cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electrical responses of the pigeon eye to changes in wavelength of the stimulating light.

Abstract An electroretinographic technique is used to measure responses of the pigeon eye to differences in wavelength. Alternation between any two monochromatic lights of matched luminance yields response potential waves the amplitudes of which are related to the differences in wavelength. The results may be accounted for by a set of three underlying color mechanisms whose output functions when added algebraically yield a good fit to the measured amplitudes. Thus the responses are consistent with a simple, additive trichromatic theory. At the level of the electroretinogram there is an optimum region from 510 to 540 nm for color-differentiating responses. The region of 585–600 nm shows somewhat poorer differentiation, and the region around 570 nm, together with those below 510 nm and above 615 nm, are poorest of all.
Examining Single- and Multiple-Process Theories of Trust in Automation

The author examined the effects of human responses to automation alerts and nonalerts. Previous research has shown that automation false alarms and misses have differential effects on human trust (i.e., automation false alarms tend to affect operator compliance, whereas automation misses tend to affect operator reliance). Participants performed a simulated combat task, whereby they examined aerial photographs for the presence of enemy targets. A diagnostic aid provided a recommendation during each trial. The author manipulated the reliability and response bias of the aid to provide appropriate data for state-trace analyses. The analyses provided strong evidence that only a multiple-process theory of operator trust can explain the effects of automation errors on human dependence behaviors. The author discusses the theoretical and practical implications of this finding.
Priming Gender: Campaigning on Women's Issues in U.S. Senate Elections

The gender gap has been an important feature of American elections since 1980. Yet, most explanations for the effects of gender on voting behavior focus on differences between men and women without taking account of how campaign strategies may serve to highlight or mask these differences. I examine how Senate candidates act strategically in deciding whether and how to target women voters. I find that candidates make these decisions based largely on two factors: (1) the importance of these issues to the state's voters and (2) whether gender gaps had been decisive in previous statewide contests. Analysis of exit-poll data indicates that when campaigns focused more on women's issues, women became more likely to vote Democratic while the vote choices of men were unaffected. Thus, campaign strategies do appear to influence the importance of gender differences in voting behavior.
Construction and characterization of a Mycobacterium tuberculosis mutant lacking the alternate sigma factor gene, sigF.

The alternate RNA polymerase sigma factor gene, sigF, which is expressed in stationary phase and under stress conditions in vitro, has been deleted in the virulent CDC1551 strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The growth rate of the ΔsigF mutant was identical to that of the isogenic wild-type strain in exponential phase, although in stationary phase the mutant achieved a higher density than the wild type. The mutant showed increased susceptibility to rifampin and rifapentine. Additionally, the ΔsigF mutant displayed diminished uptake of chenodeoxycholate, and this effect was reversed by complementation with a wild-type sigF gene. No differences in short-term intracellular growth between mutant and wild-type organisms within human monocytes were observed. Similarly, the organisms did not differ in their susceptibilities to lymphocyte-mediated inhibition of intracellular growth. However, mice infected with the ΔsigF mutant showed a median time to death of 246 days compared with 161 days for wild-type strain-infected animals (P < 0.001). These data indicate that M. tuberculosis sigF is a nonessential alternate sigma factor both in axenic culture and for survival in macrophages in vitro. While the ΔsigF mutant produces a lethal infection of mice, it is less virulent than its wild-type counterpart by time-to-death analysis.
Total Synthesis of Diazonamide A

Commercial reagents were purified prior to use following the guidelines of Perrin and Armarego. All solvents were purified according to the method of Grubbs. Non-aqueous reagents were transferred under nitrogen or argon via syringe or cannula. Organic solutions were concentrated under reduced pressure on a Buchi rotary evaporator using a water bath. Chromatographic purification of products was accomplished using forced-flow chromatography on ICN 60 32-64 mesh silica gel 63 according to the method of Still. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was performed on Silicycle 0.25 mm silica gel F-254 plates. Visualization of the developed chromatogram was performed by fluorescence quenching or by anisaldehyde, ceric ammonium molybdate, or potassium permanganate stain. H and C NMR spectra were recorded on a Bruker 500 (500 MHz and 125 MHz) unless otherwise noted. Chemical shifts (δ) are reported from tetramethylsilane with the solvent resonance as the internal standard (CDCl3: δ 7.26, C6D6: δ 7.15,
The constructive 2-variable granular system with universal approximation

An important task of learning is to establish relations among granules such as classes, clusters, sets, groups, etc. The relations can be represented by granular If-Then rules. How to quickly discover the granular If-Then rules becomes a major long-term problem. Conventional training-based approaches such as neural networks and neuro-fuzzy systems have the learning speed bottleneck problem. The new constructive 2-variable granular system was proposed based on soft computing and granular computing to highly speed up granular knowledge discovery. Now the important question is "is the constructive 2-variable granular system a universal approximator?" The constructive 2-variable granular system is proved to be a universal approximator. According to the proof, we can construct a granular constructive a-variable granular system with any required accuracy and a near optimal number of granular rules. In the future, the granular constructive n-variable fuzzy system will be investigated in general.
Analysis of kerogens and kerogen precursors by flash pyrolysis in combination with isotope‐ratio‐monitoring gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (irm‐GC‐MS)

This study describes the application of isotope ratio monitoring gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (irm-GC-MS) for compound-specific stable carbon isotopic analysis of aliphatic hydrocarbon and phenolic products from flash pyrolysis (800 °C, 20s) of natural biopolymers and sedimentary kerogens. As part of this work, we provide a detailed description of the analysis of complex samples, including approaches for peak integration, data handling and correction for derivative carbons. Several aliphatic and aromatic biopolymers are analyzed by irm-GC-MS in order to establish relationships between the isotopic signatures of pyrolysis products and those of their parent macromolecules. We also analyze a select group of kerogens and kerogen precursors of different ages and biopolymer compositions to evaluate the applicability of combined pyrolysis/irm-GC-MS to complex geochemical mixtures. Our findings suggest that, in spite of the wide degree of heterogeneity, the isotopic values of individual aliphatic and phenolic pyrolysis products determined by irm-GC-MS can be related to the isotopic composition of the total organic carbon in kerogens and used to trace its biological sources. This study also highlights the need for optimum chromatographic separation in order to fully realize the potential of compound specific isotope analyses.
Novel method for measuring the spectral transmission of a photographic lens

We present a new approach of measuring the spectral transmission ratio of a lens under test (LUT). Three auxiliary optics are used to perform this test, including one focusing lens, one small prism, and one reflecting mirror, whose transmission or reflection properties need not be known. This method is able to measure the lens transmission ratio over the entire visible spectrum range, and covers a large portion of the lens pupil aperture.
Hydrogen Bond Integrity Between MHC Class II Molecules and Bound Peptide Determines the Intracellular Fate of MHC Class II Molecules

MHC class II molecules associate with peptides through pocket interactions and the formation of hydrogen bonds. The current paradigm suggests that the interaction of side chains of the peptide with pockets in the class II molecule is responsible for the formation of stable class II-peptide complexes. However, recent evidence has shown that the formation of hydrogen bonds between genetically conserved residues of the class II molecule and the main chain of the peptide contributes profoundly to peptide stability. In this study, we have used I-A k , a class II molecule known to form strong pocket interactions with bound peptides, to probe the general importance of hydrogen bond integrity in peptide acquisition. Our studies have revealed that abolishing hydrogen bonds contributed by positions 81 or 82 in the β-chain of I-A k results in class II molecules that are internally degraded when trafficked through proteolytic endosomal compartments. The presence of high-affinity peptides derived from either endogenous or exogenous sources protects the hydrogen bond-deficient variant from intracellular degradation. Together, these data indicate that disruption of the potential to form a complete hydrogen bond network between MHC class II molecules and bound peptides greatly diminishes the ability of class II molecules to bind peptides. The subsequent failure to stably acquire peptides leads to protease sensitivity of empty class II molecules, and thus to proteolytic degradation before export to the surface of APCs.
Solid-state microsensors for cortical nerve recordings

The author discusses the application of solid-state microsensors and recording microprobes in acquiring neural signals. The combination of precision photolithographic techniques afforded by integrated circuit techniques, and the exacting micromachining capabilities available in silicon enable one to implement biomedical sensors that are smaller, more reproducible, and much more capable in terms of their functionality and signal processing capabilities than their predecessors. >
Anaerobic biodegradation of halogenated and nonhalogenated N‐, s‐, and o‐heterocyclic compounds in aquifer slurries

The fate of several halogenated and nonhalogenated heterocyclic compounds in anoxic aquifer slurries was investigated Substrate depletion and methane formation were monitored in serum bottle incubations by HPLC and GC, respectively Pyridine, pyrimidine, thiophene, and furan were not mineralized following an 11-month incubation, but the corresponding carboxylated or oxygenated compounds were That is, >74% of the theoretically expected amount of methane was recovered from nicotinic acid, uracil, or 2-furoic acid Chlorinated derivatives, like 2 chloro- or 6-chloronicotinic acid, as well as 4 chloro- and 5-chlorouracil resisted mineralization However, 5-bromouracil was reductively dehalogenated to stoichiometric amounts of uracil, whereas 2-chloropyrimidine was metabolized to a more polar unidentified compound that resisted further anaerobic biodegradation Microorganisms acclimated to 5-bromouracil were unable to transform 4 chloro or 5 chlorouracil These findings illustrate how the structure of heterocyclic contaminants influences their susceptibility to anaerobic decay
TESTING THE PERMANENT-INCOME/LIFE-CYCLE HYPOTHESIS WITH AGGREGATE DATA

The aggregate implications of the permanent-income/life-cycle hypothesis (PILCH) are derived rigorously. Virtually all empirical rejections of PILCH based on aggregated data are shown to result from misspecifications or from characteristics of aggregate data that have been overlooked. Valid aggregate tests are proposed. Those based on a properly formulated aggregate consumption function may be superior to those based on Euler-equation methods.
Design of LQG/H ∞ dynamic compensators for time varying non-linear feedback systems: circle criterion and guaranteed gain and phase margins

The objective of this paper is to present a synthesis method for dynamic compensators for multivariable time varying non-linear feedback systems. The design equations are developed for LQG and/or H∞ dynamic compensators. The same method can be used for linear time invariant systems to design dynamic compensators with guaranteed gain and phase margins. The conservativeness of the design is reduced by computing an optimal diagonal scaling matrix and represents a new time domain solution to a sub-problem in mu-synthesis.
A Precis of Recent Advances in the Neuropsychology of Mild Cognitive Impairment(s) in Parkinson's Disease and a Proposal of Preliminary Research Criteria

Cognitive changes of Parkinson's disease (PD) manifest earlier and are more heterogeneous than previously appreciated. Approximately one-third of patients have at least mild cognitive changes at PD diagnosis, and subtle changes might be appreciable among those at risk for PD. Executive dysfunction is the most common cognitive change, but other phenotypes exist. Pathobiologic and potential prognostic differences among cognitive phenotypes remain poorly understood. Progress in the neuropsychology, epidemiology and pathobiology of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in PD is hampered by lack of diagnostic criteria. This study proposes preliminary research criteria for two categories of PD non-dementia cognitive impairment.
Basic Concepts in Electromigration

A review of basic concepts in electromigration is presented and recent theoretical developments are discussed. The microscopic origin of the driving force for electromigration is elucidated and, as an example, the driving force exerted on an impurity near a grain boundary is calculated in a jellium model. A connection is made between the calculated electromigration driving force and 1/f-noise measurements. Results of the first computer simulations of electromigration at the microscopic level are presented. It is found that dynamical recoil effects can lead to a significant enhancement of electromigration for light interstitial impurities.
Review Article: Anatomic Double Bundle Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction:

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) consists of 2 bundles: a slightly larger anteromedial bundle and a posterolateral bundle, named according to their relative tibial insertion sites. Both bundles are crucial to knee stability. Although it is more technically demanding, a double bundle ACL reconstruction restores the knee biomechanics better and provides more rotational stability than a single bundle ACL reconstruction. Intermediate and long-term clinical investigation including the measurement of rotational laxity and the evaluation of osteoarthritic change is needed to confirm biomechanical and short-term clinical outcomes.
Is American Multilateralism in Decline

American foreign policy appears to have taken a sharp unilateral turn. A half century of U.S. leadership in constructing an international order organized around multilateral institutions, rule-based agreements, and alliance partnerships seems to be giving way to an assertive unilateralism. But how deeply rooted is this unilateral turn? Is it an inevitable feature of America's rising global power position? This article argues that the United States is not doomed to shed its multilateral orientation. Unipolar power provides new opportunities for the United States to act unilaterally, but the incentives are actually quite complex and cross-cutting; and these incentives arguably make multilateralism more rather than less desirable for Washington in many policy areas.
Asset Management — An Insurance Perspective

The global insurance industry is vitally interested in the Asset Management systems that are implemented at industrial sites. While these systems are usually implemented to protect and manage plant and equipment, often the impact of these systems on the corporate financial model are overlooked. The type and effectiveness of the asset management system can affect the companies viability in terms of insurance cover and hence capital raising and risk profiling. This paper discusses the operation of the insurance market and the impact that asset management systems have on both the insurer and the insured.
Influence of Vitamin D in Experimental Lead Poisoning

ConclusionsVitamin D causes a rise in the concentration of lead in the blood stream and in the bones of rats suffering from lead poisoning.
1996 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS: A VISION OF SOCIOLOGY'

There is a tradition in this association that the president's address should review the past, or set trendsfor thefuture. I will try to do both,first reviewing the main themes in sociological research, then sketch- ing my own vision of sociology and the human sciences. I offer these thoughts with the hope of enlisting your cooperation toward the betterment of our discipline and our society. In keeping with the theme of this meeting, the sociological imagination, I will be brief in order to leave room for lively and imaginative discussion. Before reviewing the state of the field as a whole, I want to first provide a concrete example of a study which exemplifies my own approach, so that you will have some sense of where I am heading. The study I use as an example is by Lee Harrington (1992). It concerns the language and emotions of dating invitations. Her study, together with another by Ha (1995), can be used to represent all three stages of inquiry that I will be talking about below: exploration, a new stage I propose-morphology, and verification. The first stage of inquiry involved Harrington's own involvement in dating activity and her observations of that of others. Harrington's episode was a brief telephone conversation between two friends. They had known each other for two years but only as members of a group of friends.
Abstract 5394: Dual inhibition of the androgen receptor by ligand blockade and antisense-mediated downregulation is associated with synergistic antitumor activity model of prostate cancer

Background: Although new agents to treat prostate cancer have recently been approved, and new investigational drugs (Abiraterone and MDV3100) that mediate hormone deprivation show promising data from late-stage clinical trials, these therapies typically extend overall survival up to 4 months in patients with advanced disease who have failed conventional androgen deprivation therapy. Hence, there continues to be great medical need. EZN-4176 is a novel LNA-based antisense oligonucleotide (EZN-4176) that down regulates androgen receptor (AR) expression. Previously, antitumor activity of EZN-4176 in multiple xenograft models including both androgen-sensitive and castrate-resistant tumors was shown. More importantly, a synergistic effect was also found when EZN-4176 was combined with MDV3100. Further exploration of the mechanistic underpinning of the effect was explored here. Methods: The mRNA, growth, luciferase activity, protein, and prostate specific antigen (PSA) were evaluated by qRT-PCR, MTT, SteadyGlo, western blot analysis, and ELISA assay, respectively. The effect of EZN-4176 on AR transcriptional activity was evaluated in cells stably express luciferase gene regulated by AR. In vivo, the effect of EZN-4176 on AR transcriptional activity was evaluated in a bone tumor model developed by intratibia injection of C4-2b-AR-luc cells. Results: Combination of EZN-4176 with MDV3100 resulted in a much improved inhibitory effect in colony formation assay in vitro. This effect was not associated with enhanced efficiency of AR mRNA down-modulation as treatment with EZN-4176 with or without MDV3100 showed similar effects on the level of AR mRNA. However, when AR transcriptional activity was examined, we found that the combined effect was greater than each agent alone. In C4-2b-AR-luc bone tumor model, EZN-4176 potently and specifically down-modulated AR-luciferase reporter activity. Further examinations of the anti-tumor effect in this model will help understand the potential of the combinatorial effect in a highly relevant disease model. Conclusions: Our preliminary data suggest that the synergistic anti-tumor effect of EZN-4176 in combination with MDV3100 is in part associated with much reduced transcriptional activity of AR. EZN-4176 alone or in combination with anti-androgens offers great potential in treating patients with advanced prostate cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5394. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5394
DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION OF HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN PARTICLE SUBCLASSES AND GLYCA, A NOVEL INFLAMMATORY MARKER, IN PREDICTING CARDIAC DEATH AMONG PATIENTS UNDERGOING ANGIOGRAPHY: THE INTERMOUNTAIN HEART COLLABORATIVE STUDY

HDL particle (HDL-P) concentrations are comprised of particles that vary in size and composition, and potentially, in risk prediction. Inflammation is known to modulate HDL function. Whether increased inflammation alters associations of HDL subclasses with CAD needs further study. Pts (N=2,848) of
The Effects of Preoperative Needle-Core Breast Biopsy on Resected Tissue Volume, Margin Status and Cosmetic Outcomes in Breast Conserving Surgery.

Background: The amount of breast volume excised is an important determinant for cosmetic outcomes after breast-conserving surgery. Positive margins after breast conserving surgery negatively influence cosmetic outcomes by necessitating re-excisions. In this study, our aim was to evaluate the hypothesis that preoperative localized needle-core breast biopsy (LNCB) diagnosis can reduce the resected volume, margin positivity and cosmetic discontent after breast conserving surgery. Methods: Two hundred sixty five women (mean age:57; range 16-85 years) operated upon by a single dedicated breast surgeon in the year 2007 form the cohort for this study. All underwent excision of lesion with curative intent. LNCB was performed before breast conserving surgery in 237 (89%) patients. The final pathology result were classified by benign, high risk, DCIS, or invasive cancer and compared with the pre-op pathological diagnosis by LNCB. The cosmetic results were determined as excellent, good, fair, or poor during the post-operative period. Associations between various factors were analyzed using Student-t test, ANOVA test and chi-square test. Results: The resected volume (mean±SD) of the patients with preoperative needle core biopsy was higher than patients without core biopsy (101.11±78.1 cm 3 vs 43.37±30.8 cm 3 ; p=0.001). The core biopsy results were 36 (15%) benign, 45 (19%) high risk, 46 (19.5%) DCIS, and 110 (46.5%) invasive breast cancer. The LNCB and surgical path were concordant in 96% of cases. The resected volumes were higher in invasive cancer and DCIS cases.Re-excision for positive margins were necessary in 9 (19.5%) of DCIS cases and 24 (21.8%) with a diagnosis of invasive cancer. Resection volumes were the same for a LNCB diagnosis of high risk lesion whether the final surgical path was benign or malignant (65.3±52.7 cm 3 v. 69.8±8.7 cm 3 ). The cosmetic outcomes of the surgery were excellent in 98% to 100% of patients who had lower volume resections; however, the outcome was less than excellent in 15% to 26% of patients if the final resection volume was more than 100 cm 3 . Conclusions: Pre-operative LNCB that establishes the benign nature of a lesion allows a more limited resection with improved cosmetic outcomes. Establishing the diagnosis of DCIS or invasive breast cancer by pre-operative biopsy allows for surgical planning of wider resection volumes, but the need for re-excision based on positive margins remains high, suggesting that newer imaging modalities that allow 3-demensional planning of segmental resection or even wider resections employing oncoplastic techniques are necessary. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 1032.
Colonization of Ripening Figs by Carpophilus Spp.

In orchard tests, figs in 4 successive stages of ripening were exposed to Carpophilus Mutilatus Erichson, C. hemipterus (L.), and C. freemani Dobson. For C. mutilatus , frequency of colonization appeared to decrease with advancing ripeness of figs; for C. hemipterus . it appeared to increase with advancing ripeness of figs. Laboratory tests generally corroborated these observations. For C. freemani , colonization of figs was relatively low in orchard tests, although preference of the lesser ripe fruit was indicated in laboratory tests. The number of Carpophilus spp. adults captured in field traps containing a natural bait was inversely correlated with an increase in the proportion of ripening figs. It is suggested that the use of fermenting bait traps for monitoring Carpophilus spp. is of value only prior to the development of figs characterized by yellow color, a firm pedicel, and slight softening of the fruit.
Mohs micrographic surgery.

Mohs micrographie surgery is the treatment of choice for various treatment-resistant nonmelanoma skin cancers, especially recurrent basal cell carcinomas. Mohs surgery achieves the highest possible cure rates with maximal sparing of normal tissue. It provides the reconstructive surgeon with a tumor-free defect that is amenable to immediate reconstruction.
Focusing Events and Public Opinion: Evidence from the Deepwater Horizon Disaster

Scholarly research has found a weak and inconsistent role for self-interest in public opinion, and mixed evidence for a relationship between local pollution risks and support for environmental protection. In this study, I argue that focusing events can induce self-interested responses from people living in communities whose economies are implicated by the event. I leverage a unique 12-wave panel survey administered between 2008 and 2010 to analyze public opinion toward offshore oil drilling before and after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. I find that residence in counties highly dependent upon the offshore drilling industry was predictive of pro-drilling attitudes following the spill, though not prior to the spill. In addition, there is no significant evidence that residence in a county afflicted by the spill influenced opinion. This study concludes that local support for drilling often arises only after focusing events make the issue salient.
Parallel Erasure Coding: Exploring Task Parallelism in Erasure Coding for Enhanced Bandwidth and Energy Efficiency

Very large data sets within the range of megabytes to terabytes generated daily from checkpoint-and- restart processes are seen in today's scientific simulations. Reliability and durability are two important factors to build an archive storage system. Erasure code based object storage systems are becoming popular choices for archive storage systems due to cost-effective storage space saving schemes and higher fault-resilience capabilities. Both erasure code encoding and decoding procedures involve heavy array, matrix, and table-lookup compute intensive operations. Current solutions of the erasure coding process are based on single process approach which is not capable of processing very large data sets efficient and effectively. In this paper, we address the bottleneck problem of single process erasure encoding by leveraging task parallelism offered by multi-core computers. We add parallel processing capability to the erasure coding process. More specifically, we develop a parallel erasure coding software, called parEC. It explores the MPI run time parallel I/O environment and integrates data placement process for distributing encoded data blocks to destination storage devices. We evaluate the performance of parEC in terms of both encoding throughput and energy efficiency. We also compare the performance of two task scheduling algorithms for parEC. Our experimental results show parEC can significantly reduce the encoding time (i.e., by 74.06%-96.86%) and energy consumption (i.e., by 73.57%-96.86%), and Demand-based Workload Assignment (DBWA) algorithm can a high system utilization (i.e., 95.23%).
Tuft size matters: the effects of adult visual social experience on female mate preferences in a wolf spider

While females may benefit from being selective when choosing a mate, social experience can result in variation in mate preferences. Few studies, however, have investigated how multiple factors of the social environment (e.g., male phenotype and social demography) may interact to affect mating preferences. We used the brush-legged wolf spider, Schizocosa ocreata, to determine whether female visual preference for males with large tufts (foreleg bristles) varies based on adult social experience. Video playback was used to simulate social conditions during the early adult stage (1–6 days post-maturity) to test the effects on subsequent mating preferences (day 7 post-maturity) in a multifactorial design. Females were presented a variable number of males (one or three) that varied in their phenotype (small or large tufts) at a variable encounter rate (once every other day or twice per day). On day 7, females were presented a small-tufted and a large-tufted male in a two-choice design. The number of receptivity displays towards each male were counted, and statistical models were used to determine whether the encounter rate, the number of males, or male phenotype best predicted female selectivity. The male phenotype (small or large tufts) that females previously experienced best predicted subsequent female selectivity, such that female S. ocreata exhibited more receptivity displays towards “familiar” males. This study demonstrates the importance of the social environment in the mate preferences of an invertebrate and encourages future studies to use multi-factorial experimental designs to determine the relative importance of social parameters. While our understanding of behavioral plasticity in mating behaviors of invertebrates has increased within the past decade, many researchers have used univariate approaches in such studies. This paper uses a multifactorial approach to investigate plasticity in female preferences of a wolf spider and is perhaps the first to manipulate three different parameters of the perceived social environment. In brief, we found that the “attractiveness” of the males that females previously saw affected subsequent mate preferences more than how often they saw males or how many males they saw per encounter. We also highlight a significant interaction between two variables that would not have been discovered using a univariate approach. Our paper should elicit interest from general behavioral ecologists, but perhaps more specifically those interested in the social environment, sexual selection, behavioral plasticity, video playback, and invertebrate biologists.
The United Nations Global Compact: Engaging Implicit and Explicit CSR for Global Governance

This article analyzes the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) under the conceptual framework of explicit versus implicit corporate social responsibility (CSR) to better understand the operational and governance challenges behind this voluntary global initiative. Using institutional logics theory, we show how the UNGC is a practice that embodies seemingly competing logics. We suggest mechanisms to facilitate the interplay of implicit/explicit CSR and the co-existence of logics that might allow the UNGC to move forward while addressing its critics. We argue that failure to conceptualize the UNGC as a combination of explicit and implicit CSR leaves the UNGC subject to criticism that might be better directed toward organizations that fail to practice explicit CSR. While viewing the UNGC through an integrated CSR framework may not immediately reconcile its critics and proponents, combining elements of both may provide opportunities to posit collaborative solutions to improve the quality, outcome, and legitimacy of UNGC initiatives.
EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF CULVERT DESIGNS ON ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN STREAMS

Culvert replacements are commonly undertaken to restore aquatic organism passage and stream hydrologic and geomorphic conditions, but their effects on ecosystem processes are rarely quantified. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of two culvert replacement designs on stream ecosystem processes. The stream simulation design, where culverts accommodate bankfull width and streambeds are reconstructed through the culvert, was compared with the bankfull and backwater design, where streambeds were left to fill naturally, as well as to non-replaced culverts. We predicted that stream simulation culverts would best preserve water velocity and coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) retention within the culvert relative to upstream reaches, and that both replaced culvert styles would exhibit rates closer to upstream reaches than non-replaced culverts. In addition, we predicted that ecosystem processes (CPOM retention, transient storage and nutrient uptake) would be similar in reaches upstream and downstream of both replaced culvert styles, because both designs are constructed to maintain stream slopes and bankfull widths through the structure. We found that stream simulation design better maintained CPOM retention through culverts compared with non-replaced and bankfull and backwater design culverts, but observed no differences in ecosystem processes between reaches located upstream or downstream of replaced culverts. Although the stream simulation design requires additional streambed construction relative to the bankfull and backwater design, this step may lead to additional improvement if maintaining ecological conditions through the culvert is an important restoration goal. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparison of laparoscopic hepaticojejunostomy and open hepaticojejunostomy. Can stenosis of the hilar hepatic duct affect postoperative outcome

Introduction The aim of this study was to compare laparoscopic hepaticojejunostomy (LHJ) and open hepaticojejunostomy (OHJ) for choledochal cyst associated with hilar hepatic duct stenosis (HHDS). Methods Data collection was prospective for LHJ cases from 2009 and retrospective for OHJ cases from 2003 to 2008. Data were compared with respect to HHDS. HHDS was incised longitudinally as required during hilar hepatic ductoplasty. Results Fifty-eight subjects were studied (LHJ: n = 27, 4 boys, 23 girls; OHJ: n = 31; 6 boys, 25 girls). HHDS was present in 10 LHJ cases and 10 OHJ cases. Todani classification of choledochal cyst in LHJ patients was type 1A (n = 16) and type 4A (n = 11), and in OHJ patients, it was type 1A (n = 19) and type 4A (n = 12). There were significant differences between LHJ and OHJ with regard to mean operative time (386 vs 341 min), mean blood loss (5.9 vs 18.4 mL), recommencement of enteral feeding (3.9 vs 6.4 days), and hospital stay (11.7 vs 15.5 days) (all P < 0.05). Hepatic ductoplasty was performed in 23 LHJ patients and in 21 OHJ patients. There were no intraoperative complications and no conversions to OHJ. There were no significant differences between LHJ and OHJ, regardless of the presence of HHDS, for postoperative complications, which included minor bile leakage, anastomotic stricture, and intestinal obstruction. Conclusion LHJ is as effective as OHJ for the treatment of choledochal cysts irrespective of the presence of HHDS and the need for hepatic ductoplasty.
Exploring evidence for behavioral risk compensation among participants in an HIV vaccine clinical trial.

Abstract Background HIV vaccine trial participants may engage in behavioral risk compensation due to a false sense of protection. We conducted an ancillary study of an HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) vaccine efficacy trial to explore risk compensation among trial participants compared to persons who were willing to participate but ineligible based on previous exposure to the Ad5 virus (Ad5+) across three timepoints. Methods Participants were drawn from the Atlanta, GA site of the HVTN 505 vaccine trial. From 2011–2013, all persons who met prescreening criteria for the clinical trial and presented for Ad5 antibody testing were invited to participate in the ancillary study. Data were collected from vaccine trial participants (n = 51) and Ad5+ participants (n = 60) via online surveys across three timepoints: baseline, T2 (after trial participants received 2/4 injections) and T3 (after trial participants received 4/4 injections). Data analyses assessed demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral differences at baseline and changes at each timepoint. Results At baseline, Ad5+ participants were less likely to have some college education (p = 0.024) or health insurance (p = 0.008), and were more likely to want to participate in the vaccine trial “to feel safer having unprotected sex” (p = 0.005). Among vaccine trial participants, unprotected anal sex with a casual partner (p = 0.05), HIV transmission worry (p = 0.033), and perceived chance of getting HIV (p = 0.027), decreased across timepoints. Conclusions Study findings suggest that persons with previous exposure to Ad5 may be systematically different from their Ad5-negative peers. Unprotected anal sex with a casual partner significantly decreased among HIV vaccine trial participants, as did HIV worry and perceived chance of getting HIV. Findings did not support evidence of risk compensation among HIV vaccine trial participants compared to Ad5+ participants.
Haptic Orientation Guidance Using Two Parallel Double-Gimbal Control Moment Gyroscopes

This paper presents a system of two double-gimbal control moment gyroscopes (CMGs) for providing ungrounded kinesthetic haptic feedback. By spinning a second flywheel opposite the first, and rotating them through opposite trajectories, undesired gyroscopic effects can be eliminated, isolating a single torque axis. This produces a moment pulse proportional to the flywheel spin speed and rotation speed. Rotating the CMG gimbals quickly in one direction, then resetting them more slowly generates repeated torque pulses indicating a clear direction cue. We present the mathematical model for moments produced by this system and verify that the performance of our device matches this model. Using these asymmetric moment pulses, we provide haptic cues to participants in two studies. In the first study, users simply identify the direction of torque cues. In the second study, we use the torque pulses to guide users to target orientations. Performance in both studies shows that this system has the potential to provide useful guidance for applications where ungrounded haptic feedback is desired.
Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics

A new English translation of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. This ongoing project aims to translate accurately the meaning of Aristotle's terse Greek into readable American English for students and the general reader.
Measures of BSEP Inhibition In Vitro Are Not Useful Predictors of DILI

Inhibition of the bile salt export pump (BSEP) by a drug has been implicated as a risk factor for a drug's potential to cause drug-induced liver injury (DILI) and is thought to be an important mechanism leading to DILI. For a wide variety of drugs a correlation has been observed between the potency of in vitro BSEP inhibition and its propensity to cause DILI in humans. These findings were interpreted to suggest that BSEP inhibition could be an important mechanism to help explain how some drugs initiate DILI. Because the Biopharmaceutics Drug Disposition Classification System (BDDCS) can be useful in characterizing and predicting some important transporter effects in terms of drug-drug interactions, we evaluated the information provided by BDDCS in order to understand the inhibition propensity of BSEP. Here we analyze the relationship between a compound's ability to inhibit BSEP function and cause liver injury in humans using a compilation of published DILI datasets that have screened for BSEP inhibitors, other hepatic transporters and other mechanism-based toxicity key events. Our results demonstrate that there is little support for in vitro BSEP inhibition being universally DILI predictive. Rather we show that most potent BSEP inhibitors are BDDCS class 2 drugs, which we have demonstrated previously is the BDDCS class most likely to be DILI related. Since BDDCS class is not related to any proposed DILI mechanistic hypotheses, we maintain that if measures of BSEP inhibition alone or together with inhibition of other transporters cannot be differentiated from class 2 assignment, there is no support for in vitro BSEP inhibition being DILI predictive.
Organometallic and radical intermediates reveal mechanism of diphthamide biosynthesis.

Diphthamide biosynthesis involves a carbon-carbon bond-forming reaction catalyzed by a radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) enzyme that cleaves a carbon-sulfur (C–S) bond in SAM to generate a 3-amino-3-carboxypropyl (ACP) radical. Using rapid freezing, we have captured an organometallic intermediate with an iron-carbon (Fe–C) bond between ACP and the enzyme’s [4Fe-4S] cluster. In the presence of the substrate protein, elongation factor 2, this intermediate converts to an organic radical, formed by addition of the ACP radical to a histidine side chain. Crystal structures of archaeal diphthamide biosynthetic radical SAM enzymes reveal that the carbon of the SAM C–S bond being cleaved is positioned near the unique cluster Fe, able to react with the cluster. Our results explain how selective C–S bond cleavage is achieved in this radical SAM enzyme.
Über ebene Kurven

Das Thema dieser Vorlesung sind glatte ebene Kurven wie die aus Abbildung 12.1. Schnittpunkte einer Kurve mit sich selbst werden als Doppelpunkte bezeichnet; die Kurve aus Abbildung 12.1 hat drei davon.
Identifying core curricular components for behavioral health training in internal medicine residency: Qualitative interviews with residents, faculty, and behavioral health clinicians.

ObjectiveBehavioral health services frequently delivered by primary care providers include care for mental health and substance abuse disorders and assistance with behavioral risk factor reduction....
Faculty Perceptions of Community College Transfer Students: The Private University Experience

This qualitative study, using an ethnographic study design, examined small, private university faculty relationships, experiences, interactions, and perceptions of the community college transfer st...
Annals On Call - Community-Acquired Pneumonia: Diagnosis, Risk Stratification, and Treatment

In this episode of Annals On Call, Dr. Centor discusses the diagnosis and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia with Dr. Cyrus A. Askin.
Functional, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Aspects of Gastrointestinal Hormones

Gastrointestinal (GI) hormones are essential to many physiologic functions in our body. They have many GI and extra-GI functions. Some of the functions of these hormones, which have GI and extra-GI sources, are still unknown. Specific GI hormones can affect the brain to control food intake, while others can proliferate normal and neoplastic tissue when their receptors are expressed in certain neoplasms. GI hormones also have many diagnostic and therapeutic roles. Physiologic and pathophysiologic aspects as well as the diagnostic and therapeutic values of GI hormones are elaborated in this review.
Deep Orange: Mask R-CNN based Orange Detection and Segmentation

Abstract The objective of this work is to detect individual fruits and obtain pixel-wise mask for each detected fruit in an image. To this end, we presents a deep learning approach, named Deep Orange, to detection and pixel-wise segmentation of fruits based on the state-of-the-art instance segmentation framework, Mask R-CNN. The presented approach uses multi-modal input data comprising of RGB and HSV images of the scene. The developed framework is evaluated using images obtained from an orange grove in Citra, Florida under natural lighting conditions. The performance of the algorithm is compared using RGB and RGB+HSV images. Our preliminary findings indicate that inclusion of HSV data improves the precision to 0.9753 from 0.8947, when using RGB data alone. The overall F1 score obtained using RGB+HSV is close to 0.89.
Chapter 23 – Thoughts

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes the thirteen pieces of brain puzzle discussed in the book. Some of these include Mozart effect, music structure in cortical data, Mozart effect in electroencephalogram (EEG), symmetry in cortical data, trion model, and Mozart effect in epilepsy. The purpose of the book is to present ideas on how one think, reason, and creates, using music as a window into higher brain function. It discusses brain theory, neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, brain imaging, child development, music cognition, education, teaching of music, teaching of math and science, neuropathology, and psychology. It explains and integrate a substantial number of puzzle pieces that, when assembled, can represent higher brain function. Moreover, the trion model provides the theoretical guide and ties together the entire process. The chapter ends at the note that, it would be wonderful if all children could begin to fully utilize their innate spatial-temporal abilities to think, reason, and create.
Root distribution and seasonal fluctuations under different grove floor management systems in citrus

Abstract Grove floor management practices play a significant role in citrus physiology, root distribution, and overall tree health. Among the various agricultural practices evaluated in this study, black plastic mesh groundcovers showed increasing soil moisture availability and temperature, as well as improving plant growth and yields. Raised bed practices have also been used to increase soil drainage and porosity to promote root proliferation in compacted soils. While these practices have been primarily studied on annual or row crops, their introduction into grove systems has been slow, even the positive results obtained with these practices. Citrus are managed very differently from row crops, with long-term practices and management techniques often negatively impacting root growth. Citrus management practices using raised beds and black plastic mesh groundcovers have shown great promise in improving citrus production and tree growth. However, few studies have investigated the impact of these practices on root growth and morphology and how these practices affect aboveground growth and production. In this experiment, we aimed to evaluate how different practices affected root growth and how this, in turn, impacted aboveground parameters. To accomplish this, we examined root distribution and in-growth (root growth inside a hand-made core) in four different citrus grove floor management systems; raised bed with groundcover, raised bed without groundcover, flatbed with groundcover, and flatbed without groundcover at various times throughout the growing season for three years. We then assessed how each treatment parameter affected root characteristics and how this affected the aboveground and soil measurements. Root analysis with WinRhizo® software showed significant differences between management systems. Raised beds with black plastic groundcovers increased root growth and density throughout the study. Seasonal in-growth core data indicated that the period from Fall-Spring showed significantly higher root growth than the Spring-Fall period, indicating seasonal growth and senescence of roots. The Spring-Fall cores were also less influenced by management treatment than the other sampling dates. While short-term growth varied with season, the effects of raised beds with plastic groundcovers positively influenced tree growth, root growth, and morphology over the long-term.