cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
G-protein-coupled receptor dimers in the lime light.

It will be important to apply these optical resonance energy transfer techniques to examine the dimerization of other GPCRs in intact cells. GPCRs can be classified into three major subfamilies (rhodopsin, calcitonin and metabotropic receptor subfamilies) and members of all three subfamilies have been shown to exist as homodimers12xSee all References12. Several recent studies have also revealed heterodimerization of GPCRs (between closely related as well as distantly related members), which alters the functional properties of these receptors13xGABAB receptors – the first 7TM heterodimers. Marshall, F.H. et al. Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 1999; 20: 396–399Abstract | Full Text | Full Text PDF | PubMed | Scopus (245)See all References, 14xG-protein-coupled receptor hetero-dimerization modulates receptor function. Jordan, B.A. and Devi, L.A. Nature. 1999; 399: 697–700Crossref | PubMed | Scopus (833)See all References, 15xReceptors for dopamine and somatostatin: formation of hetero-oligomers with enhanced functional activity. Rocheville, M. et al. Science. 2000; 288: 154–157Crossref | PubMed | Scopus (638)See all References. Biochemical analyses have shown that in some GPCRs, agonist treatment leads to stabilization and/or an increase in the level of dimers, whereas in others agonist treatment has no effect or leads to a decrease in the level of dimers12xSee all References12. These optical resonance energy transfer techniques provide a novel and clear protocol to examine both homodimerization and heterodimerization of GPCRs in living cells. These methods are free from the complications that arise from more traditional biochemical methods of identifying dimers, and we should expect to see more studies using BRET and FRET given their simplicity and straightforwardness.Dimerization of GPCRs is a novel mechanism for receptor activation. It remains to be established whether GPCR dimerization occurs in vivo (i.e. in a living organism). Recent studies using energy transfer techniques to demonstrate the existence of dimers in living cells is a major step in this direction.
Replicating and understanding successful innovations: Implementing tutorials in introductory physics

We report a detailed study of the implementation of Tutorials in Introductory Physics at a large-scale research institution. Based on two successive semesters of evaluation, we observe students’ improved conceptual mastery force and motion concept evaluation median normalized gain 0.77, N = 336, albeit with some student discontent. We replicate the results of original studies of tutorial effectiveness and document how and why these results occur. Additionally, using the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey we measure the support of students’ expertlike beliefs about learning physics in our environment. We examine this implementation from a viewpoint that emphasizes varying contextual levels of this implementation, from students’ engagement in individual tasks, to the situations in which these tasks are embedded, to the broader classroom, departmental, and educational structures. We document both obvious and subtle features that help ensure the successful implementation of these reforms.
Dental microwear in live, wild‐trapped Alouatta palliata from Costa Rica

Scanning electron microscopy, Dental microwear, ABSTRACT One problem with dental microwear analyses of museum material is that investigators can never be sure of the diets of the animals in question. An obvious solution to this problem is to work with live animals. Recent work with laboratory primates has shown that high resolution dental impressions can be obtained from live animals. The purpose of this study was to use similar methods to begin to document rates and patterns of dental microwear for primates in the wild. Thirty-three Alouatta palliata were captured during the wet season at Hacienda La Pacifica near Canas, Costa Rica. Dental impressions were taken and epoxy casts of the teeth were prepared using the methods of Teaford and Oyen (1989a). Scanning electron micrographs were taken of the left mandibu- lar second molars at magnifications of 200 x and 500X. Lower magnification images were used to calculate rates of wear, and higher magnification images were used to measure the size and shape of microwear features. Results indicate that, while basic patterns of dental microwear are similar in museum samples and samples of live, wild-trapped animals of the same species, ecological differences between collection locales may lead to signifi- cant intraspecific differences in dental microwear. More importantly, rates of microwear provide the first direct evidence of differences in molar use between monkeys and humans.
Early de Novo Gene Expression Is Required for 15-Deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2-induced Apoptosis in Breast Cancer Cells

Cyclopentenone prostaglandin derivatives of arachidonic acid are potent inducers of apoptosis in a variety of cancer cell types. Several investigators have shown that the terminal derivative of prostaglandin J2(PGJ2) metabolism, 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-PGJ2 (15dPGJ2), induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells and is a potent activator of the nuclear hormone receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), but 15dPGJ2 effects can be mediated by PPARγ-dependent and PPARγ-independent mechanisms. Here we report that 15dPGJ2 regulates early gene expression critical to apoptosis. Specifically, 15dPGJ2 induces potent and irreversible S phase arrest that is correlated with expression of genes critical to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, including the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 Waf1/Cip1 (p21). Inhibition of RNA or protein synthesis abrogates apoptosis induced by 15dPGJ2 in breast cancer cells but potentiates apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor-α or CD95/Fas ligand. Additionally, 15dPGJ2induces caspase activation that is blocked by peptide caspase inhibitors. These data show that de novo gene transcription is necessary for 15dPGJ2-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells. Critical candidate genes are likely to be revealed through analysis of differential cDNA array expression.
Face Concerns in Interpersonal Conflict A Cross-Cultural Empirical Test of the Face Negotiation Theory

This study sought to test the underlying assumption of the face-negotiation theory that face is an explanatory mechanism for culture’s influence on conflict behavior. A questionnaire was administered to 768 participants in 4 national cultures (China, Germany, Japan, and the United States) asking them to describe interpersonal conflict. The major findings of this study are as follows: (a) cultural individualism-collectivism had direct and indirect effects on conflict styles, (b) independent self-construal related positively with self-face and interdependent self-construal related positively with other-face, (c) self-face related positively with dominating conflict styles and other-face related positively with avoiding and integrating styles, and (d) face accounted for all of the total variance explained (100% of 19% total explained) in dominating, most of the total variance explained in integrating (70% of 20% total explained), and some of the total variance explained in avoiding (38% of 21% total explaine...
Molecular Taxonomy of the Suborder Bodonina (Order Kinetoplastida), Including the Important Fish Parasite, Ichthyobodo necator

Abstract Ichthyobodo necator is an important fish ectoparasite with a broad host and ecological range. A novel method, involving the use of an anesthetic, allowed the collection of large numbers of parasites from the skin and gills of hybrid striped bass (Morone saxatilis male × M. chrysops female). Genomic DNA from these samples was used to amplify and clone the 18S rRNA gene. The 18S rRNA gene was similarly cloned from Bodo caudatus, Bodo edax, Bodo saltans, an unidentified Bodo species, and Dimastigella trypaniformis. The resulting sequences were aligned with other representative kinetoplastid species using pileup and similarities in secondary structure. Phylogenetic relationships within the suborder Bodonina and representatives of the suborder Trypanosomatina were determined using maximum-likelihood statistics. The phylogenetic analyses strongly supported the order Kinetoplastida as a monophyletic assemblage consisting of at least two major lineages. One lineage consisted exclusively of I. necator, in...
Axonal pathways to the lateral superior olive labeled with biotinylated dextran amine injections in the dorsal cochlear nucleus of rats

The lateral superior olive (LSO) contains cells that are sensitive to intensity differences between the two ears, a feature used by the brain to localize sounds in space. This report describes a source of input to the LSO that complements bushy cell projections from the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN). Injections of biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) into the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) of the rat label axons and swellings in several brainstem structures, including the ipsilateral LSO. Labeling in the ipsilateral LSO was confined to a thin band that extended throughout the length of the structure such that it resembled an LSO isofrequency lamina. The source of this labeled pathway was not obvious, because DCN neurons do not project to the LSO, and VCN bushy cells were not filled by these injections. Filled neurons in several brainstem structures emerged as possible sources. Three observations suggest that most of the axonal labeling in the LSO derives from a single source. First, the number of labeled VCN planar multipolar cells and the amount of labeling in the LSO were consistent and robust across animals. In contrast, the number of labeled cells in most other structures was small and highly variable. Second, the locations of planar cells and filled axons in the LSO were related topographically to the position of the DCN injection site. Third, labeled terminal arborizations in the LSO arose from collaterals of axons in the trapezoid body (output tract of planar cells). We infer that planar multipolar cells, in addition to bushy cells, are a source of ascending input from the cochlear nucleus to the LSO.
The growth of manufacturing in early nineteenth century New England

My thesis examines the process of industrialization in nineteenthcentury New England before the Civil War. I have attempted to achieve three principal objectives: first, the purely descriptive task of beginning to fill our present vacuum of detailed information on the American economy before 1840; second, to test the specific hypothesis that New England and perhaps other American regions would exhibit concentrated spurts of industrial output similar to those which characterized the emergence of modern economies in nineteenth-century Europe; third, to construct an explanation of the forces which determined the particular course of development which was observed.
Characterization of lead-free solder and sintered nano-silver die-attach layers using thermal impedance

Since a die-attach layer has significant impact on the thermal performance of a power module [1], its quality can be characterized using thermal performance. In this paper, a measurement system for thermal impedance is developed to evaluate three die-attach materials. Thanks to its high temperature sensitivity (10mV/0C), the gate-emitter voltage of an IGBT is used as the temperature-sensitive parameter. The power dissipation in the IGBT is maintained constant regardless of the junction temperature by a feedback loop. Experimental results show that the sample using sintered nano-silver for die-attach has 12.1% lower thermal impedance than the samples using SAC305 and SN100C solders. To check the degradation of the die-attachment, three samples using three die-attach materials were thermally cycled from -400C to 1250C. The experimental results show that after 500 cycles, the thermal impedance of SAC305 samples and SN100C samples is increased by 12.8% and 15% respectively, which is much higher than the sample using nano-silver paste for die-attach (increased by 4.1%).
XY-WINS: an integraded environment for developing graphical user interfaces

XY-WINS is an integrated environment that supports design, prototyping, implementation, and debugging of graphical user interfaces. XY-WINS tools allow user interface designers to work at an abstract level, thus enabling non-experts in computer graphics to quickly prototype graphical interfaces. However, the tools also allow great flexibility in defining graphical features. XY-WINS supports the development of user interfaces consisting of two main modules: a Graphical Abstract Machine (GRAM), and a High-level Interaction Component (HIC). The GRAM encapsulates the lower levels of input and output, and provides the HIC with an abstract view of the user based on abstract representations of pictures and on input tokens incoming through input channels. The HIC implements the dialogue between this abstraction of the user and the back-end of the system.The environment provides tools for generating a GRAM from abstract specifications of the graphical constructs and the input tokens that are to be used in a user interface. These specifications can be edited interactively and graphically. The HIC can be specified as a system of independent communicating processes/objects by using a high-level concurrent language, which also includes control structures designed to support the definition of complex user/system interactions. Finally, an interactive debugging system allows one to execute the user interface, while simultaneously visualizing end-user screen, state of the GRAM, and state of the HIC.
Fighting Back: Nine Modes of Adaptation to a Deviant Label

After a brief review of selected concerns about labelling theory, we focus on two principal indictments: (1) viewing the labellee as overly passive; and (2) viewing the labellee in individual rather than in collective analytical units. Taking the position that labelling stigma has been emphasized to the neglect of systematically delineating “fighting-back” techniques, we present a nine-cell typology of adaptations. These are conceived in terms of tactical and societal relationships considered within a social interaction frame of reference. Stressing process, the typology is developed as possessing entrances, motion within, and exits. Accordingly, adaptation is not limited to single cells but is discussed in terms of hypothetical modular paths.
Seeing the Unseen in Indonesia's Public Sphere: Photographic Appearances of a Spirit Queen

Ratu Kidul is a legendary spirit queen who plays a significant role in Javanese political ontologies and has come to be an icon of Indonesian public culture. In this paper, I trace the history of her mediation as image via paint, photography, television, film, and the Internet in order to ask how this queen of the unseen world came to be so visible a feature of the postcolonial landscape and to interrogate the nature and effects of this visibility. I argue that becoming accessible via the image was necessary to her continued political agency within a mass-mediated national public sphere in which visibility and circulation are preconditions of political recognition. Yet popular reception of images of Ratu Kidul as auratic conduits of her spiritual power reveal the continued presence of a visuality within Indonesian national modernity that runs counter to dominant logics of transparency. I offer an ethnographic examination of images of Ratu Kidul across a range of media, attending to their material qualities as mediums by which the spirit queen appears and circulates. Broadly, the essay argues that national political orders and their public spheres cannot be understood apart from a history of visual mediation.
Ground Rules of Gas Exchange

Gas exchange is the fundamental process of respiration. I include any movement of respiratory gases anywhere between the environment and the membranes of the mitochondria in the definition. For the purposes of this text, the terms respiration and gas exchange are synonymous. Although I will deal almost exclusively with the gas exchange of mammals and, within that group, primarily with humans, the principles and concepts I discuss pertain just as well to the other species.
Dissociation between Neurodegeneration and Caspase-11-Mediated Activation of Caspase-1 and Caspase-3 in a Mouse Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Caspase-11 is a key regulator of caspase-1 and caspase-3 activation under pathological conditions. We show here that the expression of caspase-11 is upregulated in the spinal cord of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) G93A transgenic mice, a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), before the onset of motor dysfunction and remains at the high levels throughout the course of disease. The caspase-1- and caspase-3-like activities, as well as the level of interleukin-1β, were significantly reduced in the spinal cord of symptomatic caspase-11 –/–;SOD1 G93A mice compared with that of caspase-11 +/–; SOD1 G93A mice. However, neurodegeneration, inflammatory responses, and the disease onset and progression in SOD1 G93A transgenic mice were not altered by the ablation of caspase-11 gene. Thus, although caspases may contribute to certain aspects of pathology in this mouse model of ALS, their inhibition is not sufficient to prevent neurodegeneration. Our study urges caution when considering the inhibition of caspases as a direct therapeutic method for the treatment of chronic neurodegenerative diseases.
Primary Meningococcal Arthritis

Meningitis and the clinical syndrome of acute meningococcemia are well-described sequelae from infections caused by Neisseria meningitidis . Within the realm of this syndrome, secondary sites of infection are not uncommon. There is a concomitant septic arthritis in 11% of cases of meningococcemia.[1
Building a virtual cancer research organization.

Background The Cancer Research Network (CRN) comprises the National Cancer Institute and 11 nonprofit research centers affiliated with integrated health care delivery systems. The CRN, a public/private partnership, fosters multisite collaborative research on cancer prevention, screening, treatment, survival, and palliation in diverse populations. Methods The CRN's success hinges on producing innovative cancer research that likely would not have been developed by scientists working individually, and then translating those findings into clinical practice within multiple population laboratories. The CRN is a collaborative virtual research organization characterized by user-defined sharing among scientists and health care providers of data files as well as direct access to researchers, computers, software, data, research participants, and other resources. The CRN's research management Web site fosters a high-functioning virtual scientific community by publishing standardized data definitions, file specifications, and computer programs to support merging and analyzing data from multiple health care systems. Results Seven major types of standardized data files developed to date include demographics, health plan eligibility, tumor registry, inpatient and ambulatory utilization, medication dispensing, laboratory tests, and imaging procedures; more will follow. Data standardization avoids rework, increases multisite data integrity, increases data security, generates shorter times from initial proposal concept to submission, and stimulates more frequent collaborations among scientists across multiple institutions. Conclusions The CRN research management Web site and associated standardized data files and procedures represent a quasi-public resource, and the CRN stands ready to collaborate with researchers from outside institutions in developing and conducting innovative public domain research.
Branching Exit Markov System and their Applications to Partial Differential Equations

Connections between linear partial differential equations involving second order uniformly elliptic operators L and diffusion processes are known for a long time. Superdiffusions are related, in an analogous way, to equations involving semilinear differential operators Lu — ψ(u).
A small-system ensemble Monte Carlo simulation of supersaturated vapor: Evaluation of barrier to nucleation

A small-system grand canonical ensemble Monte Carlo method is developed to evaluate cluster size distribution and barrier to the nucleation in a supersaturated Lennard-Jones vapor. The theoretical foundation is a physical cluster theory in which the Stillinger cluster is used as a prototypical physical cluster. Using method of Mayer’s cluster expansion, the cluster–vapor interaction is effectively taken into account. From a separate canonical ensemble Monte Carlo simulation using a test particle method, the averaged volume of the cluster is obtained and is also incorporated in the small-system ensemble simulation. By this implementation our simulation is computationally more efficient compared to that based on the n/v Stillinger cluster theory in that instead of searching the saddle point on a two-dimensional free energy surface (a function of cluster size n and volume v) one needs only to find the peak on a free energy curve (a function of n only). A comparison with the height of barrier obtained from a ...
GA-optimized fuzzy controller for spacecraft attitude control

Spacecraft attitude control is approached as a nonlinear control problem, the robustness quality of the genetic algorithm (GA)-optimized fuzzy logic (FL) control is demonstrated using a nonlinear model of the Space Station Freedom. The main components of the GA-optimized fuzzy controller (GAoFC) are the GA adaptive learning module, the objective function module, and the FC (fuzzy control) module. Performance of the nonlinear GAoFC is verified using a nonlinear simulation of the Space Station. We study cases of manually generated parameters rule set, GA-optimized parameters, and GA-optimized rules and parameters. Results presented substantiate the feasibility of using GA-optimized fuzzy controllers in robust nonlinear control of spacecraft. >
Synovial Fluid Interleukin-6 as a Predictor of Periprosthetic Shoulder Infection

Background: Diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) in patients undergoing revision shoulder arthroplasty is challenging because of the low virulence of the most common infecting organisms. The goal of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of measuring synovial fluid interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels for identifying PJI of the shoulder. Methods: Thirty-two consecutive patients evaluated for pain at the site of a shoulder arthroplasty were prospectively enrolled from November 2012 to September 2013 and underwent revision surgery (thirty-five procedures during which samples were obtained for synovial fluid IL-6 analysis). Cases were categorized into infection (n = 15) and no-infection (n = 20) groups on the basis of objective preoperative and intraoperative findings. Twenty patients treated with arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were also enrolled to serve as a non-infected control group. Synovial fluid was obtained through aspiration intraoperatively for all patients, as well as preoperatively for some. Synovial fluid IL-6 levels were measured with use of a cytokine immunoassay that utilizes electrochemiluminescent detection. A receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine the diagnostic utility of synovial fluid IL-6 analysis. Results: Based on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, synovial fluid IL-6 measurement had an area under the curve of 0.891 with an ideal cutoff value of 359.3 pg/mL. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios were 87%, 90%, 8.45, and 0.15, respectively. Seven patients who underwent a single-stage revision had negative results on standard perioperative testing, including the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels, but multiple positive intraoperative tissue cultures. The level of synovial fluid IL-6 was elevated in five of these seven patients, with a median value of 1400 pg/mL. Intraoperative synovial fluid IL-6 values correlated well with preoperative IL-6 synovial fluid values (correlation = 0.61; p = 0.025) and frozen-section histologic findings (p < 0.001). Synovial fluid IL-6 levels were also significantly elevated in patients with Propionibacterium acnes infection (p = 0.01). Conclusions: Measurement of synovial fluid IL-6 levels is more sensitive and specific than current preoperative testing for predicting positive cultures for patients undergoing revision shoulder arthroplasty. This diagnostic accuracy can lead to improved decision-making in the management of PJI. Level of Evidence: Diagnostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Adverse Effects on Female Development and Reproduction in CD-1 Mice Following Neonatal Exposure to the Phytoestrogen Genistein at Environmentally Relevant Doses

Outbred female CD-1 mice were treated with genistein (Gen), the primary phytoestrogen in soy, by s.c. injections on Neonatal Days 1-5 at doses of 0.5, 5, or 50 mg/kg per day (Gen-0.5, Gen-5, and Gen-50). The day of vaginal opening was observed in mice treated with Gen and compared with controls, and although there were some differences, they were not statistically significant. Gen-treated mice had prolonged estrous cycles with a dose- and age-related increase in severity of abnormal cycles. Females treated with Gen-0.5 or Gen-5 bred to control males at 2, 4, and 6 mo showed statistically significant decreases in the number of live pups over time with increasing dose; at 6 mo, 60% of the females in the Gen-0.5 group and 40% in the Gen-5 group delivered live pups compared with 100% of controls. Mice treated with Gen-50 did not deliver live pups. At 2 mo, >60% of the mice treated with Gen-50 were fertile as determined by uterine implantation sites, but pregnancy was not maintained; pregnancy loss was characterized by fewer, smaller implantation sites and increased reabsorptions. Mice treated with lower doses of Gen had increased numbers of corpora lutea compared with controls, while mice treated with the highest dose had decreased numbers; however, superovulation with eCG/hCG yielded similar numbers of oocytes as controls. Serum levels of progesterone, estradiol, and testosterone were similar between Gen-treated and control mice when measured before puberty and during pregnancy. In summary, neonatal treatment with Gen caused abnormal estrous cycles, altered ovarian function, early reproductive senescence, and subfertility/infertility at environmentally relevant doses.
Nothing about you...without you.

Two years ago in New Orleans, when I was elected second vice-president, a member whom I had not met before approached me. After we exchanged pleasantries and congratulations, he said something that at first took me by surprise. But what he said resonated with what I already knew about the importance of the leadership office I was about to assume. The member just said, “Don't forget about me.” This simple statement, “Don't forget about me,” captured the essence of my office. The presidency of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) is not about me. It is not about honors nor accolades. This office is about the responsibility that I have to that member, to all of you, to the other 28,000 members of this Academy, and to our future members. My theme this year—“Nothing About You... Without You”—is both a commitment and a call to action. The commitment and call begin today, right now, with our Academy and with all of you. For the coming year, as your president, I am committed to building upon the existing strengths of our organization. By redoubling our efforts to meet the members' needs, your needs, we will continue to set the pace for other societies in other specialty disciplines. Today, I will set forth an agenda that will ensure the continued preeminence of our Academy in the medical community. For the coming year, with the support of our strong Academy, I call upon you to join me in making a collective professional commitment to do even more to improve the care we provide to our patients. This year, I will be asking you to work with me, and with the Academy, to create a culture of patient-centered care in our organization and in our individual practices. I know that my election to …
Cellular mechanisms of heparinase III protection in rat traumatic shock.

Pentobarbital-anesthetized rats subjected to traumatic shock developed a shock state characterized by marked hypotension to 65–70 mmHg, a survival time of 88 ± 13 min, significant increases in ileal myeloperoxidase activity (P < 0.01), and severe endothelial dysfunction as evidenced by a significant (P < 0.01) decrease in vasorelaxation to endothelium-dependent dilators. Treatment with heparinase III (45 μg ⋅ kg−1 ⋅ min−1) 10 min posttrauma prolonged survival time to 223 ± 19 min (P < 0.001), significantly attenuated ileal myeloperoxidase activity (P < 0.01), and significantly preserved endothelial function (P < 0.05). Intravital microscopy of the rat mesentery showed that infusion of heparinase III (45–67 μg ⋅ kg−1 ⋅ min−1) significantly (P < 0.01) attenuated both leukocyte rolling and adherence in the rat mesenteric microvasculature in response toN G-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester stimulation. Immunohistochemical localization of surface-expressed P-selectin on mesenteric venules showed that heparinase II...
Potential link between excess added sugar intake and ectopic fat: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Context : The effect of added sugar intake on ectopic fat accumulation is a subject of debate. Objective: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to examine the potential effect of added sugar intake on ectopic fat depots. Data Sources: MEDLINE, CAB Abstracts, CAB Global Health, and EBM (Evidence-Based Medicine) Reviews – Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched for studies published from 1973 to September 2014. Data Extraction: RCTs with a minimum of 6 days’ duration of added sugar exposure in the intervention group were selected. The dosage of added sugar intake as a percentage of total energy was extracted or calculated. Means and standard deviations of pre- and post-test measurements or changes in ectopic fat depots were collected. Data Synthesis: Fourteen RCTs were included. Most of the studies had a medium to high risk of bias. Meta-analysis showed that, compared with eucaloric controls, subjects who consumed added sugar under hypercaloric conditions likely increased ectopic fat, particularly in the liver (pooled standardized mean difference = 0.9 [95%CI, 0.6–1.2], n = 6) and muscles (pooled SMD = 0.6 [95%CI, 0.2–1.0], n = 4). No significant difference was observed in liver fat, visceral adipose tissue, or muscle fat when isocaloric intakes of different sources of added sugars were compared. Conclusions: Data from a limited number of RCTs suggest that excess added sugar intake under hypercaloric diet conditions likely increases ectopic fat depots, particularly in the liver and in muscle fat. There are insufficient data to compare the effect of different sources of added sugars on ectopic fat deposition or to compare intake of added sugar with intakes of other macronutrients. Future well-designed RCTs with sufficient power and duration are needed to address the role of sugars on ectopic fat deposition.
The Use of Finite Element Methods (FEM) in the Modeling of Localized Corrosion

. Typical forms of localized corrosion include crevice corrosion, pitting, stress corrosion cracking, and intergranular corrosion. 1 Localized corrosion represents the primary corrosion failure mode for passive/corrosion resistant materials. There has been extensive experimental characterization of the dependence of the susceptibility to corrosion on alloy and solution composition, temperature, and other variables. Computational modeling can play an important role in improving the understanding of localized corrosion processes, in particular when it is coupled with experimental research that accurately quantifies the important characteristics that control corrosion rate and resultant morphology. There are many modeling methods that can be applied, with the choice of method driven by the goal of the modeling exercise. Empirical models 2 can be used to predict performance within the parameter space for which they are created. Such models can provide insight into what kinds of processes might be dominating the corrosion process, but further dissection of controlling factors is more difficult. Numerical modeling, in which the concentration, potential, and current distributions are calculated, plays a role in helping to understand controlling factors. There are several numerical methods that have been implemented by corrosion scientists and engineers. Among these, the finite element method (FEM) has been the most widely used to investigate transport phenomena in systems undergoing. The finite element method (FEM) is a numerical technique used to obtain approximate solutions to the differential equations that describe a wide variety of physical phenomena, ranging from electrical and mechanical systems to chemical and fluid flow problems. Generally, FEM establishes credible stability criteria and provides more flexibility (e.g., in handling inhomogeneity and complex geometries) compared to other numerical modeling methods such as the finite difference method (FDM). The finite element approach in corrosion study was introduced in the early 1980s by Alkire, Forrest, and Fu. 3-5 The FEM approach has demonstrated an ability to predict electrochemical parameters such as potential and current distributions for localized corrosion.
Current Developments in Farm Labor Legislation

HE plight of the farm worker has been a matter of some concern for many years. But it is only recently, during the past few years, that there has been real public awareness of the problem and indication that ameliorative action is, and will be, forthcoming. I would like to discuss the several convergent forces which in my opinion have brought about this changed situation. I will also briefly review recently enacted farm labor legislation and some of the major bills now before the Congress.
Climate models and CO2-induced climatic changes

This article is a review of the modeling of potential CO2 effects on climate, intended for an interdisciplinary audience of ‘mathematically oriented’ scientists and engineers. The carbon dioxide (CO2) content of the atmosphere has shown a systematic increase each year since regular measurements began in 1958. A major source of CO2 is the combustion of fossil fuels. A number of studies of the sensitivity of climate to increases in the CO2 content of the atmosphere have been published. This report is an assimilation of the results of some of these studies. The climate sensitivity problem is introduced through a discussion of the various atmospheric feedbacks and the ice albedo feedback. The most recent estimates of the various feedbacks are used to estimate upper and lower bounds of the globally averaged temperature increase that would accompany a doubling of atmospheric CO2 content. The results of a CO2 doubling experiment using a simple general circulation model are reviewed, and the possible response of the cryosphere is discussed.
Leslie Stephen, Thomas Hardy, and A Pair of Blue Eyes

Much has been written about the famous scene in Hardy’s A Pair of Blue Eyes (1872–3) in which Knight slips over the edge of a cliff and, while dangling over a deep chasm, reviews several thousand years of world history before being rescued by a rope of lady’s underwear. Carl J. Weber says the scene was adapted by Hardy from an incident that occurred during a picnic he went on in August 1870 with his future first wife, Emma Lavinia Gifford, who lost an earring during the day in a rocky crevice and asked Hardy, despite the heavy rain, to look for it. According to Weber, Hardy sketched two pictures of the scene and afterwards wrote a poem, “Where the Picnic Was,” recalling the day’s events. The fictionalized version in A Pair of Blue Eyes is “the first indication in the novels of Hardy’s ability to sustain interest in a tense situation by the sheer power of vivid description,” Weber adds. Michael Millgate refers to Hardy’s account of the cliffs along the coasts of Britain, of which this scene forms a part, as irrelevant picture-painting typical of a novel which is little more than “a kind of ragbag of information, ideas, descriptive vignettes, personal experiences, fragments of the author’s brief literary past.” J. O. Bailey says the scene is characteristic of a writer who enjoyed injecting into his novels spectacular events involving man and nature.
OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFTING BASED ON HOSPITAL VOLUME, 2007-2011

The volume of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures has been declining. Studies suggest an increased risk of adverse events in patients undergoing CABG at low volume centers; this has yet to be evaluated in a contemporary national registry. We analyzed all patients who had CABG from
High-molecular-weight polyvinylamine/piperazine glycinate membranes for CO2 capture from flue gas

Abstract High-molecular-weight polyvinylamine (PVAm)/piperazine glycinate (PG) membranes were successfully synthesized for CO2/N2 separation from flue gas. PVAm with different molecular weights was synthesized through free radical polymerization by adjusting the monomer concentration and initiator amount. The synthesized PVAm showed both a higher molecular weight and a higher solution viscosity than the commercially available PVAm (Lupamin® 9095 from BASF Corporation). The high viscosity of the PVAm solution at a low concentration allowed the preparation of much thinner membranes. It could also help reducing penetration of the polymer solution into the pores of the substrate, further reducing the mass transfer resistance. Consequently, a high CO2 permeance could be obtained from thin membranes with the thickness of 100–200 nm. In the membrane, PVAm acted as the fixed-site carrier for CO2 facilitated transport whereas PG was incorporated into the PVAm polymer matrix and served as the mobile carrier. The PVAm/PG blend solution was coated onto different substrates including polyethersulfone (PES) and polysulfone (PSf) substrates. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant was incorporated in the coating solution to improve the adhesion between the membrane layer and the substrate in some cases. The resultant PVAm/PG membranes exhibited a high CO2 permeance of about 1100 GPU and a high CO2/N2 mixed gas selectivity of more than 140 at the typical flue gas temperature of 57 °C along with 17% water vapor.
Diet of Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in Subtropical Mangrove Habitats in South Florida

Abstract Unique among turtles as the only exclusively estuarine species, the diamondback terrapin's (Malaclemys terrapin) life history predisposes it to impacts from humans both on land and in the near-shore environment. Terrapins are found in salt marshes and mangroves along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Massachusetts to Texas. Whereas previous dietary studies have elucidated terrapins' role in temperate salt marsh food webs, food resources for terrapins inhabiting subtropical mangrove habitats have not been studied. We examined dietary resource use for diamondback terrapins in subtropical mangrove creek and island habitats within Everglades National Park, Florida, to determine foraging strategies of terrapins inhabiting south Florida (SF) mangrove systems. Fecal analysis revealed 6 categories of food items, with gastropods, crabs, and bivalves being the dominant food items. Multivariate analysis revealed differences in food sources based on habitat more so than by terrapin size class. Our results re...
Wayfinding, Mobility, and Technology for an Aging Society

This chapter, written from a public health and technology perspective, addresses limited or impaired mobility, which is common in adults—particularly older adults—and adversely associated with health, well-being, and function. Little attention has been given to problems with community wayfinding, including both individual characteristics (such as reduced lower-body strength, vision impairment, and cognitive deficits) and environmental characteristics (such as broken sidewalks, poor lighting, and heavy automobile traffic) and their potential impact on older adult mobility. Given that improving mobility is a key foundation block for any comprehensive program to enhance the health and well-being of older adults, the chapter explores the potential of current and emerging personal wayfinding technologies to improve wayfinding and enhance mobility. It identifies the relative lack of—and need to build—an evidence base that includes public health outcomes. The RE-AIM (Reach, Efficacy/Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) framework, widely employed in public health to foster effective translation of research to practice, is proposed as a means to assess personal wayfinding technologies. First, questions underlying RE-AIM components are explored for utility in assessing the current status of a given technology. Second, the framework is applied in a manner closer to its original intent to examine the translation and dissemination of a specific technology. Finally, the chapter explores some future directions in this rapidly expanding field.
Aristocrats in Bourgeois Italy: Retreat and adaptation in the twentieth century

As the preceding chapters have argued, the Piedmontese aristocracy proved to be more successful than their titled counterparts elsewhere on the Italian peninsula at maintaining a combination of landed wealth, social exclusivity, cultural traditions, and political influence in the second half of the nineteenth century. The same cannot be said for the following century. The extraordinary growth of industry in Piedmont, the rapid advance of mass politics, recurrent problems in the agricultural sector, demographic weakness, two wars, and ultimately the fall of the monarchy combined to transform irrevocably the identity, status and, material circumstances of the nobility in Piedmont by the middle of the twentieth century. Old-line aristocratic families responded to these challenges in a variety of ways. Some conformed to popular stereotypes by squandering the remains of the ancestral patrimony on gambling, mistresses, and the high life or by retreating to their decaying country houses and palaces where they led a proud, but increasingly impoverished existence before simply dying off. For others, preeminence was followed not so much by decadence and disappearance as by adaption and survival. In fact, a number of titled families became active participants in a process of adjustment to the difficult circumstances that confronted them particularly after 1914. As a result, they remained an affluent and prominent component of Piedmontese high society in the decades that followed.
The social structure of Golfo Dulce bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and the influence of behavioural state

Ecological factors such as habitat and food availability affect the social structure of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.). Here, we describe the social structure of bottlenose dolphins (T. truncatus) in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica, a semi-enclosed, fjord-like tropical embayment resembling a pelagic system. We also examine behaviour-linked social strategies by comparing social structure relative to behavioural state: feeding versus non-feeding. We analysed 333 sightings over 210 days from boat-based surveys. Despite the uniqueness of the area, the 47 analysed adults had a social structure similar to other populations: a well-differentiated fission-fusion society with sex-specific patterns of associations and aggression. These results indicate that differences in social structure relative to other populations were a matter of degree. Association strength of dyads was highly correlated across behavioural states, indicating constraints on social fluidity. Males displayed a marked difference in lagged association rate and females displayed a small difference in association homogeneity between states. We suggest this difference in population-wide social connections between behavioural states, particularly for males, was due to mating strategies, a pressure which is strongest during non-feeding behaviour and relaxed during feeding. This finding highlights the importance of considering behavioural state when examining individual bonds and the behavioural plasticity for which the bottlenose dolphin is well known.
Doorway detection for autonomous indoor navigation of unmanned vehicles

Fully autonomous navigation of unmanned vehicles, without relying on pre-installed tags or markers, still remains a challenge for GPS-denied areas and complex indoor environments. Doors are important for navigation as the entry/exit points. A novel approach is proposed to autonomously detect™ doorways by using the Project Tango platform. We first detect the candidate door openings from the 3D point cloud, and then use a pre-trained detector on corresponding RGB image regions to verify if these openings are indeed doors. We employ Aggregate Channel Features for detection, which are computationally efficient for real-time applications. Since detection is only performed on candidate regions, the system is more robust against false positives. The approach can be generalized to recognize windows, some architectural structures and obstacles. Experiments show that the proposed method can detect open doors in a robust and efficient manner.
Data sharing through an NIH central database repository: a cross-sectional survey of BioLINCC users.

Objective To characterise experiences using clinical research data shared through the National Institutes of Health (NIH)9s Biologic Specimen and Data Repository Information Coordinating Center (BioLINCC) clinical research data repository, along with data recipients’ perceptions of the value, importance and challenges with using BioLINCC data. Design and setting Cross-sectional web-based survey. Participants All investigators who requested and received access to clinical research data from BioLINCC between 2007 and 2014. Main outcome measures Reasons for BioLINCC data request, research project plans, interactions with original study investigators, BioLINCC experience and other project details. Results There were 536 investigators who requested and received access to clinical research data from BioLINCC between 2007 and 2014. Of 441 potential respondents, 195 completed the survey (response rate=44%); 89% (n=174) requested data for an independent study, 17% (n=33) for pilot/preliminary analysis. Commonly cited reasons for requesting data through BioLINCC were feasibility of collecting data of similar size and scope (n=122) and insufficient financial resources for primary data collection (n=76). For 95% of respondents (n=186), a primary research objective was to complete new research, as opposed to replicate prior analyses. Prior to requesting data from BioLINCC, 18% (n=36) of respondents had contacted the original study investigators to obtain data, whereas 24% (n=47) had done so to request collaboration. Nearly all (n=176; 90%) respondents found the data to be suitable for their proposed project; among those who found the data unsuitable (n=19; 10%), cited reasons were data too complicated to use (n=5) and data poorly organised (n=5). Half (n=98) of respondents had completed their proposed projects, of which 67% (n=66) have been published. Conclusions Investigators were primarily using clinical research data from BioLINCC for independent research, making use of data that would otherwise have not been feasible to collect.