cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Invasion by an exotic, perennial grass alters responses of a native woody species in an arid system.

Abstract Grass growth has been encouraged in arid communities globally to improve grazing. Often exotic species are planted, subsequently spreading beyond their plantings to drastically alter cover and negatively impact native species. We evaluated the effects of the invasive, perennial grass Cenchrus ciliaris on the native woody species Cercidium microphyllum over two growing seasons: 2002 and 2003. To determine if C. ciliaris alters seasonal responses of C. microphyllum , we measured predawn water potential, photosynthesis, and branch sacrifice on C. microphyllum growing with either native cover or C. ciliaris . In 2003 a removal treatment of C. ciliaris was applied to assess responses in C. microphyllum during the summer. In both years, C. microphyllum water potentials closely tracked seasonal rainfall, suggesting dependence on shallow soil water. In 2002, we observed few negative impacts when C. microphyllum grew with C. ciliaris . However, the trees growing with C. ciliaris exhibited greater branch sacrifice, a typical response to drought, which likely complicated interpretation of the treatment effects. Removal of C. ciliaris resulted in increased water potentials and photosynthesis. This study suggests that exotic grasses, such as C. ciliaris , can reduce both water potential and photosynthetic rates in mature woody shrubs, like C. microphyllum , in aridland systems.
Effect of vanadium on metabolism of glucose in the rat.

A radiorespirometry experiment was conducted to determine the effects of the trace element vanadium on the metabolism of glucose-14C in adult male rats by the collection of 14CO2Ammonium metavanadate solution was injected intraperitoneally, and labeled glucose was given per os. At the 0.05 significance level, an effect on metabolism was indicated by reduced levels of 14CO2 after 1 and 3 hr. of collection but not at later times.
Bone diagenesis and dietary analysis

Alteration of buried bone through natural diagenesis can vitiate any analysis of ancient diet based on concentrations of inorganic elements. Consequently, several methods have been developed to assess the presence and extent of diagenetic effects. These include comparison of modern with excavated bone, comparison of different skeletal components such as rib with femur, examination of elemental content as a function of the age of the individual at death, elemental distribution across the bone cross section, analysis opf archeological soils, comparison of herbivores and carnivores, and analysis of isotope ratios. Strontium and zinc appear to be the least sensitive elements to diagenesis. Calcium and sodium may be lost through leaching but may still be useful in the dietary context. Magnesium and lead give mixed results by these tests and might be useful under certain circumstances. Iron, manganese, aluminium, potassium, copper, barium, vanadium, and uranium are particularly sensitive to diagnetic effects.
Neutral-pion correlations. Test of production models

Abstract The observed increase of the average number of neutral pions, 〈 n o 〉 n − , as a function of the number of charged pions produced in high-energy experiments, can be accounted for by several theoretical models. We analyze the basic trends of the models and find that in the region where 〈 n o 〉 n − increases, the π 0 multiplicity distribution is mainly determined by the isospin properties of the pion clusters and is insensitive to the overall multiplicity distribution. We calculate the values of f 2, n − 0 , the correlation parameter of two π 0 for a given number of π − , and show how its measurement can provide a clear test of the different production models.
Products of the gas-phase OH radical-initiated reactions of 4-methyl-2-pentanone and 2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanone

The gas-phase reactions of the OH radical with 4-methyl-2-pentanone and 2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanone have been investigated in the presence of NOx. Acetone and 2-methylpropanal were identified and qualified as products of both reactions. The acetone yield from 2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanone increased after addition of NO to reacted mixtures, indicating that acetone is formed through the intermediary of an acyl radical. The acetone and 2-methylopropanal formation yields were determined to be 0.78 ± 0.06 and 0.071 ± 0.011, respectively, from 4-methyl-2-pentanone and 0.68 ± 0.11 and 0.385 ± 0.034, respectively, from 2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanone. The possible reaction mechanisms are discussed and compared with these product data, and it is concluded that the experimental data provide direct evidence for isomerization of the (CH3)2CHCH2C(O)CH2C(O) (CH3)2 alkoxy radical formed from 2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanone. However, the isomerization rates of the alkoxy radicals formed from the ketones depend on whether the H-atom abstracted is on a carbon atom α or β to the >CO group, with H-atom abstraction from CH bonds on the β carbon atoms being significantly faster than from CH bonds on the α carbon atoms. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Differential effects of lichens, mosses and grasses on respiration and nitrogen mineralization in soils of the New Jersey Pinelands

In the New Jersey Pinelands, severely disturbed areas often do not undergo a rapid succession to forest; rather, a patchy cover of lichens, mosses and grasses persists for decades. We hypothesized that these plant covers affect soil microbial processes in different ways, and that these effects may alter the successional dynamics of the patches. We predicted that the moss and grass covers stimulate soil microbial activity, whereas lichens inhibit it, which may in turn inhibit succession. We collected soil cores from beneath each type of cover plus bare soil within two types of highly disturbed areas—sites subjected to hot wildfires, and areas mined for sand. Organic matter (OM) content, soil respiration and potential N mineralization were measured in the cores. Soils under mosses were similar to those under grasses; they accumulated more OM and produced more mineral N, predominantly in the form of ammonium, than either the bare soils or the soils beneath lichens. Mineralization under lichens, like that of the bare soils but unlike the soils beneath mosses or grasses, was dominated by net nitrification. These patterns were reproduced in experimentally transplanted moss and lichen mats. Mosses appear to create high-nutrient microsites via high rates of OM accumulation and production of ammonium, whereas lichens maintain low-nutrient patches similar to bare soil via low OM accumulation rates and production of mineral N predominantly in the mobile nitrate form. These differences in soil properties may explain the lack of vascular plant invasion in lichen mats, in contrast to the moss-dominated areas.
Barriers to screening for cancer of the cervix.

Despite the widespread availability and demonstrated efficacy of screening with the Papanicolaou smear, many women are screened irregularly or not at all. This study was designed to identify the barriers that prevent those women at risk for cervical cancer from being screened. Complete cervical cytology screening histories were taken during a population-based case-control study of invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix involving 200 patients and their matched neighborhood controls. Smears taken during the previous 5 years were verified whenever possible. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to identify seven factors that significantly (P < 0.05) and independently predicted regular recent screening among both cases and controls [failure to understand the importance and screening nature of cervical smears (−), expressed fears of embarrassment (−), having had a urogenital infection (+), number of pregnancies during the last 5 years (+), the number of pregnancies for which no prenatal care was sought (−), and knowledge of the recommended screening interval (+)], two variables that predicted screening among cases but not controls [age (−) and number of years of oral contraceptives use (+)], and one that predicted screening only among controls [years of living in the United States (+)]. Education, income, Latin heritage, being married, having a regular physician for one's medical care, and all other methods of birth control were significant predictors of screening in the univariate analyses, but were explained by the other more powerful predictors in the multivariate analysis.
Dusty roads and disconnections: Perceptions of dust from unpaved mining roads in Mongolia’s South Gobi province

Abstract South Gobi province is at the center of Mongolia’s mining boom, where companies began exporting minerals over dirt-track roads in the early 2000s. This paper examines recent controversies surrounding road dust near the Oyu Tolgoi copper–gold mine, the so-called coal road from Tavan Tolgoi mines, and the Chinese border. At the time of the research, local residents, particularly nomadic herders, were concerned that dust produced from unpaved mining roads was coating the pasture, causing illnesses among livestock, and endangering their livelihoods in the region. The presence of dust rendered mining an uncomfortably intimate experience as state and corporate actors negotiated responsibility for infrastructure development. The paper builds on the concept “technologies of distantiation” to reveal the complex ways that dust from unpaved roads creates distances and disconnections between people, livelihoods, and landscapes, representing an enclosure of the pasture. Methods for the paper include interviews, focus groups, and participant observation conducted in South Gobi province and Ulaanbaatar in 2010, 2011, and 2012 as well as follow-up research carried out in spring 2015.
Resolution of hypertropia with correction of intermittent exotropia

Purpose We describe the spontaneous resolution of hypertropia in a subset of patients with preoperative exotropia and hypertropia, who underwent surgery for intermittent exotropia alone. Design This was a retrospective case series. Methods The charts were reviewed of 17 patients who underwent surgical correction for an intermittent exotropia, who additionally were noted on preoperative exam to have greater than 5 prism dioptres of vertical deviation in primary position. Patients were excluded if they had prior strabismus surgery, dissociated vertical deviation, and paretic or restrictive deviations. Results All patients were documented to have complete resolution of any vertical deviation in any field of gaze. This effect was noted to persist. Conclusions We propose that the measured distance hypertropia, which is coincident with intermittent exotropia, even with the appearance of superior oblique dysfunction or inferior oblique overaction, is not created by a true vertical or cyclovertical muscle imbalance. Further, that the reduction of the hypertropia at near fixation predicts its resolution with horizontal muscle surgery. Therefore, vertical surgery should not be performed to address the coincident vertical deviation in these patients.
Standardized Mean Differences in Two-Level Cross-Classified Random Effects Models.

Multilevel modeling techniques are becoming more popular in handling data with multilevel structure in educational and behavioral research. Recently, researchers have paid more attention to cross-c...
Carvedilol reverses cardiac insufficiency in AKAP5 knockout mice by normalizing the activities of calcineurin and CaMKII

Aims Cardiac β-adrenergic receptors (β-AR) are key regulators of cardiac haemodynamics and size. The scaffolding protein A-kinase anchoring protein 79/150 (AKAP5) is a key regulator of myocardial signalling by β-ARs. We examined the function of AKAP5 in regulating cardiac haemodynamics and size, and the role of β-ARs and Ca2+-regulated intracellular signalling pathways in this phenomenon. Methods and results We used echocardiographic, histological, genetic, and biochemical methods to examine the effect of ablation of AKAP5 on cardiac haemodynamics, size, and signalling in mice. AKAP5−/− mice exhibited enhanced signs of cardiac dilatation and dysfunction that progressed with age. Infusions of isoprenaline worsened cardiac haemodynamics in wild-type (WT) mice only, but increased the ratio of heart-to-body weight equally in WT and in AKAP5−/− mice. Mechanistically, loss of AKAP5 was associated with enhanced activity of cardiac calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII) and calcineurin (CaN) as indexed by nuclear factor of activated T-cell-luciferase activity. Loss of AKAP5 interfered with the recycling of cardiac β1-ARs, which was mediated in part by CaN binding to AKAP5. Carvedilol reversed cardiac hypertrophy and haemodynamic deficiencies in AKAP5−/− mice by normalizing the activities of cardiac CaN and CaMKII. Conclusions These findings identify a novel cardioprotective role for AKAP5 that is mediated by regulating the activities of cardiac CaN and CaMKII and highlight a significant role for cardiac β-ARs in this phenomenon.
Similarity-based Classification: Concepts and Algorithms

This paper reviews and extends the field of similarity-based classification, presenting new analyses, algorithms, data sets, and a comprehensive set of experimental results for a rich collection of classification problems. Specifically, the generalizability of using similarities as features is analyzed, design goals and methods for weighting nearest-neighbors for similarity-based learning are proposed, and different methods for consistently converting similarities into kernels are compared. Experiments on eight real data sets compare eight approaches and their variants to similarity-based learning.
“Following,” an Alternative Mating Strategy Used by Male Olive Baboons ( Papio hamadryas anubis ): Quantitative Behavioral and Functional Description

Recent data reveal that high-ranking males are unable to monopolize sexual access to fertile females, suggesting the potential evolutionary significance of alternative strategies across many taxa. We examined a well known behavior, “following” of a consortship by adult male olive baboons (Papio hamadryas anubis), that has received little empirical attention. Four consort takeover tactics have been suggested, for both follower and nonfollower males: takeover of an abandoned consort female, individual aggressive challenge to oust the consort male, coalitionary challenge to oust the consort male, or an opportunistic consort takeover relying on the consort male being distracted. We addressed the following questions: 1) How does the behavior of followers differ from nonfollowers? 2) Is following an effective alternative mating strategy? 3) What tactics do followers use to obtain access to fertile females? 4) Do dominance rank and female cycle day influence tactic expression? We studied two habituated groups of olive baboons from September 2009 to July 2010 in Kenya. Followers had a higher rate of agonistic interactions with the consort male and affiliative interactions with other followers. Overall, 74% of consort takeovers were executed by follower males of the targeted consortships. Each of the four consort takeover tactics were used by both follower and nonfollower males, although followers used the individual aggressive challenge and coalitionary challenge tactics more often than nonfollowers. Dominance rank, but not female cycle day, influenced the expression of consort takeover tactics. Our findings indicate that following provides males with sexual access to females.
Enhanced production of bacterial cellulose by using a biofilm reactor and its material property analysis

Bacterial cellulose has been used in the food industry for applications such as low-calorie desserts, salads, and fabricated foods. It has also been used in the paper manufacturing industry to enhance paper strength, the electronics industry in acoustic diaphragms for audio speakers, the pharmaceutical industry as filtration membranes, and in the medical field as wound dressing and artificial skin material. In this study, different types of plastic composite support (PCS) were implemented separately within a fermentation medium in order to enhance bacterial cellulose (BC) production by Acetobacter xylinum. The optimal composition of nutritious compounds in PCS was chosen based on the amount of BC produced. The selected PCS was implemented within a bioreactor to examine the effects on BC production in a batch fermentation. The produced BC was analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Among thirteen types of PCS, the type SFYR+ was selected as solid support for BC production by A. xylinum in a batch biofilm reactor due to its high nitrogen content, moderate nitrogen leaching rate, and sufficient biomass attached on PCS. The PCS biofilm reactor yielded BC production (7.05 g/L) that was 2.5-fold greater than the control (2.82 g/L). The XRD results indicated that the PCS-grown BC exhibited higher crystallinity (93%) and similar crystal size (5.2 nm) to the control. FESEM results showed the attachment of A. xylinum on PCS, producing an interweaving BC product. TGA results demonstrated that PCS-grown BC had about 95% water retention ability, which was lower than BC produced within suspended-cell reactor. PCS-grown BC also exhibited higher Tmax compared to the control. Finally, DMA results showed that BC from the PCS biofilm reactor increased its mechanical property values, i.e., stress at break and Young's modulus when compared to the control BC. The results clearly demonstrated that implementation of PCS within agitated fermentation enhanced BC production and improved its mechanical properties and thermal stability.
A cocitation map of the social indicators movement

Author cocitations form the base of a general technique of bibliogrpahic retrieval and of mapping the strucutre of literatures. The technique was used here in a largescale retrieval of the Social Indicators (SI) literature and a computerized mapping, through multidimensional scaling and clustering, of key SI contributors as perceived by citers during 1972-1980. Clusters of points on the map are interpreted as authors similar in perceived subject matter and style of work; other interpretable features also eemerge. The map conforms well with independent reviews of the SI literature, actually illustrating some of the judgments they contain. It is suggested that such mappings may become a stimulus and complement to literature reviews in the future.
Functional morphology of feeding in the scale-eating specialist Catoprion mento

SUMMARY The wimple piranha, Catoprion mento, has a narrow-range natural diet with fish scales comprising an important proportion of its total food intake. Scales are eaten throughout most of ontogeny and adults feed almost exclusively on this food source. Catoprion exhibits a novel prey capture behavior when removing scales for ingestion. Scale feeding strikes involve a high-speed, open-mouth, ramming attack where the prey is bitten to remove scales and the force of the collision knocks scales free. Unique kinematic parameters of scale-feeding strikes include a mean gape angle of nearly 120° and a `plateau9 stage of prolonged maximum displacement for cranial elevation and opercular expansion. When feeding on live fish or loose scales, Catoprion performs a typical ram/suction attack that is modulated according to the elusiveness of the prey. Captures of elusive fish elicit faster strikes with greater displacement of cranial elements than do attacks on loose scales sinking in the water column. Despite its specialized diet and suite of anatomical characters, functional versatility in feeding behavior has not been reduced in Catoprion, as predicted by many analogous studies in functional morphology. On the contrary, the behavioral repertoire of Catoprion has been broadened by the addition of a novel behavior for scale feeding.
Chip-level electromigration measurement technique for multi-segmented interconnect test structures

Electromigration life testing of multisegment test structures involves the measurement and analysis of space- and time-variant stress temperature distributions. A technique using the concept of a thermal coupling matrix was developed which allows an accurate ( >
Maggie in Toni Morrison's "Recitatif": The Africanist Presence and Disability Studies

Critics have regarded Toni Morrison’s “Recitatif” (1983) as a tour de force of racial readings and misreadings—a work exposing society’s unspoken racialized codes. 1 In this short story tracing the lives of Twyla and Roberta from their youth in a shelter at St. Bonaventure to various stages of their adulthood, Morrison explores the experiences of two girls of different races, but she never reveals the race of either girl except through a series of social codes that underscore how race may be confl ated with class, ambiguous physical traits, and social rituals such as eating certain foods. In Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination (1992), Morrison explains, “The only short story I have ever written, ‘Recitatif,’ was an experiment in the removal of all racial codes from a narrative about two characters of different races for whom racial identity is crucial” (xi). Thus, it is not surprising that critics have been preoccupied with the question: Which character is white and which character is black? Despite—or perhaps because of—Morrison’s provocative premise, “Recitatif” has excited little critical discussion beyond metadiscursive investigations of the racial and, to some extent, class markers associated with the two central characters. 2 Yet there is a third character inhabiting the fi ctional recesses of Morrison’s work, haunting Twyla’s and Roberta’s memories: the mute and possibly deaf Maggie. 3 Twyla and Roberta struggle years later to remember a scene in which Maggie, the childlike, elderly kitchen help, is brutalized by the shelter’s older “gar girls,” 4 and the two main characters argue about whether or not they participated in the beating. Moreover, as they acknowledge that they never knew for certain whether Maggie was deaf as well as mute or whether she was black or white, they realize that their own ambivalent memories of her have been repressed and muted. Critics focusing on Twyla and Roberta either cursorily analyze Maggie’s role or interpret it in metaphoric relation to the two main characters. In such readings, Maggie is most commonly associated
Towards a holistic approach to geographic research on film

Geographers' interest in film has increased during the last 20 years. Methodological and theoretical perspectives tend, however, to be bipolar and reflect either cognitive or social approaches. Work reflecting these approaches is reviewed with geographic research grounded in transactionalism and postmodernism as examples. A geographic view of film that recognizes the importance of more than one theoretical framework, positions the cognitive and social in a continuum reaching from the individual to the societal, and makes traditional notions of scale antiquated is recommended. Research by geographers contesting the assumed objectivity in documentaries is reviewed as are geographers' contributions to understanding the construction of meaning of urban and natural settings in films. Suggestions for future directions in film research are made.
Infection outcome and cytokine gene expression in Brugia pahangi- infected gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) sensitized with Brucella abortus.

Filarial infections have been associated with the development of a strongly polarized Th2 host immune response and a severe impairment of mitogen-driven proliferation and type 1 cytokine production in mice and humans. The role of this polarization in the development of the broad spectra of clinical manifestations of lymphatic filariasis is still unknown. Recently, data gathered from humans as well as from immunocompromised mouse models suggest that filariasis elicits a complex host immune response involving both Th1 and Th2 components. However, responses of a similar nature have not been reported in immunologically intact permissive models of Brugia infection. Brucella abortus-killed S19 was inoculated into the Brugia-permissive gerbil host to induce gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production. Gerbils were then infected with B. pahangi, and the effect of the polarized Th1 responses on worm establishment and host cellular response was measured. Animals infected with both B. abortus and B. pahangi showed increased IFN-γ and interleukin-10 (IL-10) and decreased IL-4 and IL-5 mRNA levels compared with those in animals infected with B. pahangi alone. These data suggest that the prior sensitization with B. abortus may induce a down regulation of the Th2 response associated with Brugia infection. This reduced Th2 response was associated with a reduced eosinophilia and an increased neutrophilia in the peritoneal exudate cells. The changes in cytokine and cellular environment did not inhibit the establishment of B. pahangi intraperitoneally. The data presented here suggest a complex relationship between the host immune response and parasite establishment and survival that cannot be simply ascribed to the Th1/Th2 paradigm.
Domestic Cats Are Susceptible to Infection With Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza Viruses From Shorebirds

Domestic cats are susceptible to infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1, resulting in pneumonia and in some cases, systemic spread with lesions in multiple organ systems. Recent transmission of the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus from humans to cats also resulted in severe pneumonia in cats. Data regarding the susceptibility of cats to other influenza viruses is minimal, especially regarding susceptibility to low pathogenic avian influenza viruses from wild birds, the reservoir host. In this study, the authors infected 5-month-old cats using 2 different North American shorebird avian influenza viruses (H1N9 and H6N4 subtypes), 3 cats per virus, with the goal of expanding the understanding of avian influenza virus infections in this species. These viruses replicated in inoculated cats based on virus isolation from the pharynx in 2 cats, virus isolation from the lung of 1 cat, and antigen presence in the lung via immunohistochemistry in 2 cats. There was also seroconversion and lesions of patchy bronchointerstitial pneumonia in all of the cats. Infection in the cats did not result in clinical disease and led to variable pharyngeal viral shedding with only 1 of the viruses; virus was localized in the alveolar epithelium via immunohistochemistry. These findings demonstrate the capacity of wild bird influenza viruses to infect cats, and further investigation is warranted into the pathogenesis of these viruses in cats from both a veterinary medical and public health perspective.
Studying alcohol use prior to sexual intercourse among female sex workers in eastern Indonesia.

Researching female sex workers (FSWs) in Indonesia, where commercial sex tends to be hidden or undercover, is challenging but possible. This is even more challenging when it involves investigation of sensitive behaviors, such as their alcohol use, a known disinhibitor to risk behavior. The adoption of effective strategies is needed to increase response rates and improve data quality. This article describes procedures used to research FSWs’ alcohol use during commercial sex in the Eastern part of Indonesia. Challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations for best practices are discussed.
The biomechanics of interference screw fixation of patellar tendon anterior cruciate ligament grafts.

Twenty-seven paired human cadaveric knee specimens were used to determine the effect of surgical technique and various interference screw parameters on the pullout strength of patellar tendon femoral bone blocks. The study compared the fixation strength of endoscop ically inserted and conventional "rear-entry" screws of different diameters and lengths. In all tests the most frequent mode of failure was bone block pullout from the interference screw. There was no significant differ ence in fixation strength between 9-mm diameter screws inserted through a conventional rear-entry tech nique and 7-mm diameter screws inserted through an endoscopic technique. There was no significant effect of screw length on fixation strength. The pullout force for 20-mm long screws increased on average 120% when 7-mm diameter screws were compared with 5.5- mm diameter screws. There was no significant effect of increased screw core diameter on fixation strength. There was a weak positive correlation (r2 = 0.45) between screw i...
Methoxydimethylsilyl)(trimethylsilyl)methane

[5180-98-8] C7H20OSi2 (MW 176.45) InChI = 1S/C7H20OSi2/c1-8-10(5,6)7-9(2,3)4/h7H2,1-6H3 InChIKey = POSCJTAFAUDKRM-UHFFFAOYSA-N (Peterson alkenation reagent; synthesis of vinyl silanes from aldehydes and ketones1) Physical Data: bp 150–152 °C,2 54–58 °C/20 mmHg.3 Solubility: sol common organic solvents (THF, Et2O, CH2Cl2, pentane, etc.) Analysis of Reagent Purity: 1H NMR (CDCl3) δ 3.38 (s, 3 H), 0.10 (s, 6 H), 0.02 (s, 9 H), −0.14 (s, 2 H); 13C NMR (CDCl3) δ 49.94, 4.14, 1.13, 0.03.3 Preparative Methods: prepared in 75% yield by treatment of MeOSiMe3 with t-Butyllithium in pentane at −78 °C to ambient temperature followed by addition of Chlorotrimethylsilane at 0 °C.2 Alternatively, the reagent is prepared in 34% yield by treatment of Trimethylsilylmethylmagnesium Chloride with Dichlorodimethylsilane followed by LiOMe in THF.3 Handling, Storage, and Precautions: use in a well-ventilated fume hood. Contact with the eyes and skin should be avoided.
Duration of Poliovirus Excretion and Its Implications for Acute Flaccid Paralysis Surveillance: A Review of the Literature

Timely investigation of children with acute flaccid paralysis, with collection of stool specimens for virus isolation, is the primary strategy used to detect wild poliovirus circulation. To determine the optimal timing of stool specimen collection, studies of wild and vaccine poliovirus excretion published between 1935 and 1995 were reviewed. Data were compiled from comparable studies, scatter plots of the data were created, and third-order regression lines were calculated. The data indicated that wild polioviruses were excreted by a majority of previously unvaccinated infants and young children for 3-4 weeks. The duration of viral shedding was reduced, however, among children who were previously vaccinated with inactivated poliovirus vaccine, who had preexisting antibodies to the infecting serotype, or who had previous intestinal infection with homologous poliovirus. These data suggest that the 14-day period after onset of paralysis is the interval with the highest probability of detecting wild poliovirus excretion in paralyzed children.
High School Dropout and the Role of Career and Technical Education : A Survival Analysis of Surviving High School

This article uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 to investigate high school dropout and its association with the high school curriculum. In particular, it examines how combinations of career and technical education (CTE) and core academic courses influence the likelihood of leaving school. Hazards models indicate a significant curvilinear association between the CTE-to-academic course-taking ratio and the risk of dropping out for youths who were aged 14 and younger when they entered the ninth grade (not old for grade). This finding suggests that a middle-range mix of exposure to CTE and an academic curriculum can strengthen a student's attachment to or motivation while in school. The same association was not found between course taking and the likelihood of dropping out for youths who were aged 15 or older when they entered high school, thus prompting further consideration of the situation of being old for grade in school settings that remain highly age graded in their organization.
Microbiological quality of fresh‐cut sweet potatoes

Summary Sweet potato roots were dipped in various concentrations of chlorine for 5 min at 1 or 20 °C before and after slicing, and then stored at 2 or 8 °C for 14 days to evaluate the effects of different chlorine treatments and storage temperatures on the microbiological quality of fresh-cut sweet potato slices. The microflora of fresh-cut sweet potato slices was dominated by mesophiles, followed by psychrotrophs and fungi initially and during storage. The 2 °C storage was necessary to keep the microbial load at a low level. No spoilage was observed in fresh-cut sweet potatoes at both storage temperatures for 14 days. Chlorination of sweet potatoes before slicing was not effective in ensuring acceptable microbiological quality of fresh-cut sweet potatoes. Dipping slices in 200 ppm chlorine at 1 °C reduced the population of all micro-organisms during storage.
Fizeau optical coherence tomography: sensitivity optimization and system analysis

We demonstrate a compact all-fiber Fizeau OCT system and theoretically analyze sensitivity optimization in unbalanced and balanced detection. Interestingly, our analysis predicts existence of unusually high beat noise in Fizeau OCT as compared to the conventional OCT.
Response of Pinus taeda L. to soil flooding and salinity

L'effet d'une inondation (F) seule ou accompagnee par la salinite (50 mol/m 3 ) sur le semis de Pinus taeda L a ete determine. L'effet de l'inondation a ete evalue en mesurant le potentiel d'oxydation et de reduction (Eh) du sol. Le potential d'oxydation et de reduction dans les pots temoins etait compris entre +400 et +450 mV alors qu'il etait reduit de −50 a −140 mV dans les pots inondes. La conductance stomatique (g) et l'assimilation nette du carbone (A) ont ete reduites de facon significative dans les pots soumis a l'inondation (F) d'une part et l'inondation/salinite (FS) d'autre part(.)
Are You Targeting Non–High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol?

Non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was defined as the second lipid target of therapy in the 2001 National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines ([1][1]), yet is not yet widely used in clinical practice. At no additional cost, non–HDL-C measures all
How does Congestive Heart Failure Alter Response to Drugs

The process whereby administration of a drug results in pharmacologic effect depends on two major sets of variables: pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic factors. Pharmacokinetics refers to the relationship between dose of a drug and resultant drug concentrations (parent or metabolite; plasma or tissue). Methods to study the impact of variables such as age, disease state, or concomitant drug administration on plasma pharmacokinetics of drugs and metabolites have been fairly well worked out. It is convenient to think of pharmacodynamics as the relationship between drug concentration and effect. Although it is widely recognized that drug effects may vary among patients despite equivalent drug concentrations, methods for quantifying these pharmacodynamic differences are generally unavailable, so quantification of interindividual variability in drug “sensitivity” remains largely descriptive.
Post-translational processing of chicken bone phosphoproteins. Identification of bone (phospho)protein kinase

We have detected a protein kinase which phosphorylates bone phosphoproteins (BPPs) in the detergent extract of the membranous fractions in the periosteal bone strips of 12-day-embryonic-chick tibia. This enzyme, tentatively named BPP kinase, has a catalytic subunit of Mr approximately 39,000, utilizes GTP as well as ATP as a phospho-group donor, is inhibited by 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate and heparin, and is therefore similar to casein kinase II. The enzyme can phosphorylate dephosphorylated proteins such as casein, phosvitin and chicken BPPs, but the last-named are preferred substrates. The in vitro-phosphorylation-assay products of this enzyme in the extract were indistinguishable on an SDS/polyacrylamide gel from the major [32P]phosphoproteins metabolically labelled in the embryonic-chick bone tissue. The regulatory mechanisms of the phosphorylation process of BPPs by BPP kinase as well as the potential role of this enzyme in mineralization are discussed.
Neurilemoma in the distal part of the thigh. A case report.

Case report of a woman with pain and swelling in the right knee. Discussion on clinical presentation and diagnosis of neurinoma
SINGLE SITE EXPERIENCE WITH TRANSESOPHAGEAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC GUIDANCE OF DUAL LUMEN VENO-VENOUS EXTRACORPOREAL MEMBRANE OXYGENATION CATHETER INSERTION

The use of veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) with a dual-lumen (DL) catheter for rescue therapy of pulmonary failure is increasing. Insertion of this catheter via the right internal jugular into the right atrium (RA) and inferior vena cava (IVC) has been described with
Notes on the Genus Micromyces

In 1931 the writer described the life history of a species of Micromyces from Long Island, N. Y., which he at that time thought was M. Zygogonii Dangeard. Although there were certain distinct differences between the American fungus and the European, it seemed best at the time to consider the two as the same. Since then, however, we have twice collected at Chapel Hill, N. C., in large quantity, a fungus which agrees in all respects with the European M. Zygogonii Dangeard as understood by Heidt (1937) in his recent detailed treatment of this species. Fortunately three excellent slides of the Long Island parasite have been preserved and hence could be compared first hand with the Chapel Hill fungus. Such comparison has shown beyond doubt that the two are very distinct from each other. The Long Island plant is also quite distinct from M. Spirogyrae Skvortzow (1927) and M. Petersetnii Scherffel (1926). It is therefore necessary to give the Long Island plant a new name and since it has by far the longest spines of any of the species of the genus the name longispinosus would seem appropriate. Since a rather complete account of this form was given by the writer (1931) including the fusion of planogametes, only a short description will be repeated here.
Improving the Stability of Angle Gather Computation Using Poynting Vectors

Angle gathers are an important tool for model parameter estimation and amplitude versus angle (AVA) analysis. Angle gathers generated with reverse time migration (RTM) are often required for challenging image areas, such as sub-salt, sub-basalt, salt overhangs, etc. Technologies to generate and utilize RTM angle gathers have received increased attention. One efficient method to generate RTM angle gathers involves estimating wave propagation direction via the computation of Poynting vectors. Simple implementations, however, lead to noise and energy leakage in the gathers, making them inaccurate and difficult to use. In this abstract, we illustrate the problem and present a way to stabilize the Poynting vector estimates and generate clean and accurate RTM angle gathers. We demonstrate our method with synthetic examples in three dimensions.
CONSEQUENCES OF FLORAL VARIATION FOR MALE AND FEMALE REPRODUCTION IN EXPERIMENTAL POPULATIONS OF WILD RADISH, RAPHANUS SATIVUS L.

We documented effects of floral variation on seed paternity and maternal fecundity in a series of small experimental populations of wild radish, R. sativus. Each population was composed of two competing pollen donor groups with contrasting floral morphologies and several designated maternal plants. Progeny testing with electrophoretic markers allowed us to measure paternal success. Realized fecundity by each maternal plant and the fraction of those seeds attributable to each pollen donor group were used as outcome variables in path analysis to explore relationships between floral characters (petal size, pollen grain number per flower, and modal pollen grain size), pollinator visitation patterns, and reproductive success. A wide range of pollinator taxa visited the experimental populations, and patterns of discrimination appeared to vary among them. The impact of visitation on male and female reproduction also varied among taxa; visits of small native bees significantly increased paternal success, while those of honey bees reduced male fitness. Only visits by large native bees had discernible effects on recipient fecundity, and, overall, fecundity was not limited by visitation. Maternal plants bearing large-petalled flowers produced fewer flowers during the experiment, reducing their total seed production. In these small populations, postpollination processes (at least in part, compatibility) significantly influenced male and female reproductive success. Variation in pollinator pools occurring on both spatial and temporal scales may act to preserve genetic variation for floral traits in this species.
Another Origin of Totalitarianism: Arendt on the Loneliness of Liberal Citizens

ABSTRACTThis paper examines Hannah Arendt's notion of citizenship with reference to her account of loneliness in the modern age. Whereas recent scholarship has emphasized Arendt's notion of the “right to have rights” in order to advance her conception of citizenship in the context of global democratic theory, I maintain that this discourse threatens to overshadow the depth of her critical relation to the liberal tradition. By turning to loneliness, I aim to show that Arendt's understanding of citizenship guides a prescient critique of the basic assumptions that underlie notions of citizenship within liberal political theory. On her view, these forms of citizenship do not secure liberty, but instead reproduce the very loneliness that has made modern individuals susceptible to totalitarian domination. With this, I argue that Arendt poses her notion of citizenship as an antidote to loneliness and, thus, to the vulnerability of modern political life to totalitarianism.
Novel finite element algorithms with applications to skeletal muscle simulation

This thesis develops a musculoskeletal simulation framework and showcases the algorithmic developments that arose in the process of creating it. Muscles are simulated as deformable Lagrangian solids with a transversely isotropic, quasi-incompressible constitutive model coupled to articulated rigid bones in the skeleton. Muscle and bone geometry is created from the visible human data set using an implicit surface based tetrahedral meshing algorithm for creating meshes that are well suited for large deformation. Additionally, a novel invertible finite element algorithm (IFEM) designed specifically for largely deforming skeletal muscles is presented. Typical finite element based simulations of elastic solids fail when the interpolating functions misinterpret large deformations as having locally negative volume at quadrature points, our approach extends the elastic response in a meaningful way to such configurations, drastically improving robustness to large deformation. Simulations are done with semi-implicit Newmark integration and quasistatic time stepping schemes. In the case of the latter, we present a novel quasistatic algorithm that alleviates geometric and material indefiniteness allowing one to use fast conjugate gradient solvers during Newton-Raphson iteration. Quasistatic and implicit time integration schemes are typically employed to alleviate the stringent time step restrictions imposed by their explicit counterparts. However, time step restrictions can also be ameliorated with regular mesh elements. As a result, we present a muscle geometry embedding framework that alleviates time step restrictions by virtue of this principle. A fascia/collision algorithm is also presented in the context of this embedding framework. Finally, though all musculoskeletal simulations in this thesis make use of kinematically prescribed skeletal motion, we would ultimately like to simulate the skeleton as a dynamic articulated rigid body. We present a preliminary step in this direction with a prestabilization framework for enforcing articulation constraints.
An ionizing radiation-sensitive CHO mutant cell line: irs-20. IV. Genetic complementation, V(D)J recombination and the scid phenotype.

The genetic defect responsible for hypersensitivity of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) irs-20 cells to ionizing radiation was found to be recessive in nature and could be complemented to produce wild-type radiosensitivity in irs-20/human hybrids. The radiosensitivities of six hybrid clones were determined based on their colony-forming ability under continuous irradiation at 6 cGy/h. A parallel cytogenetic analysis revealed a concordance between the presence or absence of human chromosome 8 and the resistant or sensitive phenotype. Confirming evidence was obtained using human chromosome 8-specific PCR primers. Positive amplification was obtained in hybrids with wild-type radiosensitivity, while no amplification was obtained in sensitive hybrids. Complementation analysis between radiosensitive CHO irs-20 and murine scid cell lines was carried out to determine whether the defects leading to their ionizing radiation hypersensitivity could be corrected by genetic complementation in the hybrids. Complementation did...
Gene looping facilitates TFIIH kinase-mediated termination of transcription

TFIIH is a general transcription factor with kinase and helicase activities. The kinase activity resides in the Kin28 subunit of TFIIH. The role of Kin28 kinase in the early steps of transcription is well established. Here we report a novel role of Kin28 in the termination of transcription. We show that RNAPII reads through a termination signal upon kinase inhibition. Furthermore, the recruitment of termination factors towards the 3′ end of a gene was compromised in the kinase mutant, thus confirming the termination defect. A concomitant decrease in crosslinking of termination factors near the 5′ end of genes was also observed in the kinase-defective mutant. Simultaneous presence of termination factors towards both the ends of a gene is indicative of gene looping; while the loss of termination factor occupancy from the distal ends suggest the abolition of a looped gene conformation. Accordingly, CCC analysis revealed that the looped architecture of genes was severely compromised in the Kin28 kinase mutant. In a looping defective sua7-1 mutant, even the enzymatically active Kin28 kinase could not rescue the termination defect. These results strongly suggest a crucial role of Kin28 kinase-dependent gene looping in the termination of transcription in budding yeast.
Romidepsin-induced neutrophilic urticaria.

Romidepsin is a histone-deacetylase inhibitor administered for treatment-refractory mycosis fungoides. Common side effects include fatigue, weakness, nausea, and cytopenia. We report a patient with Sezary syndrome treated with romidepsin who developed a reproducible neutrophil-rich urticarial eruption.
Abstract 2172: Circle Akt in: Epitope catalyzed assembly of macrocyclic therapeutics against phosphorylated Akt

An approach to drugging ‘undruggable’ target proteins using macrocyclic, epitope targeted peptide based affinity reagents is demonstrated. An unbiased comprehensive Cu-catalyzed Azide Alkyne Cycloaddition cyclized peptide macrocyclic library is synthesized and screened against the phoshoS474 containing Hydrophobic Motif (HM) peptide epitope of Akt2. The best macrocyclic ligand, which exhibits specificity at the peptide and protein levels, is further extended through an in situ click screen to yield bivalent macrocyclic reagent with high affinity and specificity. The bivalent peptide, targeted against the phospho-S474 region of Akt, inhibits the Akt kinase in in vitro kinase assays. This ligand is being optimized, through systematic changes in its composition, to increase its cell permeability characteristics, so that its effects can be studied in Akt overexpressing carcinoma cell lines. The optimized macrocyclic peptide can eventually be used as an in vivo imaging probe and as a peptide inhibitor drug. Citation Format: Arundhati Nag. Circle Akt in: Epitope catalyzed assembly of macrocyclic therapeutics against phosphorylated Akt. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2172.