cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disturbance and the resilience of coupled carbon and nitrogen cycling in a north temperate forest

[1] Much of our biogeochemical understanding of forest disturbances comes from studies of severe or stand-replacing events, which may have different impacts on coupled carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling than subtler disturbances affecting only a fraction of the canopy. We measured a suite of interdependent C and N cycling processes following an experimental disturbance that accelerated mortality of the early successional canopy dominants (39% of basal area) in an aging secondary forest, hypothesizing that this subtle, spatially diffuse disturbance would temporarily decouple C and N cycles by decreasing belowground C allocation and thereby alter N cycling rates and pathways. We postulated that a short-term decrease in ecosystem C uptake and an increase in N leaching would accompany this decoupling, but that concomitant increases in N availability and uptake by later successional species would promote rapid resilience of coupled C-N cycles along new, stable trajectories. Disturbance decreased belowground C allocation and soil respiration, accelerated root turnover, and decreased root mass. These perturbations increased forest floor NH4+ and NO3− availability and NO emission, and declining root function caused water stress and N deficiency in senescent trees. Foliar N and leaf area increased in later successional trees, suggesting that enhanced N uptake supported new leaf area production. Two years after disturbance, N leaching losses and the decline in net ecosystem CO2 exchange were small, suggesting that coupled C-N cycling was resilient to this subtle experimental disturbance. Therefore, compared with the severe disturbances reported in the literature, our subtle disturbance likely will have different effects on longer-term forest biogeochemical trajectories.
Functional and biochemical parameters of peptide antigen presentation.

Abstract To understand the mechanism by which peptide antigens are processed and presented to T cells, we examined the T-cell response to the 13-amino-acid peptide α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH). To determine the fine specificity of T-cell recognition, T cells specific for α-MSH, and genetically restricted by I-A b d , were challenged with different α-MSH analogs and homologs. It was found that intact α-MSH, including the blocked amino and carboxy termini of the native molecule, was required for T-cell responsiveness. Antigen-presenting cells (APC) could be briefly pulsed with α-MSH and then present the α-MSH antigenic determinant to T cells, indicating that the relevant antigen was retained by the APC. APC stimulatory capacity was dramatically reduced by aldehyde treatment of the APC, or by pulsing the APC with α-MSH at low temperature. Efficient α-MSH pulsing was also impaired by treatment of the APC with the carboxylic ionophore, monensin, but not by the lysosomotropic agents chloroquine and methylamine. In addition, isolated APC plasma membranes added to the T cells in the presence of soluble α-MSH were not stimulatory. However, plasma membranes isolated from APC that had been previously pulsed with α-MSH retained stimulatory activity for T-cell responses. The only detectable α-MSH contained in these pulsed APC membranes was in an acid-stable complex of higher molecular weight than native peptide. The amount of α-MSH detected in the cellular membrane fraction isolated by density gradient sedimentation was also reduced by treatments that reduced the APC stimulatory capacity, such as pulsing at low temperature or in the presence of monensin. Taken together, these results suggest that processing of α-MSH is unlike that heretofore described for other peptide antigens and seems to involve APC handling to form the stimulatory moiety presented on the APC surface.
Design of electrical stimulation bioreactors for cardiac tissue engineering

Electrical stimulation has been shown to improve functional assembly of cardiomyocytes in vitro for cardiac tissue engineering. Carbon electrodes were found in past studies to have the best current injection characteristics. The goal of this study was to develop rational experimental design principles for the electrodes and stimulation regime, in particular electrode configuration, electrode ageing, and stimulation amplitude. Carbon rod electrodes were compared via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and we identified a safety range of 0 to 8 V/cm by comparing excitation thresholds and maximum capture rates for neonatal rat cardiomyocytes cultured with electrical stimulation. We conclude with recommendations for studies involving carbon electrodes for cardiac tissue engineering.
APS storage ring commissioning and early operational experience

The Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) uses a 100-mA, 7-GeV positron storage ring to produce high brilliance bending magnet and insertion device X-rays for up to 70 X-ray beamlines. It is 1104 meters in circumference and has a beam lifetime designed to exceed 10 hours with 1 nTorr average ring vacuum at 100 mA. The high brilliance required by the synchrotron light users results from the storage ring's natural emittance of 8.2 nm-rad, together with the requirement that the beam be stable to a level which is less than 5% of its rms size. Real-time closed orbit feedback is employed to achieve the required stability and is discussed elsewhere in these proceedings. Installation of storage ring components was completed early this year, and we report here on the first experiences of commissioning and operation with beam.
Interactions of nanoscopic particles with phase-separating polymeric mixtures

Abstract Roughly 70% of all manufactured polymeric materials contain solid ‘filler’ particles. These filled systems exhibit increased strength and heat resistance, and decreased gas permeability as compared to the pure polymer matrix. While the solid additives are essential for providing the desired attributes, the influence of nanoscopic particles on the structural evolution of multicomponent polymeric fluids is still poorly understood. New research is revealing that a dynamic coupling between the fluid–fluid phase separation and fluid–particle wetting significantly affects the morphology and kinetic behavior of the system. In the case of diblock/filler mixtures, the particles can influence the orientation and size of lamellar domains. Thus, the emerging results provide guidelines for fabricating new composite materials.
Discovery of supernumerary B chromosomes in Drosophila melanogaster.

B chromosomes are small, heterochromatic chromosomes that are transmitted in a non-Mendelian manner. We have identified a stock of Drosophila melanogaster that recently (within the last decade) acquired an average of 10 B chromosomes per fly. These B chromosomes are transmitted by both males and females and can be maintained for multiple generations in a wild-type genetic background despite the fact that they cause high levels of 4th chromosome meiotic nondisjunction in females. Most curiously, these B chromosomes are mitotically unstable, suggesting either the absence of critical chromosomal sites or the inability of the meiotic or mitotic systems to cope with many additional chromosomes. These B chromosomes also contain centromeres and are primarily composed of the heterochromatic AATAT satellite sequence. Although the AATAT sequence comprises the majority of the 4th chromosome heterochromatin, the B chromosomes lack most, if not all, 4th chromosome euchromatin. Presumably as a consequence of their heterochromatic content, these B chromosomes significantly modify position-effect variegation in two separate reporter systems, acting as enhancers of variegation in one case and suppressors in the other. The identification of B chromosomes in a genetically tractable organism like D. melanogaster will facilitate studies of chromosome evolution and the analysis of the mechanisms by which meiotic and mitotic processes cope with additional chromosomes.
Severe Nervous System Complications After Botulinum Type A Therapy: Three Case Reports With Reviews of FDA‐Reported Nervous System Adverse Effects

The short-term safety of botulinum toxin type A (BoNT/A) has been established in numerous double-blind trials, but as many authors have pointed out, long-term drug safety is an unresolved issue [1-3]. We report 3 cases of central nervous system complications with encephalitic clinical features that occurred shortly after treatment of focal dystonia with BoNT/A. The goal of this study is to raise awareness and increase the vigilance of health care providers regarding the possible occurrence of adverse events that may be related not directly to the toxin but to other mechanisms that have not yet been well studied. We suggest an algorithm for safer toxin use until further research is conducted. We also offer a summary of toxin-related nervous system adverse events reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between September 1992 and May 2009.
Consistency and Enhancement Processes in Understanding Emotions

Many theories in the sociology of emotions assume that emotions emerge from the cognitive consistency principle. Congruence among cognitions produces good feelings whereas incongruence produces bad feelings. A work situation is simulated in which managers give feedback to workers that is consistent or inconsistent with what the workers expect to get from their performance. Workers' emotional reactions are then obtained. The power and status of the managers is investigated. The findings reveal that how much time workers have to process their performance feedback, and the power and status of the managers, influence workers to feel good about feedback that is inconsistent with their expectations. These findings are consistent with the enhancement process. We suggest that the enhancement process be included in sociology theories on emotions.
Noninvasive Skin Measurements After CO2 and Erbium Laser Resurfacing

Abstract Background: Improvement in skin after laser resurfacing depends on treatment to a precise level. The target treatment level will depend on skin type, anatomic location, and severity of the presenting problem. The development of noninvasive skin measurements that correlate with histologic changes wouldn provide a useful intraoperative guide for treatment. Objective: The relationship among different types of lasers and levels of applied energy; objective real-time noninvasive measures of the skin; and histologic condition were studied in an attempt to gain information that could aid in achieving safer and more predictable laser skin resurfacing. Methods: The paraspinal skin of Yorkshire hybrid pigs was used for the study. In pig 1, study sites were treated with the Ultrapulse CO 2 laser (Coherent, Inc, Santa Clara, CA) with the CP-G at 300 ml for 0 to 5 passes. The Sciton Contour erbium:YAG llaser (Contour, Sciton, Palo Alto, CA) set at 200 μm of pure ablation was used to treat a separate but adjacent area for 0 to 5 passes. Treated sites and control sites were evaluated by measurements of biomechanical properties, digital imaging, and barrier integrity. In pig 2, the study was repeated with the Sciton Contour erbium:YAG laser at 10 different energy levels. Full-thickness punch biopsy specimens were obtained immediately after treatment and correlated with the biomechanical measures. Results: After the third pass with the CO 2 laser, there was no additional tissue ablation or change in surface biophysical measurements. There was an apparent increase in inflammation in the lower dermis with passes 4 and 5 seen on day 2 biopsies that suggested deeper thermal effects. The erbium laser continued to ablate with increasing applied energy. The change in viscoelastic creep correlated with the laser energy applied and inversely correlated with the remaining dermal depth of the skin after laser treatment. Conclusions: The measurement of immediate changes in iviscoelastic creep should be further studied as a means of guiding intraoperative erbium laser resurfacing. Histologic evaluation suggests that the erbium:YAG laser may be a more effective tool for dermal ablation than the CO 2 laser.
Cloning vectors for the expression of green fluorescent protein fusion proteins in transgenic plants

A series of versatile cloning vectors has been constructed that facilitate the expression of protein fusions to the Aequorea victoria green fluorescent protein (GFP) in plant cells. Amino-terminal- and carboxy-terminal protein fusions have been created and visualized by epifluorescence microscopy, both in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana and after transient expression in onion epidermal cells. Using tandem dimers and other protein fusions to GFP, we found that the previously described localization of wild-type GFP to the cell nucleus is most likely due to diffusion of GFP across the nuclear envelope rather than to a cryptic nuclear localization signal. A fluorescence-based, quantitative assay for nuclear localization signals is described. In addition, we have employed the previously characterized mutants GFP-S65T and GFP-Y66H in order to allow for the expression of red-shifted and blue fluorescent proteins, respectively, which are suitable for double-labeling studies. Expression of GFP-fusions was controlled by a cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. Using the Arabidopsis COP1 protein as a model, we confirmed a close similarity in the subcellular localization of native COP1 and the GFP-tagged COP1 protein. We demonstrated that COP1 was localized to discrete subnuclear particles and further confirmed that fusion to GFP did not compromise the activity of the wild-type COP1 protein.
Genome-Wide Identification of Long Noncoding RNAs in Rat Models of Cardiovascular and Renal Disease

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are an emerging class of genomic regulatory molecules reported in various species. In the rat, which is one of the major mammalian model organisms, discovery of lncRNAs on a genome-wide scale is lagging. Renal lncRNA sequencing and lncRNA transcriptome analysis were conducted in 3 rat strains that are widely used in cardiovascular and renal research: the Dahl salt-sensitive rat, the spontaneously hypertensive rat, and the Dahl salt-resistant rat. Through the RNA sequencing approach, 3273 transcripts were identified as rat lncRNAs. A majority of lncRNAs were without predicted target genes. Differential expression of 273 and 749 lncRNAs was detected between Dahl salt-sensitive versus Dahl salt-resistant and Dahl salt-sensitive versus spontaneously hypertensive rat comparisons, respectively. To couple the observed differential expression of lncRNAs with the status of mRNAs, an mRNA transcriptome analysis was conducted. Several cis mRNA genes were coregulated with lncRNAs. Of these, the protein expression status of 4 target genes, Asb3, Chac2, Pex11b, and Sp5, were differentially expressed between the relevant strain comparisons, thereby suggesting that the differentially expressed lncRNAs associated with these genes are candidate genetic determinants of blood pressure. This study serves as a first-generation catalog of rat lncRNAs and illustrates the prioritization of lncRNAs as candidates for complex polygenic traits.
Classification of successional forest stages in the Brazilian Amazon basin

Research on secondary succession in the Amazon basin has attracted great interest in recent years. However, methods used to classify successional stages are limited. This research explores a method that can be used to differentiate regrowth stages. The vegetation inventory data were collected in Altamira, Bragantina, Pedras, and Tome-Acu of the eastern Amazon basin. A nested sampling strategy, organized by region, site, plot, and subplot, was employed for field data collection. Above-ground biomass (AGB), forest stand volume (FSV), basal area, average stand height, average stand diameter (ASD), age, ratio of tree biomass to total biomass (RTB), ratio of tree volume to total volume, and ratio of tree basal area to total basal area were calculated at the site level. Canonical discriminant analysis (CDA) was used to differentiate successional stages and to identify the best forest stand parameters to distinguish these stages. This research indicates that the CDA approach can be used to classify successional forest stages, but using RTB or a combination of two stand parameters such as AGB and ASD are more feasible and recommended in practice. # 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
A rule-based tool for assisting colormap selection

The paper presents an interactive approach for guiding the user's select of colormaps in visualization. PRAVDAColor, implemented as a module in the IBM Visualization Data Explorer, provides the user a selection of appropriate colormaps given the data type and spatial frequency, the user's task, and properties of the human perceptual system.
1-(4-Nitrophenyl)-4-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole vs. 5(6)-Nitrobenzofuroxan Formation and Their Antifungal Activity.

The synthesis of triazole derivatives (III) via Cu-catalyzed “click” reaction of corresponding nitrophenylazides (I) with phenylacetylene is attempted.
Chancellor Angela Merkel—A Sign of Hope or the Exception That Proves the Rule?

Recently there has been an extraordinary increase in female political leaders across the globe. In addition to Chile, Finland, Germany and Liberia—considered in this issue—Ukraine, Argentina, India, and several other countries have recently inaugurated their first female executives. A closer examination, however, reveals that female executives are not exactly poised to take over the world. Most of the new female executives are not running geopolitically powerful countries. In that sense, Angela Merkel is not a typical exemplar of the new female executive. Merkel is the only woman leading a Group of Eight (G8) country. She is also the only female head of state in NATO and the only female head of state in the European Union.
Acrylonitrile content as a predictor of the captan permeation resistance for disposablenitrile rubber gloves

The aim of this study was to determine whether the acrylonitrile (ACN) content influences the permeation re- sistance of disposable nitrile rubber (NBR) gloves to aqueous solutions of the pesticide captan. Attenuated total reflectance/ Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectrophotometry at 2237 6 5c m � 1 was used to measure the ACN contents of seven different NBR gloves. The ACN contents of the gloves ranged from 12.7 to 29.9%. Permeation was conducted according to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Method F 739-99a with a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of captan in the hexane collection liq- uid. Significant correlations were found between (1) the ACN content and mass-to-area ratio and the logarithm of the steady-state permeation rate (SSPR; Pearson correlation coef- ficient ¼ 0.9227, p � 0.05), and (2) the ACN content and mass-to-area ratio and the ASTM normalized breakthrough detection time (NBT) at 0.25 mg/cm 2 (Pearson correlation coefficient ¼ 0.9471, p � 0.05). On average, the NBT increased 120 min for every 5% increase in the ACN content. The aver- age SSPR ranged from 0.002 to 0.40 mg/cm 2 /min, a 200-fold difference. Increasing the ACN content resulted in decreased SSPR. ATR-FTIR was useful in determining the NBR poly- mer ACN content, surface homogeneity, and potential glove chemical resistance. 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 2057-2063, 2007
Pitfalls in the Diagnosis of Aerodigestive Tract Foreign Bodies

In the young child, particularly those between the ages of 1 and 3 years, aerodigestive tract foreign bodies continue to be a significant problem. Early diagnosis and treatment can decrease morbidity and length of hospital stay in these children. Three cases of delayed diagnosis in children with bronchial (2) and esophageal (1) foreign bodies are presented. In dealing with young children it is important to maintain a high clinical suspicion of a foreign body and to perform a detailed history and physical examination. Options in radiographic analysis of the patient with a suspected foreign body, probable locations of the foreign body, and the likelihood of definitive radiographic findings are discussed. Importantly, a negative radiographic analysis does not rule out the presence of an aerodigestive tract foreign body. Two flow charts for the evaluation of patients who have possibly ingested or inhaled a foreign body are presented to aid the primary care physician in diagnosis.
Norgestimate and medroxyprogesterone acetate do not attenuate the atheroprotective effects of 17β-estradiol in ovariectomized, apolipoprotein E–deficient mice

Objective To determine whether progestins counteract the cardioprotective effects of estrogen. Design Controlled animal study. Setting Academic laboratory environment. Animal(s) Female apolipoprotein E–deficient mice. Intervention(s) Mice were randomly assigned to groups receiving a sham operation plus placebo pellet, bilateral gonadectomy plus placebo pellet, or gonadectomy plus one of nine combinations of estrogen/progestin SC pellets. Main outcome measure(s) Total plasma cholesterol, body weight, fat depot weight, uterine weight and size, and the cross-sectional area of fatty streaks in the aortic sinus were measured in each animal. Result(s) After 8 weeks of treatment, plasma cholesterol levels were significantly higher only in the ovariectomized and sham-operated animals that received placebo pellets. No differences in plasma cholesterol were observed relative to the type or amount of progestin administered. There was a reduction in fatty streaks in all of the hormone treatment groups as compared with both the ovariectomized and sham-operated animals that received placebo pellets. Conclusion(s) There were no significant differences in lesion area in response to estrogen alone or to estrogen plus the different types and doses of progestins.
Capacitated emergency facility sitting with multiple levels of backup

In many service systems, the primary objective is to provide continuous service and/or service within a prespecified time interval. In the public sector, emergency service systems fit into this category. In the private sector, systems providing repair service to critical production facilities and computers constitute another example. In these systems, the concept of multiple service facilities providing backup to each other becomes an important element in the design process. In this paper, we study the capacitated facility siting problem with multiple levels of backup coverage. The problem is formulated as a mathematical program; an efficient solution procedure is developed and computational experiments are reported.
Assessing measures of suicidal ideation in clinical trials with a rapid-acting antidepressant

Rapid reduction of suicidal thoughts is critical for treating suicidal patients. Clinical trials evaluating these treatments require appropriate measurement. Key methodological issues include: 1) the use of single or multi-item assessments, and 2) evaluating whether suicidal ideation measures can track rapid change over time. The current study presents data from two randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover clinical trials evaluating ketamine in individuals with treatment-resistant depression (n = 60). Participants were assessed for suicidal thoughts using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Scale for Suicidal Ideation (SSI) at eight time points over three days. Assessments were compared using correlational analyses and effect sizes at 230 min and three days after ketamine infusion. Linear mixed models evaluated change in ideation across all time points. The HAM-D and MADRS suicide items demonstrated correlations of r > .80 with the first five items of the SSI (SSI5). On linear mixed models, an effect for ketamine was found for the HAM-D, MADRS, BDI items, and SSI5 (p < .001), but not for the full SSI (p = .88), which suggests a limited ability to assess change over time in patients with low levels of suicidal thoughts. Taken together, the results suggest that repeated suicidal assessments over minutes to days appear to detect improvement in suicidal thoughts after ketamine infusion compared to placebo. The MADRS suicide item, BDI suicide item, and SSI5 may be particularly sensitive to rapid changes in suicidal thoughts.
CHARACTERIZATION OF WATER DISPLACEMENT IN SOILS USING SIMPLE CHROMATOGRAPHIC THEORY

Summary Simple chromatographic equations were adapted to describe frontal water displacement by tracer-containing water in soils where only partial displacement occurs. The equations were shown to give excellent agreement with experimental data in five field experiments where tracer was added in artificial rainfall. The consequences of partial displacement for soil water replenishment in the root zone, salt leaching and ground water recharge are discussed.
Notes on the Schroedinger operator

Abstract This paper is concerned with properties of the spectrum and resolvent of Schroedinger operators −△ + q(x) in 3-dimensional Euclidean space. It is assumed that q is locally square integrable and O(¦ x ¦ −1 −ϵ ) as ¦ x ¦ → ∞ (ϵ > 0) .
Experimental Demonstration of a Complete SPINet Optical Packet Switched Interconnection Network

A 4times4 fully implemented photonic interconnection network is experimentally demonstrated. The network routes 60 Gb/s wavelength-striped packets (6times10 Gb/s) error-free in the optical domain, resolves contentions, and detects dropped packets via a unique acknowledgement protocol.
Implementation and performance assessment of multilevel data structures

The authors discuss the implementation and performance assessment of a multilevel data structure system prototype. They compare the multilevel data structure approach with corresponding fault-intolerant implementations to assess the overhead imposed for incorporating fault tolerance. The simulation shows promising results in using multilevel data structures.
Seasonal Drivers of Pneumococcal Disease Incidence: Impact of Bacterial Carriage and Viral Activity

(See the Editorial Commentary by van Hoek and Miller on pages 195–6.) The incidence of disease caused by pneumococcus, like many other bacterial pathogens, follows a distinct winter-seasonal pattern in temperate climates [1]. These seasonal epidemics probably result from a combination of increased carriage of the bacteria and increased susceptibility to developing disease [2, 3]. However, the relative importance of carriage and susceptibility is not known. Comparisons of seasonal variation in pneumococcal disease and carriage prevalence provide an opportunity to identify the drivers of pneumococcal disease incidence. This information, in turn, could help to clarify the health impacts of vaccination or other interventions that influence bacterial carriage prevalence or density. Carriage is considered a prerequisite for disease, and the majority of young children carry pneumococcus in the nasopharynx [4]. Carriage prevalence and acquisition rates vary seasonally, with peaks in wintertime [5–7]. Once a person is colonized with pneumococcus, the likelihood that invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) will develop depends on the virulence of the strain and host susceptibility [4, 8–10]. Host susceptibility is influenced by seasonal factors, including recent infections with influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), or other respiratory viruses [11–14]. Likewise, environmental conditions, such as decreased sunlight and dryness, might affect immunity or the integrity of the respiratory mucosa [1]. In this study, we sought to determine how seasonal variations in bacterial carriage and respiratory virus activity influence the seasonal epidemics of IPD. We hypothesized that if seasonality of pneumococcal disease incidence is driven by increased bacterial transmission, then prevalence or density of nasopharyngeal carriage should increase around the same time and with a similar magnitude as disease incidence. In contrast, if incidence is primarily driven by increased host susceptibility, then disease incidence would increase independently of carriage and might be associated with respiratory virus activity. We used a unique collection of pneumococcal carriage and invasive disease data from the Navajo and White Mountain Apache (WMA) populations to test these hypotheses.
Effects of burn/low-till on erosion and soil quality

Burn/low-till management of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) is being practiced by some growers in the higher rainfall areas of the Pacific Northwestern Winter Wheat Region of the US. Residue burning eliminates the numerous seedbed tillage operations that are normally required to reduce residues and control weeds and diseases in continuous winter wheat production. The detrimental effects of burn and till systems on soil erosion are well documented. However, there is little or no data on the effects of burning with no-till or low-till annual cropping on either erosion or soil quality. A 3-year field study comparing winter season erosion resulting from burn/low-till (BLT) seeded winter wheat following winter wheat and conventionally managed (CM) winter wheat following various crops was completed in 1997. Results indicate soil loss from the BLT fields was not significantly different from that of the CM fields with various crops preceding winter wheat. For the BLT fields, soil loss was as closely related to soil disturbance (number of tillage operations) as to the amount of surface residue. When residue and crop cover did not differ with the number of tillage operations, an increased number of tillage operations after burning loosened the soil and resulted in greater soil loss. No adverse effects on soil loss or soil quality from using the BLT with one or two-pass seeding of winter wheat following winter wheat were found in this study. The results have implications for harvesting wheat stubble as a source of biomass, or as an alternative technique for initiating conversion from a conventional tillage to a no-till seeding system, without high initial investment in new seeding equipment. Published by Elsevier B.V.
The anatomic findings during operative exploration for non-palpable testes: A prospective evaluation

Abstract Background We conducted a randomized trial comparing 1 and 2-stage laparoscopic orchiopexy for intra-abdominal testes. During recruitment, it became apparent that most patients with non-palpable testes do not require vascular division. In this report, we outline the location and quality of testes found during operative exploration in patients who consented for the study but were not randomized. Methods Analysis was performed on 80 patients undergoing operative exploration for non-palpable testes between 2007 and 2014. The location and pathology of undescended testes were analyzed. Results There were 87 preoperative non-palpable testes in 80 patients that were consented but not randomized to 1 or 2 stage orchiopexy with vascular division. Forty (46%) of nonrandomized testes were atrophic or absent, and 47 (54%) were normal in appearance. Sixty eight testes were evaluated via laparoscopy. The most common location for normal (81%) and absent/atrophic (70%) testes was the inguinal canal. Atrophic testes were more often left sided (72.5%) with normal testes equally divided. Patients with atrophic or absent testicles were more likely to have a closed internal ring (p Conclusion This study demonstrates the majority of patients undergoing operative exploration for non-palpable testes will not require vascular division, and instead would be either atrophic or able to undergo traditional orchiopexy. Level of Evidence: III
The Group, The Photograph, The Wound, and the Writing: How a Social Worker Uses Narrative Medicine to Facilitate Groups

ABSTRACTA clinical social worker/psychotherapist demonstrates the use of the narrative method in working with groups. The foundational concepts of “attention, representation and affiliation” will be discussed and applied throughout the article. The pivotal choice of texts and prompts and their relation to trauma will be explicated. Case illustrations are provided that relate to practice of the narrative method with a group of women who are coping with chronic illness and with administrators and providers in a nursing home dedicated to the care of individuals who are experiencing dementia.
Kosterlitz-Thouless physics: a review of key issues

This article reviews, from a very personal point of view, the origins and the early work on transitions driven by topological defects such as vortices in the two dimensional planar rotor model and in (4)Helium films and dislocations and disclinations in 2D crystals. I cover the early papers with David Thouless and describe the important insights but also the errors and oversights since corrected by other workers. I then describe some of the experimental verifications of the theory and some numerical simulations. Finally applications to superconducting arrays of Josephson junctions and to recent cold atom experiments are described.
Pressure-temperature paths from garnet-zoning: Evidence for multiple episodes of thrust burial in the hinterland of the Sevier orogenic belt

Garnets are present in two horizons of the schist of Stevens Spring from the Basin Creek area of the Grouse Creek Mountains in northwest Utah. The two horizons possess different bulk compositions, which resulted in garnet growth by different reactions along the same pressure-temperature ( P-T ) path. Garnet in the upper horizon grew from the breakdown of chlorite at upper greenschist-facies conditions and garnet in the lower horizon grew from the breakdown of staurolite at upper amphibolite-facies conditions. From the upper horizon, five garnets from three samples were analyzed. All display growth zoning, ragged morphologies associated with secondary rim consumption, and yield garnet-biotite geothermometry temperatures of ~460–490 °C. From the lower horizon, one garnet from each of two samples was analyzed. These also display growth zoning, but differ from garnet in the upper horizon in that they are dominantly idioblastic and yield garnet-biotite geothermometry temperatures of ~635 °C. Garnet-biotite geothermometry calculated for every point along detailed compositional traverses across the garnets revealed localized reequilibration along rims, cracks and inclusions in both generations of garnet. Garnets from the upper horizon display prograde reequilibration and the garnets from the lower horizon display retrograde reequilibration. Numerical simulations of garnet growth using the Gibbs method with Duhem’s theorem were carried out to determine P-T paths. The P-T path defined by the modeling of five garnets from the upper horizon is an isothermal pressure increase of ~1.7 kbar. The P-T path defined by the modeling of two garnets from the lower horizon has a steep P-T trajectory (d P /d T = 32 bars/°C) and a total pressure change of ~0.9 kbar. Both paths are indicative of thrust burial; however, the two paths cannot be reconciled as products of a single thrust episode. These data are interpreted to indicate two different episodes of thrust burial during the Sevier Orogeny, separated by ~150 °C of heating and partial exhumation.
Lessons From Peglispro: IMAGINE How to Improve Drug Development and Affordability.

Imagination is more important than knowledge.—Albert Einstein, 1931 On 4 December 2015, Eli Lilly announced it was ceasing development of its basal insulin peglispro, a new long-acting insulin analog (1). This was not entirely unexpected, given that in February 2015 Lilly announced a delay in submitting this product for regulatory review due to signs of liver injury apparently related to fat accumulation (2). The company presumably made this difficult decision because peglispro’s prospects for regulatory approval and commercial success were dimmed by potential hepatic toxicity in the context of a market already including several other basal insulins, among them Lilly’s biosimilar version of insulin glargine. Still, the story behind this costly, late-stage failure of a new product offers several messages for the diabetes community. Part of this story concerns an unusual property of peglispro. The active component is insulin lispro, an analog of human insulin, which is linked to a large hydrophilic polyethylene glycol polymer (3). Due to its structure, peglispro is slowly absorbed after injection and also slowly cleared from circulation. Early studies—including a clinical development program named IMAGINE—showed that peglispro has a long and stable profile of action (4) and causes less hypoglycemia than insulin glargine (5). Moreover—and herein lies its novelty—peglispro was as effective as regular human insulin (6) or glargine (7) in suppressing hepatic glucose production but had less effect on peripheral tissues. A possible explanation for its hepatic specificity is better access of the large peglispro molecule to liver tissue through windows (fenestrae) in portal vessels than to peripheral tissues. Thus, peglispro might control glucose through the reduction of hepatic glucose release with less risk of hypoglycemia caused by variable peripheral uptake by muscle and might favor weight loss rather than gain (8). Surely, the investigators working on peglispro were intrigued by these possibilities. …
The Culbertson Economic Mission and Anglo-American Tensions in the Middle East, 1944–1945

THE United States government sent a special economic mission, headed by an attorney-economist, William S. Culbertson, to North Africa and the Middle East in the fall of 1944 to survey postwar prospects for American business.1 Although historians of World War II have generally overlooked the Culbertson Mission,2 it merits scrutiny for several reasons. First, the field investigation conducted by the mission together with its major report on the Middle East illustrate some fundamental economic notions that conditioned American postwar planning. The faith of Culbertson and his colleagues in the efficacy of 'free enterprise" as a regulator of the international economy and their rejection of state trading were in harmony with the views of Secretary of State Cordell Hull and reminiscent of ideas about the benevolence of commerce, dating from the American Enlightenment of the late-eighteenth century. Second, the mission's report analyzed obstacles that would have to be surmounted before American business could fully utilize opportunities in the postwar Middle East. Third, unlike so many study reports, the Culbertson findings were not relegated to forgotten bureaucratic pigeonholes; instead, they were taken seriously by those charting postwar American economic policies. Fourth, the report documented Anglo-American differences arising during World War II in the Middle East. And, finally, Culbertson and his colleagues revealed a vision of expanded official American participation in the affairs of the Middle East. Integrated into their vision of the United
General Mental Ability and Entrepreneurial Behavior and Performance: A Meta-Analytic Review

In this study, the authors used meta-analytical techniques to examine the relationship of general mental ability (GMA) with entrepreneurial status, intentions, skills, and firm-level performance ou...
Stability Derivative Computation of Tailless Aircraft using Variable-Fidelity Aerodynamic Analysis and Wind-Tunnel Experiments

In aircraft design, tailless aircraft are an attractive concept for their aerodynamic efficiency. However, because of their unusual shape, a tailless configuration has disadvantages in stability and control (SC static derivatives, steady dynamic derivatives, and unsteady dynamic derivatives. For accurate and efficient stability estimation, several aerodynamic and numerical methods were introduced to calculate aerodynamic derivatives. These values were compared with the wind tunnel data for the validation. Finally, the stability characteristics of certain steady conditions were calculated from the results of the numerical method, and the stability performance was evaluated.
A Comparison of the Interior Quality Assurance System of Chinese Foreign with That of Western Universities and the Framework of Its Construction

Strengthening the construction of universities' interior quality assurance system is an inherent requirement of the development of higher education.In reality,there exist many problems with the system in China such as lack of construction concepts and misconduct in the specific behavior.Although the interior quality assurance systems of European and American universities originated from the traditional university autonomy,there is still much to be learned from their systems at the national,regional and institutional levels.And a sound system with distinctive features should be the aim of the construction of Chinese universities' interior quality assurance system.
The population dynamics of Ashworthius lerouxi (Nematoda:Trichostrongylidae) in African buffalo in Uganda.

SUMMARY Ashworthius lerouxi was the predominant abomasal nematode in African buffalo in one area of Uganda. Populations of this species were greatest during and immediately following the long dry season (December-February).
Foldscope live demo of living organism

, © Bhamla This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and redistribution in any medium, provided that the original author and source are credited. I had the opportunity last week to present in front of few dozen industrial scientists visiting stanford. The catch was I only had less than 10 minutes!
Pharmacy students' perceptions of the usefulness of motivational interviewing and the use of mobile health applications on patient counseling in the future.

Abstract Introduction To explore student pharmacists' perceptions of 1) future patient counseling, 2) use of mobile health applications (mHealth apps), and 3) usefulness of motivational interviewing (MI) in patient encounters and potential app messaging. Methods A cross-sectional design with first and second year pharmacy students (n=315) at a multi-campus university after exposure to mHealth app and MI curricular content. A questionnaire assessed perceptions of 1) future patient counseling, 2) using apps for personal use and professional encounters, and 3) potential practicality and usefulness of MI principles/skills in apps messaging. Results Over 70% of students perceived they will be counseling future patients for medication therapy/comprehensive disease management; 91% believed it is an important role as a future pharmacist. A majority own a smartphone (98%), have used an mHealth app to monitor/change a health behavior (73%), and are likely to recommend an mHealth app in future patient encounters (90%). Perceptions of counseling importance and likelihood to recommend an mHealth app varied by gender (women higher than men, p p p p Discussion and conclusions Those using apps for personal health behavior change(s) perceived future patient counseling as important and were more likely to recommend mHealth apps during those future encounters. Results may inform curricular development to prepare future pharmacists for the high-tech, patient-centered practice that is inevitable.
Biological significance of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in oral epithelial dysplasia and oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the levels of 5-hydroxylmethylcytosine (5-hmC) in oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) compared with those in benign, reactive inflammatory lesions and to explore whether DNA hydroxymethylation may serve as a novel biomarker for early diagnosis and prognosis of OSCC. Study Design The study included normal mucosa from uninvolved margins of 9 fibromas, 10 oral lichen planus, 15 OED, and 23 OSCC. Cultured human keratinocyte lines from benign oral mucosa, OED, and OSCC, as well as a murine model in which OSCC was induced with 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide, were also evaluated. Results Progressive loss of 5-hmC from benign oral mucosal lesions to OED and OSCC was documented in patient samples. Decreased levels in 5-hmC that typify OED and OSCC were also detectable in human cell lines. Moreover, we characterized similar alterations in 5-hmC in an animal model of OED/OSCC. Conclusions This study demonstrated that 5-hmC distinguishes OED and OSCC from benign lesions with high sensitivity and specificity. Consequently, loss of 5-hmC may be useful for the diagnosis of OED with potential implications for therapy of OSCC.
3D mapping of icebergs in sea ice with TanDEM-X interferomery

Mapping iceberg locations and geometrical parameters is important for marine operational applications and climate science. The innovative TanDEM-X mission (TDM) was used for 3D mapping of icebergs in sea ice with the single-pass SAR interferometry (InSAR) method. The extracted digital elevation model (DEM) from TDM InSAR data over icebergs in sea ice was compared to a DEM generated from very-high-resolution (VHR) electro-optical stereo data. The comparison demonstrated a good correspondence between the electro-optical and InSAR-derived DEMs. A significant decrease in root-mean-squared error (RMSE) was achieved after applying spatial filtering. The resulting RMSE for the areas with selected icebergs in sea ice was 2 m.
Echocardiographic Assessment of Native Valve Function

Echocardiography with Doppler imaging is an essential tool in the evaluation and management of valvular heart disease. With the use of appropriate echocardiographic techniques, one can assess the etiology, severity, hemodynamic consequences, and ventricular response to valvular abnormalities. Echocardiography provides prognostic information and plays an important role in therapeutic decision making. It remains the principal modality for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with valvular heart disease.
Early Intervention for NICU Graduates

Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions are on the rise, and infants discharged from the NICU are at elevated risk for developmental delays. Early intervention programs, funded by Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004), are one resource available to families and children to promote the growth and development of NICU graduates. This chapter provides a brief history of early intervention services provided by Part C of IDEA for infants and toddlers with disabilities and developmental delays or who may be at risk for delays, and it summarizes criteria for program enrollment and the key practices utilized with children and families in these early intervention programs. The efficacy of early intervention programs for children and families is discussed with a specific focus on the program outcomes for NICU graduates, including premature and low birth weight (LBW) infants. Early intervention enrollment and referral patterns for NICU graduates are presented. The implications of these patterns provide support for the need for partnerships between early intervention programs and NICU follow-up programs to maximize Part C-required Child Find efforts and ensure the best outcomes for NICU graduates and their families.