cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of different land covers on nitrate-nitrogen leaching and nitrogen uptake in Iowa

Nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) loading from subsurface drainage is an environmental concern in the Midwest. The majority of NO3-N loading occurs in April, May and June when the crops are not planted or just establishing. In this study, NO3-N leaching was monitored under alternative land covers and in a corn-soybean rotation. Land cover treatments in a 2-year field experiment included: 1) corn-soybean rotation initiated with corn in 2006 and fallow in late fall and early spring (fallow-Corn-fallow-Soybean, fCfS); 2) corn-soybean rotation initiated with soybean in 2006 and fallow in late fall and early spring (fallow-Soybean-fallow-Corn, fSfC); 3) corn-soybean rotation initiated with corn in 2006 with rye cover crop (rye-Corn-rye-Soybean, rCrS); 4) corn-soybean rotation initiated with soybean in 2006 with rye cover crop ( rye-Soybean-rye-Corn, rSrC); 5) Corn with established kura clover as a living mulch (kura-Kura-kura-Corn, kKkC); and 6) Pasture as a perennial grass treatment (PP). Subsurface drainage volume and NO3-N concentration were monitored. Suction lysimeters were installed to extract the soil water solution for NO3-N analysis. Biomass of spring cover crops was sampled to analyze nitrogen (N) content. The objectives of this study were: 1) to determine NO3-N loss through subsurface drainage as affected by different land covers; 2) to investigate the NO3-N concentrations in the soil water under different land covers and 3) to quantify the nitrogen uptake by different cover crops in the spring. The results from the two-year study indicated that the annual average NO3-N loss for fCfS and fSfC treatments was 37.5 kg N ha-1 and that the rCrS and rSrC treatments reduced NO3-N leaching by 3.8 kg N ha-1 during April, May and June. kKkC and PP treatments resulted in 39.7% and 59.9% annual NO3-N leaching reduction, respectively, when compared to the average NO3-N loss of fCfS and fSfC treatments. Rye followed by soybean reduced the NO3-N concentration in the soil solution significantly (56.4%) at the 30- and 60-cm depths, and PP treatment showed the lowest NO3-N concentration at those two depths. The average nitrogen uptake by rye was 33.3 kg N ha-1 at growth termination, and the average N uptake was 59.9 kg N ha-1 for kura clover and 33.2 kg N ha-1 for pasture in early June. This study suggested that winter rye cover crop, kura clover as a living mulch and perennial pasture land covers have positive effects on NO3-N loss reduction under the weather condition encountered during this study period in Iowa.
Opposing Action of Nuclear Factor κB and Polo-like Kinases Determines a Homeostatic End Point for Excitatory Synaptic Adaptation

Homeostatic responses critically adjust synaptic strengths to maintain stability in neuronal networks. Compensatory adaptations to prolonged excitation include induction of Polo-like kinases (Plks) and degradation of spine-associated Rap GTPase-activating protein (SPAR) to reduce synaptic excitation, but mechanisms that limit overshooting and allow refinement of homeostatic adjustments remain poorly understood. We report that Plks produce canonical pathway-mediated activation of the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) transcription factor in a process that requires the kinase activity of Plks. Chronic elevated activity, which induces Plk expression, also produces Plk-dependent activation of NF-κB. Deficiency of NF-κB, in the context of exogenous Plk2 expression or chronic elevated neuronal excitation, produces exaggerated homeostatic reductions in the size and density of dendritic spines, synaptic AMPA glutamate receptor levels, and excitatory synaptic currents. During the homeostatic response to chronic elevated activity, NF-κB activation by Plks subsequently opposes Plk-mediated SPAR degradation by transcriptionally upregulating SPAR in mouse hippocampal neurons in vitro and in vivo. Exogenous SPAR expression can rescue the overshooting of homeostatic reductions at excitatory synapses in NF-κB-deficient neurons responding to elevated activity. Our data establish an integral feedback loop involving NF-κB, Plks, and SPAR that regulates the end point of homeostatic synaptic adaptation to elevated activity and are the first to implicate a transcription factor in the regulation of homeostatic synaptic responses.
Dialysis in the 21st century

Abstract Dialysis has moved from a halfway technology to a full contributor to the therapeutic armamentarium of the nephrologist who treats end-stage renal failure. The scientific future for this therapy is bright and limited only by cost pressure in the changing health care environment of today in North America. For the awesome potential of tomorrow's science to arrive at the bedside, there will have to be a collaborative interaction between industry, the nephrologist researcher, and third-party payers, both private and federal. This consortium must direct therapeutic innovation to ensure that new products serve quality as well as quantity of life, so that society's investment in this new science will show a satisfactory return in reduced hospitalization costs and increased patient productivity. The innovations described were selected to meet this "pharmacoeconomic" requirement.
Multifractal structure of clusters and growing aggregates

Abstract Various phenomena on a given fractal object have different critical behavior. This is related to the underlying multifractal structure of the aggregate. Here we discuss the problem with particular emphasis on a scaling approach which leads to a simple real space renormalization group. A mechanism which generates multifractality, based on a multiplicative process, is also illustrated. The multifractal structure of the incipient infinite cluster in percolation and diffusion limited aggregation is discussed in detail.
A circular stability test for general polynomials

Abstract We extend a new stability test proposed recently for discrete system polynomials [1] to polynomials with complex coefficients. The method is based on a three-term recursion of a conjugate symmetric sequence of polynomials. The complex version has the same relative improved efficiency as the real version in comparison to the classical Schur-Cohn formulation for counting the number of zeros of a polynomial with respect to the unit circle. Furthermore, if desirable, the complex text can be carried out using only real polynomials and arithmetic.
Anterior cingulate cortex involvement in subclinical social anxiety

We demonstrated differential activation in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) between subjects with high and low social anxiety in response to angry versus neutral faces. Activation in the ACC distinguished between facial expressions in the low, but not the high, anxious group. The ACC's role in threat processing is discussed.
Activity in the human amygdala corresponds to early, rather than late period autonomic responses to a signal for shock

Laboratory animal and human subject studies report that the amygdala is a critical brain structure that supports the acquisition and expression of conditional fear. Recent functional neuroimaging studies in humans have reported that activity in this region is closely related to the behavioral expression of conditional skin conductance responses (SCR). However, SCR waveforms following conditional stimulus (CS) presentation contain both early period and late period responses that may differ with respect to underlying central processes. It is not known whether amygdala activity corresponds to the expression of early conditional responses (CRs) that occur shortly following CS onset or late CRs that closely precede UCS onset. The present study used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging and concurrent skin conductance measurements to determine whether amygdala activity is more closely related to the expression of early or late period CRs. Increased amygdala activity was detected during the formation of early, but not late period CRs. Additionally, this pattern of amygdala activity did not dissipate, but persisted into late stages of the experiment. These findings are consistent with the idea that amygdala responding is critically involved in the generation of CRs formed shortly following CS onset.
Fabrication of Biocompatible, Vibrational Magnetoelastic Materials for Controlling Cellular Adhesion

This paper describes the functionalization of magnetoelastic (ME) materials with Parylene-C coating to improve the surface reactivity to cellular response. Previous study has demonstrated that vibrating ME materials were capable of modulating cellular adhesion when activated by an externally applied AC magnetic field. However, since ME materials are not inherently biocompatible, surface modifications are needed for their implementation in biological settings. Here, the long-term stability of the ME material in an aqueous and biological environment is achieved by chemical-vapor deposition of a conformal Parylene-C layer, and further functionalized by methods of oxygen plasma etching and protein adsorption. In vitro cytotoxicity measurement and characterization of the vibrational behavior of the ME materials showed that Parylene-C coatings of 10 µm or greater could prevent hydrolytic degradation without sacrificing the vibrational behavior of the ME material. This work allows for long-term durability and functionality of ME materials in an aqueous and biological environment and makes the potential use of this technology in monitoring and modulating cellular behavior at the surface of implantable devices feasible.
Urban Graffiti Crime, Control, and Resistance

Recently, a new style of youthful graffiti has emerged in cities throughout the United States and beyond. Based on 4 years of fieldwork inside the Denver, Colorado graffiti underground, and on fiel...
LEON3FT Proton SEE Test Results for the Solar Probe Plus Program

Abstract: The Solar Probe Plus program requires a low power microprocessor with demonstrated capability to resist SEE in a high proton flux environment. Proton tests conducted at IUCF successfully demonstrated the single bit error correction capability of the LEON3FT. The test setup and results are summarized.
Simple Strategy-Proof Approximately Walrasian Mechanisms☆

Abstract This note provides an indirect analysis of the incentive properties of the Walrasian mechanism. It presents mechanisms under which truth-telling is a dominant strategy in finite exchange economies (in contrast to the Walrasian mechanism) and whose outcomes (generically) approximate Walrasian ones for large economies. These mechanisms provide new insights on the well-know trade-off between efficiency and incentive compatibility in finite economies. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: D50, D71, D78.
Lower and Upper Bounds for a Multiple Depot UAV Routing Problem

This paper extends the well known Held-Karp's lower bound available for a single Travelling Salesman Problem to the following Multiple Depot UAV Routing Problem (MDURP): Given a collection of UAVs that start at different depots, a set of terminals and destinations, the problem is to choose paths for each of the UAVs so that (1) each UAV starts at its respective depot, visits atleast one destination and reaches any one of the terminals not visited by other UAVs, (2) each destination is visited by exactly one UAV and (3) the cost of the paths is a minimum among all possible paths for the UAVs. The criteria for the cost of paths considered is the total cost of the edges travelled by the entire collection. This MDURP is formulated as a minimum cost constrained forest problem subject to side constraints. By dualizing the side constraints, one can obtain an infinite family of lower bounds for MDURP. Each lower bound can be computed in a tractable way using a matroid intersection algorithm. Also, when the costs of travelling between any two locations satisfy triangle inequality, it is shown that there exists a 2-approximation algorithm for solving the MDURP.
Importance sampling for actuarial cost analysis under a heavy traffic model

We explore a bottom-up approach to revisit the problem of cash flow modeling in insurance business, and propose a methodology to efficiently simulate the related tail quantities, namely the fixed-time and the finite-horizon ruin probabilities. Our model builds upon the micro-level contract structure issued by the insurer, and aims to capture the bankruptcy risk exhibited by the aggregation of policyholders. This distinguishes from traditional risk theory that uses random-walk-type model, and also enhances risk evaluation in actuarial pricing practice by incorporating the dynamic arrivals of policyholders in emerging cost analysis. The simulation methodology relies on our model's connection to infinite-server queues with non-homogeneous cost under heavy traffic. We will construct a sequential importance sampler with provable efficiency, along with large deviations asymptotics.
STUDIES ON THE PATHOGENESIS OF FEVER IX. THE PRODUCTION OF ENDOGENOUS PYROGEN BY POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUCOCYTES

Determination of the dose-response curve for rabbit leucocytic pyrogen reveals a hyperthermic "ceiling" at which there is a marked insensitivity to dosage. This finding has important implications in relation to the quantitative assay of leucocytic pyrogen. Polymorphonuclear leucocytes separated from normal rabbit blood possess the capacity to produce less than 5 per cent of the pyrogen generated by the same number of rabbit granulocytes collected from acute peritoneal exudates. Blood granulocytes, separated in the cold from the buffy coat, contain no detectable preformed pyrogen. The amount of preformed pyrogen within exudate granulocytes represents but a small fraction of the pyrogen which the cells are capable of generating when incubated in normal saline at 37 degrees C. It is suggested that the active pyrogen is formed from an inactive precursor within the cells. Under the conditions tested, cell fragments of rabbit granulocytes fail to produce endogenous pyrogen. The fact that the production of pyrogen is blocked at 4 degrees C is in keeping with the hypothesis that it involves metabolic reactions within the cell.
Longitudinal changes in body composition in women approaching the midlife

SummaryThis population-based longitudinal study describes the 4·5-year changes in body composition and body mass distribution in women aged 20–45 years, and characterizes predictors of these changes. Body weight, waist-to-hip ratio, Quetelet index, fat and lean body mass were measured in 404 white menstruating women aged 20–40 at baseline and 4·5 years later (follow-up). Variables considered for predicting body composition differences were hormonal status, menstrual status, parity, diet and physical activity. Average body weight increased 4·3 kg in 4·5 years (6·4 kg increase in fat and 2·1 kg decrease in lean)—a net increase of 7·1% total body fat. Measured predictors were not significantly associated with weight or Quetelet index; however, they were associated with measured amounts of lean and fat. Longitudinally, women who preserved the most lean body mass tended to be nulliparous, to be still menstruating, to have higher testosterone levels, and to smoke. Physical activity was associated with preservin...
Bismuth nanowire arrays: Synthesis and galvanomagnetic properties

This paper reports galvanomagnetic properties of arrays of single-crystal bismuth nanowires, with diameters of 7 to 200 nm, embedded in an amorphous porous anodic alumina matrix. A sample preparation technique is described that makes it possible to obtain nanowires with diameters below 10 nm. The wires are single crystals, with their long axes oriented in the bisectrix/trigonal plane, about 19\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} from the bisectrix axis. The temperature dependence $(1.4\mathrm{K}l~Tl~300\mathrm{K})$ of the electrical resistance, longitudinal magnetoresistance $(0\mathrm{T}l~Bl~5\mathrm{T}$ with $1.4l~Tl~75\mathrm{K},$ and $0Tl~Bl~1\mathrm{T}$ with $80l~Tl~300\mathrm{K})$ and transverse magnetoresistance $(0\mathrm{T}l~Bl~5\mathrm{T}$ with $1.4l~Tl~75\mathrm{K})$ of the nanowires are given. The results extend previous work to wires of narrower diameter, and confirm the existence of the semimetal-semiconductor phase transition seen in the magnetoresistance. The data are discussed qualitatively in terms of the interplay between the electron cyclotron radii, electron scattering on the wire walls, size-induced energy level quantization, and the transfer of carriers between the different carrier pockets of the Fermi surface. Nanowires of Bi are theoretically predicted to have a much higher thermoelectric figure of merit than bulk Bi.
The use of Petri nets for modeling pipelined processors

A collection of tools that support the construction and analysis of Petri-net models is described. These models are particularly well-suited to modeling hardware systems, such as pipelined processors. The focus is on a subset of the tools that comprise the P-NUT system. The features of the particular Petri-net model used which make the modeling of pipelining easy are highlighted. An example of a pipelined processor of moderate complexity is presented, and extensions needed to model even more complex systems are discussed. The types of analyses need to evaluate pipelined processors effectively are discussed. >
A Grid-Based Image Archival and Analysis System

Here the authors present a Grid-aware middleware system, called GridPACS, that enables management and analysis of images in a massive scale, leveraging distributed software components coupled with interconnected computation and storage platforms. The need for this infrastructure is driven by the increasing biomedical role played by complex datasets obtained through a variety of imaging modalities. The GridPACS architecture is designed to support a wide range of biomedical applications encountered in basic and clinical research, which make use of large collections of images. Imaging data yield a wealth of metabolic and anatomic information from macroscopic (e.g., radiology) to microscopic (e.g., digitized slides) scale. Whereas this information can significantly improve understanding of disease pathophysiology as well as the noninvasive diagnosis of disease in patients, the need to process, analyze, and store large amounts of image data presents a great challenge.
Epidemiological Investigation of Fluoroquinolone Resistance in Infections Due to Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase—Producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae

The incidence of infections due to extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-EK) has increased markedly in recent years. Treatment is difficult because of frequent multidrug resistance. Although fluoroquinolones offer effective therapy for ESBL-EK infections, their usefulness is threatened by increasing fluoroquinolone resistance. To identify risk factors for fluoroquinolone resistance in ESBL-EK infections, a case-control study of all patients with ESBL-EK infections from 1 June 1997 through 30 September 1998 was conducted. Of 77 ESBL-EK infections, 43 (55.8%) were resistant to fluoroquinolones. Independent risk factors for fluoroquinolone resistance were fluoroquinolone use (odds ratio [OR], 11.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.99-63.19), aminoglycoside use (OR, 5.83; 95% CI, 1.12-30.43), and long-term care facility residence (OR, 3.39; 95% CI, 1.06-10.83). The genotypes of fluoroquinolone-resistant ESBL-EK isolates were closely related. Efforts should be directed at modification of these risk factors to preserve the utility of fluoroquinolones in the treatment of ESBL-EK infections.
Non‐linear dynamics of the corotation torque

The excitation of spiral waves by an external perturbation in a disc deposits angular momentum in the vicinity of the corotation resonance (the radius where the speed of a rotating pattern matches the local rotation rate). We use matched asymptotic expansions to derive a reduced model that captures non-linear dynamics of the resulting torque and fluid motions. The model is similar to that derived for forced Rossby wave critical layers in geophysical fluid dynamics. Using the model we explore the saturation of the corotation torque, which occurs when the background potential (specific) vorticity is redistributed by the disturbance. We also consider the effects of dissipation. If there is a radial transport of potential vorticity, the corotation torque does not saturate. The main application is to the creation, growth and migration of protoplanets within discs like the primordial solar nebula. The disturbance also nucleates vortices in the vicinity of corotation, which may spark further epochs of planet formation.
Simplified Pediatric Electrocardiogram Interpretation

We describe a simplified method for interpreting a pediatric electrocardiogram (EKG). The method uses 4 steps and requires only a few memorized rules, and it can aid health care providers who do not have immediate access to pediatric cardiology services. Most pediatric EKGs are normal. However, both abnormal and normal EKGs should be sent to a pediatric cardiologist for later, confirmatory interpretation.
MicroRNA Circuits Regulate the Cancer-Inflammation Link

Genetic and epigenetic perturbations are required to transform normal cells into cancer cells. Inflammatory signaling pathways are activated in various cancers, linking chronic inflammation to oncogenesis. However, the molecular circuits that result in sustained activation of these inflammatory factors are not yet well understood. In the 28 January 2014 issue of Science Signaling, Xiang et al. identified a microRNA-mediated anti-inflammatory circuit that is repressed epigenetically in receptor-negative breast cancers. A high-throughput screen for signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3)-regulated microRNAs revealed microRNA miR-146b as a direct STAT3 target in mammary epithelial cells, but DNA methylation in its promoter area suppressed miR-146b expression in cancer cells. Overexpression of miR-146b suppressed nuclear factor κB (NF-κB)-dependent expression of IL6 and subsequent STAT3 activation and decreased the STAT3-induced invasiveness and mesenchymal phenotype of breast cancer cells. Overall, this study contributes to our understanding of how inflammation is involved in oncogenic transformation. Further studies could evaluate the therapeutic potential of targeting this circuit in estrogen receptor-negative breast cancers.
Extracellular Loops of the Eschericia coli Outer Membrane Protein A Contribute to the Pathogenesis of Meningitis

Neonatal meningitis by Eschericia coli RS218 occurs due to bacteremia and its transmigration across the blood-brain barrier. Although the outer membrane protein A (OmpA), a molecule with extracellular loops has been shown to contribute to the above phenomenon, we do not know the exact the role of these individual loops. Using bacterial strains whose individual loops have been removed, we demonstrated that whereas Loops1 and 2 contribute to 70%-80% bacterial survival in serum, bacterial entry into human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) is governed by Loops1, 2, and 3. Cellular invasion was shown to require activation of host cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2α) by Loops1 and 2 but not 3. This suggests 2 distinct pathways for bacterial entry into host cells. Loop 4 played no role in either serum survival, cellular entry, or cPLA2α signaling. These findings demonstrate for the first time the different contributions of extracellular loops of OmpA to the pathogenesis of E. coli meningitis.
Spatio-temporal dynamics of human intention understanding in temporo-parietal cortex: a combined EEG/fMRI repetition suppression paradigm.

Inferring the intentions of other people from their actions recruits an inferior fronto-parietal action observation network as well as a putative social network that includes the posterior superior temporal sulcus (STS). However, the functional dynamics within and among these networks remains unclear. Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and high-density electroencephalogram (EEG), with a repetition suppression design, to assess the spatio-temporal dynamics of decoding intentions. Suppression of fMRI activity to the repetition of the same intention was observed in inferior frontal lobe, anterior intraparietal sulcus (aIPS), and right STS. EEG global field power was reduced with repeated intentions at an early (starting at 60 ms) and a later (∼330 ms) period after the onset of a hand-on-object encounter. Source localization during these two intervals involved right STS and aIPS regions highly consistent with RS effects observed with fMRI. These results reveal the dynamic involvement of temporal and parietal networks at multiple stages during the intention decoding and without a strict segregation of intention decoding between these networks.
Brain-computer interfaces: signals, methods, and goals

A brain-computer interface (BCI) changes signals from the brain, which normally merely reflect brain activity into the end product of that activity, outputs that communicate the user's intent to the outside world (Wolpaw et al., 2002). BCI operation requires the effective interaction of two adaptive controllers: user and system. The user generates signals that encode intent; and the system translates these signals into commands that control a neuroprosthesis, an environmental control system, a word processor, or another external device. Thus, BCI use is essentially a new motor skill that user and system master and maintain. A variety of different brain signals could conceivably be used for BCI communication and control. These signals fall into two classes: spikes that reflect the action potentials of individual neurons, and field potentials that reflect the combined synaptic, neuronal, and axonal activity of groups of neurons (Niedermeyer and Lopes da Silva, 1999).
The control and direction of professional education

The author begins by advancing several hypotheses regarding forces transforming schools of library and information science (LIS) into schools of information (SI). After applying the “social worlds” concepts of Anselm Strauss to the process, he addresses the amalgam of idealistic and self-serving motivations underlying faculty advocacy of the “information” model for LIS education. Among these motivations is a rational response to university norms for research. Less positively, the author discerns a now-stereotypical striving by “nonlibrary” faculty in professional schools to refashion programs to reflect their “home” disciplines. This latter strategy seeks to retain the stability in enrollment and restriction in competition for supplying certain library markets that results from American Library Association accreditation. It is stressed that the price for such “information” transformation is a further distancing of full-time faculty from the worlds of practice. The author also addresses the errors flowing from the misapplication of ecological theory to LIS professional education. As an alternative, he advocates an intensified interest in—as well as support of—all aspects of LIS education by the many worlds of LIS practice. He further argues that a cultural model of LIS better positions both the “library” and “information” professions for a new millennium.
The Transit of Empire: Indigenous Critiques of Colonialism By Jodi A. Byrd

Minneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press, 2011. 320 pp. hardcover, $75; softcover, $25
A Non-Territorial Ethnic Network And The Making Of Human Rights Law: The Case Of The Alliance Israélite Universelle

International legal discourse, which has traditionally been conceived as a means of regulating relations among sovereign states, reflects the parallel evolution of international law and the rise of the independent nation-state. With some important exceptions, the territorial state is still today the core actor that makes law and is bound by law. What this paper traces is the extraordinary, and largely forgotten, role played by a transnational ethnic-religious network, the Alliance Israelite Universelle. Founded in Paris in 1860, the Alliance became an influential voice in the codification and promulgation of three concepts that inform the language of modern rights discourse: (a) the notion of religious equality as a basis for the recognition of a new state (1878, at the Berlin conference); (b) the identification of religious or ethnic communities within a nation-state of alien culture as "minorities" (Versailles Peace Conference, 1919); and (c) the idea of individual human rights, embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948, the United Nations Charter). The history of the Alliance's involvement in international law-making compels us to revisit the commonly-understood genealogy of international law, and to rethink the main lines of international legal history. Moreover, it speaks to ethnic-religious collectivities that do not predicate their nationhood on an intimate bond between people and land, suggesting strategies whereby significant legal and social change may be realized otherwise than by the formation of an independent territorial state, or the alternative of recourse to individual human rights.
Development and Psychometric Testing of Two Tools to Assess Nurse Practitioners’ Provision of Spiritual Care

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of two tools measuring the frequency nurse practitioners (NPs) assess for spiritual need and provide spiritual interventions. Spiritual care provided by NPs has the potential to improve health indicators without increasing costs. Design: Survey design Methods: Concept analysis of the literature supported each item developed for the new assessment and intervention tools. Content validity was tested with six subject matter experts using Lawshe’s method of content validity ratios (CVR). Inter-item correlations further supported convergent and divergent validity of the items with 133 practicing NPs. Cronbach’s alpha supported internal consistency of the tools and subscales. Findings: CVR analysis provided data supporting revision of the original tools. Convergent and divergent validity were also supported for each item. Both the assessment and intervention tools had high Cronbach’s alpha’s that met the required 0.70 for...
Pregnancy and the timing of intercourse.

The optimal timing of sexual intercourse in relation to the day of ovulation in order for pregnancy to result is a topic of broad interest. Of obvious relevance to fecundability, on the one hand, a...
A 0–40 GHz On-Wafer Probe With Replaceable Micromachined Silicon Tip

This work reports on a new approach to realizing RF on-wafer probes with contact tips that can be replaced or exchanged readily by the user. The probe design is based on a micromachined silicon tip that is aligned and clamped to a primary transmission line and probe housing using integrated tabs. The probe is characterized over the 0–40 GHz range and shows RF performance that is comparable to that achieved with commercially-available probes with permanently-attached tips.
A Case of Food Poisoning Caused by Northeast Haricot

[Objective]To find out the cause of food poisoning of 28 patients who had symptoms of nausea,vomitting,stomachache,dizziness and headache,carry out the measures of control and prevention timely,and prevent similar event.[Methods]The retrospective cohort study was carried out with the Field Survey Form for Individual Case designed by Guangdong Provincial CDC.The laboratory examinations which included pathogen,organophosphorus pesticide and toxin were performed in the related samples.[Results]This food poisoning event was caused by the lunch in February 20,2009,and the dining place was collective eatery in a factory.The unique common food of patients was the frying northeast haricot,the attack rate of eating this food was the highest (42.4%),that of eating other foods was 10.5% ～19.0%,and there was significant difference (P0.05).The frying northeast haricot was positive in saponin detection.[Conclusion]This food poisoning event was confirmed to be caused by eating northeast haricot.The health department should strengthen the education of knowledge about preventing food poisoning among the employed in collective eatery.
DETERMINATION OF PAEONIFLORIN IN PAEONIA LACTIFLORA PALL AND TRADITIONAL CHINESE PHARMACEUTICAL PREPARATIONS BY HPCE

OBJECTIVE:HPCE method for determination of Paeoniflorin in Paeonia lactiflora Pall and Traditional Chinese Pharmaceutical Preparations was deleloped.METHODS:Measurements were carried out in a buffer solution containing 50 mmol·L -1 borax solution(pH10.6),at 20kV running voltage applied to a 50 cm×50 μm capillary.The detection wavelength was 230 mm.RESULTS:The linear range is 0.0625～ 1.0000 mg·ml -1 , RSD in a day is 1.61%, RSD between days is 3.15%.The recovery of paeoniflorin is 98.01%-99.43%.We also used the method to determine paeoniflorin in paeonia lactiflora pall,xiaoyaowan and jiaweixiaoyaowan.The data were highly correlated to those obtained by HPLC.CONCLUSION:The methods are simple,rapid,economic and accurate.
Abstract 14699: Spectrum and Prevalence of CALM1, CALM2, and CALM3 Mutations in Long QT Syndrome, Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia, Idiopathic Ventricular Fibrillation, and Sudden Unexplained Death in the Young

Introduction: Cardiac channelopathies such as long QT syndrome (LQTS) and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) may lead to potentially lethal ventricular fibrillation and sudden unexplained death in the young (SUDY, 1-35 years of age). Two of the three genes ( CALM1 and CALM2 ) that encode for calmodulin have been implicated recently in LQTS and CPVT and associate with a very malignant phenotype with early onset typically within the first decade of life. Therefore, given its apparent early and malignant expressivity, we set out to determine the spectrum and prevalence of CALM1, CALM2, and CALM3 mutations in LQTS, CPVT, idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF), and SUDY. Methods: Using PCR, DHPLC, and direct DNA sequencing, a comprehensive coding region mutational analysis of CALM1, CALM2 and CALM3 was performed on genomic DNA isolated from 39 unrelated LQTS, 13 CPVT, 16 IVF, and 107 SUDY cases that remained genotype-negative following KCNQ1 , KCNH2 , SCN5A , and RYR2 analysis. To be considered a potential pathogenic mutation, identified variants had to be non-synonymous and absent among three publicly available exome databases (1000 Genomes Project, NHLBI Exome Sequencing Project, and 12000 Exome Chip). Results: Six missense CALM1 or CALM2 mutations were found in 6 cases (LQTS, 3/39 [7.7%], 1 male; SUDY, 3/107 [2.8%], 2 males). Two of the mutations (N54I-CALM1 and D96V-CALM2) were reported in the original discoveries and have been functionally characterized as abnormal. All 3 LQTS patients manifested a severe phenotype (QTc > 550 ms, 2 with cardiac arrest). The yield of CALM1/CALM2 mutations was significantly higher among cases ≤ 10 years of age compared to those case > 10 years (LQTS, 3/12 [25%] vs. 0/27 [0%], p = 0.04; SUDY, 3/29 [10%] vs. 0/78 [0%], p = 0.02). A novel CALM3 mutation (A103V) was identified in a 12-year-old female with CPVT. Conclusion: Calmodulin-mediated channelopathies potentially account for up to 25% of otherwise genetically elusive and severe LQTS and 10% of genotype-negative SUDY cases under the age of 10 years. Here in, we also report for the first time a CALM3 mutation identified in a single case of CPVT. The pedigree expansion and functional characterization of the novel calmodulin mutations are currently underway.
A study on a system of surveillance and warning indicators to indicate the risk of schistosomiasis transmission in the region along the Yangtze River in Jiangsu Province

Objective To create a surveillance and warning system to indicate the risk of schistosomiasis transmission in order to enhance schistosomiasis control along the Yangtze River. Methods Experts were consulted and a multi-faceted comprehensive assessment was performed.A system of surveillance and warning indicators indicating the risk of schistosomiasis transmission was created for the marshland along the Yangtze River.The test area consisted of marshland along the Yangtze River in Yangzhong County,Zhengjiang and Xinbei districts,and the City of Changzhou.A surveillance and warning database indicating the risk of schistosomiasis transmission was created for the test area.An index of the risk of schistosomiasis transmission was calculated for marshland in the test area.A risk warning level was determined based on these calculations.A map to warn of the risk of schistosomiasis transmission was created using Google Earth. ResultsA system of surveillance and warning indicators was created to indicate the risk of schistosomiasis transmission along the Yangtze River in Jiangsu Province.There were 3level one warnings,12 level two warnings,and 48 level three warnings.Ninety-six marshland areas along the Yangtze River in Yangzhong County,Zhengjiang and Xinbei districts,and the City of Changzhou were studied.Six marsh areas had a risk index≥2.0,10 marsh areas had a risk index1.5and2.0,and 26 marsh areas had a risk index0.9and1.5;the remainder has a risk index0.9.Different risk warning levels were marked in red,orange,yellow,and white.A map to warn of the risk of schistosomiasis transmission was created using Google Earth.Red and orange on the map indicated a high risk of transmission because of aspects such as infected snails and water containing schistosomes. Conclusion A system of surveillance and warning indicators was created to indicate the risk of schistosomiasis transmission,and this system facilitates management of different warning levels.The creation of a system of surveillance and warning indicators indicating the risk of schistosomiasis transmission has provided a good foundation for schistosomiasis control.
Buildings, the Internet, and the Future of a Sustainable World

The building and construction industry along with government is beginning to make fundamental changes in the way infrastructure is designed, built, utilized, maintained, and renewed, in order to achieve sustained global economic growth while enhancing environmental quality. The building and construction industry needs to remove or reduce barriers to improving building and construction practices in order to support sustainable development goals. Early in this century, developments in technology began to change the path of architecture in the United States. The development of mechanical and electrical systems, combined with artificially inexpensive energy, removed the limitations of form, site, and materials that were previously necessary if a building was to be habitable. Architects no longer had to be concerned with providing natural light and air as these could be provided artificially. As the natural influences on architecture were gradually discarded, artificial energy consumption increased dramatically causing a corresponding increase in the pollution of the natural environment. This development and application of technology also changed the profession of architecture as specialists began to design and install these systems. Architects no longer had direct responsibility for environmental control and engineering consultants became responsible for providing a suitable indoor thermal and visual environment. This chapter also discusses telecommuting, which is work carried out at home or at an office close to home, where the worker has no personal contact with coworkers but is able to communicate with them and perform work-related activities using computer and communication technologies.
The forest and the trees: Small-scale ecological variability and archaeological interpretations of temporal changes in California mussel shell size

Abstract As global efforts to understand and document anthropogenic impacts on the coastal environment have increased, so have archaeologists' eagerness to contribute relevant research. Our publication ( Thakar et al., 2017 ) sought to enhance scientific rigor in archaeological evaluation of potential anthropogenic impacts on past shellfish communities through ecological assessment of small scale-variability in California mussel growth rates and through development of an alternative working hypothesis. In response to comment by Braje et al (2017) we offer additional explanation in support of our experimental design, targeted tidal foraging hypothesis, and methods of evaluation. We argue that in order to fully understand adaptations (or impacts) of prehistoric coastal foragers, archaeologists must embrace a nuanced view of how people dealt with small-scale ecological variability.
Shifting from Village-Based Networks to Locally Generated Networks: Undocumented Mexican Agricultural Workers Who Use/Used Hard Drugs

Hardships that face transmigrants working in agriculture include the potential for drug use. Reliant on village-based networks that facilitate border crossing and developing a plan for a destination within this country, transmigrants who try new drugs/alcohol and/or continue on accustomed drugs/alcohol are facilitated in these endeavors through locally generated networks as alternative forms of access and support. Seven cases of undocumented men from Mexico are reviewed to show how use of illicit drugs is minimally affected by economic success and time in the United States, or village-based networks that first facilitated entry into this country. Prior conditions, especially childhood difficulties and search for socioeconomic autonomy, precipitate new and/or continuing drug use within the United States on this side of the border, where both forms of drug use are facilitated by locally generated networks.
Xrd and Xtem Investigation of Polycrystalline Silicon Carbide on Polycrystalline Silicon

Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) was used to grow silicon carbide (SiC) on as-deposited and annealed polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) films which were deposited on oxidized Si wafers. X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals that SiC films grown on asdeposited polysilicon have a (110) orientation. XRD performed on as-deposited polysilicon before and after SiC growth reveals that the orientation of polysilicon changes from (110) to a mixture of (110) and (11) during growth of 2 μm-thick SiC films. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) images of the SiC/polysilicon interface show that the SiC appears to be unaffected by the recrystallization of the underlying polysilicon during the SiC growth. XRD from samples of SiC grown on annealed polysilicon show that both films have (110) and (111) orientations. For SiC films grown on annealed polysilicon substrates, XTEM images show that the crystallinity of the annealed polysilicon substrate does not significantly change during SiC growth. Furthermore, an investigation of the SiC/annealed-polysilicon interface using selected area diffraction (SAD) shows that an epitaxial relationship exists between the polysilicon and SiC grains.
Human mitochondrial cytochrome P450 27C1 is localized in skin and preferentially desaturates trans-retinol to 3,4-dehydroretinol.

Recently, zebrafish and human cytochrome P450 (P450) 27C1 enzymes have been shown to be retinoid 3,4-desaturases. The enzyme is unusual among mammalian P450s in that the predominant oxidation is a desaturation and in that hydroxylation represents only a minor pathway. We show by proteomic analysis that P450 27C1 is localized to human skin, with two proteins of different sizes present, one being a cleavage product of the full-length form. P450 27C1 oxidized all-trans-retinol to 3,4-dehydroretinol, 4-hydroxy (OH) retinol, and 3-OH retinol in a 100:3:2 ratio. Neither 3-OH nor 4-OH retinol was an intermediate in desaturation. No kinetic burst was observed in the steady state; neither the rate of substrate binding nor product release was rate-limiting. Ferric P450 27C1 reduction by adrenodoxin was 3-fold faster in the presence of the substrate and was ∼5-fold faster than the overall turnover. Kinetic isotope effects of 1.5–2.3 (on kcat/Km) were observed with 3,3-, 4,4-, and 3,3,4,4-deuterated retinol. Deuteration at C-4 produced a 4-fold increase in 3-hydroxylation due to metabolic switching, with no observable effect on 4-hydroxylation. Deuteration at C-3 produced a strong kinetic isotope effect for 3-hydroxylation but not 4-hydroxylation. Analysis of the products of deuterated retinol showed a lack of scrambling of a putative allylic radical at C-3 and C-4. We conclude that the most likely catalytic mechanism begins with abstraction of a hydrogen atom from C-4 (or possibly C-3) initiating the desaturation pathway, followed by a sequential abstraction of a hydrogen atom or proton-coupled electron transfer. Adrenodoxin reduction and hydrogen abstraction both contribute to rate limitation.
Clockwise Vortical-Gust/Airfoil Interactions at a Transitional Reynolds Number

This paper presents high-fidelity implicit large-eddy simulations of parallel vortical-gust interactions with a NACA0012 airfoil operating at a transitional Reynolds number of Rec=200,000 and an an...
Roberto Bolaño’s Urban Labyrinths: The City as Metaphor for the Silent Universe

Melo focuses on Roberto Bolano’s cartography of the urban in the short stories, “El policia de las ratas” and “El hijo del coronel”. Highlighting the Aleph-like logic of Bolano’s writing, Melo argues that the Chilean’s method stages the contradictory relationship between flows of globalized cultures, the stabilizing intents of power, and the production of urban space. Melo argues that in Bolano’s formal representations of the urban, the modern project of capitalist globalization is seen as trending towards an entropic state of ruin. This dynamic becomes perceptible to a global oppositional public that in its marginalized positionality comes to recognize itself in cultural texts and images that feature increasingly homogeneous and therefore familiar urban wastelands. Out of this recognition, representation for Bolano takes on ethical characteristics: the heroic artist lucidly surveys the silent universe of technical precision, refusing the false comforts of sublime art and resisting madness.
Effective Phylogenetic Compression with TreeZip

Phylogenetic trees are family trees that represent the relationships between a group of organisms, or taxa. The most popular techniques for reconstructing phylogenetic trees intelligently navigate an exponentially-sized tree space by solving NP-hard optimization problems that that best hypothesize the evolutionary history for a given set of taxa. Instead of reconstructing a single tree, these heuristics often return tens to hundreds of thousands of trees that represent equally-plausible hypotheses for how the taxa of interest evolved from a common ancestor. As biologists attempt to reconstruct increasingly larger phylogenies, these tree collections only continue to grow in size. To combat the cost of storage and to facilitate the transfer of these large tree files, we developed a new compression algorithm called TreeZip that reduces the requirements for storing large collections of evolutionary trees over standard compression methods. TreeZip is distributed under the GPL license and can be accessed at: "http://treezip.googlecode.com":http://treezip.googlecode.com.