cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Landscape ecology as a foundation for sustainable conservation

Landscape ecology and conservation share a common focus on places, but they differ in their perspectives about what is important about those places, and the integration of landscape ecology into conservation is far from complete. I consider four ways in which landscape ecology can contribute to conservation. First, protected areas that are established for conservation are not stand-alone isolates. They exist in the context of broader landscape mosaics, which may encourage or discourage movements of individuals into and out of an area. Second, the landscape surroundings of a preserve may contain threats to the biodiversity within the preserve, many of them consequences of human activities. In combination, these relationships with the surroundings may make the “effective area” of a preserve different from that shown on a map. Third, the scale of an administrative area or of management action may not coincide with the scales of populations, disturbances, or ecological processes, creating challenges to both landscape ecology and conservation. Finally, landscapes encompass people and their activities; sustainability of conservation requires consideration of the tradeoffs between human uses and the biodiversity values of a landscape. I illustrate these four themes with a case study of the management of prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) in the Great Plains of North America, where the tensions between conservation and human land uses are particularly high. Ecologists and conservationists consider prairie dogs as keystone species in these grassland ecosystems and primary targets for conservation, but many private landowners regard them as varmints that consume valuable livestock forage and degrade rangeland condition. Effective conservation of functioning grasslands must include prairie dogs, and this in turn requires that the issues be addressed in terms of the biological, social, and cultural features of entire landscapes. Important as they are, areas protected for conservation cannot by themselves stem the tide of global biodiversity loss. The perspective must be broadened to include the landscapes where people live and work, recognizing the dynamic nature of landscapes and the factors driving land-use change. Landscape ecologists must work together to overcome the cultural differences between their disciplines, and between academic science and conservation practice and management. It can, and must, be done.
Preparing and Application of Polymerized Aluminum-Ferrum Chloride

Put forward a new method to prepare polyaluminium ferric chloride (PAFC). Discuss the effect of starting materials, reaction processes on the leaching ratios of alumina and iron oxide. Application properties were tested. The results showed that both diasporic bauxite and the red mud from gibbsite (RMG) do not need to be baked. In the case of diasporic bauxite, the leaching ratios of alumina and iron oxide reach 4.15% and 78.32% respectively under the conditions that the concentration of hydrochloric acid is 6mol/L, the reaction time is 60 minutes, the reaction temperature is about 109°C, and the way of extracting is two-step extracting. In the case of RMG, the leaching ratios of alumina and iron oxide reach 89.00% and 98.39% respectively under the same conditions. Diasporic bauxite is not a suitable raw material for PAFC synthesizing. The PAFC prepared from RMG was used to treat active black KN-B dye-containing wastewater and the Kaolin-containing wastewater. The maximum depollution ratio is 98.0% and 97.0 % respectively.
Expression of the division-controlling gene ftsZ during growth and sporulation of the filamentous bacterium Streptomyces griseus

The branched, filamentous cells of Streptomyces form two different types of septum: those found infrequently in vegetative mycelia and those that form the boundaries of developing spores. To begin to understand the role of cell septation events in the Streptomyces life cycle, we have isolated the ftsZ locus from Streptomyces griseus, an organism that undergoes sporulation on solid surfaces and in liquid culture. The nucleotide sequence of the cloned DNA indicates that ftsZ in S. griseus lies within a region containing other genes likely to be involved in cell division and cell wall biogenesis. A gene (ORF1) showing significant similarity to ftsQ maps a short distance upstream from ftsZ, but there is no evidence for an ftsA homologue between ftsZ and ORF1. Transcription analysis suggests that ftsZ is expressed during both vegetative growth and sporulation. Immunoblots of soluble protein preparations from vegetative and sporulating mycelia indicate that FtsZ is present at similar levels during growth and differentiation. There appears to be only one ftsZ gene in S. griseus. We interpret these results to indicate that any temporal regulation of FtsZ that may be necessary for the enhanced synthesis of septa during sporulation of S. griseus is likely to occur predominantly at the level of activity rather than synthesis.
Investigation of defects in organic anti-corrosive coatings using electrochemical noise measurement

Abstract Performance of solvent-borne and water-borne coatings at defects produced by laser and by a new mechanical technique was investigated when immersed in Harrison’s solution (3.5% (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , 0.5% NaCl) diluted 10× and in 0.4% NaCl. The main technique employed was the electrochemical noise method (ENM). This method is virtually non-intrusive. Using noise resistance ( R n ) values gives a quantitative indication of how the coating is performing: the higher the value the more effectively it was found to be protecting at the scribe. Some results have also been obtained using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and good correlation was obtained with ENM values. Also, analysis of the distribution of some of the data sets obtained from the electrochemical noise measurements has been conducted.
New approach to malignant strictures of the esophagus

Primary esophageal cancer is the most common cause of malignant esophageal stricture. Prognosis and treatment outcomes vary with the stage of the disease. Endoscopic ultrasound has a high accuracy rate for local and regional staging. Surgery is curative for early cancer. Endoscopic mucosal resection, photodynamic therapy, or brachytherapy can be used with curative intent for early cancer, especially in patients with comorbid conditions precluding surgery. Unfortunately, the majority of patients with esophageal cancer present with advanced disease. The primary aim in these patients is to alleviate symptoms with a minimum of side effects and reinterventions. Palliative surgery or chemoradiotherapy can be associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Several endoscopic techniques for palliation are available, and all have the potential of significantly improving swallowing. The choice of a particular endoscopic approach is usually determined by local expertise and characteristics of the stricture.
Japanese science fiction and conceptions of the (human) subject

In her article "Japanese Science Fiction and Conceptions of the (Human) Subject" Maria Poulaki discusses the crisis that almost all essentialist categorizations have been facing in late modernity, in the context of which science fiction texts offer fertile ground to investigate the transitions brought about with the intensified invasion of the "human self" by its "nonhuman other." The analysis of a Japanese science fiction film draws a seemingly paradoxical connection between the Japanese version of modernity and self-identity with the relevant "Western" articulations found in the work of Bruno Latour and Alain Badiou. This connection points at a broader re-conceptualization of subjectivities beyond "human identity" and towards a collective conception of the self, which circulates in cultural texts and philosophical discourses that challenge the borders between East and West, humans and nonhumans. Japaneseness has been associated with a multiple conception of the self as part of the cosmos; such a conception has also been a core axis of the post-1980s "ontological turn" in French philosophy. Poulaki examines the non-modern origins of both these visions of the relationship between self and other, as well as the way in which they reveal the presence of non-individual dynamics that transgress the geopolitical borders of modernity and create a continuum between cultural anthropology and ontology. ©Purdue University.
Sound Policies for Food Security: The Role of Culture and Social Organization

Culture conditions the ability to organize to provide food security, but social organization is the immediate source of policies that prevent food insecurity or determine what happens when it does occur. Weather, war, terrorism, conflict, overpopulation, environmental degradation, corruption, and faulty policies have been identified as causes of food insecurity. Perhaps most of the blame for food insecurity should go to faulty policies or poor implementation of sound policy. This article identifies reasons for both kinds of failure that are linked to culture and social organization. The central task of government is to allow the food system to manage its own affairs, but policies must be ready to guide action when market, crop, or policy failures create food insecurity among those with no other means of coping with adversity.
Determination of Volume Fractions in a Two-Phase Flows From Sound Speed Measurement

Accurate measurement of the composition of oil-water emulsions within the process environment is a challenging problem in the oil industry. Ultrasonic techniques are promising because they are non-invasive and can penetrate optically opaque mixtures. This paper presents a method of determining the volume fractions of two immiscible fluids in a homogenized two-phase flow by measuring the speed of sound through the composite fluid along with the instantaneous temperature. Two separate algorithms are developed by representing the composite density as (i) a linear combination of the two densities, and (ii) a non-linear fractional formulation. Both methods lead to a quadratic equation with temperature dependent coefficients, the root of which yields the volume fraction. The densities and sound speeds are calibrated at various temperatures for each fluid component, and the fitted polynomial is used in the final algorithm. We present results when the new algorithm is applied to mixtures of crude oil and process water from two different oil fields, and a comparison of our results with a Coriolis meter; the difference between mean values is less than 1%. Analytical and numerical studies of sensitivity of the calculated volume fraction to temperature changes and calibration errors are also presented.
A survey of issues in computer network security

Computer networks are proliferating rapidly for a number of reasons discussed in this paper. During this boom, relatively little attention has been paid to computer network security. This paper describes problems posed by network security and presents a survey of methods and technologies available today to enhance network security. Current methods are discussed, including information security strategy, computer security and its relation to network security, data communications security, and data encryption. Ideas from promising areas of research close the paper.
Bringing the Arrows Back In: On the Recursivity Assumptions in School Process Models

School process models in the tradition of those introduced by Sewell and his colleagues have identified interpersonal influences as central to the maintenance of differences in goal orientations across SES levels. These differences in goal orientations, in turn, are the most immediate causes of the attainment differentials observed later as youth complete their schooling and enter the world of work. Documentation of this social-psychological process typically has come from recursive structural equations models in which this particular step-wise flow of influence is entertained and other plausible possibilities are precluded. The present study examines the tenability of these recursive constraints by estimating two alternative specifications: (1) a nonrecursive model in which cross-sectional measures of interpersonal influence, educational plans, curriculum placement, and school performance all are simultaneously determined, and (2) a longitudinal recursive model, in which earlier school process measures are allowed to affect each later school process variable. These estimations indicate that significant others offer support in response to students' expressed plans for college but are themselves ineffectual as agents of socialization. This pattern is in striking contrast to that obtained under the recursive specification, and suggests that the evidence in favor of the social-psychological interpretation may be fundamentally flawed.
Immunochemical studies of stinging insect venom allergens

Several major venom allergens from different insects of the Hymenoptera order have been cloned and sequenced by different laboratories. These insects include fire ants, honey bees, hornets, yellowjackets and wasps. These venom allergens have different biochemical functions, but have one feature in common, their varying extents of sequence identity with other proteins in our environment. Our studies in mice suggest that recombinant fragments containing regions of sequence identity of venom allergen(s) and host protein(s) show antigenic cross-reactivity. These studies lead to the hypothesis that cross-reactivity of venom allergens with host proteins promotes the immunogenicity of venom allergens in susceptible people.
Homogeneity of mesothelial cells with lymphatic endothelium: expression of lymphatic endothelial markers by mesothelial cells.

Background: Mesothelial cell monolayers cover the serous cavities and internal organs, and provide a protective low-friction interface between apposed organs and tissues. The mesothelium also regulates inflammation, fluid and cell exchange, and tissue repair in these compartments and possibly tumor metastasis. In the present study, a stable pleural mesothelial cell line (MIM) was isolated and characterized, and the expression of several lymphatic specific markers by these cells examined. Methods and Results: MIM were isolated from mice stably expressing a temperature-sensitive SV40 large T antigen ('Immortomouse', strain: H-2Kb-tsA58). These cells were compared with lymphatic endothelial cells (LEC) derived from the mesenteric adventitia of the Immortomouse. MIM and LEC expression of lymphatic-specific markers (Flt-4, LYVE-1, and Prox-1) was examined, and the tight junction protein (ZO-1) was studied by immunofluorescence and immunoblotting in these cells. Results: LYVE-1, Prox-1, and Flt-4 were detected ...
Charge redistribution and electronic polarization in organic molecular crystals

Abstract The electronic polarization of organic molecular crystals is obtained using the atom–atom polarizability tensor and charge redistribution in addition to previous theory based on induced dipoles. The dielectric tensors of anthracene and perylenetetracarboxylic acid dianhydride (PTCDA) crystals are successfully related to molecular polarizabilities.
Guest column: from randomness extraction to rotating needles

The finite field Kakeya problem deals with the way lines in different directions can overlap in a vector space over a finite field. This problem came up in the study of certain Euclidean problems and, independently, in the search for explicit randomness extractors. We survey recent progress on this problem and describe several of its applications.
Three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship modeling of cocaine binding by a novel human monoclonal antibody.

Human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) designed for immunotherapy have a high potential for avoiding the complications that may result from human immune system responses to the introduction of nonhuman mAbs into patients. This study presents a characterization of cocaine/antibody interactions that determine the binding properties of the novel human sequence mAb 2E2 using three-dimensional quantitative structure−activity relationship (3D-QSAR) methodology. We have experimentally determined the binding affinities of mAb 2E2 for cocaine and 38 cocaine analogues. The Kd of mAb 2E2 for cocaine was 4 nM, indicating a high affinity. Also, mAb 2E2 displayed good cocaine specificity, as reflected in its 10-, 1500-, and 25000-fold lower binding affinities for the three physiologically relevant cocaine metabolites benzoylecgonine, ecgonine methyl ester, and ecgonine, respectively. 3D-QSAR models of cocaine binding were developed by comparative molecular similarity index analysis (CoMSIA). A model of high statistical qua...
Antibiotics in Feed Induce Prophages in Swine Fecal Microbiomes

ABSTRACT Antibiotics are a cost-effective tool for improving feed efficiency and preventing disease in agricultural animals, but the full scope of their collateral effects is not understood. Antibiotics have been shown to mediate gene transfer by inducing prophages in certain bacterial strains; therefore, one collateral effect could be prophage induction in the gut microbiome at large. Here we used metagenomics to evaluate the effect of two antibiotics in feed (carbadox and ASP250 [chlortetracycline, sulfamethazine, and penicillin]) on swine intestinal phage metagenomes (viromes). We also monitored the bacterial communities using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. ASP250, but not carbadox, caused significant population shifts in both the phage and bacterial communities. Antibiotic resistance genes, such as multidrug resistance efflux pumps, were identified in the viromes, but in-feed antibiotics caused no significant changes in their abundance. The abundance of phage integrase-encoding genes was significantly increased in the viromes of medicated swine over that in the viromes of nonmedicated swine, demonstrating the induction of prophages with antibiotic treatment. Phage-bacterium population dynamics were also examined. We observed a decrease in the relative abundance of Streptococcus bacteria (prey) when Streptococcus phages (predators) were abundant, supporting the “kill-the-winner” ecological model of population dynamics in the swine fecal microbiome. The data show that gut ecosystem dynamics are influenced by phages and that prophage induction is a collateral effect of in-feed antibiotics. IMPORTANCE This study advances our knowledge of the collateral effects of in-feed antibiotics at a time in which the widespread use of “growth-promoting” antibiotics in agriculture is under scrutiny. Using comparative metagenomics, we show that prophages are induced by in-feed antibiotics in swine fecal microbiomes and that antibiotic resistance genes were detected in most viromes. This suggests that in-feed antibiotics are contributing to phage-mediated gene transfer, potentially of antibiotic resistance genes, in the swine gut. Additionally, the so-called “kill-the-winner” model of phage-bacterium population dynamics has been shown in aquatic ecosystems but met with conflicting evidence in gut ecosystems. The data support the idea that swine fecal Streptococcus bacteria and their phages follow the kill-the-winner model. Understanding the role of phages in gut microbial ecology is an essential component of the antibiotic resistance problem and of developing potential mitigation strategies.
Long Term Results of Tracheal Support Surgery for Emphysema

SUMMARY 1.Nineteen patients with obstructive lung disease and associated large airway collapse have undergone tracheal support surgery. 2.Ten patients have expired (average survival 18 months), four from the primary lung disease or complications of surgery. 3.Nine patients are still living 8–56 months from time of surgery (average 31 months). Sustained improvement in two patients with preoperative MBC values of 12 and 18 L/min is documented. 4.Further observations on clinical and laboratory evaluation and surgical management are discussed. A new prosthesis for surgically supporting the collapsing trachea is described.
Effect of leaf incubation temperature profiles on agrobacterium tumefaciens‐mediated transient expression

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transient expression is known to be highly dependent on incubation temperature. Compared with early studies that were conducted at constant temperature, we examined the effect of variable leaf incubation temperature on transient expression. As a model system, synthetic endoglucanase (E1) and endoxylanase (Xyn10A) genes were transiently expressed in detached whole sunflower leaves via vacuum infiltration for biofuel applications. We found that the kinetics of transient expression strongly depended on timing of the temperature change as well as leaf incubation temperature. Surprisingly, we found that high incubation temperature (27-30 °C) which is suboptimal for T-DNA transfer, significantly enhanced transient expression if the high temperature was applied during the late phase (Day 3-6) of leaf incubation whereas incubation temperature in a range of 20-25 °C for an early phase (Day 0-2) resulted in higher production. On the basis of these results, we propose that transient expression is governed by both T-DNA transfer and protein synthesis in plant cells that have different temperature dependent kinetics. Because the phases were separated in time and had different optimal temperatures, we were then able to develop a novel two phase optimization strategy for leaf incubation temperature. Applying the time-varying temperature profile, we were able to increase the protein accumulation by fivefold compared with the control at a constant temperature of 20 °C. From our knowledge, this is the first report illustrating the effect of variable temperature profiling for improved transient expression.
Measurement of thermal conductivity of biomaterials and cryopreservation solutions

Based on the principle of "hot-wire", a fine needle probe has been developed to determine the thermal conductivity of cryopreservation solutions and biomaterials. The fine needle probe is constructed by inserting twenty strands of fine copper wire (0.02 mm in diameter) into a stainless steel needle. To evaluate the fine needle technique, glycerol, water and several other chemicals were used as the standard specimen. Thermal conductivity values of these chemicals were measured at different temperatures. Values of measured thermal conductivity agreed well (<2% relative error) with TPRC published data.
Population and genetic structure of the West African rain forest liana Ancistrocladus korupensis (Ancistrocladaceae).

Ancistrocladus korupensisD. W. Thomas & Gereau (Ancistrocladaceae) is a recently described liana from Cameroon. Its leaves yield the alkaloid michellamine B, which shows in vitro activity against HIV. The only known population is limited to ; 15 000 ha within Korup National Park and its immediate surroundings. This study: (1) describes ecological patterns (geographic range, population density, stage and size class distributions, host tree characteristics, and seed dispersal patterns) of A. korupensis; (2) quantifies patterns of genetic variation on species and subpopulation levels and fine-scale genetic structure; (3) describes variation in michellamine B content; and (4) makes conservation recommendations based on ecological and genetic data. Ecological data from 457 individuals from seven sites indicate that the A. korupensis population is dominated by canopy-climbing individuals. Population densities are low with values ranging from 2.5 to 12.9 individuals/ ha. Reproduction data suggest limited seed dispersal, episodic fruiting, and no vegetative reproduction. Allozyme data indicate low genetic diversity with only 7.1% of the 14 loci polymorphic. Values for H obs and He were 0.022 (6 0.000 SE) and 0.041 (6 0.000 SE), respectively. Wright’s F statistics analysis suggests that A. korupensis is highly inbred (FIS 5 0.455) with moderate levels of subpopulation differentiation (FST 5 0.1153). Michellamine B content was best predicted by leaf type but also showed a significant relationship for stage class. The occurrence of rare, private alleles in most of the sites, low overall population size and density, and low availability of individuals for recruitment into the adult stage class are important considerations for the rational management of A. korupensis.
Uniform Reachability Algorithms

We introduce the notion of a parametrized family (H)p)p∈P of hybrid systems, and consider questions of reachability in the systems Hp as the parameter p ranges over P. Under the assumption of a uniform (as p ranges over P) finite bound on the number of discrete transitions associated to the individual systems Hp, the notion of reachability is first-order (in the sense of mathematical logic) and uniform in the parameter p. Techniques from logic can then be used to analyze computational questions associated to the family of systems.
Free energy of proton binding in proteins.

In this article we use literature data on the titration of denatured ribonuclease to test the accuracy of proton-binding distributions obtained using our recent approach employing moments. We find that using only the local slope of the titration curve at a small number of points (five, for example) we can reproduce the detailed proton-binding distribution at all pH values. Our method gives the complete proton-binding polynomial for a given protein and each coefficient in this polynomial in turn yields the free energy for binding a given number of protons in all ways to the protein. Using these net free energies, we can then compute the average proton-binding free energy per proton as a function of the fraction of protons bound. We find that this function is remarkably similar for different proteins, even for proteins that exhibit quite different titration behavior. For the special case of binding to independent sites, we obtain simple relations for the first and last terms in the free energy per-proton function. For this special case we also can calculate the distribution functions giving the probability that a molecule has a given number of positive or negative charges and the joint distribution that a molecule simultaneously has a given number of positive and negative charge.
Simultaneous placement and scheduling of sensors

We consider the problem of monitoring spatial phenomena, such as road speeds on a highway, using wireless sensors with limited battery life. A central question is to decide where to locate these sensors to best predict the phenomenon at the unsensed locations. However, given the power constraints, we also need to determine when to selectively activate these sensors in order to maximize the performance while satisfying lifetime requirements. Traditionally, these two problems of sensor placement and scheduling have been considered separately from each other; one first decides where to place the sensors, and then when to activate them. In this paper, we present an efficient algorithm, ESPASS, that simultaneously optimizes the placement and the schedule. We prove that ESPASS provides a constant-factor approximation to the optimal solution of this NP-hard optimization problem. A salient feature of our approach is that it obtains “balanced” schedules that perform uniformly well over time, rather than only on average. We then extend the algorithm to allow for a smooth power-accuracy tradeoff. Our algorithm applies to complex settings where the sensing quality of a set of sensors is measured, e.g., in the improvement of prediction accuracy (more formally, to situations where the sensing quality function is submodular). We present extensive empirical studies on several sensing tasks, and our results show that simultaneously placing and scheduling gives drastically improved performance compared to separate placement and scheduling (e.g., a 33% improvement in network lifetime on the traffic prediction task).
Exercise thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy in women: Correlation with coronary arteriography

Abstract Results of exercise thallium-201 myocardial perfusion images, obtained in 60 women suspected of having coronary artery disease, were correlated with coronary angiographic findings. Thirty-two patients had no significant coronary artery disease; 28 patients had severe coronary artery disease defined as 70 percent or greater diameter narrowing of one vessel (14 patients) or multiple vessels (14 patients). The exercise electrocardiogram was positive in 17 patients (9 with and 8 without coronary artery disease), negative in 16 patients (3 with and 13 without coronary artery disease) and inconclusive in 27 patients (16 with and 11 without coronary artery disease). The exercise thallium-201 scintigram showed exercise-induced defects (reversible ischemia) in 21 patients with coronary artery disease, a fixed defect in 1 patient with single vessel disease and previous transmural infarction, but was normal in the remaining 6 patients, who had single vessel disease. The exercise thallium-201 scintigram in subjects with no coronary artery disease was normal in 28, showed an exercise-induced defect in 1 subject and a fixed defect in the remaining 3 subjects. These fixed defects involved the anterolateral segment in the anterior projection and are thought to be due to attenuation of activity by the overlying breasts. Thus, the sensitivity of the exercise electrocardiogram was 32 percent and the specificity 41 percent. In contrast, the sensitivity of exercise thallium-201 scintigraphy was 75 percent and the specificity 97 percent if only exercise-induced defects were considered abnormal and 79 and 88 percent, respectively, if all fixed defects were considered abnormal. It is concluded that exercise thallium scintigraphy is useful in women suspected of having coronary artery disease. Attenuation of activity by breasts may affect the specificity but not the sensitivity. The exercise electrocardiogram is neither sensitive nor specific in this group.
Laboratory testing in ethanol, methanol, ethylene glycol, and isopropanol toxicities☆

Toxicity from ethanol, methanol, ethylene glycol, and isopropyl alcohol varies widely, and appropriate use of the available laboratory tests can aid in timely and specific treatment. Available testing includes direct measurements of serum levels of these alcohols; however, these levels often are not available rapidly enough for clinical decision making. This article discusses the indications and methods for both direct and indirect testing for ethanol, methanol, ethylene glycol, and isopropanol toxicity. Also discussed are the costs, availability, and turn-around times for these tests.
Enantioselektive Biokatalyse in organischen Solventien am Beispiel Lipase‐katalysierter Reaktionen

Die enantioselektive Biokatalyse in nicht-wasrigen Medien gewinnt in der praparativen Chemie zunehmend an Bedeutung. Dieser Beitrag beschreibt a) die generellen katalytischen Eigenschaften von Enzymen in nicht-wasriger Umgebung, b) die grundlegenden Prinzipien der Herstellung optisch aktiver Carbonsauren und Alkohole durch Lipase-katalysierte enantioselektive Veresterungen und Umesterungen in organischen Medien, c) die Bestimmung kinetischer und thermodynamischer Parameter und d) die quantitative Analyse von veroffentlichten Daten.
Porphyromonas gingivalis Bacteremia Induces Coronary and Aortic Atherosclerosis in Normocholesterolemic and Hypercholesterolemic Pigs

Objectives— The aim of this study was to determine whether recurrent intravenous injections with Porphyromonas gingivalis (P gingivalis), mimicking periodontitis-associated bacteremia, promotes coronary artery and aortic atherosclerosis in pigs. Methods and Results— Pigs (n=36) fed low- or high-fat chow were divided into P gingivalis–sensitized and P gingivalis–challenged groups or P gingivalis–sensitized controls and saline-treated controls. Pigs were sensitized with 109 killed P gingivalis subcutaneously. Four weeks later all sensitized pigs in the group to be challenged started intravenous injections thrice weekly for 5 months with 106 to 107 colony forming units of P gingivalis while controls received saline. Anti–P gingivalis antibody, serum cholesterol, and complete blood counts were assayed monthly. Pigs were euthanized 2 weeks after the last injection, and coronary arteries and aortas were analyzed by histomorphometry and immunohistochemistry. Anti–P gingivalis antibody was increased by P gingival...
Reoperation After Combined Injury of the Index Finger: Repair Versus Immediate Amputation.

Purpose To identify factors associated with unplanned reoperation of severely injured index fingers and to address the number of amputations after initial repair. Methods In this retrospective study, we included all patients older than 18 years of age who had repair or immediate amputation for combined index finger injury at 2 level I trauma centers and 1 community hospital tied to a level I trauma center between January 2004 and February 2014. Twelve patients were excluded because of inadequate follow-up. Bivariate and multivariable analyses sought factors associated with unplanned reoperation after repair and immediate amputation. Results Among 114 patients with combined injury, 75 were treated with repair and 39 with immediate amputation. A total of 41 patients had an unplanned reoperation, 33 after repair (44%) and 8 after immediate amputation (21%). In multivariable analysis, patients who had a reoperation for fingers other than the index finger were at risk for unplanned reoperation after repair. Women were more likely to have an unplanned reoperation than men, and patients who had a ray amputation were at risk for unplanned reoperation after immediate amputation. Six patients (18%) had amputation after initial repair. Conclusions Surgeons may counsel patients that they are twice as likely to have an unplanned reoperation after a repair for combined injury of the index finger compared with an immediate amputation. Unplanned reoperations were more common among patients with injuries involving multiple fingers. Effective shared decision making is particularly important in this setting given that 1 in 5 repaired index fingers were eventually amputated. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic IV.
A Tchebycheff Metric Approach to the Optimal Path Problem with Nonlinear Multiattribute Cost Functions

A global optimization problem of finding an optimal path in the network with multiple attributes on links and a nonlinear convex cost function is studied. It is shown that the modified weighted Tchebycheff metric scalarization can generate every nondominated path in the network. Two exact algorithms for solving the bi-attribute optimal path problem are presented and an illustrative example is enclosed.
Indigent Defense Reform: The Role of Systemic Litigation in OperationalizingThe Gideon Right to Counsel

This paper traces the evolution of litigative efforts to structurally reform state and local indigent defense systems, focusing on the potential of modern class action lawsuits to overcome political process failures at the policy-making and policy-implementation stages. While in Gideon v. Wainwright, the Supreme Court substantially expanded counsel rights for indigent defendants, it did not reach the difficult question of how such rights ought to be administered. The task of operationalizing and giving content to the Gideon right to counsel therefore fell upon state and local policy-makers. As some jurisdictions failed to respond to growing pressures on traditional indigent defense systems by allocating greater resources to the defense function, defense advocates increasingly turned to litigation as a means of compelling legislative action and overcoming existing political process failures. This paper provides a brief historical overview of the growing pressures on state and local indigent defense systems. It then discusses the changing litigative approaches to reform which have evolved in response to the growing indigent defense crisis, focusing on modern injunction-centered class action suits. After considering a series of case studies in Stinson v. Fulton County, Best v. Grant County, Doyle v. Allegheny County Salary Board, and Rivera v. Rowland, this paper discusses the relative advantages of class actions seeking detailed judicial orders as compared with other forms of litigative reform efforts, such as those seeking judicial declarations of unconstitutionality or narrowly tailored injunctive orders. It ultimately concludes that modern class action lawsuits have the unique capacity to generate sustained reform by altering public opinion, changing legislative incentives, fostering cooperation building, and generating court-enforceable settlements. This paper is also available at the Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse (search for case studies).
A Secondary Antioxidant Defense Role for Proteolytic Systems

Free radicals, and related oxidants, have long been studied as agents of tissue damage. Lipid peroxidation is a well-established example of free radical toxicity, as is oxidative damage to RNA, DNA, and even carbohydrates. In contrast, the reactions of proteins with various radicals/oxidants have not been so extensively studied and it is sometimes assumed that proteins are not particularly susceptible to free radical damage. This assumption has been invalidated in recent years, and it is now clear that amino acids, peptides, and proteins are, indeed, vulnerable to attack by a variety of free radicals and related oxidants.1–19 Although mechanisms of damage may vary greatly, it appears that oxidative processes are the common pathway for toxic reactions between both free radicals and proteins and various oxidants and proteins. I shall, therefore, use the term “oxidatively damaged proteins” to cover a wide variety of possibilities.
Sweet sorghum ethanol yield component response to nitrogen fertilization

Abstract Increasing demand for high-yielding, alternative biofuel feedstocks elicits the need to fully understand sweet sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) yield response to varying nitrogen (N) fertilization rates in the U.S. Midwest. The objective of this three-year study was to determine the optimum N fertilization rates for the production of two common sweet sorghum cultivars (Dale and Top 76-6) in central Missouri. Five N rates (0, 56, 112, 168, 224 kg N ha −1 ) were imposed and tested for their effects on dry matter yield, stem juice yield, Brix, fermentable sugar yield, theoretical juice ethanol yield, theoretical lignocellulosic ethanol yield, and total theoretical ethanol yield. Except for Brix, N treatment significantly influenced all yield parameters in all three years. The two varieties yielded similarly across most measured parameters. Total dry matter yields averaged 16.8 Mg ha −1 , juice yields averaged 9113 L ha −1 , and fermentable sugar yields averaged 1055 kg ha −1 across years and varieties. Total ethanol yields averaged 7488 L ha −1 and were highest at 168 kg N ha −1 across the three years, indicating that sweet sorghum in Missouri may reach maximum yields near that fertilization rate. Annual precipitation and temperature differences greatly influenced dry matter, stem juice, and sugar yields, thereby affecting theoretical ethanol yields, such that yields were lower in years with less rainfall and lower temperatures, which also limited the N response in these years.
Modeling and design of a tendon actuated soft robotic exoskeleton for hemiparetic upper limb rehabilitation

Robotic technology has recently been explored as a means to rehabilitate and assist individuals suffering from hemiparesis of their upper limbs. Robotic approaches allow for targeted rehabilitation routines which are more personalized and adaptable while providing quantitative measurements of patient outcomes. Development of these technologies into inherently safe and portable devices has the potential to extend the therapy outside of the clinical setting and into the patient's home with benefits to the cost and accessibility of care. To this end, a soft, cable actuated robotic glove and sleeve was designed, modeled, and constructed to provide assistance of finger and elbow movements in a way that mimics the biological function of the tendons. The resulting design increases safety through greater compliance as well as greater tolerance for misalignment with the user's skeletal frame over traditional rigid exoskeletons. Overall this design provides a platform to expand and study the concepts around soft robotic rehabilitation.
Abscisic Acid Signal Transduction in Stomatal Responses

ABA plays major roles in the regulation of several important plant processes. ABA is important for plant acclimation to drought, cold, and salinity, for development of seed dormancy, and for inhibition of seed germination. ABA at higher concentrations inhibits root growth, but detailed studies have also shown that some ABA is required to maintain root elongation during stress (54). ABA also affects the transcription of a large number of genes (48).
From whence cometh this Welfare consensus? US welfare policy discourse as class warfare in the 1980s and 1990s

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address the ideological narratives which came to comprise a new welfare consensus in the USA and subsequently a welfare state which was more fiscally austere, demeaning, and coercive. It also explores the role of the political and financial restructuring which facilitated the implementation of retrogressive reforms. Design/methodology/approach – Macro-level historical forces are investigated through various texts such as policy statements, journal articles, press releases, political addresses, congressional transcripts and testimony, archived papers, newspaper articles, and occasional sound bites and popular culture references pertaining to welfare and which have come to construct the common understanding of it. Findings – The formation of this consensus was due in part to three factors: first, the growth of and increased influence of an elite policy planning network; second, welfare program administration and financing had been decentralized which allowed greater...
Tracking Estimation of Transmission Line Temperature Based on PMU Measurement

Firstly,based on the explicit analytic expression of conductor's resistance and temperature,an algorithm based on linear least squares state estimation is applied to determine the conductor resistance and hence obtain line temperature using information from phasor measurement unit(PMU).Subsequently,the law of error propagation and probability expression is deduced when direct measurements are transformed into indirect measurements.Finally,with correlated measurement error,the probability distribution of the performance index is discussed in detail.The result shows that the traditional way for identifying bad measurement is still valid.Therefore,the tracking estimation of transmission line temperature is established,and the idea of soft dynamic thermal rating(DTR) is fulfilled.The method proposed provides a simple way to excavate the potential transmission capability,which shows a good practical prospect.
Photothermal characterization of MoS2 emission coupled to a microdisk cavity

Integration of emerging two-dimensional direct bandgap semiconductors onto optical microcavities is important for nanophotonic light sources. In most cases, to achieve high quality factors, such microcavity designs require thermally isolated structures leading to pronounced photothermal effects. Here, we report experimental results on spectroscopic and time-domain characterization of photothermal response from MoS2 monolayers coupled to microdisk resonators. We find that judicious utilization of pulsed laser excitation can circumvent irreversible photoabsorption induced material damage. Our results agree well with finite element method based thermal simulations.
Demographic Differences in Patterns of Youth Out-of-School Time Activity Participation

Participation in structured out-of-school time (OST) activities is of growing interest to families, youth practitioners, and policymakers. OST activities benefit youth socially, emotionally, and academically, especially at-risk youth. Yet, little research has explored the characteristics of youth participants. This study examines whether demographic differences exist merely in getting youth “in the door” of activities, or whether differences persist when examining the number of activities and the amount of time youth spend in activities once they are there. Results from two nationally representative datasets showed that disadvantaged youth were less likely to participate in a variety of activities than their peers, and participated in fewer numbers of activities. Among youth who did participate, Blacks and Hispanics participated less frequently in some activities, although Blacks participated more frequently in community-based youth programs. Implications for recruitment and retention are discussed, including the need for activity leaders to enhance efforts to attract and sustain disadvantaged and ethnic minority youth.
Knowledge exploration using tables on the web

The increasing popularity of mobile device usage has ushered in many features in modern search engines that help users with various information needs. One of those needs is Knowledge Exploration, where related documents are returned in response to a user query, either directly through right-hand side knowledge panels or indirectly through navigable sections underneath individual search results. Existing knowledge exploration features have relied on a combination of Knowledge Bases and query logs.In this paper, we propose Knowledge Carousels of two modalities, namely sideways and downwards, that facilitate exploration of IS-A and HAS-A relationships, respectively, with regard to an entity-seeking query, based on leveraging the large corpus of tables on the Web. This brings many technical challenges, including associating correct carousels with the search entity, selecting the best carousel from the candidates, and finding titles that best describe the carousel. We describe how we address these challenges and also experimentally demonstrate through user studies that our approach produces better result sets than baseline approaches.
Transition from LDR to HDR brachytherapy for cervical cancer: Evaluation of tumor control, survival, and toxicity.

Abstract Purpose In 2012, our institution transitioned from low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy to high dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy. We report clinical outcomes after brachytherapy for cervical cancer at our institution over a continuous 10-year period. Methods and Materials From 2004 to 2014, 258 women (184 LDR and 74 HDR) were treated with tandem and ovoid brachytherapy in the multidisciplinary management of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Stages IA–IVB cervical cancer. Clinical and treatment-related prognostic factors including age, stage, smoking status, relevant doses, and toxicity data were recorded. Results Median followup for the LDR and HDR groups was 46 months and 12 months, respectively. The majority of patients (92%) received external beam radiotherapy as well as concurrent chemotherapy (83%) before the start of brachytherapy. For all stages, the 1-year local control and overall survival (OS) rates were comparable between the LDR and HDR groups (87% vs. 81%, p = 0.12; and 75% vs. 85%, p = 0.16), respectively. Factors associated with OS on multivariate analysis include age, stage, and nodal involvement. On multivariate analysis, severe toxicity (acute or chronic) was higher with HDR than LDR (24% vs. 10%, p = 0.04). Additional prognostic factors associated with increased severe toxicity include former/current smokers and total dose to lymph nodes. Conclusions This comparative retrospective analysis of a large cohort of women treated with brachytherapy demonstrates no significant difference in OS or local control between the LDR and HDR. Acute and chronic toxicity increased shortly after the implementation of HDR, highlighting the importance of continued refinement of HDR methods, including integrating advanced imaging.