cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Corrected Genome Annotations Reveal Gene Loss and Antibiotic Resistance as Drivers in the Fitness Evolution of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium.

ABSTRACT Horizontal acquisition of novel chromosomal genes is considered to be a key process in the evolution of bacterial pathogens. However, the identification of gene presence or absence could be hindered by the inconsistencies in bacterial genome annotations. Here, we performed a cross-annotation of omnipresent core and mosaic accessory genes in the chromosome of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium across a total of 20 fully assembled genomes deposited into GenBank. Cross-annotation resulted in a 32% increase in the number of core genes and a 3-fold decrease in the number of genes identified as mosaic genes (i.e., genes present in some strains only) by the original annotation. Of the remaining noncore genes, the vast majority were prophage genes, and 255 of the nonphage genes were actually of core origin but lost in some strains upon the emergence of the S. Typhimurium serovar, suggesting that the chromosomal portion of the S. Typhimurium genome acquired a very limited number of novel genes other than prophages. Only horizontally acquired nonphage genes related to bacterial fitness or virulence were found in four recently sequenced isolates, all located on three different genomic islands that harbor multidrug resistance determinants. Thus, the extensive use of antimicrobials could be the main selection force behind the new fitness gene acquisition and the emergence of novel Salmonella pathotypes. IMPORTANCE Significant discrepancies in the annotations of bacterial genomes could mislead the conclusions about evolutionary origin of chromosomal genes, as we demonstrate here via a cross-annotation-based analysis of Salmonella Typhimurium genomes from GenBank. We conclude that despite being able to infect a broad range of vertebrate hosts, the genomic diversity of S. Typhimurium strains is almost exclusively limited to gene loss and the transfer of prophage DNA. Only nonphage chromosomal genes acquired after the emergence of the serovar are linked to the genomic islands harboring multidrug resistance factors. Since the fitness factors could lead to increased virulence, this poses an important research question: could overuse or misuse of antimicrobials act as selection forces for the emergence of more pathogenic strains of Salmonella?
Trauma, Regulated Cell Death, and Inflammation

Trauma is a significant regulator of cell death, which, in turn, plays an important role in the regulation of inflammation. The efficacy of tissue homeostasis includes several factors such as the removal of foreign microbial pathogens and the removal and identification of dead and dying cells. Further research has led to an enhanced knowledge on the connection between cell death and inflammation, expanding past understanding of the signaling pathways that regulate and affect different forms of cell death and inflammatory responses. This chapter presents an overview of the major types of cell death related to inflammation and the mechanisms underlying trauma regulation of cell death. The impact of these cell death pathways allows for the identification of a therapeutic target for inflammatory diseases.
Serum-mediated Haemonchus contortus larval aggregation differs by larval stage and is enhanced by complement.

Summary The objectives of this study were to measure Haemonchus contortus larval aggregation by complement/antibody complexes, determine effect of breed resistance and infection status and determine the effect of larval maturation on larval aggregation in vitro. Larval binding assays were performed on H. contortus L3, exsheathed L3 and L4 incubated with serum from either parasite naive or H. contortus primed St. Croix (resistant) and Suffolk (susceptible) lambs. No differences in L3 aggregation were observed between serum from either breed or infection status. Exsheathed L3 (60%) and L4 (42%) aggregation by primed Suffolk serum was significantly reduced compared with L3 (80%, P<.001). Removal of either complement or antibody effectively eliminated L3 aggregation (P<.001). Combination of antibody-depleted and complement-inactivated serum restored L3 aggregation to levels consistent with unprocessed serum, supporting a role for antibody and complement in aggregation (P<.001). Use of fluorescence-labelled anti-sheep IgG antibody allowed documentation of IgG bound to serum complexes within L3 masses and was present only in larvae incubated with normal serum, and complement- and antibody-depleted serum combination. These data indicate that complement/antibody complexes inhibit larval motility through larval aggregation which may be critical in early larval clearance of H. contortus.
Solvent-dependent transformation of aflatoxin B 1 in soil

To date, all studies of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) transformation in soil or in purified mineral systems have identified aflatoxins B2 (AFB2) and G2 (AFG2) as the primary transformation products. However, identification in these studies was made using thin layer chromatography which has relatively low resolution, and these studies did not identify a viable mechanism by which such transformations would occur. Further, the use of methanol as the solvent delivery vehicle in these studies may have contributed to formation of artifactual transformation products. In this study, we investigated the role of the solvent vehicle in the transformation of AFB1 in soil. To do this, we spiked soils with AFB1 dissolved in water (93:7, water/methanol) or methanol and used HPLC-UV and HPLC-MS to identify the transformation products. Contrasting previous published reports, we did not detect AFB2 or AFG2. In an aqueous-soil environment, we identified aflatoxin B2a (AFB2a) as the single major transformation product. We propose that AFB2a is formed from hydrolysis of AFB1 with the soil acting as an acid catalyst. Alternatively, when methanol was used, we identified methoxy aflatoxin species likely formed via acid-catalyzed addition of methanol to AFB1. These results suggest that where soil moisture is adequate, AFB1 is hydrolyzed to AFB2a and that reactive organic solvents should be avoided when replicating natural conditions to study the fate of AFB1 in soil.
Cell-to-array thermal-aware analysis of stacked RRAM

The crossbar resistive random access memory (RRAM) has been studied extensively due to its low-power, low-cost, high density and nonvolatile characteristics. However, the dependence of RRAM performance parameters on temperature, from cell to array level, is less explored. Particularly, thin-film based RRAM that is integrated into 3D ICs is subject to severe thermal conditions. Hence, temperature dependence of RRAM behavior needs to be well understood in order to construct the most effective thermal management strategy for these systems. In this paper, a detailed RRAM device thermal model is proposed. Our experiments show that the temperature of the surrounding environment critically impacts the RRAM readout margin, which in turn, jeopardizes its promised advantages for high-density stacked integration. Our thermal model can be utilized at the architectural level to predict the latency variation in the RRAM memory as a function of the thermal environment and drive thermal management policies for the 3D IC.
Virtually Adapted Reality and Algorithm Visualization for Autonomous Robots

Autonomous mobile robots are often videotaped during operation, whether for later evaluation by their developers or for demonstration of the robots to others. Watching such videos is engaging and interesting. However, clearly the plain videos do not show detailed information about the algorithms running on the moving robots, leading to a rather limited visual understanding of the underlying autonomy. Researchers have resorted to following the autonomous robots algorithms through a variety of methods, most commonly graphical user interfaces running on offboard screens and separated from the captured videos. Such methods enable considerable debugging, but still have limited effectiveness, as there is an inevitable visual mismatch with the video capture. In this work, we aim to break this disconnect, and we contribute the ability to overlay visualizations onto a video, to extract the robot’s algorithms, in particular to follow its route planning and execution. We further provide mechanisms to create and visualize virtual adaptations of the real environment to enable the exploration of the behavior of the algorithms in new situations. We demonstrate the complete implementation with an autonomous quadrotor navigating in a lab environment using the rapidly-exploring random tree algorithm. We briefly motivate and discuss our follow-up visualization work for our complex small-size robot soccer team.
Evaluation of regular planar meshes for Modular Active Cell Robots (MACROs)

In this paper we investigate a series of candidate regular planar mesh geometries in terms of their suitability for utilization as mesh primitives for constructing compliant robotic structures. In prior work, we established a framework of compliant, articulate robotic meshes, termed Modular Active Cell Robots (MACROs), created from contractile Shape Memory Alloy linear-actuators (Active Cells). In this paper, we examine how to utilize these MACROs and other mesh-like robots in large regular or semi-regular topologies. We evaluate axial strains and stiffness characteristics for a range of MACRO meshes created using different mesh-primitives, which are drawn from known regular space-filling lattice geometries. We then describe the implications of these results on the design of MACRO structures, including the tradeoffs between different primitives for various structural performance properties.
Neural Mechanisms of Swallowing Dysfunction and Apraxia of Speech in Acute Stroke.

Speech and swallowing utilize overlapping anatomy and are thus inherently related processes. We sought to identify common neural mechanisms between risk of swallowing dysfunction and apraxia of speech (AOS). This was a retrospective analysis using data from a prospectively collected cohort. Left hemisphere stroke patients (68 subjects) tested with the Apraxia Battery for Adults II, a swallow screen, and MRI were included in the study. Main outcome measure was the presence of AOS or aspiration risk after stroke. We identified a significant association between AOS measures and increased aspiration risk (defined by failed swallow screen; p = 0.04; OR 5.2). Lesions in pars opercularis of Broca’s area (BA 44) were associated with both AOS (p = 0.044; OR 9.7) and increased aspiration risk (p = 0.04; OR 5) but deficits rarely co-occurred in the same cases. Lesions in left premotor cortex (BA 6) were not significantly associated with increased aspiration risk (p = 0.06; OR 3.3) but were significantly associated with AOS (p = 0.008; OR 7). Impaired swallowing function was also associated with lesions in Wernicke’s area (BA 22; p = 0.05; OR 3.5) and pars triangularis (BA 45; p = 0.02; OR 6.8). AOS and risk of aspiration are associated in patients with acute left hemisphere stroke. Acute infarct in the pars opercularis of Broca’s area is associated with both deficits, though they rarely co-occur in the same individual. The co-occurrence of AOS and risk of aspiration likely reflects dependence on closely related neural structures.
What Is Psychosomatic Medicine

Psychosomatic medicine deals with the interaction between physical, emotional, and social aspects of an illness. Psychosocial aspects in the onset and in the course of an illness are: positive and negative bonding experiences, acute and chronic psychosocial stress, learning experiences and cognitions, protective factors as emotional resilience, and resource activation (salutogenesis) and sense of coherence. These aspects also influence patients coping behavior.
Implied Volatility for European Options

Black-Scholes theory, its explicit formulas presented in Chapter 3, or derived numerical methods for more complicated models to be discussed in the last part of this chapter and the next yield theoretical fair prices for various stock options. On the other hand, the real market prices of stock options, like market prices of anything else, are as high as someone is willing to pay for them, and as low as someone is willing to sell them for. It is a daily routine in options trading practice to reconcile theoretical and observed prices. It was also a matter of recent mathematical research to find new and better, more precise and more efficient methods for such a reconciliation. There are many mathematical methods of various degrees of sophistication to this end. The general rule is that the more precise the methods, the more demanding they are computationally as well.
Digital Signature Transponder

While the first RFID car immobilizer systems were based on read-only transponders, in 1995 followed the Digital Signature Transponder – the first RFID device containing a real encryption module and using the state-of-the-art challenge-response protocol.
Why is free recall practice more effective than recognition practice for enhancing memory? Evaluating the relational processing hypothesis.

Abstract Why are testing effects on memory stronger when practice tests involve free recall versus recognition? Three experiments tested the hypothesis that relational processing is evoked to a greater extent during free recall practice than during recognition practice. Students studied a list of words from taxonomic categories and then either restudied the word list several times or alternated between practice testing (either free recall or recognition) and restudy. Two days later, all groups completed final free recall and recognition tests. Replicating prior research, final free recall was greater after free recall practice versus recognition practice. Importantly, performance on measures of relational processing (clustering and category access) was greater following free recall practice versus recognition practice. The practice testing groups also showed unexpected but theoretically interesting differences in item-specific processing. The current work sheds light on why practice test format moderates testing effects; we discuss implications for existing theories of testing effects.
Non‐insulin treatments for Type 1 diabetes: critical appraisal of the available evidence and insight into future directions

Intensive insulin therapy is the mainstay of treatment for people with Type 1 diabetes, but hypoglycaemia and weight gain are often limiting factors in achieving glycaemic targets and decreasing the risk of diabetes-related complications. The inclusion of pharmacological agents used traditionally in Type 2 diabetes as adjuncts to insulin therapy in Type 1 diabetes has been explored, with the goal of mitigating such drawbacks. Pramlintide and metformin result in modest HbA1c and weight reductions, but their use is limited by poor tolerability and, in the case of pramlintide, by frequency of injections and cost. The addition of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists to insulin results in improved glycaemic control, reduced insulin doses and weight loss, but this is at the expense of higher rates of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia with ketosis. Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 and dual sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 and -1 inhibitors also improve glucose control, but with reductions in weight and insulin requirements potentiating the risk of acidosis-related events and hypoglycaemia. The high proportion of people with Type 1 diabetes not achieving glycaemic targets, the negative clinical impact of intensive insulin therapy and the rise in obesity and cardiovascular disease and mortality, underline the need for individualized clinical care. The evaluation of new therapies, effective in Type 2 diabetes, as adjuncts to insulin therapy represents a promising strategy, particularly given the beneficial effects on cardiovascular and renal outcomes in people with Type 2 diabetes with or at high risk of complications that are also observed in patients with Type 1 diabetes. As the population with Type 1 diabetes ages, our mission is to evolve and provide better tools and improved therapies to excel, not only in glycaemic control but also in risk reduction and reduction of complications.
Correction to: The stories groups tell: campaign finance reform and the narrative networks of cultural cognition

The article “The stories groups tell, campaign finance reform and the narrative networks of cultural cognition”, written by “Aaron Smith-Walter, Michael D. Jones, Elizabeth A. Shanahan, Holly Peterson“.
1991 Experimental evolution of cooperation

Abstract Anderson and May (1982) emphasized the importance of the relationship between parasite virulence and transmission to the ultimate evolution of virulence. Axelrod and Hamilton (1981) suggested that cooperation is more likely to evolve when finding partners is more difficult. Bull et al. (1991) set out to test the evolution of host-parasite fidelity using bacteria and phage structured around the ideas of Anderson, May, Axelrod and Hamilton. They found that when phage are denied opportunities for transmission they evolve reduced virulence for their bacterial hosts.
Marketing feminism in youth media: A study of Disney and Pixar animation

Abstract Feminism’s reemergence in the mainstream has forced businesses and media organizations to be aware of and even to promote gender issues relevant to the marketing of their products, services, and brands, especially those that target young female consumers. Business scholarship has offered marketing guidelines for gendered representations, but most studies have occurred in adult consumption spheres, with less attention paid to feminist messaging in youth media. Through a thematic analysis of 17 Disney and Pixar animated films produced between 1989 and 2018 and featuring a female lead or colead, this study offers a blueprint that could help businesses develop feminist messaging in marketing communications and media directed at young female consumers. While businesses might understand that promoting positive gendered messages is necessary in the current era of heightened feminist awareness, few firms actually do it. And for the companies that do it, integrating feminist messages in a way that does not alienate mainstream consumers might prove challenging. This study’s framework, which emerges from an empirical study of Disney and Pixar media, helps reduce some of these creative barriers.
Spatial and Thermal Ecology of Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina) in a Small, Dystrophic Lake in Central Michigan

Understanding the interface between spatial and thermal ecology is integral to understanding energy acquisition and the life histories of ectotherms. Snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) occupy a wide range of habitats that vary greatly in their thermal properties. We studied activity, movements, and thermoregulation of C. serpentina in a small, land-locked lake in central Michigan, USA, using radiotelemetry. Consistent with our a priori predictions, turtles were active within core areas along the lake's edge, showed both diurnal and nocturnal activity, and did not make extensive interwetland movements. Turtles left the lake only for nesting or to hibernate in Sphagnum peat or in the banks of a nearby stream. Home range and core area size estimates of C. serpentina were small compared with other previously studied populations, perhaps in part because of the small dimensions of our lake. Contrary to our prediction of a broad Tset (thermoregulatory set-point) range for a large-bodied, habitat generalist turtle, we found a comparatively low and narrow laboratory-determined Tset range (22°C–26°C). Turtle body temperatures (Tb) cycled between May and August and attained maximal values during the evening hours, a pattern that likely results from thermal inertia, the selection of aquatic thermal patches, or both, as Te (operative temperatures) declined. Turtles most effectively maintained Tb within Tset during July and August when thermal conditions were most favorable. Throughout most of the active season the highly aquatic habits of C. serpentina apparently negated the effects of variations in daily weather conditions and their effects on incoming levels of solar radiation on variation in Tb. However, turtles maintained higher average Tb on sunny days compared with overcast days in April and May, the coolest months of the study. Diel Tb cycling ceased during September and October and average Tb declined despite favorable thermal conditions, at least during September, a pattern that could reflect a downward shift in the Tset range. Comparatively, C. serpentina is less effective at thermoregulating than is a small-bodied species at a similar latitude (Chrysemys picta marginata). Apparently, thermal inertia and lack of atmospheric basking proclivities influenced the thermoregulatory precision in our turtles.
Eternal Bandwagon: Nominating Politics and the General Election

The politics of the general election are not some logical extension of the politics of presidential nomination. In key regards—policy differences, constituency focuses, and strategic calculations—the two normally differ in reliable ways. Yet some of the ultimate outcomes can be traced back to the nominating politics that preceded it, just as some of this nominating politics was a response to anticipated challenges in the general election campaign. So Chapter Seven addresses the limitations on general election campaigns that are imposed by nominating politics, along with the limitations on nominating politics that are imposed by expected aspects of an eventual election campaign. The chapter then closes by gathering the entire chronicle—bandwagon dynamic, candidate seedbeds, factional structures, and electoral links—into one concise concluding summary.
Return to First Solutions or Extra-Constitutional Means of Bridging the Divide: Remedies III (The How, Continued)

The final chapter of the text, Chapter 12 (“Return to First Solutions or Extra-Constitutional Means of Bridging the Divide: Remedies III (The How, Continued)”) continues where the previous chapter left off focusing on the “how” of constitutional reform. Given the difficulty of amending the Constitution via the two Article V routes provided by the Framers, this chapter focuses on extra-constitutional means of changing the structure of government, including a return to first solutions (parties and leadership), electoral reform proposals, changes to federal and state statute, and institutional reforms. In this context, the chapter also includes an argument made by E.E. Schattschneider that scholars do themselves no favors when they consider this strictly a structural problem because it is, in his view and at its root, not only a structural problem but more importantly, theoretical and political as well.
Sharing the Wealth: The Effects of TCJA Bonuses on Employee Pay Sentiment

Many corporations shared their cash windfalls from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) with rank-and-file employees through bonuses, higher wages, or increased benefits. We use novel data from Culture X to examine how the announcement of TCJA bonuses affects employee sentiment about their companies’ pay practices. Although employees are economically better off upon receiving these bonuses, prior literature suggests employees could be dissatisfied after receiving bonuses that they perceive as unfairly small. Using a difference-in-difference design, we find a greater decline in pay sentiment among employees at firms announcing a TCJA bonus relative to firms that do not. Consistent with dissatisfaction about receiving an unfairly small share of the company’s tax windfall, we document a larger decline in pay sentiment at announcing firms with larger increases in CEO bonuses and larger share repurchases around the TCJA. We provide new insights into how workers respond to changes in compensation stemming from corporate tax savings.
Acentriolar spindle assembly in mammalian female meiosis and the consequences of its perturbations on human reproduction.

The purpose of meiosis is to generate developmentally competent, haploid gametes with the correct number of chromosomes. For reasons not completely understood, female meiosis is more prone to chromosome segregation errors than meiosis in males, leading to an abnormal number of chromosomes, or aneuploidy, in gametes. Meiotic spindles are the cellular machinery essential for the proper segregation of chromosomes. One unique feature of spindle structures in female meiosis is spindles poles that lack centrioles. The process of building a meiotic spindle without centrioles is complex and requires precise coordination of different structural components, assembly factors, motor proteins, and signaling molecules at specific times and locations to regulate each step. In this review, we discuss the basics of spindle formation during oocyte meiotic maturation focusing on mouse and human studies. Finally, we review different factors that could alter the process of spindle formation and its stability. We conclude with a discussion of how different assisted reproductive technologies (ART) could affect spindles and the consequences these perturbations may have for subsequent embryo development.
Salt and The Maya: Major Prehispanic Trading Spheres

Paper presented at the Symposium on "Interdisciplinary Approaches to Maya Studies: Margins and Centers of the Classic Maya." XLIII International Congress of Americanists, Vancouver, Canada, August 10-17, 1979.
UV-Stressed Daphnia pulex Increase Fitness through Uptake of Vitamin D3

Ultraviolet radiation is known to be highly variable in aquatic ecosystems. It has been suggested that UV-exposed organisms may demonstrate enough phenotypic plasticity to maintain the relative fitness of natural populations. Our long-term objective is to determine the potential photoprotective effect of vitamin D3 on Daphnia pulex exposed to acute or chronic UV radiation. Herein we report our initial findings in this endeavor. D. pulex survival and reproduction (fitness) was monitored for 5 d as a proof of concept study. Significantly higher fitness was observed in the D. pulex with D3 than those without (most extreme effects observed were 0% survival in the absence of D3 and 100% with 10 ppm D3). Vitamin D3 was isolated from the culture media, the algal food (Pseudokirchneriella), and the D. pulex and quantified using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Vitamin D3 was fluorescently labeled using a phenothiazinium dye and added to cultures of D. pulex. Images demonstrating the uptake of D3 into the tissues and carapace of the D. pulex were acquired. Our initial findings suggest a positive role for D3 in ecosystems as both UV-stressed algae and Daphnia sequester D3, and D. pulex demonstrate increased fitness in the presence of D3.
Non-Ideal Equation of State, Refraction and Opacities in Very Cool, Helium-Rich White Dwarf Atmospheres

The atmospheres of cool, helium-rich white dwarfs constitute an exotic and poorly explored physical regime of stellar atmospheres. Under physical conditions where the temperature varies from $\rm 1000K$ to $\rm 10000K$, the density can reach values as large as $\rm 2 g/cm^{3}$, and the pressure is as high as $\rm 1 Mbar$, the atmosphere is no longer an ideal gas and must be treated as a dense fluid. Helium atoms become strongly correlated and refraction effects are present. Opacity sources such as $\rm He^{-}$ free-free absorption must be calculated with a formalism that has never been applied to astrophysical opacities. These effects have been ignored in previous models of cool white dwarf atmospheres.
Latent Class Representation of Systematic Patterns in Test Responses

This presentation is concerned with the use of latent class structure as a modelling framework for tests of concept mastery. Modifications in the constrained maximum likelihood estimation algorithm of Goodman (1974) are suggested which should extend the applicability of that algorithm to problems with many more items than the current algorithm can handle. A model for signed-number addition test performance is proposed and applied to data on a twenty item signed-number addition test given to 129 junior high school students. The existence of negative correlations between responses to different types of items in this data implies that a uni-dimensional representation of the data is inappropriate. The fact that the proposed latent class model with states corresponding to systematic misconceptions is able to produce these negative correlations suggests that the problem is likely to arise in other domains where systematic misconceptions can play a similar role. As a masters thesis under my direction Yamamoto has demonstrated theoretically that there is no functionally necessary relationship between the decision accuracy and the decision consistency indices in the model which is proposed. This suggests that the use of the atheoretical decision consistency index as a surrogate for decision accuracy might be a misleading practice. This lack of unidimensionality is thus a serious practical as well as theoretical problem. It is hoped that the latent class models like the ones discussed in this paper might help to address this problem.
Photonic millimeter wave system for high capacity wireless communications

Pushing the wireless communications capacity above 100 Gbps will require new spectral regions and new technologies and techniques. Millimeter wave photonics technology appears poised to meet the new bandwidth and fidelity challenges and offers novel architectures, techniques, and system capabilities. This paper presents recent work developing and demonstrating millimeter wave photonic carrier generation, upconversion, downconversion and photonic millimeter wave arrays as well as how they fit into a new class of wireless communications architecture.
THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM OF DIDELPHYS AZARAE AND DIDELPHYS MARSUPIALIS.

The lymphatic system of 45 Didelphys azarae and 15 Didelphys marsupialis, both species found in Brazil, were studied after injection of Prussian blue suspension and neoprene latex (the latter followed by partial corrosion). The data concern the lymph nodes, the lymphatic networks, vessels and principal trunks. The lymph nodal system in Didelphys is less developed (several nodes are missing) than that of the rodents of the same size. In Didelphys, the posterior cranial mediastinal lymph nodes are well developed: the right node receives the lymph from the stomach and diaphragm through vessels draining the para-esophageal, anterior mediastinal and caudal bronchial nodes, a fact not yet observed in other mammals. Each organ or area has its own lymph nodal station. The posterior para-aortic lymph nodes are almost always absent in the males, while in females only the right one is found. The common iliac lymph nodes are missing and it seems that they are replaced by lymphatic dilatations. Only one lymph node is found for the small intestine and two for the large intestine. The lymphatic networks are simple — 4–5 patches are found in the small intestine and one is constant in the terminal ileum. Other features are the separate drainage of each vaginal cornu and the partial duplication of the thoracic duct.
Switching in photonic interconnection networks

Photonic interconnection networks based on silicon photonic technology have the potential to alleviate some of the communication and computation bottlenecks that are currently hindering performance and scalability. By concatenating small-scale silicon photonic building blocks into larger subcomponents, combined with monolithic integration with advanced CMOS electronics, we can create versatile photonic switch matrices, as well as other switching fabrics. The switch matrices may be used to form high-radix photonic core and even edge switches to optically interconnect data center server racks, as well as every level of the high-performance computing system network hierarchy, on and off chip.
A unitary account of the repression mechanism of arginine biosynthesis in Escherichia coli: I. The genetic evidence☆

In Escherichia coli strain B growing in minimal medium, added arginine slightly stimulates, while in strain K it represses formation of the arginine biosynthetic enzymes. Nevertheless, mapping and complementation experiments indicate that the respective regulatory genes, argRB‡ and argR+, are allelic. Since all argR alleles producing an active repressor, including argRB, are trans-dominant to constitutive mutants of either strain, and since an amber mutant of argRB has been found which is constitutive, the pathway in both strains is under negative control, and the regulatory gene product requires translation for its synthesis. A single amino acid substitution can change B-type control to K-type control since correction of the amber argRB mutant by suI+ restores the argRB phenotype while correction by suIII+ leads to arginine repressibility. It is suggested that arginine, or an arginine derivative, activates the repressor product in both strains, but that the formation or function of the active repressor from the argRB product is reduced at high arginine concentration. The eight structural genes of the arginine pathway are scattered in five regions of the chromosome. A technique has been devised for selecting a mutation which partially relieves repression of argF, one of the unclustered genes. This mutation, which is specific for argF, closely linked, and cis-dominant has been designated argOF for operator mutation. The existence of similar operators for the other arginine genes all interacting with the same argR product but differing in affinity is implied by parallel but non-co-ordinate control of the pathway and by the behavior of an argRB temperature-sensitive mutant in which de-repression as a function of temperature differs depending on the arginine enzyme tested.
Urinary lumichrome-level catabolites of riboflavin are due to microbial and photochemical events and not rat tissue enzymatic cleavage of the ribityl chain

The occurrence of 7- and 8-carboxylumichromes as a significant fraction of riboflavin-derived material in rat urine has led to a reexamination of tis sues for possible enzymatic activity that could contribute to cleavage at position 10 of the D-ribityl chain of the vitamin. For this, homogenates were incubated in the dark under various conditions with pure (2-14C)riboflavin with and without cofactors prior to extractions with phenol for flavins or chloroform for lumichromes, and high pressure liquid chromatography was used to separate and to quantitate all radioactive compounds. Only unmodified riboflavin and small amounts of flavin mononucleotide (FMN) were found even though the level of detection of known derivatives including 10-(2'-hydroxyethyl)flavin and lumichrome was shown to be extremely sensitive. Hence, rat tissue per se does not appear responsible for significant cleavage of the D- ribityl chain of riboflavin. Rather such cleavage to the lumichrome level must result from the known actions of intestinal microflora and potentially from photolysis. J. Nutr. 115: 496-499, 1985.
A Patient With Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase–Positive Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer With Development of Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis While on Targeted Treatment With Crizotinib

Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LM) is an infrequent, yet morbid and often fatal complication of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Management of LM is multimodal, often involving systemic chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and a variety of symptom management maneuvers to address elevated intracranial pressure, pain and mood changes that can accompany the disease. Increasingly it is recognized that tumors with actionable mutations in NSCLC, including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) translocations, respond well to systemic therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors yet often progress in the central nervous system (CNS). Therefore, more information is needed regarding the natural history and optimal management of leptomeningeal disease in specific molecular subtypes of NSCLC. The case below summarizes our institution’s management of a patient with ALK-positive NSCLC who developed leptomeningeal carcinomatosis while on targeted treatment with crizotinib (Xalkori) within the context of current NCCN guidelines and recently published studies.
Evaluating the QUIT-PRIMO clinical practice ePortal to increase smoker engagement with online cessation interventions: a national hybrid type 2 implementation study

Effective web-assisted tobacco interventions (WATIs) have been underutilized by smokers; moreover, despite practice guideline recommendations, clinical teams do not routinely refer smokers to WATIs. Our goal was to test a clinical practice innovation, an ePortal designed to change practice and patient behavior. Our hypotheses were that the integrated system would result in increased smoker referrals, with an automated follow-up system resulting in more smoker registrations and finally augmentations of the WATI would result in more smokers quitting at 6 months.
Mechanisms employed by cellulase systems to gain access through the complex architecture of lignocellulosic substrates

To improve the deconstruction of biomass, the most abundant terrestrial source of carbon polymers, en route to renewable fuels, chemicals, and materials more knowledge is needed into the mechanistic interplay between thermochemical pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. In this review we highlight recent progress in advanced imaging techniques that have been used to elucidate the effects of thermochemical pretreatment on plant cell walls across a range of spatial scales and the relationship between the substrate structure and the function of various glycoside hydrolase components. The details of substrate and enzyme interactions are not yet fully understood and the challenges of characterizing plant cell wall architecture, how it dictates recalcitrance, and how it relates to enzyme–substrate interactions is the focus for many research groups in the field. Better understanding of how to match pretreatments with improved enzyme mixtures will lead to lower costs for industrial biorefining.
Excitation of nonlinear surface polaritons supported by a metal–vacuum interface

The dynamics of the excitation of nonlinear surface polaritons is investigated by using a perturbation theory that employs multiple time and space scales. The surface polariton is supported by an interface between free-electron metal and vacuum. Both the grating and the prism excitations are treated, and they are governed by canonical equations of the same form. The effects of the self-modulation of the surface polariton and the finite extent of the grating and the prism are taken into account. The intensity dependence of the input characteristics, typical of nonlinear excitation, is discussed.
Work in progress — A conceptions of design instrument as an assessment tool

This study was conducted in spring of 2009 in a first year engineering course for honors students. 234 students completed a pre-test on what activities they considered most or least important in design; 191 students completed an identical post-test and of these 115 pairs of students completed both tests. Statistical analyses explored differences across five sections of the course and at the paired level. Overall, study findings identify improvements to the instrument and support the utility of the instrument as an assessment tool.
Isospin effects on pion production by heavy ions

Abstract Cross section ratios π − π + for pions produced in heavy ion reactions are calculated in the statistical model, using measured absorption cross section ratios, and a simple model for the level density ratio. We find overall agreement for data in the energy range 80–400 MeV/nucleon for systems ranging from 12C + 12C to 139La + 139La.
The ratio field of values

Abstract The ratio field of values, a generalization of the classical field of values to a pair of n-by-n matrices, is defined and studied, primarily from a geometric point of view. Basic functional properties of the ratio field are developed and used. A decomposition of the ratio field into line segments and ellipses along a master curve is given and this allows computation. Primary theoretical results include the following. It is shown (1) for which denominator matrices the ratio field is always convex, (2) certain other cases of convex pairs are given, and (3) that, at least for n = 2 , the ratio field obeys a near convexity property that the intersection with any line segment has at most n components. Generalizations of the ratio field of values involving more than one matrix in both the numerator and denominator are also investigated. It is shown that generally such extensions need not be convex or even simply connected.
A Study of Debt Structure Preference Based on Controlling Shareholders’ Benefits of Control

Taking data of all A-share listed companies in Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenzhen Stock Exchange from 2002 to 2006 as samples, this paper makes an empirical study on the debt structure preference of enterprises in which controlling shareholders have the right of control. Results show that these enterprises: (1) prefer to short-term debt financing concerning the debt maturity structure; (2) prefer to financing by loaning from banks concerning the debt type structure; (3) prefer to high-priority debt structure concerning the debt priority.
Risk factors differ between recurrent and incident preeclampsia: a hospital-based cohort study

Abstract Purpose To examine whether risk factors, including prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), differ between recurrent and incident preeclampsia. Methods Data included electronic medical records of nulliparas (n = 26,613) delivering 2 times or more in Utah (2002–2010). Modified Poisson regression models were used to examine (1) adjusted relative risks (RR) of preeclampsia and 95% confidence intervals (CI) associated with prepregnancy BMI; (2) maternal risk factor differences between incident and recurrent preeclampsia among primiparous women. Results In the first pregnancy, compared with normal weight women (BMI: 18.5–24.9), preeclampsia risks for overweight (BMI: 25–29.9), obese class I (BMI: 30–34.9), and obese class II/III (BMI: ≥35) women were 1.82 (95% CI = 1.60–2.06), 2.10 (95% CI = 1.76–2.50), and 2.84 (95% CI = 2.32–3.47), respectively, whereas second pregnancy–incident preeclampsia risks were 1.66 (95% CI = 1.27–2.16), 2.31 (95% CI = 1.67–3.20), and 4.29 (95% CI = 3.16–5.82), respectively. Recurrent preeclampsia risks associated with BMI were highest among obese class I women (RR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.06–2.42) without increasing in a dose-response manner. Nonwhite women had higher recurrence risk than white women (RR = 1.70; 95% CI = 1.16–2.50), whereas second pregnancy–incident preeclampsia risk did not differ by race. Conclusion Prepregnancy BMI appeared to have stronger associations with risk of incident preeclampsia either in the first or second pregnancy, than with recurrence risk. Nonwhite women had higher recurrence risk.
The structure, device physics, and material properties of thin film electroluminescent displays

Abstract Thin film electroluminescent (TFEL) displays are complex optoelectronic devices with challenging material requirements. The multilayer device structure includes two electrodes (one metallic and one transparent), two insulators, and a semiconducting ‘phosphor’ layer. Each layer has unique electronic and optical properties that must be satisfied for device operation. In this article, we review the device structure, the electrical and optical device physics, and the material properties of TFEL displays. Particular attention is given to the phosphor layer properties and the radiative recombination phenomenon that is responsible for luminescence. The current status of the red, green, blue and white TFEL phosphors is also reviewed, and the current and future applications are discussed.
Synthetic infrared spectra for correlation spectroscopy

As a first step toward the development of a new remote sensing technique that the authors call holographic correlation spectroscopy, they demonstrate that diffractive optics can be used to synthesize the infrared spectra of real compounds. In particular, they have designed, fabricated, and characterized a diffractive element that successfully reproduces the major features f the spectrum of gaseous HF in the region between 3,600 cm{sup {minus}1} and 4,300 cm{sup {minus}1}. The reflection-mode diffractive optic consists of 4,096 lines, each 4.5 {micro}m wide, at 16 discrete depths relative to the substrate (from 0 to 1.2 {micro}m), and was fabricated on a silicon wafer using anisotropic reactive ion-beam etching in a four-mask-level process. The authors envision the use of diffractive elements of this type to replace the cumbersome reference cells of conventional correlation spectroscopy and thereby enable a new class of compact and versatile correlation spectrometers.
Three-dimensional rotational angiographic detection of in-stent stenosis in wide-necked aneurysms treated with a self-expanding intracranial stent.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of Neuroform stent (Boston Scientific/Target, Fremont, CA) deployment on parent vessel lumen and detect in-stent changes in patients harboring wide-necked intracranial aneurysms treated with the stent-coil technique. METHODS: Parent vessel dimensions were quantified before and after the procedure and at intermediate follow-up examinations by use of high-resolution three-dimensional rotational angiography. By use of shaded surface segmentation of the acquired volume, measurements of the parent vessel proximal to the stent (Point A), at three points within the stented vascular segment (Points B, C, and D), and distal to the stent (Point E) at each study time were compared by use of paired t tests. Correlation between degree of in-stent stenosis and reported ischemic events was estimated by use of a linear regression model. RESULTS: Stent and coil deployment had no immediate effect on parent vessel dimensions. At angiographic follow-up, there was no significant change in vessel size proximal to the stent. Within the stent and distal to it, however, there was a statistically significant 0.31- to 0.41-mm reduction in average diameter (P < 0.001, P < 0.011, P < 0.003, and P < 0.014 for Points B, C, D, and E, respectively). The highest degree of stenosis occurred at Point B, with an average decrease in cross sectional surface area of 2.4 mm 2 (P < 0.001), corresponding to a 19% stenosis and 52% estimated increase in focal hemodynamic resistance by Poiseuille's law. No clinical correlation was noted with the degree of in-stent stenosis. CONCLUSION: Intracranial stenting using a soft self-expanding stent without angioplasty induced a statistically, but not clinically, significant decrease in cross sectional area. Further research and longer-term follow-up are needed to elucidate the mechanism and clinical importance of this response.
Study of Emissions Benefits of Commercial Vehicle Lane Management Strategies

Traffic congestion mitigation has been proposed as a strategy to help attain air quality goals. A better understanding of the full effects of congestion on heavy-duty (HD) vehicles is needed because HD vehicles contribute a large share of on-road emissions and are more sensitive to speed than light-duty vehicles. This research shows that the estimated emissions effects of congestion mitigation vary greatly by pollutant and are sensitive to the assumed travel demand elasticity, initial congestion level, and lane management strategy. Analysis of four managed lane scenarios shows that vehicle class-segregated facilities tend to outperform general purpose lane strategies in emissions reductions. Although potentially controversial, from an emissions perspective, conversion of a general purpose lane to a truck-only lane may produce more emissions benefits than adding either a truck-only lane or a general purpose lane. Furthermore, the expected emissions benefits from truck-only lane conversion are robust to unc...