cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of Dart or Booster Vaccination with Strain RB51 in Protecting Bison against Experimental Brucella abortus Challenge

This study characterized the efficacy of the Brucella abortus strain RB51 vaccine in bison when delivered by single intramuscular vaccination (hand RB51), by single pneumatic dart delivery (dart RB51), or as two vaccinations approximately 13 months apart (booster RB51) in comparison to control bison. All bison were challenged intraconjunctivally in midgestation with 107 CFU of B. abortus strain 2308 (S2308). Bison were necropsied and sampled within 72 h of abortion or delivery of a live calf. Compared to nonvaccinated bison, bison in the booster RB51 treatment had a reduced (P 0.05) from the control group in the incidence of abortion or recovery of S2308 from uterine, mammary, fetal, or maternal tissues at necropsy. Compared to nonvaccinated animals, all RB51 vaccination groups had reduced (P < 0.05) mean colonization or incidence of infection in at least 2 of 4 target tissues, with the booster RB51 group having reduced (P < 0.05) colonization and incidence of infection in all target tissues. Our data suggest that booster vaccination of bison with RB51 enhances protective immunity against Brucella challenge compared to single vaccination with RB51 by hand or by pneumatic dart. Our study also suggests that an initial vaccination of calves followed by booster vaccination as yearlings should be an effective strategy for brucellosis control in bison.
High-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging of the animal brain.

To fully understand brain function, one must look beyond the level of a single neuron. By elucidating the spatial properties of the columnar and laminar functional architectures, information regarding the neural processing in the brain can be gained. To map these fine functional structures noninvasively and repeatedly, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can be employed. In this article the basic principles of fMRI are introduced, including specific hardware requirements and the equipment necessary for animal magnetic resonance research. Since fMRI measures a change in secondary hemodynamic responses induced by neural activity, it is critical to understand the principles and potential pitfalls of fMRI techniques. Thus, the underlying physics of conventional blood oxygenation, cerebral blood flow, and cerebral blood volume-based fMRI techniques are extensively discussed. Tissue-specific signal change is close to the site of neural activity, while signals from large vessels can be distant from the actual active site. Thus, methods to minimize large vessel contributions and to maximize tissue signals are described. The fundamental limitation of fMRI spatial resolution is the intrinsic hemodynamic response. Based on our high-resolution fMRI studies, the hemodynamic response is regulated at submillimeter functional domains and thus spatial resolution can be achieved to an order of 100 μm. Since hemodynamic responses are sluggish, it is difficult to obtain very high temporal resolution. By using an approach with multiple experiments with different stimulus conditions, temporal resolution can be improved on the order of 100 ms. With current fMRI technologies, submillimeter columnar- and laminar-specific specific functional images can be obtained from animal brains.
You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks A Qualitative Analysis of How Residents of Senior Living Communities May Use the Web to Overcome Spatial and Social Barriers

For adults in senior living communities, information and communication technologies (ICTs) can be used to increase and expand communication for a population that is often spatially and socially separated from the general public. Using qualitative observational data from a longitudinal study of the impact of ICT usage on the quality of life among residents in assisted and independent living communities, the authors examine whether ICTs can mitigate the effects of social and spatial barriers. The authors find that ICTs have the potential to allow individuals to transcend social and spatial barriers, providing residents with the ability to maintain and enhance social networks as well as provide a greater sense of connection to the world at large.
An Example of a Variational Approach to Mechanics Using “Different” Rules of Algebra

In many instances duality does not help in deriving complementary variational principles due to “wrong” signs of abstract second derivatives. The Lagrangian formulation “works”, the Hamilton’s canonical equations are displayed, everything seems to be in the right form. Upon a closer examination only one variational principle can be formulated at best. Even if the signs of the second FrSchet derivatives can be determined in the vicinity of a critical point of the cost functional, both are of the same sign. Suppose that the Lagrangian for the problem L,(x,Ax) vanishes at x = x.
PFO Device Closure

Device closure of PFO remains a relatively controversial topic in those with otherwise normal hearts. In this patient population.
Public announcements and coordination in dynamic global games: Experimental evidence☆

Abstract This paper uses a two-stage variant of a dynamic global game often used to model speculative attacks to study experimentally whether and when the introduction of an announcement by an uninformed outsider facilitates coordination. Consistent with previous findings, when multiplicity is theoretically possible, the announcement serves as a coordination device and significantly affects the probability of a successful speculative attack. On the other hand, importantly, when the model predicts a unique equilibrium in the same environment, I find that the announcement has no effect on behavior. Beliefs about others’ actions appear to play a crucial role in the differential effect of the announcement on attacking behavior under different information conditions.
Analysis and Application of Multiple Diffraction Phenomena in Perfect Crystal Monochromators

Since the introduction of EXAFS measurements using synchrotron radiation, experimentalists have been troubled by the occurrence of numerous dips in the primary intensity of the beam emerging from the monochromator system. These dips, or “glitches,” cause serious complications in the Fourier transform of EXAFS spectra. The physical source of this phenomenon, originally called the “Aufhellung Effect” and interesting in its own right, has been well understood since the early twenties: the intensity of the primary beam is modified by the presence of one or more secondary reflections satisfying Bragg’s law simultaneously. However, no universal way of analyzing and dealing with this effect has been proposed so far. In this note we first review and present a critical analysis of a sample of solutions of the problem and then discuss some potentially useful applications of glitches to the absolute energy calibration and precise geometric orientation of crystals.
Discrete Elements Method of Neutron Transport

In this paper a new neutron transport method, called discrete elements (L/sub N/) is derived and compared to discrete ordinates methods, theoretically and by numerical experimentation. The discrete elements method is based on discretizing the Boltzmann equation over a set of elements of angle. The discrete elements method is shown to be more cost-effective than discrete ordinates, in terms of accuracy versus execution time and storage, for the cases tested. In a two-dimensional test case, a vacuum duct in a shield, the L/sub N/ method is more consistently convergent toward a Monte Carlo benchmark solution.
Recognizing Expertise Factors Promoting Congruity Between Individuals’ Perceptions of Their Own Expertise and the Perceptions of Their Coworkers

Previous research has demonstrated the critical role communication plays in a group’s ability to recognize its expert members. This study looks broadly at the different forms of communication that might influence expertise recognition and considers how structural, relational, and communicative factors are related to individuals’ success in having their expertise recognized by other group members. In addition, we advance a view of expertise recognition in terms of expertise sharing and consider the circumstances under which an individual’s self-perceived expertise is likely to match the perceptions of other group members. Drawing on survey data from 99 employees at a financial services company, we find that it is communication practices, and not structural influences, that primarily relate to group members having their expertise recognized by coworkers. The findings extend theory that views attributions of individuals’ expertise in organizations as a communicative phenomenon that emerges through work pract...
The Responsibility of a University Professor

(1951). The Responsibility of a University Professor. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Vol. 7, No. 12, pp. 367-370.
Studies on I131 red blood cell antibodies.

Summary1. Antisera to sheep and to human red cells were tagged with I131 and the proteins separated by starch electrophoresis. 2. By measuring the amount of radioactivity bound to the specific antigenic red cell, antibody activity of each fraction of serum was determined. 3. Sheep red cells adsorbed most of the radioactivity from a gamma globulin fraction of rabbit antiserum (hemagglutinin). 4. Type “O” human red cells adsorbed most of the I131 protein from a gamma globulin fraction of acquired hemolytic anemia serum (auto-antibody).
Information Is Not a Weapons System

ABSTRACTWhile many militaries have tried to capitalize on the potential of information operations in internal war, few have succeeded. I argue that military information campaigns fall short of expectations for two reasons. First, the theory of influence militaries generally embrace – communications as a non-lethal weapons system – is largely invalid. While treating information as a weapons system makes it easier to integrate it into the existing military planning system, this overstates the independent effects of communications on behavior and understates the importance of interactive effects of what commercial marketing theory refers to as the “marketing mix” – product, price, promotion, and placement. It would be more appropriate to treat military information operations as a form of marketing: a composite effort to induce a specific behavior in a target audience by applying a combination of material and ideational instruments. The marketing model suggests that the efficacy of information operations will...
Analytical Evaluation of 2-D Flux Integral for Magnetostatic Galerkin Method of Moments

This paper presents a closed-form analytical solution of the integral of the tangent component of magnetic field along a line in 2-D space. The magnetic field considered herein originates from a sheet current. Handling of adjacent and coincident singularities encountered in practice is detailed. The intended application of the result is to simplify the evaluation of integrals within Galerkin method of moments and boundary element method-based solutions of 2-D magnetostatic problems. This work is extended to general potential problems by relating the magnetostatic case to a traditional Green’s function formulation. A comparison with numerical methods is provided.
Policy Perspective: Ensuring Comprehensive Care and Support for Gender Nonconforming Children and Adolescents.

Abstract Despite recent notable advances in societal equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals, youth who identify as trans* or gender nonconforming, in particular, continue to experience significant challenges accessing the services they need to grow into healthy adults. This policy perspective first offers background information describing this population, their unique healthcare needs, and obstacles when seeking care, including case study examples. The authors then provide recommendations for medical education, health systems, and insurance payers, as well as recommendations for school systems and broader public policy changes to improve the health and well-being of gender nonconforming youth.
Novel cellulose-collagen blend biofibers prepared from an amine/salt solvent system

Cellulose/collagen biofibers were produced from ethylene diamine/potassium thiocyanate binary solvent system, with methanol as a coagulant. The dynamic viscosity of the solutions decreased with the gradual increase in the collagen content up to 40%. The elemental analysis showed incorporation of collagen into cellulose matrix, thereby demonstrating some degree of interaction with the cellulose matrix. The chemical and thermal analysis further revealed an intermolecular interaction between cellulose and the protein and improved thermal stability, respectively. Furthermore, the electron microscopy images mostly exhibited fibrillar morphology with no visible phase separation, indicating compatibility between the two phases. Moreover, biofibers containing higher cellulose content showed higher crystallinity, tensile, and birefringence properties of the composite fibers.
Habitation sites in the Papaloapan estuarine delta: Locational characteristics

Intersite and intrasite settlement patterns in the Lower Papaloapan River Basin, Veracruz, Mexico, provide the basis for a descriptive model of habitation location in estuarine deltaic swamps in Mesoamerica. The model considers environmental and ecological factors that shaped some aspects of settlement patterns. Data used in the study include distributions of prehistoric sites as revealed through examination of aerial photographs as well as though field survey, 19th century occupations and recent rural habitations.
Complementary b/y fragment ion pairs from post-source decay of metastable YahO for calibration of MALDI-TOF-TOF-MS/MS

Abstract Complementary b/y fragment ion pairs from post-source decay (PSD) of metastable YahO protein ion were evaluated for use in the calibration of MALDI-TOF-TOF for tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The yahO gene from pathogenic Escherichia coli O157:H7 strain EDL933 was cloned into a pBAD18 plasmid vector and transferred to a yahO gene knockout (ΔyahO) of non-pathogenic Escherichia coli strain K-12. YahO protein was over-expressed by overnight culturing of the K-12 mutant on Luria-Bertani agar (LBA) supplemented with arabinose. MS/MS-PSD of the YahO protein ion results in polypeptide backbone cleavage on the C-terminal side of seven aspartic acid (D) residues of the mature protein sequence resulting in a series of prominent b/y fragment ion pairs. Interestingly, we observe an unusual oscillatory pattern in the fragmentation efficiency of cleavage sites across the linear polypeptide chain of YahO. The instrument was calibrated for MS/MS-PSD using at least six of twelve of the most intense b- and y-type fragment ions of YahO. Calibration was tested on the disulfide bond-reduced B-subunit of Shiga toxin 2 from Escherichia coli O157:H7 strain EDL933 cultured overnight on LBA supplemented with ciprofloxacin. Two non-simultaneous calibrant/analyte acquisition scenarios were evaluated: 1. YahO and B-subunit on separate (but adjacent) spot locations; 2. YahO and the B-subunit co-located on the same spot. We observed no significant difference in mass accuracy for co-location vs. adjacent spot analysis in spite of a significant drop in ion intensity of both calibrant and analyte for co-location analysis.
Inside Out and Counseling: Creative Interventions to Facilitate Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is an essential component of mental health and functioning. When traditional talk therapy is intimidating for young clients, creative approaches can supplement practice to fo...
What drives insurer participation and premiums in the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace?

We investigate determinants of market entry and premiums within the context of the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplaces for individual insurance. Using Bresnahan and Reiss (1991) as the conceptual framework, we study how competition and firm heterogeneity relate to premiums in 36 states using Federally Facilitated or Supported Marketplaces in 2016. Our primary data source is the Qualified Health Plan Landscape File, augmented with market characteristics from the American Community Survey and Area Health Resource File as well as insurer-level information from federal Medical Loss Ratio annual reports. We first estimate a model of insurer entry and then investigate the relationship between a market’s predicted number of entrants and insurer-level premiums. Our entry model results suggest that competition is increasing with the number of insurers, most notably as the market size increases from 3 to 4 entrants. Results from the premium regression suggest that each additional entrant is associated with approximately 4% lower premiums, controlling for other factors. An alternative explanation for the relationship between entrants and premiums is that more efficient insurers (who can price lower) are the ones that enter markets with many entrants, and this is reflected in lower premiums. An exploratory analysis of insurers’ non-claims costs (a proxy for insurer efficiency) reveals that average costs among entrants are rising slightly with the number of insurers in the market. This pattern does not support the hypothesis that premiums decrease with more entrants because those entrants are more efficient, suggesting instead that the results are being driven mostly by price competition.
DNR-Based Instruction in Mathematics as a Conceptual Framework

DNR-based instruction in mathematics is a research-based framework aims at understanding fundamental problems in mathematics learning and teaching and, accordingly, utilizes this understanding to develop effective curricular products. This paper discusses the origins of DNR, outlines its structure and goals, and demonstrates its application in mathematics instruction through an actual mathematical lesson. The lesson was conducted several times, both with in-service secondary teachers in professional development institutes and with prospective secondary teachers in an elective class in their major.
A robber locating strategy for trees

Abstract The robber locating game, introduced by Seager (2012), is a variation of the classic cops and robbers game on a graph. A cop attempts to locate an invisible robber on a graph by probing a single vertex v each turn, from which the cop learns the robber’s distance. The robber is then permitted to stay at his current vertex or move to an adjacent vertex other than v . A graph is locatable if the cop is able to locate the robber in a finite number of probes, and the location number of a graph is the minimum number of probes necessary to determine the robber’s location regardless of the robber’s evasion strategy. We provide a strategy that locates the robber on trees. The number of probes used under this strategy meets, and often improves, the theoretical bound on the location number of trees.
Caffeine consumption disrupts hippocampal long-term potentiation in freely behaving rats.

Caffeine, one of the most commonly consumed psychoactive substances in the world, has long been known to alter neurological functions, such as alertness, attention, and memory. Despite caffeine's popularity, systematic investigations of its effects on synaptic plasticity in the brain are still lacking. Here we used a freely behaving rodent model of long-term potentiation (LTP), a frequently studied form of synaptic plasticity, to assess the effects of caffeine consumption on hippocampal plasticity. LTP, which is a persistent increase in the strength of synaptic connections between neurons, is a cellular mechanism widely considered to underlie the processes of learning and memory. A group of 10-week-old Sprague–Dawley rats were administered caffeine (1 g/L) in their drinking water 3 weeks prior to collection of electrophysiological data. Another group of age-matched animals received tap water and served as controls. Stimulating and recording electrodes were chronically implanted in the perforant pathway (PP) and dentate gyrus (DG) region of the hippocampus, respectively, to permit stable electrophysiological recordings of synaptic transmission at this synapse. Population spike amplitude (PSA) measures of LTP induction and duration were acquired in vivo while animals were freely behaving using a well-established electrophysiological recording protocol. Results indicate caffeine-treated rats (n = 9) had a significantly (P < 0.05) reduced level of LTP induction compared with controls (n = 10). More studies are needed to identify the exact mechanism through which caffeine alters LTP induction in this freely behaving model of synaptic plasticity.
Integrating soil analyses with frameworks for ecosystem services and organizational hierarchy of soil systems

Ecosystems provide various goods and services (provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting) that benefit humans both directly and indirectly. Soil plays an important role in ecosystem servic...
Evaluating Self-Explanations in iSTART: Word Matching, Latent Semantic Analysis, and Topic Models

iSTART (Interactive Strategy Trainer for Active Reading and Thinking) is a webbased, automated tutor designed to help students become better readers via multimedia technologies. It provides young adolescent to college-aged students with a program of self-explanation and reading strategy training [19] called Self-Explanation Reading Training, or SERT [17], [21], [24], [25]. The reading strategies include (a) comprehension monitoring, being aware of one’s understanding of the text; (b) paraphrasing, or restating the text in different words; (c) elaboration, using prior knowledge or experiences to understand the text (i.e., domain-specific knowledge-based inferences) or common sense, using logic to understand the text (i.e., domain-general knowledge based inferences); (d) predictions, predicting what the text will say next; and (e) bridging, understanding the relation between separate sentences of the text. The overall process is called “self-explanation” because the reader is encouraged to explain difficult text to him- or herself. iSTART consists of three modules: Introduction, Demonstration, and Practice. In the last module, students practice using reading strategies by typing self-explanations of sentences. The system evaluates each self-explanation and then provides appropriate feedback to the student. If the explanation is irrelevant or too short, the student is required to add more information. Otherwise, the feedback is based on the level of overall quality.
Development of a Diesel Engine Reliability Database (DEREL) for the U.S. Coast Guard

The Coast Guard currently determines when a diesel engine should be overhauled based on the results of the Diesel Engine Monitoring Program, Navy Oil Analysis Program, Full Power Trials, and especially engine operating hours. In an effort to reduce costs, the Coast Guard is considering shifting their preventative maintenance to a condition-based system to reduce labor and downtime. To accomplish this goal, an analysis of the criteria used to indicate when a diesel engine should be overhauled must be performed. Before any statistical analysis can be conducted, an extensive amount of data must be collected on main diesel engines. This paper addresses the problem of creating a computer database to collect engine failure data for the USCG. We have conducted a review of several current shipboard reliability databases along with a look at modern developments in this area. This knowledge was used in the creation of a fully functional USCG prototype database using Microsoft Access 95 software called DEREL (Diesel Engine RELiability database). The DEREL database is implementable immediately in order to speed the initiation of data collection for future uses.
Piezoelectric Transducer Designs for Sonar Applications

An electroacoustic transducer is a device that converts acoustic energy (sound) into electrical energy (voltage or current) or vice versa. When the transducer is used to generate sound, it is called a projector, transmitter, or source. When it is used to detect sound, it is called a receiver. Furthermore, when the receiver is employed underwater, it is referred to as a hydrophone. An underwater sonar system consists of projectors, hydrophones, and associated electronics such as amplifiers and data acquisition systems. This chapter, however, will only cover the description and operational principles of the projector and hydrophone components. More specifically, the chapter will focus on piezoelectric ceramic-based transducer designs intended for underwater use that operate in the frequency band spanning from 1 kHz to 1MHz. This span covers weapons sonar (1–100kHz) and imaging sonar (100 kHz to 1MHz) applications. Section 11.2 describes the fundamental parameters and measurement techniques necessary to characterize transducers both in air and in water. The piezoelectric ceramic materials that are most commonly used in sonar transducers and their relevant materials properties are discussed in Sect. 11.3. The most common piezoelectric ceramic-based projector designs for sonar applications are described in Sect. 11.4, where they are grouped according to their operational frequency range. A single transducer cannot operate efficiently over the entire 1-kHz to 1-MHz frequency band – primarily due to impedance matching issues with the associated amplifiers. Consequently, a variety of transducer designs have been developed and optimized for different frequency ranges. The chapter concludes with hydrophone characterization, designs, and some performance results in Sect. 11.5.
Chronic abdominal pain due to periostitis pubis. A new syndrome.

PreviewPeriostitis pubis is a previously unrecognized syndrome of unknown origin that is characterized by abdominal pain and tenderness over the os pubis. Over a 5-year period, Dr Rubenstein treated 13 such cases. In this article, he describes a simple way to diagnose and treat this nagging problem.
Time filtering of event based neutron scattering data: A pathway to study the dynamic structural responses of materials

Time-resolved diffraction has become a vital tool for probing dynamic responses to an applied stimulus. Such experiments traditionally use hardware solutions to histogram measured data into their respective bin. We will show that a major advantage of event-based data acquisition, which time-stamps measured diffraction data with 100 ns accuracy, is much preferred over hardware histogramming of the data by enabling postprocessing for advanced custom binning using a software solution. This approach is made even more powerful by coupling measured diffraction data with metadata about the applied stimuli and material response. In this work, we present a time-filter approach that leverages the power of event-based diffraction collection to reduce stroboscopic data measured over many hours into equally weighted segments that represent subsets of the response to a single cycle of the applied stimulus. We demonstrate this approach by observing ferroelectric/ferroelastic domain wall motion during electric field cycling of BaTiO3. The developed approach can readily be expanded to investigate other dynamic phenomena using complex sample environments.
Radiology in the Pregnant Patient with Acute Abdominal Pain

Abdominal and pelvic pain in the pregnant patient is a very common problem that can cause diagnostic dilemmas for the surgeon due to the normal physiologic changes of pregnancy. Imaging of the acute abdomen has progressively increased in pregnancy secondary to its importance in yielding a cohesive diagnosis. However, there are practical considerations that the surgeon must be aware of in order to mitigate risks to the developing fetus and mother. Many of the basic imaging modalities in the field of radiology utilize ionizing radiation which is known to be harmful to a developing fetus. The American College of Radiology (ACR) thus recommends utilizing imaging techniques that are free of radiation. Those studies that utilize radiation should be reserved for emergent cases only when other options are nondiagnostic or not possible. The surgeon should be cognizant of the ramifications of radiation during pregnancy. Ultrasonography is the first-line imaging modality due to its wide availability, lack of radiation, and ease of use. MRI is considered a second-line modality because it is less readily available but may be requisite since ultrasound may not be able to see deep within the abdomen and pelvis. Additionally, MRI offers superior contrast resolution of soft tissues and can show fluid collections more distinctly. A practical understanding of the way to employ these imaging modalities on different pathologic states is incumbent for the pregnant patient.
Noncoding genome in eye disease

Abstract In the current scientific era, where the next-generation sequencing is a commonplace, we are just now beginning to understand the important role of the noncoding genome in diseases of the human eye. Of the noncoding genes, microRNAs (miRNAs) and the less understood, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently become the focus of an intense research effort, and a growing body of evidence implicates these RNAs and their dysregulation in various disease processes. Here, we examine the connections between these noncoding elements and several eye diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, and retinoblastoma.
Electronic Spectroscopy and Photodissociation Dynamics of Hydrated Co2+ Clusters: Co2+(H2O)n (n = 4−7)

Solvated cluster ions Co2+(H2O)n with n = 4−7 have been generated by electrospray ionization and studied by laser photofragment spectroscopy. The similarity between the spectrum of gas-phase Co2+(H2O)6 and the absorption spectrum of aqueous cobalt(II) suggests that Co2+(H2O)6 (aq) is responsible for the room-temperature solution absorption spectrum. The observed photodissociation spectrum of Co2+(H2O)4 is similar to new bands which appear in aqueous cobalt(II) at high temperatures and have been assigned to Co2+(H2O)4 (aq) by Swaddle and Fabes (Swaddle, T. W.; Fabes, L. Can. J. Chem. 1980, 58, 1418−1426). The hexahydrate was found to dissociate by loss of one or two water molecules, whereas the heptahydrate dissociates by loss of two or three water molecules. In both cases, loss of two water molecules is the preferred dissociation pathway. The tetrahydrate dissociates either by simple loss of water or by charge separation to form CoOH+(H2O)2 and H3O+, with charge separation being the preferred dissociation...
Supporting Successful Stepfathering: An Integration of the Professional Literature and Online Stepfather Reflections:

Demographic data tally the prevalent numbers of stepfamilies in 21st century society, with the majority (86%) of stepfamilies involving a stepfather. However, the data also establish these families...
Algal process for single-step removal of organic carbon and nutrients: Modeling and optimization of fed-batch operation

Abstract A process model to predict the performance of an emergent mixotrophic algal wastewater treatment system was developed and validated. Primary goal of this effort was to predict algal biomass production and the fed-batch cycle time, t*, required to meet the discharge standards under varying influent concentrations of organics and nutrients. Field data from the algal system fed with primary effluent at feed-to-culture volume ratio (Vf:Vc) of 400:300 were used to calibrate the model; additional data from runs with Vf:Vc = 400:300 and with Vf:Vc = 500:200 were used to validate the model. Predicted biomass production agreed well with the measured values in both cases, with r2 = 0.96–0.99, n = 40. Predicted t* also agreed well with the observed values in both cases, with r2 = 0.93–0.94, n = 30. Reasonable agreement was found between the predicted and measured day-to-day concentrations of biochemical oxygen demand (r2 = 0.97; n = 40), ammoniacal-nitrogen (r2 = 0.90; n = 120), and phosphate-phosphorus (r2 = 0.95; n = 120) with Vf:Vc = 400:300. Somewhat lower quality of predictions noted in the runs with Vf:Vc = 500:200 is attributed to the disproportional substrate removals resulting from the mismatch of stoichiometric C:N:P ratio between the algal species and the feed. Sensitivity analysis indicated the kinetic coefficient for phosphate-phosphorus reduction as the most sensitive parameter. Quality of the predictions in this study is comparable to that reported in the literature, but with fewer model parameters.
Le nouveau rêve américain: du Maghreb à la Californie: by Marie-Pierre Ulloa, preface by Farhad Khosrokhavar, Paris, CNRS Éditions, 2019, 384 pp., €25 (softcover), ISBN 978-2-271-11893-6

For her book about Maghrebi migrants in California, Marie-Pierre Ulloa sets the tone by referencing The Mamas and the Papas 1965 hit song, ‘California Dreamin’, which idealises California as a plac...
Multimodality Imaging in the Evaluation and Treatment of Pulmonary Valve Disorders

To discuss the epidemiology of pulmonary valve (PV) disorders, anatomy and pathology of the PV, and current treatment strategies for PV disorders with special attention to the patient with congenital heart disease. The focus will be on utilization of multimodality imaging methods including echocardiography, cardiac CT, and MRI in the evaluation and management of PV disorders. The PV is affected in a myriad of congenital and acquired conditions, leading to stenotic, regurgitant, or mixed lesions. In addition to echocardiography, imaging modalities such as cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cardiac computed tomography (CT) are used to identify PV abnormalities and their sequelae including right ventricular dilation and dysfunction. In conjunction with open-heart surgery, transcatheter PV interventions offer outstanding therapeutic options with high success and low-risk profiles. PV disorders can range from benign to complex cyanotic congenital lesions. In the present era, many of these conditions are successfully treated by transcatheter interventions or surgery. Multimodality imaging techniques provide useful information for the diagnosis and management of these conditions.
Markers of Immune Function in Heart Transplantation: Implications for Immunosuppression and Screening for Rejection

Recent developments in high-throughput DNA and RNA sequencing technologies have facilitated the development of noninvasive assays to monitor heart transplant rejection. In this review, we summarize existing assays employed for the surveillance of allograft rejection, as well as promising future directions for such tests in the molecular biology field. The AlloMap genome expression profiling assay remains the only noninvasive test for rejection surveillance and is incorporated into the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation guidelines. Other efforts have focused on messenger RNA (mRNA), microRNA (miRNA), and donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) as potential viable biomarkers. Mitochondrial pathways in allograft necroptosis and inflammation signaling may represent a novel direction for future research endeavors. Although endomyocardial biopsy remains the gold standard, several converging areas of molecular biology could soon yield successful alternative methods of heart transplant rejection monitoring, with the distinct advantage of avoiding procedural complications.
Divergent diapause life history timing drives both allochronic speciation and reticulate hybridization in an adaptive radiation of Rhagoletis flies

Divergent adaptation to new ecological opportunities can be an important factor initiating speciation. However, as niches are filled during adaptive radiations, trait divergence driving reproductive isolation between sister taxa may also result in trait convergence with more distantly related taxa, increasing the potential for reticulated gene flow across the radiation. Here, we demonstrate such a scenario in a recent adaptive radiation of Rhagoletis fruit flies, specialized on different host plants. Throughout this radiation, shifts to novel hosts are associated with changes in diapause life history timing, which act as "magic traits" generating allochronic reproductive isolation and facilitating speciation-with-gene-flow. Evidence from laboratory rearing experiments measuring adult emergence timing and genome-wide DNA-sequencing surveys supported allochronic speciation between summer-fruiting Vaccinium spp.-infesting Rhagoletis mendax and its hypothesized and undescribed sister taxon infesting autumn-fruiting sparkleberries. The sparkleberry fly and R. mendax were shown to be genetically discrete sister taxa, exhibiting no detectable gene flow and allochronically isolated by a 2-month average difference in emergence time corresponding to host availability. At sympatric sites across the southern USA, the later fruiting phenology of sparkleberries overlaps with that of flowering dogwood, the host of another more distantly related and undescribed Rhagoletis taxon. Laboratory emergence data confirmed broadly overlapping life history timing and genomic evidence supported on-going gene flow between sparkleberry and flowering dogwood flies. Thus, divergent phenological adaptation can drive the initiation of reproductive isolation, while also enhancing genetic exchange across broader adaptive radiations, potentially serving as a source of novel genotypic variation and accentuating further diversification.
The Effect of Louisiana Medicaid Expansion on Affordability of Health Care.

ObjectivesLouisiana extended Medicaid coverage on July 1, 2016, to previously ineligible populations. We aimed to estimate the effect of Louisiana’s Medicaid expansion on self-reported affordabilit...
Tailoring Therapy in Waldenström Macroglobulinemia

Abstract The rarity of WM limits the ability to perform large randomized clinical trials comparing treatment regimens. Prospective single-arm studies, however, have led to the development of effective therapies. The choice of treatment should consider patient-specific characteristics and anticipated toxicities, as well as patient and provider preference. Additionally, MYD88 and CXCR4 mutations are known to affect treatment response and progression-free survival (PFS).
Potential of phenolic compounds and their gut microbiota-derived metabolites to reduce microbial TMA formation: Application of an in vitro fermentation high throughput screening model

Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is a pro-atherosclerotic product of dietary choline metabolism generated by a microbiome-host axis. The first step in this pathway is enzymatic metabolism of choline to trimethylamine (TMA) by the gut microbiota. This reaction could be targeted to reduce atherosclerosis risk. We aimed to evaluate potential inhibitory effects of select dietary phenolics and their relevant gut microbial metabolites on TMA production via a human ex vivo-in vitro fermentation model. Various phenolics inhibited choline use and TMA production, especially larger compounds or their larger metabolites, without altering cell respiration or cell growth. However, inhibitory effects decreased at late fermentation times, which suggest that these compounds delay choline metabolism rather than completely inhibiting TMA formation. Overall, caffeic acid, catechin and epicatechin were the most effective non-cytotoxic inhibitors of choline use and TMA production. Thus, these compounds are proposed as lead bioactives to test in vivo.
Osmotic and Ionic Regulation : Cells and Animals

Osmoregulation: Some Principles of Water and Solute Transport, D.C. Dawson and X. Liu Volume Regulation and Osmosensing in Animal Cells, K. Choe and K. Strange The Contractile Vacuole Complex and Cell Volume Control in Protozoa, R.D. Allen, T. Tominaga, and Y. Naitoh Osmotic and Ionic Regulation in Molluscs, L. Deaton Osmoregulation in Annelids, R.L. Preston Osmotic and Ionic Regulation in Aquatic Arthropods, G. Charmantier, M. Charmantier-Daures, and D. Towle Osmotic and Ionic Regulation in Insects, K.W. Beyenbach and P.M. Piermarini Osmotic and Ionic Regulation in Fishes, D.H. Evans and J.B. Claiborne Osmotic and Ion Regulation in Amphibians, S.D. Hillyard, N. Mobjerg, S. Tanaka, and E. Hviid Larsen Osmotic and Ionic Regulation in Reptiles, W.H. Dantzler and S.D. Bradshaw Osmotic and Ionic Regulation in Birds, E.J. Braun Osmotic and Ionic Regulation in Mammals, R.K.H. Kinne and M.L. Zeidel Index
On the construction of high-rate block-orthogonal multisensor block codes

In frequency-selective media, orthogonal space-time block codes (or alternatively their space-frequency counterparts) fail to achieve the maximum possible space-frequency diversity. The paper first proposes block-orthogonal multisensor codes (i.e., either space-time or space-frequency codes) for frequency-selective channels by considering data blocks rather than symbols as transmission units. These codes can be derived from their narrowband versions, namely the orthogonal space-time block codes proposed by S.M. Alamouti (IEEE J. on Selected Areas in Commun., vol.16, p.1451-8, 1998), V. Tarokh et al. (IEEE Trans. on Inf. Theory, vol.45, p.1456-67, 1999), and G. Ganesan and P. Stoica, and maximally exploit the available space-frequency diversity. For 3and 4-transmit sensor configurations, the block orthogonal codes derived from the recently proposed rate-(3/4) symbol orthogonal codes (Ganesan and Stoica, "Signal Processing Advances in Wireless and Mobile Communications", Prentice-Hall, p.59-88, 2000; IEEE Trans. on Inf. Theory, vol.47, p.1650-6, 2001) have structures that are especially convenient for channel response estimation.
Agile Meets CMMI: Culture Clash or Common Cause?

This paper is based on a workshop held at the University of Southern California Center for Software Engineering in March, 2002. The components of the Capability Maturity Model IntegrationSM (CMMISM) Systems Engineering/ Software Engineering/Integrated Product and Process Model1 are evaluated for their support of agile methods. We also present a set of dualistic concepts differentiating the approaches. The results help to identify and reduce the level of mythology and establishes common ground for further discussion.
Comparison of Two Disturbance Minimizing Techniques for Nonlinear Systems

In this work a comparison is made between a nonlinear and adaptive disturbance accommodation scheme for disturbances acting on nonlinear systems. Relative advantages and disadvantages in usage will be pointed out.
Computation of equilibria and stable solutions

Many models from a variety of areas involve the computation of an equilibrium or stable solution of some kind. Examples include Nash equilibria in games; price equilibria in markets; optimal strategies and the values of competitive dynamic games (stochastic and other games); stable configurations of neural networks; analysis of stochastic models like branching processes and recursive Markov chains. It is not known whether these problems can be solved in polynomial time. Despite their broad diversity, there are certain common computational principles that underlie different types of equilibria and connect many of these problems to each other. In this talk we will discuss some of these common principles, the corresponding complexity classes that capture them, and their relationship with other open questions in computation.
Unusual deposition of calculus. Report of a case.

Abstract An unusual case in which extreme amounts of calculus were present in areas that normally tend to be free of such deposits has been described. The patient failed to return after her second visit to the clinic, and further examinations and treatment could not be carried out.
Atmospheric Effects: Some Theoretical Relations and Sample Measurements

The atmosphere interacts with radar through the dielectric and conducting properties of its constituents. In this introductory paper, we will discuss some of these interactions. The discussion will begin in broad, comprehensive terms and rapidly narrow down to a more detailed treatment of certain interactions—those involving refractive effects of clear air—and, more particularly, the statistical effects of turbulent scattering. Other interactions will be mentioned only briefly, leaving detailed treatment to other papers to follow.
Border Visions: Mexican Cultures of the Southwest United States

Border Visions: Mexican Cultures of the Southwest United States. Carlos Velez-Ib´nez. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1996. 360 pp.
To automate or not to automate: this is the question

New protocols and instrumentation significantly boost the outcome of structural biology, which has resulted in significant growth in the number of deposited Protein Data Bank structures. However, even an enormous increase of the productivity of a single step of the structure determination process may not significantly shorten the time between clone and deposition or publication. For example, in a medium size laboratory equipped with the LabDB and HKL-3000 systems, we show that automation of some (and integration of all) steps of the X-ray structure determination pathway is critical for laboratory productivity. Moreover, we show that the lag period after which the impact of a technology change is observed is longer than expected.
Characterization of organic compounds collected during southeastern aerosol and visibility study: water-soluble organic species.

As part of the Southeastern Aerosol and Visibility Study (SEAVS), water-soluble organic species (WSOS) in fine aerosols collected from July 15 to August 25, 1995, at the Great Smoky Mountain Nation...
ATLAS data acquisition

ATLAS is a general purpose high energy physics experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. The trigger and data acquisition (DAQ) system is designed to handle the extremely high data rates. The three level ATLAS trigger system (Level 1, Level 2 and Event Filter) reduces the data rate from 40 MHz bunch crossing down to ∼200 Hz. The DAQ system is designed to transport data at different trigger levels to the mass storage, with main subsystems including the dataflow, a combination of custom designed components and commodity processors running multithread software applications and connected by Gigabit Ethernet, the online software responsible for the configuration, control and information sharing of the system, and the monitoring software responsible for the data quality assurance. The system is being continuously commissioned in situ with detectors, to take cosmic data and the LHC beam data in 2008.
Image compression with the wavelet transform

We present a new algorithm for coefficient selection during image compression using the wavelet transform for decomposition and reconstruction. This new algorithm assigns a weight to each scale so that coefficients from a high resolution scale are more likely to be discarded before coefficients from a low resolution scale. Results show our algorithm introduces less error into the reconstructed image than the sort method developed by DeVore/em et al.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.