cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparative culture and toxicity studies between the toxic dinoflagellate Pfiesteria piscicida and a morphologically similar cryptoperidiniopsoid dinoflagellate.

A series of fish bioassays using cultures of the toxic dinoflagellate, Pfiesteria piscicida and a cryptoperidiniopsoid dinoflagellate indicated various degrees of toxicity for Pfiesteria piscicida and no toxicity by the cryptoperidiniopsoid. P. piscicida maintained toxicity in the presence of live fish, and this toxicity was perpetuated following a series of inoculations to other culture vessels. Differences in the onset and magnitude of the fish deaths occurred, requiring 16 days for the initial fish death when using P. piscicida from a culture that had previously been maintained on algal cells, to kills within hours when using a culture that had recently (previous day) killed fish. Autopsies of moribund fish from the test and control fish bioassays indicated a general lack of bacterial infection, which ensued following death of other autopsied fish. Moreover, bacterial comparisons of waters in the fish bioassay and control fish cultures indicated that similar bacterial concentrations were present. Neither oxygen or ammonia levels were determined to be factors in the fish death. Life stages of a cryptoperidiniopsoid dinoflagellate from Virginia estuaries were also identified, including motile zoospore, gametes, planozygote, amoebae, and cyst stages. The cryptoperidiniopsioid did not initiate fish deaths in bioassays conducted over a 14-week period at zoospore concentrations of ca. 700–800 cells ml−1. Elemental X-ray analysis of the scales from cysts of this dinoflagellate and P. piscicida indicate that they both contain silicon. Overall, the data from this study demonstrate that the cryptoperidiniopsoid possesses several similar life stages and feeding patterns as P. piscicida, but was not toxic to fish.
Local enhancement of arrivals of Ceratitis capitata females on fruit mimics

Mature female Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), isolated from conspecifics for 7 days prior to testing in laboratory cages, were attracted to yellow plastic fruit-mimicking hemispheres or spheres in significantly greater numbers when groups of conspecific females were present than absent on fruit mimics. Attraction of females to conspecifics occurred for females deprived of protein or continuously provided with protein since eclosion, for fruit mimics that were unbaited or baited with odor of food or fruit, and under single-choice as well as multiple-choice test conditions. Attraction proved just as great to fruit mimics having dead conspecifics as to mimics having live conspecifics, was evident also when fruit mimics were orange or white, and occurred also in response to presence of live Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) females on fruit mimics. We discuss our findings in relation to local enhancement, a form of social facilitation in insects and other animals.
Multi-attribute decision making: dominance with respect to an importance order of the attributes

Abstract We examine a tool to assist a decision maker with the task of ranking a finite number of alternatives based on a finite number of attributes. The procedure indicates if domination with respect to an importance order (ordinal ranking) of the attributes can be easily detected if one assumes an additive value function. The concept of importance order (or partial information) domination has been developed in the literature but has been ignored in most multi-attribute applications. We show how closed form solutions of the linear programs needed to determine strong dominance are derived and present a graphical display of the results in the context of an example. The procedure outlined is practical to use and the results are easy to interpret. An example illustrates how one might apply the method to decision making in farm management with respect to water quality issues.
Combined metformin-sulfonylurea treatment of patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes in fair to poor glycemic control.

The effect of metformin treatment was studied in 13 patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), whose fasting plasma glucose concentration was greater than 10 mmol/L with maximal sulfonylurea doses. Patients were studied before and 3 months after receiving 2.5 g/day metformin. The fasting plasma glucose concentration (12.4 +/- 0.8 vs. 8.8 +/- 0.7 mmol/L), mean hourly postprandial plasma glucose concentration from 0800-1600 h (14.0 +/- 1 vs. 9.4 +/- 0.9 mmol/L), and glycosylated hemoglobin level (12.3 +/- 0.6% vs. 9.0 +/- 0.6%) were all significantly (P less than 0.005-0.001) lower after the administration of metformin. The improvement in glycemic control was associated with a 24% increase (P less than 0.05) in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake during glucose clamp studies and a 16% decrease in basal hepatic glucose production (P less than 0.05). Mean hourly concentrations of plasma insulin (411 +/- 73 vs. 364 +/- 73 pmol/L) and FFA concentrations (440 +/- 31 vs. 390 +/- 40 mumol/L) were ...
Effect of Clopidogrel on Early Failure of Arteriovenous Fistulas for Hemodialysis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Context The arteriovenous fistula is the preferred type of vascular access for hemodialysis because of lower thrombosis and infection rates and lower health care expenditures compared with synthetic grafts or central venous catheters. Early failure of fistulas due to thrombosis or inadequate maturation is a barrier to increasing the prevalence of fistulas among patients treated with hemodialysis. Small, inconclusive trials have suggested that antiplatelet agents may reduce thrombosis of new fistulas. Objective To determine whether clopidogrel reduces early failure of hemodialysis fistulas. Design, Setting, and Participants Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted at 9 US centers composed of academic and community nephrology practices in 2003-2007. Eight hundred seventy-seven participants with end-stage renal disease or advanced chronic kidney disease were followed up until 150 to 180 days after fistula creation or 30 days after initiation of dialysis, whichever occurred later. Intervention Participants were randomly assigned to receive clopidogrel (300-mg loading dose followed by daily dose of 75 mg; n = 441) or placebo (n = 436) for 6 weeks starting within 1 day after fistula creation. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome was fistula thrombosis, determined by physical examination at 6 weeks. The secondary outcome was failure of the fistula to become suitable for dialysis. Suitability was defined as use of the fistula at a dialysis machine blood pump rate of 300 mL/min or more during 8 of 12 dialysis sessions. Results Enrollment was stopped after 877 participants were randomized based on a stopping rule for intervention efficacy. Fistula thrombosis occurred in 53 (12.2%) participants assigned to clopidogrel compared with 84 (19.5%) participants assigned to placebo (relative risk, 0.63; 95% confidence interval, 0.46-0.97; P = .018). Failure to attain suitability for dialysis did not differ between the clopidogrel and placebo groups (61.8% vs 59.5%, respectively; relative risk, 1.05; 95% confidence interval, 0.94-1.17; P = .40). Conclusion Clopidogrel reduces the frequency of early thrombosis of new arteriovenous fistulas but does not increase the proportion of fistulas that become suitable for dialysis. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00067119
Serial negabinary adder-subtractor and multiplier

Serial circuits for addition, subtraction, and multiplication of negative base binary numbers, are presented.
Hyperbolic fixed points are typical in the space of mixing operators for the infinite population genetic algorithm

We study an infinite population model for the genetic algorithm, where the iteration of the algorithm corresponds to an iteration of a map G. The map G is a composition of a selection operator and a mixing operator, where the latter models effects of both mutation and crossover. We examine the hyperbolicity of fixed points of this model. We show that for a typical mixing operator all the fixed points are hyperbolic.
The role of hydrophobic properties of chemicals in promoting allosteric reactions.

Abstract An allosteric reaction has been found in a variety of instances where an inverted parabolic relationship between biological activity and hydrophobicity is apparent, that is the activity first decreases as hydrophobicity increases and after a certain point, activity begins to increase. This could be attributed to the ligands causing a change in the receptor structure. In this report, the role of hydrophobic properties of chemicals in promoting allosteric reactions have been discussed in term of hydrophobicity (log P ) by the formulation of a total number of 50 QSAR equations. The QSAR model of this type may be represented by Eq. I. (I) log 1 / C = - a log P + b log P 2 ± constant
The effect of orbital evolution on the Haumea (2003 EL61) collisional family

Abstract The Haumea family is currently the only identified collisional family in the Kuiper belt. We numerically simulate the long-term dynamical evolution of the family to estimate a lower limit of the family’s age and to assess how the population of the family and its dynamical clustering are preserved over Gyr timescales. We find that the family is not younger than 100 Myr, and its age is at least 1 Gyr with 95% confidence. We find that for initial velocity dispersions of 50–400 m s−1, approximately 20–45% of the family members are lost to close encounters with Neptune after 3.5 Gyr of orbital evolution. We apply these loss rates to two proposed models for the formation of the Haumea family, a graze-and-merge type collision between two similarly sized, differentiated KBOs or the collisional disruption of a satellite orbiting Haumea. For the graze-and-merge collision model, we calculate that >85% of the expected mass in surviving family members within 150 m s−1 of the collision has been identified, but that one to two times the mass of the known family members remains to be identified at larger velocities. For the satellite-break-up model, we estimate that the currently identified family members account for ∼50% of the expected mass of the family. Taking observational incompleteness into account, the observed number of Haumea family members is consistent with either formation scenario at the 1σ level, however both models predict more objects at larger relative velocities (>150 m s−1) than have been identified.
Looking Ahead: The 1974 Southern Conference on Language Teaching

THE SOUTHERN CONFERENCE on Language Teaching (SCOLT), one of the youngest of the regional conferences, observed its first decade of progress at a Tenth Anniversary Celebration in Atlanta, Georgia, October 11-12, 1974. Although as befits an anniversary celebration there were moments to honor the past, the primary emphasis of the conference was on shaping the profession of the future. Keynoters Leo Benardo, Frank Grittner, and Jermaine Arendt spoke on facets of the conference theme "Looking Ahead." Conference participants chose from among fifteen section meetings on language, literature, and methodology, and attended an All-Conference Seminar on individualized instruc-
Intra-Subject Response Consistency of the Holtzman Inkblot Technique

Summary Forty undergraduate psychology students, ages 18–30 years, produced five rather than one response per card in order to evaluate the validity of the criticisms of the Holtzman Inkblot Technique's (HIT) limitation of the S to his first response per card. Present results supported the conclusion that one response per card is misleading, and that additional responses to each blot may be needed in order to present a more accurate, representative picture of the S as reflected in his HIT scores. Various subject-specific and test-specific factors possibly influencing the results were mentioned, and should be taken into account in evaluating the results of the present study.
Sperm enzyme activity analysis in individual sperm for detection of heritable mutations in mammals

Male mice were injected i.p. with 2.5 mg/kg mitomycin C, 100 mg/kg ethyl nitrosourea or saline and mated with untreated virgin females five weeks later. Sperm from 64 of the F1 male progeny were analyzed histochemically for acrosin, succinic dehydrogenase and alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase activity. The frequency of F1 males with sub-normal sperm enzyme activity was significantly higher among progeny from treated males than in controls. These results show that analysis of sperm enzyme activity in F1 males is a practical method for detection of transmitted mutations induced in a treated parent.
Interaction of blood cells with vessel walls in microcirculation

Abstract In microcirculation, blood cannot be treated as a homogeneous fluid. The individual cellular elements have influence on hemodynamics. In this paper, some salient features of microcirculation as influenced by individual cells are demonstrated. 1. (1) Blood Cells at Cross Roads . We consider narrow capillaries whose diameters are about the same as that of the blood cells. Consider a bifurcation point. A blood cell flowing down a capillary would have to decide to which of the two daughter branches it should go in. We can show that on the basis of pressure gradient as well as the shear stress, the blood cell will flow into the faster branch. Thus, in very narrow capillaries, the branch in which the flow is faster gets all the blood cells. The larger is the cell, the better is this control. Thus the larger leucocytes often lead the flow into faster branches. (Fung, Microvas. Res. 5 : 34–48, 1973.) 2. (2) In Pulmonary Alveolar Sheets, the red blood cell distribution reflects the velocity field. Faster channels have more red cells. The cell distribution is modulated by the apparent viscosity of blood which increases with hematocrit. A movie will demonstrate this effect. (Ref: Fung, Yen, Sobin, Fed. Proc. 34 : 437, April, 1975). 3. (3) The Topology of Pulmonary Capillaries in the alveoli, as related to the arterioles and venules, implies a system of branching sheets in which the velocity of blood flow is non-uniform. Thus, the effect mentioned in (1) applies to pulmonary alveolar septa (sheets). This effect is accentuated toward the apex of the lung in standing posture because of the hydrostatic effect of gravitation. (Fung, Yen, Sobin, Fed. Proc., April, 1975). 4. (4) Turning to Arterioles and Venules, it is well known that leucocytes are often seen to stick to the endothelial wall, or rolling slowly on it, while the plasma and red cells whiz by around them. By high-speed cine-photomicrography, we determined the velocity field around the leucocytes, and by model testing, we determined the similarity law and shear force coefficients. It was found that in the venules of the rabbit omentum, a white blood cell sticking to the endothelial wall is subjected to a shear force which lies in the range 4 × 10 −5 dyne to 234 × 10 −5 dyne. The shear stress was found to range between 50 to 1060 dynes/cm 2 . The maximum normal stress is about the same order of magnitude. Compare this with Fry's critical shear stress of 420 dynes/cm 2 in dog thoracic aorta. (G. Schmid-Schoenbein, Fung, Zweifach, Circ. Res. , 36:173–184, 1975).
Sound assisted fluidization of nanoparticle agglomerates

Abstract This paper presents some preliminary observations on sound-assisted fluidization of hydrophobic fumed silica nanoparticles (Degussa Aerosil® R974, having a primary particle size of 12 nm) in the form of large 100–400 μm agglomerates. The effect of sound on the fluidization behavior of the nanoparticle agglomerates, including the fluidization regime, the minimum fluidization velocity, the bed pressure drop and the bed expansion has been investigated. It is shown that, with the aid of sound wave excitation at low frequencies, the bed of nanoparticle agglomerates can be readily fluidized and the minimum fluidization velocity is significantly reduced. For example, the minimum fluidization velocity is decreased from 0.14 cm/s in the absence of sound excitation to 0.054 cm/s with the assistance of the sound. In addition, under the influence of sound, channeling or slugging of the bed quickly disappears and the bed expands uniformly. Within a certain range of the sound frequency, typically from 200 to 600 Hz, bubbling fluidization occurs. Both the bed expansion and the bubble characteristics are strongly dependent on the sound frequency and sound pressure level. However, sound has almost no impact on the fluidization, when the sound frequency is extremely high, above 2000 Hz. A relatively high sound pressure level (such as 115 dB) is needed to initiate the fluidization.
Quantum simulations of realistic systems by auxiliary fields

Abstract To treat interacting quantum systems, it is often crucial to have accurate calculations beyond the mean-field level. Many-body simulations based on field-theoretical approaches are a promising tool for this purpose and are applied in several sub-fields of physics, in closely related forms. An major difficulty is the sign or phase problem, which causes the Monte Carlo variance to increase exponentially with system size. We address this issue in the context of auxiliary-field simulations of realistic electronic systems in condensed matter physics. We show how to use importance sampling of the complex fields to control the phase problem. An approximate approach is formulated with a trial determinant to constrain the paths in field space and completely eliminate the growth of the noise. For ab initio electronic structure calculations, this gives a many-body approach in the form of a “coherent” superposition of mean-field calculations, allowing direct incorporation of state-of-the-art technology from the latter (non-local pseudopotentials; high quality basis sets, etc.). In our test calculations, single Slater determinants from density functional theory or Hartree–Fock calculations were used as trial wave functions, with no additional optimization. The calculated dissociation energies of various molecules and the cohesive energy of bulk Si are in excellent agreement with experiment and are comparable to or better than the best existing theoretical results.
Quantitative thin-film analysis with an energy-dispersive x-ray detector

Recent mathematical approximations of O(ρz), the depth distribution of electron-excited x-rays, have opened up the possibility of accurate quantitative analysis of thin-film specimens by electron beam techniques. This method has been used extensively in electron probe microanalysis. This paper demonstrates quantitative analyses of thin films using energy-dispersive x-ray analysis (EDS) coupled with the O(ρz) method
Multicolor Luminescence from Conjugates of Genetically Encoded Elastin-like Polymers and Terpyridine-Lanthanides

Functional hybrid materials with optically active metal-ligand moieties embedded within a polymer matrix have a great potential in (bio)materials science, including applications in light-emitting diode devices. Here, we report a simple strategy to incorporate terpyridine derivatives into the side chains of elastin-like polymers (ELPs). The further binding of trivalent lanthanide ions with the terpyridine ligands generated an array of photoluminescence ranging from the visible to the near-infrared regions. Lastly, as thin films, these ELP-based optical materials also exhibited distinct morphologies that depend upon the temperature of the aqueous solutions from which the hybrid polymers were spin coated or drop cast.
Impact of a modified needle tip geometry on penetration force as well as acceptability, preference, and perceived pain in subjects with diabetes.

Background: Multiple factors impact subcutaneous insulin injection pain. Injection devices [e.g., syringe or pen needle (PN)] affect pain due to needle length, diameter, needle polishing and lubrication, and needle tip geometry. Methods: We evaluated a modified 5-bevel PN tip in 32 G × 4 mm 31 G × 5 mm and 8 mm PNs vs the equivalent marketed 3-bevel PNs in laboratory penetration force testing, as well as in insulin-taking subjects for overall acceptability, comparative pain, and preference. The clinical tests were done in three ways: paired insertions with the subjects blinded to PN tip geometry, after brief at-home use of 5-bevel PNs, and again with subjects informed about each needle’s tip geometry in paired insertions. Results: Average penetration force in a skin substitute was 23% lower with the 5-bevel PNs vs similar 3-bevel PNs (p ≤ 0.01). In blinded testing and after at-home use, patients rated the 5-bevel needle as acceptable. After shortterm home use, patients rated the 5-bevel PN less painful and preferable to their usual PN (both p < 0.01). In paired, informed testing, the 5-bevel PN was less painful and preferred to subjects’ currently used needles (p ≤ 0.01) and to other marketed PNs (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Needle tip geometry affects penetration force. When blinded, patients did not distinguish differences in PN tip geometry with fine-gauge PN insertions. A 5-bevel needle tip is perceived as less painful and is preferred by subjects following home use for usual injections. Similar results occurred when patients were informed that they were using a needle with a modified tip.
Disruption of a nonribosomal peptide synthetase in Aspergillus fumigatus eliminates gliotoxin production.

The fungal secondary metabolite gliotoxin produced by Aspergillus fumigatus has been hypothesized to be important in the development of invasive aspergillosis. In this study, we addressed this hypothesis by disrupting a nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) (encoded by gliP) predicted to be involved in gliotoxin production. Mutants with a disrupted gliP locus failed to produce gliotoxin, which confirmed the role of the NRPS encoded by gliP in gliotoxin biosynthesis. We found no morphological, developmental, or physiological defects in ΔgliP mutant strains. In addition, disruption of gliP resulted in down regulation of gene expression in the gliotoxin biosynthesis gene cluster, which was restored with addition of exogenous gliotoxin. This interesting result suggests a role for gliotoxin in regulating its own production. Culture filtrates from the ΔgliP mutant were unable to inhibit ionomycin-dependent degranulation of mast cells, suggesting a role for gliotoxin in suppressing mast cell degranulation and possibly in disease development. However, the ΔgliP mutant did not have an impact on survival or tissue burden in a murine inhalational model of invasive aspergillosis. This result suggests that gliotoxin is not required for virulence in an immunosuppressed host with an invasive pulmonary infection.
Large-Eddy Simulation of the Stable Boundary Layer with Explicit Filtering and Reconstruction Turbulence Modeling

Large-eddy simulation (LES) of the stably stratified atmospheric boundary layer is performed using an explicit filtering and reconstruction approach with a finite difference method. Turbulent stresses are split into the resolvable subfilter-scale and subgrid-scale stresses. The former are recovered from a reconstruction approach, and the latter are represented by a dynamic eddy-viscosity model. The resulting dynamic reconstruction model (DRM) can sustain resolved turbulence with less stringent resolution requirements than conventional closure models, even under strong atmospheric stability. This is achieved by proper representation of subfilter-scale (SFS) backscatter of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE). The flow structure and turbulence statistics for the moderately stable boundary layer (SBL) are analyzedwith high-resolution simulations. The DRM simulations show good agreement with established empirical formulations such as flux and gradientbased surface similarity, even at relatively coarse resolution. Similar results can be obtained with traditional closure models at the cost of higher resolution. SBL turbulence under strong stability is also explored. Simulations showanintermittentpresenceofelevated TKE below the low-level jet.Overall,the explicit filtering and reconstruction approach is advantageous for simulations of the SBL. At coarse resolution, it can extend the working range of LES to stronger stability, while maintaining agreement to similarity theory; at fine resolution, good agreement with theoretical formulations provides confidence in the results and allows for detailed investigation of the flow structure under moderate to strong stability conditions.
Current update on office-based procedures in rhinology

The current health care climate has prompted a rise in certain procedures moving from the operating room to the office-based setting. Along with increased interest in office-based rhinologic procedures, there has been an expansion of devices, indications, and techniques. Many sinonasal conditions can now be safely and successfully treated in the clinic. Clinic procedures have potential advantages in comparison with surgery, such as faster scheduling, shorter procedure duration, quicker patient recovery, and reduced anesthetic morbidity. These advantages can translate to better satisfaction, cost, and time saving for both the patient and surgeon. This article seeks to review the office-based rhinology procedures, with a focus on those commonly performed in our practice.
PD-1 Regulates Self-Reactive CD8+ T Cell Responses to Antigen in Lymph Nodes and Tissues

PD-1, an inhibitory receptor expressed on activated lymphocytes, regulates tolerance and autoimmunity. We tested the role of PD-1:PD-1 ligand (PD-L) interactions in cross-presentation and the generation and control of CD8(+) responses against self-Ag. Ag-naive PD-1(-/-) OVA-specific OT-I CD8(+) T cells exhibited exacerbated responses to cross-presented Ag in mice expressing soluble OVA under the control of the rat insulin promoter (RIP-ova(high)). Following adoptive transfer into RIP-ova(high) recipients, PD-1(-/-) OT-I T cells expanded in the pancreatic lymph node. In contrast to wild-type OT-I cells, PD-1(-/-) OT-I T cells secreted IFN-gamma and migrated into the pancreas, ultimately causing diabetes. Loss of PD-1 affected CD8(+) cells intrinsically, and did not significantly alter the responses of wild-type OT-I T cells adoptively transferred into the same RIP-ova(high) recipient mouse. PD-1:PD-L interactions also limited CD8(+) effector cells, and PD-L1 expression on parenchymal tissues protected against effector OT-I T cell attack. Finally, we found that the loss of PD-1 on effector OT-I cells lowers the threshold for Ag recognition in peripheral tissues. These findings indicate two checkpoints where PD-1 attenuates self-reactive T cell responses: presentation of self-Ag to naive self-reactive T cells by dendritic cells in the draining lymph node and reactivation of pathogenic self-reactive T cells in the target organ.
The effect of load shape on the deflection of thin elastic plates

Summary. I derive formulae which permit the comparison of the amplitude and node offset of a distributed load with an equivalent point load on a one-dimensional elastic plate with one free end. The first and second moments of the load about the equivalent point load are the most important parameters affecting amplitude and node offset. When the equivalent point load is placed at the distributed load's centre of mass, we find approximately: Here A′ and A are the amplitudes of the damped sinusoids which characterize the deflection of the distributed and point loads, Δl is the distance between corresponding nodes of the deflection, k is the plate's characteristic wave- number, and m2 is the load's normalized second moment. The parameter s depends on the distance from the free end to the load, and varies from zero to one. When the load is near the free end of the plate, and the equivalent point load is placed at the free end, the corresponding formulae are: Here m1 is the load's normalized first moment about the free end of the plate.
Kinematic data on primate head and neck posture: Implications for the evolution of basicranial flexion and an evaluation of registration planes used in paleoanthropology

Kinematic data on primate head and neck posture were collected by filming 29 primate species during locomotion. These were used to test whether head and neck posture are significant influences on basicranial flexion and whether the Frankfurt plane can legitimately be employed in paleoanthropological studies. Three kinematic measurements were recorded as angles relative to the gravity vector, the inclination of the orbital plane, the inclination of the neck, and the inclination of the Frankfurt plane. A fourth kinematic measurement was calculated as the angle between the neck and the orbital plane (the head-neck angle [HNA]). The functional relationships of basicranial flexion were examined by calculating the correlations and partial correlations between HNA and craniometric measurements representing basicranial flexion, orbital kyphosis, and relative brain size (Ross and Ravosa [1993] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 91:305-324). Significant partial correlations were observed between relative brain size and basicranial flexion and between HNA and orbital kyphosis. This indicates that brain size, rather than head and neck posture, is the primary influence on flexion, while the degree of orbital kyphosis may act to reorient the visual field in response to variation in head and neck posture. Regarding registration planes, the Frankfurt plane was found to be horizontal in humans but inclined in all nonhuman primates. In contrast, nearly all primates (including humans) oriented their orbits such that they faced anteriorly and slightly inferiorly. These results suggest that for certain functional craniometric studies, the orbital plane may be a more suitable registration plane than Frankfurt "Horizontal."
Role of Genetic Background in the Success of Reintroduced Peregrine Falcons

: Peregrine Falcons ( Falco peregrinus) of seven subspecies from four continents were bred in captivity, and approximately 1173 of their progeny were released in the midwestern United States and adjacent regions of Ontario and Manitoba in an attempt to replace the original population that was extirpated by chlorinated hydrocarbon poisoning in the 1950s. We analyzed the success of individuals of the different subspecies introduced to the Midwest. Five of the seven subspecies released have contributed to the current breeding population. Subspecies of breeding Peregrine Falcons were equally represented when breeding birds of high productivity were compared with less prolific breeders. The subspecific makeup of the breeding population did not differ significantly from that of the released population, suggesting that adaptability in this species was sufficient to override genetic differences between subspecies. Peregrines of widely different genetic stocks have thrived after release, making substantial genetic contributions to the new population. Resumen: Halcones peregrinos ( Falco peregrinus) de siete subespecies de cuatro continentes fueron reproducidos en cautiverio y aproximadamente 1173 de sus descendientes han sido liberados en el oeste medio de los Estados Unidos y regiones adyacentes de Ontario y Manitoba en un intento por reemplazar a la poblacion original que fue extirpada por envenenamiento con hidrocarburos clorinados en los anos 50. Analizamos el exito de individuos de las diferentes subespecies introducidas en el oeste medio. Cinco de las siete subespecies liberadas han contribuido a la poblacion reproductora actual. Las subespecies de halcones reproductores estuvieron igualmente representadas cuando las aves de alta productividad fueron comparadas con los reproductores menos prolificos. La composicion subespecifica de la poblacion reproductora no difirio significativamente de la poblacion liberada, sugiriendo que la adaptabilidad de esta especie fue suficiente como para contrarrestar las diferencias geneticas entre subespecies. Los halcones peregrinos de grupos ampliamente diferentes han proliferado despues de la liberacion, aportando contribuciones geneticas sustanciales a la nueva poblacion.
Electrophysiological responses from a temporal order continuum in the newborn infant

Abstract Auditory Evoked Responses (AERs) were used to investigate discrimination of temporal order differences in eight male and eight female newborn infants. The temporal lags in two-tone non-speech stimuli—known as tone-onset time (TOT)—modeled the temporal delay of voicing-onset time (VOT), an important cue for voicing contrasts. Analyses on peak amplitude measures and principal component scores indicated that the amplitude of the second negative AER deflection (N530) recorded from the left and right parietal leads changed abruptly as TOT values increased from +20 to +40 msec. However, no differences were noted between tokens that belonged in the same adult perceptual categories. A similar pattern of variability was observed for the amplitude of the first major negative peak (N200). Our findings indicate that the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying categorical-like distinctions of a temporal voicing cue used in speech perception may have an innate basis. Since both hemispheres produced similar responses at birth, the present data suggest that brain mechanisms involved in temporal order processing undergo significant reorganization during the first years of life.
Review of Omri Ben-Shahar and Carl E. Schneider, More than You Wanted to Know

Omri Ben‐Shahar and Carl E. Schneider have written an important book. In the first two parts of their book, they usefully gather and describe the myriad shortcomings of what they call "mandated disclosure" as a regulatory tool and helpfully explain why disclosure very often fails. Following up on this analysis, in Part III Omri and Carl argue that mandated disclosure cannot be saved and "lawmakers should stop using it." The book certainly should give lawmakers pause before adopting new disclosure strategies. Omri and I have had many discussions on the merits or lack thereof of disclosure and we always agree to disagree. Still, always interested in a robust exchange of ideas, Omri kindly suggested me as one of the reviewers of the book for this blog. So it should be no surprise that what follows are some counterarguments that respond to assertions made in the book.
Dynamic multi-rigid-body systems with concurrent distributed contacts

Consider a system of bodies with multiple concurrent contacts. The multi-rigid-body contact problem is to predict the accelerations of the bodies and the normal and friction loads acting at the contacts. This paper presents theoretical results for the multi-rigid-body contact problem under the assumptions that one or more contacts occur over locally planar finite regions and friction forces are consistent with the maximum work inequality. We present an existence and uniqueness result for this problem under some mild assumptions on the system inputs. The application of our results to two examples is discussed.
Clinopyroxenite from the Sulu ultrahigh-pressure terrane, eastern China: Origin and evolution of garnet exsolution in clinopyroxene

The Rizhao garnet clinopyroxenite occurs as small mantle slices faulted into subducted continental crust in the Sulu ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) terrane, China. Two representative garnet clinopyroxenites with exsolution microstructures were studied: (1) a massive ilmenite-rich specimen, composed of coarse-grained clinopyroxene containing abundant exsolution rods of grossular-rich garnet (>20 vol%) + ilmenite (~3–4 vol%) in a fine-grained matrix of clinopyroxene + garnet + ilmenite; and (2) megacrystic garnet-bearing sample, characterized by garnet containing inclusions of clinopyroxene and ilmenite; the clinopyroxene inclusions show exsolution rods and blebs with variable amounts of garnet (1–15 vol%) and minor ilmenite. Both exsolved and matrix garnets have similar grossular-rich compositions. The aggregate composition of clinopyroxene + garnet + ilmenite intergrowth is similar to the whole-rock composition. We propose that the parental phase of exsolved garnet + ilmenite lamellae and clinopyroxene host was either a homogeneous clinopyroxene (hypothesis A) or a majoritic garnet (hypothesis B) that experienced three discrete evolution stages. If the parental phase was clinopyroxene (ABO3), with an Si deficiency in the B site, the Rizhao garnet clinopyroxenite could have an initial assemblage clinopyroxene ± Grt ± Ilm formed at near-solidus conditions (≤1400 °C, at 5 GPa) in the upper mantle. The second stage is defined by garnet exsolution from the primary clinopyroxene involving decreasing temperature and/or increasing pressure, related to continental subduction. Coexisting clinopyroxene host and garnet exsolution (Grtexs) recrystallized at temperatures of ~900 °C at an assumed minimum P of 5 GPa. The third stage is represented by recrystallization of exsolution phases to form the fine-grained matrix of Cpx + Grt + Ilm at 700 °C and ≥ 3 GPa during the early exhumation of the UHP terrane. The speculative hypothesis B implies that the proposed majoritic garnet was from the mantle transition zone (<450 km depth); this suggestion remains to be tested.
Research Update: Utilizing magnetization dynamics in solid-state thermal energy conversion

We review the spin-Seebeck and magnon-electron drag effects in the context of solid-state energy conversion. These phenomena are driven by advective magnon-electron interactions. Heat flow through magnetic materials generates magnetization dynamics, which can strongly affect free electrons within or adjacent to the magnetic material, thereby producing magnetization-dependent (e.g., remnant) electric fields. The relative strength of spin-dependent interactions means that magnon-driven effects can generate significantly larger thermoelectric power factors as compared to classical thermoelectric phenomena. This is a surprising situation in which spin-based effects are larger than purely charge-based effects, potentially enabling new approaches to thermal energy conversion.
Unlocking the “Gates” and Climbing Over the “Walls”: Opening up Exclusive Communities

Well before gated communities began growing in the United States, many suburban municipalities could, and did, restrict who could live in them by using their zoning and land use powers. For example, requiring large minimum lot sizes and not allowing any multi-family housing made it impossible for lower-income people, who are disproportionately black, to reside in their community. These and other “exclusionary zoning” techniques have continued to be used by many suburbs to create non-visible, but highly effective, gates and walls to “protect” their middle and upper-middle class white residents from having “undesirable” people living near them. They have, thus, contributed greatly to the pattern of racial and economic segregation that has been found in most metropolitan areas in the United States since the mid-1960s. Since the late-1960s, civil rights activists have challenged such zoning regulations as discriminatory in a number of court cases with mixed results. The first effort to “open up the suburbs” via enacting a state law aimed at overcoming the effects of “snob zoning” was made in Massachusetts in 1969. Since then, civil rights and affordable housing activists in several other states have used this legislation as a model and have gotten similar “anti-snob zoning” laws passed by their legislatures. The Massachusetts statute, its impact on the supply and geography of affordable housing in that state, the opposition it has encountered, and how and why its proponents have been able to prevent it from being repealed or seriously weakened are the focus of this chapter.
Glycoengineering of plants yields glycoproteins with polysialylation and other defined N-glycoforms

Protein-based biologics have revolutionized the treatment of many diseases, but low efficacy, occasional undesirable side effects, and rapid clearance from circulation limit their full potential. The majority of pharmaceutically relevant proteins are N-linked glycosylated, and their sugar moieties have significant impact on their folding, assembly, solubility, serum and shelf half-life, and functionality (1). Thus, one approach to enhance the potency, safety, and stability of therapeutic proteins is glycoengineering, altering protein-associated carbohydrate to achieve the desirable protein properties. The challenge is to develop biological systems that can consistently produce glycoproteins with homogeneous glycans on demand. The availability of such systems will lead to breakthroughs in two fronts: ( i ) elucidating the contribution of sugar moieties for various biological functions and ( ii ) developing novel biologics with tailor-made glycosylation based on their functional needs. In PNAS, Kallolimath et al. (2) describe their efforts in bringing one such host system to reality. Unlike the protein backbone that is synthesized based on a defined template, sugar chains are assembled enzymatically. As a result, these chains are diverse in both the number and the linkage patterns of the sugar units. In addition, different host cells may modify the same protein with different sugar structures. Protein N-linked glycosylation involves the addition of an oligosaccharide (Man9) to an asparagine residue on a nascent polypeptide. In eukaryotes, the transfer and initial processing of Man9 start in the endoplasmic reticulum to form Man8, which is further processed in Golgi compartments to form complex N-glycans (3). The early steps of N-glycan processing up to the formation of the intermediate of GnGn are well preserved among most eukaryotic cells (Fig. 1). However, processing beyond this point differs significantly, leading to the formation of different complex N-glycoforms (3). In mammalian cells, there is a large diverse population of glycoenzymes for extensive elongation of the … [↵][1]1Email: qiang.chen.4{at}asu.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Myelopathy Due to Congenital Hypoplasia of the Atlas

This is a very rare congenital condition, in which there is hypoplasia of the atlantal arch leading to cervical stenosis and subsequent cervical myelopathy.
Values Affirmation Intervention Reduces Achievement Gap between Underrepresented Minority and White Students in Introductory Biology Classes

Achievement gaps between underrepresented minority (URM) students and their white peers in college science, technology, engineering, and mathematics classrooms are persistent across many white-majority institutions of higher education. Attempts to reduce this phenomenon of underperformance through increasing classroom structure via active learning have been partially successful. In this study, we address the hypothesis that the achievement gap between white and URM students in an undergraduate biology course has a psychological and emotional component arising from stereotype threat. Specifically, we introduced a values affirmation exercise that counters stereotype threat by reinforcing a student's feelings of integrity and self-worth in three iterations of an intensive active-learning college biology course. On average, this exercise reduced the achievement gap between URM and white students who entered the course with the same incoming grade point average. This result suggests that achievement gaps resulting from the underperformance of URM students could be mitigated by providing students with a learning environment that removes psychological and emotional impediments of performance through short psychosocial interventions.
Strain effects on oxygen vacancy formation energy in perovskites

Abstract Oxygen vacancy formation energy is an important quantity for enabling fast oxygen diffusion and oxygen catalysis in technologies like solid oxide fuel cells. Both previous literature in various systems and our calculations in LaMnO 3 , La 0.75 Sr 0.25 MnO 3 , LaFeO 3 , and La 0.75 Sr 0.25 FeO 3 , show mixed results for the direction and magnitude of the change in vacancy formation energy with strain. This paper develops a model to make sense of the different trend shapes in vacancy formation energy versus strain. We model strain effects using a set of consistent ab initio calculations, and demonstrate that our calculated results may be simply explained in terms of vacancy formation volume and changes in elastic constants between the bulk and defected states. A positive vacancy formation volume contributes to decreased vacancy formation energy under tensile strain, and an increase in elastic constants contributes to increases in vacancy formation energy with compressive and tensile strains, and vice versa. The vacancy formation volume dominates the linear portion of the vacancy formation energy strain response, while its curvature is governed by the vacancy-induced change in elastic constants. We show results sensitive to B-site cation, A-site doping, tilt system, and vacancy placement, which contributions may be averaged under thermally averaged conditions. In general, vacancy formation energies for most systems calculated here decreased with tensile strain, with about a 30–100 meV/% strain decrease with biaxial strain for those systems which showed a decrease in vacancy formation energy. Experimental verification is necessary to confirm the model outside of calculation.
Interactive effects of dexamethasone and opsonized Mycoplasma bovis on bovine neutrophil function in vitro.

Abstract Previously we had reported that exposure to high levels of glucocorticoids, and to unopsonized Mycoplasma bovis, has a negative interactive effect on bovine neutrophil function in vitro, and this interactive effect was a function of M. bovis strain differences. Here we hypothesized that in vitro treatment of bovine neutrophils by glucocorticoid would impair phagocytosis of opsonized M. bovis compared to non-treated neutrophils and such impairment would be a function of M. bovis strain differences. Neutrophils isolated from 20 mid-lactation cows were treated with immunosuppressive dose of 5 × 10−4 M dexamethasone or placebo and incubated with one of four opsonized M. bovis strains that had been isolated from bovine origin. After incubation neutrophil function measured included: percentage reduction in log10 of M. bovis CFU/ml, percentage of phagocytizing neutrophils, phagocytized M. bovis per neutrophil, and killed M. bovis per neutrophil. Least square means of all neutrophil groups were contrasted using linear mixed–effects models. Effects due to strain, treatment, and their interaction on neutrophil function measured by the number of phagocytized M. bovis per neutrophil and number of killed M. bovis per neutrophil were different (P
MEMS Device for Fatigue Testing of 25 μm Thick Aluminum Specimens

We report the development and demonstration of a MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical system) test instrument to perform fatigue testing on 25 μm thick aluminum 1145 H19 foil. Both the foil material and the specimen fabrication were obtained from commercial sources, while the MEMS device was fabricated in-house. The loading was in bending with a ratio R of minimum to maximum force equal to zero. The gauge section of the specimens had a minimum width of about 120 μm. The bending force was applied at a distance of about 3 mm from the gage section, through a lever arm fabricated as part of the specimen. The forces used were on the order of 5 mN, while the displacements at the load point were up to 50 μm. The loading waveform was a 70 Hz square wave. The S-N (stress versus number of cycles to failure) curve exhibits the expected behavior, with the shortest lives occurring at stresses near the tensile strength and the longest at stresses near half that value. The cracks exhibited a very abrupt transition from the incubation stage, marked by increasing surface deformations and other evidence of local microstructural damage, to the rapid growth stage. The failure criterion used for the S-N curve was the beginning of the rapid-growth stage.