with clearance to the liver equaling 8–12% of meal fat in lean subjects and this number appears higher (10–16%) in subjects with diabetes and fatty liver disease. Finally, we discuss new methods with which to study dietary fatty acid partitioning in vivo. Future research is needed to include a more comprehensive understanding of 1) the potential for differential oxidation of saturated versus unsaturated fatty acids which might lead to meaningful energy deficit and whether this parameter varies based on insulin sensitivity, 2) whether compartmentalization exists for diet-derived fatty acids within tissues vs. intracellular pools, and 3) the role of reduced peripheral fatty acid clearance in the development of fatty liver disease. Further advancements in the quantitation of dietary fat absorption and disposal will be central to the development of therapies designed to treat diet-induced obesity. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Triglyceride Metabolism and Disease.
A multicenter phase II trial of intrathecal topotecan in patients with meningeal malignancies

To determine the therapeutic efficacy (13-week and 26-week CNS progression-free survival [PFS], response rate, and overall survival) and safety of intraventricular (IVent) topotecan in patients with neoplastic meningitis (NM), we conducted a phase II, open-label, nonrandomized, single-arm trial of IVent topotecan in patients with NM using 400 mug of topotecan IVent twice weekly for 6 weeks, followed by evaluation with imaging, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and physical examinations. In the absence of disease progression, patients were then treated with IVent topotecan weekly for 6 weeks, twice monthly for 4 months, and monthly thereafter. Sixty-two patients (23 males and 39 females) were enrolled from April 2001 through March 2006. Median age and KPS at enrollment were 56 (range 5-83) and 80 (range 60-100), respectively. Primary cancers included breast (19), lung (13), CNS (14), and others (16). Forty patients (65%) completed the 6-week induction period, among whom 13 (21%) had CSF clearance of malignant cells. Kaplan-Meier estimates of PFS at 13 and 26 weeks were 30% (95% confidence interval [CI], 20%-45%) and 19% (95% CI, 11%-34%). Overall median survival (50 deaths) was 15 weeks (95% CI, 13-24 weeks). The most common side effect was chemical meningitis in 32% of patients (5% grade 3); 32% experienced no drug side effects. IVent topotecan is well tolerated, but provides no added benefit over other IVent therapies. Because of its modest side effect profile, combining IVent topotecan with other IVent or systemic interventions should be considered.
Impaired shifting of attention in Balint's syndrome☆

We assessed the efficiency of attentional shifts across the horizontal and vertical axes of the visual field in a patient with Balint's syndrome caused by bilateral parieto-occipital infarctions. This was performed using an adaptation of Posner's peripheral cueing paradigm. In contrast to normal controls and patients with unilateral parietal lesions previously reported, this patient did not benefit from cues directing attention to the left or right visual field. She appeared to benefit only when the cues directed attention to the upper visual field. This suggests a defect in shifting attention that may occur following bilateral parietal lesions. We discuss the implications of these findings for the role of the parietal lobes in attentional processes and for our understanding of the behavioral abnormalities observed in Balint's syndrome.
Mechanistic considerations for general acid-base catalysis by RNA: Revisiting the mechanism of the hairpin ribozyme

Several small ribozymes carry out self-cleavage at a specific phosphodiester bond to yield 2',3'-cyclic phosphate and 5'-hydroxyl termini. Prior mechanistic and structural studies on the HDV ribozymes led to the proposal that the pK(a) of C75 is shifted toward neutrality, making it an effective general acid. Recent mechanistic studies on the hairpin ribozyme have led to models in which protonation of G8 is required for phosphodiester cleavage, either for general acid catalysis or for electrostatic stabilization. Inspection of recent crystal structures of the hairpin ribozyme, including a complex with a vanadate transition state mimic, suggests an alternative model involving general acid-base catalysis with G8 serving as the general base and A38 as the general acid. This model is consistent with the literature on the hairpin ribozyme, including pH-rate profiles of wild-type and mutant ribozymes and solvent isotope effects. General mechanistic considerations for RNA catalysis suggest that the penalty for having general acids and bases with pK(a)s removed from neutrality is not as severe as expected. These considerations suggest that general acid-base catalysis may be a common mechanistic strategy of RNA enzymes.
Development and validation of an objective risk scoring system for assessing the likelihood of virus introduction in porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus-free sow farms in the US.

The lack of validated tools to predict how long sow farms will remain PRRS virus-free following successful elimination of the virus has deterred veterinarians and producers from attempting to eliminate the PRRS virus from sow farms. The aim of this study was to use the database of PRRS Risk Assessments for the Breeding Herd in PADRAP to develop and validate an objective risk scoring system for predicting the likelihood of virus introduction in PRRS virus-free sow farms in the US. To overcome the challenges of dealing with a large number of variables, group lasso for logistic regression (GLLR) was applied to a retrospective dataset of PRRS Risk Assessment for the Breeding Herd surveys completed for 704 farms to develop the risk scoring system. The validity of the GLLR risk scoring system was then evaluated by testing its predictive ability on a dataset from a long-term prospective study of 196 sow farms to assess risk factors associated with how long PRRS virus-free sow farms remained PRRS virus-free. Receiver operator characteristic(ROC) curves were estimated to compare the performance of the GLLR risk scoring system to the risk scoring system based on expert opinion (EO), currently used in the PRRS Risk Assessment for the Breeding Herd, for predicting whether herds remained PRRS virus-free for 130 weeks. The GLLR risk scoring system (AUC, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.67 - 0.84) performed significantly better than the EO risk scoring system (AUC, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.27 - 0.46) for predicting whether to sow farms in the prospective study survived for 130 weeks (p 0.001). Dividing farms into 3 risk groups (low, medium and high) using a low and high cutoff values for the GLLR risk score was informative as the differences in the KM survival curves for the 3 groups were both clinically meaningful and statistically significant. The GLLR risk scoring system used in conjunction with the PRRS Risk Assessment for the Breeding Herd survey delivered through PADRAP appears to have the potential to help veterinarians predict the likelihood of virus introduction in PRRS virus-free sow farms in the US.
A Dirichlet Process Prior for Estimating Lineage-Specific Substitution Rates

We introduce a new model for relaxing the assumption of a strict molecular clock for use as a prior in Bayesian methods for divergence time estimation. Lineage-specific rates of substitution are modeled using a Dirichlet process prior (DPP), a type of stochastic process that assumes lineages of a phylogenetic tree are distributed into distinct rate classes. Under the Dirichlet process, the number of rate classes, assignment of branches to rate classes, and the rate value associated with each class are treated as random variables. The performance of this model was evaluated by conducting analyses on data sets simulated under a range of different models. We compared the Dirichlet process model with two alternative models for rate variation: the strict molecular clock and the independent rates model. Our results show that divergence time estimation under the DPP provides robust estimates of node ages and branch rates without significantly reducing power. Further analyses were conducted on a biological data set, and we provide examples of ways to summarize Markov chain Monte Carlo samples under this model.
High-intensity single bunch instability behavior in the new SLC damping ring vacuum chamber

New low-impedance vacuum chambers were installed in the SLC damping rings for the 1994 run after finding a single bunch instability with the old chamber. Although the threshold is lower with the new vacuum chamber, the instability is less severe, and we are now routinely operating at intensities of 4.5/spl times/10/sup 10/ particles per bunch (ppb) compared to 3/spl times/10/sup 10/ ppb in 1993. The vacuum chamber upgrade is described, and measurements of the bunch length, energy spread, and frequency and time domain signatures of the instability are presented.
The effect of pregnancy weight gain on later obesity

Objective To determine whether weight increases permanently as a result of pregnancy and to explore the determinants of postpartum weight retention. Data sources Articles from the literature on obesity, parity, and gestational and postpartum weight changes were identified through a literature search. Methods of study selection Studies from the last decade that examined weight changes related to pregnancy or parity in developed countries were selected if they provided adequate information to allow useful comparisons to other studies. Data extraction and synthesis Average gestational and postpartum weight changes and their range of variation were noted. Studies emphasizing information related to weight change were used to identify alternative explanations for weight changes often credited to pregnancy. Explanations consistent with data from all of the different kinds of studies were developed by synthesis of the varied reports. Conclusions Aging is a major determinant of weight increases associated with parity in cross-sectional studies. Average weight increments are generally less than 1.5 kg (3 lb) during a single reproductive cycle (before pregnancy to 1 year postpartum), but obese women tend to have larger weight changes (both increases and decreases) than lower-weight women. Under-reporting of pre-pregnancy weight, particularly by overweight women, probably contributes to overestimation of weight gain during pregnancy and estimated retained weight. A small number of women increase weight greatly during a reproductive cycle. The studies do not prove that this is the result of the pregnancy per se. Some women gain weight postpartum, suggesting that life-style factors can be significant determinants of weight gain during a reproductive cycle. Preventive efforts targeted to the postpartum visit could be useful.
Phototunable sub-wavelength grating and 3D photonic crystal infiltrated with photosensitive nonlinear liquid crystal

Summary form only given. Nematic liquid crystals (NLC) possess very broadband birefringence and transparency [from 400 nm to 20 /spl mu/m], and extraordinarily large optical nonlinearity. Conventional methods of aligning NLCs employ surfactant and rubbed polymer coating on the cell windows. In this presentation, we demonstrate that similar aligning action may also be engendered by surface relief [1D and 2D] gratings inscribed on the glass windows. Furthermore, these cells exhibit all-optical diffraction capability.
Fabrication of flat Luneburg lens using functional additive manufacturing

The Luneburg Lens offers an exciting and elegant solution to beam scanning and multiple beam forming that can be used to implement low resolution radar systems and high directivity wireless communications. Traditionally, these lenses have been created by aligning discrete layers of materials with varying effective permittivity to emulate the Luneburg dielectric distribution given by: e r = e s (2 − (r/R)2). To realize this graded permittivity distribution experimentally can be quite challenging. Traditional methods include subtractive manufacturing, which utilizes a computer numerically controlled (CNC) drill or milling machine to produce an array of voids within a homogenous dielectric material (Sato K. and Hiroshi U., Electronics and Communications in Japan, 85, 1–12). Spatially varying the local volume fraction of the voids results in an effective permittivity distribution. While subtractive methods achieve reasonably good electromagnetic performance, the resulting part is often too fragile for many practical applications. Other designs have employed metamaterials and transformational electromagnetics to reproduce the properties of the Luneburg lens. This approach, while quite interesting, often results in a narrow frequency band of operation. In this presentation we will describe an alternative fabrication methodology based on functional additive manufacturing. Commercial additive manufacturing systems or 3D printers create three dimensional (3D) structures by patterning consecutive layers of base material. Unfortunately, these current additive manufacturing techniques are limited in their base materials and not well suited for creating electromagnetically functionalized structures with graded EM properties. Recently our group has built a custom printer for realizing rigid substrates with embedded three dimensionally varying graded dielectrics (Roper D. et. al, Smart Materials and Structures, accepted for publication). Our system employs an ultrasonic powder deposition system (S. Yang and J. Evans, Powder Technology, 129, 55–60, 2004) designed to pattern high dielectric powders onto a low loss dielectric substrate. The powder dispenser acts like an ink jet printer head for dry powders. The powders — which could be high dielectric powders, magnetic powders, conductive powders or polymer powders — are injected under computer control onto a structurally reinforced substrate. To produce a 3D distribution of dielectric properties, multiple layers are patterned, aligned, stacked and post-processed (i.e. cured in an autoclave). The final sample is a solid structure with integrated 3D graded dielectric properties. With this system, we designed, fabricated and experimentally characterized a Luneburg Lens within a structurally rigid composite. In this presentation we will provide the design and characterization of our graded dielectric printer as well as the construction and analysis of the Luneburg Lens.
The Situation of the Narrator in the Old English Wife's Lament

Although The Wife's Lament (WL) is one of the most frequently discussed pieces in the Old English poetic corpus, critics are still far from reaching agreement on the nature of the basic story conveyed by this elegiac monologue. Recent years have seen a flare-up in the old debate as to the identity of the narrator: Is the speaker a man or a woman? Detailed reexamination of the linguistic evidence regarding this question has confirmed the now traditional interpretation, that WL is indeed a woman's lamentation. This outcome has done nothing, however, to answer another question: Is the fenale speaker referring to one man (her husband or her lover), to two men (a first and then a second husband), or even to three men (two husbands and a kinsman of the second who accuses the wife of an offence deserving punishment)? There are several semantic and syntactic problems in WL, so that it has been possible to advance arguments, not equally convincing, for all three theories.' Today's reader seems compelled, as one editor has put it,
Systematic Risk and the Bullwhip Effect in Supply Chains

The variance of demand can be divided into two components, a systematic risk component that occurs due to economic factors, and an idiosyncratic noise component. Operational hedging addresses the total variance of demand, whereas financial hedging is useful against systematic risk. We investigate the systematic risk component of demand uncertainty using industry-level data for the manufacturing, wholesale trade, and retail trade sectors of the U.S. economy, and applying sales as a proxy for demand. We show that the degree of systematic risk increases substantially from retailers to wholesalers to manufacturers. Investigating two potential sources of this phenomenon, amplification of production series as predicted by the bullwhip effect and aggregation of orders placed by downstream industries, we find evidence supporting the latter. Our result have implications for the relative values of different operational and financial hedging strategies chosen by a firm. It is particularly relevant to events such as the 2008-09 economic recession and the post-recession recovery.
Successive bilateral frontal controlled cortical impact injuries show behavioral savings

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) affect millions of people each year. Research investigating repeated or serial damage in the form of lesions indicates that behavioral deficits are reduced in animals given sequential lesions separated by a sufficient period of recovery. In the lesion literature, this phenomenon is known as the serial lesion effect (SLE). Although the SLE phenomenon is established in the lesion literature, it has not been thoroughly investigated under current models of brain injury. In the current study, a controlled cortical impact of the bilateral frontal cortex was performed in either a single procedure or a serial procedure separated by two weeks. Rats were tested on the Morris water maze, bilateral tactile adhesive removal task, rotarod and Barnes maze task to determine behavioral deficits. Histology was performed to determine lesion size and astrocyte and microglial response. A serial lesion effect was demonstrated across a majority of the behavioral tasks. However, histological analyses did not suggest a clear mechanistic link to the behavioral phenomena. This is the first study to demonstrate the SLE in a model of TBI, suggesting that behavioral deficits may actually be reduced in repeated head injuries, given an adequate time window between injuries.
A Review on Non-PGM Cathode Catalysts for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cell

In recent years, people attach high attention to the energy problem owing to the energy shortage of the world. Since the price of energy resources significantly increases, it is a necessary requirement to develop new alternative sources of energy to replace non-renewable energy resources. Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology is one of the promising fields of clean and sustainable power, which is based on direct conversion of fuel into electricity. However, at the present moment PEM fuel cell is unable to be successful commercialization. The main factor is the high cost of materials in catalyst layer which is a core part of PEM fuel cell. In order to reduce the overall system cost, developing active, inexpensive non-platinum group metal (non-PGM) electrode catalysts to replace currently used Platinum (Pt)-based catalysts is a necessary and essential requirement. This paper reviews several important kinds of non-PGM electro-catalysts with different elements, such as nitrogen, transition metal, and metal organic frameworks (MOF). Among these catalysts, transition metal nitrogen-containing complexes supported on carbon materials (M-N/C) are considered the most potential oxidation reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts. The main synthetic methods are high temperature heat treating (800–1000°C). The mechanical and electrochemical properties of the final product will be analyzed by several characterization methods. For example, a RRDE test will be used to measure electron transfer number and ORR reactivity, which are the most important electrochemical properties of the new catalyst. And the morphology, particle size, crystal phase and specific surface area can be analyzed with SEM, TEM, XRD and BET methods. Although great improvement has been achieved in non-PGM catalyst area of research, there are still some challenges in both ORR activity and stability of non-PGM catalysts. Consequently, how to improve the ORR activity and stability are the major challenge of non-PGM catalyst research and development. Based on the results achieved in this area, our future research direction is also presented and discussed in this paper.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Book Review: Philip Hamburger, Is Administrative Law Unlawful?

This is a review of Philip Hamburger’s book, Is Administrative Law Unlawful? Most scholars believe that administrative law began with the rise of administrative agencies in the late nineteenth century. Hamburger, by contrast, suggests that administrative law — by which he means legally binding rules that are developed through unilateral actions by the executive branch — has existed since colonial times and beyond, and that claims of administrative autonomy are direct descendants of the claims of the English monarchy to executive omnipotence. The Framers of the Constitution were well aware of such claims, and utterly rejected them. Yet, Hamburger argues, modern administrative law embodies precisely the evils that the Constitution and its separation of powers sought to prevent. I predict that most readers will find Hamburger’s historical analysis compelling. Somewhat fewer will share his “originalist-ish” claim that the Constitution, properly understood, is at odds with modern administrative law. Many fewer, given pre-existing ideological commitments, will agree that the administrative state is despotic and must be dismantled, with power flowing instead back to the judiciary and Congress. Nevertheless, anyone interested in the rise of the American administrative state will benefit from this original, erudite, and thought-provoking book.
The Role of Motivation and Learner Variables in L1 and L2 Vocabulary Development in Japanese Heritage Language Speakers in the United States

This study investigates the role of motivation and learner variables in bilingual vocabulary development among first language (L1) Japanese students attending hoshuukoo (i.e., supplementary academic schools for Japanese-speaking children) in the United States. One hundred sixteen high school students ages 15–18 from eight hoshuukoo completed Japanese and English vocabulary tests and a student characteristics questionnaire. A principal component analysis identified six motivational factors: preference for Japan, Japanese heritage, no choice, career orientation, American identity, and positive perceptions. The students highly rated career orientation, positive perceptions, and Japanese heritage as reasons to learn both languages. Regression analysis revealed negative effects of American identity and career orientation on L1 Japanese vocabulary knowledge and a positive impact of positive perceptions on second language (L2) English proficiency. The students' college plans were highly related to the motivational factor of preference for Japan. In sum, bilingual competence can be related to motivational factors, and individual differences in bilingual proficiency among young learners of Japanese as a heritage language can be, at least partially, accounted for by socio-psychological factors.
Can technological progress continue to provide for the future

As an historian, I am obligated to point out that technology did not progress very rapidly for most of man’s history. Until the last two centuries, technology developed irregularly and at so slow a pace that, for most of human history, the mass of mankind lived in a world of scarcity and deprivation. The Industrial Revolution ushered in an era of rapid technological advance. In accelerating measure since then, technological developments have increased man’s control over his environment, ministered to his animal needs and creature comforts, rescued him from the ever-present fear of starvation, increased his mobility, lengthened his lifespan, and, in general, made work easier and life more comfortable for most of the population in the industrialized nations of the world.
Question Answering for Narrative Memory

BORIS represents the first system to integrate the knowledge-based inference techniques of scripts. plans, goals, and themes. within a single narrative understanding program. This paper discusses techniques used by BORIS for memory representation and memory retrieval. Emphasis is placed on human question answering abilities. and the heuristics needed to simulate these phenomena. An example narrative processed by BORIS is discussed in detail and used to illustrate design features.
Meat Extracts Attractive to Scavenger Vespula in Eastern North America (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

A horsemeat-based carnivore food, Nebraska Brands Feline Food (NBFF), was found to be much more attractive to workers of Vespula germanica (F.) and V. maculifrons (Buysson)than several meat-based pet foods currently used in toxic bait abatement programs. Solvent extracts made from NBFF were also strongly attractive, with the ethanol fraction being the most attractive. The combined extract fractions of NBFF were as attractive as whole NBFF. Performance of relatively unattractive meat products was enhanced after addition of various extract fractions made from NBFF. Possible applications of extract fractions as alternatives to chemical lures, i.e., heptyl butyrate, are discussed as they relate to yellow jacket abatement.
Inclusion bodies in pinealocytes of the cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) - An ultrastructural study and X-ray microanalysis

Pinealocytes of the cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) often contain large (2–6 μm diameter) intracytoplasmic inclusions, the function of which is not known. These inclusions may represent nucleolus-like bodies, mineral deposits, secretory products or viral inclusions. In this study these inclusions were classified as type A, B or C inclusions based on the amount of electron-dense material interspersed within the finely granular material comprising the bulk of these inclusions. Each type of inclusion was analyzed by X-ray microanalysis and enzymatic protein-aceous digestion. X-ray microanalysis of these inclusions differed both quantitatively and semiquantitatively from that of human or gerbil pineal concretions, the latter two of which are extracellular deposits. Pronase, a proteolytic enzyme, digested the electron-dense material only after longer times of tissue exposure to this enzyme in contrast to the easily digested, finely granular matrix-like material of these inclusions. Such intrapinealocytic inclusions have only been observed in the cotton rat. Their functional significance remains unknown.
On the Quantification of Cellular Velocity Fields

The application of flow visualization in biological systems is becoming increasingly common in studies ranging from intracellular transport to the movements of whole organisms. In cell biology, the standard method for measuring cell-scale flows and/or displacements has been particle image velocimetry (PIV); however, alternative methods exist, such as optical flow constraint. Here we review PIV and optical flow, focusing on the accuracy and efficiency of these methods in the context of cellular biophysics. Although optical flow is not as common, a relatively simple implementation of this method can outperform PIV and is easily augmented to extract additional biophysical/chemical information such as local vorticity or net polymerization rates from speckle microscopy.
Relaxation-Assisted 2D IR Using Weak Vibrational Modes

Implementation of weak IR modes as structural reporters via dual-frequency 2D IR spectroscopy is demonstrated. Prominent cross peaks originated from interactions of C≡N with C=O and C≡N with C=C modes were measured in 3-cyanocoumarin using heterodyned three-pulse photon-echo technique. In 4-acetylbenzonitrile, where the distance between CN and CO groups is over two times larger than in 3-cyanocoumarin, the direct coupling was just below the level of detectivity. A new method of measuring 2D spectra is proposed that utilizes vibrational relaxation phenomena. Using the new method the cross peaks at (ωCN, ωCO) has easily been detected; over six times increase of the cross-peak amplitude has been observed when the waiting time between the second and third pulses, T, was varied. Calculations show that using this approach vibrational modes separated by over 7–10 A can be used as structural probes enhancing substantially detectable distances via 2D IR, especially when weak IR modes are used. We have also demonstrated implementation of C-D stretching modes as structural reporters. Although C-D modes have very small transition dipoles, interaction with C≡N mode has been cleanly detected in acetonitrile-D3. As C-H groups are widespread in organic molecules, the deuterium can be placed in the vicinity of virtually any group. Implementation of new labels, reinforced by vibrational-relaxation-assisted 2D IR method, provides universal labeling strategies for structure determination via 2D IR.
A THEORY OF CRIME RESISTANCE AND SUSCEPTIBILITY

The “causes of crime” research has up to this point focused on those events and conditions that push or pressure individuals into crime (strains), that pull or attract individuals to crime (social learning for crime), and that restrain individuals from responding to pressures and attractions with crime (controls). Work in several areas, however, has suggested that the response to the pressures for and attractions to crime is not simply a function of controls. It is also a function of the individual's resistance or susceptibility to the events and conditions described by strain and social learning theories. Those high in resistance are less likely to experience these criminogenic events and conditions as pressures for or attractions to crime, whereas those high in susceptibility are more likely. Resistance and susceptibility are a function of factors that influence the perception and interpretation of criminogenic events and conditions, the emotional reaction to them, and the behavioral inclinations prompted by them. These factors include negativity, pleasure and sensation seeking, conventional efficacy and perceived social support, and general sensitivity to the environment. With certain notable exceptions, these factors have been neglected in mainstream crime research, but they have the potential to improve the explanation and prediction of crime substantially.
Shaanxi commercial meat and meat Food borne pathogens in food of pollution monitoring and analysis

Objective:Shaanxi Province commercial raw meat(pork,beef,poultry,lamb) and non-packaged Food borne pathogens in cooked meat products and the distribution of pollution trend monitoring and analysis,for the prevention of foodborne diseases,strengthen food production and good manufacturing enterprises specification(GPM) and HACCP management provide the scientific basis.Methods: Within the Collected farmers market monitoring,supermarkets,restaurants and other commercial and non-packaged raw meat and cooked meat,Salmonella,Listeria monocytogenes of bacterium(hereinafter referred to as Listeria monocytogenes),O157: H7 Escherichia coli(hereinafter referred to as O157) and Campylobacter monitoring of Foodborne pathogens.Results: From the collected samples in 1175 were four categories of raw meat,separating the target pathogen 633,Zuigao Jian Ratio 79.02%,the lowest detection rate of 32.12 percent,the average detection rate of 53.87%.544 copies of amorphous packing cooked meat samples,86 strains of bacteria isolated targets,the detection rate of 15.81%.Both are Listeria monocytogenes detection was high,followed by Salmonella.237 detected by serological identification of Salmonella,belonging to serogroup 9 or sub-groups,32 serotypes,and Shaanxi Province have not reported the detection of new serogroups or serotypes.Conclusion: 7 consecutive years by Shaanxi commercial raw meat and cooked meat products packaged in non-foodborne pathogens actively monitoring the health status of meat and meat products worrying is the cause of foodborne illness or food poisoning,high-risk foods,should be to strengthen food health supervision,inspection and food safety supervision.
Scheme of Arcless On-load Voltage Regulation for Distribution Transformer Using High Power Electronic Switch

A new scheme of arcless on-load voltage regulation using high power electronic switch is put forward based on the relative technology experiences.According to the development of power electronics technology,two schemes of arcless on-load voltage regulation for high voltage and tow voltage distribution transformers are introduced respectively.The waveforms of simulation experiment are also given.On-load voltage regulation control system with monolithic computer as the core for the scheme is built and the experiment on low voltage model proved that arcless on-load voltage regulation could he carried out quickly and reliably by its control system in the new scheme.
A sensitive radiochemical assay for angiotensin-converting enzyme (kinase II).

Abstract [[125I]Tyr8]Bradykinin is degraded by angiotensin-converting enzyme to [125I]Tyr-Arg. The reaction product can be separated completely and recovered nearly quantitatively from unchanged substrate by cation-exchange chromatography. Thus it is possible to use [[125I]Tyr8]bradykinin at high specific radioactivity (about 400Ci/mmol) to measure the small quantities of angiotensin-converting enzyme encountered in small-scale cultures of pulmonary endothelial cells.
Chemical vapour deposition of metalloporphyrins: a simple route towards the preparation of gas separation membranes

A simple and easily scalable approach towards the preparation of gas separation membranes is described. UV-vis spectroscopy and size-exclusion chromatography undoubtedly evidenced the polymerisation of porphyrin building units and highlighted the significance of the proposed initiated plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition approach. The porphyrins are further copolymerised with a cross-linking agent, i.e. divinylbenzene (DVB), to form dense and microporous P(DVB-co-ZnTPC) thin films with enhanced chemical stability and superior gas separation properties. The gas separation performances for CO2/CH4, H2/N2 and H2/CH4 reach 150, 224 and 550, respectively, indicating that the P(DVB-co-ZnTPC) thin films have great potential applications for natural gas sweetening and hydrogen separation.
Blind channel estimation for OFDM systems based on non-redundant linear recording

In this paper we consider a novel approach that can be applied on a single transmit/receive antenna OFDM system, to increase multipath diversity, and at the same time, enable blind channel estimation at the receiver. A non-redundant linear precoder is applied on each pair of blocks before they enter the OFDM system. It is composed of unitary sub-matrices, which spread each symbol onto multiple sub-carriers, thus enabling robustness to subcarrier nulls. Due to the introduced structure, the channel can be estimated at the receiver based on cross-correlation operations, without increasing transmission power.
Analysis and Qualitative Modelling of Experimentally Observed Dynamic Features

Chemically reacting systems may exhibit a variety of dynamic and steady-state multiplicity features. The parameter space is separated by hypersurfaces called bifurcation sets into regions with qualitatively different types of behavior. These sets intersect or coalesce at singular points next to which several states with qualitatively different behavior exist [1–4]. We define a singular point to be a physical center if three or more regions with different observed behavior intersect transversely or one at which two regions intersect tangentially.
The Excimer Laser

Within the last decade there has been a marked increase in the pace of development of ultraviolet (UV) lasers and their technology. In part, this is a result of the demand for ultraviolet wavelengths in the developing fields of laser photochemistry and photobiology, and to some extent the interest in materials processing and microfabrication. In part, it is a result of a natural tendency for the laser physicist to turn in a direction in which there has been heretofore little success, that is, in developing efficient ultraviolet lasers. The most striking result of this activity has been the class of UV excimer lasers.* As a result of this work, these lasers have been engineered to the point where they can provide a variety of intense coherent sources with wavelengths from 400 to less than 200 nm. Compared to other laser systems at the same state of development, they are surprisingly simple and inexpensive. Already they can provide average powers up to 50 W and pulse powers up to 100 MW. The ability to produce such power levels at variable wavelengths through the UV will clearly have a major impact on the use of lasers in medical or biological research.
Substorm Trigger Processes in the Magnetotail: Recent Observations and Outstanding Issues

The present article reviews recent studies about near-Earth substorm processes. A focus is placed on the relationship between two fundamental processes, that is, tail current disruption (TCD) and the formation of a near-Earth neutral line (NENL). The former is inferred to cause dipolarization, and the latter is often associated with the fast plasma flow in the plasma sheet. Whereas it is inferred from the directions of fast plasma flows that the NENL is formed at 20–30 RE from the Earth, dipolarization is most manifest in the near-Earth (6.6–12 RE) region. The observation of the fast plasma flow prior to substorm (Pi2) onsets favors the idea that the NENL is formed first and dipolarization is the effect of the pile-up of magnetic flux convected earthward from the NENL, which is called the pile-up model. The present paper addresses several outstanding issues regarding this model, including (1) the interpretation of plasma flow deceleration in terms of the flux pile up, (2) highly irregular magnetic fluctuations observed in the near- Earth region, (3) the spatial coherency of the fast plasma flow, (4) the spatial structure and expansion of dipolarization region, and (5) the explosive growth phase. The paper also proposes the possibility that TCD is an independent process, but the formation of the NENL sets a favorable condition for it.
Regional Ventilation Is the Main Determinant of Alveolar Deposition of Coarse Particles in the Supine Healthy Human Lung During Tidal Breathing.

Abstract Background: To quantify the relationship between regional lung ventilation and coarse aerosol deposition in the supine healthy human lung, we used oxygen-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and planar gamma scintigraphy in seven subjects. Methods: Regional ventilation was measured in the supine posture in a 15 mm sagittal slice of the right lung. Deposition was measured by using planar gamma scintigraphy (coronal scans, 40 cm FOV) immediately postdeposition, 1 hour 30 minutes and 22 hours after deposition of 99mTc-labeled particles (4.9 μm MMAD, GSD 2.5), inhaled in the supine posture (flow 0.5 L/s, 15 breaths/min). The distribution of retained particles at different times was used to infer deposition in different airway regions, with 22 hours representing alveolar deposition. The fraction of total slice ventilation per quartile of lung height from the lung apex to the dome of the diaphragm at functional residual capacity was computed, and co-registered with deposition data—apices aligned—using a...
Radiotherapy for brain metastases near the end of life in an integrated health care system.

Background: To examine radiotherapy (RT) patterns-of-care and utilization at the end of life (EOL) among non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastasis (BrM) in an integrated health care system. Methods: Central tumor registry identified 5,133 patients diagnosed with NSCLC from 2007–2011. BrM were determined by imaging. Patient and clinical characteristics were obtained by chart abstraction. In addition to abstracted variables, graded prognostic assessment (GPA) score of 0-1 was derived by collected data and tested as a predictor of death within 14 or 30 days of RT. Results: On NSCLC presentation, 10% harbored BrM while 7% developed BrM thereafter. Of 900 BrM patients, 15% were not referred for RT, with median time to death of 21 days. Median time to death for 5% not recommended RT was 48 days. Among those receiving brain RT, 11.9% died within 14 days and 23.3% (cumulatively) died within 30 days of treatment. Over 50% with GPA score 0–1 received RT, 11% within 14 days and 21% within 30 days of death; median survival of GPA score 0–1 patients was 49 days. GPA score 0–1 independently predicted for death within 30 days of RT receipt. Conclusions: BrM are common in NSCLC, and most patients are referred for brain RT. A surprising proportion of patients received treatment near the EOL, as 23% died within 30 days of RT. GPA score of 0–1 predicted for death within 30 days of treatment. RT referral, recommendation, and timing should be better tailored to life expectancy, and additional benchmarks for quality of care are needed.
Hospitalizations for asthma among adults exposed to the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attack.

Objective: We described the patterns of asthma hospitalization among persons exposed to the 2001 World Trade Center (WTC) attacks, and assessed whether 9/11-related exposures or comorbidities, incl...