cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The genetics of recolonization: an analysis of the stock structure of grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the northwest Atlantic

Although historically distributed along the northeast coast of the United States (US), grey seals (Halichoerus gry- pus (Fabricius, 1791)) were considered locally extinct until the late 1980s when three naturally re-established pupping colo- nies were discovered. Two large populations in Canada, the Gulf of St. Lawrence (GSL) and Sable Island (SI) seals, are possible sources of immigrants for the recovering US population. To assess the stock structure of grey seals in the northwest Atlantic, tissue samples were collected from Canadian and US populations for genetic analyses. We examined nine highly variable microsatellite loci (n = 158; mean number of alleles per locus = 7.22). When population differentiation was as- sessed without a priori inference of potential subpopulations, all individuals were placed into one population. Pairwise FST values showed little difference in allele frequencies between the SI and the GSL or the Canadian and the US samples. We sequenced a 319 bp segment of the mitochondrial control region and identified 25 haplotypes (n = 163). Nucleotide diver- sity was similar at SI, GSL, and the US sites. Based on mtDNA haplotypes, no significant difference was found between the SI and GSL populations or the Canadian and the US populations. Although grey seals are philopatric, our study demon- strated that the genetic structure of the northwest Atlantic grey seal population is not different from the null hypothesis of panmixia.
Dissolution in Ceramic Systems: I, Molecular Diffusion, Natural Convection, and Forced Convection Studies of Sapphire Dissolution in Calcium Aluminum Silicate

Measurements of the rate of dissolution of single crystals of sapphire in molten CaO-A12O3-SiO2 slag from 1340° to 1550°C under conditions of molecular diffusion, free convection, and forced convection reveal that the rate of dissolution was controlled by transport in the molten silicate. The results were self-consistent in that the independently calculated apparent binary diffusion coefficient agreed well for all three cases. This binary diffusion coefficient at temperatures above 1450°C coincided remarkably well with that of the tracer diffusion coefficient for the silicon ion. For a number of reasons the significance of this agreement should not be overestimated.
Secondary dormancy dynamics depends on primary dormancy status in Arabidopsis thaliana

Seed dormancy can prevent germination under unfavourable conditions that reduce the chances of seedling survival. Freshly harvested seeds often have strong primary dormancy that depends on the temperature experienced by the maternal plant and which is gradually released through afterripening. However, seeds can be induced into secondary dormancy if they experience conditions or cues of future unfavourable conditions. Whether this secondary dormancy induction is influenced by seed-maturation conditions and primary dormancy has not been explored in depth. In this study, we examined secondary dormancy induction in seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana matured under different temperatures and with different levels of afterripening. We found that low water potential and a range of temperatures, from 8°C to 35°C, induced secondary dormancy. Secondary dormancy induction was affected by the state of primary dormancy of the seeds. Specifically, afterripening had a non-monotonic effect on the ability to be induced into secondary dormancy by stratification; first increasing in sensitivity as afterripening proceeded, then declining in sensitivity after 5 months of afterripening, finally increasing again by 18 months of afterripening. Seed-maturation temperature sometimes had effects that were independent of expressed primary dormancy, such that seeds that had matured at low temperature, but which had comparable germination proportions as seeds matured at warmer temperatures, were more easily induced into secondary dormancy. Because seed-maturation temperature is a cue of when seeds were matured and dispersed, these results suggest that the interaction of seed-maturation temperature, afterripening and post-dispersal conditions all combine to regulate the time of year of seed germination.
Enhancement of Optical Gain in Semiconductor Nanocrystals through Energy Transfer

The development of optical gain in semiconductor nanocrystals requires a high concentration of electronic excitation energy. Generating and maintaining such a high excitation density is difficult because of fast Auger relaxation channels that operate under such conditions. In this article, the use of energy transfer within nanocrystal clusters is proposed as a means for concentrating excitation energy in a subset of optically active particles. Numerical simulations of the dynamic evolution of the system under moderate pumping intensity have been carried out to evaluate the potential efficacy of this strategy. Using realistic values for relevant rate constants, these simulations predict that energy transfer in nanocrystal clusters can reduce the effective gain threshold by 3- to 4-fold and can increase the gain lifetime by an order of magnitude as compared with those of samples of noninteracting nanocrystals. Strong performance enhancements are realized even if the energy-transfer rate is slower than the A...
Motivation and ability in the decision to acquire

Abstract This study considers the decision to undertake an acquisition using a framework built around the concepts of motivation and ability to acquire. The paper develops an integrative model to examine how firm characteristics contribute to motivation and ability in predicting the likelihood of an acquisition and draws on two streams of literature to motivate the model: behavioral theory of the firm to explain a firm's motivation to acquire, and absorptive capacity to explain a firm's ability to acquire. Results from a publicly traded sample show that firms failing to meet aspirations (i.e., those with motivation) are more likely to acquire, as are firms that have a high absorptive capacity (i.e., those with ability). Most interestingly, absorptive capacity moderates the influence of performance shortfalls in the decision to acquire and is most important when the motivation to acquire is low.
Pressure-Flow Characteristics during Peristaltic Transport of non-Newtonian Fluid in Distensible Tube with Different Wave Forms

This study analyzes the pressure-flow characteristics during the peristaltic pumping of power law fluids in an axi-symmetric non-uniform distensible tube. The analyzed geometry is of a diverging shape that is common in several biological flow conduits, especially in mammals. Using the Fourier series, the dimensionless wall coordinates for sinusoidal, triangular, trapezoidal, and square wave forms are obtained to simulate wall movement. Equations expressing the pressure-flow rate relationship for different wall shapes are developed from the wave equation. Pressure-flow and velocity plots are obtained by solving the equations numerically. The results indicate that there is significant difference in pressure-flow relationship between Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid. Also, the maximum flow rate can be achieved when the wall movement follows a square wave form.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Pricing e-service quality risk in financial services

E-service quality is crucial for differentiating e-commerce offers and gaining competitive advantage. E-service quality risk is the risk that a firm's e-service quality will drop, or improve, relative to competitors. There is evidence that benchmark ratings of e-service quality that are published regularly by third-parties can impact the market value of rated firms. Firms therefore continue investing in IT-related determinants of e-service quality. However, they do so without knowing: (1) the cost or return associated with a unit relative deterioration, or improvement in e-service quality ratings, and (2) how this cost or return may vary across firms. To answer these questions, we adapt a well-established financial risk pricing approach for the case of pricing a single idiosyncratic IT investment risk, where an event study is used to generate the market data needed to price risk (Thompson 1985). We then apply the approach with Keynote's bi-annual e-service quality ratings for firms in six financial services sectors. We find that firms' sensitivity to e-service quality risk depends primarily on the sector to which they belong, and also on their size and growth potential. Our results suggest a cap on the amount that different firms ought to spend to achieve a unit improvement in relative e-service quality ratings. The risk pricing approach presented can be applied for other important IT investment risks, and the risk pricing information it yields may open up new ways to approach fundamental IT investment problems.
Simulation-based engineering of complex systems using EXTEND+MFG+OpEMCSS

A Complex Adaptive System (CAS) is a network of self-organizing, intelligent agents that share knowledge and adapt their operations in order to achieve overall system goals. Three things are needed to understand, design, and evaluate CAS. First, a mathematical model or way-of-thinking about CAS, called Context-Sensitive Systems (CSS) theory, is required to provide a solid foundation upon which to represent and describe the kinds of interactions that occur among the CAS agents during system operation. Second, a graphical modeling language is required that implements CSS theory in a way that enhances visualization and understanding of CAS. Third, a systems design and evaluation tool is required that makes it easy to apply CSS theory, expressed using a graphical modeling language, to understand, design, and evaluate CAS. As an example, an OpEMCSS model of two intelligent agents is discussed that learn rules and maximize their average reward in the prisoner's dilemma game.
Downtown in the “New American City”:

The “new American city” is composed of many parts, including downtowns of primary cities whose contents have changed over the past fifty years as a new paradigm about their functions has emerged. Housing has increasingly played an important role, as seen in earlier studies documenting the rise of this phenomenon. A contextual explanation for increases in downtown residential populations and updated data on current levels help assess the effects of this change on the area.
Student-Centered Instruction: Integrating the Learning Sciences to Support Elementary and Middle School Learners

Research from the learning sciences (how people learn) can help educators and parents work more effectively with disengaged students and reluctant learners. In this article, the author reviews the knowledge base of the learning sciences and examines what researchers and teachers have learned in the past 30 years regarding how and why people learn can support effective elementary and middle school–level instruction. An instructional guide is presented for educators and parents using the learning sciences as the basis for the design of learning environments to support disengaged students.
Condensation Correlation for a Vertical Passive Condenser System

A condensation correlation was developed for vapor and air mixture condensation in a vertical tube based on experimental data and a mechanistic model based on heat and mass analogy model. Parametri...
The Health Impacts of Climate Change and Ecological Diagnosis and Treatment

As humans evolved, we were actors on the global ecological stage no different from any other organism with whom we shared the planet. However, over the last two to three hundred years, we have increasingly monopolized the stage, becoming the playwright as well as the dominant actor. Today, we are fundamentally altering the stage itself, often in ways that disrupt the planet’s ecological systems with deleterious consequences for our own health and well-being.
Dream Interpretation in Spiritual Guidance

Sketches a distinctively pastoral context for dream interpretation and provides guidelines for doing such work as part of the spiritual guidance project. Reviews a variety of approaches to dream in...
Towards a Sociology of Constitutional Transformation: Understanding South Africa's Post-Apartheid Constitutional Order

A sociology of constitutions holds the promise of providing multiple and complex understandings of the diverse forms of governance that characterize our increasingly global society. While a functional approach offers intriguing insights into the role of constitutions in the reproduction and transmission of power, a constitutive approach may provide insight into the constant transformation of constitutional understandings and identities. Using the South African experience as the focal point this chapter considers how the social relations of governance are reflected in and shaped by the constitutional struggles that produce constitutional outcomes through processes of popular participation, negotiated drafts, formal adoptions and continuing adjudication. The challenge in articulating a sociology of constitutions from this perspective is to explore the relationship between the social processes that produce a constitutional settlement at any particular moment in time and the continuing role the constitutional ideas and institutions play in the creation and transformation of any society's constitutional identity. It is this relationship, between the constitutive and functional dimensions of constitutions that makes a sociology of constitutional transformation so central to our understanding of constitutionalism in the 21st century.
Inheritance of Resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. tenebrionis CryIIIA δ-Endotoxin in Colorado Potato Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

We investigated the genetic inheritance of Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis CryIIIA delta-endotoxin. Standard reciprocal crosses and backcrosses between susceptible (S) and resistant (R) strains were used to determine the characteristics of resistance. Analysis of probit lines from the F1 reciprocal crosses indicated that B. thuringiensis delta-endotoxin resistance was inherited autosomaly without maternal effects. We estimated the degree of dominance to be 0.77 and 0.76 for the (R x S) and (S x R) F1 generations, respectively, indicating that B. thuringiensis CryIIIA delta-endotoxin resistance is conferred by incompletely dominant genes. Chi-square analysis of mortality responses of backcrossed offspring suggested that resistance might be caused by more than one locus. The stability of resistance was also studied by testing seventeen generations of resistant beetles after the selection pressure was removed. When the selection pressure was removed, the resistance level of the selected colony decreased after five generations. The resistance level did not decrease further when the selection was removed for > 12 generations.
An optimal adaptive time-stepping scheme for solving reaction-diffusion-chemotaxis systems.

Reaction-diffusion-chemotaxis systems have proven to be fairly accurate mathematical models for many pattern formation problems in chemistry and biology. These systems are important for computer simulations of patterns, parameter estimations as well as analysis of the biological systems. To solve reaction-diffusion-chemotaxis systems, efficient and reliable numerical algorithms are essential for pattern generations. In this paper, a general reaction-diffusion-chemotaxis system is considered for specific numerical issues of pattern simulations. We propose a fully explicit discretization combined with a variable optimal time step strategy for solving the reactiondiffusion- chemotaxis system. Theorems about stability and convergence of the algorithm are given to show that the algorithm is highly stable and efficient. Numerical experiment results on a model problem are given for comparison with other numerical methods. Simulations on two real biological experiments will also be shown.
Pediatric Pes Planus: A State-of-the-Art Review

Flatfoot (pes planus) is common in infants and children and often resolves by adolescence. Thus, flatfoot is described as physiologic because it is usually flexible, painless, and of no functional consequence. In rare instances, flatfoot can become painful or rigid, which may be a sign of underlying foot pathology, including arthritis or tarsal coalition. Despite its prevalence, there is no standard definition for pediatric flatfoot. Furthermore, there are no large, prospective studies that compare the natural history of idiopathic, flexible flat feet throughout development in response to various treatments. The available literature does not elucidate which patients are at risk for developing pain and disability as young adults. Current evidence suggests that it is safe and appropriate to simply observe an asymptomatic child with flat feet. Painful flexible flatfoot may benefit from orthopedic intervention, such as physical therapy, bracing, or even a surgical procedure. Orthotics, although generally unproven to alter the course of flexible flatfoot, may provide relief of pain when present. Surgical procedures include Achilles tendon lengthening, bone-cutting procedures that rearrange the alignment of the foot (osteotomies), fusion of joints (arthrodesis), or insertion of a silicone or metal cap into the sinus tarsi to establish a medial foot arch (arthroereisis). It is important for a general pediatrician to know when a referral to an orthopedic specialist is indicated and which treatments may be offered to the patient. Updated awareness of the current evidence regarding pediatric flatfoot helps the provider confidently and appropriately counsel patients and families.
The Native Venous Architecture is Preserved in an Arterialized Deep Dorsal Vein Graft for Arteriogenic Impotence: A Case Report

AbstractEndothelial injury in a deep dorsal vein graft may result from thermal, ischemic or mechanical trauma during surgical preparation or following exposure to systemic blood pressures and flow. We removed a functioning in situ deep dorsal vein graft section 10 months after microvascular arterial bypass surgery due to glans hyperemia. This section was compared and contrasted histomorphologically with a preoperative deep dorsal vein section that was procured for routine histological examination before the arteriovenous anastomosis. Detailed examination of the vein graft tissues by light microscopy, computer morphometrics and immunological staining demonstrated no evidence of vascular pathology. In the normal, healthy deep dorsal vein graft exposure to systemic arterial blood pressures and flow for 10 months did not result in myointimal proliferative lesions. Such histological changes seem more likely to be attributable to endothelial injury following iatrogenic surgical trauma. In situ vein grafts offer...
GEOS. User Tutorials

GEOS is a massively parallel, multi-physics simulation application utilizing high performance computing (HPC) to address subsurface reservoir stimulation activities with the goal of optimizing current operations and evaluating innovative stimulation methods. GEOS enables coupling of di erent solvers associated with the various physical processes occurring during reservoir stimulation in unique and sophisticated ways, adapted to various geologic settings, materials and stimulation methods. Developed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) as a part of a Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Strategic Initiative (SI) project, GEOS represents the culmination of a multi-year ongoing code development and improvement e ort that has leveraged existing code capabilities and sta expertise to design new computational geosciences software.
Preventing Contrast-induced Renal Failure: A Guide

Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is characterised by a rapid deterioration of renal function within a few days of parenteral administration of contrast media (CM) in the absence of alternative causes. CI-AKI is the most common form of iatrogenic kidney dysfunction with an estimated prevalence of 12 % in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Although usually self-resolving, in patients with pre-existing chronic kidney disease (CKD) or concomitant risk factors for renal damage, CI-AKI is associated with increased short-and long-term morbidity and mortality. Therefore, risk stratification based on clinical and peri-procedural characteristics is crucial in selecting patients at risk of CI-AKI who would benefit the most from implementation of preventive measures.
Misdirected Sympathy: The Role of Sympatholysis in Sepsis and Septic Shock

The spectrum of sepsis and septic shock remains a highly prevalent disease state, carrying a high risk of morbidity and mortality. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) plays an important role in this initial cascade, enabling the host to respond to invading pathogens; however, prolonged activation can become pathological. The potential for unregulated sympathetic tone to become of detriment in patients with sepsis has fueled interest in the role and impact of sympatholysis, the selective inhibition of sympathetic tone. The cornerstone of septic shock therapy for decades has been the supplementation of catecholamines and thus potential further perpetuation of this sympathetic dysregulation. Although the theory of sympatholysis circulates around cardiovascular effects and stroke volume optimization, the impact of augmenting the SNS may extend well beyond this, including the impacts on the immune system, inflammatory cascade, and even gene transcription. Presently, the most robust clinical evidence involves the use of the cardioselective β-blocker esmolol in patients with septic shock with persistent tachycardia secondary to catecholamine use. Evidence is isolated only to animal models with α-agonists. Future evidence stands to elucidate the balance of sympathetic and autonomic tone as well as the potential role of redirecting and maximizing sympathetic activity.
Root morphology and mycorrhizal type strongly influence root production in nutrient hot spots of mixed forests

Plants compete for nutrients using a range of strategies. We investigated nutrient foraging within nutrient hot-spots simultaneously available to plant species with diverse root traits. We hypothesized that there would be more root proliferation by thin-root species than by thick-root species, and that root proliferation by thin-root species would limit root proliferation by thick-root species. We conducted a root ingrowth experiment in a temperate forest in eastern USA where root systems of different tree species could interact. Tree species varied in the thickness of their absorptive roots, and were associated with either ectomycorrhizal (EM) or arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Thus, there were thin- and thick-root AM and thin- and thick-root EM plant functional groups. Half the ingrowth cores were amended with organic nutrients (dried green leaves). Relative root length abundance, the proportion of total root length in a given soil volume occupied by a particular plant functional group, was calculated for the original root population and ingrowth roots after 6 months. The shift in relative root length abundance from original to ingrowth roots was positive in thin-root species but negative in thick-root species (p < .001), especially in unamended patches (AM: +6% vs. −7%; EM: +8% vs. −9%). Being thin-rooted may thus allow a species to more rapidly recolonize soil after a disturbance, which may influence competition for nutrients. Moreover, we observed that nutrient additions amplified the shift in root length abundance of thin over thick roots in AM trees (+13% vs. −14%), but not in EM trees (+1% vs −3%). In contrast, phospholipid fatty acid biomarkers suggested that EM fungal hyphae strongly proliferated in nutrient hot-spots whereas AM fungal hyphae exhibited only modest proliferation. We found no evidence that when growing in the shared patch, the proliferation of thin roots inhibited the growth of thick roots. Synthesis. Knowledge of root morphology and mycorrhizal type of co-existing tree species may improve prediction of patch exploitation and nutrient acquisition in heterogeneous soils.
Big Data in Climate: Opportunities and Challenges for Machine Learning

The climate and Earth sciences have recently undergone a rapid transformation from a data-poor to a data-rich environment. In particular, massive amount of data about Earth and its environment is now continuously being generated by a large number of Earth observing satellites as well as physics-based earth system models running on large-scale computational platforms. These massive and information-rich datasets offer huge potential for understanding how the Earth's climate and ecosystem have been changing and how they are being impacted by humans actions. We discuss the challenges involved in analyzing these massive data sets as well as opportunities they present for both advancing machine learning as well as the science of climate change.
Review of Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (JCMR) 2015-2016 and transition of the JCMR office to Boston.

The Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (JCMR) is the official publication of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR). In 2016, the JCMR published 93 manuscripts, including 80 research papers, 6 reviews, 5 technical notes, 1 protocol, and 1 case report. The number of manuscripts published was similar to 2015 though with a 12% increase in manuscript submissions to an all-time high of 369. This reflects a decrease in the overall acceptance rate to <25% (excluding solicited reviews). The quality of submissions to JCMR continues to be high. The 2016 JCMR Impact Factor (which is published in June 2016 by Thomson Reuters) was steady at 5.601 (vs. 5.71 for 2015; as published in June 2016), which is the second highest impact factor ever recorded for JCMR. The 2016 impact factor means that the JCMR papers that were published in 2014 and 2015 were on-average cited 5.71 times in 2016. In accordance with Open-Access publishing of Biomed Central, the JCMR articles are published on-line in the order that they are accepted with no collating of the articles into sections or special thematic issues. For this reason, over the years, the Editors have felt that it is useful to annually summarize the publications into broad areas of interest or themes, so that readers can view areas of interest in a single article in relation to each other and other recent JCMR articles. The papers are presented in broad themes with previously published JCMR papers to guide continuity of thought in the journal. In addition, I have elected to open this publication with information for the readership regarding the transition of the JCMR editorial office to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston and the editorial process. Though there is an author publication charge (APC) associated with open-access to cover the publisher’s expenses, this format provides a much wider distribution/availability of the author’s work and greater manuscript citation. For SCMR members, there is a substantial discount in the APC. I hope that you will continue to send your high quality manuscripts to JCMR for consideration. Importantly, I also ask that you consider referencing recent JCMR publications in your submissions to the JCMR and elsewhere as these contribute to our impact factor. I also thank our dedicated Associate Editors, Guest Editors, and reviewers for their many efforts to ensure that the review process occurs in a timely and responsible manner and that the JCMR continues to be recognized as the leading publication in our field.
Organ Weight Scaling in Primates

Analysis of organ weight allometry in primates has been largely confined to examination of brain weight scaling [see Gould (1975) and references therein]. This emphasis reflects our quite natural interest in the unique degree of cerebral development in primates in general and in our species in particular. The scaling of the other internal organs (e.g., heart, lungs, kidneys) has received far less attention, however. Only a handful of studies have addressed the question of primate soft tissue allometry. These include Stahl (1965) and Stahl and Gummerson (1967) on interspecific organ weight allometry; Gest and Siegel (1983) and Larson (1978) on intraspecific organ weight scaling among adult olive baboons and stumptail macaques, respectively; and Snow and Vice (1965) and Stahl et al. (1968) on ontogenetic organ weight allometry in olive baboons and howler monkeys, respectively. Though all represent valuable contributions, to answer general questions about organ weight allometry, such as whether all primate species share a common developmental pattern, or if some species possess unique specializations in terms of the size of certain organs, we require a broad, comparative data base in order to discern regular patterns and recognize special cases. The present study represents an effort to supply such a data base. It examines the ontogenetic scaling of nine internal organs in each of six primate species. The importance of studying ontogentic trends has been emphasized in several recent papers (e.g., Alberch et al., 1979; Jungers and Fleagle, 1980; Shea, 1981). These authors have shown that understanding the developmental patterns of related species can be an extremely useful aid in determining their phylogenetic relationships
Do Silent Ships See More Fish? Comparison of a Noise-Reduced and a Conventional Research Vessel in Alaska

Under some circumstances, fish detect and avoid approaching vessels, often well before the vessel passes over the fish (Mitson 1995). Such vessel-induced avoidance behavior is potentially a major source of error in surveys of fish populations. Sound propagates a long distance in water compared with other stimuli, and fish are generally most sensitive to sound in the frequency range at which the underwater-radiated noise from ships is most intense (Mann et al. 2009). Thus the primary stimulus for this avoidance behavior is thought to be auditory (Mitson 1995). The concern that vessel noise causes fish avoidance has led to the formulation of recommendations for maximum low-frequency (<1-kHz) underwater-radiated noise levels for fisheries research vessels (Mitson 1995). These recommendations, made under the auspices of the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES), are based on the hearing capabilities of Clupea harengus (Atlantic herring) and Gadus morhua (Atlantic cod), two species with sensitive hearing; the recommendation is therefore expected to minimize noise-induced vessel avoidance for other species as well.
A new method for proving certain Presburger formulas

This paper describes a new method for determining the validity of certain formulas from Presburger Arithmetic, namely those with only universally quantified variables. To do this the notion of a Presburger formula, is generalized slightly to that of a quasi-linear formula. This so called "sup-inf" method seems particularly suited for proving certain verification conditions that arise from program validation, especially those in which "proof by cases" is required. It also eliminates the need for proof by enumeration, inherent in some methods described earlier In the literature, which sometimes require a search through a large number of consecutive Integers. These algorithms have been programmed and used extensively as a part of an automatic theorem proving system.
Accuracy of Estimated Creatinine in Multistage Ultramarathon Runners.

Introduction Ultramarathon running is increasing in popularity worldwide, as is the growing body of research on these athletes. Multiple studies have examined acute kidney injury through estimated baseline creatinine (Cr) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Values are estimated through an age-based formula of GFR and the modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) equation. However, the accuracy of this practice in a cohort of healthy athletes is unknown. Methods A prospective analysis of the first 40-km (25-mi) stage of 6-stage 250-km (155-mi) multistage ultramarathons in the Sahara, Namibia, Atacama, and Gobi Deserts. Runners had prerace measured baseline Cr compared to estimated values through age-based estimated GFR and back calculation of Cr through the MDRD equation. Results Forty-eight participants (27% female, age 39±10 y) had Cr values analyzed. The mean measured Cr was 0.99±0.17, which was 11% higher than an estimated Cr of 0.88±0.14 (P Conclusions Estimated values of GFR and Cr by standard age-based values and MDRD equation were significantly inaccurate, which would overinflate the incidence of acute kidney injury. Future studies should devise a new model for estimation of baseline Cr that is validated in this population.
Does transportation access affect the ability to recruit and retain logistics workers

Abstract This chapter examines the relationship between logistics industry workers and access to industry jobs. Over recent decades the location of logistics jobs has shifted as the industry has consolidated into larger warehouse and distribution centers. We conduct a case study of the Los Angeles Region and identify the locations of jobs, existing workers, and potential workers—those who would be qualified to work in the industry. We find that logistics jobs are held by a greater share of race/ethnic minorities than the workforce as a whole, but the share of women is much lower than the workforce as a whole. Logistics jobs are more spatially clustered than workers, and job access by car is orders of magnitude greater than access by public transit. Public transit would have to be greatly improved, perhaps by using new platform-based services that could operate more efficiently in low density environments, in order to become a viable option for accessing logistics jobs.
Circulating Levels of Biomarkers of Cerebral Injury in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a source of altered brain perfusion and ischemia, potentially leading to cerebral injury and blood brain barrier (BBB) disruption, which may result in the permeation of neurospecific molecules into the bloodstream. We retrospectively analyzed circulating levels of biomarkers of cerebral injury: Astrocyte-specific glial acidic fibrillary protein (GFAP), calcium-binding protein B (S100 b), stress response marker growth differential factor 15 (GDF15), and microtubule associated Tau protein, in patients with AF and non-AF controls. A total of 196 AF cases and 47 non-AF controls were enrolled in this study all without previous clinical stroke or cerebral injury. Plasma samples were obtained from the Intermountain INSPIRE biobank registry. AF status was determined at the time of the sample draw using clinical diagnosis. Assessment of circulating biomarkers was conducted with EIA. Multivariate linear modeling, using natural log, and square root transformation of the biomarkers, was done adjusting for (1) CHA2DS2-VASc and anticoagulation, and (2) age, gender, coronary artery disease and anticoagulation. Circulating Tau, GDF15, and GFAP were elevated in AF cases. After multivariate adjustment, GFAP and Tau remained significantly elevated in the AF, whereas the signal for GDF15 was confounded by age. In conclusion, circulating biomarkers of neuronal and glial injury Tau and GFAP are elevated in patients with AF that are consistent with subclinical cerebral injury and disruption of the BBB, which can predispose these patients to the development of cognitive dysfunction and/or dementia later in life.
Double asymmetric percolation drives a quadruple transition in sexual contact networks

Abstract Since 2007, ZIKV outbreaks have been occurring around the world. While ZIKV is mainly spread by mosquito vectors, transmission via sex activities enables the virus to spread in regions without mosquito vectors. Modeling the patterns of ZIKV outbreak in these regions remain challenging. We consider age as an asymmetric factor in transmitting ZIKV, in addition to gender as seen in previous literature, and modify the graph structure for better modeling of such patterns. We derived our results by both solving the underlying differential equations and simulation on population graph. Based on a double asymmetric percolation process on sexual contact networks. we discovered a quadruple ZIKV epidemic transition. Moreover, we explored the double asymmetric percolation on scale-free networks. Our work provides more insight into the ZIKV transmission dynamics through sexual contact networks, which may potentially provide better public health control and prevention means in a ZIKV outbreak.
Teaching Phonological Awareness to Children With Hearing Loss Who Use Spoken Language: Six Big Ideas

Purpose Because children with hearing loss experience difficulty in developing word decoding and spelling skills, effective phonological awareness instruction for this population is vital. Children...
ACValidator: A novel assembly-based approach for in silico verification of circular RNAs.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are evolutionarily conserved RNA species that are formed when exons "back-splice" to each other. Current computational algorithms to detect these back-splicing junctions produce divergent results, and hence there is a need for a method to distinguish true-positive circRNAs. To this end, we developed Assembly based CircRNA Validator (ACValidator) for in silico verification of circRNAs. ACValidator extracts reads from a user-defined window on either side of a circRNA junction and assembles them to generate contigs. These contigs are aligned against the circRNA sequence to find contigs spanning the back-spliced junction. When evaluated on simulated datasets, ACValidator achieved over ∼80% sensitivity on datasets with an average of 10 circRNA-supporting reads and with read lengths of at least 100 bp. In experimental datasets, ACValidator produced higher verification percentages for samples treated with ribonuclease R compared to nontreated samples. Our workflow is applicable to non-polyA-selected RNAseq datasets and can also be used as a candidate selection strategy for prioritizing experimental validations. All workflow scripts are freely accessible on our GitHub page https://github.com/tgen/ACValidator along with detailed instructions to set up and run ACValidator.
Brave new worlds

The hunt for extraterrestrial life has always focused on Earth-like planets. It is time for a radical rethink, reports Colin Stuart
Beyond flood risk reduction: How can green infrastructure advance both social justice and regional impact?

Green infrastructure is being pulled in divergent directions. As climate impacts intensify, advocates are promoting larger, ecosystem-scale strategies to help mitigate flood risks. Yet, research on existing urban greening projects finds that they can cause gentrification and displacement, suggesting that smaller projects may be more desirable from an equity perspective. This essay argues that cities need both large-scale and justice-enhancing nature-based solutions. They can help overcome tensions in these goals by (1) reframing green infrastructure as a way to support community development and integrated socio-ecological landscapes, and (2) advancing metropolitan regional governance strategies that alleviate municipal fiscal imperatives to maximize local land development. These proposals suggest that the practice of green infrastructure would benefit from diversifying its ranks to include social and government policy, community development, and agroecology, as well as learning from the Global South and those currently positioned as “off the map” of technical expertise. They also point to the need for interdisciplinary research that provides an evidence base for more transformative social, ecological, and governance strategies. While the essay focuses on the US context, it is relevant to an international audience given that similar challenges confront cities worldwide and that it highlights how the Global North can learn from the Global South.
Anatomically segregated basal ganglia pathways allow parallel behavioral modulation.

In the basal ganglia (BG), anatomically segregated and topographically organized feedforward circuits are thought to modulate multiple behaviors in parallel. Although topographically arranged BG circuits have been described, the extent to which these relationships are maintained across the BG output nuclei and in downstream targets is unclear. Here, using focal trans-synaptic anterograde tracing, we show that the motor-action-related topographical organization of the striatum is preserved in all BG output nuclei. The topography is also maintained downstream of the BG and in multiple parallel closed loops that provide striatal input. Furthermore, focal activation of two distinct striatal regions induces either licking or turning, consistent with their respective anatomical targets of projection outside of the BG. Our results confirm the parallel model of BG function and suggest that the integration and competition of information relating to different behavior occur largely outside of the BG. This study demonstrates that basal ganglia functional topography is maintained across and downstream of its output nuclei, and in closed loops. Focal stimulation of distinct striatal subregions induces distinct action, supporting a model of parallel behavioral control.
PyNSol: A Framework for Interactive Development of High performance Continuum Models

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses objectives of a python numerical solver (PyNSol). PyNSol is a framework architecture for the incremental development of a high-productivity environment for developing high-performance codes. Its target domain is computational fluid dynamics (CFD) problems with simple geometries and schemes of modest order but with multiple physical processes, multiple time scales, and complex forcing. From the end-user's point of view, PyNSol is a competitor to Parallel Matlab. Numerous efforts to provide distributed Matlab are underway. These tools provide a scientist with an interactive development environment while offloading the complexities of targeting the parallel platform to an infrastructure layer that is not explicitly presented to the user. PyNSol intends to provide higher performance as well as comparable ease of use by approaching a less general set of problems. The PyNSol end user, a physical scientist, investigates physical problems of various sorts and is presented with extensions to Python to facilitate this process.
Teaching the computer science of computer games

Computer games are a rich subject for computer science instruction. Unlike many traditional topics in computer science, gaming is inherently interdisciplinary. Developing games requires integration of concepts from computer graphics, artificial intelligence, operating systems, physical simulation, and, for multi-player games, networking and distributed systems. Consequently, a course in computer games offers an opportunity to survey a broad number of subjects in Computer Science while still maintaining a coherent focus on a single subject. In addition to this unique perspective on Computer Science, computer game development is also a topic of great interest to students. In the following I describe a curriculum for a course which surveys Computer Science through the perspective of computer games. This course has been successfully used for two different courses at different institutions. Over the course of this curriculum, students construct a fully functional game. As topics in computer science are covered, functionality related to those topics is implemented in the game. This incremental development provides students with an integrated view of what are traditionally disparate topics in Computer Science.
G protein contribution to complex signaling pathways downstream of the dopamine D2L receptor (662.10)

The dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) is a drug target that activates multiple signaling pathways via G protein-dependent and independent mechanisms. Different ligands can activate these signaling pathway...
Sacrificing serializability to attain high availability of data in an unreliable network

We present a simple algorithm for maintaining a replicated distributed dictionary which achieves high availability of data, rapid processing of atomic actions, efficient utilization of storage, and tolerance to node or network failures including lost or duplicated messages. It does not require transaction logs, synchronized clocks, or other complicated mechanisms for its operation. It achieves consistency contraints which are considerably weaker than serial consistency but nonetheless are adequate for many dictionary applications such as electronic appointment calendars and mail systems. The degree of consistency achieved depends on the particular history of operation of the system in a way that is intuitive and easily understood. The algorithm implements a "best effort" approximation to full serial consistency, relative to whatever internode communication has successfully taken place, so the semantics are fully specified even under partial failure of the system. Both the correctness of the algorithm and the utility of such weak semantics depend heavily on special properties of the dictionary operations.
Cracking of thin films bonded to elastic-plastic substrates

Abstract Thin bonded films have many applications. In information storage and processing systems, for example, conducting, semiconducting and insulating films are used in integrated circuits, and thin magnetic films are used in disk storage systems. In many cases, thin bonded films are in a state of residual tension, which can lead to film cracking. Because cracking can alter desired film properties, methods for predicting it are needed. The geometry considered in this work is one in which cracks or flaws oriented normal to the film-substrate interface propagate (or “channel”) across the film. It is assumed that the film is brittle and the substrate is ductile. Plane strain fracture analyses are used to investigate the channel cracking of elastic thin films in residual tension in the presence of yielding in the substrate material. Although crack channeling induces yielding in the substrate, channel crack extension in the brittle film occurs under small scale yielding conditions. The case of an elastic film bonded to an elastic substrate has been considered in earlier work, and is used as the basis for the current study. A numerical model is used to extend the results from the fully elastic problem so that plastic yielding of the substrate is allowed. Results are presented for an elastic-perfectly plastic substrate and for substrates exhibiting strain hardening. A simple shear lag model of the problem without hardening in the substrate is discussed, which gives reasonable predictions for the dependence of dimensionless fracture quantities on the normalized loading over a wide range of material mismatches. In addition, a method is presented by which shear lag modeling can be extended to cases in which the substrate exhibits strain hardening.
Dosimetry of iodoantipyrine

Dosimetry of iodoantipyrine labeled with radioactive iodine was determined by measuring the biodistribution of 131I-iodoantipyrine in 41 female rabbits. Following administration of the radiopharmaceutical, subjects were killed at 0.5, 6, 12, 17, 24, 36, and 48 h. Organs and samples of tissues and body fluids were assayed. Results were corrected for physical decay. Exponential functions were employed to describe the time-concentration curves; representative value would be the biological half life of 9.96±0.55 h for blood. Cumulated activity estimates for 123I, 125I and 131I were then computed. Extrapolation to absorbed dose in humans followed the formulation of the Medical International Radiation Dose (MIRD) Committee of the Society of Nuclear Medicine. The whole body absorbed doses are 7 μGray, 5 μGray and 29 μGray per MBq of 123I, 125I, and 131I administered respectively.