cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biosensing Systems Based on Genetically Engineered Whole Cells

Genetically engineered whole cells as biosensing systems in biosensors have been employed, in the past two decades, for the detection of a variety of analytes. In addition to being rapid, specific/selective, and sensitive, these whole-cell-based sensing systems provide information pertaining to the analyte bioavailability. This information is particularly important to study the effect of harmful/toxic chemicals on living systems. The whole cells used for designing and developing cell-based sensing systems can be either prokaryotic or eukaryotic in nature. These intact prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells can be genetically engineered to recognize the analytes of interest and respond with the production of a measurable signal in a dose-dependent manner. Generally, prokaryotic bacterial whole-cell sensing systems are developed by introducing a plasmid construct with a reporter gene fused to a promoter, which is induced by a target analyte through a regulatory protein. Similarly, a receptor, which is activated by a target analyte, is coupled with a reporter gene for the development of genetically modified eukaryotic cell-based biosensing systems. The most commonly used reporter proteins in whole-cell biosensing include luminescent proteins, such as bacterial and firefly luciferases; green fluorescent protein along with its variants; and β-galactosidase. The analytes that can be detected using genetically manipulated whole-cell sensing systems range from general toxicants and cell stress factors to specific analytes, such as metals, metalloids, organic pollutants, sugars, drugs, and bacterial signaling molecules. In order to develop self-contained sensing devices based on recombinant whole-cell sensing systems, preservation, miniaturization, and portability are important issues that need to be addressed.
Differences in Nuclear Ribonucleic Acid of Human Neoplastic and Normal Tissue

SummaryWe observed definite and consistent differences between RNA isolated from neoplastic and normal human tissue by electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels. The major differences were in the nuclear RNA preparations; here the preparations from neoplastic tissue contained several fractions not found in those from normal tissue. Only minor differences were detected in the RNA patterns of cytoplasmic preparations.
Sex Pheromones of Noctuid Moths. XII. Lack of Evidence for Masking of Sex Pheromone Activity in Extracts from Females of Heliothis zea and H. virescens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Previous reports have indicated that inactive compounds in extracts of the abdomen tips of females of Heliothis zea (Boddie) and H. virescens (F.) may mask the sex pheromone, preventing males from making normal responses to the extracts. Experimentation, including the assay of fractions of abdomen tip extracts that were separated by gas chromatography and subsequently recombined, failed to confirm the presence of such masking compounds.
Interrogation of Chesapeake Bay sediment microbial communities for intrinsic alkane-utilizing potential under anaerobic conditions

Based on the transient exposure of Chesapeake Bay sediments to hydrocarbons and the metabolic versatility of known anaerobic alkane-degrading microorganisms, it was hypothesized that distinct Bay sediment communities, governed by geochemical gradients, would have intrinsic alkane-utilizing potential under sulfate-reducing and/or methanogenic conditions. Sediment cores were collected along a transect of the Bay. Community DNA was interrogated via pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes, PCR of anaerobic hydrocarbon activation genes, and qPCR of 16S rRNA genes and genes involved in sulfate reduction/methanogenesis. Site sediments were used to establish microcosms amended with n -hexadecane under sulfate-reducing and methanogenic conditions. Sequencing of 16S rRNA genes indicated that sediments associated with hypoxic water columns contained significantly greater proportions of Bacteria and Archaea consistent with syntrophic degradation of organic matter and methanogenesis compared to less reduced sediments. Microbial taxa frequently associated with hydrocarbon-degrading communities were found throughout the Bay, and the genetic potential for hydrocarbon metabolism was demonstrated via the detection of benzyl-( bssA ) and alkylsuccinate synthase ( assA ) genes. Although microcosm studies did not indicate sulfidogenic alkane degradation, the data suggested that methanogenic conversion of alkanes was occurring. These findings highlight the potential role that anaerobic microorganisms could play in the bioremediation of hydrocarbons in the Bay.
Variability in Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography over 4 Weeks by Age

ABSTRACTPurpose: To quantify variation in spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) measures of total retinal thickness (top of inner limiting membrane to top of retinal pigment epithelium, RPE) and RPE thickness measures over a 4-week period and by age.Methods: A total of 76 volunteers aged 40–85 years were seen at three visits over 4 weeks. Two Topcon SD-OCT scans were taken at each visit. Following grid re-centration, total retinal and RPE thickness were determined in nine subfields. Multilevel modeling was used to quantify variance between scans and by age.Results: In the central circle, mean total retinal thickness was 237.9 µm (standard deviation, SD, 23.5 µm) and RPE thickness was 46.0 µm (SD 5.3 µm). Intraclass correlation coefficient in the central circle was 0.988 for total retinal thickness and 0.714 for RPE thickness. Pairwise measures taken within 4 weeks were strongly correlated (p > 0.95). Within-subject variation of total retinal thickness increased significantly with age. Subj...
Status of food- borne pathogen contamination in Ankang city from 2011 to 2012

Objective To investigate the contamination of food- borne pathogens and distribution in food of Ankang to provide scientific basis for effective prevention of food- borne illness and ensure residents' food safety of Ankang city. Methods Based on the national food contaminant monitoring network and food- borne diseases monitoring system,444 samples of six kinds were collected from 2011 to 2012. The simples were tested for Staphylococcus aureus,Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella,Sakazakii,Escherichia coli O157: H7. Results Forty- six bacterial strains were isolated from 444 samples, and the detection rate was 10. 36%,including 27 strains Staphylococcus aureus( 6. 08%); 3 strains sakazakii( 5. 77%); 15 strains Listeria monocytogenes( 4. 36%); 1 strain Salmonella( 0. 24%); Escherichia coli O157: H7 was not detected. Among the six categories of food,pathogenic cold noodle had the highest positive rate( 30. 00%),followed by salad( 11. 11%),cakes and biscuits( 7. 95%). Cooked meat products, infant foods had different levels of pollution. Conclusion Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes which are commercially available food in the city exist widely. All kinds of food pathogens pollution should be targeted for prevention and control.
Population Structure and Genetic Diversity of Carya cathayensis Revealed by AFLP Analysis

With the dominant AFLP marker,genetic diversity of a natural population of Carya cathayensis was studied in terms of linkage disequilibria (LD).It had been revealed that a total of 32 polymorphic markers were detected with 11 pairs of primers;of all possible 4692 three-locus combinations,779(or 15.7%) were detected to display significant linkage disequilibria;and there existed a modest overall heterozygosity of 0.36.It indicated a low polymorphic level and a small to moderate level of genetic diversity for Carya cathayensis.
Current situation on public health related events emergency response and analysis on the existing problems of prevention and control institutions in township hospitals of Nanhai district in Foshan city

Objective To study the response capacity and current problems of events related to public health in township hospitals center for disease prevention and control in Nanhai district,so as to provide scientific basis for the construction of emergency system. Methods A status survey was carried out on 15 units of the township hospitals centers for disease prevention and control in the whole district. Results There was a high frequency of public health related events in Nanhai district of Foshan city,each township hospitals center for disease prevention and control could finish emergency response for events in regulation,could implement related prevention and control measures,to bought effective control for events,however some problems existed such as township hospitals do not pay enough attention to emergency response,there is no guarantee of emergency funds,the salary of emergency staff was low,and their emergency ability was insufficient. Conclusions The emergency capacity for events related to public health has been established in center for disease prevention and control of township hospitals in Nanhai district,each government in town should establish the working mechanism of emergency response,increase the input of funds; The hospital of town should provide adequate emergency staff and improve their salary,in order to improve the ability of emergency staff,it was necessary to implement more emergency knowledge training and drilling,to make sure it can matched to the increasingly frequent public health emergency response tasks.
Molecular requirements for cell fate determination during T-lymphocyte development

Antigen-specific T lymphocytes recognize peptide antigens in conjunction with the products of the self major histocompatibility complex (MHC). In addition, they are immunologically self-tolerant. To acquire these characteristics, thymocytes undergo a stringent cellular selection process during development. The study of thymocyte development at the molecular level is impeded in mammalian systems by the heterogeneity of the thymocyte population in each individual. However, the use of mice transgenic for the T-cell receptor successfully circumvented this problem and made it possible to elucidate some of the requirements for positive selection, which leads to thymocyte differentiation, survival, and MHC restriction, and negative selection, which leads to programmed cell death, clonal deletion, and self-tolerance. T-cell fate is determined primarily by the nature of the interaction between a complex composed of the T-cell receptor and CD4 or CD8 molecules on the T-cell surface and the peptide antigens that are bound to MHC products and are displayed by other nonlymphoid cells present in the thymus. The molecular analysis of the receptor-ligand interactions involved in this process in transgenic mice provides opportunities to dissect cell fate determination in an intact mammalian system and to understand the molecular basis for immunological self-tolerance and MHC-restriction.
Toward a Taxonomy of Marketing Strategies: Issues and Evidence

This paper highlights differences between business strategy and marketing strategy. Six taxonomies of business and marketing strategies are reviewed. The taxonomies contributions to the field of marketing are weighed in terms of their ability to focus on factors within the purview of marketing. The comparison indicates a need for further work toward the development of generic marketing strategies.
Breast-cancer subtype, age, and lymph node status as predictors of local recurrence following breast-conserving therapy

Purpose/Objectives Advances in breast-conserving therapy (BCT) have yielded local control rates comparable or superior to those of mastectomy. In this study, we sought to identify contemporary risk factors associated with local recurrence (LR) following BCT.
Nonlinear optics in superfluid helium-filled hollow-core fiber

Forward Brillouin scattering is demonstrated in superfluid helium-4 in a hollow-core fiber. The resonance frequency varies with temperature in proportion to the known sound speed in helium, in agreement with theoretical predictions.
Nearly perfectly matched layer boundary conditions for operator upscaling of the acoustic wave equation

Acoustic imaging and sensor modeling are processes that require repeated solution of the acoustic wave equation. Solution of the wave equation can be computationally expensive and memory intensive for large simulation domains. One scheme for speeding up solution of the wave equation is the operator-based upscaling method. The algorithm proceeds in two steps. First, the wave equation is solved for fine grid unknowns internal to coarse blocks assuming the coarse blocks do not need to communicate with neighboring blocks in parallel. Second, these fine grid solutions are used to form a new problem which is solved on the coarse grid. Accurate and efficient wave propagation schemes also must avoid artificial reflections off of the computational domain edges. One popular method for preventing artificial reflections is the nearly perfectly matched layer (NPML) method. In this paper, we discuss applying NPML to operator upscaling for the wave equation. We show that although we only apply NPML to the first step of this two step algorithm (directly affecting the fine grid unknowns only), we still see a significant reduction of reflections back into the domain. We describe three numerical experiments (one homogeneous medium experiment and two heterogeneous media examples) in which we validate that the solution of the wave equation exponentially decays in the NPML regions. Numerical experiments of acoustic wave propagation in two dimensions with a reasonable absorbing layer thickness resulted in a maximum pressure reflection of 3–8%. While the coarse grid acceleration is not explicitly damped in our algorithm, the tight coupling between the two steps of the algorithm results in only 0.1–1% of acceleration reflecting back into the computational domain.
Upper Ocean Heat And Freshwater Budgets

The surface layer of the ocean undergoes temperature variations which occur at several different temporal scales: a diurnal cycle reSecting day and night variability, an annual cycle showing seasonal variations in insolation and weather, and interannual to decadal cycles, indicating large-scale, long-term climate variability. The strength of a given cycle also depends on the location, for example, seasonal variability in sea surface temperature is smaller in the tropics than at high latitudes. The heat balance for the near-surface layer is found by vertically integrating the temperature equation from the bottom of the layer, h, to the sea surface to obtain:
Augmented reality supports real-time diagnosis and repair of shipboard systems

Abstract A prototype shipboard pumping system has been developed integrated with an Augmented Reality system. This system demonstrates how a service engineer can visually inspect a running system and "see" how the system is operating. In addition to stored, historical information, real-time data and analysis corresponding to the component the engineer is looking at can be viewed with the device. For example, the associated dynamic component data such as temperature, pump speed, flow rate, suction pressure, discharge pressure, cavitation state, and lubricating oil contamination data are visible. Cues are provided to the service engineer indicating potential problems and directing subsequent investigation.
Laboratory Study for Design of Tsunami Barrier

Two-dimensional laboratory tests were conducted on rubble-mound barrier trunk sections to obtain design criteria for rehabilitation of the existing barrier and construction of a new one at Hilo Harbor, Hawaii. The test sections were subjected to the attack of tsunamis. Proposed designs involved overtopping and nonovertopping barrier sections with protective cover layers of quarrystones and tribars. Test results indicated that the great expense involved in rehabilitating the existing breakwater and building the proposed barrier, the uncertainty in predicting the design tsunami, and the catastrophe which usually results from the failure of protective works, made it impractical to employ barriers as a means of protection of Hilo Harbor from future tsunamis.
Miscellaneous Physical Studies

There are a number of physical techniques which have only rarely been applied to meteorites. This section is a summary of techniques which have been the subject of publications during the past two decades. Data on these properties in terrestrial rocks are tabulated in Clark’s (1966) very useful compilation.
Alcohol-State Dependent Learning: Acquisition of a Spatial Discrimination in the Goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Alcohol has been used to establish state-dependent learning (STDL). The present experiments found that the task of learning a spatial discrimination under the influence of alcohol was qualitatively different for goldfish than when alcohol was not present. Two 2 X 2 factorial designs with 4 Ss per cell were run. In both experiments it took more trials for fish trained and tested under different alcohol conditions to relearn the task; however, the proportion of correct responses for the acquisition phase remained stationary for alcohol-trained fish but gradually increased for water-trained fish. Alcohol-trained fish had a significantly faster mean time per response in the acquisition phase than did water trained fish. These findings suggest a more parsimonious interpretation of the STDL phenomenon in goldfish: What is learned is qualitatively different for alcohol and nonalcohol conditions.
Working Memory and Speech Recognition in Noise Under Ecologically Relevant Listening Conditions: Effects of Visual Cues and Noise Type Among Adults With Hearing Loss

Purpose This study evaluated the relationship between working memory (WM) and speech recognition in noise with different noise types as well as in the presence of visual cues. Method Seventy-six ad...
Extending inferences from randomized participants to all eligible individuals using trials nested within cohort studies

Consider a randomized trial nested within a cohort of eligible individuals, including those who refused randomization. In this paper, we show how to use baseline covariate data from the entire cohort, and treatment and outcome data only from randomized participants, to identify the average causal effect in the target population of all eligible individuals. We review identifiability conditions and estimators that can be implemented in standard statistical software. We assess the finite-sample performance of different estimators in simulation studies. Lastly, we apply the estimators in a trial nested within a cohort study of eligible patients to compare coronary artery bypass grafting surgery plus medical therapy versus medical therapy alone for patients with chronic coronary artery disease.
Relativistic Probability Amplitudes and State Preparation

The wave function for a spinless charged particle in an electromagnetic field is decomposed into two probability amplitudes, one for a particle and one for an antiparticle. The particle amplitude is specified at the initial time and the antiparticle amplitude at the final time. Time reflection invariance indicates that the preparation of the antiparticle state at the final time should be carried out by observers composed of antiparticles. A model of elementary particles shows how relativistic quantum mechanics can be used to describe all reactions.
A Theory of Hoping For a Better Life Grounded In Youthful Offender Experiences

Twenty percent of children and adolescents in America experience a diagnosable mental health disorder before the age of 21 and 50% of all incidences of mental illness in youth occur by age 14. In the youthful offender population, the prevalence of mental health disorders increases to 70%. Common psychiatric disorders in the juvenile justice population include anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. While juvenile justice detention facilities slowly move to a more rehabilitative and treatment oriented approach, there is little known from the youthful offender voice about what happened in their lives that lead to being detained. In this grounded theory study, twelve youth gave voice to events in their lives through individual interviews. The resulting basic social psychological process, hoping for a better life, contained three stages: enduring the loss, persisting the dissension, and discovering a path. The stages result from the experiences expressed with the youthful offenders’ own words.
Erratum: Reply to letter from JG Schrama, R Rodenhuis and GC de Gast

We would like to apologise that this reply was not included with the letter it refers to in volume 31 issue 2.
Amazon Battle and the Seventeenth-Century Antwerp Painting Canon

This essay examines the operation of concepts of the East in paintings by Willem van Haecht representing the art collection amassed by Cornelis van der Gheest, a prominent citizen of seventeenth-century Antwerp.
Transitioning veterans to nursing careers: A model program.

Abstract Background A commitment to increase the enrollment, retention and educational success of United States veterans admitted to a baccalaureate degree nursing program was established through the support of a grant received from HRSA in collaboration with the US Departments of Defense and Veteran Affairs. Method Challenges encountered by the student veterans were identified and programs of mentorship, tutoring, equine therapy and interface with services offered by the University Office of Veteran Affairs were developed. Results Thirty-two student veterans provided positive feedback about their perceptions of academic and personal support provided during their program. Sixteen faculty and staff also described positive experiences about working with the student veteran population. Conclusion The continuous assessment of all program elements indicates that the program is meeting its intended outcomes and serves the purpose of providing the opportunity for returning veterans to choose nursing as a professional healthcare career.
Mechanisms That Impart Change to Landscapes

Chapter 4 describes the processes (mechanisms) that impart change on landscapes. There are five mechanisms: uplift, subsidence, erosion, deposition, and volcanism. Uplift and subsidence refer to the raising or lowering of part of the Earth’s surface relative to mean sea level. A distinction is made between rock uplift and surface uplift in which surface uplift is equal to rock uplift minus erosion. Erosion is the removal of rock and sediment from its original location on the Earth’s surface by an agent such as water, ice, air, gravity, or animal/human interference. Deposition is the accumulation of eroded sediment such as in a lake or subsiding basin. Volcanism is the process by which magma and associated gases rise to the surface to form lava flows, volcanoes, and highly explosive discharges. The processes of denudation, river incision, and exhumation, including the methods whereby each is calculated, are discussed.
Parent experiences of a child’s social transition: Moving beyond the loss narrative

When a child transitions from one gender to another, parents play a key role in facilitating the process within the family and in the larger social community. This study presents findings from eigh...
Avatar Embodiment. Towards a Standardized Questionnaire.

Inside vVirtual rReality, users can embody avatars that are collocated from ain first- person perspective. When doing so, participants have the feeling that the own body has been substituted by the self-avatar, and that the new body is the source of the sensations. Embodiment is complex as it includes not only body ownership over the avatar, but also agency, co-location, and external appearance. Despite the multiple variables that influence it, the illusion is quite robust, and it can be produced even if the self-avatar is of a different age, size, gender, or race from the participant’s own body. Embodiment illusions are therefore the basis for many social VR experiences and a current active research area among the community. Researchers are interested both ion the body manipulations that can be accepted, as well as on studying how different self-avatars produce different attitudinal, social, perceptual, and behavioural effects. However, findings suggest that despite embodiment being strongly associated with the performance and reactions inside virtual reality, the extent to which the illusion is experienced varies between participants. In this paper, we review the questionnaires used in past experiments and propose a standardized embodiment questionnaire based on 25 questions that are prevalent in the literature. We encourage future virtual reality experiments that include first-person virtual avatars to administer this questionnaire in order to evaluate the degree of embodiment.
Mammalian STT3A/B oligosaccharyltransferases segregate N-glycosylation at the translocon from lipid-linked oligosaccharide hydrolysis

Oligosaccharyltransferases (OSTs) N-glycosylate proteins by transferring oligosaccharides from lipid-linked oligosaccharides (LLOs) to asparaginyl residues of Asn-Xaa-Ser/Thr acceptor sequons. Mammals have OST isoforms with STT3A or STT3B catalytic subunits for cotranslational or posttranslational N-glycosylation, respectively. OSTs also hydrolyze LLOs, forming free oligosaccharides (fOSs). It has been unclear whether hydrolysis is due to one or both OSTs, segregated from N-glycosylation, and/or regulated. Transfer and hydrolysis were assayed in permeabilized HEK293 kidney and Huh7.5.1 liver cells lacking STT3A or STT3B. Transfer by both STT3A-OST and STT3B-OST with synthetic acceptors was robust. LLO hydrolysis by STT3B-OST was readily detected and surprisingly modulated: Without acceptors, STT3B-OST hydrolyzed Glc 3 Man 9 GlcNAc 2 -LLO but not Man 9 GlcNAc 2 -LLO, yet it hydrolyzed both LLOs with acceptors present. In contrast, LLO hydrolysis by STT3A-OST was negligible. STT3A-OST however may be regulatory, because it suppressed STT3B-OST–dependent fOSs. TREX1, a negative innate immunity factor that diminishes immunogenic fOSs derived from LLOs, acted through STT3B-OST as well. In summary, only STT3B-OST hydrolyzes LLOs, depending upon LLO quality and acceptor site occupancy. TREX1 and STT3A suppress STT3B-OST–dependent fOSs. Without strict kinetic limitations during posttranslational N-glycosylation, STT3B-OST can thus moonlight for LLO hydrolysis. In contrast, the STT3A-OST/translocon complex preserves LLOs for temporally fastidious cotranslational N-glycosylation.
Umbilical Cord Tissue and Meconium May Not Be Equivalent for Confirming in Utero Substance Exposure

In a retrospective study of 501 neonates with potential in utero substance exposure, the drug detection performance of a commercially available umbilical cord tissue toxicology test was evaluated against a commercially available gold standard meconium toxicology test. Drugs detected in paired meconium and umbilical cord tissue samples were often discordant.
Liver Fat Is Associated With Markers of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Analysis of Data From the Framingham Heart Study.

Background & Aims Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is an inflammatory condition that results in progressive liver disease. It is unknown if individuals with hepatic steatosis, but not known to have liver disease, have higher serum concentrations of markers of systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. Methods We collected data from 2482 participants from the Framingham Heart Study (mean age, 51 ± 11 y; 51% women) who underwent computed tomography and measurement of 14 serum markers of systemic inflammation. Heavy alcohol users were excluded. The liver:phantom ratio (a continuous parameter of liver attenuation relative to a calibration phantom) was used to identify individuals with radiographic evidence of liver fat. Primary covariates included age, sex, smoking, alcohol, aspirin use, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Body mass index and visceral fat were secondary covariates. We used multivariable linear regression models to assess the association between liver fat and systemic inflammatory markers. Results In multivariable-adjusted models, liver fat was associated with the following inflammatory markers: high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (P Conclusions In a community-based cohort, individuals with hepatic steatosis without known liver disease had higher mean serum concentrations of systemic markers of inflammation. Studies are needed to determine whether treatment of hepatic steatosis reduces systemic inflammation.
Olfactory, Taste, and Photo Sensory Receptors in Non-sensory Organs: It Just Makes Sense

Sensory receptors that detect and respond to light, taste, and smell primarily belong to the G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily. In addition to their established roles in the nose, tongue, and eyes, these sensory GPCRs have been found in many 'non-sensory' organs where they respond to different physicochemical stimuli, initiating signaling cascades in these extrasensory systems. For example, taste receptors in the airway, and photoreceptors in vascular smooth muscle cells, both cause smooth muscle relaxation when activated. In addition, olfactory receptors are present within the vascular system, where they play roles in angiogenesis as well as in modulating vascular tone. By better understanding the physiological and pathophysiological roles of sensory receptors in non-sensory organs, novel therapeutic agents can be developed targeting these receptors, ultimately leading to treatments for pathological conditions and potential cures for various disease states.
You Are Invited Not to Attend: Answering the Call for a Cultural Boycott of the Shiraz Festival of the Arts

In 1976, a debate played out in the pages of The New York Times , The Village Voice , and The Drama Review over whether or not invited artists, among them John Cage, Merce Cunningham, and Peter Brook, ought to join a boycott of the annual Shiraz Arts Festival in Iran. At the heart of the debate lay a complex set of ideas about the capacity for art in general, and theatre and performance in particular, to contribute to the construction of a public sphere when making and sharing artistic work depends upon accepting institutional support from a regime actively engaged in violently repressing political dissent. This article revisits the Shiraz debate and how the specificity of theatre as a mode of cultural production intersects with the goals and limitations of the cultural boycott. I consider in particular how invocations of the importance of the “free exchange of ideas” shift in meaning or significance when they refer to theatre and performance practices. I argue that the boycott, far from negating participants’ claims made for theatre’s productive/connective/disruptive, invites artists to recognize the possibility that the transformative potential they associate with performance might sometimes be found in the refusal to perform.
Effects of ray position sampling on the visual responses of 3D light field displays

A 3D light field display typically reconstructs a 3D scene by sampling either the projections of the 3D scene at different depths or the directions of the light rays apparently emitted by the 3D scene and viewed from different eye positions. These light field display methods are potentially capable of rendering correct or nearly correct focus cues and therefore addressing the well-known vergence-accommodation conflict problem plaguing the conventional stereoscopic displays. However, very limited efforts have been made to investigate the effects of light ray sampling on the quality of the rendered focus cues and thus the visual responses of a viewer in light field displays. In this paper, by accounting for both the specifications of a light field display system and the ocular factors of the human visual system, we systematically model and analyze the ray position sampling issue in the reconstruction of the light field and characterize its effect on the quality of the rendered retinal image and on the accommodative response in viewing a 3D light field display. Using a recently developed 3D light field display prototype, we further experimentally validated the effects of ray position sampling on the resolution and accommodative response of a light field display, of which the result matches with theoretical characterization.
Employee representation in corporate governance: part of the economic or the social sphere

Observers of the European Company legislative process identified the then-competing political projects as being driven in one case by the desire for harmonization, whereas the other focused on a flexible approach to regulating employee participation. Since the European institutions have definitively adopted the latter approach in the meantime, this reading became obsolete. This ETUI Working Paper proposes to adopt a new analytical framework that will help give better insight into what is at stake in the drafting of European legal rules on corporate governance and worker participation, such as the pending European Private Company Statute. It argues that the regulatory game at European level is revealed by the competition between the players' two different world views: (1) one in which the economic and social spheres are viewed as being independent and disembedded, like the fields of company law and labour law; and (2) another in which, on the contrary, the two spheres are seen as being embedded in such a way that a comprehensive regulation should encompass both legal fields. Applying this analytical framework to an examination of the positions of the ETUC and the European Commission on regulating board-level employee representation at transnational level reveals the extent of the competition, hence explaining recent legislative difficulties.
Abstract 059: Kidney Specific DPP4 Knockdown Prevents Ang II/DOCA Salt Injury and Proteinuria

Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibition is widely used for glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) subjects. The Saxagliptin Assessment of Vascular Outcomes Recorded in Patients with D...
The Unknowers: How Strategic Ignorance Rules the World: by Linsey McGoey, London, Zed Books, 2019, 256 pp., USD $25 (paperback), ISBN 9781780326351

With The Unknowers: How Strategic Ignorance Rules the World, Linsey McGoey commands her position as one of Ignorance Studies’ premier ambassadors.1 The book is a welcome contribution to the field, ...
Assessing molybdenum isotope fractionation during continental weathering as recorded by weathering profiles in saprolites and bauxites

Abstract Molybdenum isotopes in three deep and well-characterized weathering profiles – a saprolite formed on meta-diabase from South Carolina, USA, and two ferruginous bauxites formed on Columbia River Basalts in Oregon and Washington, USA – elucidate Mo isotope behavior during continental weathering. The saprolite records an overall loss of Mo relative to the fresh bedrock, as indicated by negative τMoTi, which defines the loss of Mo relative to the relatively immobile element Ti. The saprolites are also isotopically light: δ98Mo values range from −0.89‰ (relative to NIST 3134) to −0.05‰, mean δ98Mo = −0.40‰, compared to +0.55‰ NIST3134 for the underlying unweathered bedrock. By contrast, the ferruginous bauxites generally record addition of Mo relative to the fresh bedrock (zero to positive τMoTi) and generally have higher δ98Mo values than the parental basalts: δ98Mo of the bauxites range from −0.14‰ to +0.38‰ compared to −0.33‰ and +0.02‰ for the unweathered parental basalt. Low δ98Mo values in the saprolites likely reflect preferential retention of isotopically light Mo adsorbed onto accessory Fe-oxy-hydroxides and clays during weathering, whereas the high δ98Mo values in the bauxites reflect the addition of isotopically heavy Mo from groundwater. When the three profiles are combined, there is a positive correlation between τMoTi and δ98Mo, suggesting that when Mo is lost during continental weathering, the resulting regolith is isotopically light, whereas groundwater addition can shift the regolith to heavier values. Because saprolites are a more common weathering product than bauxites, we conclude that, in general, continental weathering fractionates Mo isotopes such that the weathered upper crust retains isotopically light Mo. In contrast, the groundwater that leaches Mo from the weathered crust is isotopically heavy. Thus, chemical weathering of continents generates the isotopically heavy riverine signature observed globally, and partially contributes to the isotopically heavy seawater signature. Finally, these data, in conjunction with previously published data for glacial diamictites, can be used to assess changes in the crustal Mo isotope signature over the last 2.9 Ga.
Multiomic Predictors of Short-Term Weight Loss and Clinical Outcomes During a Behavioral-Based Weight Loss Intervention.

OBJECTIVE Identifying predictors of weight loss and clinical outcomes may increase understanding of individual variability in weight loss response. We hypothesized that baseline multiomic features, including DNA methylation (DNAme), metabolomics, and gut microbiome, would be predictive of short-term changes in body weight and other clinical outcomes within a comprehensive weight loss intervention. METHODS Healthy adults with overweight or obesity (n = 62, age 18-55 years, BMI 27-45 kg/m2 , 75.8% female) participated in a 1-year behavioral weight loss intervention. To identify baseline omic predictors of changes in clinical outcomes at 3 and 6 months, whole-blood DNAme, plasma metabolites, and gut microbial genera were analyzed. RESULTS A network of multiomic relationships informed predictive models for 10 clinical outcomes (body weight, waist circumference, fat mass, hemoglobin A1c , homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, total cholesterol, triglycerides, C-reactive protein, leptin, and ghrelin) that changed significantly (P < 0.05). For eight of these, adjusted R2 ranged from 0.34 to 0.78. Our models identified specific DNAme sites, gut microbes, and metabolites that were predictive of variability in weight loss, waist circumference, and circulating triglycerides and that are biologically relevant to obesity and metabolic pathways. CONCLUSIONS These data support the feasibility of using baseline multiomic features to provide insight for precision nutrition-based weight loss interventions.
Revisiting the multi-monopole point of SU(N) N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 gauge theory in four dimensions

Motivated by applications to soft supersymmetry breaking, we revisit the expansion of the Seiberg-Witten solution around the multi-monopole point on the Coulomb branch of pure SU(N) $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 gauge theory in four dimensions. At this point N − 1 mutually local magnetic monopoles become massless simultaneously, and in a suitable duality frame the gauge couplings logarithmically run to zero. We explicitly calculate the leading threshold corrections to this logarithmic running from the Seiberg-Witten solution by adapting a method previously introduced by D’Hoker and Phong. We compare our computation to existing results in the literature; this includes results specific to SU(2) and SU(3) gauge theories, the large-N results of Douglas and Shenker, as well as results obtained by appealing to integrable systems or topological strings. We find broad agreement, while also clarifying some lingering inconsistencies. Finally, we explicitly extend the results of Douglas and Shenker to finite N , finding exact agreement with our first calculation.
Improving learning rate of neural tree networks using thermal perceptrons

A new neural network called the neural tree network (NTN) is a combination of decision trees and multi-layer perceptrons (MLP). The NTN grows the network as opposed to MLPs. The learning algorithm for growing NTNs is more efficient that standard decision tree algorithms. Simulation results have shown that the NTN is superior in performance to both decision trees and MLPs. A new NTN learning algorithm is proposed based on the thermal perceptron algorithm. It is shown that the new algorithm greatly increases the speed of learning of the NTN and attains similar classification performance as the previously used algorithm. >
Assumed infectiousness, treatment adherence and sexual behaviours: applying the Swiss Statement on infectiousness to HIV-positive alcohol drinkers.

Objectives The success of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for treating HIV infection is now being turned towards HIV prevention. The Swiss Federal Commission for HIV/AIDS has declared that HIV-positive persons who are treated with ART, have an undetectable viral load, and are free of co-occurring sexually transmitted infections (STIs) should be considered noninfectious for sexual transmission of HIV. This study examined the implications of these assumptions in a sample of HIV-positive individuals who drink alcohol. Methods People living with HIV/AIDS (n = 228) were recruited through community sampling. They completed confidential computerized interviews and underwent monthly unannounced pill counts for ART adherence. HIV viral loads were obtained from medical records. Results One hundred and eighty-five HIV-positive drinkers were currently receiving ART and 43 were untreated. Among those receiving ART, one in three were not virally suppressed and one in five had recently been diagnosed with an STI. Adherence was generally suboptimal, including among those assumed to be less infectious. As many as one in four participants reported engaging in unprotected intercourse with an HIV-uninfected partner in the past 4 months. There were few associations between assumed infectiousness and sexual practices. Conclusions Less than half of people who drank alcohol and took ART met the Swiss criteria for noninfectiousness. Poor adherence and prevalent STI threaten the long-term potential of using ART for prevention. In the absence of behavioral interventions, the realities of substance use and other barriers call into question the use of ART as prevention among alcohol drinkers.
Mammalian evolution. Relationships to chew over.

Did advanced mammals evolve on the southern continents and then move north? Not according to a new study, which concludes that such mammals evolved in both the south and the north.
Data-driven subthreshold analog circuit that computes principal components

We present a model for the computation of principal components that is tailored for circuit realization. The model uses MOS elements and differential pairs which operate in the subthreshold regime of MOS operation. Consequently, power consumption is substantially reduced. >
Altar call: The Democratic Party's religious rhetoric as image repair discourse

Abstract In 2004, Senator Barack Obama declared, “We worship a mighty God in the blue states.” During the 2004 and 2008 presidential campaigns, Obama and other Democratic candidates attempted to prove that Republicans do not have a monopoly on religious campaign rhetoric by invoking God, quoting scriptures, and attending forums on faith. These efforts to find political salvation can be seen as an attempt at apologia by Democrats who defended their Party from a perception of being godless or anti-religion. This study analyzes the religious-political rhetoric of the 2004 and 2008 Democratic presidential candidates in order to evaluate and critique the various strategies used to repair the Party's image on religious matters.
Teaching and Basic Research in Literature

The function of literary criticism in our time is not what it was in Arnold's time. Today we have a plethora of critics of society in all its aspects and phases-social critics, art critics, music critics, political commentators, education analysts, science analysts, reporters of the ephemeral, historians of the past, and prognosticators of the future. Every form of culture and every kind of event is amply "covered" by the innumerable specialists-oh, call them not experts!-who have proliferated in our day. These specialists use not only the printed word, but also the magnetic tape, the radio, the television screen, and every other outlet available. The contemporary literary critic ought not to venture brashly into the countless areas of specialization that have developed or to endeavor to operate as a vehicle for all information and opinions. Rather his task is to evaluate the manner in which various writers express their opinions and present their facts. A critic, as the etymology of the word suggests, is a judge. In fact, he is both judge and jury. For the literary critic, manner takes precedence over matter, and evaluation takes precedence over reporting-not that matter and facts are not important, but that collecting data and reporting data are not the chief business of the literary critic; they are somebody else's. The literary critic is our judicial branch; his job is interpretation. Above all, he should stick to his subject, which is literature, and interpret that -and criticize not the yarn, but the weaving. H. G. HAILE
Multimodality Therapy for Stage IIIA (N2) Lung Cancer: An Overview

Determination of the eventual role of aggressive, multimodality therapy in the treatment of locally advanced lung cancer awaits the results of these and other trials. Ultimately, however, it is hoped that these studies will lead to improved prospects for the many patients who present with lung cancer that was previously considered inoperable.
Potts model formulation of branched polymers in a solvent

A Potts model formulation of the statistics of branched polymers or lattice animals in a solvent is given. The Migdal-Kadanoff renormalisation group is employed to study the critical behaviour or fractal dimension of the branched polymer. Four different critical behaviours are found, corresponding to random animal, collapse or theta point, percolation and compact cluster. The theta point behaviour is described by a tricritical point while percolation corresponds to a higher-order critical point, where the effect of the solvent on the branched polymer is the same as the screening effect of the other clusters in percolation.
Group Work to Promote the Occupational Functioning of Ethiopian Minority Men with Disabilities who have Immigrated to Israel

Abstract Supportivegroup work was used to help adult immigrants who haddisabilities with their occupational rehabilitation. Thegroup waa composed of minority men who emigrated from Ethiopia to Israel and encountered a difficult resocialization process and challenges to their ethnic identity. Group work with minorities should attend to leadership issues, occupational functioning, and cultural, social, intergroup, and linguistic factors
Public nutrition: Why, What, How?

Public Nutrition is a field of professional study and practice that has existed for many years without being named as such. It encompasses the disciplines that deal with factors affecting the food consumption and nutritional outcomes of populations, and goes beyond the definition of Public Health Nutrition by including the study of public policy in areas outside of health and nutrition as traditionally defined, that nonetheless can have profound effects on nutrition. Career paths in Public Nutrition exist at a variety of professional levels, including practitioners and direct service providers; administrators and planners; policy makers; and researchers and educators. The professional preparation of those working in Public Nutrition typically combines education and experience in nutritional science, social science, and sometimes management and planning. The field of Public Nutrition is important in providing a critical link between advances in understanding biomedical determinants of nutrition and the app...
Incorporation of Phosphorus-32 into Nucleic Acids during Embryonic Development of Barley

The rates of incorporation of P/sup 32/ into RNA and DNA were stadied by autoradiography in different embryonic stages of barley. The total amount of incorporated P/sup 32/ increased during the embryonic development. The P/sup 32/ incorporation rate in DNA decreased gradually as the growth rate slowed down. The results indicate that RNA turnover in slow or nongrowing tissue is still relatively large. (D.L.C.)