cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolutionary biology: Brotherly love benefits females.

Mating competition between males often has harmful consequences for females. But it seems that fruit flies alter their behaviour among kin, with brothers being less aggressive and females reproducing for longer as a result. See Letter p.672 Recent theory suggests that competition between males, a possible cause of harm to females, can be moderated by cooperation between males due to relatedness between them. These authors demonstrate that this is true experimentally by manipulating the relatedness of Drosophila males. Females mated with groups of brothers have greater lifetime reproductive fitness and slower reproductive ageing than those mated with groups of unrelated males. Within the male groups, aggressive behaviour is reduced between brothers, but brothers paired with an unrelated male have reduced reproductive success.
Stormwater basins of the New Jersey coastal plain: Subsidies or sinks for frogs and toads?

Stormwater basins are commonly employed structures designed to mitigate the negative effects of urban runoff. They are ubiquitous in the urbanized landscape; yet the effect of these basins on anurans has only recently been addressed. Stormwater basins have the potential to influence the breeding distribution of anurans by being sources for some species and sinks for others. Our study aims to determine which species benefit from the existence of stormwater basins, which species are negatively impacted, and what variables are the best predictors of these effects. We monitored thirty-six permanently-ponded basins in southern New Jersey for the presence of anuran larvae and calling males by aural surveys, dip-netting and trapping. We assessed fish presence by interviews, visual encounters, dip-netting, and traps. We divided near shore buffer areas into impervious surface and managed or unmanaged categories for both grass and woody vegetation. Two connectivity metrics, distance to canopied corridor and percent of undeveloped upland were analyzed with ArcGIS. Fish were detected in 92% of the basins. Resistance to fish predation distinguished successful species, those with larvae present, from unsuccessful species, those with calling activity but no larval presence. Connectivity to and availability of terrestrial habitat were significant predictors of the breeding species richness at the basins. Number of calling species increased as access to and amount of terrestrial habitat increased. Therefore, design, management, and placement of permanently-ponded basins can impact anuran communities. Additionally, as wet basins are sources for Rana catesbeiana, where bullfrogs are invasive, basins will likely increase propagule pressure.
Thermal stability of microstructural phases in commercial NiCoCrAlY bond coats

Martensite in a ‘two-phase’ NiCoCrAlY bond coat was observed to transform to the parent β-phase
Genioglossus muscle advancement via a trephine osteotomy approach

The trephine osteotomy approach is a modification of the anterior mandibular osteotomy window approach which produces a circular osteotomy segment containing the genioglossus muscle in one cutting motion. In this series of 20 patients, the operating time was approximately 45 minutes, blood loss and the complications rate compared favorably with the conventional anterior mandibular osteotomy technique. This article will review the trephine osteotomy approach for the advancement of the genioglossus muscle sufficiently to allow the surgeon to incorporate this technique into his or her surgical armamentarium for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.
Laser-induced fluorescence velocity measurements of a diverging cusped-field thruster

Measurements are presented of the most probable time-averaged ion velocities within the acceleration channel and in the plume of a diverging cusped-field thruster operating on xenon. Xenon ion velocities for the thruster are derived from laser-induced fluorescence measurements of the 5d[4]7/2?6p[3]5/2 xenon ion excited state transition centred at ? = 834.72?nm. The thruster is operated in both a high-current mode, where the anode discharge current is shown to oscillate periodically, and a low-current mode where operation is relatively quiescent. In the low-current mode, ion emission is predominantly in the form of a conical jet, whereas in the high-current mode, the emission is still divergent but more diffuse throughout the cone angle. These time-average measurements provide insight into the structure of the acceleration region. However, discerning the mechanism for the diffuse ion emission in the strongly oscillating high-current mode will require ion velocity measurements capable of resolving the time-dependent behaviour of the discharge.
Ray trajectories of lower hybrid solitary structures

[1] The correlation between large-amplitude lower hybrid waves and density depletions, termed “spikelets,” “lower hybrid cavities,” or “lower hybrid solitary structures” has been attributed to the change in the refractive index computed from the homogeneous plasma dispersion relation. However, the appropriate refractive index includes the electron Hall term involving the density gradient. We demonstrate that the Hall term produces ray trajectories which are profoundly different from the homogeneous plasma dispersion relation.
Reduction of air pollutant concentrations in an indoor ice-skating rink

High carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide concentrations were measured in an indoor ice-skating rink with fuel-powered ice-resurfacing equipment. In 22% to 33% of the measurements over 90-min segments, CO concentrations exceeded 20 [mu]L/L as a 90-min average in the absence of rink ventilation. Average NO[sub 2] concentrations over 14 h were higher than 600 nL/L. Reduction of air pollutant concentrations in the ice-skating rink is necessary to prevent air-pollutant-exposure-related health incidents. Various methods for reducing air pollutants in an ice-skating rink were evaluated by simultaneously measuring CO and NO[sub 2] concentrations. Single pollution reduction attempts, such as extension of the exhaust pipe, reduction in the number of resurfacer operations, or use of an air recirculation system, did not significantly reduce air pollutant concentrations in the rink. Full operation of the mechanical ventilation system combined with reduced resurfacer operation was required to keep the air pollutant levels in the skating rink below the recommended guidelines. This investigation showed that management of clean air quality in an ice-skating rink is practically difficult as long as fuel-powered resurfacing equipment is used. 16 refs., 3 figs., 5 tabs.
Method of Generating Transient Equivalent Sink and Test Target Temperatures for Swift BAT

The NASA Swift mission has a 600-km altitude and a 22 degrees maximum inclination. The sun angle varies from 45 degrees to 180 degrees in normal operation. As a result, environmental heat fluxes absorbed by the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) radiator and loop heat pipe (LHP) compensation chambers (CCs) vary transiently. Therefore the equivalent sink temperatures for the radiator and CCs varies transiently. In thermal performance verification testing in vacuum, the radiator and CCs radiated heat to sink targets. This paper presents an analytical technique for generating orbit transient equivalent sink temperatures and a technique for generating transient sink target temperatures for the radiator and LHP CCs. Using these techniques, transient target temperatures for the radiator and LHP CCs were generated for three thermal environmental cases: worst hot case, worst cold case, and cooldown and warmup between worst hot case in sunlight and worst cold case in the eclipse, and three different heat transport values: 128 W, 255 W, and 382 W. The 128 W case assumed that the two LHPs transport 255 W equally to the radiator. The 255 W case assumed that one LHP fails so that the remaining LHP transports all the waste heat from the detector array to the radiator. The 382 W case assumed that one LHP fails so that the remaining LHP transports all the waste heat from the detector array to the radiator, and has a 50% design margin. All these transient target temperatures were successfully implemented in the engineering test unit (ETU) LHP and flight LHP thermal performance verification tests in vacuum.
Williams-Beuren syndrome.

The article by Yudhijit Bhattacharjee “Friendly faces and unusual minds” (4 Nov. 2005, p. [802][1]) was informative and well written. However, as the parent of a 16-year-old who has Williams-Beuren syndrome (WS) and as a former member of the national Williams Syndrome Association Board of
Temporal call changes and prior experience affect graded signalling in the cricket frog.

We investigated how male cricket frogs, Acris crepitans, alter their advertisement calls in response to broadcasts of synthetic calls that were either ‘attractive’ or ‘aggressive’. The stimulus calls differed in temporal but not spectral characteristics. Male cricket frogs produced a more aggressive call when presented with the aggressive stimulus, indicating that they perceived the temporal differences between the two call categories. The direction and degree of temporal and spectral changes depended on the relative dominant frequency of the resident and opponent. If the resident’s dominant frequency was initially higher than the stimulus frequency, the pattern of change in dominant frequency mirrored that seen for the temporal call characters. In contrast, if the resident’s initial dominant frequency was below that of the stimulus, then the temporal and spectral changes were in opposite directions. Furthermore, stimulus order influenced whether males responded differently to playbacks of aggressive and attractive calls; males that received the aggressive call first produced more aggressive calls during the aggressive stimulus, while males that received the attractive call first produced similar calls in response to the two stimuli. This suggests that experience with different types of signals influences the subsequent calling behaviour of male cricket frogs. © 1999 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
Wavelet based estimation of a semi parametric generalized linear model of fMRI time-series

This work provides a new approach to estimate the parameters of a semi-parametric generalized linear model in the wavelet domain. The method is illustrated with the problem of detecting significant changes in fMRI signals that are correlated to a stimulus time course. The fMRI signal is described as the sum of two effects: a smooth trend and the response to the stimulus. The trend belongs to a subspace spanned by large scale wavelets. We have developed a scale space regression that permits us to carry out the regression in the wavelet domain while omitting the scales that are contaminated by the trend. Experiments with fMRI data demonstrate that our approach can infer and remove drifts that cannot be adequately represented with low degree polynomials. Our approach results in a noticeable improvement by reducing the false positive rate and increasing the true positive rate.
Grid coding: A novel technique for image processing

The encoding of information as the modulation of a grid is explored as the means for allowing the extraction of relevant details or features from images. A major aspect of this approach is the replacement of the heuristics in certain image processing tasks by simple Fourier filtering. Specific examples and particular implementations of coding schemes are described in order to show the wide applicability of the concept. The examples chosen fall in the domains of scene analysis, difference extraction from successive images, automatic extraction of range, extraction of features such as planes, recording of three-dimentional imagery, and the processing of a single coded view to give a set of stereo related pairs.
INTERLEUKIN 1 TRIALS IN CANCER PATIENTS : A REVIEW OF THE TOXICITY, ANTITUMOR AND HEMATOPOIETIC EFFECTS

Clinical trials of interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) and IL-1 beta have been completed that assess the toxicities of these cytokines as well as their hematopoietic and antitumor effects. Both forms of IL-1 recognize the same cell surface receptors and have similar toxicities and similar biological activities. Toxicities including fever, flu-like symptoms and dose-limiting hypotension can be severe yet manageable, and IL-1 can be given safely to human cancer patients. Most toxicities and biological effects appear to be dose-related. IL-1 alone has little antitumor activity against melanoma, renal cell carcinomas or other malignancies. The hematopoietic effects, including megakaryocytopoietic effects, are modest and are probably not worth the toxicity necessary to achieve them. However, IL-1 seems to endow certain progenitor cells with responsiveness to other hematopoietic cytokines including colony-stimulating factors and IL-3. One potential application of IL-1 is to help expand bone marrow ex vivo following stem cell harvest, which could allow further chemotherapy dose escalations in chemotherapy-sensitive tumors.
Performance and Economic Benefit of Herbicides Used for Broadleaf Weed Control in Peanut

Abstract Field experiments were conducted over two growing seasons (1995 and 1996) and at two locations (Jay, FL, and Headland, AL) to identify the most effective herbicide program for Florida beggarweed [Desmodium tortuosum (SW) D.C.] control in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.). The most common herbicides used for Florida beggarweed control—including preemergence (PRE), early-postemergence (EPOST), mid-postemergence (MPOST) and late-postemergence (LPOST) applied treatments—were evaluated in a factorial treatment arrangement. All treatments had merit and could be assembled into programs that resulted in maximum weed control, crop yield, and net returns. However, at least two of the four treatment timings were required to reach this level. Four systems were consistently associated with the maximum statistical grouping for both yield and net returns, as well as acceptable Florida beggarweed control (> 81%). These systems were (a) paraquat + bentazon applied EPOST, followed by pyridate + 2,4-DB MPOST; (b) same a...
Secondary Growth in Vertebraria Roots from the Late Permian of Antarctica: A Change in Developmental Timing

Permineralized Vertebraria roots from the late Permian of the Central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica, are investigated to understand the unusual vascular anatomy of the genus. The specimens range from ∼1 mm to several centimeters in diameter and illustrate all the stages of secondary growth. Our observations confirm previous hypotheses on the development of these roots and suggest that their unique anatomy is the result of a change in developmental timing. Vertebraria is characterized by a vascular cambium that remains discontinuous through several growth seasons, leading to the formation of lacunae alternating in cross section with wedges of secondary vascular tissues. The bifacial nature of the cambium is confirmed by the presence of well‐developed secondary phloem composed of longitudinally elongated cells and uniseriate parenchymatous rays. In some of the largest specimens, a continuous vascular cylinder is formed by the differentiation of cambium from parenchymatous cells bordering the lacunae....
Effects of Competition and Predation on the Feeding Rate of the Freshwater Snail, Helisoma trivolvis

Abstract Foraging behavior of snails is affected by competition and risk of predation, both of which can be detected by chemical cues in the water. Freshwater snails are able to detect and respond to kairomones, from predators, and chemical cues, such as alarm cues, from other snails. Invasive species, such as the Chinese mystery snail (Cipangopaludina chinensis), are known to affect native species through competition and predation. This study examines the effects of competition and predation risks on the feeding rate of Helisoma trivolvis. Higher densities of competitors cause the snails to increase their feeding rate compared to no competition and low densities of competitive organisms. Presence of crayfish predators causes the snails to decrease their feeding rate and masks the effects of competitor density and type on the feeding rate. This study found no significant difference in feeding rates for the different treatments between the predation and crushed snails experiments, suggesting kairomones are...
Ladder realizations of fast subband/VQ coders with diamond support for color images

A ladder implementation of a subband/vector quantization (VQ) coder is presented. The ladder realization significantly reduces the number of computations required to achieve the desired decomposition, compared to the separable system presented by R.E. Van Dyck and S.A. Rajala (see Proc. IEEE Visual Sig. Proc. Conf., p. 235-240, 1992). In this system, the low-pass subimage has a diamond orientation in order to more closely match the orientation of the human visual system. The reduction in computations is given, and coding results for color images are presented for different color spaces. >
Structured querying of web text

The Web contains a huge amount of text that is currently beyond the reach of structured access tools. This unstructured data often contains a substantial amount of implicit structure, much of which can be captured using information extraction (IE) algorithms. By combining an IE system with an appropriate data model and query language, we could enable structured access to all of the Web’s unstructured data. We propose a general-purpose query system called the extraction database, or ExDB, which supports SQL-like structured queries over Web text. We also describe the technical challenges involved, motivated in part by our experiences with an early 90M-page prototype.
The effects of medical marijuana laws on potency

Background Marijuana potency has risen dramatically over the past two decades. In the United States, it is unclear whether state medical marijuana policies have contributed to this increase.
Migration up and down the urban hierarchy and across the life course.

In this article, we begin by reviewing the concept of step migration that originated in E. G. Ravenstein’s seminal papers ‘‘The Laws of Migration’’ (1885, 1889). As a result of the forces of the Industrial Revolution underway in 19th century Great Britain, migrants moved from farms to villages, from villages to towns, from towns to county seats, and thence to large cities. Throughout much of the industrialization era in the United States, net population movements similarly were upward within the urban hierarchy, and step migration today remains widespread throughout much of the still developing world. Our investigations of recent data and trends, however, suggest that the latest U.S. migration-pattern regime is a strongly contrasting one. Many of the major movements in the system of internal (or domestic) migration are flows down the urban hierarchy, although we note highly differentiated patterns for persons and households at specific stages of the life course. We make use of the newly defined metropolitan and micropolitan Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) and a seven-level size typology to tabulate origin-destination-specific migration flow data from both Census 2000 and IRS tax-return administrative records for the period 1995–2000. We discuss the causes for net movements being either upward or downward in the national urban hierarchy, including the effects of spatially focused immigration, and movement preferences at various ages, including migration in young adulthood associated with entering and leaving college and the military, as well as moves characteristic of the stages of family formation, childrearing, and retirement. population trends metropolitan areas micropolitan areas
Motor evoked potentials in a rhesus macaque model of neuro-AIDS

Previous work using bone marrow passaged SIVmac239 (simian immunodeficiency virus) has shown that macrophage tropic strains of this virus enter the rhesus macaque brain early following inoculation (Sharma et al, 1992; Desrosiers et al, 1991; Zhu et al, 1995; and Narayan et al, 1997). As part of an effort to more fully characterize the extent of neurologic impairment associated with SIV infection of the brain, we used transcranial electrical stimulation of motor cortex and the spinal cord to evoke EMG potentials in two forelimb (EDC and APB) and two hindlimb (LG and AH) muscles. The latencies, magnitudes and thresholds of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) recorded from nine monkeys infected with neurovirulent SIVmac R71/17E were compared to pre-inoculation records from the same monkeys. Seven of nine monkeys developed simian AIDS within 4 months of inoculation and were euthanized. Two monkeys remained free of AIDS-related clinical illness for over 18 months following inoculation. Six of the seven monkeys with...
Single-Scattering Properties of Aggregates of Bullet Rosettes in Cirrus

Abstract During the March 2000 Cloud Intensive Operational Period, the University of North Dakota Citation executed spiral descents through midlatitude cirrus of a nonconvective origin over the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program’s Southern Great Plains site. Aggregates of bullet rosettes (ABRs) observed during the descents using a cloud particle imager are used to derive a relationship between the length L and width W of bullets that are the fundamental components of the ABRs, which is given by W = 7.14L0.455, where 100 μm ≤ L ≤ 600 μm. To derive a representation of an aggregate of bullet rosettes, six bullet rosettes, each of which is composed of six bullets of the same size but each of which has different-sized bullets from the other bullet rosettes, are attached together randomly without overlap. Using a geometric ray-tracing method, the phase function, asymmetry parameter g, and single-scattering albedo of the representation of ABR (rABR) and the component bullets and bullet rosettes are calcul...
Comparison of mechanically egg-triggered cameras and time-lapse video cameras in identifying predators at Dusky Flycatcher nests

We compared the effectiveness and reliability of mechanically egg-triggered set-cameras and time-lapse video cameras in identifying nest predators at active Dusky Flycatcher (Empidonax oberholseri) nests in Siskiyou County, California. We monitored 72 active flycatcher nests using camera systems from 1998 to 2000. Nest abandonment, hatching success, and daily survival rate did not differ between camera systems. Set-cameras were less reliable than video systems in successfully recording predation events (45% versus 95%). The nest predator assemblage between camera types differed significantly with more avian predators (primarily raptors) recorded at video-monitored nests. This may have been due to the failure of hawks and owls to take the trigger egg at set-camera nests during the nestling stage. We did not find a strong association between the condition of the nest (disturbed or undisturbed) after the predation event and the identity of the predator (mammalian or avian). We also documented disruption of the nest by visitors other than the original predator. These observations suggest that identification of nest predators based on nest remains can be highly inaccurate. We recommend the use of videography for accurate identification of nest predators. Results from studies identifying predators with egg-triggered cameras should limit conclusions to the incubation stage.
Impact of Corporate Ownership on Risk-Taking and Returns at Thrift Institutions

This paper examines the relationship between ownership structure, other corporate governance variables, and firm risk-taking and returns for the period 1990 to 2003. Our results suggest that the persistent, underlying relationship between insider ownership and risk-taking is U-shaped for both stock and operating returns. The Sharpe ratio for operating returns exhibits an inverted U-shaped association with insider ownership. These observations are consistent with insiders achieving the efficient frontier between risk and return, i.e. although risk-taking varies with the level of ownership, average returns are higher when risk is higher. We also find strong evidence of negative linear relationships between institutional ownership and both operating and stock volatility and positive relationships with operating returns and Tier 1 capital.
Association Between Specific Depression Symptoms and Glycemic Control Among Patients With Comorbid Type 2 Diabetes and Provisional Depression.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether specific depression symptoms are associated with glycemic control independent of potential demographic and clinical covariates among primary care patients with comorbid type 2 diabetes and provisional threshold or subthreshold depression. METHOD We examined a convenience sample of patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and provisional threshold or subthreshold depression (N = 82) at 2 family health centers. Cases were identified using a population-based registry of patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (ICD-9 codes 250.00 for controlled type 2 diabetes and 250.02 for uncontrolled type 2 diabetes). Data from patients with a primary care provider appointment from the beginning of April 2011 through the end of June 2012 and with at least one 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) depression screener and a glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) laboratory test between 2 weeks before and 10 weeks after PHQ-9 screening were eligible for inclusion. We defined provisional threshold or subthreshold depression using PHQ-9 scoring criteria, which were designed to yield provisional diagnostic information about major depressive disorder based on DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. RESULTS Patients reporting higher severity of sleep problems on the PHQ-9 had significantly higher HbA1c levels (mean = 8.48, SD = 2.17) compared to patients reporting lower severity or absence of this symptom (mean = 7.19, SD = 1.34, t 48.88 = -3.13, P = .003). Problems with sleep contributed unique variance on glycemic control (β = 0.27, P = .02) when controlling for potential clinical and demographic covariates, with those reporting more sleep difficulties having higher HbA1c levels. CONCLUSIONS For patients with type 2 diabetes and provisional threshold or subthreshold depression, it may be prudent to aggressively address sleep problems as a potential mechanism toward improving diabetes control.
Size-based separation of supercoiled plasmid DNA using ultrafiltration.

Abstract Hypothesis Most previous studies of membrane-based separations have shown no effect of DNA size on plasmid transmission through small pore size ultrafiltration membranes, consistent with the predicted behavior for flexible polymer chains. However, supercoiled plasmids are known to have a highly “branched” structure with the number of branches dependent on the DNA length. This difference in branching could lead to a significant dependence of the transmission on the plasmid size, providing opportunities for size-based separations using ultrafiltration. Experiments Data were obtained with 3.0, 9.8, and 16.8 kbp plasmids using both cellulosic and polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes with different nominal molecular weight cutoffs. Initial experiments were performed with purified samples of the supercoiled and linear isoforms, with the results used to identify appropriate conditions for plasmid separation. Findings Plasmid transmission increased with increasing filtrate flux due to elongation of the plasmids in the converging flow field. However, the flux dependence was different for each plasmid due to differences in the extent of branching of the twisted supercoiled DNA. This behavior provided a significant selectivity that could be used to separate the 3.0 and 16.8 kbp supercoiled plasmids using small pore size ultrafiltration membranes.
Recovery of culturable Escherichia coli O157:H7 during operation of a liquid-based bioaerosol sampler

ABSTRACTCollection fluids used in liquid-based bioaerosol samplers can influence the viability of microorganisms. In this study we determined the recovery efficiency of vegetative E. coli O157:H7 cells that were spiked into low viscosity evaporating collection fluids during operation of a BioSampler® for up to 90 min at room temperature. The collection fluids tested were deionized (DI) water, DI water with 0.1% (w/w) antifoam B (AFB), phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and osmoprotectants consisting of peptone (with and without AFB) or betaine at .1% (w/w) in DI water. Using DI water, there was a rapid decline in the recovery of culturable E. coli, with only 11, 3, and 0% being recovered after 30, 60, and 90 min, respectively. Recoveries were substantially greater with use of PBS (53, 25, and 16%, respectively) but not as high as with use of the osmoprotectants or AFB. Peptone and AFB alone or together allowed for the greatest recovery of E. coli, with average values ranging from 87 to 98% at 90 min. Betain...
Moral Functionalism and Moral Reductionism

Critique de l'analyse fonctionnaliste du contenu evaluatif de nos croyances morales developpee par F. Jackson et P. Pettit. L'A. montre que le fonctionnalisme moral de Jackson et Pettit ne peut etre reduit au naturalisme ethique, selon lequel les proprietes evaluatives sont identiques -et non pas reduites- aux proprietes naturelles
Effects of Single- and Mixed-Species Group Composition on the Flight Initiation Distances of Plains and Grevy's Zebras

Zebras, as prey species, attend to the behavior of nearby conspecifics and heterospecifics when making decisions to flee from predators. Plains zebras (Equus quagga) and Grevy's zebras (E. grevyi) frequently form mixed-species groups in zones where their ranges overlap in Kenya. Although anecdotal observations suggest that Plains zebras are more flighty around humans than Grevy's zebras are, this has not been empirically confirmed, and relatively little is known about how they may influence each other's flight behavior. We addressed these questions by examining the flight initiation distances (FIDs) of Plains and Grevy's zebras in single-species and mixed-species groups from an approaching human. One target individual per group was approached steadily on foot, with start distance, alert distance, and FID recorded from this target. Using start distance and alert distance separately as covariates, 22 Plains zebras in single-species groups exhibited a significantly longer mean FID than 15 Grevy's zebras in single-species groups. The FIDs of 7 Plains zebras and 5 Grevy's zebras tested in mixed-species groups were virtually equivalent and intermediate to those of Plains and Grevy's zebras in single-species groups, suggesting a bidirectional moderating influence of heterospecifics on risk assessment. This effect was most pronounced for Plains zebras in mixed-species groups that exhibited an FID that was significantly shorter than that of Plains zebras in single-species groups. Our findings underscore the importance of recognizing that related equids may be differently impacted by anthropogenic stress.
Global Protein Acetylation and Its Function in TNF-α-Induced Signal Transduction

Using mass spectrometry based on AACT/SILAC quantitative proteomics strategy,we investigated the global protein acetylation in TNF-induced signal transduction with TSA treatment.As a result,we have identified three acetylated proteins in the cytosol part among which TfR1 and AIFM3havent been reported.Biological process and molecular function analysis of the identified proteins provides us a more clear picture about global protein acetylation through signal transduction.
The Effect of Word Predictability in Reading Disappearing Text

The disappearing text paradigm was used to investigate the influence of cognitive and visual factors on eye movement control,thereby providing evidence for the eye movement control theory in Chinese reading.Twenty-eight undergraduate students participated in the experiment.Participants' eye movements were monitored when they read sentences.The fixated word had disappeared after 80 ms.Under the special disappearing text condition,the goal of the experiment was to investigate the influencing factors on eye movement control in Chinese reading.The independent variable was word predictability,and the dependent variables were first-fixation duration,gaze duration and total fixation duration.Although the fixated word had disappeared after 80ms,there was a robust word predictability effect,suggesting that the results are consistent with the cognitive-control model.
Stable group scheduling

We consider the situation in which an organizer is trying to convene an event, and needs to decide on a schedule: a time slot and a set of invitees from a given set of agents. For each possible time slot, each agent has a single-peaked preference over the number of attendees at the event. Agent also has the outside option of not attending, which she prefers in some situations. The task of the organizer is to issue a maximum stable schedule -- the invited agents prefer attending to not attending, the agents not invited do not regret not being invited, and the event has the maximum number of attendees subject to these stability requirements. We consider both the non-strategic and strategic cases. In the former, in which agents truthfully reveal their preferences, we provide a polynomial-time algorithm for determining whether a stable schedule exists, and if it does, determining the maximum such schedule. In the strategic case we provide a truthful mechanism for the case in which the preferences of the agents are monotonically increasing, and an impossibility result for the general case.
Health-related quality of life outcomes of pancreas transplant recipients.

The health status and quality of life outcomes of 131 patients who were 1 to 11 years post-pancreas transplant were studied. Patients were compared based on the current status of their pancreas graft, i.e. whether or not their grafts were successful in maintaining an insulin-independent state, and according to recipient category (pancreas alone vs kidney and pancreas). For this study, quality of life was defined as patients' perceptions of their well-being and ability to function in six areas: physical and mental health, social functioning, role (work and home) functioning, overall health perceptions, and physical pain. Patient self-report questions from the Medical Outcome Study were used to provide a score scaled from 0 to 100, for each area. Health status was assessed by sick days, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits. Patients with a successful pancreas graft (N = 65) reported significantly more positive health perceptions (51.9 vs 28.9), less pain (33.9 vs 45.3), and greater ability to function socially (84.9 vs 71.3) than did patients whose pancreas grafts were not successful. In addition, patients with successful pancreas grafts rated their ability to perform routine activities as nearer to normal on the Karnofsky Index (2.82 vs 3.63) and were more likely to view themselves as healthier since the pancreas transplant than were patients whose pancreas grafts were not successful. These effects persisted after statistical adjustment for recipient category and case-mix factors of age, sex, education, and length of time since pancreas transplant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Recombinant endothelial nitric oxide synthase-transduced human saphenous veins: gene therapy to augment nitric oxide production in bypass conduits.

Background Nitric oxide is a potent vasodilator that also inhibits platelet aggregation and smooth muscle cell proliferation, properties that may prevent early and late occlusion of saphenous vein coronary bypass conduits. We determined whether human saphenous veins can be transduced with adenovirus vector-encoding bovine endothelial nitric oxide synthase (Ad.CMVeNOS), resulting in functional expression of recombinant nitric oxide synthase. Methods and Results Harvested segments of human saphenous vein were exposed for 1 hour at 37°C to replication-deficient Ad.CMVeNOS (5x10 9 PFU/mL) or control adenovirus-encoding Escherichia coli β-galactosidase (Ad.CMVLacZ; 5x10 9 PFU/mL). The vein segments were analyzed for recombinant endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression and activity 48 hours later. Histochemical staining for recombinant β-galactosidase activity was localized to the luminal endothelium and adventitia of vein segments transduced with Ad.CMV-LacZ. Similarly, immunohistochemical staining with a monoclonal antibody for nitric oxide synthase localized recombinant gene expression to endothelial and adventitial cells in Ad.CM-VeNOS veins; only endogenous nitric oxide synthase was identified in the endothelium of Ad.CMVLacZ veins. Nitrite generation after stimulation with calcium ionophore increased in Ad.CMVeNOS veins (1420.0±298.2 nM/mg versus 130.3±19.9 nM/mg; n=3; P<.05). Isometric tension recording demonstrated augmented maximal relaxation to calcium ionophore (32±4.5% versus 17.4±7.4%; n=6; P<.05) after precontraction with norepinephrine. Bioassay superfusion demonstrated a twofold augmentation of the biodetector ring relaxation during calcium ionophore stimulation of Ad.CMVe-NOS veins. Conclusions Adenovirus-mediated gene transfer to human saphenous veins resulted in functional transgene expression with increased nitric oxide release. These or similar molecular techniques to increase nitric oxide production may reduce the risk of early thrombosis in saphenous vein grafts.
The Roots of Patriotism Across Political Contexts

Why do some Americans feel more patriotic than others? We argue that feelings of national pride are reinforced by cues from people's political and social environments. When Americans reside in contexts that align with their values, traits, and civic orientations, they are more likely to express pride in their country. We consider both civic and ethnic pathways to patriotism. We expect that minorities and those who particularly value political equality will feel increasingly patriotic as the racial and ethnic diversity of their state climbs. For those who see politics through a partisan lens, we expect that environments defined by political competition will enhance feelings of national pride. We test our theory using data from the 2012 American National Election Studies (ANES). We find that Americans are more likely to say that they feel love for their country when they reside in political contexts congruent with their values and approach to citizenship.
Breast cancer in Asian Americans in California, 1988–2013: increasing incidence trends and recent data on breast cancer subtypes

Purpose In contrast to other US racial/ethnic groups, Asian Americans (AA) have experienced steadily increasing breast cancer rates in recent decades. To better understand potential contributors to this increase, we examined incidence trends by age and stage among women from seven AA ethnic groups in California from 1988 to 2013, and incidence patterns by subtype and age at diagnosis for the years 2009 through 2013.
Estimation Approaches for Modeling Sparse Data Systems

Abstract In certain biomedicai modeling parameter estimation applications, the collected data sets are characterized by relatively few observations. This paper reviews different estimation approaches which are apphcable to the multiple output, sparse data system, nonhnear parameter estimation problem. Several of these estimation procedures are illustrated using data obtained from a pharma-cokinetic study of the renal imaging agent Tc-99m DMSA.
Major Challenges of Governance in Africa Today

In a critical study of the postcolonial state in Africa, Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja examines four major challenges of democratic and developmental governance in the continent. This is done in a comprehensive analysis of nation building as a process of consolidating democratic rights through the rule of law, full citizenship, and access to a higher standard of living for all. In order to meet these three challenges, the challenge of state capacity building for effective governance must be met as well. This requires democratizing the state, modernizing the civil service, cleaning up and retraining revenue collection agencies, transforming law enforcement agencies from repressive to protective services, and strengthening economic and social development agencies for purposes of eradicating poverty.
Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Ventral Hernia Repair: Designing a Qualitative Assessment Tool

Current hernia patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures were developed without patient input, greatly impairing their content validity. The purpose of this study was to develop a conceptual model for PRO measures for ventral hernia (VH) patients. Fifteen semi-structured, concept elicitation interviews and two focus groups employing nominal group technique were conducted with VH patients. Patients were recruited between November 2015 and July 2016 over the telephone from a five-surgeon patient cohort at our institution. Iterative thematic analysis identified domains. Reliability and validation were achieved using inter-rater reliability checks and triangulation. Seven framework domains were established: (1) expectations; (2) self and others; (3) surgeon and surgical team; (4) sensation; (5) function; (6) appearance; and (7) overall satisfaction. Overall patient satisfaction was associated with two themes: (1) provider–patient relationship; and (2) patient assessment of post-repair improvement. VH patients experience a profoundly broad range of reactions to VH repair. A patient-informed PRO instrument that addresses the spectrum of patient-identified outcomes can guide practice, optimizing care targeting VH patients’ needs.
Malassezia vespertilionis sp. nov.: a new cold-tolerant species of yeast isolated from bats

Malassezia is a genus of medically-important, lipid-dependent yeasts that live on the skin of warmblooded animals. The 17 described species have been documented primarily on humans and domestic animals, but few studies have examined Malassezia species associated with more diverse host groups such as wildlife. While investigating the skin mycobiota of healthy bats, we isolated a Malassezia sp. that exhibited only up to 92 % identity with other known species in the genus for the portion of the DNA sequence of the internal transcribed spacer region that could be confidently aligned. The Malassezia sp. was cultured from the skin of nine species of bats in the subfamily Myotinae; isolates originated from bats sampled in both the eastern and western United States. Physiological features and molecular characterisation at seven additional loci (D1/D2 region of 26S rDNA, 18S rDNA, chitin synthase, second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II, β-tubulin, translation elongation factor EF-1α, and minichromosome maintenance complex component 7) indicated that all of the bat Malassezia isolates likely represented a single species distinct from other named taxa. Of particular note was the ability of the Malassezia sp. to grow over a broad range of temperatures (7–40 °C), with optimal growth occurring at 24 °C. These thermal growth ranges, unique among the described Malassezia, may be an adaptation by the fungus to survive on bats during both the host’s hibernation and active seasons. The combination of genetic and physiological differences provided compelling evidence that this lipid-dependent yeast represents a novel species described herein as Malassezia vespertilionis sp. nov. Whole genome sequencing placed the new species as a basal member of the clade containing the species M. furfur, M. japonica, M. obtusa, and M. yamatoensis. The genetic and physiological uniqueness of Malassezia vespertilionis among its closest relatives may make it important in future research to better understand the evolution, life history, and pathogenicity of the Malassezia yeasts.
Ethical Issues for Direct-to-Consumer Digital Psychotherapy Apps: Addressing Accountability, Data Protection, and Consent

This paper focuses on the ethical challenges presented by direct-to-consumer (DTC) digital psychotherapy services that do not involve oversight by a professional mental health provider. DTC digital psychotherapy services can potentially assist in improving access to mental health care for the many people who would otherwise not have the resources or ability to connect with a therapist. However, the lack of adequate regulation in this area exacerbates concerns over how safety, privacy, accountability, and other ethical obligations to protect an individual in therapy are addressed within these services. In the traditional therapeutic relationship, there are ethical obligations that serve to protect the interests of the client and provide warnings. In contrast, in a DTC therapy app, there are no clear lines of accountability or associated ethical obligations to protect the user seeking mental health services. The types of DTC services that present ethical challenges include apps that use a digital platform to connect users to minimally trained nonprofessional counselors, as well as services that provide counseling steered by artificial intelligence and conversational agents. There is a need for adequate oversight of DTC nonprofessional psychotherapy services and additional empirical research to inform policy that will provide protection to the consumer.
Comments on recent reports on infrared spectral detection of disease markers in blood components

The search for disease markers in whole blood, or easily accessible blood components by spectral methods is a highly important aspect in the field of biophotonic research for disease diagnostics and screening, since it promises a minimally invasive approach to assess an individual's state of health. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, in particular, promises to be a fast, inexpensive method to search for markers of disease, since it detects variation in the proteome, lipidome and metabolome of biofluids, or activation of immune cells. However, the analysis of any materials by spectral methods is confounded by external factors such as those related to sample deposition and data acquisition, and by inherent variations in blood plasma concentration of small molecules (lactate, carbonate, phosphate, glucose) that varies between individual subjects and even for a given individual, as a function of time. Furthermore, observed differences in spectral patterns between patient samples and the control group may be due to the body's immune response (in particular, to the albumin to globulin ratio) and therefore, may not be specific to disease. These factors need to be accounted for in any effort to reliably detect much smaller variations in the concentration of disease-specific markers.
Tendon Versus Nerve Transfers in Elbow, Wrist, and Hand Reconstruction: A Literature Review

Upper extremity reconstruction forces the surgeon to chose between several available procedures, among them tendon and nerve transfer. Few guidelines exist to assist the surgeon in this regard, and the authors, therefore, undertook a retrospective review of case series describing tendon and nerve transfer. The authors discovered a scarcity of robust reporting, particularly in regard to tendon transfer, making an objective comparison between the two techniques difficult. Tendon transfers are popular and familiar. Nerve transfers promise distinct advantages; however, excellent evidence of their superiority is lacking.
Random Neural Network Recognition of Shaped Objects in Strong Clutter

In this paper we propose a neural approach based on the Random Neural Network (RNN) model (Gelenbe 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993 [3, 4, 6, 5]), to detect shaped targets with the help of multiple neural networks whose outputs are combined for making decisions.
How Business Professionals Perceive Intercultural Differences: A Survey

This article reports the fi ndings of a survey conducted among business professionals who have either worked in China or are US based and have relationships with Chinese companies. The intention is to discover what business culture differences they perceive between the US and China and how they cope with the language and cultural challenges. As a result, Chinese language instructors can then understand business students’ needs better and thus teach more effectively by incorporating the fi ndings into the Chinese business language curricula.