cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
β-importins Tnpo-SR and Cadmus and the small GTPase Ran promote ovarian cyst formation in Drosophila

Germ cells undergo mitotic expansion via incomplete cytokinesis, forming cysts of undifferentiated cells that remain interconnected prior to meiotic initiation, through mechanisms that are not well-defined. In somatic cells, an actomyosin contractile network controls cleavage furrow formation and abscission and is spatiotemporally regulated by Ras-related nuclear protein (Ran). Here, we identify Ran and β-importins as critical regulators of cyst development in the Drosophila ovary. Depletion of Ran or the β-importins Tnpo-SR and cadmus disrupts oocyte selection and results in egg chambers with variable numbers of germ cells, suggesting abnormal cyst development and cyst fragmentation. We demonstrate that Ran, Tnpo-SR, and Cadmus regulate key cellular processes during cyst formation, including cell cycle dynamics, fusome biogenesis, and ring canal stability, yet do so independently of mitotic spindle assembly. Further, Tnpo-SR and Cadmus control cyclin accumulation and suppress cytokinesis independent of Ran-GTP, suggesting that β-importins sequester protein cargos that normally promote the mitotic-to-meiotic transition. Our data demonstrates that Ran and β-importins are critical for germ cell cyst formation, a role that is likely conserved in other organisms.
The Foes of Neural Network’s Data Efficiency Among Unnecessary Input Dimensions

Input dimensions are unnecessary for a given task when the target function can be expressed without such dimensions. Object's background in image recognition or redundant sentences in text classification are examples of unnecessary dimensions that are often present in datasets. Deep neural networks achieve remarkable generalization performance despite the presence of unnecessary dimensions but it is unclear whether these dimensions negatively affect neural networks or how. In this paper, we investigate the impact of unnecessary input dimensions on one of the central issues of machine learning: the number of training examples needed to achieve high generalization performance, which we refer to as the network's data efficiency. In a series of analyses with multi-layer perceptrons and deep convolutional neural networks, we show that the network's data efficiency depends on whether the unnecessary dimensions are \emph{task-unrelated} or \emph{task-related} (unnecessary due to redundancy). Namely, we demonstrate that increasing the number of \emph{task-unrelated} dimensions leads to an incorrect inductive bias and as a result degrade the data efficiency, while increasing the number of \emph{task-related} dimensions helps to alleviate the negative impact of the \emph{task-unrelated} dimensions. These results highlight the need for mechanisms that remove \emph{task-unrelated} dimensions, such as crops or foveation for image classification, to enable data efficiency gains.
Gang Membership and Mental Health During the Transition to Adulthood

There is an increasing understanding that mental health may be a collateral consequence of joining a gang. The objective of the present study is to assess the effect of gang joining on a set of diverse mental health outcomes that include depression, anxiety, hostility, and paranoid ideation. To reduce bias in our comparisons, we balance gang-joiner and gang-abstainer groups by applying the entropy balancing algorithm to longitudinal data from the Pathways to Desistance study. The results indicate that joining a gang is implicated in poor outcomes for all four measures of mental health considered in our analysis. The observed associations persist both at the first and second wave after joining a gang. To understand more comprehensively both the short- and long-term consequences of gang joining, scholars of crime and justice must expand their focus to include mental health—not solely as a predictor of group offending but also as its consequence. Future studies should also consider mental health in the context of gang desistance.
Association between Chlamydia and routine place for healthcare in the United States: NHANES 1999-2016.

Background The United States is experiencing a surge in Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections representing a critical need to improve sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening and treatment programs. To understand where patients with STIs seek healthcare, we evaluated the relationship between CT infections and the place where individuals report usually receiving healthcare. Methods Our study used a nationally representative sample from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2016. The study population is adult patients, aged 18 to 39 years in whom a urine CT screen was obtained. Logistic regression models were used to determine if location of usual healthcare was predictive of a positive urine CT screen result. Models were adjusted for known confounders including age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, and insurance status. Results In this nationally representative sample (n = 19,275; weighted n = 85.8 million), 1.9% of individuals had a positive urine CT result. Participants reported usually going to the doctor's office (70.3%), "no place" (24.8%), Emergency Department (ED) (3.3%), or "other" place (1.7%) for healthcare. In adjusted models, the predicted probability of having a positive urine CT result is higher (4.9% vs 3.2%, p = 0.022; OR = 1.58) among those that reported the ED as their usual place for healthcare compared to those that reported going to a doctor's office or clinic. Conclusions Individuals having a positive urine CT screen are associated with using the ED as a usual source for healthcare. Understanding this association has the potential to improve STI clinical and policy interventions as the ED may be a critical site in combatting the record high rates of STIs.
The COVID-19 Pandemic: Crisis and Opportunity for a Different Approach to EU–Afghanistan Migration Management

The COVID-19 pandemic has effectively brought international migration to a halt. This chapter offers a critical sketch of the deeply flawed migration policy between the EU and Afghanistan, named in 2019 as the “world’s least peaceful state,” argues that the COVID moratorium of the forced repatriation of Afghans, or their “voluntary” return from Europe, should be made permanent, and that the pandemic crisis should be taken as an opportunity for the European Union and its member states to rethink their migration policy approach to the country. The new focus, reflecting realities on the ground and the bloc’s humanitarian obligations, should be on the establishment of a formal work visa regime with the EU-27, increasing domestic capacity building efforts via the existing EU Migration Partnerships, and, when borders reopen, facilitating regional labor migration arrangements, especially with the wealthy Gulf States who have shown a long-standing commitment to a stable Afghanistan.
Sensitive quantification of m.3243A>G mutational proportion in non-retinal tissues and its relationship with visual symptoms.

The m.3243A>G mutation in the mitochondrial genome commonly causes retinal degeneration in patients with maternally inherited diabetes and deafness (MIDD) and mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS). Like other mitochondrial mutations, m.3243A>G is inherited from the mother with a variable proportion of wild type and mutant mitochondrial genomes in different cells. The mechanism by which the m.3243A>G variant in each tissue relates to the manifestation of disease phenotype is not fully understood. Using a digital PCR assay we found that the % m.3243G in skin derived dermal fibroblasts was positively correlated with that of blood from the same individual. The % m.3243G detected in fibroblast cultures remained constant over multiple passages and was negatively correlated with mtDNA copy number. Although the % m.3243G present in blood was not correlated with severity of vision loss, as quantified by Goldmann visual field, a significant negative correlation between % m.3243G and the age of onset of visual symptoms was detected. Together, these results indicate that precise measurement of % m.3243G in clinically accessible tissues such as skin and blood may yield information relevant to the management of retinal m.3243A>G associated disease.
Infectious Avenues to Cancer

Microbes and Malignancy Infection as a Cause of Human Cancers. Julie Parsonnet, Ed. Oxford University Press, New York, 1999. 477 pp. $79.95, £59.50. ISBN 0-19-510401-3. The contributors explore epidemiologic, clinical, and molecular aspects of the links between infectious microorganisms and several cancers.
Etica antigua y ética contemporánea

The aim of this paper is to examine a few doctrines in the history of ancient ethics which can still be considered valuable and even perhaps valid today. Moral motivation for the Stoics and for Socratesis based on self-interest with the further assumption that the moral virtues are the true goods. But the Stoic and Socratic justification strategies are different. Attention is then called to the Protagorean brand ofrelativism underlying contemporary libertarian claims. The paper end swith the suggestion that only a theory of objective human goods can resolve the problem of moral motivation and of the indeterminacy of the harm principie in modern liberalism.
Effect of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.), size on phytoplankton filtration rate

Four different-sized (390±3, 140±2, 40±2, 16±1 g) Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.), stocked at the same biomass in timed pulse feeding chambers were provided 27–29°C water dominated by Microcystis (82%) and Scenedesmus (18%) to determine the effect of fish size on filtration rates. The number of Microcystis and Scenedesmus units filtered from the water decreased significantly with increasing tilapia size. The shaping constants and maximum filtration rates for Ivlev's feeding model used to describe the relation between filtration rates and the suspended particulate organic carbon (POC) concentrations were significantly different among the four sizes. Filtration rates of 763, 671, 512 and 300 mg C kg−1 h−1, which correspond to 70%, 82%, 86% and 90% saturation levels, were achieved at POC levels of 30, 32, 32 and 33 mg C L−1 for 16, 40, 140 and 390 g Nile tilapia respectively. Smaller tilapia achieved these rates at lower POC concentrations than larger tilapia.
The Neighborhood Stabilization Program: Stable for Whom?

The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) was established after the 2008 housing crisis to provide funding to local governments and other housing providers for stabilizing communities hardest hi...
Modified traces on Deligne's category Rep(St )

Deligne has defined a category which interpolates among the represen- tations of the various symmetric groups. In this paper we show Deligne's category admits a unique nontrivial family of modified trace functions. Such modified trace functions have already proven to be interesting in both low-dimensional topology and representation theory. We also introduce a graded variant of Deligne's category, lift the modified trace functions to the graded setting, and use them to recover the well-known invariant of framed knots known as the writhe.
Speech recognition with the discrete rectangular wave transform

Speaker and phoneme recognition is investigated based on the discrete rectangular wave transform (DRWT). The DRWT is one of the discrete Fourier preprocessing transforms (DFPTs) which corresponds to the first stage in two-stage algorithms to represent discrete trigonometric transforms such as the discrete Fourier transform (DFT). The DRWT is much faster and easier to implement than the DFT. The recognition experiments performed also show that performance of recognition based on DRWT speech spectrograms is comparable to the performance of recognition based on DFT speech spectrograms. >
Relationship between Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure Changes and Cerebral Blood Flow

This study of the effects of certain drugs, gas mixtures, and other stimuli on the cerebrospinal fluid pressure corroborates previous conclusions that alterations in cerebral blood flow are reflected by similar changes in the cerebrospinal fluid pressure in the same direction. The hypothesis is advanced that the elevations and depressions in cerebrospinal fluid pressure resulting from these agents are due to the respective increased and decreased volume of the vascular structures of the brain, expanding within its rigid container.
Old Age Pension Schemes: A Criticism and a Program

Spread of Old Age Pension Legislation, 713. — I. Fundamental Principles Involved, 715. — Analysis of Main Types of Scheme, 715. — II. (1) Partial Non-contributory Pensions, 720. — Effects on Poor Relief, 721. — On Wages, 723. — On Character and Efficiency, 725. — On Family, 727. — (2) Compulsory Insurance, 728. — (3) Voluntary Annuity Systems, 733. — III. Conclusions concerning Non-contributory Pensions and Compulsory Insurance, 735. — Outline of Program of Legislation for American States, 738. — Adequacy of Proposed Measures, 741.
The Norwegian and the Englishman

I sketch the lives and work of the Norwegian physicist Kristian Birkeland (1867–1917) and the English mathematician Sydney Chapman (1888–1970), focusing particularly on Chapman’s controversy with Birkeland over the origin and development of auroras, a controversy that Chapman conducted with Birkeland for more than fifty years after Birkeland’s death.
Carbon Dioxide Fixation by Mouse Embryos prior to Implantation

Mouse embryos in the stage of development prior to implantation were cultured in vitro in a medium that contained radioactive bicarbonate. The radioactivity was incorporated into the proteins and nucleic acids that were acid soluble. Uptake of radioactivity occurred into protein in the unfertilized ovum and was highest in all fractions in the early blastocyst stage. No incorporation was detected in the lipid fraction.
An Analysis of Brokerage House Securities Recommendations

A study of one brokerage house's recommendations to its individual customers during the 1960s suggests that they were genuinely valuable, even after allowing for transactions costs and risk. On the other hand, the recommendations were useful in selection, rather than in market timing: The ratio of buys to sells varied little over the period studied. Abnormal returns were associated primarily with buy, rather than sell, recommendations. Positive in the six months prior to the recommendation, they peaked in the month of recommendation and remained essentially zero thereafter. One possible explanation is that, in the months prior to being recommended, companies enjoyed abnormal prosperity accompanied by a series of favorable news items. Their prosperity caught the attention of the brokerage house, whose research staff than uncovered additional positive news, encapsulating in recommendations to customers what might otherwise have been several more months of slowly emerging information. If large positive returns in the month of the recommendation were merely the result of trading pressure induced by the recommendation, those returns would have been followed by reversals. The absence of such reversals suggests that the brokerage house's recommendations were associated with genuine changes in the value of the securities.
Criticality in the Yvon–Born–Green and similar integral equations

The critical behavior implied by the Yvon–Born–Green integral equation for the pair correlation function of a fluid, and by a class of similar integral equations, is considered. By using the inverse correlation length κ, which vanishes at a true critical point, as a small parameter the integral equations are reduced, via a moment expansion, to a nonlinear differential equation which describes the critical behavior of the correlation function outside the (finite) range of the potential. Analysis then shows that for spatial dimensionalities d≳4 any critical behavior is, asymptotically, precisely of classical, Ornstein–Zernike scaling form. However, for d≤4 either there is no true criticality, in the sense that both the correlation length and the compressibility KT always remain finite, or the behavior becomes anomalous in that the net correlation function h(r)≡g(r)−1 must, in general, become negative for intermediate and large distances r as κ→0. In the latter case, asymptotic and universal scaling behavior...
Inference of polymer structure by simultaneous analysis of chromatographic and rheological measurements

A Bayesian framework that integrates chromatographic and rheological measurements to infer the structure of an unknown binary linear blend, with a high molar mass tail, is proposed and explored. A visualization method based on clustering of multidimensional data is introduced to facilitate the comprehension of the joint probability distribution that results from the Bayesian analysis. The relationship between the rheological and chromatographic data is found to be synergetic: the simultaneous analysis of both sets of data circumvents problems of degeneracy and insensitivity associated with rheology and chromatography, respectively.
Importance of rare habitats and riparian zones in a tropical forest fragment: preferential use by Tayassu pecari, a wide‐ranging frugivore

In forest fragments, rare habitats contribute to heterogeneity and may provide unique resources for frugivorous species like peccaries with spatially and temporally complex patterns of range use. This study examined seasonal habitat use by two sympatric peccary species (Tayassu pecari and Tayassu tajacu) in an Atlantic forest fragment on the plateau region of Sao Paulo state, Brazil. Previous studies showed that range use by T. pecari was highly nonrandom, and that both species persisted at population densities typical of larger forest fragments. To explain this, we quantified the use and availability of habitats and riparian zones with compositional analysis. Use by T. pecari was nonrandom with respect to availability. Habitat preferences were different during dry and wet seasons and corresponded closely with seasonal movements, core range and fruit use. Although aquatic habitats made up a small proportion of the herd home range, they were most preferred by T. pecari during both seasons. Headwater palmito Euterpe edulis swamps were most favored in the dry season, whereas swamps and marshes near larger streams were preferred in the wet season. Tayassu pecari preferred riparian zones <50 m from streams over drier zones. These habitats were important sources of fruits, travel routes and corridors between forest patches in the agricultural matrix. The least-preferred habitat of T. pecari during both seasons was disturbed forest edge dominated by bamboo. Habitat and riparian zone use were herd-specific for T. tajacu and related to habitat quality and composition where stable home ranges had been established. The persistence of viable peccary populations after 75 years of fragmentation-associated pressures is related to preservation of rare habitats and overall habitat diversity. Thus, T. pecari is an indicator of high habitat diversity in forest fragments and will function as an umbrella species when targeted for conservation.
Plasma growth hormone response to L-dopa in obese subjects.

Abstract The growth hormone response to oral administration of 500 or 1000 mg of L-dopa was investigated in nine obese subjects, none of whom showed evidence of glucose intolerance. Growth hormone and cortisol responsiveness to insulin hypoglycemia was also tested in these subjects. A significant growth hormone response following L-dopa administration was seen in only two subjects. Five subjects displayed normal growth hormone responsiveness following insulin-induced hypoglycemia, and normal increments of plasma cortisol levels following induction of such hypoglycemia were seen in six of the eight subjects in whom this was studied. Only one of the subjects with a normal growth hormone response following L-dopa administration exhibited a normal response to hypoglycemia. Increasing the dose of L-dopa in a given subject did not enhance growth hormone responsiveness. No consistent cortisol response to either dose of L-dopa was noted. L-dopa therefore, is still another stimulus, which, while effective in normal subjects, is ineffective with regard to eliciting growth hormone release in obese subjects. It appears to be less effective than hypoglycemia in this regard. The lack of responsiveness to L-dopa in these obese subjects would imply that their decreased sensitivity to other stimuli capable of provoking growth hormone release in normal subjects is not secondary to decreased levels of the hypothalamic neuro transmitter agent(s) believed to be involved in growth hormone regulation.
Effects of Unilateral Hearing Loss on Teacher Responses to the SIFTER

Eighteen school children with unilateral hearing loss were compared to their peers through administration of the Screening Instrument for Targeting Educational Risk (SIFTER) to their teachers. Results indicate that children with unilateral hearing loss are given SIFTER scores significantly lower than their peers in all five SIFTER areas of academics, attention, communication, participation, and behavior. Such results support previous findings regarding teachers' attitudes toward students with unilateral hearing loss and indicate a need for in-service education for the classroom teacher and special attention to the educational risks of such children.
Fabrication of Long-Period Fiber Gratings by CO2 Laser Irradiations for High Temperature Applications

We report in this paper the fabrication of high performance thermal LPFGs by point-by-point CO 2 laser irradiations. These thermal LPFGs have shown much better temperature tolerance and promised applications in high temperature harsh environments. The computer-controlled fabrication system with in situ signal monitoring capability is described. The fabricated LPFGs survived high temperatures up to 800°C. Long term stability test at 550°C for 200 hours indicated that thermal shock at a higher temperature could significantly reduce the drift.
Clandestine interactional reading: Intertextuality and double-voicing under the desk

Abstract This article approaches reading as an ideologically grounded and institutionally organized activity. It examines children's clandestine practice of interactional reading in an educational context where individual silent involvement with text is the teachers’ prescribed way of reading. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in second- and third-grade elementary school classrooms, I document the crafty ways in which children inject interactional reading into the terrain of the normative reading canon, where it thrives under the surface of prescribed classroom praxis. In addition, I examine how clandestine episodes of interactional reading unfold and identify characteristic ways in which texts are interactionally accessed and apprehended. Through the analysis of reading practice, I aim to illuminate the interface between the sly mechanisms through which a certain habitus perdures, and the tactical operations that produce its clandestine transformations.
Designing Research-Based Professional Development for Elementary School Science and Mathematics

A partnership including 11 school districts, a university, service agency, and private nonprofit education organization formed a collaborative partnership to improve teaching and learning in elementary school science and mathematics. The partnership designed research-based professional development for 150 teachers of grades 3–5. The professional development resulted in statistically significant increases for those elementary school teachers on math and science competency tests over a two-year period. The professional development was the vehicle for providing teachers with professional development so that they could (a) increase their content background in science and mathematics and (b) apply newly learned inquiry practices in their math and science instruction.
Density Functional Studies of the Formation of Nitrous Acid from the Reaction of Nitrogen Dioxide and Water Vapor

Reaction mechanisms for the production of nitrous acid (HONO) from the homogeneous gas-phase hydrolysis of nitrogen dioxide (NO2 ) are examined by density functional theory calculations. The molecular structures and energies of the NO2−(H2O)n (n = 1, 2, 3) and N2O4−(H2 O)n (n = 1, 2) systems corresponding to the stationary points on the potential energy surface along the reaction pathways are calculated using the B3LYP method with the 6-311+G(2d,p) basis set. These reaction pathways represent the homogeneous hydrolysis of NO2 or N2O4 with a varying number of water (H2O) molecules. The reactions of NO2 with water produce HONO, along with the OH radical which was postulated to combine in the next step with a second NO2 to form nitric acid (HNO3). The simple NO2 + H2O bimolecular reaction leads to the highly unstable OH radical which reacts reversibly with HONO without an energy barrier. The introduction of single solvating H2O molecule appears to stabilize the transition state as well as an intermediate tha...
Use of site-directed mutagenesis to enhance the epitope-shielding effect of covalent modification of proteins with polyethylene glycol.

Modification by covalent attachment of polyethylene glycol (PEG) can reduce the immunogenicity and prolong the circulating life of proteins, but the utility of this approach for any protein is restricted by the number and distribution of PEG attachment sites (e.g., epsilon-amino groups of lysine residues). We have developed a strategy for introducing additional sites for PEG attachment by using site-directed mutagenesis to selectively replace arginine with lysine codons and tested it with purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) from Escherichia coli, an extremely stable but immunogenic enzyme, that could potentially be used to treat an inherited deficiency of PNP. A triple mutant, RK3, possessing three Arg----Lys substitutions was constructed that increased the number of lysines per PNP subunit from 14 to 17, providing an additional 18 potential PEG attachment sites per hexameric enzyme molecule. The wild-type and RK3 enzymes had similar catalytic activity, antigenicity, and immunogenicity. After PEG modification, both enzymes retained catalytic activity, the plasma half-life of both enzymes in mice increased from approximately 4 hr to 4 days, and the binding of both enzymes by antisera raised against each unmodified enzyme was markedly diminished. However, antibody raised against wild-type PEG-PNP did not bind the PEG-RK3 enzyme. PEG-RK3 PNP was also substantially less immunogenic than wild-type PEG-PNP. Accelerated antibody-mediated clearance of PEG-PNP occurred in 2 of 12 mice treated with PEG-RK3 PNP, compared with 10 of 16 mice treated with the modified wild-type enzyme. This combined use of directed mutagenesis and PEG modification is aimed at permitting the widest choice of proteins, including products of genetic and chemical "engineering," to be used for therapy of inherited and acquired disorders.
The Margules Method of Measuring Viscosities Modified to Give Absolute Values

Measurement of absolute viscosities. A method for determining absolute viscosities in a Margules rotating cylinder type viscometer, without the aid of calibrating liquids of known viscosities, is described. This method involves the determination of true viscosity by extrapolating apparent viscosities for several lengths of inside cylinder to that viscosity corresponding to infinite length. By this method the viscosity of the commercial castor oil used is found to be 9.99 poises at 20\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, and 4.61 poises at 30\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, as compared with 9.86 and 4.51 poises quoted in the Smithsonian Tables for pure oil at corresponding temperatures.End corrections. The additional length to be applied to the measured length to correct for finite dimensions is computed for several inside cylinders or spindles. When the radius of the outer containing cylinder is 3.2 cm, and the ends of the spindle are 1.5 cm from the upper and lower boundaries of the liquid, the corrections for spindle radii of 0.556 cm and 0.477 cm are found to be 0.62 cm and 0.52 cm respectively as long as the length of the spindle is 5 cm or greater. Accordingly, the end correction is apparently proportional to the 1.18 power of spindle radius.Constancy of calibrating factor. Comparisons are also made between relative viscosities measured by this method and those for the same liquids measured by capillary flow. Results indicate that within experimental error these relative values are the same by both methods, for viscosities between 5 and 3500 poises, showing that the calibrating factor of the concentric cylinder system is constant over this range of viscosities.
The activation of Cls with purified Clr.

Abstract The Cls activator obtained in neutral euglobulin precipitates (pH 7·5, RSC 0·04) was solubilized with 0·02 M EDTA, 0·005 M L -lysine buffer (pH 7·5, RSC 0·04) and subjected to DEAE and CM cellulose column chromatography. The final preparations showed a single major protein band on analytical acrylamide gel electrophoresis with a few minor bands near the cathode. They gave a single precipitation line on immunodiffusion against a potent horse anti-whole human serum. This line completely fused into a precipitation line made with anti-Clr and these fractions. Cls activator activity corresponded to the single major band on acrylamide gel and was associated with the hemolytic activity of Clr. The spontaneous activation in highly purified Cls (Sakai and Stroud, 1973) was minimized by treating with DFP. The stabilized Cls was still susceptible to activation by Clr. In other experiments using DFP- 32 P binding to the smaller subunit of C ls was demonstrated, suggesting that this peptide chain contains the active site.
Survey of nutritional management practices and metabolic disorders in West Virginia dairy herds.

Sixteen farmers, representing three major dairy counties in West Virginia, were interviewed to determine current dairy management practices. Herd health records were used to determine the incidence of metabolic and digestive disorders. All feedstuffs used on these farms were sampled for chemical analyses. The total number of cows on the 16 farms surveyed was 1870 with an average herd size of 117 and 6387 kg milk produced per cow per year. Fourteen of the 16 farmers used forage testing services, obtained professional advice on feeding and nutrition, and attempted to feed according to production. Eleven of sixteen farmers increased grain 2 weeks prior to calving and all gradually adjusted the intake of grain to cows recently freshened. Ration imbalance problems included both excesses and deficiencies of energy, protein, phosphorus, and calcium. Excess calcium, phosphorous, and crude protein were correlated (P less than .01, r2 = .74) with the incidence of fat cows. The incidence of metabolic disorders in these herds was low to average and the most prevalent management problem encountered was low butter fat.
Baseline chronic disease risk factors in a racially heterogeneous elementary school population: The “Know Your Body” program, Los Angeles

Abstract The Los Angeles “Know Your Body” (KYB) program is an organized health education activity for children designed to encourage positive health behavior and discourage or interrupt behavioral patterns that are linked to illness, injury, disability, or death. Components of KYB include a 20-week curriculum; a survey of health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors; in-service training for elementary school teachers; and a clinical screening that provides feedback to students on selected indices. As part of a KYB field demonstration in Los Angeles conducted by the UCLA Division of Cancer Control, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1,503 Los Angeles and Santa Monica-Malibu children ages 9–11 in grades 4 and 5 underwent baseline health screening evaluations in March 1981, measuring height, weight, triceps skinfold thickness, serum cholesterol, pulse rate recovery following exercise, and blood pressure. The population mean for serum cholesterol was 182.6 mg/dl, with no significant racial/ethnic, sex, or age differences. Significant racial/ethnic differences were found in obesity, with Hispanics having the highest prevalence, Asians the lowest. Black students scored significantly higher in pulse rate recovery following exercise, suggesting better relative cardiovascular fitness, and Asians scored lowest. Blacks were more likely to exceed the 95th percentile in diastolic and systolic blood pressure. Overall, 48% of the children had one or more chronic disease risk factors.
The fracture toughness of glassy carbons at elevated temperatures

Abstract The fracture toughness of three different glassy carbons heat treated at 1000, 2000 and 3000°C was measured at temperatures between 25 and 750°C. Young's elastic modulus varies inversely with measurement temperatures, whereas fracture toughness varies directly. Fracture characteristics of the glassy carbons are compared with those of float glass and graphites.
Ontology-based extraction and structuring of information from data-rich unstructured documents

We present a new approach to extracting information from unstructured documents based on an application ontology that describes a domain of interest. Starting with such an ontology, we formulate rules to extract constants and context keywords from unstructured documents. For each unstructured document of interest, we extract its constants and keywords and apply a recognizer to organize extracted constants as attribute values of tuples in a generated database schema. To make our approach general, we fix all the processes and change only the ontological description for a different application domain. In experiments we conducted on two different types of unstructured documents taken from the Web, our approach attained recall ratios in the 80% and 90% range and precision ratios near 98%.
Laser induced photodissociation of Hn3 at 266 nm. I. Primary products, photofragment energy distributions and reactions of intermediates

Abstract A detailed analysis of the primary photodissociation products resulting from the 266 nm laser photolysis of HN 3 is reported. The major primary fragments are N 2 ( 1 Σ g + ) and NH( 1 Δ). The NH( 1 Δ) fragment is formed ≳ 99.8% in the ν = 0 level with ≈ 900 cm −1 of rotational energy and ⩽ 5000 cm −1 of translational energy for the axially scattered fragments. A new chemiluminescent reaction is reported: NH( 1 Δ) + HN 3 ( 1 A′) → NH 2 ( 2 A 1 ) + N 3 ( 2 Π g ), which appears to be a major reaction channel of the primary NH( 1 Δ) fragment. A kinetic analysis of this reaction and several other NH( 1 Δ) reactions are the subject of the following associated paper. A correlation study of the NH( 1 Δ) and N 2 ( 1 Σ g + ) products with the dissociating states of HN 3 is made which requires a reassignment of the lower-lying HN 3 transitions.
Development of hypogammaglobulinemia in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus

This report describes a young girl in whom systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with normogammaglobulinemia but high serum DNA binding developed at age 10. She was subsequently treated with prednisone and intermittent cyclophosphamide for six years, and severe hypogammaglobulinemia associated with recurrent infections developed; disease remained active and serum DNA binding high. The possible contribution of treatment with cyclophosphamide to the development of hypogammaglobulinemia is discussed.
Mitotic spindle disassembly occurs via distinct subprocesses driven by the anaphase-promoting complex, Aurora B kinase, and kinesin-8

The mitotic spindle is a complex and dynamic structure. Although much has been learned about how spindles assemble and mediate chromosome segregation, how spindles rapidly and irreversibly disassemble during telophase is less clear. We used synthetic lethal screens in budding yeast to identify mutants defective in spindle disassembly. Real-time, live cell imaging analysis of spindle disassembly was performed on nine mutants defective in this process. Results of this analysis suggest that spindle disassembly is achieved by mechanistically distinct but functionally overlapping subprocesses: disengagement of the spindle halves, arrest of spindle elongation, and initiation of interpolar microtubule depolymerization. These subprocesses are largely governed by the anaphase-promoting complex, Aurora B kinase, and kinesin-8. Combinatorial inhibition of these subprocesses yielded cells with hyperstable spindle remnants and dramatic defects in cell cycle progression, establishing that rapid spindle disassembly is crucial for cell proliferation.
Unexpected Links Between Baby Markets and Intergenerational Justice

Intergenerational justice does not require increased government regulation of reproductive technologies in the United States. Arguments tarring reproductive technologies as unnatural or immoral fail to withstand close scrutiny, and moreover ignore competing moral concerns like the liberty and equality of people to form families in different ways, as well as the interests of children born via assisted reproduction in having their families recognized just as coitally conceived children’s families are recognized. Embryo markets, in contrast, might present different challenges, requiring a separate analysis of their potential impact on intergenerational justice. DOI 10.1515/lehr-2014-0007
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of 5f electrons in dioxides of neptunium and plutonium

Abstract The 5f electron spectra in NpO2 and PuO2 were studied by XPS. Using intensity measurements and multiplet structure, the configuration 5f3 was assigned to NpO2. Although NpO2 exhibits anomalous magnetic behavior similar to TmSe (a valence fluctuation system), XPS results do not support the configuration fluctuation model for NpO2.
Cineradiographic Examination of Articulatory Movement of Pseudo- Tongue, Hyoid, and Mandible in Congenital Aglossia

This research examined cineradiographic films (CRF) of articulatory movements in a person with congenital aglossia (PWCA) during speech production of four phrases. Pearson correlations and a multiple regression model investigated co-variation of independent variables, positions of mandible and hyoid; and pseudo-tongue-dependent variables, positions of mylohyoid and tongue base. Results suggest that backing/fronting of the mandible assisted the mylohyoid/tongue base in making mid-antero-posterior constrictions. Co-linearity findings suggest the best predictor of tongue base movement was mandible for back sounds. Hyoid movement was highly correlated with mandibular movement horizontally, but hyoid acted independently vertically and possibly with greater phonemic specialty in the PWCA. Findings suggest hyoid was a strong determinant of vertically dependent variable movement in all phrases. The extent of hyoid activity was a unique finding and one that may begin to explain relative intelligibility in this PWC...
Improving the Performance of Organic Light Emitting Diodes by Doping PEDOT:PSS

Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) have the potential to compete with other rivals in applications of lighting and small size displays because of low power consumption. To achieve commercial standard, however, the luminance efficiency and device lifetime of the OLEDs still need to be improved. This work characterizes the performance of OLEDs improved by Poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly (styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). PEDOT:PSS films are deposited on ITO glass by spin coating at the first, and then the hole transporting layer and electron transporting layer of the OLED materials N, N '-bis (naphthalene-1-yl)-N, N '-bis (phenyl) benzidine/tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (NPB/Alq3) are thermally evaporated with 1 A/s deposition rate. The thickness effects of the PEDOT:PSS on the OLED performance are studied. The result shows that PEDOT:PSS effectively improves the luminance of the OLEDs, where 40 nm thick PEDOT:PSS increases 12% and 30 nm thick increases 31% luminance, respectively. Furthermore, the effects of the PEDOT:PSS on the mechanical properties of the OLED are also studied.
Estimating hospital admission patterns using medicare data

It is often necessary in health services research and strategic planning to simultaneously describe the geographic pattern of admissions to multiple hospitals. Obtaining the data necessary to accomplish this can often be problematic. In some states discharge abstract data on all admissions to all hospitals in the state are compiled and maintained by a government agency, but in 23 states these data are not available. Furthermore, problems arise when a substantial fraction of admissions cross state borders, such that data from more than one state is required for description of 'patient flows'. Individual hospitals typically maintain data on the geographic source of their own admissions, but are not likely to have access to such data regarding other hospitals in their area. Patient flow data on Medicare admissions are available for all states and are readily accessible, but heretofore it has not been known how closely the admission patterns of Medicare patients approximate those of other types of patients. We examine the accuracy of using data on Medicare admissions to estimate, at the hospital level, the admission patterns of other types of patients. Using zip code-to-hospital patient flow data for all non-federal hospitals in California, we calculated the correlation between Medicare admission patterns and those of three other groups of patients (other adults, pediatrics and obstetrics) for each hospital. For the majority of hospitals, Medicare data predict the admissions of other adults quite well, and the admissions of pediatric and obstetric admissions moderately well.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
An activated unfolded protein response promotes retinal degeneration and triggers an inflammatory response in the mouse retina

Recent studies on the endoplasmic reticulum stress have shown that the unfolded protein response (UPR) is involved in the pathogenesis of inherited retinal degeneration caused by mutant rhodopsin. However, the main question of whether UPR activation actually triggers retinal degeneration remains to be addressed. Thus, in this study, we created a mouse model for retinal degeneration caused by a persistently activated UPR to assess the physiological and morphological parameters associated with this disease state and to highlight a potential mechanism by which the UPR can promote retinal degeneration. We performed an intraocular injection in C57BL6 mice with a known unfolded protein response (UPR) inducer, tunicamycin (Tn) and examined animals by electroretinography (ERG), spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and histological analyses. We detected a significant loss of photoreceptor function (over 60%) and retinal structure (35%) 30 days post treatment. Analysis of retinal protein extracts demonstrated a significant upregulation of inflammatory markers including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and IBA1. Similarly, we detected a strong inflammatory response in mice expressing either Ter349Glu or T17M rhodopsin (RHO). These mutant rhodopsin species induce severe retinal degeneration and T17M rhodopsin elicits UPR activation when expressed in mice. RNA and protein analysis revealed a significant upregulation of pro- and anti-inflammatory markers such as IL-1β, IL-6, p65 nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) and MCP-1, as well as activation of F4/80 and IBA1 microglial markers in both the retinas expressing mutant rhodopsins. We then assessed if the Tn-induced inflammatory marker IL-1β was capable of inducing retinal degeneration by injecting C57BL6 mice with a recombinant IL-1β. We observed ~19% reduction in ERG a-wave amplitudes and a 29% loss of photoreceptor cells compared with control retinas, suggesting a potential link between pro-inflammatory cytokines and retinal pathophysiological effects. Our work demonstrates that in the context of an established animal model for ocular disease, the persistent activation of the UPR could be responsible for promoting retinal degeneration via the UPR-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β.
Development of reassortant viruses between pathogenic hantavirus strains.

Abstract Segment reassortment of negative strand viruses is an important mechanism for the development of new virus strains with altered pathogenicity. This study reports on in vitro generation of reassortants between Andes (ANDV) and Sin Nombre (SNV) viruses. Although they both cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), ANDV is the only hantavirus that has been transmitted from person to person ( Enria et al., 1996 , Padula et al., 1998 ). Following dual infection of cells with ANDV and SNV, 8.9% of 337 progeny plaques contained reassortants, of which 66% were diploid, and 34% were monoploid. The monoploid reassortants contained the S and L segments of SNV and ANDV M segment. Analysis of replication of the monoploid reassortant indicated its efficiency was similar to ANDV rather than SNV. Results described in this study illustrate the ability to rapidly generate new hantavirus genotypes between genetically unrelated viruses by gene reassortment and provide a tool to dissect the pathogenesis of these important viruses.
Birefringence and Dispersion of Uniaxial Media

Abstract Refractive index measurements of uniaxial media (crystals and a polymer liquid crystal in the nematic phase) are described. The technique used, applicable for any anisotropic uniaxial medium, makes use of the birefringence to generate interference between the extraordinary and ordinary waves created after an incident plane polarized wave enters the crystal. The dispersion of the refractive indices for the uniaxial nematic polymer is discussed together with the implication it has on the third order nonlinear optic susceptibility measurements completed using the Third Harmonic Generation (THG) technique.
Schistosoma mansoni miracidium under phase difference microscopy.

The living, immobilized miracidium form of the Schistosoma mansoni has been photographed at the same plane under ordinary bright field and under phase contrast illumination. Under the latter method more of the internal structures are visible.
Stability Assessment of a DC Distribution Network in a Hybrid Micro-Grid Application

This paper studies the stability analysis of a dc distribution network in a hybrid micro-grid. A micro-grid with ac and dc distribution networks based on multi-port power electronic interfaces (MPEIs) is conceptualized. Afterwards, an extended averaging method for modeling systems with multiple switching converters is introduced. Using this method, the dc distribution network is modeled. Furthermore, the stability assessment of this network is performed using pole-zero analysis of the small-signal model. Simulation results and experimental measurements are provided to validate the stability assessment of the hybrid micro-grid.