cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interaction of Dietary Carbohydrate and Glucagon in Regulation of Rat Hepatic Messenger Ribonucleic Acid S14 Expression: Role of Circadian Factors and 3′,5′-Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate

The mRNA of the rat hepatic S14 gene accumulates rapidly after administration of T3 and carbohydrate, making it an excellent model for studies of the effects of dietary and hormonal stimuli at the hepatocellular level. We undertook studies to assess circadian changes in responsivity of this sequence to intragastric sucrose administration combined with insulin injection, and evaluated the capacity of glucagon to reverse these effects. As in the case of T3, the response of mRNA-S14 to carbohydrate in the morning was brisk whereas there was no significant increment when the stimulus was applied in the evening. In confirmation of previous studies, glucagon markedly lowered levels of mRNA-S14 in the evening but exerted no effect in the morning. These results support the concept that the rate of hepatic production of mRNA-S14 in unmanipulated rats is maximal in the evening, thus allowing no further induction by carbohydrate or T3 but permitting reduction by glucagon. Conversely, the rate of production is minima...
A Turn to Empire: The Rise of Imperial Liberalism in Britain and France – By Jennifer Pitts

The author of this book explores a crucial evolution in European political thought: how is it that critiques of empire by “Liberal” thinkers in the 1780s disappeared within fifty-years, displaced b...
Temperature dependent alteration in bacterial protein composition.

Abstract When different strains of Escherichia coli or Salmonella are grown at 30° or at 42° and their proteins are compared using SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, differences are observed in the protein composition of the cells. In particular, one major difference is in a protein of molecular weight of approximately 58,000, which is made at 42° but not at 30°.
The Incidence of Celiac Disease Antibodies in Plasma Specimens with Low Hemoglobin Levels

Antibodies to gliadin and tissue transglutaminase (TTG) are associated with celiac disease. Celiac patients often present with low hemoglobin levels; however, the incidence of celiac disease in patients with low hemoglobin levels is unknown. We investigated the incidence of celiac disease-associated antibodies in plasma obtained from individuals with low and normal hemoglobin levels. Our objective was to determine if antigliadin and anti-TTG antibodies are more prevalent in individuals with low hemoglobin levels than in control subjects with normal hemoglobin levels. Following IRB approval, we obtained 86 plasma specimens with hemoglobin levels less than or equal to 10 g/dL and 88 plasma specimens from individuals with hemoglobin levels greater than or equal to 13 g/dL. IgA and IgG antibodies to gliadin and TTG were determined by ELISA assays provided by BioRad, Inc. IgG antigliadin Ab was present in 6 out of 86 low hemoglobin specimens and in two of the normal hemoglobin specimens. The IgA antigliadin ELISA assay was positive in 19 out of 86 low hemoglobin specimens and in 21 out of 88 normal hemoglobin specimens. IgA anti-TTG was detected in 9 out of 86 low hemoglobin specimens and in 3 out of 88 normal hemoglobin specimens. IgG anti-TTG was not present in any of the specimens. IgA antibodies to TTG were more prevalent in individuals with low hemoglobin levels. The incidence of IgG anti-TTG and IgG and IgA antibodies to gliadin was not related to plasma hemoglobin levels in our sample.
CspD, a novel DNA replication inhibitor induced during the stationary phase in Escherichia coli

CspD is a stationary phase-induced, stress response protein in the CspA family of Escherichia coli. Here, we demonstrate that overproduction of CspD is lethal, with the cells displaying a morphology typical of cells with impaired DNA replication. CspD consists mainly of beta-strands, and the purified protein exists exclusively as a dimer and binds to single-stranded (ss)DNA and RNA in a dose-dependent manner without apparent sequence specificity. CsdD effectively inhibits both the initiation and the elongation steps of minichromosome replication in vitro. Electron microscopic studies revealed that CspD tightly packs ssDNA, resulting in structures distinctly different from those of SSB-coated DNA. We propose that CspD dimers, with two independent beta-sheets interacting with ssDNA, function as a novel inhibitor of DNA replication and play a regulatory role in chromosomal replication in nutrient-depleted cells.
Simple Adjustments Can Improve Ventilator-Supported Speech

Six subjects who were tracheostomized and chronically ventilator-supported because of neuromuscular disease or injury were studied to determine if their speech could be improved. Using subjects' ow...
Kinetics of myoglobin redox form stabilization by malate dehydrogenase.

This study reports the reduction of metmyoglobin (MMb) via oxidation of malate to oxaloacetate and the regeneration of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) via malate dehydrogenase (MDH). Two experiments were conducted to evaluate a malate−MDH−NADH system as a possible mechanism for MMb reduction. In experiment 1, kinetics of MDH and MMb reduction were determined, and the results showed that increasing concentrations of oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) and l-malate also increased (p < 0.05) MMb reduction in vitro. Experiment 2 assessed the reducing activity of beef muscle extracts with different concentrations of malate and NAD+ added. Reduction of MMb in the muscle extracts via MDH was NAD+, malate, and extract concentration dependent (p < 0.05). A new mechanism is described for the nonspecific and specific enzymatic reduction of MMb, which supports the hypothesis that malate can replenish NADH via MDH activity in post-mortem muscle, ultimately resulting in a more functional ...
External seeding in double phase conjugate mirror

Abstract External seeding is one way of improving the temporal response of a double phase conjugate mirror. The shared grating formation can be enhanced by seeding with short duration. An analysis based on numerical methods and on an experimental investigation in BaTiO 3 is presented.
Two-wave structures in shock-induced martensitic phase transitions

We consider a class of shock-loading experiments which, as a result of solid-to-solid phase transitions, give rise to certain characteristic patterns consisting of two shock-like waves. We show that the single assumption that stresses in a phase cannot lie beyond the transition boundaries leads to a complete mathematical description of the physical problem at hand. In detail, our model only requires knowledge of well-studied material observables: the equations of state (EOS) for the pure phases and the phase transition boundaries. The model presented here is different from others proposed in the literature: it does not make use of kinetic relations, and it accounts for the observed wave histories without parameter fitting. In presence of well-accepted EOS for the pure phases, our model leads to close quantitative agreement with a wide range of experimental results.
The oceanographic structure of the eastern Scotia Sea—III. Distributions of euphausiid species and their developmental stages in 1981 in relation to hydrography

Abstract Euphausia superba (krill), E. frigida , and Thysanoessa macrura are the dominant euphausiids inhabiting the region (33 to 50°W) where water from the Weddell Sea mixes with the Antartic Circumpolar Current flowing out of the Drake Passage into the Scotia Sea. Five north-south transects during January to February 1981 showed that the earliest larval stages (calyptopes) of E. superba in the 0 to 200 m layer were throughout the mixing region, but most of the high densities were associated with subsurface thermal domes. This suggests that these were places where ascent of larvae from greater (hatching) depths was associated with mixing processes. Vertical transport may have aided larvae, resulting in high local survivorship. High chlorophyll a concentrations tended to be near, but not coincident with, high abundances of youngest E. superba larvae. Adult and sub-adult krill were widely dispersed. Swarms were found only near islands. A month later, in mid-March, dense concentrations of later larvae (furciliae), presumed to have developed from January to February calytopes, were still/again near the persistent front northeast of the South Orkneys (59 to 60°S). Regional groupings of larvae, previously distinguished by differing stage-frequency structures, occur in relation to segments of fronts in March. E. frigida is, numerically, a minor species. Calytopes were also concentrated near the front during January to February. The younger the stage, the farther south was its limit of distribution, indicating either southward progression in recruitment, or northeasterly dispersal of developing stages. T. macrura was the most broadly distributed species; high abundances of calyptopes 2 and 3—but not other larval stages—were associated with the frontal zone. Recruitment in T. macrura seems to have been more continuous, of longer duration, and more widespread than in the other two euphausiids. Relative abundances of E. superba larvae, E. superba adults, and T. macrura (larvae and adults) were examined along several March series of closely spaced samples. Highest numbers of E. superba adults usually co-occured with low numbers both of its larvae and of T. macrura . Maxima of E. superba larvae were associated with few or no adult E. superba. T. macrura were in nearly uniform proportion to E. superba larvae, along a transect of chlorophyll-depleted open ocean. Nearshore, abundances and relative proportions of these two species were less consistent, evidently reflecting variability in the coastal environment.
Which way is up? Asymmetric spectral input along the dorsal–ventral axis influences postural responses in an amphibious annelid

Medicinal leeches are predatory annelids that exhibit countershading and reside in aquatic environments where light levels might be variable. They also leave the water and must contend with terrestrial environments. Yet, leeches generally maintain a dorsal upward position despite lacking statocysts. Leeches respond visually to both green and near-ultraviolet (UV) light. I used LEDs to test the hypothesis that ventral, but not dorsal UV would evoke compensatory movements to orient the body. Untethered leeches were tested using LEDs emitting at red (632 nm), green (513 nm), blue (455 nm) and UV (372 nm). UV light evoked responses in 100 % of trials and the leeches often rotated the ventral surface away from it. Visible light evoked no or modest responses (12–15 % of trials) and no body rotation. Electrophysiological recordings showed that ventral sensilla responded best to UV, dorsal sensilla to green. Additionally, a higher order interneuron that is engaged in a variety of parallel networks responded vigorously to UV presented ventrally, and both the visible and UV responses exhibited pronounced light adaptation. These results strongly support the suggestion that a dorsal light reflex in the leech uses spectral comparisons across the dorsal–ventral axis rather than, or in addition to, luminance.
Voltage and frequency dependence of prestin-associated charge transfer

Membrane protein prestin is a critical component of the motor complex that generates forces and dimensional changes in cells in response to changes in the cell membrane potential. In its native cochlear outer hair cell, prestin is crucial to the amplification and frequency selectivity of the mammalian ear up to frequencies of tens of kHz. Other cells transfected with prestin acquire voltage-dependent properties similar to those of the native cell. The protein performance is critically dependent on chloride ions, and intrinsic protein charges also play a role. We propose an electro-diffusion model to reveal the frequency and voltage dependence of electric charge transfer by prestin. The movement of the combined charge (i.e., anion and protein charges) across the membrane is described with a Fokker-Planck equation coupled to a kinetic equation that describes the binding of chloride ions to prestin. We found a voltage- and frequency-dependent phase shift between the transferred charge and the applied electric field that determines capacitive and resistive components of the transferred charge. The phase shift monotonically decreases from zero to -90 degrees as a function of frequency. The capacitive component as a function of voltage is bell-shaped, and decreases with frequency. The resistive component is bell-shaped for both voltage and frequency. The capacitive and resistive components are similar to experimental measurements of charge transfer at high frequencies. The revealed nature of the transferred charge can help reconcile the high-frequency electrical and mechanical observations associated with prestin, and it is important for further analysis of the structure and function of this protein.
Evaluating the accuracy of density functional theory for calculating 1H and 13C NMR chemical shifts in drug molecules

Abstract The accuracy of different DFT methodologies for calculating 1H and 13C NMR chemical shifts in (R)-ispinesib, a complex drug molecule with multiple chemical groups and one stereocentre, has been evaluated. The accuracy of 6 basis sets and 16 different XC functionals was tested. In addition, we present a detailed study on the role of geometry optimisation (in gas and solution phase using a chloroform polarisable continuum model) on the accuracy of the calculated NMR spectra. NMR calculations using the double-ζ basis sets DGDZVP and 6-31++G(d,p) were found to be more accurate (and computationally more efficient) than those using larger triple-ζ basis sets. The O3LYP/DGDZVP methodology in solution phase using a geometry optimised at the same level of theory was found to be the most accurate method with mean absolute errors (MAEs) for 1H and 13C chemical shifts of 0.174 ppm and 3.972 ppm, respectively. Irrespective of the choice of XC or basis set used, complete geometry optimisation in either gas or solvent phase was found to be essential for attaining the highest accuracy in both 1H and 13C calculated chemical shifts. Finally, the role of molecular conformation was examined by calculating the Boltzmann-weighted 1H and 13C chemical shifts. Overall, we demonstrate that DFT shows exceptional promise for use in calculating the NMR chemical shifts in complex drug molecules. In the future, DFT calculations of NMR parameters are set to play an increasingly important role in drug discovery and chemical optimisation.
Validation of Proposed Metrics for Two-Body Abrasion Scratch Test Analysis Standards

The objective of this work was to evaluate a set of standardized metrics proposed for characterizing a surface that has been scratched from a two-body abrasion test. This is achieved by defining a new abrasion region termed Zone of Interaction (ZOI). The ZOI describes the full surface profile of all peaks and valleys, rather than just measuring a scratch width as currently defined by the ASTM G 171 Standard. The ZOI has been found to be at least twice the size of a standard width measurement, in some cases considerably greater, indicating that at least half of the disturbed surface area would be neglected without this insight. The ZOI is used to calculate a more robust data set of volume measurements that can be used to computationally reconstruct a resultant profile for detailed analysis. Documenting additional changes to various surface roughness parameters also allows key material attributes of importance to ultimate design applications to be quantified, such as depth of penetration and final abraded surface roughness. Data are presented to show that different combinations of scratch tips and abraded materials can actually yield the same scratch width, but result in different volume displacement or removal measurements and therefore, the ZOI method is more discriminating than the ASTM method scratch width. Furthermore, by investigating the use of custom scratch tips for our specific needs, the usefulness of having an abrasion metric that can measure the displaced volume in this standardized manner, and not just by scratch width alone, is reinforced. This benefit is made apparent when a tip creates an intricate contour having multiple peaks and valleys within a single scratch. This work lays the foundation for updating scratch measurement standards to improve modeling and characterization of three-body abrasion test results.
Effects of physical and nutritional stress conditions during mycelial growth on conidial germination speed, adhesion to host cuticle, and virulence of Metarhizium anisopliae, an entomopathogenic fungus.

Abstract Growth under stress may influence pathogen virulence and other phenotypic traits. Conidia of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliae (isolate ARSEF 2575) were produced under different stress conditions and then examined for influences on in vitro conidial germination speed, adhesion to the insect cuticle, and virulence to an insect host, Tenebrio molitor. Conidia were produced under non-stress conditions [on potato–dextrose agar plus 1 g l−1 yeast extract (PDAY; control)], or under the following stress conditions: osmotic (PDAY + sodium chloride or potassium chloride, 0.6 or 0.8 m ); oxidative [(PDAY + hydrogen peroxide, 5 m m ) or UV-A (irradiation of mycelium on PDAY)]; heat shock (heat treatment of mycelium on PDAY at 45 °C, 40 min); and nutritive [minimal medium (MM) with no carbon source, or on MM plus 3 g l−1 lactose (MML)]. Conidia were most virulent (based on mortality at 3 d) and had the fastest germination rates when produced on MML, followed by MM. In addition, conidial adhesion to host cuticle was greatest when the conidia were produced on MML. Media with high osmolarity (0.8 m ) produced conidia with slightly elevated virulence and faster germination rates than conidia produced on the control medium (PDAY), but this trend did not hold for media with the lower osmolarity, (0.6 m ). Conidia produced from mycelium irradiated with UV-A while growing on PDAY had somewhat elevated virulence levels similar to that of conidia produced on MM, but their germination rate was not increased. Hydrogen peroxide and heat shock treatments did not alter virulence. These results demonstrate that the germination, adhesion and virulence of M. anisopliae conidia can be strongly influenced by culture conditions (including stresses) during production of the conidia.
Disobedience, Civil and Otherwise

While philosophers usually agree that there is room for civil disobedience in democratic societies, they disagree as to the proper justification and role of civil disobedience. The field has so far been divided into two camps—the liberal approach on the one hand, which associates the justification and role of civil disobedience with the good of justice, and the democratic approach on the other, which connects them with the value and good of democracy. William Smith’s Civil Disobedience and Deliberative Democracy offers a ‘deliberative’ theory, which constitutes an attractive synthesis of the two camps as it conceives of civil disobedience as a guardian of both justice and deliberative democracy. In this review essay, I first revisit the ‘problem’ of civil disobedience, examining in particular the two pillars of the case against civil disobedience as Smith depicts it, namely, (a) the prohibition on legal disobedience established by the moral duty to comply, and (b) the notion that civil disobedience strains the bonds of civic friendship. I suggest, contra (a), that the duty to comply as Smith defends it fails to be comprehensive (to cover all laws) because it is tightly bound to deliberative democratic procedures, which are involved in the making of only a portion of authoritative decisions; and, contra (b), that civil disobedience does not strain, but instead invigorates, civic friendship. Second, I entertain the possibility that citizens have a moral duty, not a mere right, to resist injustice. I show that Smith’s theory, in particular his account of the moral duty to comply, provides the resources to defend a general duty to resist injustice which, depending on the circumstances, can demand protesting the law (including through civil disobedience) or frustrating injustice (including through covert disobedience). Third, I contend that Smith’s conception of the different contexts of injustice—he identifies three main ones—should be expanded to include what I call ‘official disrespect’ (i.e., routine and open illegal practices by the authorities) and ‘deliberative ignorance’ (which occurs when the state conceals officials programs or misconduct from the public). I argue that each context offers reasons to disobey the law but not necessarily in the civil manner determined by Smith.
Transcriptional Coactivator LEDGF/p75 Modulates Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Integrase-Mediated Concerted Integration

Human transcriptional coactivator p75/lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF) binds human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase (IN). We studied the effects of LEDGF on the assembly and activity of HIV-1 synaptic complexes, which, upon association with a target, mediate concerted integration of viral DNA substrates in vitro. We found that while augmenting single-ended viral DNA integration into target DNA, the host factor was able to either stimulate or abrogate concerted integration in a concentration-dependent manner. LEDGF modestly stimulated (two- to threefold) concerted integration at low molar ratios to IN ( 1, apparently due to the disruption of IN-IN interactions essential for the formation of active synaptic complexes prior to their association with a circular target. The isolated IN binding domain of LEDGF was sufficient to stimulate and inhibit concerted integration, as observed with full-length protein, albeit at lower efficiencies. Our data show that LEDGF differentially affects IN-DNA complexes mediating single-ended viral DNA integration and synaptic complexes mediating concerted integration. Synaptic complexes associated with target, termed strand transfer complexes, are resistant to disruption by high concentrations of LEDGF. The results suggest that LEDGF may influence HIV-1 integration in vivo.
Effective Total Parenteral Nutrition Plus Morphine on Bacterial Translocation in Rats

The gut atrophy associated with total parenteral nutrition (TPN) may lead to a breakdown in the normal mucosal barrier and cause bacterial translocation. It has been hypothesized that a component of this breakdown involves stasis with bacterial overgrowth of more pathogenic organisms.1 Postoperative, critically ill surgical patients may be maintained with both TPN and morphine for analgesia. The effect of morphine on the gastrointestinal tract includes inhibition of intestinal transit with the potential for increased bacterial overgrowth. The objective of this study was to determine whether gut stasis induced by parenteral morphine led to enhanced bacterial translocation during TPN. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were allowed a period of time to adapt to their environment and then underwent a double-lumen cannulation. A line was placed in the internal jugular vein for the infusion of TPN, and a second subcutaneous line was tunneled in the back for the continuous infusion of morphine, similar to the infusion of ...
Construct and differential item functioning in the assessment of prescription opioid use disorders among American adolescents.

Abstract Objectives To examine the psychometric properties of diagnostic criteria for prescription analgesic opioid use disorders (OUDs) and to identify background predictors of a latent continuum for OUD liability. Method Data were drawn from the adolescent sample of the 2006 National Survey of Drug Use and Health. Item response theory (IRT) and multiple indicators-multiple causes methods were used to examine DSM-IV criteria for OUDs in a subsample of adolescents who reported nonmedical prescription opioid use in the past year ( N = 1,290). Results Among nonmedical users of prescription opioids, the criteria of OUDs were arrayed along a single continuum of severity. All abuse criteria were endorsed at a severity level higher than D1 (tolerance) and D5 (time spent) but lower than D3 (taking larger amounts) and D4 (inability to cut down). Differential item functioning in reports of dependence symptoms across adolescents' sex and race/ethnicity were identified: withdrawal, time spent, and continued use despite medical or psychological problems. Adjusting for the effects of differential item functioning and the demographic variables examined, female subjects were more likely than male subjects to exhibit a higher level of OUD liability. Conclusions Study findings do not support the DSM-IV s current hierarchical distinction between abuse of and dependence on prescription opioids. Abuse symptoms in adolescents are not necessarily less severe than those of dependence. There is evidence of some differential item functioning in the assessment of OUDs.
Liberalismo internacional e justiça distributiva

Three approaches to international distributive justice (which express distinct assumptions of the liberal tradition) represented in recent literature are described. The theme is examined with regard to the question of human rights.
THROUGH THE PIPELINE: THE ROLE OF FACULTY IN PROMOTING ASSOCIATE DEGREE COMPLETION AMONG HISPANIC STUDENTS

The community college has been identified as the primary educational pipeline for Hispanic students' entry into higher education. The vast majority of research has focused on this pipeline in terms of transfer to baccalaureate institutions. Yet, the educational goal for many students is a sub-baccalaureate credential or the associate's degree. The study reported in this article provides a preliminary investigation on the pipeline leading to a certificate or associate of applied science degree. Faculty interaction was identified as one of the key factors in moving Hispanic students through the pipeline. Interviews with faculty identified as exemplars in facilitating Hispanic student success in technical and occupational programs at an HSI community college are incorporated with the existing literature and student interviews to identify areas for future study.
Lipoic acid entrains the hepatic circadian clock and lipid metabolic proteins that have been desynchronized with advanced age

It is well established that lipid metabolism is controlled, in part, by circadian clocks. However, circadian clocks lose temporal precision with age and correlates with elevated incidence in dyslipidemia and metabolic syndrome in older adults. Because our lab has shown that lipoic acid (LA) improves lipid homeostasis in aged animals, we hypothesized that LA affects the circadian clock to achieve these results. We fed 24 month old male F344 rats a diet supplemented with 0.2% (w/w) LA for 2 weeks prior to sacrifice and quantified hepatic circadian clock protein levels and clock-controlled lipid metabolic enzymes. LA treatment caused a significant phase-shift in the expression patterns of the circadian clock proteins Period (Per) 2, Brain and Muscle Arnt-Like1 (BMAL1), and Reverse Erythroblastosis virus (Rev-erb) β without altering the amplitude of protein levels during the light phase of the day. LA also significantly altered the oscillatory patterns of clock-controlled proteins associated with lipid metabolism. The level of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α was significantly increased and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) were both significantly reduced, suggesting that the LA-supplemented aged animals are in a catabolic state. We conclude that LA remediates some of the dyslipidemic processes associated with advanced age, and this mechanism may be at least partially through entrainment of circadian clocks.
Real hamiltonian logarithm of a symplectic matrix

Abstract In this note we give sharp conditions under which a real symptectic matrix S has a real Hamiltonian logarithm, and explicitly construct a logarithm. In the classical work of Williamson, see (J. Williamson, Amer. J. Math. 61 (1939) 897–911), necessary and sufficient conditions were already given. Our contribution is to provide constructive arguments based on the canonical form of real symplectic matrices derived by Laub and Meyer (A.J. Laub and K.R. Mcyer, J. Celestial mechanics, 9 (1974) 213–238).
DNA barcoding and metabarcoding of standardized samples reveal patterns of marine benthic diversity

Documenting the diversity of marine life is challenging because many species are cryptic, small, and rare, and belong to poorly known groups. New sequencing technologies, especially when combined with standardized sampling, promise to make comprehensive biodiversity assessments and monitoring feasible on a large scale. We used this approach to characterize patterns of diversity on oyster reefs across a range of geographic scales comprising a temperate location [Virginia (VA)] and a subtropical location [Florida (FL)]. Eukaryotic organisms that colonized multilayered settlement surfaces (autonomous reef monitoring structures) over a 6-mo period were identified by cytochrome c oxidase subunit I barcoding (>2-mm mobile organisms) and metabarcoding (sessile and smaller mobile organisms). In a total area of ∼15.64 m2 and volume of ∼0.09 m3, 2,179 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were recorded from 983,056 sequences. However, only 10.9% could be matched to reference barcodes in public databases, with only 8.2% matching barcodes with both genus and species names. Taxonomic coverage was broad, particularly for animals (22 phyla recorded), but 35.6% of OTUs detected via metabarcoding could not be confidently assigned to a taxonomic group. The smallest size fraction (500 to 106 μm) was the most diverse (more than two-thirds of OTUs). There was little taxonomic overlap between VA and FL, and samples separated by ∼2 m were significantly more similar than samples separated by ∼100 m. Ground-truthing with independent assessments of taxonomic composition indicated that both presence–absence information and relative abundance information are captured by metabarcoding data, suggesting considerable potential for ecological studies and environmental monitoring.
Designing a small-footprint curriculum in computer science

We describe an innovative computing curriculum that combines elements of computer science, engineering and design. Although it is tailored to the constraints we face at Olin college, it contains elements that are applicable to the design of a CS major at a small school, a CS minor, or an interdisciplinary program that includes computing. We present the core courses in the program as well as several courses that are meant to connect the computing curriculum to other fields. We summarize the lessons we have learned from the first few years of this program.
The synthesis and structure of nido-Me3NCB10H10PR derivatives

Abstract Reaction of B10H12CNMe3 with triethylamine and then RPCl2 (R = Me, Et or Ph) forms nido-Me3NCB10H10PR in good yield. A low-temperature single crystal X-ray structure determination of Me3NCB10H10PPh shows that the “PPh” unit bridges two boron atoms in the open face of the B10H10CNMe3 icosahedral fragment.
Experience with Jonas malleable penile prosthesis

Experience with the use of the Jonas penile prosthesis in 69 patients is presented, and the implantation of this prosthesis through a penoscrotal incision is described. Use of this prosthesis generally allows the penis to hang in a dependent position or to project outward from the body when coitus is desired. A malleable prosthesis such as the Jonas also has an additional advantage when it is used for treatment of impotence due to Peyronie disease, since its implantation allows the penis to be straightened without performing a simultaneous corporoplasty.
Circadian blood nicotine concentrations during cigarette smoking.

To estimate daily nicotine consumption from the smoking of cigarettes delivering different amounts of nicotine, we studied 12 healthy subjects who smoked 30 cigarettes a day of their usual brand (x = 1.2 mg nicotine) or high- (2.5 mg) or low-nicotine (0.4 mg) research cigarettes. Blood nicotine and carboxyhemoglobin concentrations were measured every 2 hr. Nicotine consumption was estimated by the 24-hr area under the blood concentration-time curve (AUC) and compared across smoking conditions. There was considerable interindividual variation in the nicotine AUC among subjects smoking research cigarettes or while smoking usual brands, even when the latter were normalized on the basis of machine-predicted nicotine delivery. Most subjects smoked the high-nicotine research cigarettes less intensively so that nicotine levels were only modestly higher after smoking high-nicotine cigarettes than after usual brands. Low-nicotine research cigarettes were not smoked more intensively than usual brands and blood nicotine levels were substantially lower than those after smoking a usual brand. Nicotine consumption while smoking usual brands correlated strongly with consumption while smoking high- (r = 0.91) and low-nicotine (r = 0.85) research cigarettes. Circadian studies of blood concentration of nicotine while smoking cigarettes provided a direct estimate of the level of nicotine in the body throughout the day. Results confirm observations by others that levels of nicotine in the body vary widely among individuals even when smoking the same number of identical cigarettes. Thus, neither number of cigarettes smoked nor smoking-machine delivery predict daily nicotine exposure very well. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1982) 32, 758–764; doi:10.1038/clpt.1982.233
Evaluations of Women-Centered U.S. Microenterprise Development Programs:

This article reviews research on women-centered U.S. microenterprise development programs (MDPs) by applying the concepts of conversion factors and capability of Amartya Sen’s capability approach. The article indicates how women-centered U.S. MDPs are appropriate in terms of reflecting women’s unique conversion factors in their programs, such as financial, human, social capital, and other structural gender discriminations, and how effective they are in assisting women to improve their capabilities. It concludes that women-centered U.S. MDPs do not sufficiently address women’s social environmental conversion factors in their programs, such as gender role and power relations.
Differences in importance ratings of self-care geriatric patients and the nurses who care for them

Currently there is an emphasis on the working relationship between the client or patient and the health care worker. The basic assumption is that the outcome of a relationship will be positive when there is agreement between the client and health care worker on the activities necessary for the client (Grier, 1970). Hopefully, when the client and nurse share a common view of what nursing activities are important, a plan of care acceptable to both can be developed. This study was undertaken to identify what nursing care activities are seen as important by self-care geriatric residents and the nursing staff who work with them.
The seasonality of apprehensions of undocumented Mexican workers.

This article uses within-year apprehensions data to test the economic determinants of Mexican undocumented immigration to the United States. These data are highly seasonal and within-year border patrol apprehensions suggest that this seasonality is not solely due to changes in border patrol enforcement. It is found that both supply and demand variables affect apprehensions and that agricultural factors appear to be important determinants of the variations in apprehensions. The results are similar to those of earlier studies (EXCERPT)
Optimal workload allocation in closed queueing networks with state dependent queues

The problem of optimal workload allocation in closed queueing network models with multi-server exponential infinite capacity workstations and finite capacity state dependent queueing models is examined. The processing rates (i.e. service times) of jobs in the queueing system are the main focus. State dependent queues are appropriate for modeling the transportation and material transfer of the customers and products within the system. By combining these two types of queues, we can model the processing of jobs or customers at service stations and also the material handling transfer of job and customers between these stations. Because the environment is a closed queueing network model, it allows for the dynamic interaction of the jobs and customers in the optimal workload allocation values. This combination of queues and optimal search process provides a broad range of potential applications in manufacturing and service type design operations where the travel time between workstations is important. Conveyors, automated-guided vehicle systems (AGVS), and fork lift trucks are utilized to show the full range of material handling component systems.
On finding functionally identical and functionally opposite lines in combinational logic circuits

Given a combinational logic circuit, we find a subset of lines R that has the following property. Every line g in the circuit has a representative line r/spl isin/R such that g and r carry identical values for any input combination of the circuit. This problem has applications in logic optimization as well as in testing. We define the problem, discuss its applications, describe a solution based on structural analysis and on functional analysis that uses logic simulation, and present experimental results. Considering logic optimization, every line g in the circuit can be replaced by a fanout branch of its representative r, and the logic driving g can be removed. Circuit size is thus reduced. We demonstrate that circuit reduction based on the set R can be used as a preprocessing step to reduce the run time of logic optimization procedures, without compromising solution quality. We also consider pairs of lines that always carry opposite values and show how they can be used to further reduce circuit size.
Cultural-Identity Development and Family Assessment An Interaction Model

This article proposes an extension of Janet Helms's Black and White interaction model to be used as a starting point for organizing and understanding cultural-identity data in mating an initial family assessment. A number of efforts to describe how culture affects family counseling have focused on between-group differences. The interaction model presented here endeavors to expand that discussion by systematically including (a) within-group cultural differences in families, (b) changes in cultural-identity attitudes over time, (c) attention to the counselor's stage of cultural identity (in addition to those of the family's various subsystems), and (d) consideration of cultural differences in the work of counselors and families from the same culture or in the work of nondominant culture counselors working with dominant-culture families. The article reviews the Helms model and other pertinent constructs from the literature, extends the theory to multicultural family counseling, and concludes with some illust...
Prolonged intracoronary infusion of streptokinase: An alternative pharmacologic approach to extensive thrombus in native coronary artery

Several reports suggest that pretreatment of intracoronary thrombus with fibrinolytic agents may reduce the risk for complications during subsequent balloon angioplasty. We report a case, for the first time, of successful lysis of an extensive thrombus in a native coronary artery by administering a prolonged intracoronary infusion of streptokinase to facilitate subsequent angioplasty and discuss the management strategy when intracoronary thrombus is encountered. © Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Limiting Heights for Gypsum-Sheathed, Cold-Formed Steel Wall Studs

Interior walls and permanent or temporary partitions must be designed to resist loadings, such as those from earthquake, wind, and other building occupancy-related forces, applied perpendicular to the plane of the walls. The purpose of this test series was to develop experimentally based limiting heights for interior, non-load-bearing, cold-formed steel wall panels sheathed with gypsum board and subject to uniformly distributed lateral loadings. The limiting heights generated for ASTM C 754-98a allow designers to meet the 1997 Uniform Building Code requirements, as well as more restrictive loading and deflection requirements if appropriate to a particular application. Limiting heights for deflection limits of L/360, L/240, and L/120 (where L is the height of the wall) are developed over the range of typical design pressures.
Microwave losses in kinetic-inductance devices fabricated from NbCN/MgO/NbCN trilayers

The microwave losses in kinetic-inductance devices fabricated from NbCN/MgO/NbCN trilayers are being investigated. The loss tangent of an amorphous MgO thin film has been measured for frequencies near 10 GHz with a kinetic-inductance stub filter. The value of 0.0031 represents a factor of approximately 3 improvement over Si:H films found for a similar kinetic-inductance structure operating in a similar frequency range. Further improvement in the dielectric is also discussed. Other properties of the superconducting trilayer structure are consistent with previous results. >
Professional occupation after cochlear implantation

The aims of this study were to verify whether cochlear implants helped profoundly deaf adults to maintain or even to develop their professional occupations, and to identify other elements that may contribute to or, on the contrary, impede such patients' professional success. All adult patients received a questionnaire concerning their professional activities before and after implantation. Demographic data, health information, hearing performance and degree of satisfaction with the implant were also considered. Sixty-seven adults had been implanted, with three different devices, since 1985. At the time of implantation, 34 had been professionally active. After implantation, 29 had remained professionally active, four of whom reported positive developments in their careers. Five patients had become professionally inactive. Those patients who had previously been professionally inactive remained so. There had been no difference in performance, either between different types of cochlear implants or between professionally active or inactive patients. The implanted patients had kept their jobs and many of them had developed their professional skills. In spite of this, cochlear implants may still be perceived as proving insufficiently satisfactory hearing to enable professionally inactive patients to reintegrate and to facilitate further learning or career developments.
Efficient k-nearest neighbor graph construction for generic similarity measures

K-Nearest Neighbor Graph (K-NNG) construction is an important operation with many web related applications, including collaborative filtering, similarity search, and many others in data mining and machine learning. Existing methods for K-NNG construction either do not scale, or are specific to certain similarity measures. We present NN-Descent, a simple yet efficient algorithm for approximate K-NNG construction with arbitrary similarity measures. Our method is based on local search, has minimal space overhead and does not rely on any shared global index. Hence, it is especially suitable for large-scale applications where data structures need to be distributed over the network. We have shown with a variety of datasets and similarity measures that the proposed method typically converges to above 90% recall with each point comparing only to several percent of the whole dataset on average.
An evaluation of a systematic review for dysphagia in head/neck cancer.

Article title and bibliographic information A systematic review of interventions for eating and drinking problems following treatment for head neck cancer suggests a need to look beyond swallowing and trismus. Cousins N, MacAulay F, Lang H, MacGillivray S, Wells M. Oral Oncology 2013;49:387-400. Reviewer Giselle Carnaby, BSci, MPH, PhD, FASHA Purpose/Question The authors conducted a systematic review of clinical studies to examine the nature and scope of evidence supporting interventions aimed at alleviating physical, functional, and/or psychosocial difficulties with eating and drinking following treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC) Source of funding Supported by a grant from the MacMillan Cancer Support of the National Cancer Survivorship Initiative Type of study/Design Systematic review Level of evidence Level 2: Limited-quality patient-oriented evidence Strength of the recommendation grade Grade B: Limited-quality patient-oriented evidence
I Tweet Honestly, I Tweet Passionately: Twitter Users, Context Collapse, and the Imagined Audience

Social media technologies collapse multiple audiences into single contexts, making it difficult for people to use the same techniques online that they do to handle multiplicity in face-to-face conversation. This article investigates how content producers navigate ‘imagined audiences’ on Twitter. We talked with participants who have different types of followings to understand their techniques, including targeting different audiences, concealing subjects, and maintaining authenticity. Some techniques of audience management resemble the practices of ‘micro-celebrity’ and personal branding, both strategic self-commodification. Our model of the networked audience assumes a many-to-many communication through which individuals conceptualize an imagined audience evoked through their tweets.
Exact and approximate estimation for maximum instantaneous current of CMOS circuits

We present an integer-linear-programming-based approach for estimating the maximum instantaneous current through the power supply lines for CMOS circuits. It produces the exact solutions for the maximum instantaneous current for small circuits, and tight upper bounds for large circuits. We formulate the maximum instantaneous current estimation problem as an integer linear programming (ILP) problem, and solve the corresponding ILP formulae to obtain the exact solution. For large circuits we propose to partition the circuits, and apply our ILP-based approach for each sub-circuit. The sum of the exact solutions of all sub-circuits provides an upper bound of the exact solution for the entire circuit. Our experimental results show that the upper bounds produced by our approach combined with the lower bounds produced by a genetic-algorithm-based approach confine the exact solution to a small range.
Susceptibility to Infectious Diseases: Leishmania as a Paradigm

The diverse response of individuals within populations to infectious pathogens remains poorly understood, although genetic determinants undoubtedly contribute in substantial ways to the outcome of infection. In a mouse model of infection with the intramacrophage protozoan Leishmania major, susceptibility correlates both with aberrant helper T cell differentiation biased towards the production of interleukin 4 and with the presence of an endogenous CD4 T cell repertoire that recognizes an immunodominant parasite antigen with high frequency. In the setting of the particular ecological niche occupied by Leishmania, this combination of otherwise unrelated factors synergizes to result in exquisite susceptibility to this single pathogen, without seemingly compromising host defenses against other agents. Similar paradigms could underlie susceptibility to other pathogenic organisms.