cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nutrition and Fish Health

Fish in the wild seldom show signs of nutritional disease. This is because natural aquatic foods are not deficient in essential nutrients; the diet may be deficient in quantity but not quality. It is when fish are confined to an artificial environment and intensively fed for rapid weight gain that nutrition-related diseases can occur. Nutrition-related diseases can be described as a) physiological or morphological anomalies resulting from dietary nutrient deficiency; b) materials in the diet which are toxic to the fish; and c) reduction in resistance to infection caused by diet quality or feeding practice. Anomalies resulting directly from nutrient deficiencies have been described in and diet related toxins are discussed in . Effects of nutrition on resistance of fish to infectious diseases are discussed in this chapter.
Student empowerment, awareness, and self-regulation through a quantified-self student tool

The purpose of this paper is to examine the cross institutional use of a quantified-self application called Pattern, which is designed to promote self-regulation and reflective learning in learners. This paper provides a brief look into how learners report spending their time and react to in-app recommendations. Initial data is encouraging; however, there are limitations of Pattern, and additional research and development must be undertaken.
Evaluation of modeled land-atmosphere exchanges with a comprehensive water isotope fractionation scheme in version 4 of the Community Land Model

All physical process models and field observations are inherently imperfect, so there is a need to both (1) obtain measurements capable of constraining quantities of interest and (2) develop frameworks for assessment in which the desired processes and their uncertainties may be characterized. Incorporation of stable water isotopes into land surface schemes offers a complimentary approach to constrain hydrological processes such as evapotranspiration, and yields acute insight into the hydrological and biogeochemical behaviors of the domain. Here, a stable water isotopic scheme in the National Center for Atmospheric Research's version 4 of the Community Land Model (CLM4) is presented. An overview of the isotopic methods is given. Isotopic model results are compared to available datasets on site-level and global scales for validation. Comparisons of site-level soil moisture and isotope ratios reveal that surface water does not percolate as deeply into the soil as observed in field measurements. The broad success of the new model provides confidence in its use for a range of climate and hydrological studies, while the sensitivity of simulation results to kinetic processes stands as a reminder that new theoretical development and refinement of kinetic effect parameterizations is needed to achieve further improvements.
We are not alone: conceptualizing people-things relationship in Oromo community in North America.

This study presents that in Oromo society, objects and non-human organisms have agency that affects how human agents interact with them. The objects have representations and they store information about themselves and their human partners. For example, clay, considered to be vulnerable, is treated in a fashion similar to a human infant. Such beliefs have direct bearing on pottery production and consumption. As well, objects are considered to be ‘family’ members, traveling with their human counterparts to various corners of the world. In North America, the diaspora Oromo’s social and family gatherings are accompanied by objects brought from their country of origin. During gatherings, people communicate with the objects to retrieve memories of the past. In the new setting, the objects serve as active agents, adding color and flair to celebrations.
Tobacco Control Laws and Pediatric Asthma.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke increases pediatric asthma severity. Strict, state-level tobacco control reduces smoking. The Child Asthma Call-Back Survey (Child ACBS) is a nationally representative survey of the guardians of children with asthma. The American Lung Association’s annual State of Tobacco Control report grades tobacco control laws in each state including a tax grade (cigarette excise tax relative to the national mean), and a smoke-free air grade (number of locations where smoking is prohibited). METHODS: We joined Child ACBS data from 2006 to 2010 with corresponding state and year tobacco grades. In the primary analysis, we investigated the effect of state tax grades on a child’s asthma severity by using a logistic regression model adjusting for year. A secondary analysis assessed the impact of smoke-free air grades on in-home smoking. RESULTS: Our analysis included 12 860 Child ACBS interviews from 35 states over 5 years, representing over 24 million individuals. We merged 112 unique State of Tobacco Control grades with patient data by state and year. A higher tax grade was associated with reduced severity (adjusted odds ratio = 1.40; P = .007, 95% confidence interval: 1.10–1.80). A better smoke-free air grade was not associated with decreased in-home smoking after adjusting for confounding by income and type of residence. CONCLUSIONS: A stronger tobacco tax is associated with reduced asthma severity. Further study is needed to determine the effect of smoke-free air laws on in-home environmental. This work supports ongoing efforts to strengthen tobacco control through federal and state regulations.
PRIMARY LV UNLOADING WITH A TRANS-VALVULAR AXIAL FLOW PUMP REDUCES INFARCT SIZE BY INCREASING MYOCARDIAL LEVELS OF STROMAL DERIVED FACTOR ONE ALPHA (SDF-1A) IN ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION AND LIMITS THE DEVELOPMENT OF ISCHEMIC HEART FAILURE

Ischemic heart failure is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. We reported that compared to Primary Reperfusion (PR), first reducing myocardial oxygen demand by activating a trans-valvular pump while delaying coronary reperfusion (Primary Unloading; PU) reduces myocardial damage and increases
Successful management of Penicillium endocarditis

Penicillium endocarditis involving an aortic valvular tissue prosthesis (lonescu-Shiley) was successfully managed. This is the fourth reported case of Penicillium endocarditis, and the first survivor. A review of the literature shows that this fungus is ubiquitous though rarely pathogenic. The management of this rare type of infection is outlined.
Characterization of ocular mucus extracts by crossed immunoelectrophoretic techniques.

Crossed immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) and crossed immunoelectrofocusing (CIEF) were used to characterize proteins and mucosubstance in the saline extract of human ocular mucus pooled from the normal eyes of donors. CIE resolved more components with greater specificity than previous techniques. Up to 25 components were identified. Lactoferrin, protein G, tear prealbumin, and ocular mucosubstance were found to be ocular-specific. CIE also allowed for the study of protein associations of: 1) albumin-ai-antitrypsin; 2) albumin-tear prealbumin; and 3) IgA-secretory component and lactoferrin-mucosubstance. CIEF revealed that most of the proteins were in the pi range of 4.6-7.4. Up to 19 components were identified. Protein associations revealed by CIE were not evident by CIEF. These results provide a basis for future comparative analyses of tear and mucus from normal and diseased eyes, essential for a better understanding of tear and mucus function. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 31:1127-1135,1990 A clearer understanding of the structure and functions of tear film requires characterization of its macromolecular components. We employed human ocular mucus in addition to tears to characterize tear/ocular mucus components. The mucus, which coats the epithelial surface of the eye, is generally considered to provide physical and enzymatic protection, similar in function to the mucus of other body secretions. 1 - 2
PENGARUH PEMANASAN GLOBAL TERHADAP PERUBAHAN IKLIM

Global warming is a matter for us all, not just the story that came from distant lands about exhaust fumes huge factories, ice melts, polar bears are almost extinct, or menggurun agricultural land in Africa. Food, choice of vehicle, home to the waste that we discard carelessly, took an important role in climate change on Earth. We played a major role in heating the earth, but we can also become part of the solution. If global warming continues unchecked, many of the land will sink. Some of them are the islands in our country, perhaps also including the island that we live in today. The polar ice caps will disappear in the next 30 years; of course it's not just destroy the polar bears, but also would raise sea levels. Keywords : Global Warming, Climate Change.
Lipid synthesis and transport are coupled to regulate membrane lipid dynamics in the endoplasmic reticulum

Structural lipids are mostly synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), from which they are actively transported to the membranes of other organelles. Lipids can leave the ER through vesicular trafficking or non-vesicular lipid transfer and, curiously, both processes can be regulated either by the transported lipid cargos themselves or by different secondary lipid species. For most structural lipids, transport out of the ER membrane is a key regulatory component controlling their synthesis. Distribution of the lipids between the two leaflets of the ER bilayer or between the ER and other membranes is also critical for maintaining the unique membrane properties of each cellular organelle. How cells integrate these processes within the ER depends on fine spatial segregation of the molecular components and intricate metabolic channeling, both of which we are only beginning to understand. This review will summarize some of these complex processes and attempt to identify the organizing principles that start to emerge. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Endoplasmic reticulum platforms for lipid dynamics edited by Shamshad Cockcroft and Christopher Stefan.
Metal sensing and regulation of adaptive responses to manganese limitation by MtsR is critical for group A streptococcus virulence

Pathogenic bacteria encounter host-imposed manganese (Mn) limitation during infection. Herein we report that in the human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes, the adaptive response to Mn limitation is controlled by a DtxR family metalloregulator, MtsR. Genes upregulated by MtsR during Mn limitation include Mn (mtsABC) and Fe acquisition systems (sia operon), and a metal-independent DNA synthesis enzyme (nrdFEI.2). To elucidate the mechanism of metal sensing and gene regulation by MtsR, we determined the crystal structure of MtsR. MtsR employs two Mn-sensing sites to monitor metal availability, and metal occupancy at each site influences MtsR regulatory activity. The site 1 acts as the primary Mn sensing site, and loss of metal at site 1 causes robust upregulation of mtsABC. The vacant site 2 causes partial induction of mtsABC, indicating that site 2 functions as secondary Mn sensing site. Furthermore, we show that the C-terminal FeoA domains of adjacent dimers participate in the oligomerization of MtsR on DNA, and multimerization is critical for MtsR regulatory activity. Finally, the mtsR mutant strains defective in metal sensing and oligomerization are attenuated for virulence in a mouse model of invasive infection, indicating that Mn sensing and gene regulation by MtsR are critical processes during S. pyogenes infection.
Adhesion energy of as-grown graphene on nickel substrates via StereoDIC based blister experiments

Abstract The interfacial interactions between as-grown graphene (G) and its metal substrates play a crucial role in large-scale graphene transfer and governing anticorrosion properties. However, few studies have been conducted on quantifying the adhesion energy of as-grown graphene, especially, in systems such as nickel/graphene (Ni/G) with strong interfacial interactions. In this study, for the first time, a novel full-field three dimensional (3D) blister test via stereo-digital image correlation (StereoDIC) was developed to characterize the interfacial interaction between as-grown graphene on nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu) substrates, respectively. To minimize effects of surface roughness and residue stress on adhesion energy, the graphene growth processes on both Cu and Ni substrates were carefully controlled to assure nearly identical growth processes in terms of temperature, growth time, heating and cooling rates. The adhesion energy of as-grown graphene on Ni was measured to be 6.775 ± 0.556 J m − 2 , which is more than 7 times higher than that of as-grown graphene on Cu. Instead of van der Waals bonds, the Ni/G interface exhibited adhesion that is close to covalent bonding. We believe that this full-field 3D blister test could be further extended for evaluating strong interfacial interactions between graphene and other metal substrates.
Mesenchymal Hamartoma in Children: A Diagnostic Challenge

Mesenchymal hamartoma is a benign tumor of the liver with a poorly understood pathogenesis. It is uncommon in older children, especially after 2 years of age. The signs and symptoms may be nonspecific; therefore, a high index of suspicion is required for diagnosis and treatment. We report a 5-year-old previously healthy male who presented with acute abdominal pain, fatigue, and fever. He was diagnosed with pneumonia initially and treated with antibiotics. A computed tomography (CT) scan done for evaluation of his persistent abdominal pain demonstrated a hepatic mass. Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the liver demonstrated multiple serpiginous tubular-type structures, read as possible Caroli syndrome. He had a normal abdominal examination and normal biochemistries including alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase, and alpha-fetoprotein. He was referred to our institution for second opinion. On further review of his imaging studies, the lesion was thought to be a mesenchymal hamartoma. He subsequently underwent resection of the mass. Pathology confirmed the diagnosis of mesenchymal hamartoma.
Additive Manufacturing of Silicone Composites for Soft Actuation

Elastomer composites have proven to be promising functional materials for soft actuators. Direct manufacturing of these materials is a practical prerequisite for Soft Robotics applications, where f...
Interactions between gravity currents and convective dissolution

Abstract Geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is a promising technology for reducing atmospheric emissions. The large discrepancy in the time- and length-scales between up-dip migration of buoyant supercritical CO 2 and the sinking fingers of dissolved CO 2 poses a challenge for numerical simulations aimed at describing the fate of the plume. Hence, several investigators have suggested methods to simplify the problem, but to date there has been no reference solution with which these simplified models can be compared. We investigate the full problem of Darcy-based two-phase flow with gravity-current propagation and miscible convective mixing, using high-resolution numerical simulations. We build on recent developments of the Automatic Differentiation - General Purpose Research Simulator (AD-GPRS) at Stanford. The results show a CO 2 plume that travels for 5000 years reaching a final distance of 14 km up-dip from the injection site. It takes another 2000 years before the CO 2 is completely trapped as residual (40%) and dissolved (60%) CO 2 . Dissolution causes a significant reduction of the plume speed. While fingers of dissolved CO 2 appear under the propagating gravity current, the resident brine does not become fully saturated with CO 2 anywhere under the plume. The overall mass transfer of CO 2 into the brine under the plume remains practically constant for several thousands of years. These results can be used as a benchmark for verification, or improvements, of simplified (reduced-dimensionality, upscaled) models. Our results indicate that simplified models need to account for: (i) reduced dissolution due to interaction with the plume, and (ii) gradual reduction of the local dissolution rate after the fingers begin to interact with the bottom of the aquifer.
In-situ Workflow Auto-tuning via Combining Performance Models of Component Applications.

In-situ parallel workflows couple multiple component applications, such as simulation and analysis, via streaming data transfer. in order to avoid data exchange via shared file systems. Such workflows are challenging to configure for optimal performance due to the large space of possible configurations. Expert experience is rarely sufficient to identify optimal configurations, and existing empirical auto-tuning approaches are inefficient due to the high cost of obtaining training data for machine learning models. It is also infeasible to optimize individual components independently, due to component interactions. We propose here a new auto-tuning method, Component-based Ensemble Active Learning (CEAL), that combines machine learning techniques with knowledge of in-situ workflow structure to enable automated workflow configuration with a limited number of performance measurements.
Stressful life events and associations with child and family emotional and behavioral well-being in diverse immigrant and refugee populations.

Objective: Although stressful life events (SLEs) have been suggested to be associated with child well-being, few studies have examined SLEs with child and family behavioral and emotional well-being, especially within diverse populations. The current study examined the associations between SLEs and child behavioral and emotional outcomes, in addition to family-level measures of well-being. Method: Children 5-7 years old and their families (n = 150) from 6 racial and ethnic groups (n = 25 each for African American, Hispanic, Hmong, Native American, Somali, White families) participated in this mixed-methods study. Participants were recruited through primary care clinics. Results: Results showed that all racially and ethnically diverse immigrant and refugee families were experiencing SLEs. The majority of diverse children were experiencing emotional and behavioral problems (i.e., hyperactivity, emotional) in the face of SLEs (i.e., combined SLE score, health-related events), with Somali children being at highest risk. Additionally, the majority of diverse families did not experience lower family functioning in response the SLEs, except regarding certain SLEs (i.e., health-related, legal). However, specific families (i.e., Somali) experienced lower family functioning in the face of multiple SLEs. Discussion: Health care practitioners should consider screening and providing extra resources for reducing stress in children, given all children in the study had some emotional and behavioral problems in the face of SLEs. Additionally, it would be important for practitioners to know which families are at greatest risk for experiencing SLEs (i.e., African American, Native American, Somali families) to ensure they are provided with the resources necessary to mitigate the impact of SLEs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
[DC] SharpView AR: Enhanced Visual Acuity for Out-of-Focus Virtual Content

In augmented reality (AR), information is often distributed between real world and virtual contexts, and often appears at different distances from the user. Therefore, integrating information between real and virtual contexts raises the issues of (1) context switching, where users must switch visual and cognitive attention between information sources, (2) focal distance switching, where users must accommodate (change the shape of the eye’s lens) to see, in sharp focus, information at a new distance, and (3) transient focus blur, where users observe retinal blur for a period of time. Switching context between sources of information from different focal distances is perceptually demanding and has performance consequences. Therefore, this research will leverage existing work in focus correction through image processing to develop and evaluate SharpView fonts for AR displays. A SharpView font is designed to look better (sharper) when seen out of focus than a regular font. The research hypothesizes that SharpView fonts will facilitate context switching and focal distance switching, and mitigate transient focus blur, resulting in measurably improved legibility and user comfort user performance for out-of-focus virtual content.
Gender Differences in Liver Transplantation Outcomes in Polycystic Liver Disease

In this study, our objective was to determine gender differences in the outcomes of patients with PLD undergoing liver (LT) or liver/kidney transplantation (SLK). We analyzed the UNOS datasets of all adults who had transplanted for PLD between 1988 and 2018. During the study period, 663 LT/SLK (51% LT only and 49% SLK) were done for PLD patients and of these 500 (75%) were in women. Women were younger (52.8 vs. 56.7 years, p < 0.001), had lower MELD at transplant (16.6 vs. 19.4, p < 0.001), had higher serum albumin (3.7 vs. 3.5, p < 0.001), and had a lower CTP class (p < 0.008). During the follow-up, 18% (n = 89) women and 29% (n = 47) men died (p = 0.002). Kaplan–Meier (KM) survival estimates showed similar survival rate for patients who had LT and SLK (p = 0.459), but survival rate was significantly higher for women compared to men (p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed that female gender (aHR 0.54, 95% CI 0.33–0.90) was associated with a lower mortality. Moreover, Karnofsky Performance Status was excellent for 70% of women and 55% of men (p = 0.03) after LT. Women had better survival whether they received liver or SLK. The era of transplant, whether they were transplanted with MELD exception points or whether they were on dialysis at the time of transplant, did not have an effect on the gender differences in outcomes. Women had 46% lower risk of mortality after adjusting for other covariates compared to men after LT/SLK for PLD.
EQZ-LDO: A Near-Zero EDP Overhead, >10M-Attack-Resilient, Secure Digital LDO featuring Attack-Detection and Detection-Driven Protection for a Correlation-Power-Analysis-Resilient IoT Device

This paper presents EQZ-LDO, a digital low drop-out regulator (LDO) with attack detection and detection-driven protection for side-channel attack (SCA) resiliency. It typically incurs only 0.5% energy-delay-product (EDP) overhead since the proposed detection-driven scheme exercises protection only when the AES is under attack. This enables to amortize the EDP overhead over the lifetime of an Internet of Things (IoT) device. It still achieves very strong resiliency to SCA, demonstrating the protection of a 128b AES core from >10M-trace correlation power analysis (CPA).
The 2[4Fe–4S] Ferredoxins

The 2[4Fe4S] ferredoxins, that are members of the ‘clostridial’ and ‘chromatium’ classes of bacterial ferredoxins, have two cuboidal 4Fe4S clusters each in which each iron is coordinated by three inorganic sulfurs and one cysteinyl sulfur. The protein chains (54–80 amino acids) have internal homology so that the environments of each cluster are similar, and the 12.5 A center-to-center separation of the clusters permits electronic interaction. These proteins participate in electron transfer systems, and, characteristically, have very low redox potentials. NH-S hydrogen bonds, peptide dipole orientations, and solvent accessibility are among factors that have an effect on the oxidation–reduction potential. In that regard, a ‘spine’ of water molecules seems to be a conserved structural component linking the β-sheet in each half of the molecule for all the ferredoxins in this class. Site-directed mutagenesis studies have been carried out to analyze redox potentials, stability, intermolecular interactions, and intramolecular electron transfer. 3D Structure Keywords: high resolution structure; internal symmetry; NHS bonds; antiferromagnetic coupling; water spine; low potential iron-sulfur
Dual-failure distance and connectivity oracles

Spontaneous failure is an unavoidable aspect of all networks, particularly those with a physical basis such as communications networks or road networks. Whether due to malicious coordinated attacks or other causes, failures temporarily change the topology of the network and, as a consequence, its connectivity and distance metric. In this paper we look at the problem of efficiently answering connectivity, distance, and shortest route queries in the presence of two node or link failures. Our data structure uses O(n2) space and answers queries in O (1) time, which is within a polylogarithmic factor of optimal and nearly matches the single-failure distance oracles of Demestrescu et al. It may yet be possible to find distance/connectivity oracles capable of handling any fixed number of failures. However, the sheer complexity of our algorithm suggests that moving beyond dual-failures will require a fundamentally different approach to the problem.
Motor Systems — Lower Motor Neurons and Pyramidal System

Central nervous system system influence is exerted on muscles in the body by the activity of motor neurons located within the C.N.S., the axons of which form the motor fibers of peripheral nerves. Action potentials over those motor axons result in release of neurotransmitter substance at the motor end plate and hence muscle contraction.
Homuncular Flexibility: The Human Ability to Inhabit Nonhuman Avatars

This essay seeks to explicate an unorthodox idea that spans psychology, neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, and computer science called homuncular flexibility (HF). HF posits that the homunculus—the part of the cortex that maps movement and sensing of body parts—is capable of adapting to novel bodies, in particular bodies that have extra appendages or appendages capable of atypical movements. Evidence demonstrates neural plasticity in nature; for example, amputees experience cortical shifting such that their face receives extra attention in the brain after a limb is amputated. However, experiments such as the rubber hand illusion, in which people respond to rubber hands placed near their arms as if they were their actual hands, demonstrated that a person's sense of their body can be adjusted to include external objects. The recent advent of virtual reality technology, which can track physical human motions and display them on avatars, allows for the wholly new human experience of inhabiting distinctly nonhuman bodies. HF is a paradigm in which physical motions are transformed by remapping degrees of freedom from tracked movements onto an avatar. For example, if a human being were to inhabit an avatar of a lobster, controlling two of the eight lobster arms would be simply be a function of tracking the two physical arms and directly mapping those movements onto the avatar's first two arms. However, in order to control the remaining six arms, degrees of freedom that are orthogonal to the movements of the first two arms need to be measured and remapped. In this essay, we discuss advancements in neuroscience, psychology, and computer science that relate to HF. We review some preliminary studies that demonstrate how humans accommodate novel bodies. Finally, we discuss theoretical implications and practical applications relating to HF. Keywords: homuncular flexibility; avatars; tool use; body schema; virtual reality
Integrating and Interfacing Flexible Electronics in Hybrid Large-Area Systems

An approach to creating large-area systems is described that combines flexible thin-film electronic sensor surfaces with complementary metal–oxide–semi–conductor (CMOS) integrated circuits (ICs). Complete systems are built by lamination of multiple layers, consisting of thin-film subsystems and CMOS ICs on a passive flexible substrate. A flexible passive backplane provides in-plane interconnections. Via-type interconnections between stacked layers are made by inductive or capacitive coupling. Steps and testing techniques, from devices and circuits to fully integrated hybrid systems, are illustrated.
Über fluorhaltige Komplexe. XIV. Über Fluorotellursäuren und ihre Salze

Es wird uber die Darstellung von Fluorotellursauren TeFn(OH)6−n mit n = 1–4 und von Salzen der Di- und Tetrafluorotellursaure berichtet. Die Fluorotellursauren sind starkere Sauren als Te(OH)6. Fur Nachweis und Trennung der Fluorotellursauren wurden chromatographische Methoden angewendet. The preparation of fluorotelluric acids, TeFn,(OH)6−n, with n = 1–4, and salts of the di- and tetrafluoro acid is communicated. The acids are stronger than Te(OH)6. Identification and separation were achieved by chromatographic methods.
Reduction of capsular polysaccharide production in Klebsiella pneumoniae by sodium salicylate

Heavily encapsulated Klebsiella pneumoniae (serotypes 1 and 2) was cultured in the presence of sodium salicylate. The addition of salicylate (2 to 30 micrograms/ml) progressively decreased the amount of capsular polysaccharide produced by all strains without significantly inhibiting cell growth. Further addition of salicylate (50 to 200 micrograms/ml) was progressively inhibitory to cell growth and decreased the production of polysaccharide only slightly. The optimal concentration of salicylate that could reduce the polysaccharide production of heavily encapsulated, virulent strains by 50% or more was 30 micrograms/ml. Mutants of these bacteria that produced less capsule were affected by salicylate to a lesser degree. All concentrations of salicylate tested were physiologically achievable in humans and within the therapeutic range of aspirin. The addition of calcium and magnesium partially reversed the effects of salicylate on polysaccharide production. Chelating agents, particularly EGTA [ethylene-bis(oxyethylenenitrile)tetraacetic acid], reduce capsule production as salicylate did. Thus, the chelation of calcium and magnesium by salicylate could account, at least in part, for the reduction of capsule. Optical density measurements allowed for rapid monitoring of capsule production in various culture media because a large part of culture turbidity was apparently due to the capsule. Decreased production of the primary K. pneumoniae virulence factor with salicylate may have therapeutic potential.
Changing market dynamics and value-added premiums in southeastern feeder cattle markets

ABSTRACT The southeast region from Kentucky and Virginia south to Florida is home to more than 5 million beef cows, representing a significant source of farm income. Because very little feedlot capacity exists in the region, feeder cattle sales represent the majority of beef cattle receipts. This work examined numerous factors that affect feeder cattle prices including the effect of changes in corn price, the dynamics of BW uncertainty in video auctions, and price premiums associated with age and source verification and cattle selling certified natural. Sale data from Internet sales and preconditioned feeder cattle sales were made available by a large cattle marketing firm in the region from 2008 to 2011. A hedonic model was used to examine the effect of cattle characteristics and market factors on the selling price of feeder cattle. Evidence was found that corn price negatively affected feeder cattle prices, but the magnitude was found to be smaller than in previous research. Premiums for age and source verification were found to be moderate at $15.00 per animal, which was largely consistent with estimates from other regions of the United States. Premiums for cattle selling certified natural were estimated to be around $17.00 per animal. Finally, in contrast to previous research, results suggest that market incentives with respect to existing price–BW relationships have changed such that incentives to underestimate BW in video auctions may not have existed during this time period.
A Highly Expressed Human Protein, Apolipoprotein B-100, Serves as an Autoantigen in a Subgroup of Patients With Lyme Disease

To discover novel autoantigens associated with Lyme arthritis (LA), we identified T-cell epitopes presented in vivo by human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR molecules in patients' inflamed synovial tissue or joint fluid and tested each epitope for autoreactivity. Using this approach, we identified the highly expressed human protein, apolipoprotein B-100 (apoB-100), as a target of T- and B-cell responses in a subgroup of LA patients. Additionally, the joint fluid of these patients had markedly elevated levels of apoB-100 protein, which may contribute to its autoantigenicity. In patients with antibiotic-refractory LA, the magnitude of apoB-100 antibody responses correlated with increased numbers of plasma cells in synovial tissue, greater numbers and activation of endothelial cells, and more synovial fibroblast proliferation. Thus, a subset of LA patients have high levels of apoB-100 in their joints and autoreactive T- and B-cell responses to the protein, which likely contributes to pathogenic autoimmunity in patients with antibiotic-refractory LA.
Two Cheers for Feasible Regulation: A Modest Response to Masur and Posnera

This article compares the relative merits of feasibility and cost-benefit based regulation, responding to a recent article by Jonathan Masur and Eric Posner on this topic. Normatively, it shows that the lack of correlation between non-subsistence consumption and welfare supports the argument that regulation should be strict, unless widespread plant shutdowns, which would seriously impact well-being, are involved. It shows that a host of practical defects Masur and Posner find in feasibility analysis would infect cost-benefit analysis as well. In light of the importance of cost's distribution, serious regard for individual well-being supports the feasibility principle better than a cost-benefit test.
Genetic variants of G4 globulin. A unique relationship to other classes of G globulin

Two types of γG4 proteins, termed 4a and 4b, were characterized through antigenic studies of myeloma proteins. Both were recognized by specific antigens on the Fc fragment which were shared with other γG classes. The distinctive antigen of the common 4a type was shared with all γG1 and γG3 proteins but missing in those of the γG2 class; that for the rarer 4b type was selectively found in proteins of the γG2 class. Analyses on γG4 fractions isolated from normal sera showed that either the 4a or the 4b or a mixture of the two types was present in each serum. Evidence was obtained that these differences were on a genetic basis and that allelic genes linked to those of the Gm system were involved. Such a reciprocal occurrence in other classes of γG globulin of the antigenic markers distinguishing genetic variants has not been observed previously. A number of questions regarding the evolutionary development of the genes responsible are discussed. The possibility is raised that those for the γG4 class arose relatively early and preceded the development of those for the other γG classes.
Longitudinal-Dielectric-Permittivity Criterion for Current Instability in a Polar Crystal

Electrodynanic phenomena in a spatially dispersive medium are governed by the dielectric permittivity tensor. It appears that this tensor is useful in describing small departures from a steady state as well as small departures from equilibrium. The existence of a simple relationship between the longitudinal parts of the permittivity tensor for certain systems in equilibrium and the same systems in a steady state is noted and then applied in a calculation of the longitudinal dielectric permittivity ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{L}(\mathrm{q}, \ensuremath{\omega}; {\mathrm{v}}_{D})$ of a polar crystal in which there is a stream of degenerate carriers with drift velocity ${\mathrm{v}}_{D}$. Vanishing of ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{L}(\mathrm{q}, \ensuremath{\omega}; {\mathrm{v}}_{D})$ is associated with longitudinal electric waves in the system. Damping of these waves is governed by $\mathrm{Im} {\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{L}(\mathrm{q}, \ensuremath{\omega}; {\mathrm{v}}_{D})$. It is argued that in some circumstances $\mathrm{Im} {\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{L}(\mathrm{q}, \ensuremath{\omega}; {\mathrm{v}}_{D})$ can be made to vanish by adjusting ${\mathrm{v}}_{D}$. This general argument is applied to the case of carriers drifting in GaAs, and it is found that the longitudinal electric waves (plasmons coupled to longitudinal optical phonons) become unstable for values of ${v}_{D}$ not much larger than the value reported by Gunn as the threshold for the onset of current oscillations in GaAs. (It is assumed that $\ensuremath{\omega}{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\mathrm{el}}\ensuremath{\gg}1$, where ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\mathrm{el}}$ is the relaxation time for the distribution of electrons.) The significance of this result is discussed.
The Effectiveness of India's Anti-Poverty Programmes

Abstract This paper critically evaluates the design of India's Anti-poverty programmes. In recent years, successive Indian Governments have sought to improve the performance of these programmes by decentralising their administration, vesting village governments with greater responsibility for their monitoring and oversight. An academic literature hypothesises that socioeconomic divisions within villages and the weak political strength of the poor reduces the effectiveness of decentralised programmes since, under these conditions, elites are able to ‘capture’ funds intended for the poor. This paper argues that the effect of administrative decentralisation of poverty programmes and local public goods on the magnitude of benefits to the poor depends not just on their political strength but also on the incentives the non-poor have to improve the welfare of the poor. The design of policy pays insufficient attention to such incentive issues. Empirical analysis provides support for this belief. The regression an...
An investigation of polyphenyl-onium bases and other materials for phosphate ion-selective electrodes

Abstract Precipitate-type electrodes (benzidine sulfate or phosphate and hexammino-cobalt(III) nitrate in silicone rubber), and liquid ion-exchanger electrodes based on quaternary ammonium and phosphonium and triphenyltin salts were tested for the assay of phosphate ions. Good sensitivity was achieved with the phosphonium and triphenyltin salts, but both lacked sufficient selectivity for routine-assays.
Calibration and Quantification of 2-Photon Voltage-Sensitive Dye Recordings in Single Dendritic Spines

Quantitative measurements of membrane potential in dendritic spines are necessary to investigate the biophysical properties of these structures, which are initial sites of cortical excitatory synaptic information processing. Voltage-sensitive dyes (VSDs), which are developed in our lab, are capable of recording membrane potential from dendritic spines. However, the ability of VSDs to resolve subthreshold membrane potential fluctuations depends on their sensitivity to membrane potential along with the attainable signal-to-noise ratio of optical membrane potential recordings. We analyze the sensitivity of new generation VSDs by calibrating membrane potential fluctuations in single dendritic spines. Using 2-photon excitation techniques, we find that the calibration of signals is highly consistent among different dendritic spines, even spines that differ significantly in size. Spines can be targeted at their centers using a “single-voxel” recording approach for consistent, reproducible recordings. Dendrites must be targeted along the lateral edge, which is less consistent and calibration shows reduced sensitivity to voltage. Since signal-to-noise levels depend on dye loading and internal concentration, we use a controlled loading technique in order to reproducibly load dyes being tested. By quantifying signal-to-noise we are able to follow molecular changes to experimental VSDs that lead to improvements in this crucial metric. With continued advances in optical membrane potential recording techniques, we come closer to the ultimate goal: single sweep recordings of synaptic potentials in dendritic spines.
Cyclic dimeric GMP-mediated decisions in surface-grown Vibrio parahaemolyticus: a different kind of motile-to-sessile transition.

Published ahead of print 22 December 2011 The views expressed in this Commentary do not necessarily reflect the views of the journal or of ASM.
The Perennial Treatment of seasonal hay fever

Abstract A modification of the specific treatment of pollen hay fever is presented, consisting of a distribution of the injections at three- to four-week intervals throughout the year, instead of the usual preseasonal injections at five- to seven-day intervals.
Chemical and Physical Properties of Chihuahuan Desert Soils Irrigated with Industrial Effluent

Land application of secondary industrial effluent to Chihuahuan Desert upland near Las Cruces, New Mexico, was designed to meet the water demand of creosote and mesquite shrubs. The major objective of this study was to assess changes in chemical and physical properties of desert soils after 4 years (2002–2005) of irrigation with secondary industrial effluent. Soil texture and bulk density (pb) did not differ between irrigated and control plots, but did so between bare ground and mesquite sites in the control and irrigated plots. Reductions in saturated hydraulic conductivity (K s ), drainable porosity (θd), and effective porosity (θe) in the upper 0–15 cm of irrigated plot soils were attributed to decline of soil structure and dispersion of clays resulting from the addition of highly sodic and alkaline effluent to irrigated plots. Although rarely significant, consistently higher electrical conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio, chloride, exchangeable sodium percentage, and Na+ in the soil profile (between...
Identification of HLA-A24 restricted CD8+ Cytotoxic T-Cell Epitopes Derived from Mammaglobin-A, A Human Breast Cancer Associated Antigen

Human breast cancer-associated antigen, mammaglobin-A (Mam-A), potentially offers a novel therapeutic target as a breast cancer vaccine. In this study, we define the CD8(+) cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response to Mam-A-derived candidate epitopes presented in the context of HLA-A24 (A*2402). HLA-A24 has a frequency of 72% in Japanese, 27% in Asian Indian, and 18% in Caucasian populations. Using a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-binding prediction algorithm we identified 7 HLA-A24-restricted Mam-A-derived candidate epitopes (MAA24.1-7). Membrane stabilization studies with TAP-deficient T2 cells transfected with HLA-A2402 (T2.A24) indicated that MAA24.2 (CYAGSGCPL) and MAA24.4 (ETLSNVEVF) have the highest HLA-A24 binding affinity. Further, 2 CD8(+) CTL cell lines generated in vitro against T2.A24 cells individually loaded with Mam-A-derived candidate epitopes demonstrated significant cytotoxic activity against MAA24.2 and MAA24.4. In addition, the same CD8(+) CTL lines lysed the HLA-A24(+)/Mam-A(+) stable transfected human breast cancer cell lines AU565 and MDA-MB-361. However, these CTLs had no cytotoxicity against HLA-A24(-)/Mam-A(+) and HLA-A24(+)/Mam-A(-) breast cancer cell lines. In summary, our results define HLA-A24-restricted, Mam-A-derived, CD8(+) CTL epitopes that can potentially be employed for Mam-A-based breast cancer vaccine therapy to breast cancer patients with HLA-A24 phenotype.
Scattering Spectroscopy with Novel Darkfield Microscope Instrumentation

A retrofitted scattering spectroscopy system expands capabilities of a commercial inverted darkfield microscope. It measures wavelength- and angularly-resolved scattering using a spectrometer and the Fourier plane, respectively, and allows direct imaging of the target region.
Urban Location and Transportation in the Information Age: A Multiclass, Multicriteria Network Equilibrium Perspective

In this paper we propose a multiclass, multicriteria network equilibrium framework for urban location and transportation decisions in the Information Age, in which the advent of telecommunication networks may provide a substitute for physical transportation. The framework interprets the option of telecommuting as a transportation mode choice and considers three distinct scenarios: (1) residential locations are known, as well as the number of residents, and one seeks to determine their places of work, along with their optimal routes of travel; (2) places of employment are given and the numbers employed are known, but one wishes to determine their residential locations and their optimal travel routes; and (3) the total number of individuals are given and one seeks to determine their residential locations, their employment locations, as well as their optimal routes of travel between. We allow each class of decisionmaker to have his or her own set of criteria associated with the route and locational decisions...
Health-optimal routing in pedestrian navigation services

People use various criteria for choosing routes, which may vary depending on location and time, purpose of trip, and personal preferences. Common routing criteria supported by current navigation services include shortest, fastest, least traffic, and least expensive (e.g., less fuel cost, toll free). While each optimal route is computed by using one of these criteria, there is currently no criterion that can be used to compute routes that are health-optimal. In this paper, we focus on a new routing criterion to compute health-optimal routes with the main objective of increasing physical activity. Those who are physically capable and motivated to walk can adapt a lifestyle that includes walking as a means to mitigate or prevent obesity. To that end, a routing criterion for computing health-optimal routes suitable for those who are concerned with obesity must take into account both environmental and individual factors. Computing optimal routes requires that each road segment of a road network be assigned a weight; like, distance for shortest routes and travel time for fastest routes. In this paper, we present and discuss a new weight for segments of pedestrian paths used in pedestrian navigation services to compute health-optimal routes. While health-optimal routes may address various health conditions, the objective of this work is to provide options for walking routes to increase regular physical activity as one means to help mitigate or prevent obesity. Weights are calculated by considering both environmental and individual parameters. The optimal-health weight is simulated using various scenarios. The results of the simulations show that the computed weights can be used to find health-optimal routes that are meaningful and consistent with walkability and obesity standards.
The aging of rat liver as revealed by electron microscopic morphometry-II. Parameters of regenerated old liver.

Abstract Two thirds hepatectomy was carried out on female Wistar rats of 24–25 months of age. The regenerated livers of 5 animals each were investigated 1, 5, 10, 20 days subsequent to hepatectomy using electron microscopic morphometry. The results show that liver cells of old animals display the same degree of aging even after regeneration, i.e. the surface area and surface density of the rough endoplasmic reticulum remain reduced to the same extent, as observed in the old control group. The regeneration caused a rejuvenation only of the mitochondria showing surface area and surface density of inner membrane + cristae corresponding to the values obtained in the young (1-month-old) animals. The results seem to support the idea that the accumulation of somatic mutations such as a strong reduction of the protein synthetic apparatus, may play an important role in the aging process.
Studies in Efficiency: Categorizing Efficiency of Schizophrenics and Normals:

It was hypothesized that schizophrenics would adapt their categorizing behavior to meet the demands imposed by payoff matrices less efficiently than normals. In addition, efficiency theory was comp...