cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automated Enzyme Screening Methods for the Preparation of Enantiopure Pharmaceutical Intermediates

In a pharmaceutical environment, the need for efficient and practical screening techniques has become vital in the search for ideal enzymes that can be used in the preparation of drug intermediates. This paper describes a general high throughput screening (HTS) protocol that has been validated by a number of global projects within Pfizer. It outlines the proce- dures for the preparation of screening kits, as well as protocols for reaction set-up, optimization and anal- ysis. The need for such protocols in routinely evalu- ating the use of solvent engineering in enzymatic hydrolysis reactions is also outlined, with several examples provided. The advantages and disadvan- tages of a number of complementary analytical tools that are being used in the analysis of enzymatic reactions are also discussed.
Attention to prosody (intonation) and content in children with autism and in typical children using spoken sentences in a computer game

Abstract This study validated a video game paradigm to explore attention to prosodic and linguistic components of spoken sentences in nine moderate-to-low functioning children with autism and impaired verbal skills. Nine typically developing children were also included. The children listened to pre-recorded sentences varying with respect to content (e.g., “Max ate a grape” vs. “Tom threw a ball”) and prosody (i.e., intonation of statement vs. question). During training, children learned to select one of two sentences differing in both content and prosody. At testing, children listened to stimuli consisting of recombinations of the content and prosodic features of the training stimuli. Testing performance indicated that the children with autism attended to the content and prosodic features of the training stimuli equally, whereas the children with typical development showed a clear preference for content over prosody. Both groups showed accurate discrimination of the training stimuli from the recombined test stimuli. The findings are interpreted in light of three approaches to explain the unusual attention patterns in autism: stimulus overselectivity, weak central coherence, and enhanced perceptual functioning.
Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation in the intensive care unit: a concise review.

Objective:To critically assess available high-level clinical studies regarding use of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation in varied intensive care unit settings.Data Source:Search of pertinent articles within Ovid MEDLINE from 1975 to 2005, CINAHL from 1982 to 2005, EMBASE from 1988 to 2005, a
Comparison of computationally efficient forms of FDTS/DF against PR4-ML

The authors compare the error-rate performance and circuit complexity of fixed-delay tree search with decision-feedback (FDTS/DF) to that of Class IV partial response equalization followed by Viterbi detection (PR4-ML). The impact of realistic impulse responses, misequalization, phase errors, and offtrack interference on both detection strategies is explored. Two computationally efficient methods for implementing FDTS/DF are presented. These FDTS/DF architectures avoid explicit multiplication-one uses a RAM-based table lookup and the other uses binary equalization over the tree-depth. >
Management of Gastrointestinal Disorders in the Bariatric Patient

Morbid obesity continues to grow at an alarming rate. As of 2004, 35% of Americans were considered to have a body mass index (BMI) over 30. As the number of patients undergoing weight loss surgery increases, the patient population presenting to primary care physicians with previous gastric bypass will also increase. Accordingly, it will become imperative for primary care physicians to be familiar and comfortable with the care of these patients. This review focuses on the management of gastrointestinal disorders in postoperative gastric bypass patients.
Estimating a volumetric backscatter coefficient from in-situ measurements on the Greenland Ice Sheet

The authors obtained in-situ radar backscatter data at several sites on the Greenland Ice Sheet to better relate scattering signatures to firn physical properties. Backscatter measurements were made using an ultra-wide band radar system (.5-18 GHz) for incidence angles between 0 and 50 degrees, with respect to the snow surface. For large angles of incidence (>25/spl deg/) the measured backscatter is dominated by volumetric scattering, as opposed to surface and specular backscatter occurring at near normal incidence. Using the data the authors present a method for estimating the volumetric backscatter coefficient as a function of depth in firn. Results show trends consistent with both seasonal variations and long-term grain growth, which is primarily influenced by the accumulation rate.
CPROB: Checkpoint Processing with Opportunistic Minimal Recovery

CPR (Checkpoint Processing and Recovery) is a physical register management scheme that supports a larger instruction window and higher average IPC than conventional ROB-style register management. It does so by restricting mis-speculation recovery to checkpoints created at rename, and leveraging this restriction to aggressively reclaim registers that don't appear in checkpoints. The cost of CPR is checkpoint overhead, which is incurred when a mis-speculation occurs on an instruction for which a checkpoint was not created a priori. Here, CPR must recover to the immediately older checkpoint, squashing instructions older than the mis-speculation itself. In contrast, a ROB processor performs minimal recovery and only squashes instructions younger than the mis-speculation. CPROB is a hybrid register management scheme that preserves CPR's aggressive reclamation while opportunistically minimizing checkpoint overhead. CPROB extends CPR to track and hold the registers needed to perform minimal recovery to un-executed branches within each checkpoint. Recovery registers are held on a best-effort basis only. A checkpoint's recovery registers can be freed spontaneously when all branches in the checkpoint execute. They can also be aggressively victimized if dispatch needs registers to proceed. CPROB naturally adapts the register reclamation policy to dynamic branch behavior. When branch mis-predictions are infrequent and registers are needed to support a large window, CPROB victimizes registers and behaves like CPR. When mis-predictions are frequent and the window is small, CPROB holds on to registers and behaves like ROB. As a result, it out-performs both CPR and ROB for a given program. This performance improvement, combined with reduced checkpoint overhead, makes CPROB more energy-efficient than either ROB or CPR.
Coercivity mechanism and microstructure of (Co/Pt) multilayers

The coercivity mechanism of (Co/Pt) multilayers with high H/sub c/ and high squareness fabricated by sputtering is mainly due to the wall pinning rather than the nucleation process. In order to estimate the size of a wall-pinning site, a study of the temperature dependence of the coercivity, perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, and saturation magnetization for multilayers fabricated under various substrate conditions has been carried out. The size r/sub 0/ of the pinning sites of about 4 AA was obtained for the multilayer film deposited onto an etched SiN/sub x/ film. The size r/sub 0/ increases with less interface-sharpness, which was confirmed by X-ray low angle diffraction. This implies that the pinning site is closely related to the interfacial region. An inhomogeneity near the interface between Co and Pt is believed to play a major role as pinning for a wall motion. This result is compared to the case of Tb/sub 26/(FeCo)/sub 74/ films, where the size is found to be about 60 AA approximately 250 AA. >
Obesity epidemic has emerged among Nigerians

Background: Data from the WHO shows that the prevalence of overweight and obesity increased by ~20% between 2002 and 2010 in Nigeria. We conducted this study to examine the correlates of this fast growing epidemic. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among a random sample of 1058 adults, who were visitors and staff of a government worksite in Abuja, an urban city in Nigeria. The study participants had varying socio-economic status and a wide range of occupations, including skilled labor and professionals. Log-binomial regression models were used to estimate the multivariable-adjusted associations of potential determinants with the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Result: The mean age and body-mass index of the study population were 42 years±(9.3) and 27 kg/m 2 ±(4.8). The overall prevalence of overweight or obesity (body-mass index ≥25 kg/m 2 ) was 64% (74% of the women and 57% of the men). For women compared to men, the prevalence ratio (PR) and (95% confidence interval, CI) was 1.24 (95% CI 1.08, 1.43, p =0.004), for overweight, and 2.54 (95% CI 2.08, 3.10, p =<0.0001), for obesity. Individuals aged 40 – 49 years were more likely to be overweight or obese. The PR for overweight and obesity was 1.45 (95% CI 1.07, 1.97), p for age trend=0.002 and 8.07(95% CI 3.01, 21.66, p for age trend =<0.0001) for those aged 40 – 49 years, compared with those aged <30 years. Compared with the individuals in the lower socio-economic status, the PR for obesity among those in the middle and high socio-economic statuses, were 1.39 (95% CI 1.13, 1.72) and 1.24 (95% CI 0.97, 1.59) respectively, p for trend = 0.003. Conclusion: About two-thirds of urban, professional, high socio-economic status Nigerian adults are either overweight or obese. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among this population of adult Nigerians, is as high as it is in the United Kingdom. Female gender and older age were independent predictors of overweight and obesity; while middle or high socio-economic status were independently associated with obesity.
Equal Protection: Bush v. Gore and the Making of a Precedent

This essay, a chapter in a book of essays by law professors, historians, and political scientists edited by Jack Rakove, traces the doctrinal developments in equal protection law that culminated in the Supreme Court's decision in Bush v. Gore. It opens with a discussion of how the political question doctrine and the Supreme Court's decisions in Giles v. Harris and other cases involving elections led it to use the equal protection clause to police the political process. It then identifies aspects of the Court's one-person, one-vote decisions that set the stage for Bush v. Gore. It also traces the tortuous relationship between the Court and Congress over the enforcement of principles of political equality. The essay then turns to the Court's treatment of equal protection precedents in Bush v. Gore itself. Here, I point out ways in which the Florida situation resembled and differed from earlier equal protection cases, with respect both to the contours of the violation and, more importantly, with respect to the remedy imposed. Given the tenuousness of the equal protection analysis, the question becomes why the Court relied on that rationale. I suggest a political, but not exactly partisan, explanation. As between the equal protection clause - source of some of the Supreme Court's finest moments, in cases such as Brown v. Board of Education and Reynolds v. Sims - and Article II, S 1 - the central pillar of at most a nineteenth-century case concerning how Michigan selected its electors - the choice was clear. If the Supreme Court was going to stop the recount process, and thus decide, in effect, who would be the next President of the United States, it had to use a constitutional provision with a celebrated and unassailable pedigree. The equal protection clause provided exactly that. Moreover, it allowed the Court to invoke the specter of unfairly disenfranchised voters, whereas the other available constitutional contenders protected either the prerogative of state legislatures (Article II, S 1) or, even worse, the interests of a particular candidate, George W. Bush (the due process clause).
Quantifying fluctuations of resting state networks using arterial spin labeling perfusion MRI

Blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been widely used to investigate spontaneous low-frequency signal fluctuations across brain resting state networks. However, BOLD only provides relative measures of signal fluctuations. Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) MRI holds great potential for quantitative measurements of resting state network fluctuations. This study systematically quantified signal fluctuations of the large-scale resting state networks using ASL data from 20 healthy volunteers by separating them from global signal fluctuations and fluctuations caused by residual noise. Global ASL signal fluctuation was 7.59% ± 1.47% relative to the ASL baseline perfusion. Fluctuations of seven detected resting state networks vary from 2.96% ± 0.93% to 6.71% ± 2.35%. Fluctuations of networks and residual noise were 6.05% ± 1.18% and 6.78% ± 1.16% using 4-mm resolution ASL data applied with Gaussian smoothing kernel of 6mm. However, network fluctuations were reduced by 7.77% ± 1.56% while residual noise fluctuation was markedly reduced by 39.75% ± 2.90% when smoothing kernel of 12 mm was applied to the ASL data. Therefore, global and network fluctuations are the dominant structured noise sources in ASL data. Quantitative measurements of resting state networks may enable improved noise reduction and provide insights into the function of healthy and diseased brain.
Energy Price Reform and Energy Efficiency in Iran

Iran is an energy-rich country possessing 11 percent of global oil reserves and 15.3 percent of global natural gas reserves. Ranked 2nd among OPEC and with a potential for natural gas exports to Europe and Asia, Iran also plays a significant role in the world energy market and the global economy. However, Iran’s rapidly growing own energy consumption (about 6 percent per year for the past 30 years) has raised concerns about the country’s ability to continue to export oil in the next decade. The main driving forces behind the rising trend of energy consumption are economic growth (5 percent for the past 40 years) and population growth (about 2 percent), and heavily subsidized energy markets (12 percent of the GDP) (Iran Energy Balance, 2010; Central Bank of Iran Economic Indicators, 2011). The latter, along with other factors such as poor management, lack of investment, and structure of the economy with a lion’s share of economic activities controlled by government, have led to an inefficient use of energy. The energy intensity index in Iran is one of the highest in the world (twice as much as the world average) and has been increasing on average by about 3.4 percent per year over the past 40 years (Iran Energy Balance, 2010; EIA, 2011). The substantial subsidizing of energy prices over the years has also led to low productivity in the energy-intensive industries, deterioration of environment in urban areas, and a huge burden on the government budget leading to macroeconomic disturbances.To address the increasing economic and social problems associated with high energy subsidies, Iran implemented an aggressive and wide-ranging energy price reform through which energy subsidies were to be removed in 2010. The main objectives of the reform plan were twofold: to bring the government budget in control and to cut energy consumption. In this article, I review the energy market and the energy price reform in Iran with a focus on energy efficiency.
Bactericidal Synergism Between β-Lactams and Aminoglycosides: Mechanism and Possible Therapeutic Implications

This work, presented as the introductory lecture of the symposium, reviews the mechanisms of antibiotic action of beta-lactams and of aminoglycosides from a historical perspective and gives emphasis to the features relevant to their synergistic interaction. These features include the limiting effect of penetration of aminoglycosides on the rate of killing; the ability of beta-lactams to increase that penetration, even under conditions where they cannot cause a lethal damage to the cell envelope; and the ability of aminoglycosides to be lethal with a smaller amount of cell growth than is required for killing by beta-lactams. The paper also briefly discusses theoretical arguments favoring a broader use of bactericidal synergism in clinical practice.
Mature results from a phase II trial of accelerated induction chemoradiotherapy and surgery for poor prognosis stage III non-small-cell lung cancer.

Mature results are reported from a phase II trial of accelerated induction chemoradiotherapy and surgical resection for stage III non-small-cell lung cancer whose prognosis is poor. Surgically staged patients with poor prognosis stage III non-small-cell lung cancer were eligible for this study. Four-day continuous intravenous infusions of cisplatin 20 mg/m 2 / day, 5-fluorouracil 1,000 mg/m 2 /day, and etoposide 75 mg/m 2 / day were given concurrently with accelerated fractionation radiation therapy, 1.5 Gy twice a day, to a total dose of 27 Gy. Surgical resection followed in 4 weeks. Identical postoperative chemotherapy and concurrent radiation to a total dose of 40 to 63 Gy was subsequently given. Between February 1991 and June 1994, 42 eligible and evaluable patients, 23 with stage IIIA disease and 19 with stage IIIB disease, were entered in this trial. Treatment was well tolerated. The pathologic response rate was 40%. This response was complete in 5%. With a median follow-up of 54 months, the Kaplan-Meier 4-year survival estimate is 19%: 26% for stage IIIA and 11% for stage IIIB patients. Patients with a pathologic response, resectable disease, or pathologic downstaging to stage 0, 1, or II had a better survival. The 4-year estimates of locoregional and distant disease control are 70% and 19%, respectively. It is concluded that although the ultimate role of concurrent chemoradiotherapy and surgery in stage III non-small-cell lung cancer must await the results of phase III clinical trials, survival and locoregional control in this study appear improved in comparison with historical experience. There is a subset of patients, able to undergo resection with pathologic downstaging, who have a projected survival equivalent to that of patients with more limited disease. Clinical or pathologic tools to identify these patients before treatment would be highly useful.
In Vitro Rearing of Grapevine Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) on Micropropagated Shoot Cultures of Bunch Grape and Muscadine Plants

We developed a method for rearing Aphis illinoisensis Shimer, a vector of watermelon mosaic virus 2 (WMV-2), on micropropagated shoot cultures of bunch ( Vitis hybrid, subgenus Euvitis ) and muscadine ( Vitis rotundifolia , subgenus Muscadinia ) grape plants to standardize host-plant quality and reduce the need for greenhouse space. We compared aphids reared aseptically on shoot cultures with aphids reared on grapevines grown in pots with regard to development time, prereproductive period, and fecundity. Aphids reared on whole plants produced more offspring and lived longer than those reared on shoot cultures of the bunch grape cultivar ‘Blanc du Bois’. The same parameters were used to compare the suitability of bunch and muscadine shoot cultures as hosts. Transmission of WMV-2 was related to the number of probes made by aphids. There was no difference in efficiency of virus transmission between aphids from a colony reared on whole plants for 18 wk, aphids reared on shoot cultures and transferred for one generation to whole plants, or aphids reared on shoot cultures. Culture quality was important, however, because aphids reared on hyperhydric shoot cultures probed fewer times and transmitted virus less efficiently than those from cultures with normal leaves. The use of in vitro shoot cultures provides an efficient way to rear aphids whose host plant is not suitable for growth and reproduction at all times of the year or when many specific clones must be maintained without risk of contamination.
Clinical Analysis of Lobar Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Pneumonia in 21 Children

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics and diagnosis of mycoplasma pneumoniae(MP) pneumonia showing lobar pneumonia.Methods Patients from Jan.2004 to Dec.2005 were selected as researching case,which had samptoms and signs of respiratory in clinic,the chest Xray shown lobar pneumonia,the MP of down respiratory′s secretion detected by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and MP-IgM of serum detected by indirect hemagglutination were positive.The clinical data of them were reviewed.Results MP pneumonia showing lobar pneumonia was same to streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia in clinic,but it had some characters:1.majority of the lobar MP pneumonia were children being student;2.the process was long,the samptoms of respiratory was tipical,the continuous fever was few,and the infectious samptoms was not obvious as streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia;3.the injury to lung was more and tipical;4.the increase of white blood cell,neutrocyte and C-reactive protein were not clearly as to streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia,but the absorbing of lung′s focal was relatively fast;5.the β-lactams antibiotic was not effective,but macrolides was effective.Conclusions Clinical characters of MP pneumonia are needed to master,the variety of chest X-ray changes and differentiate from other pneumonia infected by other are needed to notice.
Dietary Restriction and Life-Span Extension

The popularity of the dietary restriction (DR) paradigm (often used interchangeably with calorie restriction) among gerontologists is primarily based on the research finding of the last two decades. Originally discovered by McCay's group in the 1930s, this paradigm showed that animals placed on the DR regimen, meaning reduced nutrition without malnutrition, had robust life extensions (1). This scientific breakthrough showed that nutritional status can bring about distinctive metabolic adjustments.
Cardiac PET perfusion and metabolism to characterize local electrophysiological tissue properties for ventricular tachycardia ablation

208 Objectives The goal of this study is to evaluate the use of cardiac PET perfusion and viability images for predicting local electrophysiological (EP) tissue properties for patients undergoing ablation procedures for left ventricular tachycardia. Methods Patients with ischemia who had both Rb-82 perfusion (rest) and F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) viability PET before an EP radiofrequency ablation procedure were included in this retrospective study (n=18, 18 male, age 68±10 yr). The EP procedure included tissue substrate characterization with a catheter-based electroanatomic mapping system. Standard bipolar voltage EP tissue categories were scar ( 1.5 mV). Polar maps of Rb-82 perfusion and FDG uptake were generated, registered and fused with discrete EP voltage data points using our custom software tool (CardioViewer). Using PET and EP data at spatially matched positions, histograms of PET values for different EP tissue categories were computed along with means and standard deviations. Rb-82 and FDG values were used in an ROC analysis to predict EP-derived scar ( Results There were 5625 matched PET-EP points for Rb-82 and 5619 for FDG. Mean normalized Rb-82 perfusion % was 52±23 for scar, 63±23 for BZ and 77±21 for normal (p Conclusions Local EP tissue category can be predicted from PET Rb-82 perfusion and FDG viability data using a novel point-specific approach. Prospective application of such predictions may aid the electrophysiologist in EP ablation procedures for left ventricular tachycardia. Research Support This work was supported by the Proposed Research Initiated by Students and Mentors (PRISM) program of the University of Maryland School of Medicine and a Bradley-Alavi Fellowship from the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging.
Laser ablation of electrodes for Li-ion battery remanufacturing

Formation of solid electrolyte interface (SEI) on the electric vehicle (EV) battery electrodes has been indicated as major cause of capacity deterioration in the electric vehicle battery. This paper describes process for the removal of SEI deposited on the EV battery electrodes during continuous cycling. Laser fluence ranging from 0.308 to 2.720 J/cm2 was used to irradiate surfaces of degraded battery electrodes to ablate SEI. Ablation of SEI from the surface of electrodes was done to enable recovery of electrodes for EV battery remanufacturing. Analytical tools including scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrochemical measurements are used to assess structural changes in the recovered electrodes and determine the functionalities. The analysis show promising results for the restoration of cyclability of recovered electrode to new-like condition.
Cattle grazing a riparian mountain meadow: effects of low and moderate stocking density on nutrition, behavior, diet selection, and plant growth response

Twelve ruminally cannulated and six intact crossbred beef steers were used in a randomized complete block design to evaluate the effects of stocking density of a riparian pasture in the Sierra Nevada mountains on grazing behavior, dietary selection, forage intake, digesta kinetics, and growth rates of Carex nebraskensis and Juncus balticus. Nine .5-ha pastures were assigned to one of three treatments: ungrazed (CON) or grazed to leave either 1,500 kg/ha (LOW) or 1,000 kg/ha (MOD). Two collections were conducted during the summer of 1992 (following winter drought) and 1993 (following above-average winter precipitation). Standing crop biomass was greater (P .10) botanical or chemical composition of the diet in 1992, and only minor differences were noted (P .10) between LOW and MOD steers. Within the mid-meadow area in 1992, loafing time was greater (P< .05) for MOD steers than for LOW steers. In 1993, a treatment x trial interaction was noted for loafing time in all three areas. Total time spent grazing was greater (P < .05) for MOD steers than for LOW steers in 1992 and was affected (P < .05) by a treatment x trial interaction in 1993. In 1992 grazing time along the streamside was greater (P < .05) for LOW steers than for MOD steers, and significant treatment x trial interactions were noted for grazing time spent along the forest edge and mid-meadow areas. In 1993, only streamside grazing time was influenced by treatment being greater (P < .05) for MOD steers than for LOW steers. In general, our data suggest that management decisions to reduce stocking densities may force cattle to congregate along streambanks and to concentrate grazing and loafing activities in those areas.
Supercooling of Hydrogen on Template Materials to Deterministically Seed Ignition-Quality Solid Fuel Layers

We explored templating effects of various materials for hydrogen (H2 and D2) solidification by measuring the degree of supercooling required for liquid hydrogen to solidify below each triple point....
Existence and characterization of minima of concave functions on unbounded convex sets

Hirsch and Hoffman (1961) studied the problem of minimizing a real-valued concave function on a closed convex set containing no lines. They showed that if the closure of the collection of extreme points is bounded and the function is lower semicontinuous thereon, the function attains its minimum on the set at an extreme point if and only if the function is bounded below on each half-line in the set. It is shown in this paper that this is so if and only if the negative part of the function has uniformly bounded jumps on all line segments in the set and the function is bounded below on the half-lines emanating from a single element of the set in every extreme direction. If also the set is bounded below and the directional derivative of the function at infinity in every extreme direction is linear in the directions, it is shown that the function attains its minimum on the set if and only if a pair of linear functions attains its lexicographic minimum on the set.
Attention and Observing

This chapter presents an analysis of space, form, and color perception in monkeys. It presents the work on attention by monkeys, which began with systematic observations of monkeys in laboratory environments. While it may have been desirable from a naturalist's point of view to conduct field studies of behavior, an overview of the behavior patterns of caged animals was required. This strategy seemed appropriate, as the experiments on perception were to be conducted in a laboratory setting. Visual survey occurred when the animal was stationary and made sweeping eye movements and rotated its head. It was distinguished from visual regard of objects, which by definition involved fixation of 1 second or longer. Locomotion and resting were also recorded as non-object-directed behavior but turned out to be inconsequential punctuation between the other behaviors. Survey increased in old animals and was greater in small-brained than large-brained animals. The complement of both survey and scan is fixation on objects, and the consequence of their differentiation is the freedom to fixate more.
Hormones and Reproductive Patterns in Urodele and Gymnophionid Amphibians

Publisher Summary Urodela and the Gymnophiona are members of the vertebrate subclass Lissamphibia (class Amphibia). Both Urodela and the Gymnophiona are derived from the Greek words, which mean tail. Reproduction in these groups is timed by environmental factors operating through the central nervous system and the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Activation of the HPG axis results in gametogenesis, mating, and production of offspring. Urodele and Gymnophiona amphibians exhibit four basic life-history patterns: biphasic (terrestrial and aquatic phases), paedomorphic (aquatic phase only), direct development (terrestrial phase only), and viviparity (aquatic and/or terrestrial phases). Reproductive cycles of representative patterns are described together with the hormonal factors involved. In terms of fertilization, transfer of sperm from male to female usually is accomplished through the deposition on the substrate of a stalked spermatophore. In a few closely related species, transfer of sperm may occur through cloacal apposition.
Effect of Al2O3 on the sintering of garnet-type Li6.5La3Zr1.5Ta0.5O12

Abstract It is widely recognized that Al plays a dual role in the fabrication of garnet-type solid electrolytes, i.e., as a dopant that stabilizes the cubic structure and a sintering aid that facilitates the densification. However, the sintering effect of Al 2 O 3 has not been well understood so far because Al is typically “unintentionally” introduced into the sample from the crucible during the fabrication process. In this study, we have investigated the sintering effect of Al on the phase composition, microstructure, and ionic conductivity of Li 6.5 La 3 Zr 1.5 Ta 0.5 O 12 by using an Al-free crucible and intentionally adding various amounts of γ-Al 2 O 3 . It was found that the densification of Li 6.5 La 3 Zr 1.5 Ta 0.5 O 12 occurred via liquid-phase sintering, with evidence of morphology change among different compositions. Among all of the compositions, samples with 0.05 mol Al per unit formula of garnet oxide (i.e., 0.3 wt% Al 2 O 3 ) exhibited the optimal microstructure and the highest total ionic conductivity of 5 × 10 − 4 S cm − 1 at room temperature.
Surrogate model-assisted analysis of the performance of quasiconformal Transformation Optics-enabled flattened gradient-index lenses

Gradient-index (GRIN) optics has seen a surge of interest due to the advent of Transformation Optics (TO) which has enabled a new generation of GRIN devices. Moreover, these devices often have better performance than what has been achieved with more traditional GRIN design techniques. In order to better understand the origins of this performance improvement, such TO-derived solutions are decomposed into a 2D-polynomial basis to analyze their behavior and to determine which terms improve optical performance: a study that involves thousands of iterations of numerical TO and ray tracing. By training a surrogate model to approximate the TO calculation, the procedure can be greatly accelerated, dramatically reducing the time of this study from weeks to hours.
Fruit-eating birds in experimental plantings in southern Mexico

Maintenance of biodiversity in tropical agrarian landscapes is challenging in the face of anthropomorphic simplification of habitats. As part of an experiment testing influences of planting treatment on tree recruitment in southern Mexico, counts of bird species were made over 10 years in twenty-four 30 × 30-m fenced plots in over-grazed pasture. Plots were planted with native tree species or left as unplanted controls in 2006. Annual censuses of birds in the plots from 2007–2016 indicated statistically significant increases in the number of fruit-eating species and individuals as vegetation matured, but increases in non-frugivorous species and individuals over the decade were not significant. Among four species of planted animal-dispersed trees that bore fruit during this time, Cecropia obtusifolia consistently produced substantial crops after 2009. In 2015, all 53 planted or passively recruited female trees of mature size of this species bore fruit. The summed body masses of fruit-eating birds in each of 24 plots were significantly correlated with rank order of available fruit per plot. Differential use of habitat patches in an agrarian landscape suggested substantial value to frugivores, but less to non-frugivorous birds than expected.
Onset of luteolytic action of exogenous prostaglandinF-2α during estrous cycle in goats

The objectives of these two experiments were to determine the day of onset of luteolysis after exogenous PGF-2α administration during the estrous cycle and the fertility of this synchronized estrus in goats. In the first experiment, during the breeding season, 48 Nubian does were estrous synchronized, using intravaginal sponges impregnated with a progestin, and estrus was detected by vasectomized bucks. The does were divided at random into three groups of 16 does each to be treated at days 2, 3, and 4 of the estrous cycle (estrus = day 0). Then, at each day of injection, the does were again randomly divided to receive a single dose of natural prostaglandin F-2α im (PGF-2α; 5 mg/doe; treatment [TRE] group) or sterile saline solution (control [CON] group; 1 mL/doe). Finally, the following groups were originated: TRE-2, CON-2, TRE-3, CON-3, TRE-4, and CON-4. The overall estrus response after treatment with PGF-2α (TRE group, 70.8%) was higher than saline (CON group, 12.5%, P ≤ 0.001). Estrus response for TRE-2, CON-2, TRE-3, CON-3, TRE-4, and CON-4 was 25% (2 of 8), 12.5% (1 of 8), 87.5% (7 of 8), 12.5% (1 of 8), 100% (8 of 8), and 0% (0 of 8) for the same groups, respectively. Estrus response was different between day 2 and days 3 and 4 (P ≤ 0.04) and not between day 3 and day 4 (P ≥ 0.05). In the second experiment, 15 multiparous Boer does were estrous synchronized with control internal drug release (CIDR, 300 mg progesterone = P4) and PGF-2α and randomly divided to receive one single dose of PGF-2α im at days 2, 3 or 4, after synchronized estrus (n = 5 at each day). The does were detected twice a day for estrus, and blood was collected daily for P4 determination for 11 days after the synchronized estrus. Each doe in estrus was bred by hand mating to a proven male. All the does with a functional corpus/corpora luteum/lutea (CL; ≥1.0 ng/mL of P4) responded to PGF-2α with a drop in P4 levels that either lasted only 24 h for the does that did not show estrus (0.27 ± 0.10 ng/mL; n = 4) or persisted longer in all the does that showed estrus (0.22 ± 0.18 ng/mL; n = 10; P = 0.47). Estrus response for days 2, 3, and 4 was 20% (1 of 5), 80% (4 of 5), and 100% (5 of 5), respectively (P = 0.05). The conception rate was 100%, 100%, and 80% for the same days of administration, respectively (P = 0.64). It was concluded that luteolytic action of PGF-2α begins at day 3 of the estrous cycle by inducing an ovulatory and fertile estrus in goats.
Stepchildren’s Communicative and Emotional Journey from Divorce to Remarriage: Predictors of Stepfamily Satisfaction

ABSTRACTThis study explores the emotional and communicative profiles of young adults who have experienced a parental divorce and the emergence of a stepfamily to better understand influences on stepfamily satisfaction. Results of regression analyses indicate that strong negative emotions experienced at the time of the divorce are a negative predictor of current stepfamily satisfaction, even after controlling for age at the time of the divorce. In addition, level of open self-disclosure to a stepparent, although not parents, is a positive predictor of current stepfamily satisfaction. Finally, the extent to which the father has now fully explained the circumstances of the divorce is a positive predictor of current stepfamily satisfaction, whereas the extent to which mother has now fully explained the circumstances of the divorce is a negative predictor of current stepfamily satisfaction. These findings are discussed and future directions for research on stepfamily interaction and satisfaction are offered.
Chapter 71 - 1998 Self-Organization of Social Systems

Self-organizing social systems operate through complex social mechanisms that arise from simple rules contained by each animal in the group. There is no need for an organizer or for instructions.
Cryptantha nevadensis var. rigida elevated to species with a new name, C. juniperensis

A replacement name, Cryptantha juniperensis , nomen et status novum , is proposed for Cryptantha nevadensis A.Nelson & P.B.Kennedy var. rigida I.M.Johnston. A new name was necessary because the name C. rigida was unavailable, due to its previous use for the South American Cryptantha rigida (Phil.) Reiche. Cryptantha juniperensis is similar to what has been treated as Cryptantha nevadensis var. nevadensis , with which it shares appressed upper stem trichomes and a relatively long fruiting calyx, often with erect to reflexed apices. However, Cryptantha juniperensis differs significantly from Cryptantha nevadensis var. nevadensis by the nutlet shape, which is narrowly ovate to widely lance-ovate, narrowly acute, and tuberculate in the former but lance-ovate, strongly acuminate, and elongate-tuberculate to muricate in the latter. In addition, Cryptantha juniperensis is erect (vs. lax and sprawling in Cryptantha nevadensis var. nevadensis ), has fruiting calyces between 4.5–7.5 mm (vs. 6–11 mm long), and has a corolla limb that ranges between 2–5 mm in diameter (vs. 1–2 mm in diameter). Cryptantha juniperensis , which has also been classified as Cryptantha intermedia (A.Gray) Greene var. rigida Brand, is similar to recognized varieties of C. intermedia in nutlet morphology and in growth habit but differs in having upper stems with trichomes mostly appressed (vs. mostly spreading), a smaller corolla size (ca. 2–5 mm vs. 3–11 mm), and cymules that are mostly paired (vs. cymules that are arranged in threes). Preliminary molecular studies also support the recognition of C. juniperensis as a taxon separate from both C. nevadensis and C. intermedia .
Iliotibial Band Syndrome

Iliotibial band (ITB) syndrome is a common etiology of lateral knee pain in runners. Renne first described iliotibial band (ITB) syndrome in 1975 in the US Marine Corps recruit population. ITB syndrome at the knee is caused by friction between the iliotibial band and the lateral femoral condyle. Repetitive irritation can lead to chronic inflammation and pain.
Pliocene Three-toed Horses From Louisiana. With Comments on the Citronelle Formation

Teeth and metacarpals of early Pliocene (latest Hemphillian land-mammal age) three-toed (hipparionine) horses are described from the Tunica Hills of West Feliciana Parish in east-central Louisiana. An upper molar pertains to Nannippus minor, known from the Hemphillian of Central and North America, and two teeth and two distal metacarpals pertain to a recenlly described species of Cormohipparion, C. emsliei, known only from Pliocene (latest Hemphillian and Blancan land mammal ages) sites in peninsular Florida. The material represents the first record of Pliocene non-marine fossils from Louisiana as well as the first record of' a fossil horse from the state other than Pleistocene Equus. Found in surface stream gravels, the horses probably were derived from the otherwise almost nonvertabrate-bearing Citronelle Formation.
SP0084 Biological targets in sle

SLE is a prototypical condition characterized by the complete subversion of immunological tolerance and the generation of autoantibodies directed against a wide array of ubiquitous and tissue-specific antigens. This is possible because the joint dysregulation of the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system; which results from multiple gene polymorphisms, each contributing marginally, distinct epigenetic regulation, alteration of the threshold of activation for T and B cells, enhanced responses of antigen-presenting cells resulting from the altered disposal of apoptotic cells, as well as dysregulation of cytokine circuitries including regulatory networks. Pathogenic mechanisms resulting in clinically overt SLE very likely are heterogeneous among individuals. Thus, the identification of biological targets in SLE goes also with the identification of selected modules of gene activation in distinct individuals. Very strong signals indicate that type I interferon (IFN) may contribute to autoimmunity in a large proportion of SLE individuals and therapeutic trials targeting IFN signaling suggest the clinical relevance of this mediator. B cells/plasmablasts are also relevant and obvious targets. Refinements in our understanding in B cell sub setting and/or the timing in disease development in which they play a relevant role should result in defining the appropriate targets specific to this cell lineage. Gene modules activated during flares suggest that neutrophils in a subset of individuals may also be relevant targets. Cytokine affecting T cell differentiation, in particular T follicular helper cells, represent additional relevant targets. Within the last several years a number of novel biological targets have been identified in SLE. However, a single biological agent has been approved for SLE treatment in the last five decades. This underlies the difficulties encountered when translating validated targets in efficacious therapeutic agents. This stress the need for careful preclinical evaluation. It further emphasizes the need of small phase II clinical trials based on stringent inclusion criteria aiming at precisely identifying individual groups more likely to respond to validate the target. Current progress made in the identification of molecular signatures in individuals with SLE will offer the tools for the requested accurate selection. Disclosure of Interest C. Chizzolini Grant/research support from: Unrestricted reserach grant form GSK
Examining Lead Exposures in California through State-Issued Health Alerts for Food Contamination and an Exposure-Based Candy Testing Program.

Summary: In California, the annual number of children under age 6 y of age with blood lead levels (BLL) ≥10μg/dL is estimated at over 1,000 cases, and up to 10,000 cases when BLL between 4.5 and 9....
Real-time tracking of metallic treatment probe in interstitial thermal therapy

In this paper, we propose an inverse scattering method with compressive sensing to image and track the metallic ablation probe during the interstitial thermal therapy. The contrast source inversion (CSI) method is used to solve the inverse scattering problem, which determines the location of the probe by utilizing the scattered field data produced by the contrast source current at the probe surface. A fast spectral gradient-projection method is used to solve the linear inverse problem with sparsity constraints and reconstructs the surface profile of the metallic probe. The proposed method will first be validated numerically by imaging a PEC probe in a realistic interstitial thermal therapy model, and then be validated experimentally with a vector network analyzer based inverse scattering measurement system.
Analysis of Agri-Environmental Payment Programs

The chapter presents an approach for simultaneously estimating farmers’ decisions to accept incentive payments in return for adopting a bundle of environmentally benign best management practices. Using the results of a multinomial probit analysis of surveys of over 1,000 farmers facing five adoption decisions in a voluntary program, we show how the farmers’ perceptions of the desirability of various bundles change with the offer amounts and with which practices are offered in the bundle. We also demonstrate an estimator for the mean minimum willingness to accept for adoption of a practice conditional on the cost share offers for other practices.
Weak and Strong Gels and the Emergence of the Amorphous Solid State

Gels are amorphous solids whose macroscopic viscoelastic response derives from constraints in the material that serve to localize the constituent molecules or particles about their average positions in space. These constraints may either be local in nature, as in chemical cross-linking and direct physical associations, or non-local, as in case of topological "entanglement" interactions between highly extended fiber or sheet structures in the fluid. Either of these interactions, or both combined, can lead to "gelation" or "amorphous solidification". While gels are often considered to be inherently non-equilibrium materials, and correspondingly termed "soft glassy matter", this is not generally the case. For example, the formation of vulcanized rubbers by cross-linking macromolecules can be exactly described as a second order phase transition from an equilibrium fluid to an equilibrium solid state, and amorphous solidification also arises in diverse physical gels in which molecular and particle localization occurs predominantly through transient molecuar associations, or even topological interactions. As equilibrium, or near equilibrium systems, such gels can be expected to exhibit universal linear and non-linear viscoelastic properties, especially near the "critical" conditions at which the gel state first emerges. In particular, a power-law viscoelastic response is frequently observed in gel materials near their "gelation" or "amorphous solidification" transition. Another basic property of physical gels of both theoretical and practical interest is their response to large stresses at constant shear rate or under a fixed macrocopic strain. In particular, these materials are often quite sensitive to applied stresses that can cause the self-assembled structure to progressively break down under flow or deformation. This disintegration of gel structure can lead to "yield" of the gel material, i.e., a fluidization transition, followed by shear thinning of the resulting heterogeneous "jelly-like" fluid. When the stress is removed, however, the material can relax back to its former equilibrium gel state, i.e., gel rejuvenation. In constrast, a non-equilibrium material will simply change its form and properties in a way that depends on processing history. Physical gels are thus unique self-healing materials in which the existence of equilibrium ensures their eventual recovery. The existence of equilibrium also has implications for the nature of both the linear and non-linear rheological response of gel materials, and the present paper explores this phenomenon based on simple scaling arguments of the kind frequently used in describing phase transitions and the properties of polymer solutions.