cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High throughput Time Resolved Fluorescence in a Microplate Reader

We describe a high-throughput time-resolved fluorescence (TRF) spectrometer, able to detect multiple fluorescence lifetimes across 384 wells with short (< 5 min.) read times using direct waveform recording. The instrument combines high-energy pulsed laser sources (5-10 kHz repetition rate, 1-3 ns pulse width) with a photomultiplier and high-speed digitizer (1 GHz, effectively 5 GHz with interleaving) to record a complete fluorescence decay waveform after each pulse. Single-well measurements of dyes with 200-fold signal averaging (0.1 s acq. time) yield lifetimes comparable in accuracy and precision to single photon counting (SPC.) Integrated software enables immediate analysis by fitting exponential decays or by calculating a model-independent truncated first moment. In a 384-well format changes in quencher concentration are readily seen, with the first moment calculation providing resolution comparable to exponential decay models. Further, we are able to resolve relative mole fractions in two-dye mixtures when pure samples are used as standards. In multiple-well experiments the variation in total measured fluorescence is comparable to steady-state instruments, while the precision in lifetime is better than 2%. These features will enable high-throughput TRF experiments to detect changes to structure and dynamics in solution, cells and reconstituted systems. Acknowledgements: Spectroscopy experiments were performed at the Biophysical Spectroscopy Center, University of Minnesota. Excellent computational resources were provided by the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute. This work was funded by NIH grants to DDT (R01 AR32961, P30 AR057220) and KJP (T32 AR007612.)
Modeling cotton (Gossypium spp.) leaves and canopy using computer aided geometric design (CAGD)

The research presented here develops a geometrically accurate model of cotton crop canopies that can be used to explore changes in canopy microenvironment and physiological function with leaf structure. We develop an accurate representation of the leaves, including changes in three-dimensional folding and orientation with age and cultivar. Photogrammetrical analysis of leaf surfaces is used to generate measured points at known positions. Interpolation of points located on the surface of the cotton leaves is then performed with a tensor product interpolants model that generates a generic leaf shape. Dynamic changes in leaf shape and canopy position over the growing season are based on measurements of cotton canopies in the field, and are used to modulate the generic leaf shape. The simulated leaves populate a canopy element based on statistical distributions from measured crop canopies. The simulation is found to give a good representation of cotton canopy leaves, adequately capturing the three-dimensional structure of the leaves and changes in leaf shape and size over the growing season. The simulated canopy accurately estimates leaf area index, except for the earliest measurement period prior to canopy closure. The application of the CAGD algorithm for representing cotton leaf and canopy geometry, and the technique for changing the leaves’ spatial position, size and shape through time of four representative cotton canopies is found to be a useful tool for developing a realistic crop canopy. We use leaf area index (LAI) as a measure of the accuracy of model-predicted LAI values in comparison to LAI in crop canopies in situ, obtaining r 2
MOCVD Growth of High Output Power Ingan Multiple Quantum Well Light Emitting Diode

The MOCVD growth of InGaN / GaN multiple quantum well (MQW) structures for optoelectronic applications has been investigated. The structural and optical properties of the layers have been characterized by x-ray diffraction and photoluminescence. The effect of barrier and well dimensions on the optical properties have been examined; highest emission intensity and narrowest linewidth were obtained with thin wells (20-30 A) and thick barriers (greater than 50 A). By incorporating an MQW structure as the active region in a GaN p-n diode, high-brightness light emitting diodes (LEDs) have been produced. Under a forward current of 20 raA, these devices emit 2.2 mW of power corresponding to an external quantum efficiency of 4.5%. The emission spectrum peaks at 445 nm and exhibits a narrow linewidth of 28 nm. Under pulsed high current conditions, output power as high as 53 mW was realized and the peak emission wavelength shifted to 430 nm.
Computational Modeling of Microstructure

Many materials such as martensitic or ferromagnetic crystals are observed to be in metastable states exhibiting a fine-scale, structured spatial oscillation called microstructure; and hysteresis is observed as the temperature, bound­ ary forces, or external magnetic field changes. We have developed a numerical analysis of microstructur e and used this theory to construct numerical meth­ ods that have been used to compute approximations to the deformation of crystals with microstructure.
A Microvalve With Integrated Sensors and Customizable Normal State for Low-Temperature Operation

This paper reports on design, fabrication, and testing of a piezoelectrically actuated microvalve with integrated sensors for flow modulation at low temperatures. One envisioned application is to control the flow of a cryogen for distributed cooling with a high degree of temperature stability and a small thermal gradient. The valve consists of a micromachined die fabricated from a silicon-on-insulator wafer, a glass wafer, a commercially available piezoelectric stack actuator, and Macor ceramic encapsulation that has overall dimensions of 1.5 x 1.5 x 1.1 cm3. A piezoresistive pressure sensor and a thin-film Pt resistance temperature detector are integrated on the silicon die. The assembly process allows the implementation of normally open, partially open, and normally closed valves. At room temperature, gas flow modulation from 200 to 0 mL/min is achieved from 0- to 40-V actuation. Flow modulation at various temperatures from room temperature to 205 K is also reported. The pressure sensor has sensitivity of 356 ppm/kPa at room temperature, with temperature coefficient of sensitivity of -6507 ppm/K. The temperature sensor has sensitivity of 0.29 %/K. The valve and the sensors are tested across a wide range of temperatures, and the effect of temperature on performance is discussed.
BDNF Val66Met polymorphism as a moderator of exercise enhancement of smoking cessation treatment in anxiety vulnerable adults

Abstract Background Exercise interventions facilitate the odds of quit success among high-anxiety sensitive adults smokers. We examined the dependency of these benefits on the genetic BDNF Val66Met (rs6265) polymorphism; individuals who are Met carriers have lower BDNF responses and reduced associated benefits from exercise. Accordingly, we hypothesized that the efficacy of vigorous-intensity exercise for smoking cessation would be specific to high-anxiety sensitive Val/Val carriers. Methods Participants were adults (N = 55) of European ancestry who had participated in a randomized controlled trial comparing a smoking cessation program augmented with exercise vs. augmented with a wellness control treatment. In this secondary analysis, growth curve models for point-prevalence abstinence (PPA) and prolonged abstinence (PA) employed for the main outcome analyses were amended to test the moderator effects of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism. Results Consistent with prediction, the advantage of exercise over control for PPA was significantly greater among high-anxiety sensitive persons with the Val/Val genotype than for those with the Val/Met genotype. This advantage did not reach statistical significance for PA. Differences in abstinence between the exercise and control interventions among low-anxiety sensitive smokers were not dependent on the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism. Conclusions We found that the efficacy of exercise for augmenting smoking cessation treatment is intensified among high-anxiety sensitive smokers who are Val/Val carriers. This observation is consistent with findings documenting BDNF mediation of exercise benefits and greater negative affect among smokers who are Val/Val carriers. These data encourage further evaluation of the association between the BDNF polymorphism, exercise, anxiety sensitivity, and smoking cessation.
Singularity in the Kapitza resistance between gold and superfluid 4He near T lambda.

We report experimental results for the thermal boundary resistance ${\mathrm{R}}_{\mathrm{K}}$ between gold and superfluid $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ which were obtaiend by the use of thermometry with 3-nK resolution. The data imply that ${\mathrm{R}}_{\mathrm{K}}$ is singular at the superfluid transition temperature ${\mathrm{T}}_{\ensuremath{\lambda}}$. Comparison with theory suggests that the singularity results from a hydrodynamic effect proposed by Landau, and that it is associated with the vanishing of the superfluid and normal-fluid currents at the boundaries.
Combining Task and Dialogue Streams in Unsupervised Dialogue Act Models

Unsupervised machine learning approaches hold great promise for recognizing dialogue acts, but the performance of these models tends to be much lower than the accuracies reached by supervised models. However, some dialogues, such as task-oriented dialogues with parallel task streams, hold rich information that has not yet been leveraged within unsupervised dialogue act models. This paper investigates incorporating task features into an unsupervised dialogue act model trained on a corpus of human tutoring in introductory computer science. Experimental results show that incorporating task features and dialogue history features significantly improve unsupervised dialogue act classification, particularly within a hierarchical framework that gives prominence to dialogue history. This work constitutes a step toward building high-performing unsupervised dialogue act models that will be used in the next generation of task-oriented dialogue systems.
BET bromodomain inhibitors enhance efficacy and disrupt resistance to AR antagonists in the treatment of prostate cancer

![Figure][1] Next-generation antiandrogen therapies, such as enzalutamide and abiraterone, have had a profound impact on the management of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). However, mCRPC patients invariably develop resistance to these agents. Here, a series of clonal cell lines were developed from enzalutamide-resistant prostate tumor xenografts to study the molecular mechanism of resistance and test their oncogenic potential under various treatment conditions. Androgen receptor (AR) signaling was maintained in these cell lines, which acquired potential resistance mechanisms, including expression of AR-variant 7 (AR-v7) and glucocorticoid receptor. BET bromodomain inhibitors were shown previously to attenuate AR signaling in mCRPC; here, we demonstrate the efficacy of bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) inhibitors in enzalutamide-resistant prostate cancer models. AR antagonists, enzalutamide, and ARN509 exhibit enhanced prostate tumor growth inhibition when combined with BET inhibitors, JQ1 and OTX015, respectively. Taken together, these data provide a compelling preclinical rationale to combine BET inhibitors with AR antagonists to subvert resistance mechanisms. Implications: Therapeutic combinations of BET inhibitors and AR antagonists may enhance the clinical efficacy in the treatment of mCRPC. Visual Overview: . Mol Cancer Res; 14(4); 324–31. ©2016 AACR . This article is featured in Highlights of This Issue, [p. 313][2] [1]: pending:yes [2]: /lookup/volpage/14/313?iss=4
Why Pursue Unification? A Social-Epistemological Puzzle

Many have argued that unified theories ought to be pursued wherever possible. We deny this on the basis of social-epistemological and game-theoretic considerations. Consequently, those seeking a more ubiquitous role for unification must either attend to the scientific community’s social structure in greater detail than has been the case, and/or radically revise their conception of unification.
catena-Poly[[[tetra-aqua-cobalt(II)]-μ-4,4'-bipyridine-κN:N'] bis-(perchlorate) 4,4'-bipyridine disolvate dihydrate].

In the title compound, {[Co(C10H8N2)(H2O)4](ClO4)2·2C10H8N2·2H2O}n, slightly distorted octa­hedrally coordinated CoII ions situated on inversion centers are linked into polycationic chains through 4,4′-bipyridine tethering ligands. These are connected into supra­molecular layers by hydrogen bonding involving aqua ligands, perchlorate anions and uncoordinated water mol­ecules. A twofold inter­penetrated primitive cubic supra­molecular network is formed by the inter­action of pseudo-layers by hydrogen bonding between aqua ligands and unligated 4,4′-bipyridine mol­ecules.
Barriers to Optimizing Vitamin D3 Intake for the Elderly

Available data on metabolic utilization of vitamin D3 indicate a total daily requirement of approximately 4000 international units (iu) (100 microg) or twice the current tolerable upper intake level (UL). In young individuals, most of this comes from the skin. However, cutaneous vitamin D3 synthesis declines with age, creating a need for increasing oral intake to maintain optimal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations. Estimates of the population distribution of serum 25(OH)D values, coupled with available dose-response data, indicate that it would require input of an additional 2600 iu/d (65 microg/d) of oral vitamin D3 to ensure that 97.5% of older women have 25(OH)D values at or above desirable levels. The age-related decline in cutaneous input, taken together with the UL, creates a substantial barrier to the deployment of public health strategies to optimize vitamin D status in the elderly.
Instructor Credibility as a Mediator of Instructors’ Compulsive Communication and Student Communication Satisfaction in the College Classroom

The purpose of this investigation was twofold: (a) from a dialogic pedagogy perspective, to determine the possible negative association between instructors’ compulsive communication and student communication satisfaction; and (b) using Expectancy Violations Theory as a framework, to test the extent to which instructor credibility mediated the negative association between compulsive communication and student communication satisfaction. We found that students’ perceptions of instructors’ compulsive communication is linked to lower levels of student communication satisfaction. Importantly, results also showed that instructor credibility tempers the negative association between instructors’ compulsive communication and student communication satisfaction.
No gap in the Middle Permian record of terrestrial vertebrates: COMMENT

[Benton (2012)][1] claims that there is no gap in the Middle Permian tetrapod fossil record, in contrast to my (2004) conclusion that a gap exists between the youngest pelycosaur-dominated tetrapod assemblages and the oldest therapsid-bearing tetrapod assemblages. I referred to this as Olson’s Gap
Effects of mycorrhizal-associated streptomycetes on growth of Laccaria bicolor, Cenococcum geophilum, and Armillaria species and on gene expression in Laccaria bicolor

Coplate assays were conducted to deter- mine effects of two mycorrhizal-associated Streptomy- ces species, strains A and H, on growth of the ecto- mycorrhizal fungi Laccaria bicolor and Cenococcum geophilum, and on the pathogenic fungi Armillaria ostoyae and A. gallica. Strain A stimulated growth of the ectomycorrhizal fungi, but inhibited growth of the Armillaria species. Strain H inhibited growth of all fungi. The effects of the streptomycetes on L. bi- color gene expression were also examined. For this, the fungus was grown in Roux bottles containing cul- ture filtrates at 50% concentration from strains A or
Effect of Ethanol on Functions Required for the Delivery of Neutrophils to Sites of Inflammation

Acute ethanol intoxication inhibits neutrophil delivery to sites of inflammation and, concomitantly, reduces the adhesion of neutrophils to surfaces. The effect of ethanol on several other neutrophil functions required for normal delivery are examined herein. Serum-free neutrophil suspensions showed normal resting adherence to endothelial monolayers in ethanol concentrations up to 1000 mg/dL, but when neutrophils were stimulated by 10(-6)M N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine (fMLP) to induce hyperadherence, ethanol induced a dose-dependent inhibition that was significant at concentrations greater than or equal to 500 mg/dL. Pretreating the endothelium with ethanol had no effect. Similarly, resting surface expression of the adhesive glycoprotein Mac-1 was unaffected by ethanol, but its up-regulation induced by fMLP was inhibited by 25.5% at 250 mg of ethanol/dL and by 52.3% at 1000 mg/dL. Release of both primary and secondary granule contents after activation showed dose-dependent inhibition, whereas resting granule content and spontaneous release were unaffected. Passive neutrophil deformability was significantly enhanced in 500 mg of ethanol/dL. Thus, ethanol affects several neutrophil delivery functions normally activated by inflammatory stimuli.
The integrated use of Toxorhynchites amboinensis and ground-level ULV insecticide application to suppress Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae).

Two substandard, residential neighborhoods in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, were treated with either 3 ground level applications per week of ULV-applied malathion (48 ml AI/ha, or 0.67 fl oz AI/acre) or this same regimen of malathion in combination with weekly releases of laboratory-reared Toxorhynchites amboinensis (100 females per block). Malathion alone reduced average Ae. aegypti densities during the 14-wk study by ca. 29%. The integrated treatment of insecticide and predator release reduced the pest species by ca. 96%. It is suggested that the number of predators released and the frequency of application of insecticide can be significantly reduced without lowering the effectiveness of the integrated treatment.
Poly(propylene succinate): A New Polymer Stereocomplex

Herein we show the formation of a polymer stereocomplex by mixing isotactic, regioregular chains of poly(propylene succinate) synthesized via the copolymerization of cyclic anhydrides and epoxides. The stereocomplex exhibits significantly improved thermal properties in comparison to the enantiopure parent polymers. We demonstrate that stereocomplexation is a route to a new class of semicrystalline polyesters with improved properties, produced from readily accessible starting materials.
Research and application of closed-loop subspace predictive control based on data driven

A full data-driven method of closed-loop subspace identification and predictive controller design is presented, in which the subspace matrix is completely identified through the input and output data of the closed-loop system. By splitting the subspace matrix and eliminating the input of the model correlated to disturbance, the unbiased estimators of the parameters of the subspace matrix are obtained. The predictive controller is designed by using the closed-loop system subspace matrix which is obtained by identifying directly as the forecasting model. The control method is applied to the pressure regulating system for the coking chamber of an iron and steel group, and good performence is obtained.
Molecular analysis of nosocomial epidemics.

SUMMARY Newer developments in molecular biology offer the hospital ep-idemiologist and clinical microbiologist powerful tools for analysis of nosocomial epidemics. Plasmid fingerprinting and genomic REA are rapid and often more definitive alternatives to serotyping and biotyping. Isolation of specific plasmids for special study involves more complicated manipulations. Polypeptide patterns, though at times diffuse in appearance, can be easily produced with SDS-PAGE of whole cells or outer membranes. Specific monoclonal antibodies as probes for individual proteins can generate more definitive answers about the exact type of protein(s) present. Multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLE) has become an ingenious tool for characterizing closely related nosocomial bacterial strains. The newest molecular methods using ribotyping, DNA probes, and the PCR will open many doors into the microbial genomes that were previously closed to the hospital microbial detective. These advances will compel hospitals to plan for their funding and implementation. Yet, like other scientific progress, the new biology in the nosocomial setting will raise as many questions as it will answer.
An Other Mormon History

Jorge Iber's debut, Hispanics in the Mormon Zion, earned the impressive honor of the Mormon History Association's 2001 Best First Book Award. Iber brings the intellectual tools and fresh insights of ethnic studies into the field of Mormon history in an examination of the experience of Spanish-speaking populations of northern Utah. Through the richness of oral histories combined with prodigious archival and demographic research, Iber tells the fascinating sotry of Utah's largest ethnic minority, people whom Mormons often identify with the Others from the Book of Mormon, the Lamanites.
218: Mechanisms of lytic HSV-1 clearance during primary infection of the trigeminal ganglia

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a prevalent human pathogen worldwide. HSV-1 remains lytic and resists entry into latency within neurons of the trigeminal ganglia (TG) in the absence of type I interferon (IFN). However, the immunologic mechanisms involved in clearing lytic virus in the TG during primary infection remain poorly defined. HSV-1 is able to develop progeny virus during primary infection in the TG, suggesting that the establishment of HSV-1 latency is not simply due to infection of a non-permissive neuron. To address this issue, the immune response to HSV-1 in the TG was examined in a murine model of ocular infection. Viral titer and leukocyte infiltration in TG were surveyed in bone marrow (BM) chimeras generated from C57BL/6 wildtype (WT) mice and mice deficient in the type I IFN receptor alpha chain (CD118 −/− ) to determine the contribution of type I IFN signaling in resident and BM-derived cells. Data show that both resident and BM-derived cells contribute to type I IFN-mediated clearance of lytic virus within the TG. Moreover, HSV-1 titers correlated inversely with infiltrating NK cells, CD8 + T cells and HSV-specific CD8 + T cells. These results were supported by the observation that gBT-I.1 TCR transgenic mice in which CD8 + T cells are specific for the immunodominant epitope of HSV-1 glycoprotein B have significantly less virus in the TG compared to WT following infection. CD8 T cell depletion at the site of infection showed a trend towards increased virus in the TG and systemic depletion is currently being pursued. Infection of WT and STING-deficient mouse TG in situ revealed that the innate sensing pathway critical for production of type I IFN in peripheral tissues is dispensable in the TG. Understanding the immune response to lytic HSV-1 infection in the TG is critical for rational prophylactic HSV-1 vaccine design.
Obesity in the Otsuka Long Evans Tokushima Fatty Rat: Mechanisms and Discoveries.

Understanding the neural systems underlying the controls of energy balance has been greatly advanced by identifying the deficits and underlying mechanisms in rodent obesity models. The current review focuses on the Otsuka Long Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rat obesity model. Since its recognition in the 1990’s significant progress has been made in identifying the causes and consequences of obesity in this model. Fundamental is a deficit in the cholecystokinin (CCK) 1 receptor gene resulting in the absence of CCK 1 receptors in both the gastrointestinal track and the brain. OLETF rats have a deficit in their ability to limit the size of meals and in contrast to CCK1 receptor knock-out mice, do not compensate for this increase in the size of their spontaneous meals, resulting in hyperphagia. Prior to becoming obese and in response to pair feeding, OLETF rats have increased expression of neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the compact region of the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) and this over-expression contributes to their overall hyperphaigia. Study of the OLETF rats has revealed important differences in the organization of the DMH in rats and mice and elucidated previously unappreciated roles for DMH NPY in energy balance and glucose homeostasis.
Kinetics of Polymer Interfacial Reactions: Polymer Brush Formation by Click Reactions of Alkyne End-Functional Polymers with Azide-Functional Substrates

Attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR) is used to directly measure the rates of copper-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions between alkyne-terminated polystyrene and poly(n-butyl acrylate) and azide-functional substrates in the good solvent DMF. Four regimes of behavior are observed: initially, the reaction rate is diffusion-controlled scaling with t1/2; in the crossover regime at the onset of chain overlap, the rate scales with ln(t); the rate then accelerates briefly; and finally, in the terminal or penetration-limited regime, the logarithm of areal density scales linearly with time. Kinetic behavior in the diffusion-limited, crossover, and penetration-limited regimes corresponds well to the predictions of Ligoure and Leibler. The blob model suggests that the acceleration in rate is due to lateral chain contraction during the mushroom to brush transition. A theory is presented to predict that the areal density at saturation should scale as Σsaturation ∼ Mw–1.2 for good solv...
Objective Method for Presumptive Field-Testing of Illicit Drug Possession Using Centrifugal Microdevices and Smartphone Analysis

Current colorimetric presumptive identification of illicit drugs for determining illegal possession of controlled substances by law enforcement relies solely on the subjective interpretation of color change using drug- or class-specific reactions. Here, we describe the use of inexpensive polyester-toner, rotation-driven microfluidic devices with a smartphone as a potential alternative for current presumptive colorimetric field-testing of illicit drugs, allowing for an objective and user-friendly image analysis technique for detection. The centrifugal microfluidic platform accommodates simultaneous presumptive testing of material from a single input to multiple reaction chambers, enabling rapid screening. Hue and saturation image analysis parameters are used to define threshold values for the detection of cocaine and methamphetamine as proof-of-principle with 0.25 and 0.75 mg/mL limits of detection, respectively, with nonvolatile reagents stored on-board and smartphone for detection. Reported LODs are lower than those concentrations used in the field. Additionally, the developed objective detection method addresses the testing of drugs with various common cutting agents, including those known to produce false negative and positive results. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the method by successfully identifying the composition of 30 unknown samples.
A method for simultaneous image reconstruction and beam hardening correction

Beam hardening is a well known effect in CT scanners that is cause by a combination of a broad polychromatic source X-ray spectrum and energy-dependent material attenuation. When the object consists solely of a single material, the nonlinear beam hardening effect can be corrected using sinogram pre-correction techniques. However, when multiple materials are present, it is impossible to fully compensate for the distortion using pre-correction. This paper presents a novel model-based iterative reconstruction algorithm, MBIR-BHC, for X-ray CT, which estimates and corrects for beam hardening distortions during the reconstruction process. The method is based on the assumption that the object is formed by a combination of two distinct materials that can be separated according to their densities. During iterative reconstruction, two separate forward projections are computed, one for the low density material and one for the high, and a polynomial forward model is estimated for the two component projection. The coefficients of the correction polynomial are estimated during the MBIR reconstruction process using an alternating optimization framework. Therefore, no additional system information such as spectrum or mass attenuation functions are needed in the algorithm and the correction is automatically adapted to the dataset being used. Using both the simulated and real dataset, we show the efficiency of MBIR-BHC in reducing streaking artifacts and improving image quality.
Exposed! CS Faculty Caught Lecturing in Public: A Survey of Instructional Practices

Many research studies show students benefit from instructional practices that promote student interaction within the classroom. However, recent prominent reports suggest many instructors still rely on lecture as their dominant classroom activity. This paper reports on a survey of U.S. computer science teaching practices. Responses indicate many CS instructors use student-centered instructional practices but evidence suggests students would benefit from additional use of these practices. Twenty percent of CS instructors report "student-centered activities" are prominent in their classroom. CS instructors are more likely to use student-centered practices than those in other science disciplines but less likely to do so than colleagues in non-science fields. Female CS instructors are more likely to structure their courses around student-centered practices than their male colleagues.
What maintains signal honesty in animal colour displays used in mate choice

Many of the colour displays of animals are proposed to have evolved in response to female mate choice for honest signals of quality, but such honest signalling requires mechanisms to prevent cheating. The most widely accepted and cited mechanisms for ensuring signal honesty are based on the costly signalling hypothesis, which posits that costs associated with ornamentation prevent low-quality males from being highly ornamented. Alternatively, by the index hypothesis, honesty can be achieved via cost-free mechanisms if ornament production is causally linked to core physiological pathways. In this essay, we review how a costly signalling framework has shaped empirical research in mate choice for colourful male ornaments and emphasize that alternative interpretations are plausible under an index signalling framework. We discuss the challenges in both empirically testing and distinguishing between the two hypotheses, noting that they need not be mutually exclusive. Finally, we advocate for a comprehensive approach to studies of colour signals that includes the explicit consideration of cost-free mechanisms for honesty.This article is part of the themed issue 'Animal coloration: production, perception, function and application'.
Collaborative Counties: Questioning the Role of Civil Society

Local governments face increased pressure to collaborate with one another to provide services aimed at increasing economic development. While scholars and practitioners share interest in intergovernmental collaboration, past studies have rarely questioned the role of civil society. Based on the social capital literature, a robust local civil society with high rates of volunteerism and civic engagement should facilitate local government cooperation. Using unique primary data from county governments across the United States, the authors question the degree to which local civil society influences collaborative behavior. The authors further contrast civil society’s influence relative to that of private business interests. This study provides modest evidence for the role of civil society. Rather, the findings suggest that collaboration is greatest where business involvement in development is higher and public participation tends toward more “token” policies (i.e., citizen input mechanisms) rather than organize...
Energetic ion leakage from foreshock transient cores

Earth's foreshock is filled with back-streaming particles that can interact with the ambient solar wind and its discontinuities to form foreshock transients. Many foreshock transients have a core with low dynamic pressure that can significantly perturb the bow shock and the magnetosphere-ionosphere system. Foreshock transients have also been recently recognized as sites of particle acceleration, which may be important for seeding the parent shock with energetic particles. A relevant step of this seeding would be energetic ion leakage into the surrounding foreshock environment. On the other hand, such leakage would also suppress the energetic particle flux contrast across foreshock transients’ boundaries masking their perceived contribution to ion energization. To further examine this hypothesis of ion leakage, we report on multi-point case studies of three foreshock transient events selected from a large database. The cases were selected to exemplify, in increasing complexity, the nature and consequences of energetic ion leakage. Ion energy dispersion, observed upstream and/or downstream of foreshock transients, is explained with a simple, ballistic model of ions leaking from foreshock transients. Larger energies are required for leaked ions to reach the spacecraft as the distance between the transient and spacecraft increases. Our model, which explains well the observed ion energy dispersion and velocity distributions, can also be used to reveal the shape of foreshock transients in three dimensions. Our results suggest that ion leakage from foreshock transient cores needs to be accounted for both in statistical studies and in global models of ion acceleration under quasi-parallel foreshock conditions.
(Dis)placing Neoliberalism - Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos. Neoliberalism’s Stealth Revolution (New York, Zone Books, 2015)

( dis ) placing neoliberalism Wendy B ROWN , Undoing the Demos. Neoliberalism’s Stealth Revolution (New York, Zone Books, 2015) Undoing the Demos is a brilliant analysis and polemic, providing a lens on life as it is lived in the contemporary West that throws daily experience into stark and disturbing relief. As befits the best kind of social science, reading Undoing makes the familiar strange and freights ordinary decisions with often uncomfortable new forms of self- consciousness. The book’s central argument explores the relationship of neoliberalism to the possibility of “democratic self-rule” [11]. Here I will reflect most centrally on Brown’s discussion of the first term in her argument, the analysis of neoliberalism itself. Following on Foucault, the book argues that the evolution of “neoliberal reason” has remade both selves and society, turning workers into human capital and a democratic polity into a managed universe, its criteria for good governance reduced to economic calculation. This has a set of important consequences on both sides of the equation. For individuals, understood now as neither selves with interiority, laborers nor citizens, the modal relationship to self is one of investment: incurious, future oriented, individualized and, most fundamentally, calculating. On the other side, the “social” as we have known it has been disassembled. There is no community, but instead a set of self-interested individuals, purposely left to fend for themselves on the grounds of market efficiency and utility, organized by definition through competition rather than cooperation, the notion of “common good” now an oxymoron. This market structure is neither natural nor automatic. To the contrary, part of the job of the neoliberal state is to maintain sufficient inequality to support permanent competi- tion; hence rather being than a laissez-faire state, the neoliberal state is deeply involved in the market. All this undermines the logic of “solidar- ity” and so makes opposition more and more difficult and unlikely. One of the consequences of this overriding logic, Brown argues, is that it flattens substantive distinctions, creating a language that moves seamlessly across social sectors, subjecting all to the same language of “benchmarking” and “optimization” and “stakeholders.” Terminology is never innocent. As the language of the economy becomes hegemonic, moving from business to university, studio and Leslie Salzinger, University of California, Berkeley [lsalzinger@berkeley.edu] European Journal of Sociology, 57, 3 (2016), pp. 460–465—0003-9756/16/0000-900$07.50per art + $0.10 per page aEuropean Journal of Sociology 2016. doi: 10.1017/S0003975616000199 Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core. Access paid by the UC Berkeley Library, on 19 Jan 2017 at 05:15:21, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003975616000199
Unspeakable Horror: Outing Syphilis in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

The authors posit syphilis as the source for Kurtz’s affliction in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and argue for understanding the novella as a deployment of the rhetoric of disease, which yokes together medical fears and problematic sexual morality with a global violence infecting self-congratulatory European benevolence and charity. Conrad’s tale is both implicitly and explicitly eroticized as well as steeped in gothic representation of the hidden and revealed to manage an unsayable horror. As such, the language of the story parallels pervasive late nineteenth-century syphilis discourse that likewise relies on obfuscation and silences. Descriptions of Kurtz’s megalomania resonate with the symptomatology of syphilis and perceived syphilitics, such as Nietzsche and Columbus, who might have served as models for the character.
Integrated Analysis of HER2 Copy Number by Cytogenomic Microarray in Breast Cancers With Nonclassical In Situ Hybridization Results.

Objectives To develop and test an integrated approach to human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) copy number analysis in breast cancer using in situ hybridization (ISH) and cytogenomic microarray (CMA). Methods CMA was performed on four clinical breast cancer samples with nonclassical patterns of HER2 ISH results. Integrated analysis was performed by correlating the data from pathology review, ISH, and CMA. Results Integrated analysis provided a more comprehensive view of the genomic copy number landscape that informed HER2 copy number analysis, but ISH provided essential data in all cases. Conclusions CMA can be helpful for clarifying HER2 amplification status in breast cancer. However, uncertainties over tumor percentage, clonal heterogeneity, and varying ploidy levels present challenges for genomic methods such as CMA. Accurate interpretation of HER2 copy number by CMA requires correlation with the pathology and ISH data.
Response of plant growth and development to different light conditions in three model plant systems

Shade avoidance response to the reduced ratio of red:far-red (R:FR) light was studied in a white aspen Populus alba clone 'Bolleana' using two filter systems: a clear plastic filter system that allows a R:FR ratio less than 1.0 to pass from adjacent border plant reflection; and a special commercial plastic that blocks FR light and creates a R:FR ratio above 3.0. The response to low R:FR The reduced R:FR signals enhanced the stem elongation in response to competition at the expense of relative stem diameter growth. Trees grown inside clear chambers were 27% taller and 22% heavier in stem dry weight than trees grown inside the FR-blocking filter chambers. Stem taper of clear chamber trees was 16% less than the FR-blocking filter trees. Low R:FR also induced 13% greater petiole length per leaf compared to the FR-blocking filter trees. The immutans (im) variegation mutant of Arabidopsis has green and white leaf sectors due to the action of a nuclear recessive gene. IM is a chloroplast homolog of the mitochondrial alternative oxidase. The ghost (gh) variegation mutant of tomato bears phenotypic similarities to im. We show that the im and gh phenotypes arise from mutations in orthologous genes. Structural analyses reveal that AOX, IM and GH are RNR R2 di-iron carboxylate proteins with perfectly conserved Fe-coordinating ligands that define a quinolbinding catalytic site. IM has a global impact on plant growth and development and that it is
The role of academic background and the writing centre on students’ academic achievement in a writing-intensive criminological theory course

ABSTRACTThis study uses a quasi-experimental design to assess how the incorporation of an embedded writing centre tutor in the experimental class affects student achievement in comparison with the ...
Matched Cohort Analysis of Total Hip Arthroplasty in Patients With and Without Parkinson's Disease: Complications, Mortality, Length of Stay, and Hospital Charges.

BACKGROUND Increased complication rate has been reported in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients following total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, this has not previously been studied on a national scale. The purpose of this study was to determine whether PD patients had increased cost, complication, mortality, and length of stay following THA using a national database. METHODS The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample was evaluated for the years 2000-2014. PD patients were matched 1:3 with non-PD control patients for age, gender, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and year of admission using a propensity score matching procedure. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were used to determine the relationship between PD and surgical outcomes in the matched cohort. RESULTS 794,689 THAs were performed from 2000-2014. 4003 patients (0.50%) had comorbid Parkinson's disease. Before matching, arthroplasty patients with PD were significantly older (P < .001), more frequently male (P < .001), and had greater Charlson Comorbidity Index (P < .001). In the matched cohort, PD was associated with increased length of stay (3.1 vs 2.7 days, P < .001), total hospital charges ($49,061 vs $45,571, P < .001), and in-hospital complication rate (14.6% vs 11.7%, P < .001). There was no difference in-hospital mortality (0.50% vs 0.47%, P = .781). CONCLUSIONS Matched cohort analysis demonstrated increases in complication rate, length, and cost of hospitalization for THA in patients with PD. However, in-hospital mortality rate in PD patients was not increased. Of note, the elevation in per-episode cost ($3490) may be of concern when considering PD patients for surgery within the evolving "bundled payment" model of care. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic- Level III.
Fellowship or Family? A Comparison of Residency Leave Policies With the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Abstract Background In 1993, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) mandated 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave. The current impact of taking 12 weeks of leave during residency has not been evaluated. Methods We examined the 2018 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (n = 24) specialty leave policies to determine the impact of 6- and 12-week leave on residency training, board eligibility, and fellowship training. We compared our findings with a 2006 study. Results In 2018, five (21%) specialties had policy language regarding parental leave during residency, and four (16%) had language regarding medical leave. Median leave allowed was 4 weeks (IQR 4-6). Six specialties (25%) decreased the number of weeks allowed for leave from 2006 to 2018. In 2006, a 6-week leave would cause a 1-year delay in board eligibility in six specialties; in 2018, it would not cause delayed board eligibility in any specialty. In 2018, a 12-week (FMLA) leave would extend training by a median of 6 weeks (mean 4.1, range 0-8), would delay board eligibility by 6-12 months in three programs (mean 2.25, range 0-12), and would delay fellowship training by at least 1 year in 17 specialties (71%). The impact of a 12-week leave was similar between medical and surgical specialties. Conclusions While leave policies have improved since 2006, most specialties allow for 6 weeks of leave, less than half of what is mandated by the FMLA. Moreover, a 12-week, FMLA-mandated leave would cause significant delays in board certification and entry into fellowship for most residency programs.
Early Morning Food Intake as a Risk Factor for Metabolic Dysregulation

Increased risk of obesity and diabetes in shift workers may be related to food intake at adverse circadian times. Early morning shiftwork represents the largest proportion of shift workers in the United States, yet little is known about the impact of food intake in the early morning on metabolism. Eighteen participants (9 female) completed a counterbalanced 16 day design with two conditions separated by ~1 week: 8 h sleep opportunity at habitual time and simulated early morning shiftwork with 6.5 h sleep opportunity starting ~1 h earlier than habitual time. After wake time, resting energy expenditure (REE) was measured and blood was sampled for melatonin and fasting glucose and insulin. Following breakfast, post-prandial blood samples were collected every 40 min for 2 h and the thermic effect of food (TEF) was assessed for 3.25 h. Total sleep time was decreased by ~85 min (p < 0.0001), melatonin levels were higher (p < 0.0001) and post-prandial glucose levels were higher (p < 0.05) after one day of simulated early morning shiftwork compared with habitual wake time. REE was lower after simulated early morning shiftwork; however, TEF after breakfast was similar to habitual wake time. Insufficient sleep and caloric intake during a circadian phase of high melatonin levels may contribute to metabolic dysregulation in early morning shift workers.
Mendelian randomization and causal networks for systematic analysis of omics.

Mendelian randomization implemented through instrumental variable analysis is frequently discussed in causality and recently the number of applications on real data is increasing. However, there are very few discussions to address modern biomedical questions such as the integration of large scale omics in causality. While in the age of large omics, we face several hundred or thousands of components with little knowledge about the underlying structures, the focus of the field is on small scales and mostly with known structures. The availability of large omic data accentuates the need for techniques to identify interconnectivity among the omic components and reveal the principles that govern the relationships. This study extends instrumental variable techniques to identify causal networks in large scales and assess the assumptions. Large-scale causal networks are complex and further analyses are required to uncover mechanisms by which the components are related within and between omics and linked to disease endpoints. This study will review these utilities of causal networks for mechanistic understanding.
Beliefs in Free Will Versus Determinism: Search for Meaning Mediates the Life Scheme–Depressive Symptom Link:

A life scheme can be understood as the cognitive representation of individuals’ life events and their goal attainment in the past and future. We conceptualize beliefs in free will and determinism a...