cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surface accessibility and conformational changes in the N-terminal domain of type I inositol trisphosphate receptors: studies using cysteine substitution mutagenesis.

To identify surface-accessible residues and monitor conformational changes of the type I inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor protein in membranes, we have introduced 10 cysteine substitutions into the N-terminal ligand-binding domain. The reactivity of these mutants with progressively larger maleimide-polyethylene glycol derivatives (MPEG) was measured using a gel shift assay of tryptic fragments. The results indicate that the mutations fall into four categories as follows: sites that are highly accessible based on reactivity with the largest 20-kDa MPEG (S2C); sites that are moderately accessible based on reactivity only with 5-kDa MPEG (S6C, S7C, A189C, and S277C); sites whose accessibility is markedly enhanced by Ca2+ (S171C, S277C, and A575C); and sites that are inaccessible irrespective of incubation conditions (S217C, A245C, and S436C). The stimulation of accessibility induced by Ca2+ at the S277C site occurred with an EC50 of 0.8 μm and was mimicked by Sr2+ but not Ba2+. Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate alone did not affect reactivity of any of the mutants in the presence or absence of Ca2+. The data are interpreted using crystal structures and EM reconstructions of the receptor. Our data identify N-terminal regions of the protein that become exposed upon Ca2+ binding and suggest possible orientations of the suppressor and ligand-binding domains that have implications for the mechanism of gating of the channel.
Reductions in Red Blood Cell 2,3-Diphosphoglycerate Concentration during Continuous Renal Replacment Therapy

Background and objectives Hypophosphatemia is a frequent complication during continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), a dialytic technique used to treat AKI in critically ill patients. This study sought to confirm that phosphate depletion during CRRT may decrease red blood cell (RBC) concentration of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG), a crucial allosteric effector of hemoglobin’s (Hgb’s) affinity for oxygen, thereby leading to impaired oxygen delivery to peripheral tissues. Design, setting, participants, & measurements Phosphate mass balance studies were performed in 20 patients with severe AKI through collection of CRRT effluent. RBC concentrations of 2,3-DPG, venous blood gas pH, and oxygen partial pressure required for 50% hemoglobin saturation (P50) were measured at CRRT initiation and days 2, 4, and 7. Similar measurements were obtained on days 0 and 2 in a reference group of 10 postsurgical patients, most of whom did not have AKI. Associations of 2,3-DPG with laboratory parameters and clinical outcomes were examined using mixed-effects and Cox regression models. Results Mean 2,3-DPG levels decreased from a mean (±SD) of 13.4±3.4 µmol/g Hgb to 11.0±3.1 µmol/g Hgb after 2 days of CRRT (P Conclusions CRRT-induced phosphate depletion is associated with measurable reductions in RBC 2,3-DPG concentration and a shift in the O2:Hgb affinity curve even in the absence of overt hypophosphatemia. 2,3-DPG reductions may be associated with higher risk for in-hospital death and represent a potentially avoidable complication of CRRT.
Schmitt Trigger Using a Self‐Healing Ionic Liquid Gated Transistor

Electrical double layer transistors using ionic liquids as the gate and ZnO as the semiconductor exhibit stable operation in the presence of redox active additives. The characteristics of the device enable single components with the response of a Schmitt trigger.
Nosocomial bloodstream infections in patients with implantable left ventricular assist devices.

Abstract Background . Implantable left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are used as a bridge to transplantation but are associated with a high risk of infection including nosocomial bloodstream infections (BSI). Methods . We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all patients with implantable LVAD at the Cleveland Clinic with 72 hours or longer of LVAD support from January 1992 through June 2000, to determine the attack rate, incidence, and impact of nosocomial BSI in patients with LVAD. A nosocomial BSI was defined using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definition. An LVAD-related BSI was defined as one where the same pathogen is cultured from the device and the blood with no other obvious source. Two hundred fourteen patients were included in the study (17,831 LVAD-days). Results . One hundred forty BSI were identified in 104 patients for an attack rate of 49% and incidence of 7.9 BSI per 1000 LVAD-days. Thirty-eight percent of the BSI were LVAD associated. The most common pathogens causing BSI were coagulase-negative staphylococci (n = 33), Staphylococcus aureus , and Candida spp. (19 each), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (16 each). A Cox proportional hazard model found BSI in patients with LVAD to be significantly associated with death (hazard ratio=4.02, p Conclusions . Patients with implantable LVAD have a high incidence of BSI, which are associated with a significantly increased mortality. Strategies for prevention of infection in LVAD recipients should focus on the drive line exit site until technical advances can achieve a totally implantable device.
Solidarity after identity politics: Hannah Arendt and the power of feminist theory:

This paper argues that Hannah Arendt’s political theory offers key insights into the power that binds together the feminist movement - the power of solidarity. Second-wave feminist notions of solidarity were grounded in notions of shared identity; in recent years, as such conceptions of shared identity have come under attack for being exclusionary and repressive, feminists have been urged to give up the idea of solidarity altogether. However, the choice between (repressive) identity and (fragmented) non-identity is a false opposition, and the Arendtian account of solidarity developed here allows us to move beyond this opposition. Thus, Arendt provides us with a model of solidarity that can stand a post-identity politics feminist theory in good stead.
Architecting multi-agent systems with distributed sensor networks

In this paper, we propose a cognitive architecture for an intelligent agent and define an agent model that can be used to conceptualize the design of multi-agent systems. Sensor networks can be considered as dynamic and adaptive systems that can support multi-agent applications. We present a hybrid, multi-layered, agent-oriented architecture for distributed sensor networks. We suggest an agent model that integrates the software agents of the application with the hardware agents of the physical environment. We describe a target tracking experiment as a multi-agent sensor network application, to demonstrate the efficacy of approach. We conclude the paper with an insight to future challenges.
Oil and the Stock Market: An Industry Level Analysis

I investigate the impact of daily oil price changes on the stock returns of a wide array of industries. I find that in addition to the stock returns of industries that depend heavily on oil, stock returns of some industries that use little oil also are sensitive to oil prices perhaps because their main customers are impacted by oil price changes. In addition, I present robust estimates of industries’ cost-side and demand-side dependence on oil. These measures can serve as reliable benchmarks when classifying industries into oil-intensive and non–oil-intensive groups, a distinction widely used in studies and media without any quantitative justification so far. Further, I find that the sensitivity of industries’ returns to oil price changes depends on both the cost-side and demand-side dependence on oil and that the relative effects of these factors vary across industries.
A Fortran program for calculating electron or hole mobility in disordered semiconductors from first-principles

Article history: A Fortran program is developed to calculate charge carrier (electron or hole) mobility in disordered semiconductors from first-principles. The method is based on non-adiabatic ab initio molecular dynamics and static master equation, treating dynamic and static disorder on the same footing. We have applied the method to calculate the hole mobility in disordered poly(3-hexylthiophene) conjugated polymers as a function of temperature and electric field and obtained excellent agreements with experimental results. The program could be used to explore structure-mobility relation in disordered semiconducting polymers/organic semiconductors and aid rational design of these materials.
Program planning under uncertainty

Task durations are subject to uncertainty and they can be influenced by the resources assigned. Commonly there is the opportunity to assign workers to tasks, which require a secondary skill they have. When workers use secondary skills, they are not as efficient as workers for which that skill is their primary skill, however they can contribute to the completion of the task. This paper provides the means for managers to heuristically optimize the allocation of their skilled workers among individual tasks on several competing projects when the task durations are uncertain and workers have multiple skills.
SST Pattern Test in ACSPO clear-sky mask for VIIRS

Abstract Discriminating clear-ocean from cloud in the thermal IR imagery is challenging, especially at night. Thresholds in automated cloud detection algorithms are often set conservatively leading to underestimation of the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) domain. Yet an expert user can visually distinguish the cloud patterns from SST. In this study, available pattern recognition methodologies are discussed and an automated SST Pattern Test (SPT) is formulated. Analyses are performed with SSTs retrieved from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor onboard S-NPP using the NOAA operational Advanced Clear-Sky Processor for Oceans (ACSPO) system. Based on the analyses of global data, we have identified spatial features potentially useful for discriminating cloud from clear-ocean. The SPT attempts to mimic the visual perception by a human operator such as gradient information, spatial connectivity, and high/low frequency discrimination. It first identifies contiguous areas with similar features, and then makes a decision based on the statistics of the whole region, rather than on a per pixel basis. The initial objective of the SPT was to automatically identify clear sky regions misclassified by ACSPO clear sky mask as cloudy, and improve coverage in dynamic areas of the ocean and in the coastal zones. Future work will be directed towards extending the SPT to also minimize cloud leakages, and redesigning the current ACSPO clear-sky mask making full use of pattern recognition approach.
Effects of Fusarium Cultures, T-2 Toxin, and Zearalenone on Reproduction of Turkey Females

Nicholas Large White turkey hens in egg production (10 per treatment) were individually fed cultures of Fusarium roseum 'Gibbosum' to provide 100 ppm zearalenone, Fusarium tricinctum at a level of .1% of the diet, Fusarium roseum Alaska at a level of 2% of the diet, 100 ppm purified zearalenone, and 5 ppm purified T-2 toxin for 8 weeks. The following 4 weeks the birds were fed a control diet. Hens were inseminated every 2 weeks with .05 ml of pooled semen from males fed a control diet. After 30 days of toxin feeding, hens were innoculated with a killed Newcastle disease virus preparation. Blood samples were obtained periodically. Egg fertility and titers to Newcastle disease virus were unaffected by treatment. Egg weight was reduced by F. roseum 'Gibbosum'. F. roseum 'Gibbosum' and F. tricinctum caused decreases in feed consumption, body weight, and egg production. Egg production was decreased by zearalenone and T-2 toxin. Hens fed F. roseum 'Gibbosum', F. tricinctum, and T-2 toxin exhibited mouth lesions that healed rapidly upon withdrawing toxic feed. Hatchability of fertile eggs was reduced by feeding F. roseum 'Gibbosum', F. tricinctum and F. roseum Alaska to 28, 78, and 49%, respectively, of control values by the end of the 8 week test period. Upon removal of toxic feed, hatchability rapidly returned to control levels. Embryo mortality occurred mainly in the first 10 days of incubation for F. roseum Alaska and the last 18 days for F. roseum 'Gibbosum' and F. tricinctum fed hens. It appears that mycotoxins other than zearalenone and T-2 toxin are responsible for reduced hatchability from feeding Fusarium cultures.
Trimethadione (tridione) nephrosis in rats.

Doses of 38 to 57 mg of trimethadione (Tridione®) were given by stomach tube daily for 4 to 18 months to 22 rats. Eleven of these developed a nephrotic syndrome characterized by proteinuria (without hematuria), hypoproteinemia, hyperlipemia and histologic lesions in the kidneys. The disease began usually 5 to 6 months after trimethadione administration was started. It was mild in 3 rats, moderately severe in 6, and marked in 2. Renal failure was noted in three animals after proteinuria had been noted for 4 to 9 months. Spontaneous remissions after the administration of trimethadione had been discontinued were not noted. The administration of cortisone in two animals was without detectable beneficial effect. Complement activity in sera of 13 animals was normal, and no agglutinating antibodies could be detected in 10 sera obtained at the time of death. In 11 rats given trimethadione for 6 to 17 months without development of proteinuria, less marked, but definite, histologic alterations were noted. Four of these had some azotemia and in five, slight degrees of hyperlipemia were noted. These findings make it imperative to evaluate the renal status of human patients receiving dione derivatives as long-term treatment for petit mal seizures.
The Quest to Understand Self-employment in American Metropolitan Areas

The mechanisms shaping a shift in intrametropolitan self-employment remain poorly understood. In response, this study aims to examine shifts in both central-city and suburban self-employment by int...
Jumps and Dynamic Asset Allocation

This paper analyzes the optimal dynamic asset allocation problem in economies with infrequent events and where the investment opportunities are stochastic and predictable. Analytical approximations are obtained, with which a thorough comparative study is performed on the impacts of jumps upon the dynamic decision. The model is then calibrated to the U.S. equity market. The comparative analysis and the calibration exercise both show that jump risk not only makes the investor's allocation more conservative overall but also makes her dynamic portfolio rebalancing less dramatic over time.
Beamforming capacity and SNR maximization for multiple antenna systems

We explore the optimal input distributions to maximize average received SNR and to achieve beamforming capacity on the downlink for two different channel models. First we model a scenario where the mobile unit is surrounded by local scatterers while the base station (BS) is relatively unobstructed, so that the channel matrix consists of IID (independent and identically distributed) rows and correlated columns. For this model, we show that the average SNR maximizing input distribution also achieves the beamforming capacity. Then we model a scenario where the transmit antennas at the BS are placed significantly far apart, so that the fades are independent but not identically distributed. For this model we obtain necessary and sufficient conditions under which the average SNR maximizing solution also achieves beamforming capacity. We find that for typical mobile unit antenna spacings, increasing the BS antenna spacing not only improves the capacity but achieves this higher capacity using just one transmit antenna at a time, thus saving significantly on the cost of power amplifiers at the BS.
A Model of Price Determination for Fresh Produce with Application to California Iceberg Lettuce

Most fresh produce commodities are highly perishable. Thus, supply at any time is fixed at prices above marginal harvest costs. In this paper we develop a model of short-run farm price determination for produce commodities that incorporates this key structural feature and also allows for imperfect competition in price determination. The model is empirically manifest in a switching regression framework and applied to California iceberg lettuce. Results support the general model relative to a model restricted to competitive behavior and suggest that retailer/buyers capture most of the rents from lettuce production and sale.
Novel red absorbing benzo[a]phenoxazinium and benzo[a]phenothiazinium photosensitizers: in vitro evaluation.

Taking advantage of the‘heavy atom’effect, we have recently prepared a series of nine novel halogenated and sulfur-substituted benzophenoxazines which have enhanced intersystem crossing to the triplet state as measured by singlet oxygen photobleaching of 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran. The dyes were evaluated for their dark and light-induced toxicities towards several carcinomata and normal primary cell lines. One of these days, 5-amino-6-iodo-9-diethylaminobenzol[a]phenoxazinium chloride, was found to be a potent photosensitizer for a murine sarcoma 180 and four human carcinomata cell lines (larynx Hep2, cervical HeLa, rectal tumor cell HRT, and transitional-cell bladder BTC). Several dyes caused marked light dependent killing of two tumor cell lines (Hep2 and HRT) but were minimally toxic to a normal bovine fetal kidney (BFK) line. Sulfur substitutuion into the benzophenoxazine nucleus results, under the conditions studied, in the largest enhancement of phototoxicity both to normal and cancer cells. Comparisons between appropriate dyes show a correlation between the efficiency of singlet oxygen generation and phototoxicity. These results suggest that the photosensitizing efficacy of certain cationic benzophenoxazinium chromophores, such as Nile Blue A, can be greatly increased by appropriate structural modification. The demonstrated selectivity for carcinoma cells by some of these new photosensitizers may be useful therapeutically.
Policies Discriminatory of the LGBT Community: Do Social Workers Endorse Respect for the NASW Code of Ethics?

There has been a dramatic increase in anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) state-level legislative initiatives during the past several years. Public policy bullying and discrimination toward LGBT adults and youths by state elected representatives is a concern to all who recognize the damaging effects of such bigotry. This study is a cross-sectional, exploratory descriptive survey designed to measure the degree of acceptance of the LGBT community and the degree to which respondents endorse respect of social work ethical standards in practice with the LGBT community among 235 social workers and future social workers in the state of Tennessee. Findings indicate that respondents have more positive than negative attitudes toward the LGBT population, yet a number still harbor opinions that are harmful to the LGBT community and impede their ability for affirmative, ethical practice at the individual or policy level. To address this need, a cultural competence and social justice approach is elaborated.
The Long Great Society: Macro Politics, Governing Networks, and American Policy History

From 1961-1976, in the most important period of American policymaking since World War II, the American federal government enacted hundreds of significant new public policies that dramatically expanded its scope and responsibility. The period effect associated with this era is the most important determinant of changes in the productivity and policy direction of all branches of government since 1945. The extensive liberal policymaking in this era was made possible by its unique governing network, a large and diverse community with a core of actors led by the presidents that was responsible for sustained policymaking across issue areas. To understand these system-level changes in federal policymaking, I aggregate information from 120 books and 23 articles that review the history of domestic public policy in 12 issue areas. I use this record to assess when and where policymaking took place and who was responsible. The histories collectively uncover 687 notable policy enactments and credit 1,037 specific actors for their role in policy change. Rather than a policymaking system responsive to public opinion or party control, what emerges is a single unique era driven by system-level changes in the national governing network.
Local Deformation and Failure Mechanisms of Polymer Bonded Energetic Materials Subjected to High Strain Rate Loading

The dynamic multi-scale deformation mechanism of polymer bonded energetic material is investigated. Samples made of polymer bonded sugar (a known simulate for polymer bonded explosives) with 85 % sugar crystals and 15 % polymer binder are used. The samples are dynamically compressed using a split Hopkinson pressure bar. Using a high magnification, meso-scale 2D digital image correlation experimental setup, the local deformation is measured in situ at sub-grain scale. The macroscale deformation mechanism is also investigated with the help of 3D digital image correlation. From the mesoscale experiment, it is observed that the local strain distribution in the specimen is highly heterogeneous with large strain localization occurring at the polymer rich areas between the crystal boundaries. Deformations of the majority of the crystals are minimal, and usually realign themselves to accommodate large deformation of the binder by rigid rotation and sliding. Due to this, delamination of the polymer binder from crystals and binder cracking are the main local failure modes. It is also observed that the presence of small crushed crystals from material processing are the favorable sites for this opening mode failure.
Thermally Induced Changes in Reactivity of Carbons

The reactivity of carbons towards oxidizing gases is affected by heat treatment- it generally decreases with increasing severity of the treatment, though certain exceptions are known. Three different mechanisms are responsible for the observed changes in reactivity- changes in the inherent reactivity of the carbon (often attributed to changes in “active site” concentrations), changes in the physical structure that affects reactant access to the carbon, and changes in the amount, nature, and distribution of catalytic materials within the carbon. Major emphasis given to the first in this review.
Sources of error in the use of arsonium reagents

Abstract Arsonium salts have characteristic ultraviolet absorbance spectra with several sharp absorbance peaks in the 2400–2800 A region. When they are estimated or identified by their absorption spectra, care must be taken to measure the peak maximum positions to within ±1 A in order to obtain reliable wavelength or absorbance values. The peak positions can be significantly shifted by change of solvent or the presence of coprecipitated impurities, especially triphenylarsine oxide.
A Note on Chebyshev's Theorem

Although several proofs of (1) are known, many of those proofs are quite lengthy. While it is possible to gain elegance by first developing a convolution theory, it is undesirable in an introductory course in number theory to spend the time required to develop this heavy machinery. In this note, we give a proof of (1) which, though certainly not the most elegant, is shorter than many. Moreover, this proof has the pedagogic advantage of using a single theorem (stated below) to derive the principal lemmas needed (see (4) and (5)), as well as to prove (1) itself.
Polyimid-Komponenten für stufenlose Getriebe

Hoch verschleisfeste Dichtungsringe und Anlaufscheiben aus dem Polyimid Vespel SP von DuPont tragen zur zuverlassigen und dabei wartungsfreien Funktion stufenloser CVT-Getriebe bei, wie sie zum Beispiel im Mini oder in bestimmten Audi A4-, A6- und A8-Modellen Einsatz finden. Neu entwickelte, thermoplastisch verarbeitbare TP-Typen geben Konstrukteuren zusatzliche Gestaltungsfreiheit.
Carrier Transport Properties of DC Magnetron Reactive Sputtered a-Si:H Films

We have prepared device quality hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films by DC magnetron reactive sputtering in an Ar+H2 atmosphere. The hydrogen content (CH) of these films ranges from ∼10 to ∼28 at.% (determined from IR absorption) and is controlled mainly by the hydrogen partial pressure in the discharge. The electron and hole transport, and the density of defect states show that these films are suitable for solar cell applications. In this report we will emphasize the carrier transport properties of the films. The electron drift mobilities, determined by time-of-flight experiments, are between 0.5 and 2 cm2/V-sec. The minority carrier (hole) mobility-recombination lifetime product, (μτrec)p, has been determined on Schottky barrier structures from a fit of the voltage dependence of the photocurrent to the Hecht expression. This measurement gives results of (μτrec)p ∼ 0.9- 3×10−8 cm2/V. The density of deep-level defect states for these films (10≤CH≤28), measured with CPM, is between ∼1×1015 and ∼1×1016 cm−3. The AM-1 photoconductivity is in the range from 0.8−3.5×10−5 (Ω-cm)−1 and the dark conductivity decreases from ∼1×10−9 to ∼1×10−12 (Ω-cm)−l as the hydrogen content (CH) increases. These results show that device quality a-Si:H films can be grown by the DC magnetron reactive sputtering technique.
Freedom to Connect: Insight Into the Existential Dimension of Transformative Learning in a Graduate Seminar

Previous analyses of transformational learning (TL) focused on rational or nonrational processes such as critical reflection on an uncomfortable personal situation or emotional learning. In this phenomenological study, researchers examined existential dimensions of TL. Individual interviews were analyzed to identify the lived experiences of eight participants in a graduate seminar. Participants described their experience to be “different” from other courses and “relevant and applicable” to their lives. They found the “atmosphere” of the course to be “free” from institutional obligations and “open” to ideas. They were “collaborative” in exploring course content and “connected” with other students, “safe” to share perspectives and understandings, and “comfortable” to explore content in their own way. Study findings suggest that discomfort is not necessary for TL to occur when students build relationships and learn in a safe and open classroom climate and that such an environment supported spontaneous applic...
Familial Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Type 3 with Demyelinating CNS Disease

A case of familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis type 3 (FHLH3) presenting in a 3-year-old boy with fulminant demyelinating neurological disease is reported by researchers at Kravis Children’s Hospital at Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York.
Construction and Analysis of Index System of Ecological City for Hecheng District of Huaihua City

Construction of ecological city is an important way for sustainable development of a city.The evaluation index system of eco-city is a basic standard which reflects the level of sustainable development of eco-city.Taking the Hecheng district of Huaihua city as an example,the eco-city index system consisting of 31indices of 3categories(which including economic development,ecological environment protection and social progress)was established.Based on the Full Permutation Polygon Synthesis Illustration Method,the construction effects are evaluated for different urban development phases.The results show that in 2011,the comprehensive index of eco-city is 0.26(which is belonged to classic III grade,the sustainable development ability is moderate).More importantly,the comprehensive index of eco-city reaches 0.34,0.49and 0.76(ⅠGrade)for 2013,2016and 2020,respectively.This indicates the sustainable development ability is excellent in 2020.
The influence of charged lipids on the flocculation and coalescence of oil-in-water emulsions. II: Electrophoretic properties and monolayer film studies.

The influence of calcium ions on the electrophoretic properties of phospholipid stabilized emulsions containing various quantities of the sodium salts of oleic acid (SO), phosphatidic acid (SPA), phosphatidylinositol (SPI), and phosphatidylserine (SPS) was examined. The critical flocculation concentration of calcium corresponded to a critical zeta potential in all but one of the systems. Systems of approximately equal zeta potential in 0 mM Ca++ had different zeta potentials in dilute solutions ofCa++. A comparison of emulsions of similar polydispersity suggests that these differences may be largely related to differences in particle size and surface area of the emulsions. The influence of Ca++ on the monolayer properties of mixed films containing phosphatidylcholine (PC) with either SPA or SO was also examined at the air-water interface. Films containing PC with SPA were more expanded on a subphase containing calcium compared to a subphase with no calcium. In addition, the compression of films containing PC with SO demonstrated two collapse pressures while SPA was relatively more miscible in the film. This suggests that phase separation of interfacial lipids occurs more easily in systems containing PC and SO. These results may help to explain differences in the flocculation and coalescence of emulsions stabilized by lipid films of different composition.
A Regional Evaluation of Suwannee Bass and Largemouth Bass Exploitation in North Florida Rivers

AbstractSuwannee Bass Micropterus notius are a riverine species inhabiting a restricted range within the states of Florida and Georgia. However, little is known about exploitation of Suwannee Bass, which are currently managed in Florida under a single harvest regulation with black basses (genus Micropterus). Regional exploitation of Suwannee Bass in Florida has never been examined in comparison with Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides, though such a comparison would allow fisheries managers to assess the efficacy of the current regulation. We estimated regionwide exploitation of both Suwannee Bass and Largemouth Bass in rivers, as facilitated via high-reward ($100), plastic-tipped dart tags. In fall 2013, we tagged 108 legal-sized Suwannee Bass (≥305 mm) across 7 rivers and 160 legal-sized Largemouth Bass across 10 rivers in northern Florida. At the end of 1 year, we found that exploitation rates of Suwannee Bass (0.15) and Largemouth Bass (0.10) in rivers were similar. These estimates were also similar...
Black Edens, country Eves: Listening, performance, and black queer longing in country music

This article explores Black queer country music listening, performance, and fandom as a source of pleasure, nostalgia, and longing for Black listeners. Country music can be a space for alliance and community, as well as a way of accessing sometimes repressed cultural and personal histories of violence: lynching and other forms of racial terror, gender surveillance and disciplining, and continued racial and economic segregation. For many Black country music listeners and performers, the experience of being a closeted fan also fosters an experience of ideological hailing, as well as queer world-making. Royster suggests that through Black queer country music fandom and performance, fans construct risky and soulful identities. The article uses Tina Turner's solo album, Tina Turns the Country On! (1974) as an example of country music's power as a tool for resistance to racial, sexual, and class disciplining.
Features of Psychopathology in Self-Injuring Female College Students

Although research on nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is accumulating, there is as yet little data on psychopathological features associated with NSSI in nonclinical samples. College students may be particularly susceptible to engaging in NSSI and NSSI may be phenomenologically and etiologically different for males and females. This archival study examined differences between college student women with (n = 34) and without (n = 32) a history of NSSI in scores on the clinical scales and subscales of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI). Multivariate analyses revealed significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, borderline personality features, suicidality, and certain psychotic features in self-injurers. Follow-up analysis identified four symptom themes associated with NSSI across diagnostic categories: emotional distress, physiological distress, cognitive distortion, and interpersonal difficulties. This study confirms previous findings of higher levels of affective symptoms in self-injurers. Un...
Real Examples of Why Financial Statement Audits Cannot Detect All Fraud: Insights from an Expert Witness in Major Fraud Cases

Auditors are expected by the public and to find all financial statement fraud, even though Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS) have long held that auditors may not be able to detect all frauds. In this article, we use examples from the experience of an expert witness in numerous major fraud cases where auditors were sued for not detecting fraud to illustrate situations in which auditors can, and cannot, reasonably be expected to detect fraud. We discuss factors that can make fraud nearly impossible to discover even when a competent GAAS audit is performed. We also discuss factors that were present when auditors should have detected fraud.
Modeling of Pressure Dependence of Interfacial Tension Behaviors of Supercritical CO2 + Crude Oil Systems Using a Basic Parachor Expression

Parachor based expressions (basic and mechanistic) are often used to model the experimentally observed pressure dependence of interfacial tension (IFT) behaviors of complex supercritical carbon dioxide (sc-CO2) and crude oil mixtures at elevated temperatures. However, such modeling requires various input data (e.g. compositions and densities of the equilibrium liquid and vapor phases, and molecular weights and diffusion coefficients for various components present in the system). In the absence of measured data, often phase behavior packages are used for obtaining these input data for performing calculations. Very few researchers have used experimentally measured input data for performing parachor based modeling of the experimental IFT behaviors of sc-CO2 and crude oil systems that are of particular interest to CO2 injection in porous media based enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operations.This study presents the results of parachor based modeling performed to predict pressure dependence of IFT behaviors of a complex sc-CO2 and crude oil system for which experimentally measured data is available in public domain. Though parachor model based on calculated IFT behaviors shows significant deviation from the measured behaviors in high IFT region, difference between the calculated and the experimental behaviors appears to vanish in low IFT region. These observations suggest that basic parachor expression based calculated IFT behaviors in low IFT region follow the experimental IFT behaviors more closely.An analysis of published studies (basic and mechanistic parachor expressions based on modeling of pressure dependence of IFT behaviors of both standard and complex sc-CO2 and crude oil systems) and the results of this study reinforce the need of better description of gas-oil interactions for robust modeling of pressure dependence of IFT behavior of these complex systems.
Resource Adjustment and Intervention Scheduling in the Availability-Aware Cloud

Server instances, also known as virtual machines (VMs), with various computing and storage capabilities (i.e. different combinations of CPU, memory, storage, and networking), are commonly offered by cloud computing service providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, Microsoft, Rackspace, and SalesForce. The clients, ranging from individuals and small institutions to large companies, can rent and pay only for a set of VMs that are actually needed as a usagebased (pay-as-you-go) posted pricing model. This model alleviates the clients’ concerns about the risks of capacity under-utilization and demand non-fulfillment associated with in-house facilities. These VMs are mapped onto physical servers within cloud. Such datacenters are known to be susceptible to different types of failures from frequent small-scale failures (such as disk failures) to less frequent but more catastrophic failures (such as power distribution unit failures) (Dean 2009). Failures at the physical infrastructure level inevitably render the mapped VMs unavailable due to loss of connectivity, software bugs, human errors, etc.
Enhancing coupled enzymatic activity by conjugating one enzyme to a nanoparticle

Enzymes have long been a prime research target for the commercial production of commodity and specialty chemicals, design of sensing devices, and the development of therapeutics and new chemical processes. Industrial applications for enzymes can potentially be enhanced by enzyme immobilization which often allows for increased enzyme stability, facile product purification, and minimized substrate diffusion times in multienzymatic cascades, but this is usually at the cost of a significant decrease in catalytic rates. Recently, enzyme immobilization has been advanced by the discovery that nanoparticle surfaces are frequently able to enhance the activity of the bound enzyme. Here we extend this observation to a multienzymatic coupled system using semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) as a model nanoparticle material and the prototypical enzyme pair of glucose oxidase (GOX) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP). We first demonstrate that HRP binding to QDs has a significant beneficial effect on enzymatic activity, producing a >2-fold improvement in kcat. We argue that this enhancement is due to affinity of the QD surface for the substrate. Furthermore, we demonstrate that when the ratio of GOX to HRP is adjusted to allow HRP to be the rate-limiting step of the pathway, the QD-induced rate enhancement of HRP can be maintained in a multi-enzyme cascade. Kinetic analysis shows that the underlying processes can be simulated numerically and provide insight into the governing mechanisms. The potential of nanoparticle-based catalytic enhancement is then discussed in the context of multienzyme cascades and synthetic biology.
Regenerative Angiogenesis: Quality Over Quantity.

Angiogenesis can broadly be defined as the growth of new capillaries and blood vessels. A complex set of multiphasic signaling pathways regulate angiogenic blood vessel growth,1,2 and these pathways have been the target for both pro- and antiangiogenic therapies. Angiogenesis is a fundamental physiological process that is required for fetal development, wound healing, and tissue repair after ischemic damage. For these reasons, promoting proangiogenic pathways has therapeutic potential to combat diseases where tissue blood flow is compromised, such as peripheral artery disease, ischemic heart disease, or after ischemic stroke. Thus, quantitative methods to assess the degree of angiogenic growth are critical. Article, see p 1453 Typically, blood vessel density and the degree of angiogenic growth are quantified histologically by counting the number of capillaries observed in a defined cross section of tissue. When angiogenesis occurs, the ratio of capillaries per tissue surface area increases. Functional measures of angiogenesis include measuring perfusion to the tissue involved, and it is typically expected that these parameters (vascular density and perfusion) change in parallel. However, this is not always the case.1 In fact, injured tissue may demonstrate both an increase in capillary density and an increase in blood flow but still have underperfused areas. Such a discrepancy could be because of improper vasoregulation of new vessels, or creation of arteriovenous anastomoses that maintain overall tissue flow, …
RF energy harvesting using emerging TFET technology

Radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting circuit using a 20 nm InAs double-gate n-channel TFET has been studied. RF-DC converter using a two-stage cross-coupled rectifier is evaluated. Rectifier power conversion efficiency (PCE) at low input power using TFET shows noticeably better performance compared to its CMOS counterpart. Temperature sensitivity and threshold voltage variation effects on PCE are also examined.
Characterization of reagent pencils for deposition of reagents onto paper-based microfluidic devices

Reagent pencils allow for solvent-free deposition of reagents onto paper-based microfluidic devices. The pencils are portable, easy to use, extend the shelf-life of reagents, and offer a platform for customizing diagnostic devices at the point of care. In this work, reagent pencils were characterized by measuring the wear resistance of pencil cores made from polyethylene glycols (PEGs) with different molecular weights and incorporating various concentrations of three different reagents using a standard pin abrasion test, as well as by measuring the efficiency of reagent delivery from the pencils to the test zones of paper-based microfluidic devices using absorption spectroscopy and digital image colorimetry. The molecular weight of the PEG, concentration of the reagent, and the molecular weight of the reagent were all found to have an inverse correlation with the wear of the pencil cores, but the amount of reagent delivered to the test zone of a device correlated most strongly with the concentration of the reagent in the pencil core. Up to 49% of the total reagent deposited on a device with a pencil was released into the test zone, compared to 58% for reagents deposited from a solution. The results suggest that reagent pencils can be prepared for a variety of reagents using PEGs with molecular weights in the range of 2000 to 6000 g/mol.
A sexually dimorphic pre-stressed translational signature in CA3 pyramidal neurons of BDNF Val66Met mice.

Males and females use distinct brain circuits to cope with similar challenges. Using RNA sequencing of ribosome-bound mRNA from hippocampal CA3 neurons, we found remarkable sex differences and discovered that female mice displayed greater gene expression activation after acute stress than males. Stress-sensitive BDNF Val66Met mice of both sexes show a pre-stressed translational phenotype in which the same genes that are activated without applied stress are also induced in wild-type mice by an acute stressor. Behaviourally, only heterozygous BDNF Val66Met females exhibit spatial memory impairment, regardless of acute stress. Interestingly, this effect is not observed in ovariectomized heterozygous BDNF Val66Met females, suggesting that circulating ovarian hormones induce cognitive impairment in Met carriers. Cognitive deficits are not observed in males of either genotype. Thus, in a brain region not normally associated with sex differences, this work sheds light on ways that genes, environment and sex interact to affect the transcriptome’s response to a stressor. Animals’ response to acute stress is known to be influenced by sex and genetics. Here the authors performed RNA-seq on actively translated mRNAs in hippocampal CA3 neurons in mice, and document the effects of sex and genotype (i.e., BDNF Val66Met) on acute stress-induced gene expression.
Quantifying beetle-macrofungal associations in a temperate biodiversity hot spot.

Beetles (Coleoptera) are often among the most abundant and diverse insects that feed on sporocarps of macrofungi, but little is known regarding their relative specialism or generalism in most commu...
The role of diet in the management of irritable bowel syndrome: a focus on FODMAPs.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Irritable bowel syndrome is a common condition that negatively impacts quality of life and results in significant health care expenditures. The vast majority of IBS patients a...
Altered Stool Microbiota of Infants with Cystic Fibrosis Shows Reduction in Genera Associated with Immune Programming

Previous work from our group indicated a connection between the gastrointestinal microbiota of infants and children with cystic fibrosis (CF) and airway disease in this population. Here we examine the stool microbiota of infants with CF and from the general population who did not have CF over the first year of life. CF children had reduced gastrointestinal Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium beginning in infancy, even after adjusting for antibiotic treatment. We also identify several metabolic pathways that are enriched or under represented among the microbial communities in the stool of these young patients with CF as compared to children without CF. In vitro studies demonstrated that exposure of the apical face of a polarized Intestinal cell line to Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron significantly reduced production of IL-8 secreted from both the apical and basolateral face of these cells, suggesting a mechanism whereby changes in the intestinal microflora could impact systemic inflammation. This work further establishes a link between gastrointestinal microbiota, systemic inflammation and airway disease, and presents the opportunity for therapeutic probiotic interventions.
A Spatial Analysis of Entrepreneurship and Institutional Quality: Evidence from U.S. Metropolitan Areas

This paper uses the Stansel (2013) economic freedom index for a maximum of 375 U.S. metropolitan areas to estimate the effect of economic freedom on entrepreneurship while controlling for spatial dependence. This paper finds positive and statistically significant evidence that increases in economic freedom in one area result in increases in entrepreneurial activity in neighboring areas. Furthermore, the total (direct plus indirect) effects of an increase in economic freedom on entrepreneurship are positive and statistically significant, indicating that a positive-sum game is present. However, these effects are small in magnitude. In order to explain a cumulative one standard deviation increase in either one of the entrepreneurial measures presented in this paper, there would have to be an increase in the freedom index equivalent to moving from the least free area to the most free area.
Integrated Optical Confinement Geometry Device

In 2009, our group first looked for a large area fiber cell by bundling several fibers together (in Fig. 6.1). All fibers surrounded by Al cathode and ITO anodes at the top of fibers are connected to each other by silver paste. This idea inspired us to design more and better integrated OCGPVs, including a stamped fiber matrix on planar plastic substrate, domes or cones substrate and even ZnO nano-rod by near field approach, which will be introduced in this chapter.
Reflections on Water and Oil (1990)

W ater might be best understood in comparison with that other liquid to which we in the twentieth century are beholden: oil. Water as rain, ice, lakes, rivers, and seas has shaped our landscape. But oil has shaped the modern mindscape, with its fascination and addiction to speed and accumulation. The modern world is in some ways a dialogue between oil and water. Water makes life possible, while oil is toxic to most life. Water in its pure state is clear; oil is dark. Water dissolves; oil congeals. Water has inspired great poetry and literature. Our language is full of allusions to springs, depths, currents, rivers, seas, rain, mist, dew, and snowfall. To a great extent our language is about water and people in relation to water. We think of time flowing like a river. We cry oceans of tears. We ponder the wellsprings of thought. Oil, on the contrary, has had no such effect on our language. To my knowledge, it has given rise to no poetry, hymns, or great literature and probably to no flights of imagination other than those of pecuniary accumulation.
Mesocricetus brandti (Azarbaidjan hamster)

Skin biopsies of two male and two female animals were kindly provided by Dr. J. K. Frenkel, University of Kansas, Kansas City, Kansas, USA. These animals were identified by Dr. J. Knox Jones, University of Kansas Museum of Natural History. All chromosomes possess distinct short arms. The Y chromosome shown here is almost acrocentric, but it also often displays a short second arm. It is late replicating. The X was identified by autoradiography. This karyotype differs from M. auratus (Folio 14) but is similar to that of the Kurdistan hamster described by Lehman and MacPherson. It is also identical to that presented by Ivanov.