cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Forecasting forecast skill

It is shown that it is possible to predict the skill of numerical weather forecasts - a quantity which is variable from day to day and region to region. This has been accomplished using as predictor the dispersion (measured by the average correlation) between members of an ensemble of forecasts started from five different analyses. The analyses had been previously derived for satellite-data-impact studies and included, in the Northern Hemisphere, moderate perturbations associated with the use of different observing systems. When the Northern Hemisphere was used as a verification region, the prediction of skill was rather poor. This is due to the fact that such a large area usually contains regions with excellent forecasts as well as regions with poor forecasts, and does not allow for discrimination between them. However, when regional verifications were used, the ensemble forecast dispersion provided a very good prediction of the quality of the individual forecasts.
Hereditary presacral teratoma

Abstract Seventeen patients in six kindreds are presented with presacral teratoma and sacral defects often associated with anorectal stenosis, retrorectal abscess, and vesicoureteral reflux. The tumor complex is inherited as an autosomal dominant characteristic. One tumor was malignant causing the patient's death. Family members of all patients with this tumor should be examined for the tumor.
Determination of inorganic phosphate in the presence of nonionic detergents: A modified isobutanol-benzene extraction method

Abstract Inorganic phosphate can be determined either radiometrically or spectrophotometrically after extraction of its complex with molybdate into an organic phase. Triton X-100 interferes with this extraction. Determination of the inorganic phosphate can be carried out in the presence of up to 0.8% ( w v ) Triton X-100 by modification of the method: After addition of the silicotungstate, the sample is centrifuged, the yellow oily phase removed, and a sufficient amount of silicotungstate added again. Lubrol WX interfered even more drastically than Triton X-100, but the modified method was effective in the presence of 0.04% ( w v ) Lubrol WX. The method was useful in biochemical assays such as those of ATPase and cyclic nucleotide-dependent phosphodiesterase.
Follow-Up Imaging: Molecular Imaging is Likely Best as a Single Modality, but Multimodality Imaging is the Future

The distinction between treatment effect and recurrent brain malignancy has been a controversial topic for quite some time, with various proponents and opponents for the various cross-sectional neuroimaging modalities. The goal of this manuscript is to provide the latest information on positron emission tomography (PET) molecular imaging, offer other options within the realm of molecular imaging, and to let the reader’s ultimate decision regarding follow-up imaging be made on a case-by-case basis based upon available resources and user experience. Delineation between treatment effect and tumor recurrence is an exceedingly important decision in the era of more focused, targeted therapy, whether anti-angiogenic, immunologic, or radiotherapy. The consequences of an incorrect assessment are obvious, leading to unnecessary treatment and morbidity, delayed treatment, or shortened survival. Various modalities have been proposed to follow such lesions after initial treatment: MRI, MRS, brain PET, and brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Only molecular imaging (PET and SPECT) will be discussed in this article. Molecular imaging is distinguished from anatomical imaging in that it requires intact intraand extra-cellular architecture, whereas anatomical imaging only requires an intact structure. Cancer begins at a cellular level, and thusly, microscopic changes precede macroscopic changes. No imaging modality can replace a microscopic diagnosis, but current technology attempts to model a microscopic process non-invasively. This has inherent implications of: 1. A radiographically negative scan cannot exclude microscopic disease. 2. Molecular imaging depends on specific substrate metabolism by tumors. If the particular tumor cannot metabolize or concentrate the substrate, false negative scans will occur. 3. False positive scans can occur when substrates are metabolized or concentrated by cells related to non-neoplastic processes, such as inflammation or infection. These implications lead to the paradigmof follow up imaging after initial diagnosis and treatment: how to separate cases of residual/recurrent disease from treatment response. The optimal imaging algorithm has not been clearly delineated.
A discrete element based simulation framework to investigate particulate spray deposition processes

This work presents a computer simulation framework based on discrete element method to analyze manufacturing processes that comprise a loosely flowing stream of particles in a carrier fluid being deposited on a target surface. The individual particulate dynamics under the combined action of particle collisions, fluid-particle interactions, particle-surface contact and adhesive interactions is simulated, and aggregated to obtain global system behavior. A model for deposition which incorporates the effect of surface energy, impact velocity and particle size, is developed. The fluid-particle interaction is modeled using appropriate spray nozzle gas velocity distributions and a one-way coupling between the phases. It is found that the particle response times and the release velocity distribution of particles have a combined effect on inter-particle collisions during the flow along the spray. It is also found that resolution of the particulate collisions close to the target surface plays an important role in characterizing the trends in the deposit pattern. Analysis of the deposit pattern using metrics defined from the particle distribution on the target surface is provided to characterize the deposition efficiency, deposit size, and scatter due to collisions.
EXPOSURE TO FELINE AND CANINE PATHOGENS IN BOBCATS AND GRAY FOXES IN URBAN AND RURAL ZONES OF A NATIONAL PARK IN CALIFORNIA

Exposure of bobcats (Lynx rufus) and gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus )t o a range of common canine and feline pathogens was assessed in urban and rural zones of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, a National Park in the San Francisco Bay Area, (California, USA) from 1992 to 1995. Testing included serology for canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus (CPV), canine adenovirus, Leptospira interrogans, feline calicivirus (FCV), feline panleukopenia virus, feline herpesvirus, feline enteric coronavirus (FECV), feline immunodeficiency virus, feline leu- kemia virus, Toxoplasma gondii, and Bartonella henselae. Testing was also performed for Dirofi- laria immitis. Significantly more gray foxes were seropositive for CPV in the urban zone than in the rural zone. In addition, radio-tracking of gray foxes in the rural zone indicated that all three of the rural CPV-seropositive foxes had traveled into adjoining small towns, whereas only one of the 11 seronegative animals had done so. Significantly more bobcats were seropositive for FCV in the rural zone than in the urban zone. Individual bobcats with positive FCV antibody titers had patterns of movement that intercepted park inholdings where domestic cats lived. Bobcat samples were seronegative for all five of the other viral feline pathogens, with the exception of a FECV-seropositive bobcat. High seroprevalence was detected for B. henselae and T. gondii in both zones. Variation in the seroprevalence for different pathogens might be related to differences in the exposure of bobcats and foxes to domestic animals: in the urban zone, gray foxes were located in residential areas outside the park, whereas bobcats were not. Although for most of the pathogens examined there was no relationship between urbanization and exposure, our results for CPV in foxes and FCV in bobcats indicated that proximity to urban areas or contact with humans can increase the risk of disease exposure for wild carnivore populations. Combining behavioral information from radio-tracking with data on pathogen exposure or disease incidence can provide valuable insights into the ecology of wildlife disease that might be missed with broad- scale, population-level comparisons alone.
Institutions and Development: A Conceptual Reanalysis

This essay reviews the concept of “institutions” as used in the recent economic literatures on firms and national development and notes its limitations. An alternative framework is proposed that draws on classic and contemporary sociological theory to position the concept of institutions in relation to other basic elements of culture and social structure. The framework is used to analyze (1) the failure of attempts to transplant institutions of developed countries into the global South and (2) the dynamics of massive privatization in Mexico. The bearing of this framework on current institutional theories of social change is examined, leading to the identification of sources of change at different levels of causal significance and scope. This modified theory of change is applied to the longstanding demographic debates on historical and institutional determinants of fertility transitions. The bearing of the proposed “thick institutionalist” framework on social theory and future development policies is discussed.
Major hematological diseases associated with cleft lip and palate.

Abstract Objective: Cleft lip and palate is among the most common congenital anomalies. Its association with major blood disorders has rarely been reported. The purpose of this study was to report two patients who had major blood diseases associated with cleft lip and palate. Patients and Results: From June 1995 to December 1997, there were 2700 patients with cleft lip, cleft palate, or both who received treatment at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. Two of them were found to have major hematological disorders. In both cases, the disorder was detected by preoperative blood cell counts and white cell differentiation. Case 1 was a 21-year-old woman patient with repaired right cleft lip. She was admitted for alveolar bone grafting and closure of oronasal fistula. Abnormal presentation of blast cells was found, and subsequent bone marrow study confirmed acute lymphocytic leukemia. Case 2 was a 26-year-old man with left secondary cleft lip nasal deformity scheduled to receive staged reconstructive operations. An e...
Back-end software for highly dependable real-time control systems

A new generation of highly dependable real-time control systems (such as automotive brake-by-wire and steer-by-wire) is under development. Specific application domain requirements lead to the new features to be supported by the system software. These requirements are best supported by a time-triggered approach. Motorola is working on the time-triggered fault-tolerant communication hardware as well as participates in a software standardization committee. This article covers back-end system software for highly dependable real-time control systems including operating system, fault-tolerant communication layer and node-local configuration tools. System requirements, implementation strategy, communication scheme and system configuration mechanism are discussed.
Capillary zone electrophoresis for bottom‐up analysis of complex proteomes

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) is emerging as a useful tool in proteomic analysis. Interest arises from dramatic improvements in performance that result from improvements in the background electrolyte used for the separation, the incorporation of advanced sample injection methods, the development of robust and sensitive electrospray interfaces, and the coupling with Orbitrap mass spectrometers with high resolution and sensitivity. The combination of these technologies produces performance that is rapidly approaching the performance of UPLC-based methods for microgram samples and exceeds the performance of UPLC-based methods for mid- to low nanogram samples. These systems now produce over 10 000 peptide IDs in a single 100-min analysis of the HeLa proteome.
Identification and characterization of an androgen-responsive gene encoding an aci-reductone dioxygenase-like protein in the rat prostate.

The ALP1 [aci-reductone dioxygenase (ARD)-like protein 1] gene was identified in a comprehensive cDNA subtraction aimed at identifying genes regulated by androgens in the rat ventral prostate. ALP1 is homologous to the ARD/ARD′ that were discovered in Klebsiella pneumoniae as enzymes that have the same polypeptide sequence and differ only in their metal content. This family of proteins is evolutionarily conserved from bacteria to humans and is involved in the methionine salvage pathway. Northern and Western blot confirmed the regulation of ALP1 by androgens in the rat ventral prostate. ALP1 mRNA is expressed in a variety of tissues; however, its regulation by androgens was specific to the prostate. ALP1 is expressed by the glandular epithelial cells of the rat prostate, with little or no expression in the stromal cells. ALP1 is down-regulated in the different rat Dunning tumor cell lines compared with the normal or castrated rat prostate. Expression studies showed that ALP1 overexpression is not tolerated...
The Hermeneutics of the Causal Powers of Meaningful Objects

AbstractMuch of the interest of critical realists in the hermeneutic character of social inquiry has been shaped by debates with critics. Critical realists insist that the meaningful character of societies does not exclude the possibility of treating them as objects that have causal powers and that these objects are more than the sum-total of their meanings. In what follows, I want to go beyond this debate. Working within critical realist ontology, the question I want to ask is what kind of hermeneutics is required for the study of the causal powers of meaningful objects. If hypotheses about the causal powers of such objects can be confirmed only in dialogues, then what kind of dialogues and with whom are necessary for the understanding of causal powers? The question of the interpretation of causal objects is not merely a methodological one. Social structures are ontologically different from natural ones, and the nature of our understanding of meaningful objects is in part dependent on the way we come to ...
Effect of ionic activity products on the structure and composition of mineral self assembled on three-dimensional poly(lactide-co-glycolide) scaffolds

A biomimetic approach involving the self-assembly of mineral within the pores of three-dimensional porous polymer scaffolds is a promising strategy to integrate advantages of inorganic and organic phases into a single material for hard tissue engineering. Such a material enhances the ability of progenitor cells to differentiate down an osteoblast lineage in vitro and in vivo, compared with polymer scaffolds. The mechanisms regulating mineral formation in this one-step process, however, are poorly understood, especially the effects of ionic activity products (IP) of the mineralizing solution and incubation time. The aims of this study were to define the structure and composition of mineral formed within the pores of biodegradable polymer scaffolds as a function of IP and time. Three-dimensional poly(lactide-co-glycolide) scaffolds were fabricated by solvent casting/particulate leaching and incubated for 4-16 days in six variants of simulated body fluid whose IPs were varied by adjusting ionic concentrations. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy demonstrated the formation of carbonated apatite with sub-micrometer sized crystals that grew into spherical globules extending out of the scaffold pore surfaces. As IP increased, more mineral grew on the scaffold pore surfaces, but the apatite became less crystalline and the Ca/P molar ratio decreased from 1.63 +/- 0.005 to 1.51 +/- 0.002. Since morphology, composition, and structure of mineral are factors that affect cell function, this study demonstrates that the IP of the mineralizing solution is an important modulator of material properties, potentially leading to enhanced control of cell function.
Defense Expenditures and Economic Growth in Israel: The Indirect Link

Evidence from Israel suggests that economic growth may benefit from increased investment rates and cuts in defense spending - in other words, an economic 'peace dividend'. Recent scholarly work, however, focusing on short-term, direct impacts, has provided little evidence for the existence of such a peace dividend in other parts of the world or in Israel itself. In this article, we address these competing views by exploring some important indirect, longer-term effects of defense spending on the Israeli macroeconomy. Our results indicate that a short-term focus fails to reveal the process through which a small, positive economic peace dividend appears to be operating in Israel. Rather, the main features of this process are indirect, long-term, and nuanced, operating through investment, delayed several years, with non-military government spending acting as a crucial intervening variable in the process. Whether the decline of defense spending will continue to be associated with rapid economic growth in Israel is problematic. However, like the defense-economy linkage in Israel, so too may the peace dividend operate indirectly and only in the long term. Our analysis shows that these linkages are not static, but change in important and dramatic ways over time.
Equivalence of permittivity/permeability conditions and source conditions for the existence of TE or TM waves in nonhomogeneous, sourced media

It is argued that the conditions permitting TE (transverse electric) or TM (transverse magnetic) waves in nonhomogeneous media with sources could be reduced to conditions on the source only if the latter took into account the polarization charges and magnetization currents. The resulting formulation was confirmed as being mathematically equivalent. The advantages of the new formulation are compactness and generality (the new formulation applies to nonlinear and nonisotropic media). Its disadvantage is arcaneness; it may be difficult to assess the bound sources until after the problem is completely solved. >
Prolonged erythroid aplasia after major ABO- mismatched transplantation for chronic myelogenous leukemia

Abstract Erythroid engraftment after non-T cell-depleted allogeneic bone marrow transplant (BMT) is reviewed in 112 patients treated for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Twenty-two of 76 evaluable patients were transplanted over a major ABO-mismatch compatibility barrier. These patients showed an increased delay in erythroid engraftment and in time to red blood cell transfusion independence when compared with ABO-identical or minor mismatched recipients. No difference in granulocyte or platelet engraftment was evident. Erythroid engraftment usually occurred spontaneously without specific intervention. One patient was found to have erythroid hypoplasia at day 201 after BMT, despite therapy with intravenous immunoglobulin and high-dose erythropoietin. An anti-A titer of 16,000 was documented. This patient was successfully treated with an aggressive course of 18 plasmapheresis procedures and with donor-type plasma replacement. Delayed erythroid engraftment is common after non-T cell-depleted major ABO-mismatched BMT in CML, but rarely requires intervention other than transfusion support. Rare cases of refractory erythroid aplasia may be treated without additional immunosuppression by aggressive plasma exchange with donor-type plasma. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 1998;4(3):151-6.
Methamphetamine induces trace amine‐associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) expression in human T lymphocytes: role in immunomodulation

The novel transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor, trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1), represents a potential, direct target for drugs of abuse and monoaminergic compounds, including amphetamines. For the first time, our studies have illustrated that there is an induction of TAAR1 mRNA expression in resting T lymphocytes in response to methamphetamine. Methamphetamine treatment for 6 h significantly increased TAAR1 mRNA expression (P < 0.001) and protein expression (P < 0.01) at 24 h. With the use of TAAR1 gene silencing, we demonstrate that methamphetamine-induced cAMP, a classic response to methamphetamine stimulation, is regulated via TAAR1. We also show by TAAR1 knockdown that the down-regulation of IL-2 in T cells by methamphetamine, which we reported earlier, is indeed regulated by TAAR1. Our results also show the presence of TAAR1 in human lymph nodes from HIV-1-infected patients, with or without a history of methamphetamine abuse. TAAR1 expression on lymphocytes was largely in the paracortical lymphoid area of the lymph nodes with enhanced expression in lymph nodes of HIV-1-infected methamphetamine abusers rather than infected-only subjects. In vitro analysis of HIV-1 infection of human PBMCs revealed increased TAAR1 expression in the presence of methamphetamine. In summary, the ability of methamphetamine to activate trace TAAR1 in vitro and to regulate important T cell functions, such as cAMP activation and IL-2 production; the expression of TAAR1 in T lymphocytes in peripheral lymphoid organs, such as lymph nodes; and our in vitro HIV-1 infection model in PBMCs suggests that TAAR1 may play an important role in methamphetamine -mediated immune-modulatory responses.
The square-eared anomaly in New World Myotis

ABSTRACT We investigated the occurrence of abbreviated pinnae (squared ears) in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) and northern bats (Myotis septentrionalis) in Michigan, USA. Although the trait was not observed in 308 M. septentrionalis, squared ears occurred in 56 (0.1%) of 5,863 M. lucifugus that were examined. Squared ears were equally common in males and females. Both ears typically were affected to the same degree and most often reduced by 50% of their height, although the amount of pinna that was missing varied from 5 to 50%. Previous authors speculated that the trait was an ontogenetic malformation, but microscopic examination of squared ears from M. lucifugus in Michigan indicated that the trait consistently was associated with trauma, most likely frostbite.
The Responsibility of the Infectious Disease Community for the Optimal Use of Antimicrobial Agents

Antimicrobial agents are a critical element of the therapeutic armamentarium of modern medicine. How well they are used reflects our ability to treat and prevent infectious diseases. The major consideration for proper usage is to select the optimal agent at the proper dosage. Secondary, but important concerns are to minimize the emergence of resistance and to provide health services at a reasonable cost. The infectious disease community must work in concert with the pharmaceutical industry to achieve these goals. The relations of infectious disease physicians with the industry have been remarkably effective in evaluating and introducing new drugs, however, it is natural that conflicts should arise. Although the overall accomplishments have been outstanding, there is considerable evidence that antimicrobial agents are often abused and used excessively. This paper outlines some of the issues of marketing and the problems inherent in industry-sponsored trials. As specialties other than infectious diseases have encountered major difficulties, it is timely that this society adopts a code of ethical conduct for its work with industrial sponsors and takes the initiative in developing programs for education of other physicians in the field of infectious diseases and antimicrobial therapy both in this country and in developing nations.
Periphyton response to increased light and salmon carcass introduction in northern California streams

Abstract Periphyton response to riparian canopy opening and salmon carcass addition in coastal streams of northern California was evaluated in a manipulative field experiment. The experiment followed a split-plot design, with streams as whole plots and two 100-m reaches in each of 6 streams as subplots. At the subplot level, riparian hardwoods were removed from one reach in each stream. At the whole-plot level, carcasses were added to both open- and closed-canopy reaches of 3 of the streams. Thus, treatments consisted of reaches with open or closed canopies, in the presence and absence of carcasses. Nutrient limitation of the periphyton was assessed in 2 streams (1 with carcasses and 1 without carcasses) using nutrient-diffusing clay saucers (N-enriched, P-enriched, N+P-enriched, or unenriched control) incubated in open- and closed-canopy reaches in the streams. Canopy and carcass treatments did not affect gross primary productivity or periphyton biomass on natural substrates. The periphyton assemblage co...
Cancer Pharmacogenomics: Powerful Tools in Cancer Chemotherapy and Drug Development

Interindividual differences in tumor response and normal tissue toxicities are consistently observed with most chemotherapeutic agents or regimens. While many clinical variables have been associated with drug responses (e.g., age, gender, diet, drug-drug interactions), inherited variations in drug disposition (metabolism and transport) genes and drug target genes also likely contribute to the observed variability in cancer treatment outcome. Pharmacogenomic studies aim to elucidate the genetic bases for interindividual differences and to use such genetic information to predict the safety, toxicity, and/or efficacy of drugs. There exist several clinically relevant examples of the utility of pharmacogenomics that associate specific genetic polymorphisms in drug metabolizing enzymes (e.g., TPMT, UGT1A1, DPD), drug transporters (MDR1), and drug target enzymes (TS) with clinical outcomes in patients treated with commonly prescribed chemotherapy drugs, such as 5-fluorouracil and irinotecan (Camptosar; Pfizer Pharmaceuticals; New York, NY http://www.pfizer.com). Techniques to discover and evaluate the functional significance of these polymorphisms have evolved in recent years and may soon be applied to clinical practice and clinical trials of currently prescribed anticancer drugs as well as new therapeutic agents. This review discusses the current and future applications of pharmacogenomics in clinical cancer therapy and cancer drug development.
Evaluation of the Charlson comorbidity index to predict early mortality in implantable cardioverter defibrillator patients.

Background: Current guidelines consider the implantation of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) a class III indication in patients with a life expectancy of <1 year. An evaluation of concomitant noncardiac conditions may identify patients whom may not derive benefit with ICD therapy. We sought to evaluate the association of the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) on the prediction of early mortality (EM), death <1 year after ICD implant. Methods: The study population consisted of patients (n = 1062) undergoing ICD implantation for the primary or secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death from 1997 to 2007. The predictive value of the CCI on the risk of EM and appropriate shock therapy for ventricular arrhythmias as compared to patients without EM after ICD implant was calculated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards and receiver operator analyses. Results: Patients experiencing EM (n = 110) demonstrated higher CCI scores (mean 2.8 ± 1.3 vs 1.5 ± 1.2, P < 0.001) as compared to individuals without EM (n = 963). Among patients with a CCI of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and ≥5, the incidence of EM increased from 5% to 78%. The CCI was an independent predictor of EM (AHR 1.4 [95% CI 1.2‐1.6], P < 0.001, per single score increase). Patients who experienced EM demonstrated a decreased incidence of appropriate ICD therapy when compared to patients without EM (AHR 0.4 [95% CI 0.2‐0.7], P = 0.001). Conclusion: Noncardiac conditions are commonly observed among patients undergoing ICD implantation. Guidelines must incorporate a comprehensive assessment of concomitant comorbidities to minimize the risk of EM and to maximize the survival benefit with ICD therapy. Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol 2013;18(4):379–388 implantable cardioverter defibrillator; mortality; shocks; risk stratification; outcomes; comorbidities
Revolutionary Communism in the United States

On October 15, 1919, a press dispatch from Buffalo, New York, indicated that the primary election returns in that city gave an average of about three hundred votes to the three candidates whose names appeared on the ballot as representatives of the Communist party, the protagonist of the soviet form of government in the United States. The total number of votes cast was 54,000, which shows that the Communist vote was insignificant, numerically. Newspapers ridiculed the diminutive radical vote. All phenomena have a genesis, and it is the fact that a Communist ballot was cast rather than the quantitative character of the vote that has significance for the student of political philosophy and action. To those who saw the revolutionary left wing of the old Socialist party organize the Communist party and the Communist Labor party in Chicago during the first week of September, 1919, this initial appearance of the revolutionary Communists in American political life presages important developments. The event was heralded by revolutionists in this country and in Europe as the emergence of a new era in the political and economic life of the United States. The widespread dissemination of ultra-radical propaganda in connection with recent strikes is further evidence of the revolutionary purposes of Communists in America.Optimistic prophecies are prevalent to the effect that bolshevism will find no fertile soil in the United States, since American workmen are too prosperous to become susceptible to revolutionary political and industrial philosophy. Similar predictions were voiced even on the floor of the Socialist emergency convention and the Communist Labor party convention last September.
Whole genome sequencing of mutation accumulation lines reveals a low mutation rate in the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum.

Spontaneous mutations play a central role in evolution. Despite their importance, mutation rates are some of the most elusive parameters to measure in evolutionary biology. The combination of mutation accumulation (MA) experiments and whole-genome sequencing now makes it possible to estimate mutation rates by directly observing new mutations at the molecular level across the whole genome. We performed an MA experiment with the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum and sequenced the genomes of three randomly chosen lines using high-throughput sequencing to estimate the spontaneous mutation rate in this model organism. The mitochondrial mutation rate of 6.76×10−9, with a Poisson confidence interval of 4.1×10−9 − 9.5×10−9, per nucleotide per generation is slightly lower than estimates for other taxa. The mutation rate estimate for the nuclear DNA of 2.9×10−11, with a Poisson confidence interval ranging from 7.4×10−13 to 1.6×10−10, is the lowest reported for any eukaryote. These results are consistent with low microsatellite mutation rates previously observed in D. discoideum and low levels of genetic variation observed in wild D. discoideum populations. In addition, D. discoideum has been shown to be quite resistant to DNA damage, which suggests an efficient DNA-repair mechanism that could be an adaptation to life in soil and frequent exposure to intracellular and extracellular mutagenic compounds. The social aspect of the life cycle of D. discoideum and a large portion of the genome under relaxed selection during vegetative growth could also select for a low mutation rate. This hypothesis is supported by a significantly lower mutation rate per cell division in multicellular eukaryotes compared with unicellular eukaryotes.
HOW TO GET PAID FOR HAVING FUN

When writing a prefatory chapter for Annual Reviews a scientist is confronted with the question of what in his or her life might be interesting to others. In my case I was appalled at the absence of material that generates good novels: no broken homes, no misunderstood childhood, no criminal youth gangs, no disastrous liaisons. A landscape of boredom from sea to shining sea. If there is one overlying theme it is that I got paid for doing what I enjoyed all my life. I wish I could say I had cleverly plotted to achieve this nirvana by a series of Machiavellian measures. The truth, however, is closer to the course of the Lord High Executioner in the Mikado: I was “...wafted by a favoring gale as one sometimes is in trances.” As I look back, each new chapter in my life seems to have been a mutation of Pasteur’s phrase “chance to the prepared mind.” Once I had decided to be a scientist, the events seemed to flow as if by accident. However, in retrospect I see that the experience of each phase of my life presag...
COASTAL ECOLOGICAL DATA FROM THE VIRGINIAN BIOGEOGRAPHIC PROVINCE, 1990–1993

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) assessed the ecological condition of estuaries, bays, and tidal rivers in the Virginian Biogeographic Province (Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to Cape Henry, Virginia) during July–September 1990–1993. Indicators measured at 425 probability-based stations included water quality (temperature, salinity, clarity, and dissolved oxygen), contamination and toxicity of sediment, structure of benthic and fish communities, and gross external pathology of fishes. These data were used to quantify the condition of ecological resources in the entire province, as well as in three subgroups (small estuaries, large estuaries, and major tidal rivers). Also characterized was the condition of ecological resources for four major estuarine systems within the province (Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, Hudson–Raritan system, and Long Island Sound) and three tidal rivers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed (Potomac, Rappahannock, and James). The ...
Obligatory implicatures and grammaticality

The paper explores some puzzling data on number agreement with disjunctive noun phrases in Russian. Specifically, it is shown that plural agreement can be blocked as a result of scalar implicature calculation. More generally, I propose that a sentence can be judged ungrammatical when it has scalar implicatures that contradict each other and that cannot be disregarded due to relevance or to the requirements of certain scalar items.
The Original Demoicrat

In her programmatic account of the European Union as a "demoicracy," Kalypso Nicolaidis identifies Kant’s ius cosmopoliticum as the intellectual forebear of this institutional framework, particularly insofar as it is populated both by states and their citizens. In this memo I will critically expand on Nicolaidis’s claim that "the EU has managed to put international and national legal orders at the service of Kant’s ius cosmopoliticum – albeit in the name of a rather narrow neo-liberal focus on absolute rights of economic free movement.” I am not concerned with answering the shopworn question of whether or not the EU ought to be considered an incipient cosmopolitan polity so much as with helping to uncover the normative logic that underpins a composite, multilayered demoicratic structure. To do so, I show that Kant’s tripartite scheme of cosmopolitan right relies on a layering of a union of individuals and discrete demoi in a similar way to Nicolaidis's conception of demoicracy. I also clarify the role that Kant intended economic interdependence to play within that scheme.
Application of Two-Parameter Non-Diffusive Heat Conduction Model to Nanoscale Transient Grating Experiments

With the development of technology, in smaller and smaller length scale, emerging non-diffusive heat transfer has been challenging the traditional Fouriers law of heat conduction. Consequently, lots of models have been constructed. In this paper, a novel two-parameter non-diffusive heat conduction (TPHC) model was applied to decode the physics in nanoscale transient grating experiments. Better fitting with the experiment was shown in the numerical simulation and newly discovered collective diffusive effect was observed by this TPHC model.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Evolutionary relationships of Lentinus to the Polyporaceae : evidence from restriction analysis of enzymatically amplified ribosomal DNA

Evolutionary relationships of Lentinus to the Tricholomataceae and Polyporaceae were studied using restriction analysis of nuclear-encoded ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA). Five species of Lentinus, three species in the Polyporaceae and two species in the Tricholomataceae were examined. Ribosomal DNA phenotypes were determined by restriction endonuclease digestion of enzymatically amplified rDNA (PCR fingerprinting). This method generates restriction fragment length polymorphism data without Southern blotting or autoradiography. With five different four-base restriction enzymes, one hundred and one unique restriction fragments were resolved. Among the 16 individuals studied, there were twelve different rDNA types. A similarity matrix based on presence or absence ofcomigrating restriction fragments was analyzed with UPGMA, complete and single-linkage analysis (using the NTSYS computer package), and Fitch-Margoliash and KITSCH analysis (using the PHYLIP computer package). Results of all analytical approaches were highly consistent and strongly suggest that Lentinus tigrinus is more closely related to the Polyporaceae than to the Tricholomataceae. Morphological characters (dimitic hyphae and hyphal pegs) also support this hypothesis. The other species of Lentinus appear to be intermediate between the Polyporaceae and Tricholomataceae and could not be clearly assigned to either family. The results also suggest that Lentinus is paraphyletic and, therefore, that lamellae have
Performance of Broilers Fed Rations Formulated by Stochastic Nonlinear Programming or Linear Programming with a Margin of Safety

Abstract A feeding trial compared the production of broilers fed rations formulated by linear programming (LP), linear programming with a margin of safety (LPMS), and stochastic nonlinear programming (SP). The SP and LPMS programs met requirements at a specified confidence level (CL); however, SP rations were lower in cost. Treatments included six rations (four replicates per ration with 15 birds per replicate). Variances of methionine, lysine, calcium, and phosphorus were considered. Treatments were: 1) LP; 2) SP and 3) LPMS, both with .69 CL on meeting requirements (NRC, 1984) for the specified nutrients; 4) SP and 5) LPMS, with amino acid CL increased to .90; and 6) SP identical to Treatment 4, but with meat and bone meal restrictions relaxed from 5 to 10%. The SP rations utilized both nutritionally variable ingredients (e.g., rendered by-products) and nutritionally consistent ingredients (e.g., amino acid supplements) while costing less than the equivalent LPMS rations. Birds performed the same between equivalent SP and LPMS treatments (P > .05) on the basis of body weight and feed conversion. The SP rations were more profitable than the LPMS counterparts.
In vitro stimulation of renin production by epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cyclic AMP.

SummaryThe preparation of a dog renal cell suspension suitable for the study of renin production is described. This suspension was utilized to study the in vitro effects of agents that have previously been shown to affect renin production in vivo. Since production and destruction of renin could not be separately quantified, data were limited to “net production” of renin. Incubated controls had only slightly higher renin content than did the nonincubated controls, but the addition of epinephrine, norepinephrine or cyclic AMP caused striking increases in “net production” of renin. The effects of these agents on “net renin production” were abolished by cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis. It is suggested that the reninstimulating effect of catecholamines in the intact animal might be due, at least in part, to a direct chemical action on the renal cells. Cyclic AMP may play a role as an intracellular mediator of the action of catecholamines.
Analysis of Monitoring Report Outbreaks of Foodborne Disease 2010-2014 Years in a Certain Place

Objective To understand the food-borne disease incidence of a ground state,in order to grasp and analysis of the state food security situation,found that the food safety hidden trouble in time,to provide scientific evidence for the effective control measures.Methods According to the foodborne disease outbreaks(food poisoning) reporting system data on January 1,2010—December 31,2014,the state of foodborne disease reporting for statistical analysis.Results 2010—2014 the state 65 foodborne disease outbreaks of disease in 889,with family,good things come to an end,with a greater incidence of bacterial microorganisms,poisonous plants and animals.Conclusion The state 2010—2014 the grim situation of foodborne disease.Mainly composed of poisonous plants and animals and poisonous mushrooms,followed by microbial food poisoning,is the focus of foodborne disease prevention and control of the state.
Thinking on food safety risk communication based on perspective of social governan

Food safety risk communication is an important tool to solve food safety problems. Based on the concept of social shared governance, we analyze the function and problems of stakeholders in Food safety risk communication. It was suggested that government should establish clear and effective risk communication mechanism, enterprises should be encouraged and supported to innovate management. We also should enhance management by objectives and execution construction to realize risk communication integration by combing all social resources.
“Dere dame, to-day demay yow neuer”: Gendering Fear in the Emotional Community of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Using recent work in the history of emotions, this article argues that Sir Gawain and the Green Knight constructs an “emotional community” at Camelot by resolving a tension in late medieval conceptions of courage and fear. Historians suggest that fear played a productive role in a knight’s martial identity despite apparent injunctions to unmitigated courage in romance literature and conduct books. This fact gives rise to incompatible emotional imperatives in Sir Gawain. Specifically, the Green Knight’s terrifying entrance at Camelot discloses the knights’ fear and frames Gawain’s journey to Hautdesert as an attempt to reclaim bravery for the Round Table. The poem ultimately accomplishes this feat through a series of emotional negotiations that reconstruct the Christmas events to reveal female characters as the retrospective objects and subjects of the male fear of death. The result is not to eliminate fear from Camelot’s chivalric identity, but rather to preserve it within a space of internal difference. ...
How Would the Domain Name Dispute—Ikea “Cybersquatting” Case Be Decided Under American Law?

Domain name can be considered the addresses of the Internet, e-mail is sent, and Web pages are found through the use of domain names. As an example, the Web address for the Perkinscoie Web sites is www.perkinscoie.com while e-mail to Sui-Yu Wu (Attorney at Law in Taipei Branch) is sent to wusuy@perkinscoie.com (both using the “perkinscoie.com” domain name). Domain names are more than just address, however, since they can be selected by the “addressee” and are usually closely associated with a particular service or product.
Existence and uniqueness of equilibrium in a distorted dynamic small open economy

Abstract We provide a set of sufficient conditions for existence and uniqueness of recursive equilibrium for a class of small open economies with distortion. The second welfare theorem is not available in this framework and usual approach for studying optimal neoclassical growth models is also not applicable.
Modification of Silver/Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube Electrical Contact Interfaces via Ion Irradiation

Introduction of defects via ion irradiation ex situ to modify silver/single-wall carbon nanotube (Ag-SWCNT) electrical contacts and the resulting changes in the electrical properties were studied. Two test samples were fabricated by depositing 0.1 μm Ag onto SWCNT thin films with average thicknesses of 10 and 60 nm, followed by ion irradiation (150 keV 11B+ at 5 × 1014 ions/cm2). The contact resistance (Rc) between the Ag and SWCNT thin films was determined using transfer length method (TLM) measurements before and after ion irradiation. Rc increases for both test samples after irradiation, while there is no change in Rc for control structures with thick Ag contacts (1.5 μm), indicating that changes in Rc originate from changes in the SWCNT films and at the Ag-SWCNT interface caused by ion penetration through the Ag contact electrodes. Rc increases by ∼4× for the 60 nm SWCNT structure and increases by ∼2.4× for the 10 nm SWCNT structure. Raman spectroscopy measurements of the SWCNTs under the contacts com...
Multisensory temporal function and EEG complexity in patients with epilepsy and psychogenic nonepileptic events

Cognitive and perceptual comorbidities frequently accompany epilepsy and psychogenic nonepileptic events (PNEE). However, and despite the fact that perceptual function is built upon a multisensory foundation, little knowledge exists concerning multisensory function in these populations. Here, we characterized facets of multisensory processing abilities in patients with epilepsy and PNEE, and probed the relationship between individual resting-state EEG complexity and these psychophysical measures in each patient. We prospectively studied a cohort of patients with epilepsy (N=18) and PNEE (N=20) patients who were admitted to Vanderbilt's Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) and weaned off of anticonvulsant drugs. Unaffected age-matched persons staying with the patients in the EMU (N=15) were also recruited as controls. All participants performed two tests of multisensory function: an audio-visual simultaneity judgment and an audio-visual redundant target task. Further, in the cohort of patients with epilepsy and PNEE we quantified resting state EEG gamma power and complexity. Compared with both patients with epilepsy and control subjects, patients with PNEE exhibited significantly poorer acuity in audiovisual temporal function as evidenced in significantly larger temporal binding windows (i.e., they perceived larger stimulus asynchronies as being presented simultaneously). These differences appeared to be specific for temporal function, as there was no difference among the three groups in a non-temporally based measure of multisensory function - the redundant target task. Further, patients with PNEE exhibited more complex resting state EEG patterns as compared to their patients with epilepsy, and EEG complexity correlated with multisensory temporal performance on a subject-by-subject manner. Taken together, findings seem to indicate that patients with PNEE bind information from audition and vision over larger temporal intervals when compared with control subjects as well as patients with epilepsy. This difference in multisensory function appears to be specific to the temporal domain, and may be a contributing factor to the behavioral and perceptual alterations seen in this population.