cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantum Computation and Quantum Operations

Quantum operations play an important role in quantum measurement, quantum computation, and quantum information theories. We classify quantum operations according to certain special properties such as unital, tracial, subtracial, self-adjoint, and idempotent. We also consider a type of quantum operation called a Luders map. Examples of quantum operations that describe noisy quantum channels are discussed. Results concerning iterations and fixed points of quantum operations are presented. The relationship between quantum operations and completely positive maps is discussed and the sequential product of quantum effects is considered.
Soil organic matter accumulation in relation to changing soil volume, mass, and structure: concepts and calculations.

Abstract Change in soil organic matter (SOM) stocks over time is a critical issue for soil fertility, soil development (pedogenesis) and the global carbon (C) cycle. Measuring such change typically relies on sampling to constant depth (CD) which is well known to be inaccurate if bulk density (BD) has changed between sampling sites or times. The usual solution to this problem is to sample an equivalent mass (EM), but in most cases soil mass also changes over time. Indeed, the whole point in measuring ΔSOM is to quantify a change in C mass. As SOM accumulates, soil volume increases (soil dilation) unless all added SOM fills in existing pores. Soil dilation as a result of root ingrowth is well documented in the geological literature but has rarely been considered in conjunction with studies of ΔSOM. Other processes that can alter soil volume include eluviation, bioturbation and dissolution/decomposition of both mineral and organic soil particles. Here, we present a method (the volume/mass corrected or VMC method) for calculating potential effects of processes that alter soil volume (V) and/or mass (M) on calculated values for ΔC and other soil characteristics. We first present a hypothetical example to illustrate the expected differences in soil V, M, bulk density (BD), porosity and ΔC when determined via CD, EM, and VMC methods. We then compare these three approaches for assessing the actual changes in soil characteristics across four soil chronosequence studies in which ΔV was actually measured, allowing ΔC to be calculated correctly. Results show errors of −75% to +49% in ΔC had the profiles been sampled via the CD method and even larger errors (−87% to +54%) had they been sampled via the EM method. Studies where V had increased (dilation) generally showed underestimates for ΔC for both CD and EM methods, whereas those where V had decreased (collapse) over time showed overestimates for ΔC for the CD and EM methods. Results are discussed in light of the few laboratory, field, and simulation studies comparing effects of changes in soil volume on ΔC measurements as well as the processes that cause changes in soil V. We hope that the VMC method provides a conceptual framework for addressing the interplay between changes in soil volume, porosity, and structure, one that will provide the foundation for a new set of mechanism-based SOM models that take into account changes in soil volume, mass, and physical structure across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales.
The Rise of Female Sterilization: A Closer Look at Colombia

Objective In the 1970s, OCPs and IUDs were the most popular contraceptive methods in Colombia. According to data from the most recent Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), sterilization has become the most common form of birth control in Colombia. This study aims to examine the characteristics of Colombian women desiring long-acting contraception. Methods This study uses the 2005 and 2010 Colombian DHS dataset. Women who choose long-acting contraception were divided into those using female sterilization and those using long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). A multivariate logistic regression model was used to compare demographic and social determinants of contraceptive choice among reproductive age women seeking long-acting contraception between the years 2005 and 2010. Results Among women using a long-acting contraceptive method in 2010, compared to 2005, women were significantly more likely to be sterilized (1.14 OR, 95% CI 1.09–1.18) and less likely to use LARC (0.88 OR, 95% CI 0.85–0.92). Of women seeking long-acting contraception, those exposed to a family planning provider were less likely to undergo sterilization (0.54 OR, 95% CI 0.51–0.58) and more likely to use LARC (1.84 OR, 95% CI 1.73–1.96). When compared to all contraceptive users, younger women and women with less than two children were more likely to use LARC than sterilization. Conclusion Between 2005 and 2010, an increase in the proportion of contracepting women being sterilized in Colombia occurred. Our findings suggest that exposure to a family planning provider and appropriate contraceptive counseling appears to be key determinants of long-acting contraceptive choice. To improve use of long-acting, effective contraception, efforts should be made to increase access to family planning providers.
Assays Where the Variation in Response Is a Function of the Dose

This chapter discusses the assays where the variation in response is a function of the dose. In all except, the slope-ratio assays the response for computing the vitamin content should meet two objectives. First, it should plot as a straight line against the log dose over the widest possible range and, secondly, it should be equally variable at all dosage levels. In most cases, including those that have been considered so far, both requirements can be met by a suitable measure of the response. Observations with a larger variance and, therefore, a smaller reliability are given less weight than those where the variability is less. Several statistical methods have been proposed for handling this problem, which differ both in basic theory and in computational technique. Many biological reactions are of an all-or-none type, such as measurements of toxicity from the percentage mortality. The test animals are assigned to several comparable lots, and all individuals in each lot are given the same dose of vitamin. The doses are selected so that most or all of them fall in the intermediate zone in which the percentage response of each lot is between 0 and 100.
The Illusion of Control: Placebo Effects of Control Settings

Algorithmic prioritization is a growing focus for social media users. Control settings are one way for users to adjust the prioritization of their news feeds, but they prioritize feed content in a way that can be difficult to judge objectively. In this work, we study how users engage with difficult-to-validate controls. Via two paired studies using an experimental system -- one interview and one online study -- we found that control settings functioned as placebos. Viewers felt more satisfied with their feed when controls were present, whether they worked or not. We also examine how people engage in sensemaking around control settings, finding that users often take responsibility for violated expectations -- for both real and randomly functioning controls. Finally, we studied how users controlled their social media feeds in the wild. The use of existing social media controls had little impact on user's satisfaction with the feed; instead, users often turned to improvised solutions, like scrolling quickly, to see what they want.
Venous Thromboembolism in Cancer Patients

AbstractObjective: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication in cancer patients. This review summarizes some of the most current knowledge of the epidemiology, risk factors, risk models, prophylaxis, and treatment of VTE in cancer patients. Methods: A literature search was conducted using Pub Med; the search terms were venous thromboembolism, anticoagulation, and cancer. The bibliographies of pertinent studies and review articles were reviewed for additional references. Results: Venous thromboembolism is the second leading cause of death in patients with cancer. Cancer patients with VTE have poorer outcomes compared with noncancer patients with VTE. Many risk factors have been identified for VTE in patients with cancer that are patient-related, cancer-related, or treatment-related. Several biomarkers have been identified as potentially predictive of VTE risk. Risk assessment models such as the Khorana Risk Score stratify cancer patients with low, intermediate, and high risk of developing VTE b...
One motif--many different reactions.

The structure of the trifunctional clavaminic acid synthase exhibits an emerging structural motif found among nonheme iron oxygen activating enzymes that provides the metal active site the flexibility to catalyze a remarkable range of reactions.
On-Line Monitoring of Intracellular Properties and Its Use in Bioreactor Operation

Biotechnology products ed by recombinant organisms frequently require optimization of bioreactor operation. Traditionally, methods of optimization involved manipulation of cultivation and environmental variables such as temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen concentration. However, methods of optimization based on the ‘metabolic state’ of cells in the bioreactor may be more desirable than the methods based on environmental variables. ‘Metabolic state’ is used here to refer to the internal state of cells. Examples of metabolic states include aerobic and anaerobic, oxidative and reductive, ATP-rich and ATP-poor, high and low intracellular pH and others. The effort to develop operating strategies based on ‘metabolic state’ have been hampered due to lack of suitable measurement of ‘metabolic state’ itself. In this paper, we review the principle of measuring on-line intracellular pH and its use in developing cultivation strategies.
Roles of Cytoplasmic Dynein During Mitosis

Publisher Summary Cytoplasmic dynein is an abundant microtubule motor protein implicated widely in intracellular transport. Investigations into mitotic dynein activity have intensified recently with the development of new model systems, the identification of dynein binding partners, and the use of genetic and siRNA screens. This chapter summarizes what is known about the role of cytoplasmic dynein during mitosis and proposes novel models for functional complexity. Several vertebrate model systems have paved the way for progress in dissecting mitotic dynein. For imaging of mitotic dynein, cultured cell lines have been a workhorse system. Cultured cells provide the advantages of simplified imaging, synchronization, transfection of plasmid constructs, and siRNA/shRNA. During mitosis, the significance of the spindle pole localization for dynein is complicated by the overlapping roles dynein plays as a motile complex transporting MTOC components and a more static complex crosslinking microtubules. During progression through mitosis, the next population of dynein that is considered functions at the cell cortex. The primary functions for cortical dynein are to interact with astral microtubules and to position the spindle. In metazoans, dynein is detected at kinetochores only after nuclear envelope breakdown and it is proposed to play a direct role in nuclear envelope breakdown itself. Furthermore, mitotic phosphorylation of dynein has been detected across multiple model systems. A few questions that remain in this understanding are the functions of site-specific accessory proteins and the role of dynein complexity in site-specific ageing.
Renal Handling of NaCl and Water

The kidneys filter about 180 L of plasma daily. Most of this plasma must be reclaimed in order to maintain fluid and electrolyte homeostasis. The protein-free ultrafiltrate is modified in composition as it passes through various segments of the nephron to form urine. Sodium (Na+) and its anion chloride (Cl−) are the major determinants of the extracellular fluid (ECF) volume, and both ions are effectively reabsorbed. Water reabsorption follows Na+ reabsorption in order to maintain normal osmolality in the ECF compartment. The proximal tubule is the major site of reclamation, whereas the other segments reclaim to a variable degree.
Bevacizumab-induced bleeding in colorectal and noncolorectal cancer patients in a community oncology setting: An Abington Memorial Hospital experience.

e18250Background: Bevacizumab (Bev) can be associated with clinically significant bleeding. Patients (pts) in community practice have increased comorbidities, leading to some reluctance to use Bev ...
Chapter 19: An Overall Assessment of the State of Environmental Policy Making

This is chapter 19 of Environmental Economics: An Integrated Approach and it summarizes the information provided in earlier chapters, assessing the state of environmental policy decision making. It concludes that the methods being used are biased against the acceptance of projects that improve the environment.
Sport Networks on Ice: The Canadian Experience at the 1936 Olympic Hockey Tournament

Amid heavy snowfall, the ocean liner Duchess of Atholl sailed slowly out of the Halifax harbor on January 19, 1936. Among her passengers heading for Europe was the Canadian Olympic Hockey team, which had been playing a series of exhibition games during the preceding few weeks in preparation for the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. As defending Olympic champion, the Canadian team was the heavy favorite to retain the title. Since the introduction of ice hockey as part of the Winter Olympic program in 1924, Canada had won the gold medal in every Olympic competition, handily defeating her opponents by lopsided scores in most of the matches. The closest contest any of her opponents could give Canada came in a two-all tie by the United States during the 1932 Olympic Games at Lake Placid, New York, and there were few doubts about the chances of the 1936 Olympic squad to defend the title successfully.1 The optimism of Canadian supremacy in the sport of ice hockey rested not only with the quality of the players the country produced but also on the efforts of the sport’s governing body, the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA), to promote and regulate the sport. Established in 1914, the CAHA had seen its membership grow steadily. Whereas its professional counterpart, the National Hockey League (NHL), limited its expansion to major cities in the northeastern and midwestern United States and Canada, the CAHA had provincial branches covering the Dominion of Canada in the 1920s. This organizational growth, in part, was a result of the CAHA’s pursuit to control amateur hockey. Under the banner of amateurism, the CAHA allied with other Canadian national amateur-sport governing bodies, establishing a dragnet that ruled organized Canadian amateur sports with an iron hand. With the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada (AAUC) at the helm, this network of organizations agreed to abide by the amateur · Sport History Review, 2003, 34, 190-212 © 2003 Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
Shrub persistence and increased grass mortality in response to drought in dryland systems.

Droughts in the southwest United States have led to major forest and grassland die-off events in recent decades, suggesting plant community and ecosystem shifts are imminent as native perennial grass populations are replaced by shrub- and invasive plant-dominated systems. These patterns are similar to those observed in arid and semiarid systems around the globe, but our ability to predict which species will experience increased drought-induced mortality in response to climate change remains limited. We investigated meteorological drought-induced mortality of nine dominant plant species in the Colorado Plateau Desert by experimentally imposing a year-round 35% precipitation reduction for eight continuous years. We distributed experimental plots across numerous plant, soil, and parent material types, resulting in 40 distinct sites across a 4,500 km2 region of the Colorado Plateau Desert. For all 8 years, we tracked c. 400 individual plants and evaluated mortality responses to treatments within and across species, and through time. We also examined the influence of abiotic and biotic site factors in driving mortality responses. Overall, high mortality trends were driven by dominant grass species, including Achnatherum hymenoides, Pleuraphis jamesii, and Sporobolus cryptandrus. Responses varied widely from year to year and dominant shrub species were generally resistant to meteorological drought, likely due to their ability to access deeper soil water. Importantly, mortality increased in the presence of invasive species regardless of treatment, and native plant die-off occurred even under ambient conditions, suggesting that recent climate changes are already negatively impacting dominant species in these systems. Results from this long-term drought experiment suggest major shifts in community composition and, as a result, ecosystem function. Patterns also show that, across multiple soil and plant community types, native perennial grass species may be replaced by shrubs and invasive annuals in the Colorado Plateau Desert.
Optimal control problems for heavy traffic queues

The author is concerned with optimal or nearly optimal routing of a queueing system under heavy traffic conditions. Optimal and nearly optimal control problems for a queueing network is examined. Various inputs and service interruptions are the controls. It is shown that the scaled controlled reflected system converges to a controlled limit reflected diffusion and the optimal policies for the limit when adapted to the physical system are nearly optimal. The martingale problem methods are utilized in the analysis.
Into the Mind of an Artist: Convergent Research at the Nexus of Art, Science, and Technology

We introduce a novel convergent research framework based on context-aware, mobile brain–body imaging (MoBI) technology to track, record, and annotate the creative process of an artist as she conceived and created a new composition over a period of several months. We discuss behavioral, technological, scientific, and artistic challenges for the long-term study of creativity in complex natural settings.
When and How to Use Imaging in Brain Tumors, Protocols

MRI is the primary means of diagnosis of brain tumors. It is also used to decide on best treatment options based on possible tumor grade, plan biopsy and surgery, evaluate extent of tumor resection, assess response to treatment, and detect recurrence.
Exosomes as natural nanocarriers for therapeutic and diagnostic use in cardiovascular diseases

Abstract Exosomes are nano-sized vesicles released by various cell types and mediate intercellular communication via transferring their biological active cargo. Cell type and different stimuli to the cell dictate the unique composition of exosomal cargo. In cardiovascular system, exosomes have been shown to participate in such processes as cell survival, proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis under both physiological and pathological conditions. In this review, we will describe the role of the exosomes and their cargo from different cell types and the potential to translate into therapeutic options for cardiac regeneration. We will also discuss the possibilities of using exosomes as biomarkers for different pathological conditions in the heart.
Noncontact Ultrasonic and Computer Vision Assessment for Sawcut Initiation Time

AbstractSawcut timing of contraction joints in concrete pavements is affected by interactions between the time-dependent concrete properties, notch depth, base friction, climate, and type of saw. E...
Student Discipline and the Active Avoidance Doctrine

Pursuant to zero tolerance discipline policies, public school students have increasingly faced harsh penalties for seemingly innocuous behavior. For example, students as young as six have been suspended from school for using a toddler-proof butter knife at lunchtime, chewing a breakfast pastry into the shape of a gun, and even doodling on a desk. An entire body of scholarship has been dedicated to the denigration of the current student discipline regime, and from it, how the term “School-to-Prison Pipeline” was born. That work criticizes the zero-tolerance approach to student discipline, relying on data that shows how it disproportionately affects students of color and arguing that it places a success barrier for at-risk students, ferrying the most vulnerable students into an irreversible cycle of crime and pushing higher education out of reach. While scholars have opined about the shortfalls and undesirable consequences of exclusionary discipline practices and offered intriguing solutions for reform, the discussion surrounding the constitutional implications of a school’s active avoidance of discipline reform is scant. This Article attempts to fill that void. Student Discipline and the Active Avoidance Doctrine explores the implications of a public school’s active avoidance of discipline reform. By examining the unique school-pupil relationship inherent in the often-misconstrued doctrine of in loco parentis, it offers a novel legal framework for holding schools accountable for the known harms caused by exclusionary discipline and argues that a school’s active avoidance of discipline reform results in educational deprivations that raise Substantive Due Process concerns. Generally, schools owe no legal duty to protect students from harms caused while in school. But, while the in loco parentis doctrine has experienced a turbulent existence in the common law, some state legislatures have explicitly charged schools with in loco parentis status statutorily. These statutes codify a special relationship between students and public schools in those states, which triggers a legal duty to protect students from known harms. Even in states where in loco parentis status is not codified, the combined effect of compulsory education laws and a student’s liberty interest inherent in the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause suggest that public schools owe a legal duty to reform broken educational practices. Based on the principle that a public school’s enforcement of zero tolerance discipline results in educational deprivations, this Article introduces the Active Avoidance Doctrine, which closes the gap between Due Process theory and the overwhelming call for student discipline reform.
Early Outcomes for Surgical Minimally Invasive SAPIEN 3 Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement.

Background Limited surgical options are available for patients with extensive mitral annular calcification. Several reports have shown the feasibility of surgical mitral valve replacement (MVR) using a transcatheter aortic valve in the mitral position (MVR-TAVR). This study reviewed 30-day and 1-year outcomes of a minimally invasive approach for MVR-TAVR. Methods Between 2017 and 2019, 16 patients underwent MVR-TAVR under direct vision. Primary end points included overall survival, technical success, and effectiveness. Secondary end points included valve and cardiac hemodynamics postoperatively and during follow up. Results The 16 patients (69% female) were 53 to 88 years of age (average, 77 ± 9 years). Comorbidities on presentation were as follows: 31% (5 of 16) were reoperative procedures; 13% (3 of 16) of patients had right ventricular dysfunction, 31% (5 of 16) had severe pulmonary hypertension, and 20% (3 of 16) had chronic kidney disease. Isolated MVR-TAVR was performed on 69% (11 of 16) of patients, with a cross-clamp (58%; 7 of 12) or on a fibrillating heart (42%; 5 of 12), whereas concomitant MVR-TAVR was performed in 31% (5 of 16) of patients with a cross-clamp. At follow-up, the estimated 30-day mortality rate was 12.5%, and the 1-year mortality rate was 36.2%. A moderate postoperative paravalvular leak (PVL) was evident immediately in 1 patient, and a severe PVL was noted after 30-day follow-up in another. In addition, 1 patient had mild left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and another had moderate mitral valve stenosis. At 1-year follow-up, there were no changes in the mild PVL and moderate stenosis identified postoperatively. Conclusions Minithoracotomy MVR-TAVR is an acceptable alternative to conventional and transcatheter MVR in patients with mitral valve disease and extensive mitral annular calcification.
Anti-biofilm activity of antibiotic-loaded Hylomate®.

Introduction Antibiotic envelopes are being developed for cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) wrapping to reduce the risk of infections. Methods Fifteen CIED infection-associated bacterial isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Cutibacterium acnes were used to assess in vitro biofilm formation on Hylomate® compared to titanium, silicone and polyurethane coupons pre-treated with vancomycin (400 µg/ml), bacitracin (1000 U/ml) or a combination of rifampin (80 µg/ml) plus minocycline (50 µg/ml). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed to visualize bacteria on Hylomate®. Results There was significantly less (p < 0.05) S. aureus and S. epidermidis on Hylomate® pre-treated with vancomycin, bacitracin or rifampin plus minocycline after 24 h of incubation (≤1.00 log10 CFU/cm2) compared with titanium, silicone or polyurethane pre-treated with vancomycin, bacitracin or rifampin plus minocycline. C. acnes biofilms were not detected (≤1.00 log10 CFU/cm2) on pre-treated Hylomate® coupons. Conclusions This study showed that Hylomate® coupons pre-treated with antibiotics reduced staphylococcal and C. acnes biofilm formation in vitro.
Health Care Providers and the Public Reporting of Nursing Home Quality in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Pilot Study

Background: In June 2018, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) began the public reporting of its 134 Community Living Centers’ (CLCs) overall quality by using a 5-star rating system based on data from the national quality measures captured in CLC Compare. Given the private sector’s positive experience with report cards, this is a seminal moment for stimulating measurable quality improvements in CLCs. However, the public reporting of CLC Compare data raises substantial and immediate implications for CLCs. The report cards, for example, facilitate comparisons between CLCs and community nursing homes in which CLCs generally fare worse. This may lead to staff anxiety and potentially unintended consequences. Additionally, CLC Compare is designed to spur improvement, yet the motivating aspects of the report cards are unknown. Understanding staff attitudes and early responses is a critical first step in building the capacity for public reporting to spur quality. Objective: We will adapt an existing community nursing home public reporting survey to reveal important leverage points and support CLCs’ quality improvement efforts. Our work will be grounded in a conceptual framework of strategic orientation. We have 2 aims. First, we will qualitatively examine CLC staff reactions to CLC Compare. Second, we will adapt and expand upon an extant community nursing home survey to capture a broad range of responses and then pilot the adapted survey in CLCs. Methods: We will conduct interviews with staff at 3 CLCs (1 1-star CLC, 1 3-star CLC, and 1 5-star CLC) to identify staff actions taken in response to their CLCs’ public data; staff’s commitment to or difficulties with using CLC Compare; and factors that motivate staff to improve CLC quality. We will integrate these findings with our conceptual framework to adapt and expand a community nursing home survey to the current CLC environment. We will conduct cognitive interviews with staff in 1 CLC to refine survey items. We will then pilot the survey in 6 CLCs (2 1-star CLCs, 2 3-star CLCs, and 2 5-star CLCs) to assess the survey’s feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary psychometric properties. Results: We will develop a brief survey for use in a future national administration to identify system-wide responses to CLC Compare; evaluate the impact of CLC Compare on veterans’ clinical outcomes and satisfaction; and develop, test, and disseminate interventions to support the meaningful use of CLC Compare for quality improvement. Conclusions: The knowledge gained from this pilot study and from future work will help VA refine how CLC Compare is used, ensure that CLC staff understand and are motivated to use its quality data, and implement concrete actions to improve clinical quality. The products from this pilot study will also facilitate studies on the effects of public reporting in other critical VA clinical areas. Trial Registration:
Exploring Women’s Spiritual Struggles and Resources to Cope with Intimate Partner Aggression

We offer a model for mental health professionals based on research on the effects of spiritual and religious coping when a woman is currently in a relationship marked by situational interpersonal violence. The scant empirical research on the role of spirituality in shaping how women cope with being the target of physical aggression at the hands of an intimate partner is summarized and integrated with Mahoney’s model of relational spirituality and Pargament’s model of spiritual coping to suggest that helping professionals can help women resolve spiritual struggles by drawing on spiritual resources to (1) make informed decisions about their goals in the relationship, and (2) overcome difficulties in traveling down two alternative pathways to transform their situation: reform or exit the union. Using a motivational interviewing approach, we suggest ways to engage in collaborative dialogues with women to increase women’s insight into their spiritual struggles and resources in coping with the man’s aggression. Two case examples are offered to illustrate ways to empower women to cope effectively with being a victim of relational aggression, even though they are not responsible for causing the man’s violence.
Chapter 24 Herpesviridae

Publisher Summary The family Herpesviridae contains about 50 members covering a wide range of host systems. The family has been divided into three sub-families, the Alphaherpesvirinae (rapidly growing, cytolytic), the Betaherpesvirinae (slowly growing, cytomegalic), and the Gammaherpesvirinae (lymphocyte-associated). The pathogenesis of herpesvirus infections covers a wide variety of phenomena, from lytic infection through persistent infection to latent infection (with recurrences). Several members of the family have been shown to cause or to be implicated in tumor formation in man and other animals. The herpesviruses are large, DNA-containing viruses with an icosahedral nucleocapsid and a loosely fitting envelope derived from the cell's nuclear membrane. The chapter discusses the four main structural components of the virion: envelope, capsid, DNA-protein complex (core) and tegument.
Ribozyme-Catalyzed Genetics

RNA World research in recent years has sought to establish whether ribozymes have the catalytic versatility and potency to transmit genetic information and to sustain a credible metabolism. At a minimum, organisms from just before the Protein Revolution would have had to catalyze nucleotide polymerization and invent the machinery for protein synthesis. There are now RNA enzymes (ribozymes) that catalyze the individual steps in each of these reactions. Some of the current challenges include increasing the vigor with which the individual reactions are catalyzed, strengthening the affinity and specificity of substrate recognition, integrating ribozymes into metabolic paths and coordinated networks of linked reactions, and deriving a ribozyme-catalyzed metabolic context to sustain the core reactions.
The Status of the Absolute Calibration of Stellar Fluxes between 912 and 1200 Å

Recent results have shed new light on the status of the calibration of absolute stellar fluxes between 912 and 1200 A. Observations of hot white dwarfs, subdwarfs and planetary nebula nuclei with the Voyagerultraviolet spectrometers provide evidence that the current calibration agrees very well with extrapolations of IUE energy distributions shortwards of 1200 A. Voyagerobservations of main sequence B-stars used as flux calibration sources have revealed that many are variable in brightness in the 912–1200 A region. We conclude there is no current observational motivation for any revision of the 912 to 1200 A calibration described by Holberg et al. (1982).
Effect of pressure on sedimentation velocity patterns: II. Myosin at pH 8.3

Abstract In the case of myosin, the experimental ultracentrifuge studies of Josephs and Harrington have provided quantitative data for the degree of polymerization, the formation constant at 1 atm, and the volume of polymerization. With the aid of these complete data we have been able to predict quantitatively the shapes of sedimentation velocity schlieren patterns under experimental conditions, from a rectangular cell model based on the countercurrent distribution analog of Bethune and Kegeles. These predictions confirm the reliability of the procedures developed by Josephs and Harrington for obtaining these parameters, but also show that there is a region of extreme instability ahead of the moving boundaries, in agreement with the generalization developed by Kegeles from second-moment sedimentation coefficient considerations.
Stemming Inequality? Employment and Pay of Female and Minority Scientists and Engineers in the Federal and Private Sectors

Abstract Objective. We test whether the increasing tendency of women, blacks, and Latinos to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is decreasing gender and race pay inequality in the federal civil service and the U.S. economy. Method. Using logit analysis on a one percent sample of federal personnel records for college graduates in 1983 and 2003, we examine whether unexplained gender and race pay differences have declined more rapidly for degree-holders in STEM or non-STEM fields. Using logit analysis on a five percent sample of college graduates from the 2000 Census, we examine whether unexplained gender and race pay differences are smaller in STEM or non-STEM fields in the federal and private sectors. Findings. Women and non-Asian minorities earn more, relative to comparable white men, in STEM than in non-STEM fields in both the federal and private sectors. Conclusion. Women and minorities gain even more than white men from studying STEM fields. KEY WORDS: Discrimination; earnings of scientists and engineers; women and minorities in science; federal-private pay differences.
Scientific applications and advantages of a low‐energy synchrotron radiation source

Recent improvements to the synchrotron ultraviolet radiation facility led to unprecedented performance. High injection currents and beam stability, as well as tunable electron energies over a wide range make this storage ring a prime source for synchrotron radiation from the extreme‐ultraviolet to far‐infrared spectral regions. We will discuss plans to capitalize on this unprecedented performance through implementation of new experimental stations and extension of existing ones. It also will be shown that for applications using extreme‐ultraviolet to infrared synchrotron radiation a low electron energy storage ring has distinct advantages.
A family of noetherian rings with their finite length modules under control

We investigate the category modΛ of finite length modules over the ring Λ=A ⊗ k Σ, where Σ is a V-ring, i.e. a ring for which every simple module is injective, k a subfield of its centre and A an elementary k-algebra. Each simple module E j gives rise to a quasiprogenerator P j = A ⊗ E j . By a result of K. Fuller, P j induces a category equivalence from which we deduce that modΛ ≃ ∐j mod EndP j . As a consequence we can (1) construct for each elementary k-algebra A over a finite field k a nonartinian noetherian ring Λ such that modA ≃ modΛ (2) find twisted versions Λ of algebras of wild representation type such that Λ itself is of finite or tame representation type (in mod) (3) describe for certain rings Λ the minimal almost split morphisms in modΛ and observe that almost all of these maps are not almost split in ModΛ.
Testing general relativity with growth rate measurement from Sloan Digital Sky Survey – III. Baryon Oscillations Spectroscopic Survey galaxies

The measured redshift ($z$) of an astronomical object is a combination of Hubble recession, gravitational redshift and peculiar velocity. The line of sight distance to a galaxy inferred from redshift is affected by the peculiar velocity component of galaxy redshift, which is observed as an anisotropy in the correlation function. This anisotropy allows us to measure the linear growth rate of matter ($f\sigma_8$). We measure the $f\sigma_8$ at $z=0.57$ using the CMASS sample from Data Release 11 of Sloan Digital Sky Survey III (SDSS III) Baryon Oscillations Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). The galaxy sample consists of 690,826 massive galaxies in the redshift range 0.43-0.7 covering 8498 deg$^2$. Here we report the first simultaneous measurement of $f\sigma_8$ and background cosmological parameters using Convolution Lagrangian Perturbation Theory (CLPT) with Gaussian streaming model (GSRSD). We arrive at a constraint of $f\sigma_8=0.462\pm0.041$ (9\% accuracy) at effective redshift ($\bar{z}=0.57$) when we include Planck CMB likelihood while marginalizing over all other cosmological parameters. We also measure $b\sigma_8=1.19\pm0.03$, $H(z=0.57)=89.2\pm3.6$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$ and $D_A(z=0.57)=1401\pm23$ Mpc. Our analysis also improves the constraint on $\Omega_c h^2=0.1196\pm0.0009$ by a factor of 3 when compared to the Planck only measurement($\Omega_c h^2=0.1196 \pm 0.0031$). Our results are consistent with Planck $\Lambda$CDM-GR prediction and all other CMASS measurements, even though our theoretical models are fairly different. This consistency suggests that measurement of $f\sigma_8$ from Redshift space distortions at multiple redshifts will be a sensitive probe of the theory of gravity that is largely model independent, allowing us to place model-independent constraints on alternative models of gravity.
Effect of storage conditions on the assessment of bacterial community structure in soil and human-associated samples

Storage conditions are considered to be a critical component of DNA-based microbial community analysis methods. However, whether differences in short-term sample storage conditions impact the assessment of bacterial community composition and diversity requires systematic and quantitative assessment. Therefore, we used barcoded pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes to survey communities, harvested from a variety of habitats [soil, human gut (feces) and human skin] and subsequently stored at 20, 4, -20 and -80 degrees C for 3 and 14 days. Our results indicate that the phylogenetic structure and diversity of communities in individual samples were not significantly influenced by the storage temperature or the duration of storage. Likewise, the relative abundances of most taxa were largely unaffected by temperature even after 14 days of storage. Our results indicate that environmental factors and biases in molecular techniques likely confer greater amounts of variation to microbial communities than do differences in short-term storage conditions, including storage for up to 2 weeks at room temperature. These results suggest that many samples collected and stored under field conditions without refrigeration may be useful for microbial community analyses.
A PREDICTIVE MODEL TO INFORM ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT OF DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS AND FISHERIES IN MICHIGAN

The proliferation of double-crested cormorants (DCCOs; Phalacrocorax auritus) in North America has raised concerns over their potential negative impacts on game, cultured and forage fishes, island and terrestrial resources, and other colonial water birds, leading to increased public demands to reduce their abundance. By combining fish surplus production and bird functional feeding response models, we developed a deterministic predictive model representing bird–fish interactions to inform an adaptive management process for the control of DCCOs in multiple colonies in Michigan. Comparisons of model predictions with observations of changes in DCCO numbers under management measures implemented from 2004 to 2012 suggested that our relatively simple model was able to accurately reconstruct past DCCO population dynamics. These comparisons helped discriminate among alternative parameterizations of demographic processes that were poorly known, especially site fidelity. Using sensitivity analysis, we also identified remaining critical uncertainties (mainly in the spatial distributions of fish vs. DCCO feeding areas) that can be used to prioritize future research and monitoring needs. Model forecasts suggested that continuation of existing control efforts would be sufficient to achieve long-term DCCO control targets in Michigan and that DCCO control may be necessary to achieve management goals for some DCCO-impacted fisheries in the state. Finally, our model can be extended by accounting for parametric or ecological uncertainty and including more complex assumptions on DCCO–fish interactions as part of the adaptive management process.
How Inclusive Should a Consulting Report Be in a Participative Decision‐Making Situation?

In the past year I have found myself in two consulting situations where management said it wanted to operate in a participative decision‐making mode. That is, management said it wanted to share information with the people to be directly affected by the decision, and give them real input into the decision‐making process. One was in a labour relations situation at a television station. The other was in a university marketing situation where diversification into a new area of education was being considered. In both situations there arose the issue of how inclusive the management consulting report should be that was to be shared with many different people not in the traditional management decision‐making line.
Nanomaterial strategies for immunodetection

Metallic nanoparticles are playing increasingly important roles in biodiagnostic platforms. This emergence reflects the need to detect disease indicating entities at increasingly lower levels in human and veterinary diagnostics, homeland security, and food and water safety. To establish this perspective, this paper overviews our recent work using surface enhanced Raman scattering for detection of proteins, viruses, and microorganisms in heterogeneous immunoassays. It describes the assay platform, which is comprised of an antibody-modified capture substrate and gold nanoparticle-based label. The latter draws on the ability to reproducibly construct gold nanoparticles modified with a monolayer of an intrinsically strong Raman scatterer that is then coated with a layer of antibodies. This construct, referred to as an extrinsic Raman label, takes advantage of the signal enhancement of scatterers when coated on nanometer-sized gold particles and the antigenic binding specificity of the immobilized antibody layer. Challenges related to nonspecific adsorption, particle stability, and measurement reproducibility are also briefly examined.
Outside wealth, the demand for money and the crowding out effect

Abstract Policy simulations with most large macroeconometric models evidence little, if any, crowding out of private spending from debt financed increases in government expenditures. Examination of the structure of these models reveals that none allows for a wealth effect of debt finance on the demand for money, even though theoretical studies suggest that this wealth effect may cause significant crowding out. This paper provides empirical evidence that increases in government debt held by the public do increase the demand for money; therefore, the fiscal policy simulations of the large macroeconometric models may yield biased conclusions concerning the crowding out effect.
Regional ecosystem services and the rating of investment opportunities

Environmental scientists and financial experts have recently been asking whether the damage costs imposed on the environment by industrial resource uses (often referred to as externalities) can be reflected in financial markets. We examine this question by summarizing work on mechanisms for including the damage to (or recovery of) ecosystem services directly in the price of a company's stocks and bonds and call this concept “environmental value creation through investment” (EVCI). Ten functions and 36 ecosystem services are presented that can benefit from good corporate environmental performance. Rating publicly traded companies requires collaboration between ecosystem scientists and business analysts. Metrics are being developed for reporting the impact of business practices on the value of ecosystem services within regions across the US.
Expression of Functional Soluble Human α-Globin Chains of Hemoglobin in Bacteria

Individual, soluble human α-globin chains were expressed in bacteria with exogenous heme and methionine aminopeptidase. The yields of soluble α chains in bacteria were comparable to those of recombinant non-α chains expressed under the same conditions. Molecular mass and gel-filtration properties of purified recombinant α chains were the same as those of authentic human α chains. Biochemical and biophysical properties of isolated α chains were identical to those of native human α chains as assessed by UV/vis, circular dichroism (CD), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy which contrasts with previous results of refolded precipitated α chains made in the presence of heme in vitro (M. T. Sanna et al., J. Biol. Chem. 272, 3478–3486, 1997). Mixtures of purified, soluble recombinant α-globin and native β-globin chains formed heterotetramers in vitro, and oxygen- and CO-binding properties as well as the heme environment of the assembled tetramers were experimentally indistinguishable from those of native human Hb A. UV/vis, CD, and NMR spectra of assembled Hb A were also the same as those of human Hb A. These results indicate that individual expressed α chains are stable in bacteria and fold properly in vivo and that they then can assemble with free β chains to form hemoglobin heterotetramers in vivo as well as in vitro.
Beliefs About Meditating Among University Students, Faculty, and Staff: A Theory-Based Salient Belief Elicitation

AbstractObjective: Stress impacts college students, faculty, and staff alike. Although meditation has been found to decrease stress, it is an underutilized strategy. This study used the Reasoned Action Approach (RAA) to identify beliefs underlying university constituents’ decision to meditate. Participants: N = 96 students, faculty, and staff at a large midwestern university during spring 2012. Methods: A survey measured the RAA global constructs and elicited the beliefs underlying intention to meditate. Thematic and frequency analyses and multiple regression were performed. Results: Quantitative analyses showed that intention to meditate was significantly predicted (R2 = .632) by attitude, perceived norm, and perceived behavioral control. Qualitative analyses revealed advantages (eg, reduced stress; feeling calmer), disadvantages (eg, takes time; will not work), and facilitating circumstances (eg, having more time; having quiet space) of meditating. Conclusions: Results of this theory-based research sugg...
Weak monotonic double layers

Abstract We present analytic evidence for the existence of small amplitude electron and ion monotonic double layers. These are the nonlinear extensions of the slow electron acoustic wave and the slow ion acoustic wave, respectively: one related to the electron solitary hole (electron phase space vortex), the other related to the ion acoustic solitary hole (ion phase space vortex), both having negative trapping parameters.
Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy: a nonoperative technique for feeding gastrostomy

Feeding gastrostomy is a useful means of providing nutrition in patients unable to swallow. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy provides a means for creating a feeding gastrostomy without the necessity for laparotomy. It adds a new tool to the armamentarium of the therapeutic endoscopist.