cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The population dynamics and host utilization of Geomydoecus oregonus, a parasite of Thomomys bottae.

Summary. This study treats the population dynamics and host utilization of Geomydoecus oregonus Price and Emerson, a mallophagan parasite of the pocket gopher, Thomomys bottae (Eydous and Gervais). Over 135000 lice were collected from 393 gophers over a period of 20 months. Average infestation on all gophers was 357 lice. Bimonthly mean densities showed an increase in June-July of both years, and these data were statistically different from the rest. Population age structure remained relatively constant in time with 9.3% females, 7.2% males, 47.4% nymphs and 36.1% eggs. Sex-age class separation of the gophers showed juveniles of both sexes to average 86 lice; subadult males averaged 210 lice; adult males averaged 544 lice; subadult and adult females averaged 255 and 296 lice, respectively. Lice were not randomly distributed on the gopher, but were most numerous on the head and anterior dorsal body. Lice eggs were restricted to hairs around the ears and eyes of the host. Over 80% of the animals sampled had eggs restricted to that region. Embryonic development and eelosion of G. oregonus proceeded over a wide range of environmental parameters. Over 80% of the ova tested survived and hatched in conditions between 33 ~ and 37~ and 22 % and 84 % relative humidity. The greatest survival was 98% at 35~ 75% R. H. and in a 3% COs atmosphere. The generation time of G. oregonus was 40 days. Duration of embryogenesis and nymphal stadia approximated 10 days for each. Adult lice lived 30-t- days on gophers. Age frequency mortalities were calculated as 0.02 for eggs, 0.18, 0.24, and 0.06 for nymphal instars and 0.50 for adult lice. This indicates a Type II survivorship curve. There was a direct linear relationship between the number of female lice on a gopher and the number of lice eggs. The average number of eggs per female was four. Using the pivotal frequency for reproduetives, it was possible to calculate R o for the louse at 1.272. Thus, r was equal to 0.24 per generation or 0.006 per day, and the population doubles in 2.8 generations. Speculations regarding population regulation are also included.
THE VISUAL ORBIT OF 64 PISCIUM

We report on the determination of the visual orbit of the double-lined spectroscopic binary system 64 Piscum with data obtained by the Palomar Testbed Interferometer in 1997 and 1998.
Time series versus fourier transform methods for estimation of respiratory impedance spectra

Abstract Most current techniques to estimate respiratory system mechanical input impedance spectra (Z rs ) use digitally created (Fourier transform (FFT) based) random noise. Recent Z rs data reported from 0.1–4 Hz and above 32 Hz display sharper, more distinct spectral features. When expressing Z rs as a power spectral density (PSD), such features suggest the application of a time series spectral estimation approach. Here, a simulation study was performed to compare the quality of impedance (PSD and Z rs ) estimates from the time series technique to those from the FFT approach in the presence of measurement noise. Random noise pressure and flow time domain sequences were simulated for two different networks, one which exhibits impedance features reported from 0.1–4 Hz and one which exhibits impedance features reported above 32 Hz. In the time series method, autoregressive (AR), moving average (MA), and autoregressive-moving average (ARMA) models were fit to the pressure and flow sequences separately. The estimated PSD and complex Z rs spectra were compared to the true spectra calculated from the models. Results show that the time series PSD estimates were reasonable even in the presence of additive measurement noise. Conversely, with additive noise, the time series estimates of the complex Z rs showed a negative real part which is physiologically inappropriate. This occurs because of the loss of phase information inherent to the time series approach. Regardless of measurement noise, the FFT estimates of impedance were always close to the true impedance and always superior to the time series estimates. We conclude that an accurate estimate of the PSD or complex Z rs spectra from digitally created FFT-based random noise is best obtained using the traditional FFT method.
Measuring service in multi-class networks

Quality of service mechanisms and differentiated service classes are increasingly available in networks and servers. While network clients can assess their service by measuring basic performance parameters such as packet loss and delay, such measurements do not expose the network's core QoS functionality. We develop a framework and methodology for enabling network clients to assess a system's multi-class mechanisms and parameters. Using hypothesis testing, maximum likelihood estimation, and empirical arrival and service rates measured across multiple time scales, we devise techniques for clients to (1) determine the most likely service discipline among EDF, WFQ, and SP, (2) estimate the server's parameters with high confidence, and (3) detect and parameterize non-work-conserving elements such as rate limiters. We describe the important role of time scales in such a framework and identify the conditions necessary for obtaining accurate and high confidence inferences.
Rheumatoid arthritis patients are not at increased risk for 30-day cardiovascular events, infections, or mortality after total joint arthroplasty

Serious infection, cardiovascular disease, and mortality are increased in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Whether RA affects the risk for these complications after total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is unknown, we hypothesize that it does. We compared the occurrence of 30-day postoperative complications and mortality in a large cohort of RA and osteoarthritis (OA) patients undergoing hip or knee TJA. Analyses included 7-year data from the Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program. The 30-day complications were compared by diagnosis by using logistic regression, and long-term mortality was examined by using Cox proportional hazards regression. All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and clustering by surgical site. Additional covariates included sociodemographics, comorbidities, health behaviors, and operative risk factors. The 34,524 patients (839 RA, 33,685 OA) underwent knee (65.9%) or hip TJA. Patients were 95.7% men with a mean (SD) age of 64.4 (10.7) years and had 3,764 deaths over a mean follow-up of 3.7 (2.3) years. Compared with OA patients, those with RA were significantly more likely to require a return to the operating room (odds ratio (OR), 1.45 (95% CI, 1.08 to 1.94), but had similar rates of 30-day postoperative infection, OR 1.02 (0.72 to 1.47), cardiovascular events, OR 0.69 (0.37 to 1.28), and mortality, OR 0.94 (0.38 to 2.33). RA was associated with a significantly higher long-term mortality; hazard ratio (HR), 1.22 (1.00 to 1.49). In this study of US veterans, RA patients were not at an increased risk for short-term mortality or other major complications after TJA, although they returned to the operating room more often and had increased long-term mortality.
The impact of information and communication technology use on interorganizational learning in an IT outsourcing collaboration

This paper presents three case studies that were used to develop theory on how information and communication technology (ICT) use impacts the ability of each partner in an alliance relationship to learn. The specific context for interorganizational learning was an IT outsourcer and three of its clients. The degree of organizational transparency and degree of receptivity were two key factors examined in the facilitation of the collaborations. Other factors examined because of their potential to impact the interorganizational learning outcomes in the relationships included: absorptive capacity (capacity of the partners to learn), relative absorptive capacity (similarity of the organizations) and the intent of the partners. Organizational transparency, organizational receptivity, intent and absorptive capacity were all found to have influenced the levels of interorganizational learning resulting from ICT use in the collaborations; no conclusive support was found for the impact of relative absorptive capacity.
Anomaly detection in multidimensional data using negative selection algorithm

While dealing with sensitive personnel data, the data have to be maintained to preserve integrity and usefulness. The mechanisms of the natural immune system are very promising in this area, it being an efficient anomaly or change detection system. This paper reports anomaly detection results with single and multidimensional data sets using the negative selection algorithm developed by Forrest et al. (1994).
Erratum: Self-similarity and scaling behaviour of infrared emission from radiatively heated dust — I. Theory

Dust infrared emission possesses scaling properties. Overall luminosity is never an input parameter of the radiative transfer problem, spectral shape is the only relevant property of the heating radiation when the inner boundary of the dusty region is controlled by dust sublimation. Similarly, the absolute scales of densities and distances are irrelevant; the geometry enters only through angles, relative thicknesses and aspect ratios, and the actual magnitudes of densities and distances enter only through one independent parameter, the overall optical depth. Dust properties enter only through dimensionless, normalized distributions that describe the spatial variation of density and the wavelength dependence of scattering and absorption efficiencies. Scaling enables a systematic approach to modeling and classification of IR spectra. We develop a new, fully scale-free method for solving radiative transfer, present exact numerical results, and derive approximate analytical solutions for spherical geometry, covering the entire range of parameter space relevant to observations. Scaling implies tight correlations among the SEDs of various members of the same class of sources such as young stellar objects, late-type stars, etc. In particular, all members of the same class occupy common, well defined regions in color-color diagrams. The observational data corroborate the existence of these correlations.
High-penetration, grid-connected photovoltaic technology codes and standards

This paper reports the interim status in identifying and reviewing photovoltaic (PV) codes and standards (C&S) and related electrical activities for grid-connected, high-penetration PV systems with a focus on U.S. electric utility distribution grid interconnection. That includes identifying topics and concerns not yet in the scope of existing C&S documents, identifying C&S-related ongoing work and approaches, and providing recommendations related to C&S needs. This paper also addresses certain technical concerns, e.g., monitoring, information exchange, and control pertaining to business models, tariffs, and economics governed by policy and regulatory mandates. However, the policy, regulatory, and business concerns are not this paper's direct focus. Rather, the primary focus is on systems engineering-based C&S technical concerns for high-penetration PV systems in U.S. utility distribution grids.
Elevated hexokinase increases cardiac glycolysis in transgenic mice.

Objective : Cardiac glucose metabolism is critical to normal and pathological function. The significance of the first committed metabolic step, glucose phosphorylation, has not been established. In this study a new transgenic model was developed in order to investigate the importance of this enzymatic step in cardiac glycolysis. Methods : Transgenic mice were produced that overexpress yeast hexokinase B under the control of a cardiac specific promoter. Yeast hexokinase B is a high affinity enzyme that is not inhibited by glucose-6-phosphate. Hexokinase enzyme activity was measured by a modified radiometric procedure. Cardiac glucose metabolism and contractility were measured in the Langendorff mode. Cardiac glycogen content and glucose-6-phosphate independent glycogen synthase activity were also determined. Results : In transgenic hearts hexokinase activity was significantly elevated and increased glucose metabolism, particularly in the presence of insulin and during cardiac reperfusion. However during ischemic perfusion the effect of the transgene on glycolysis was minimal. Under all conditions tested there was no effect of hexokinase on contractility. Glycogen content of transgenic hearts was elevated 2-fold and glucose-6-phosphate independent glycogen synthase was also increased. Conclusion : These results demonstrate that glucose phosphorylation is a key step in determining cardiac glucose metabolism under oxidative conditions.
A Simulated Maximum Likelihood Estimator for the Random Coefficient Logit Model Using Aggregate Data

We propose a Simulated Maximum Likelihood estimation method for the random coefficient logit model using aggregate data, accounting for heterogeneity and endogeneity. Our method allows for two sources of randomness in observed market shares - unobserved product characteristics and sampling error. Because of the latter, our method is suitable when sample sizes underlying the shares are finite. By contrast, the commonly used approach of Berry, Levinsohn and Pakes (1995) assumes that observed shares have no sampling error. Our method can be viewed as a generalization of Villas-Boas and Winer (1999) and is closely related to the "control function" approach of Petrin and Train (2004). We show that the proposed method provides unbiased and efficient estimates of demand parameters. We also obtain endogeneity test statistics as a by-product, including the direction of endogeneity bias. The model can be extended to incorporate Markov regime-switching dynamics in parameters and is open to other extensions based on Maximum Likelihood. The benefits of the proposed approach are achieved by assuming normality of the unobserved demand attributes, an assumption that imposes constraints on the types of pricing behaviors that are accommodated. However, we find in simulations that demand estimates are fairly robust to violations of these assumptions.
Fertility and the Price of Children: Evidence from Slavery and Slave Emancipation

The Journal of Economic History, Vol. 74, No. 4 (December 2014). © The Economic History Association. All rights reserved. doi: Marianne H. Wanamaker is Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, The University of Tennessee, 524 Stokely Management Center, Knoxville, TN 37996. E-mail: wanamaker@utk.edu. Many thanks to Raquel Bernal, Hoyt Bleakley, Lou Cain, Celeste Carruthers, Joseph Ferrie, Mark Guglielmo, Tim Guinnane, Charles Manski, Robert Margo, Joel Mokyr, John Parman, Paul Rhode, Chris Taber, and anonymous referees for helpful comments and suggestions. Comments from participants at the Northwestern University Economic History Seminar, Northwestern Labor Lunch and the University of Chicago Center for Population Economics Workshop on Economics and Biodemography of Aging and Health Care are gratefully acknowledged. In addition, I thank The Graduate School at Northwestern University for funding this research.
Acute selective glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibition enhances insulin signaling in prediabetic insulin-resistant rat skeletal muscle.

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) has been implicated in the multifactorial etiology of skeletal muscle insulin resistance in animal models and in human type 2 diabetic subjects. However, the poten...
Combining motions into complex displays: playbacks with a robotic lizard

Complex displays composed of multiple, seemingly independent, units can result from sexual selection for increasingly variable, but redundant, displays and from potentially opposing selective pressures imposed by use of the display in multiple contexts. Our playback results support the latter, multireceiver hypothesis by confirming that two aspects of the sagebrush lizard headbob display (number of headbobs and use of display-specific body postures) are independently-meaningful components that are interpreted differently by different receivers. Male receivers use species-typical body postures to distinguish between aggressive and broadcast forms of the display, whereas female receivers are more attentive to the number of headbob motions, using these to distinguish male courtship from a challenge from a female competitor. Thus, display components are likely subject to different selective pressures and the display as a whole is evolving in response to a complex selective regime. Our example differs from other complex signals that have been considered in that both display elements involve dynamic motions (turned on and off by the display producer) as opposed to static signal elements (e.g., color, size). In addition, we found evidence that display structure is highly malleable, and that lizards both produce and respond to artificial displays that violate syntactic rules identified from field observations. Finally, our experiments demonstrate that a robotic lizard can be used effectively in playback studies of visual display behavior in lizards.
Protection against cytosine arabinoside-induced alopecia by minoxidil in a rat animal model.

Background. Alopecia is one of the most physically and psychologically distressing side effect of cancer chemotherapeutic agents. In the past 2 years, we reported that: (a) treatment of 8-day-old rats with 1-B-D-arabinofuranosylcy-tosine (Ara-C), doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (cyc) consistently produced alopecia; (b) Imuvert, a biological response modifier, produced complete protection against alopecia induced by Ara-C and doxorubicin, but not that produced by cyc, most probably through the release of in-terleukin-1; and (c) n-acetylcysteine protected against cyc-induced alopecia in the newborn rat. Methods. As an extension to these observations, we chose to test the efficacy of minoxidil, a drug known to be a hypertrichotic agent, in preventing chemotherapy-induced alopecia in the newborn rat animal model. Results. Minoxidil, when injected locally, offered good local prevention against Ara-C but not CYC-induced alopecia. Minoxidil 2% dissolved in a vehicle of ethanol, propylene glycol, and water was not effective when applied topically. Conclusions. The mechanism of action of minoxidil in its prevention against Ara-C-induced alopecia is currently unknown. This observation may shed some light on the in vivo mechanism of action of minoxidil and may prove to be important in our efforts to search for agents to prevent alopecia among patients receiving chemotherapy.
Using a spatially explicit ecological model to test scenarios of fire use by Native Americans: An example from the Harlem Plains, New York, NY

It is unclear to what extent Native Americans in the pre-European forests of northeast North America used fire to manipulate their landscape. Conflicting historical and archaeological evidence has led authors to differing conclusions regarding the importance of fire. Ecological models provide a way to test different scenarios of historical landscape change. We applied FARSITE, a spatially explicit fire model, and linked tree mortality and successional models, to predict the landscape structure of the Harlem Plains in pre-European times under different scenarios of Native American fire use. We found that annual burning sufficed to convert the landscape to a fire-maintained grassland ecosystem, burning less often would have produced a mosaic of forest and grasslands, and even less frequent burning (on the order of once every 20 years) would not have had significant landscape level effects. These results suggest that if the Harlem Plains had been grasslands in the 16th century, they must have been intentionally created through Native American use of fire.
Indiscernibles and decidable models

Ehrenfeucht and Mostowski [3] introduced the notion of indiscernibles and proved that every first order theory has a model with an infinite set of order indiscernibles. Since their work, techniques involving indiscernibles have proved to be extremely useful for constructing models with various specialized properties. In this paper and in a sequel [5], we investigate the effective content of Ehrenfeucht's and Mostowski's result. In this paper we consider the question of which decidable theories have decidable models with infinite recursive sets of indiscernibles. In §1, using some basic facts from stability theory, we show that certain large classes of decidable theories have decidable models with infinite recursive sets of indiscernibles. For example, we show that every ω -stable decidable theory and every stable theory which possesses a certain strong decidability property called ∃ Q -decidability have such models. In §2 we construct several examples of decidable theories which have no decidable models with infinite recursive sets of indiscernibles. These examples show that our hypothesis for our positive results in §1 are necessary. Finally in §3 we give two applications of our results. First as an easy application of our results in §1, we show that every ω -stable decidable theory has uncountable models which realize only recursive types. Also our counterexamples in §2 allow us to answer negatively two questions of Baldwin and Kueker [1] concerning the effectiveness of their elimination of Ramsey quantifiers for certain theories. In [5], we show that in general the problem of finding an infinite set of indiscernibles in a decidable model is recursively equivalent to finding a path through a recursive infinite branching tree. Similarly, we show that the problem of finding an co-type of a set of indiscernibles in a decidable ω-categorical theory is recursively equivalent to finding a path through a highly recursive finitely branching tree.
Integrated Manufacturing and Human Resource Management: A Human Capital Perspective

This study examined the relationship between integrated manufacturing, defined as the use of advanced manufacturing technology (AMT), just-in-time inventory control (JIT), and total quality managem...
The gap between estimated incidence of end-stage renal disease and use of therapy.

Background: Relatively few data exist on the burden of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and use of renal replacement therapy (RRT)–a life-saving therapy–in developing regions. No study has quantified the proportion of patients who develop ESRD but are unable to access RRT. Methods: We performed a comprehensive literature search to estimate use and annual initiation of RRT worldwide, and present these estimates according to World Bank regions. We also present estimates of survival and of etiology of diseases in patients undergoing RRT. Using data on prevalence of diabetes and hypertension, we modeled the incidence of ESRD related to these risk factors in order to quantify the gap between ESRD and use of RRT in developing regions. Results: We find that 1.9 million patients are undergoing RRT worldwide, with continued use and annual initiation at 316 and 73 per million population respectively. RRT use correlates directly (Pearson’s r=0.94) with regional income. Hemodialysis remains the dominant form of RRT but there is wide regional variation in its use. With the exception of the Latin American and Caribbean region, it appears that initiation of RRT in developing regions is restricted to fewer than a quarter of patients projected to develop ESRD. This results in at least 1.2 million premature deaths each year due to lack of access to RRT as a result of diabetes and elevated blood pressure and as many as 3.2 million premature deaths due to all causes of ESRD. Conclusion: Thus, the majority of patients projected to reach ESRD due to diabetes or hypertension in developing regions are unable to access RRT; this gap will increase with rising prevalence of these risk factors worldwide.
Soil water characteristics of two soil catenas in Illinois: Implications for irrigation

Soil water was monitored by neutron scattering in six soils, three each within two drainage catenas in east-central Illinois, over a 15-month time span. The prairie soils have formed in: (1) 76-152 cm of silt loam, eolian sediments (loess) over glacial till (Catlin-Flanagan-Drummer catena), and (2) loess greater than 152 cm in thickness (Tama-Ipava-Sable catena). The authors characterized the water content of these soils over the total time span and for wet and dry climatic subsets, as an aid to potential irrigation decisions. Soils of the thin loess, C-F-D catena dried out to lower water contents and had greater soil water variability than did the thick loess soils. Under wet conditions, soil water contents in the two catenas were quite similar. Alleviation of surface and subsurface drying via irrigation would thus be more advantageous to yields on the C-F-D soils than on the T-I-S soils.
Space Application of Piezoelectric Wafer Active Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring

Piezoelectric wafer active sensors (PWAS) are lightweight and inexpensive enablers for a large class of structural health monitoring (SHM) applications. This paper presents and discusses the challenges and opportunities related to the use of PWAS in the structures specific to space applications. The challenges posed by space structures are often different from those encountered in conventional structures. After a review of PWAS princi- ples, the paper discusses the multi-physics power and energy transduction between structurally guided waves and PWAS; predictive modeling results using a simplified analytical approach are presented. Experimental results on space-like specimen structures are presented. Survivability of PWAS transducers under cryogenic space-like conditions is experimentally verified. The paper ends with conclusions and suggestions for further work.
The Relationship Between Prey Capture and Characteristics of the Carnivorous Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia Alata Wood

ABSTRACT We examined the relationship between pitcher characteristics (sugar concentration in nectar, percentage of red coloration and three indices of size) and prey capture in three populations of the carnivorous plant, Sarracenia alata Wood. The indices of size (height, funnel diameter and hood area) were highly correlated in all three populations. Pitcher size and mass of prey capture per day differed significantly among populations. Pitcher size was significantly positively related to total mass of prey capture per day, explaining 37–76% of the variation depending on the population. The sugar concentration in nectar and the red coloration as we measured them were not important in determining prey capture. Examining alternative measurements of nectar (e.g., total nectar production and/or presence of amino acids), volatiles and the presence of UV reflectance patterns may yield further insight into the relationship between pitcher characteristics and prey capture.
Isaac Ray's Advice to Medical Witnesses: Still Relevant?

In honor of Dr. Isaac Ray’s two hundredth birthday, this article examines the advice he gave to prospective psychiatric expert witnesses in mid-nineteenth century. Ray, an American Psychiatric Association founder and father of American forensic psychiatry, made many contributions to psychiatry and its applications to legal settings. Using Ray’s own words, the author illustrates how the “hints” to witnesses retain their freshness today. Ray’s comments include his calling for education in medical jurisprudence, a firm knowledge of mental functioning in health and disease, and a warning that forensic work is not for dabblers. His concern for the integrity of professionals who work within the legal arena is a beacon for all practitioners today.
Healthy technology

One of the biggest struggles user experience teams face is breaking through traditional notions of product strategy, planning and development to bring actionable awareness to the bigger picture around delivering full experiences that people really care about. User research and design is often focused around product & feature design in a space that is defined by out-dated boundaries imposed by history or pre-existing constraints. Research is used to create new features or product direction within these walls, and many design tools are employed to ensure the experience delivered is acceptable. This paper uses a case study of a project titled "Healthy Technology" to highlight the important role that metaphors can play in shifting conversations & strategy, from executive managers to development teams, leading to new boundaries, new strategies, a fresh look at what it means to set direction that targets complete user experiences rather than consumer appreciated features. The metaphor is discussed, through example, as more than a tool for user interface design, exploring the same as a means to alter strategic thinking in upper management as well as guide design and development teams in rethinking notions of technology to create new categories, rethink the problem space and to think beyond features. This paper outlines the research processes that lead to the creation of a metaphor and the functions of the metaphor in overcoming traditional boundaries and thinking. It describes key challenges and methods in this process of moving from research to strategic initiatives that fundamentally shift thinking, providing direction for business models, services, technologies, and industry alignment that come together to provide more than just features or products.
The White Form of Physarella Oblonga

Physarella oblonga (Berk. & Curt.) Morgan, the only species in the genus Physarella of the Myxomycetes, is easily distinguished from any other slime mold by its unique thimble-shaped sporangia and the spinelike processes of the capillitium which extend out and stud the surface of the peridium. The organism is of world wide occurrence, Martin (8) describing its distribution as "Throughout North America, Cosmopolitan." All monographers are in general agreement concerning the color of the stalk, the peridium, the capillitial knots, and the plasmodium. The peridium is described by Lister (6) as "a yellow membrane thickened with deposits of yellow-lime granules and studded with the spine like processes of the capillitium"; by Macbride and Martin (7) as "tawny, roughened by numerous yellowish, calcareous scales . . . "; by Hagelstein (5) as "a yellow stout membrane, thickened with yellow limegranules"; and by Martin (8) as "greenish with shadings of brown or red, flecked with yellowish scales." The same authors describe the stalk as red-brown or red; the lime knots of the capillitium as yellow or orange; and the plasmodium as rich yellow or yellow. Cultural studies by Abbott (1), Gray (4), and by Gehenio and Luyet (3) indicate that the organism grows well in crude culture and that it is homothallic since monospore and monamoebal cultures produce plasmodia and eventually fruiting bodies, and since Ross (9) has established that plasmogamy takes place in this organism and results in the formation of zygotes. In the fall of 1962 two-membered cultures of Physarella oblonga with Aerobacter aerogenes were established in the laboratory as were axenic cultures of plasmodia, purified by the migration process, which are being maintained on oat flake agar (unpublished research).
Different degrees of disorder in long disordered peptides can be discriminated by vibrational spectroscopy.

The isotropic Raman, anisotropic Raman, IR, and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) amide I profiles of a 20 residue homopeptide were calculated for different conformational mixtures that one would generally characterize as random coil or disordered. We first show that (1) pure polyproline II (pPII) coils, (2) statistical coils with different fractions pPII, β-strand, and right-handed helical residue conformations, and (3) ideal random coils (nearly equal probabilities for pPII, β, and right-handed helical) can be discriminated based on their respective VCD signal and, to a more limited extent, by means of the peak positions and asymmetries of the corresponding IR and Raman bands. Since molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of unfolded peptides (e.g., Aβ-segments) suggest a mixture of statistical coil and temporarily folded conformations, we calculated the amide I profiles of such mixtures composed of helical, β-strand, and disordered conformers and show that they give rise to rather distinct amide I profi...
Probe of NH3 and CO Adsorption on the Very Outermost Surface of a Porous TiO2 Adsorbent Using Photoluminescence Spectroscopy

We report the first measurements of the kinetics of adsorption on the very outermost surface sites of a porous material compared to measurements made of adsorption on the interior sites. NH(3) and CO were employed in this study as representative of slow diffusion and fast diffusion, respectively, through porous TiO(2). Adsorption of NH(3) at 200 K occurs mainly at the very near surface (~20 nm) region as observed by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and its distribution by surface diffusion through the powder is highly retarded as judged by transmission IR spectroscopy. In contrast, the adsorption of CO in the near-surface region at 120 K is followed by the fast distribution of CO by surface diffusion into TiO(2) powder, causing the near-surface CO coverage to lag behind the coverage in the bulk. In the desorption process, the near-surface region delivers adsorbed CO molecules into the gas phase, accompanied by the supply of diffusing CO molecules from the interior. As a result, the adsorption/desorption processes for CO in the near-surface region of porous TiO(2) show a pronounced hysteresis effect. As surface diffusion is retarded at lower temperatures, the hysteresis effect gradually disappears.
Correlation of Serum Enzymes and Morphologic Alterations of the Liver: With Special Reference to Serum Guanase and Ornithine Carbamyl Transferase

The quest for specificity in enzyme determination is never-ending. Great efforts are being expended to study many enzymes for possible organ specificity—a one-organ, oneenzyme system. Whitehouse and associates reported recently upon serum guanase as a liver function test. Guanase activity in normal human tissue is highest in the liver, kidneys, and brain, with little or no activity in other organs. There is a negligible level in normal serum. Knight and co-workers finding of the possibility of serum guanase being a sensitive index of hepatocellular damage has created much interest in serum guanase as a relatively specific enzyme. Hue and Free have recently published a relatively simple method involving the measurement of the conversion of guanine to xanthine at 245 m/i. Since Reichard's description of a simplified method for the determination of ornithine carbamyl transferase, much interest in this enzyme has been created. The fact that it is confined almost exclusively to the liver has led us to investigate the specificity of this enzyme. Kulhanek and associates have recently described a method for the determination of ornithine carbamyl transferase (OCT). Several patients undergoing liver biopsies were available and, therefore, the opportunity presented itself to use this material and the serums of these patients to study the 2 enzymes referred to above and other more frequently used enzymes in relation to morphologic changes in tissues. Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, lactic acid dehydrogenase, and alkaline phosphatase were the other enzymes chosen because these are used so frequently in most laboratories. These 5 enzymes were then correlated
A Study of Intermolecular Complexes of Bis (p-Chlorophenyl) Acetic Acid and some Biologically Significant Compounds

The mode of action of chlorinated hydrocarbons has received much recent attention, and several elegant studies have attemrted to relate binding and complexation phenomena with toxic effects.
Bacterial evolution: Genomics of metabolic trade-offs.

The number of ribosomal operons in bacterial genomes correlates with both growth rate and carbon use efficiency, likely via proteome allocation trade-offs, providing clues into how microbial communities are structured to make best use of available nutrients.
Microalgae as a Source of Bioplastics

Abstract As worldwide usage for plastics continues to increase, production will need to keep up with demand. Alternative means of producing bioplastics in large quantities economically with comparable material properties to their petroleum counterparts is important for supporting a sustainable source of plastics moving forward. Microalgal biomass is a potential source for producing bioplastics, both using the biomass directly, as well as using it as a feedstock for secondary processes. Bioplastics produced from microalgae have similar characteristics to petroleum-based plastics and thus can be “dropped in” to existing infrastructure and applications. Furthermore, microalgae-derived bioplastics can also be biodegradable, which also makes them environment-friendly. In this chapter, both direct usage of microalgal biomass and derivatized microalgae biomass for bioplastic production will be discussed.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis at Diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes Predicts Poor Long-term Glycemic Control.

OBJECTIVE This study tested the hypothesis that diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in children predicts poor long-term glycemic control independently of established risk factors. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This was a prospective cohort study of 3,364 Colorado residents diagnosed with type 1 diabetes before 18 years of age, in 1998–2012, and monitored for up to 15 years. Of those, 1,297 (39%) had DKA at diagnosis (blood glucose >250 mg/dL, and venous pH 1c levels were measured an average of 2.8 times/year (median 20 HbA 1c values/patient). A linear mixed model was used to examine the effect of DKA on long-term HbA 1c levels, adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, sex, family history of diabetes, health insurance, and insulin pump use. RESULTS DKA at diagnosis predicted persistently elevated HbA 1c levels. Compared with children without DKA, HbA 1c tracked 1.4% (15.3 mmol/mol) higher in those with severe DKA ( P P 1c by 0.5% (5.5 mmol/mol; P P 1c by, respectively, 0.4% (4.4 mmol/mol; P P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS DKA at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in children predicts poor long-term glycemic control, independent of demographic and socioeconomic factors.
Analysis of First-Time Unsuccessful Attempts on the Certified Nurse Educator Examination.

AIM This retrospective analysis examined first-time unsuccessful attempts on the Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) examination from September 2005 through September 2011 (n = 390). BACKGROUND There are few studies examining certification within the academic nurse educator role. There is also a lack of evidence to assist nurse educators in understanding those factors that best support success on the CNE exam. METHOD Nonexperimental, descriptive, retrospective correlational design using chi-square test of independence and factorial analyses of variance. RESULTS A statistically significant relationship was found between first-time failure and highest degree obtained and institutional affiliation on the CNE exam. There was no statistically significant effect on mean scores in any of the six content areas measured by the CNE exam as related to highest degree or institutional affiliation. CONCLUSION The findings from this study support a previous recommendation for faculty development, experience in the role, and doctoral preparation prior to seeking certification.
Preservice Teachers’ Mathematics Teaching Competence: Comparing Performance on Two Measures:

This exploratory study examines the relationship between preservice teachers’ performance on a teaching performance assessment for licensure in elementary mathematics and a measure of knowledge tha...
Analysis of fluoroquinolones antibiotic residue in feed matrices using terahertz spectroscopy.

As antibiotic residue becomes more and more serious all over the world, a rapid and effective detection method is needed to evaluate the antibiotic residue in feed matrices to ensure food safety for consumers. In this study, three different kinds of fluoroquinolones (norfloxacin, enrofloxacin, and ofloxacin) in feed matrices were analyzed using terahertz (THz) spectroscopy, respectively. Meanwhile, pure fluoroquinolones and pure feed matrices were also measured in the same way. Then, the absorption spectra of all of the samples were extracted in the transmission mode. Pure norfloxacin has two absorption peaks at 0.825 and 1.187 THz, and they could still be observed when mixing norfloxacin with feed matrices. Also, there was an obvious and strong absorption peak for ofloxacin at 1.044 THz. However, no obvious absorption peak for enrofloxacin was observed, and only a weak absorption peak was located at 0.8 THz. Then, the different models were established with different chemometrics to identify the fluoroquinolones in feed matrices and determined the fluoroquinolones content in the feed matrices. The least squares support vector machines, Naive Bayes, Mahalanobis distance, and back propagation neural network (BPNN) were used to build the identification model with a Savitzky–Golay filter and standardized normal variate pretreatments. The results show that the excellent classification model was acquired with the BPNN combined with no pretreatment. The optimal classification accuracy was 80.56% in the testing set. After that, multiple linear regression and stepwise regression were used to establish the quantitative detection model for different kinds of fluoroquinolones in feed matrices. The optimal correlation coefficients for norfloxacin, enrofloxacin, and ofloxacin in the prediction set were obtained with multiple linear regression that combined absorption peaks with wavelengths selected by stepwise regression, which were 0.867, 0.828, and 0.964, respectively. Overall, this research explored the potential of identifying the fluoroquinolones in feed matrices using THz spectroscopy without a complex pretreatment process and then quantitatively detecting the fluoroquinolones content in feed matrices. The results demonstrate that THz spectra could be used to identify fluoroquinolones in feed matrices and also detect their content quantitatively, which has great significance for the food safety industry.
The effect of early child care attendance on childhood asthma and wheezing: A meta-analysis.

Objective: Research evidence offers mixed results regarding the relationship between early child care attendance and childhood asthma and wheezing. A meta-analysis was conducted to synthesize the c...
Reconstitution of Human Peripheral Cannabinoid Receptor CB2 into Phosphatidylcholine Proteoliposomes

For structural and functional studies on G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR), it is highly desirable to reconstitute GPCR into a membrane of controlled composition. We attempted functional reconstit...
Abstract 551: Loss of ABCG1 Specifically in Pulmonary Type 2 Cells Results in Impaired Surfactant Lipid Metabolism

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States, and patients with pulmonary disease are at least 2-fold more likely to develop cardiovascular complications. Whole-body cholesterol balance is a complex and tightly regulated process. The sterol-transporter ATP Binding Cassette transporter G1 (ABCG1) is critical for maintaining normal cellular cholesterol and lipid homeostasis. After the liver and intestine, the lung is the 3rd most active lipid-secreting organ. Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare lung disease characterized by the accumulation of surfactant lipids and proteins in the pulmonary alveoli resulting in respiratory distress. For almost all reported cases the underlying cause is unknown. Synthesis and secretion of surfactant in the lung is restricted to epithelial type 2 pneumocytes (T2 cells). However, subsequent clearance of surfactant from the hypophase is dependent upon both T2 cells and macrophages. Both T2 cells and macrophages express high levels o...
Mandating Gender Diversity in the Corporate Boardroom: The Inevitable Failure of California’s SB 826.

America's corporate boards are insufficiently diverse. Too few women and ethnic minorities are at the table. California's SB 826 seeks to remedy this situation by imposing penalties on publicly traded corporations with headquarters in California, regardless of where they are chartered, if their boards have fewer than a legislatively mandated number of self-identified women directors. While well intentioned, this legislation will not achieve its intended effect because it is unconstitutional as applied to the vast majority, if not all, of publicly held corporations headquartered in California. The internal affairs doctrine will limit the law’s application to only 72 corporations headquartered and chartered in California, or 1.59 percent of all publicly traded corporations. The bill will increase the number of board seats occupied by women by trivial amounts, if at all. These trivial changes will, however, come at great risk to the evolution of affirmative action jurisprudence. California's own legislative analysis concludes that "the use of a quota-like system, as proposed by this bill … may be difficult to defend." A successful equal rights challenge means that SB 826 will have no effect at all. The legislation thus offers a poor bargain for diversity advocates: gain a trivial number of board seats, if any, but increase the risk of judicial rulings inimical to broader affirmative action initiatives. There is a better way. California can use its significant capital market influence to induce major institutional investors to mount more aggressive activist campaigns that can rapidly and materially increase boardroom diversity. These campaigns have a demonstrated history of success. They will not generate years of litigation, will not be limited to California-chartered corporations, and will pose no risk to affirmative action jurisprudence. Properly structured shareholder activism is the better, smarter way to proceed.
Temporal effects of cytokine treatment on lubricant synthesis and matrix metalloproteinase activity of fibroblast-like synoviocytes.

Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) are major contributors to the composition and function of synovial fluid (SF). In disease, changes to important SF molecules such as hyaluronic acid (HA), lubricin, and numerous inflammatory markers contribute to a loss of SF functional properties. Previous studies characterized the ability of FLS to produce SF molecules in short-term cultures using continuous cytokine supplementation. This study assessed the HA, lubricin, and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) secretion profile of FLS over 12 days of culture. FLS were subjected to continuous, intermittent, and sequential cytokine treatments of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1). HA was assessed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for content and agarose gel electrophoresis for molecular weight distribution. Relative lubricin content was determined by western blot. Pro MMP-2 and active MMP-2 were quantified by gelatin zymography. All intermittent and sequential treatments significantly increased secretion of high-molecular-weight (>3 MDa) HA for the duration of the culture. Sequentially treated groups elevated lubricin synthesis, whereas only groups receiving IL-1β and TNF-α for 2 days followed by TGF-β1 for 1 day reduced active MMP-2 to unstimulated control levels. These data provide important information on the long-term functional potential of cytokine-stimulated FLS and suggest that temporal regulation of cytokine exposure can be a powerful tool to guide healthy synovial secretions.
Optical Antenna NanoLED Based Interconnect Design

We performed an end-to-end link analysis for a directly modulated optical antenna nanoLED. Using a technology node extrinsic unity current-gain frequency of 260 GHz, we simulated an end-to-end energy consumption of under 1fJ/bit up to 100Gbps.