cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inheritance of low density lipoprotein subclass patterns in familial combined hyperlipidemia

The inheritance of low density lipoprotein (LDL) subclass patterns was investigated in 234 members of seven large kindreds with familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCHL), a disorder characterized by elevated LDL cholesterol and/or triglyceride and increased coronary disease risk in families. Analysis of LDL subclasses by nondenaturing gradient gel electrophoresis showed a predominance of large, buoyant LDL particles (pattern A) in 71% of the family members and a predominance of small, dense LDL particles (pattern B) in 29% of family members. Based on complex segregation analysis, pattern B appeared to be inherited as an autosomal trait with either a dominant or an additive mode of inheritance and a small, but significant, multifactorial inheritance component. The proposed allele for pattern B was common (frequency = 0.3), and reduced penetrance was observed among men under age 20 and among women under age 50. These results in these FCHL families are consistent with those from a previously reported population-based sample of families, in which pattern B showed an apparent dominant mode of inheritance. In that study, reduced penetrance was observed for men under age 20 and for premenopausal women, but a somewhat lower allele frequency was found for pattern B (0.25). In the FCHL family members, LDL subclass pattern B was associated with significantly increased plasma levels of apolipoprotein B and triglyceride and decreased high density lipoprotein cholesterol. In comparison with a group of controls, the FCHL family members with pattern A had similar mean triglyceride levels, but higher mean apolipoprotein B. Thus, in families with FCHL, a predominance of small, dense LDL particles appears to be inherited as a common, single-gene trait, which is closely associated with the higher plasma triglyceride levels found in these families. The increased plasma apolipoprotein B levels found in FCHL cannot, however, be accounted for by this proposed locus.
Some Implications of Paleoecology for Contemporary Ecology

The paleoecological record allows contemporary ecologists to put current phenomena into the context of a longer time-frame, thereby providing the opportunity to evaluate the importance of slowly operating processes, past cyclic or unusual events, disturbance regimes, and historically constrained phenomena. We briefly outline the environmental history of the Quaternary, discuss the spatial and temporal resolution of the paleoecological evidence for biotic change, and summarize data relevant to such current issues as the nature of the biotic community, the role of disturbance, stability versus rapid change, evolutionary theory, explanations of species diversity, and refugia theory. Finally, we offer examples of the utility of paleoecological techniques for ecologists and environmental scientists.
Role of detrusor instability in primary enuresis

We studied 50 enuretic boys and girls by supine cystometry. Detrusor instability was found in 74 percent of the cases. The mean threshold volume at which detrusor instability was demonstrated was 200 mL. The mean bladder capacity of age-matched nonenuretic children was 325 mL. We consider detrusor instability at this reduced threshold volume to be the main cause of primary enuresis.
Switching in polyacrylonitrile

Abstract The original intent of this study of polyacrylonitrile was to make a (semi)-transparent photovoltaic cell from differentially pyrolyzed layers. This proved to be unfeasible due to lack of physical stability of the thin films pyrolyzed at about 500°C. A secondary intent of this stydy was to determine the feasibility of thin film devices of pyrolyzed polyacrylonitrile as switches for potential use as computer memory devices. While the characteristics important for use as switches improved in PAN with increasing pyrolysis temperature, over the limits imposed by the material itself, PAN does not represent a feasible computer memory element. The study reported here indicates that the threshold switching process in thin films of PAN is electronic in nature, not thermal.
Bleomycin-induced aggregation of presolubilized and nuclear chromatin from L1210 cells.

Abstract These studies have identified a new activity of bleomycin (in addition to the well-known DNA cleavage): drug-induced chromatin aggregation. Bleomycin treatment of presolubilized chromatin from L1210 nuclei resulted in two types of effect as shown by sedimentation analysis of intact nucleoprotein. The first effect was a dose-dependent fragmentation of chromatin to mononucleosomes (12 S) and subnucleosomal fragments (under 5 S). The second effect was aggregation manifested by the generation of large chromatin particles (over 120 S) that sedimented faster than the original material (20–40 S). Bleomycin treatment of nuclei from L1210 cells resulted in a similar, almost bimodal, size distribution of drug-released chromatin fragments. Increasing levels of bleomycin produced a gradual enhancement of the amount of small fragments (under 5 S) accompanied by generation of large, aggregated particles. Aggregation caused by high drug concentrations significantly reduced the overall extent of chromatin solubilization and allowed only the release of the most degraded frgments from nuclei. The aggregation required intact nucleoprotein, since it was not detected after high-salt deproteinization of bleomycin-treated presolubilized or nuclear chromatin. The aggregation phenomenon reflects a novel activity of bleomycin which may contribute to the drug's antiproliferative properties.
Spinal cord compression in widely metastatic Wilms' tumor. Paraplegia in two children with anaplastic wilms' tumor

Spinal cord compression in Wilms' tumor is a rare event, generally caused by invasion of the canal by paraspinal lesions or metastatically involved vertebral bodies. This case report reviews the clinical presentation, radiologic evaluation, and emergent therapy in two cases of spinal cord compromise involving patients with widely metastatic Wilms' tumor. One of these is the only known report of intradural metastasis in a child with this malignancy. Both cases illustrate the importance of anticipating and rapidly responding to neurologic complications that may arise in patients with aggressively metastatic Wilms' tumor.
Sixth Time Bariatric-Related Surgery For Intractable Nausea, Vomiting, Abdominal Pain, Diarrhea and Weight Loss Failure

A 42-year-old patient with a sixth bariatric-related surgical procedure is presented. The steps taken for the management of her intractable nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, unacceptable weight loss and diarrhea are described, together with the rationale therefor. Bariatric reoperative surgical procedure and outcome are discussed, together with some alternative considerations.
Effects of restricted diffusion on microscopic NMR imaging

Computer simulations were undertaken to study the effect of spatial molecular diffusion on NMR microscopic images. Solutions to Torrey's equation describing the time evolution of the complex transverse magnetization in the presence of a o:)nstant field gradient following a 90° pulse were obtained for a sphere, disc, and 1D box using random walk simulations. The 1 D case was also solved by spatially discretizing Torrey's equation and solving the resultant matrix equation by Fourier-Laplace inversion. The absorption spectra obtained can be classified using the dimensionless scaling parameter d = 4πD/γGL3 where D is the self-diffusion coefficient, γ the gyromagnetic ratio, G the field gradient, and L the characteristic length of the object. For 0 < d < 0.1, there are, relative to theD = 0 case, a gradual decrease in spectral width as d increases and an increase in spectral intensity near the boundaries. For d increasing beyond 0.1, there is a rapid decrease in spectral width due to motional narrowing. For the self diffusion of water at room temperature in a 5 G/cm gradient, the value of d is 0.1 at L = 29 μm. Because 3D microscopic resolution of (10 μm)3 has been attained, such effects may become important in practical experiments.
Synthesis of a nickel tetracarboranylphenylporphyrin for boron neutron‐capture therapy: Biodistribution and toxicity in tumor‐bearing mice

Nickel-2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaacetic acid-5,10,15,20-tetra-[3-carboranyl-methoxyphenyl]-porphyrin octamethylester (NiTCP) was given in a Cremophor EL, a polyethoxylated castor oil, and propylene glycol emulsion to BALB/c mice bearing transplanted s.c. KHJJ mammary carcinomas. A total dose of 244 microg NiTCP/gram body weight (gbw) (54 microg B/gbw) was given in 6 i.p. injections over a 32 hr period. Observations of behavior and changes in body weight and chemical and hematological blood tests indicated little or no toxicity from NiTCP over a period of 6-90 hr after injections. Boron concentrations near tumor margins were 160-180 microg B/g at 41-90 hr after the last injection. Tumor:normal brain boron concentration ratios reached approx. 10:1 and tumor:blood ratios reached approx. 250:1 after 4 days. There was no evidence of thrombocytopenia or other potentially important toxicities. Our findings place NiTCP among the leading candidates for pre-clinical experiments aimed toward improvement upon the compounds being tested for boron neutron-capture therapy of glioblastoma multiforme.
Polarization correlations in atomic-field bremsstrahlung

Atomic bremsstrahlung-polarization correlations between incident electron and emitted photon are discussed for incident-electron kinetic energies in the range from 5 keV to 1 MeV. Results are reported from an exact numerical calculation in partial-wave formulation using screened potentials. It is shown that bremsstrahlung can be used as an analyzer of polarized electrons, a transmitter of polarization from electrons to photons, or a source of polarized radiation. Comparisons are made with previous work where available.
Persistence of Pediatric Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after 2 Years.

One-hundred and fifty-six children were randomly evaluated at an inner-city juvenile/family court. These children were removed from their parent's custody subsequent to a finding of severe child maltreatment. From our original sample of 156 children, 62 met strict criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Fifty-two of these 62 were successfully recruited and participated in the 2 year re-examination. Each PTSD diagnosis was conferred by the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents (DICA). From our sample of 52 PTSD children re-examined after 2 years, 17 (32.7%) retained the full PTSD diagnosis, while 67.3% did not meet criteria.
Series on Mises, Market Process and Socio-Cultural Changes. (Part 1 Introduction

This is the second in a multi-volume series devoted to the work of Ludwig von Mises. (The first was Block, 1992.)In the 'Scope' statement which sets out the philosophical vision of Cultural Dynamics, this journal announces its interest in 'theoretical ... studies that focus on dynamic aspects of socio-cultural phenomena, and (in) dynamic models and theories'. Elaborating upon this theme, the editors of Cultural Dynamics express interest in 'processes, changes, evolutions and histories of knowledge, social and cultural phenomena'. Among other traditions, they declare their intention 'to provide a forum for discussions about particular paradigms and theories whose focus it is to describe and model such phenomena' e.g. on 'praxeological ... theories'.It is my contention that Austrian economics in general,1 and the writings of Ludwig von Mises in particular, are paradigmatically suitable avenues of discourse for Cultural Dynamics. Austrianism is not for nothing known as the 'praxeological school', since it se...
Scheduling uniform parallel machines subject to a secondary resource to minimize the number of tardy jobs

This research investigates the problem of scheduling jobs on a set of parallel machines where the speed of the machines depends on the allocation of a secondary resource. The secondary resource is fixed in quantity and is to be allocated to the machines at the start of the schedule. The scheduling objective is to minimize the number of tardy jobs. Two versions of the problem are analyzed. The first version assumes that the jobs are pre-assigned to the machines, while the second one takes into consideration the task of assigning jobs to the machines. The paper proposes an Integer Programming formulation to solve the first case and a set of heuristics for the second.
Financing Social Security Retirement for an Aging Population: A Cross-National Comparison, 1970-1980

A cross-national comparison of population age structure and of retirement benefits programs of the social security systems in eight developed countries is made to examine the different policy responses countries have made to the aging of their populations. The countries included are Austria, Canada, France, West Germany, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. For these countries comparisons are made of 1970 and 1980 measures of population composition, financial support, and benefit levels, and the interactions among the measures over the decade.
Renal Ultrasound for Infants Younger Than 2 Months With a Febrile Urinary Tract Infection.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to determine the performance of renal ultrasound for detecting vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) and obstructive uropathies in infants younger than 2 months with a febrile urinary tract infection (UTI). MATERIALS AND METHODS. We performed a retrospective cohort study of infants younger than 2 months with fever and culture-proven UTI presenting from July 1, 2008, through December 31, 2011, with renal ultrasound and voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) performed within 30 days of UTI diagnosis. Two pediatric radiologists independently reviewed the renal ultrasound and VCUG findings. Results of the renal ultrasound were deemed abnormal if collecting system dilation, renal size asymmetry, collecting system duplication, urothelial thickening, ureteral dilation, or bladder anomalies were present. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of renal ultrasound were calculated using VCUG as reference standard. RESULTS. Of the 197 pati...
The assessment of real estate and buildings in Rochester, N. Y

The adoption of up-to-date methods has given Rochester a scientific and equitable assesment system.
Role of the Nuclease Activity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mre11 in Repair of DNA Double-Strand Breaks in Mitotic Cells

The Rad50:Mre11:Xrs2 (RMX) complex functions in repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by recombination and nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) and is also required for telomere stability. The Mre11 subunit exhibits nuclease activities in vitro, but the role of these activities in repair in mitotic cells has not been established. In this study we have performed a comparative study of three mutants (mre11-D16A, -D56N, and -H125N) previously shown to have reduced nuclease activities in vitro. In ends-in and ends-out chromosome recombination assays using defined plasmid and oligonucleotide DNA substrates, mre11-D16A cells were as deficient as mre11 null strains, but defects were small in mre11-D56N and -H125N mutants. mre11-D16A cells, but not the other mutants, also displayed strong sensitivity to ionizing radiation, with residual resistance largely dependent on the presence of the partially redundant nuclease Exo1. mre11-D16A mutants were also most sensitive to the S-phase-dependent clastogens hydroxyurea and methyl methanesulfonate but, as previously observed for D56N and H125N mutants, were not defective in NHEJ. Importantly, the affinity of purified Mre11-D16A protein for Rad50 and Xrs2 was indistinguishable from wild type and the mutant protein formed complexes with equivalent stoichiometry. Although the role of the nuclease activity has been questioned in previous studies, the comparative data presented here suggest that the nuclease function of Mre11 is required for RMX-mediated recombinational repair and telomere stabilization in mitotic cells.
Medium-chain fatty acids as ligands for orphan G protein-coupled receptor GPR84.

Free fatty acids (FFAs) play important physiological roles in many tissues as an energy source and as signaling molecules in various cellular processes. Elevated levels of circulating FFAs are associated with obesity, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. Here we show that GPR84, a previously orphan G protein-coupled receptor, functions as a receptor for medium-chain FFAs with carbon chain lengths of 9-14. Medium-chain FFAs elicit calcium mobilization, inhibit 3′,5′-cyclic AMP production, and stimulate [35S]guanosine 5′-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) binding in a GPR84-dependent manner. The activation of GPR84 by medium-chain FFAs couples primarily to a pertussis toxin-sensitive Gi/o pathway. In addition, we show that GPR84 is selectively expressed in leukocytes and markedly induced in monocytes/macrophages upon activation by lipopolysaccharide. Furthermore, we demonstrate that medium-chain FFAs amplify lipopolysaccharide-stimulated production of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-12 p40 through GPR84. Our results indicate a role for GPR84 in directly linking fatty acid metabolism to immunological regulation.
Switchgrass Biofuel Production on Reclaimed Surface Mines: II. Feedstock Quality and Theoretical Ethanol Production

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a warm-season perennial grass, is an important bioenergy crop candidate because it produces high biomass yields on marginal lands and on reclaimed surface mined sites. In companion studies, dry matter (DM) yields for Cave-in-Rock, Shawnee, and Carthage cultivars varied from 4.2 to 13.0 Mg ha−1averaged over 6 years at the reclaimed Hampshire site, and fertilization increased yields of Cave-in-Rock at Black Castle and Coal Mac sites from 0.3 to 2 Mg ha−1 during the first 3 years. The objective of these experiments was to compare the impacts of cultivar and soil amendments on biomass quality and theoretical ethanol production of switchgrass grown on surface mines with differing soil characteristics. Biomass quality was determined for fiber, ash, lignin, digestibility, and carbohydrate contents via near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy, and carbohydrates were used to calculate theoretical ethanol yield (TEY; L Mg−1) and multiplied by biomass yield to calculate theoretical ethanol production (TEP; L ha−1). Cultivars at the Hampshire site did not differ in TEY and ranged from 426 to 457 L Mg−1. Theoretical ethanol production from Cave-in-Rock at Hampshire was 7350 L ha−1, which was higher than other cultivars because of its greater biomass production. This TEP was higher than in other studies which predicted 4000 to 5000 L ha−1. At the Black Castle and Coal Mac sites, fertilizer applications slightly affected biomass quality of switchgrass and TEY, but provided greater TEP as a function of increased yield. Similar to other findings, total switchgrass biomass production has more impact than compositional differences on TEP, so maximizing biomass production is critical for maximizing potential biofuel production. With appropriate soil substrates, fertilization, planning, and management, large areas of reclaimed surface mines can be converted to switchgrass stands to produce high biomass quality and yields to support a bioethanol industry.
Teaching Pretend Play to Children With Disabilities: A Review of the Literature

The purpose of this study was to analyze literature regarding interventions for promoting pretend play in children with disabilities. Sixteen studies were found using experimental designs to evalua...
Berlin, the Virtual Global City

This article analyzes the significance of the global-city epithet as a transformational city-building image for post-Wall Berlin. The boosterist ambitions of the New Berlin’s massive rebuilding program have not brought the former Cold War outpost into the top tier of contemporary global cities; rather, the regained capital is languishing under bankruptcy and high unemployment. Nonetheless, Berlin’s legacy of extreme mutability, combined with its obsessive self-representations in architectural exhibitions and other virtual environments, provide a strategic platform that enables the city to imagine and plan its urban future toward globality. The multiple virtual-city stagings of Berlin function in a pragmatic, entrepreneurial manner, by serving as a lure for, e.g., culture and multimedia industries to relocate to Berlin. Such globally linked companies are indicative of how branding in the virtual realm can help build a new economic reality into being.
Designing and Building a Software Test Organization

Designing and building a software test organization can largely be broken down into a set of decision categories and an understanding of the environmental factors which influence those decisions. This paper summarizes the three key strategies which must be addressed (automation strategy, organizational strategy and test strategy) and discusses how various environmental factors such the product domain, the problem domain and the business domain influence those strategies. This paper is based on experience generated building test organizations in a large international software company spanning several technologies and market segments. Additionally, this paper provides general recommendations for each of these decisions and the information required to tailor those decisions to the specific needs of the reader's organization.
Powerful fermentative hydrogen evolution of photosynthate in the cyanobacterium Lyngbya aestuarii BL J mediated by a bidirectional hydrogenase.

Cyanobacteria are considered good models for biohydrogen production because they are relatively simple organisms with a demonstrable ability to generate H2 under certain physiological conditions. However, most produce only little H2, revert readily to H2 consumption, and suffer from hydrogenase sensitivity to O2. Strains of the cyanobacteria Lyngbya aestuarii and Microcoleus chthonoplastes obtained from marine intertidal cyanobacterial mats were recently found to display much better H2 production potential. Because of their ecological origin in environments that become quickly anoxic in the dark, we hypothesized that this differential ability may have evolved to serve a role in the fermentation of the photosynthate. Here we show that, when forced to ferment internal substrate, these cyanobacteria display desirable characteristics of physiological H2 production. Among them, the strain L. aestuarii BL J had the fastest specific rates and attained the highest H2 concentrations during fermentation of photosynthate, which proceeded via a mixed-acid fermentation pathway to yield acetate, ethanol, lactate, H2, CO2 and pyruvate. Contrary to expectations, the H2 yield per mole of glucose was only average compared to that of other cyanobacteria. Thermodynamic analyses point to the use of electron donors more electronegative than NAD(P)H in Lyngbya hydrogenases as the basis for its strong H2 production ability. In any event, the high specific rates and H2 concentrations coupled with the lack of reversibility of the enzyme, at the expense of internal, photosynthetically generated reductants, makes L. aestuarii BL J and/or its enzymes, a potentially feasible platform for large-scale H2 production.
Using Linear Programming to Optimize Control Panel Design from an Ergonomics Perspective

Linear programming (LP) for optimization of control panel layouts has been incorporating ergonomic constraints into models to reduce reaching distances required for control panel use since the 1960’s. These algorithms have used a panel’s frequency of use, distance from user, and transition distance as basic model variables. A new variation of the LP model for control panel design is proposed that modifies the layout fi-om single point semidry to dual point semidry in terms of design using anthropometrics. The proposed model was applied to the design of a twelve-panel board of six-inch square panels. The model was able to take into account design factors such as control sequence, alignment, and clustering, as well as direct hand access. The resulting control panel solution minimized the reach and movement distances required by an operator. Results suggest that LP optimization can be used to construct “ergonomically designed” control panels that limit MSDs incidence and severity.
Isolation of Acanthamoeba sp. from a Greyhound with Pneumonia and Granulomatous Amebic Encephalitis

Acanthamoeba were isolated from a naturally occurring animal infection of granulomatous amebic encephalitis. The amebas were grown from lung lesions from a 1-year-old greyhound puppy, which was 1 of several dogs in a kennel that was affected by a progressive fatal neurologic and respiratory disease. The Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia, confirmed the disease to be acanthamebiasis and specifically identified the amebas as Acanthamoeba culbertsoni by fluorescent antibody testing on brain tissue from the dog. The amebas were cultured initially on potato dextrose agar and on nonnutrient agar plates that were seeded with a lawn of nonpathogenic Escherichia coli. The isolate was then transferred to nonnutrient agar plates containing killed Enterobacter aerogenes and subsequently to axenic medium and cell cultures. The isolate was highly pathogenic by intranasal inoculation into 2-week-old mice.
Spirituality and purpose in life in alcoholism recovery.

This study examines the relationship between spirituality and recovery from alcoholism. Spirituality was defined as the extent of practice of Alcoholics Anonymous Steps 11 and 12 and was measured by a Step Questionnaire developed by the researcher. Step 11 suggests prayer and meditation and Step 12 suggests assistance of other alcoholics. Expressed degree of purpose in life was also seen as a reflection of spirituality. It was postulated that the extent to which Steps 11 and 12 were practiced would be positively correlated with the extent of purpose in life reported by 100 Alcoholics Anonymous members. The major findings of this study are significant positive correlations between practice of Step 11 and purpose in life scores (r = .59, p < .001) and between Step 11 and length of sobriety (r = .25, p < .01). Number of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings attended was significantly correlated with purpose in life scores (r = .24, p < .01) and length of sobriety (r = .25, p < .01). These findings suggest that a sen...
Transseptal left heart catheterization: utility of a sheath technique.

This report describes our experience with a modified sheath transseptal catheter system. The sheath technique allows for introduction of various catheters into the left heart, including a uniquely designed pigtail catheter intended for use with this system. Fifty-three patients underwent successful transseptal catheterization, 44 of whom had severe native aortic valve stenosis and seven with suspected prosthetic aortic valve dysfunction. The technique provides optimal ventriculographic and hemodynamic information as well as improved access to the left heart in patients with aortic valve disease.
Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 Is a Counter-Regulatory Phosphaturic Hormone for Vitamin D

The regulation of the phosphaturic factor fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is not well understood. It was found that administration of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25[OH](2)D(3)) to mice rapidly increased serum FGF23 concentrations from a basal level of 90.6 +/- 8.1 to 213.8 +/- 14.6 pg/ml at 8 h (mean +/- SEM; P < 0.01) and resulted in a four-fold increase in FGF23 transcripts in bone, the predominate site of FGF23 expression. In the Hyp-mouse homologue of X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets, administration of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) further increased circulating FGF23 levels. In Gcm2 null mice, low 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) levels were associated with a three-fold reduction in FGF23 levels that were increased by administration of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3). In osteoblast cell cultures, 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) but not calcium, phosphate, or parathyroid hormone stimulated FGF23 mRNA levels and resulted in a dose-dependent increase in FGF23 promoter activity. Overexpression of a dominant negative vitamin D receptor inhibited 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) stimulation of FGF23 promoter activity, and mutagenesis of the FGF23 promoter identified a vitamin D-responsive element (-1180 GGAACTcagTAACCT -1156) that is responsible for the vitamin D effects. These data suggest that 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) is an important regulator of FGF23 production by osteoblasts in bone. The physiologic role of FGF23 may be to act as a counterregulatory phosphaturic hormone to maintain phosphate homeostasis in response to vitamin D.
On the allure of noninvasive genetic sampling — putting a face to the name

Abstract DNA from remotely-collected samples of hair or feces provides a means of assessing attributes of populations of wild animals, including genetic diversity, spatial distribution, patterns of habitat use, dispersal distances, population fragmentation, and population size. This technique has been called noninvasive genetic sampling, a term in common usage especially in the bear literature. It has taken on the connotation of being more humane than techniques such as radiotelemetry that require capture of animals. The term noninvasive, however, is misapplied: in the biological-genetic sense, it refers only to the invasion of the body (through the skin or an orifice), not to capture or general intrusiveness. If it is construed to mean nonintrusive in a more general sense, then other methods of collecting population data that do not require animal capture, such as camera trapping, sign surveys, sightings, and interviews, should be called noninvasive as well. Moreover, once an animal is radiocollared, the...
Industrial Development and Changes in the Structure of Foreign Trade: The Experience of the Republic of China in Taiwan, 1946-66

La transformacion experimentada por Taiwan – que, de exportador de productos primarios se convirtio en exportador de manufacturas y productos elaborados durante los decenios posteriores a la guerra – se analiza en este trabajo como un ejemplo de seleccion acertada del patron de produccion que correspondia adoptar en una region pequena, dotada de recursos naturales limitados y que confronta severas presiones demograficas. En primer lugar, el hecho de que ya se contara con una agricultura relativamente avanzada y con una industria, una infraestructura y un sistema institucional, legados todos del regimen colonial, proporciono bases firmes para el desarrollo economico de la posguerra. En segundo termino, el hecho de que la balanza comercial de Taiwan pasara de un voluminoso superavit de exportacion a un deficit considerable al perderse el mercado de exportacion que se tenia asegurado en el Japon, asi como la densa inmigracion proveniente de la China Continental que ocurrio a principios del periodo posbelico, crearon una oportunidad para la expansion de las actividades fabriles con miras a producir bienes que sustituyesen a las importaciones. Sin embargo, parece que el impulso que adquirio el crecimiento industrial en virtud de este proceso se habia perdido en gran parte ya para fines del decenio 1950, y la politicas proteccionistas y cambiarias del pais fueron objeto de nuevos analisis. Las politicas que se pusieron en practica entonces ofrecieron un marco favorable para el aumento de las exportaciones de manufacturas asi como para un rapido crecimiento industrial durante el decenio 1960. Se sugiere que la etapa intermedia de desarrollo en que se encontraba Taiwan facilito la expansion de las exportaciones porque le permitio al pais mantener la dualidad de la estructura de estas, o sea, seguir exportando a los paises menos desarrollados bienes cuya produccion requiere un coeficiente de capital relativamente alto, y a los paises desarrollados bienes que requieren un coeficiente relativamente alto de mano de obra. Sin embargo, se ha tornado cada vez mas dificil conseguir que continuen aumentando las exportaciones a los paises menos desarrollados, en razon de que dichos paises van avanzando en la sustitucion de importaciones y porque el desarrollo en Taiwan de industrias de productos basicos que requieren un alto coeficiente de capital se halla obstaculizado por las reducidas dimensiones de la economia. Le expansion de las exportaciones a los paises desarrollados, en cambio, resulta mas facil debido a que en las relaciones comerciales con esos paises media un mayor grado de complementacion reciproca. Esto sugiere, entre otras cosas, que convendria que Taiwan y las economias de indole similar optaran por darle a su produccion la configuracion que favorezca la elaboracion de los productos que son objeto de mayor demanda en los paises desarrollados, a fin de mantener el crecimiento economico mediante una expansion de las exportaciones.
Reoperative Conditions Following Total Elbow Arthroplasty

Revision elbow arthroplasty is a very technically challenging and demanding procedure. The nerves and vessels about the elbow may be scarred and may no longer be in their usual anatomic locations. The bone stock can also be quite minimal leading to difficulties with further implant fixation. Moreover, the soft tissue envelope is easily compromised about the elbow, and this can lead to problems with wound breakdown and infection. Structural allografts can be helpful in trying to reinforce thinned-out bone. However, in some cases the patient may be better served by resection arthroplasty, especially in many cases of infection.
Plant Cuticle as a Barrier to Acid Rain Penetration

Exposure of leaf cells to acid precipitation is minimized by the presence of the plant cuticle, a waxy layer that covers the surface of leaves. The movement of substances through the cuticle is controlled by the conductance of the cuticle to the substance, and by the ease with which drops of precipitation wet the surface. When present, crystalline epicuticular waxes on the surface of the cuticle greatly reduce the potential for exchange of ions and molecules between drop and leaf by not allowing contact between the drop and the leaf surface. Some foliar leaching is normal, but increased leaching caused by acid precipitation has been observed both in the laboratory and in the field. Rates of leaching are typically low unless there has been damage to cells. Damage has been observed even in the absence of obvious disruption of the cuticle. Erosion of epicuticular waxes by acidic Solutions has been observed for only a few species. Erosion of the cuticle would increase leaching due to the associated increased wetting of the leaf surface, and would alter conditions for microbial populations, including pathogens. For some species under some conditions, direct damage due to elevated acidity may prove important. Under most conditions, however, the direct effects of acidity on foliage are likely to be minor compared with the responses to gaseous pollutants, such as ozone.
Mental Discipline

The practices of engineering and computer science are influenced by the same forces that shape manual labor and office work. Occasionally, it's useful to reassess our skills and question the value of our training.
Why India joined the nuclear club

Given India's historical opposition to the development of nuclear weaponry, what prompted the government to test a nuclear device in the Rajasthan desert in 1974?
Density Functional Theory of Interactions Between Charged Macroions in Solution

We apply density functional theory to the screened interactions between macroions in solution. The approach incorporates the strong correlations between screening ions at high densities, and reduces to the Poisson-Boltzmann equations at low densities. Local density functional theory results for the interactions between parallel planes are within ˜ 1% of Monte Carlo (MC) and inhomogeneous hypernetted chain (IHNC) values when the plane separation L ≥ 50A. Non-local effects are important for divalent ions at small separations and high surface charge densities. A simple weighted density approximation qualitatively reproduces MC and IHNC results in this regime, and provides a simple explanation for the onset of attractive interactions between like-charged plates.
A hands-on application-based tool for STEM students to understand differentiation

The main goal of this project is to illustrate to college students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields some fundamental concepts in calculus. A high-level technical computing language — MATLAB, is the core platform used in the construction of this project. A graphical user interface (GUI) is designed to interactively explain the intuition behind a key mathematical concept: differentiation. The GUI demonstrates how a derivative operation (as a form of kernel) can be applied on one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) images (as a form of vector). The user can interactively select from a set of predetermined operations and images in order to show how the selected kernel operates on the corresponding image. Such interactive tools in calculus courses are of great importance and need, especially for STEM students who seek an intuitive and visual understanding of mathematical notions that are often presented to them as abstract concepts. In addition to students, instructors can greatly benefit from using such tools to elucidate the use of fundamental concepts in mathematics in a real world context.
Examining the Role of Viral Effect, Shopping Enjoyment and Trust on Purchase Intention of Social Commerce Sites in Malaysia

Social media has greatly changed the game in e-commerce. The convergence of social media and e-commerce means that online users can now influence purchase intention on social commerce sites via user-generated contents and viral effect. In the setting of online purchase, customers do not get to see or visit a physical store, nor the tangible goods. Coupled with the high number of sellers offering similar products or services, the competition among sellers is intense. A unique business model is needed if a seller were to stand out profitably among the rest. Through our model that consists of shopping enjoyment, trust and viral effect, data were collected online and analyzed via structural equation modeling. The result allows social commerce vendors to fine tune their business model to achieve higher purchase intention on their commerce sites. Shopping enjoyment includes quality and accessibility of websites, value of products and services offered, most importantly, the integration of user feedback, review and rating system. Online trust, on the other hand can be determined by the trustworthiness of seller. High level determinants like integrity, concern, aligned values and communication predicts trustworthiness and trust; while low level determinants like consistency and competence predicts trustworthiness. Viral effect subsequently amplifies the reach of social commerce sites via user’s word of mouth, leading to higher purchase intention.
Bricks without Straw: September 1939–June 1940

The European war which began so furiously on 1 September 1939 in Poland deteriorated into the so-called ‘phoney war’ after the Poles surrendered in October. Their British and French allies had played little part in the fighting except at sea. Indeed German soldiers captured by a French patrol near the Maginot Line reportedly were surprised to learn that Germany and France were at war.1 All the same, Adolph Hitler’s peace offer on 6 October was rejected outright for to do otherwise, said Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, would be to approve a treacherous act of banditry. However, the allies were not prepared to go on the offensive. They welcomed the lull following Poland’s defeat, which gave them the opportunity to search for an ‘alignment of forces’ against Germany whenever the shooting resumed. The search applied to propagan-da as well as to diplomatic and military forces.2
The Potential Disparate Impact CAEP Standard 3.2 on the Protected Classes of Alaska Native, American Indian, African American, and Latino Members of Descent

CAEP Standard 3.2 has a demonstrated disparate impact on several protected classes of individuals, including African Americans, Alaska Natives, American Indians, and Latinos. The data from this study clearly shows a national policy that will have an unequal impact for future genrations of minority teacher candidates.
The relationship between gestational age and the severity of neonatal abstinence syndrome

Background and aims The relationship between gestational age at delivery and the severity of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is poorly understood. Our objective was to compare the length of pharmacotherapy and hospital stay among opioid exposed infants born during the late preterm, early term, full term, and late term periods. Design Retrospective cohort study of infants affected by NAS Setting MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, USA: an urban tertiary care hospital serving as the referral center for opioid dependency in pregnancy with a level III neonatal intensive care unit Participants All deliveries complicated by maternal opioid exposure from January 2000 to October 2014; 403 were eligible to be included (n = 102 Late Preterm, 34-36weeks (LP), n = 158 Early Term, 37-38weeks (ET), n = 122 Full Term, 39-40weeks (FT), n = 21 Late Term, ≥41 weeks (LT)). Measurements NAS requiring pharmacotherapy with opioids and hospital stay duration were compared between gestational age cohorts. Interaction by type of maternal medication was evaluated. Findings The necessity for pharmacotherapy for NAS was similar in all gestational age groups (LP n = 45 (44%), ET 69 (44%), FT 58 (48%), LT 9 (43%); P = 0.92). However median duration of pharmacotherapy for NAS was significantly different between the groups (LP =16.0 median [interquartile range 10.0-24.0] days, ET = 22.5 [15.0-40.0], FT = 23.0 [16.0-38.0], LT 22.0 [16.0-28.0]; P = 0.02). Neonatal intensive care unit admission for NAS (P = 0.07) and total length of stay (P = 0.27), which includes observation for NAS not requiring medication, were not different. There was no significant interaction between gestational age cohorts and maternal medication assisted treatment therapy on the need for or duration of NAS treatment. The results were unchanged when evaluated for potential confounding variables. Conclusions Gestational age (pre-term, term or late term) at birth appears to be unrelated to the need for pharmacotherapy to treat neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in late preterm and term infants. If treatment is needed it may tend to be given for longer in term than pre-term or late term infants.
The Development of Next-Generation Pyridinium-Based multiQAC Antiseptics.

A series of 18 bis- and tris-pyridinium amphiphiles were prepared and tested for both antimicrobial activity and lytic capability, in comparison with the commercially available pyridinium antiseptic cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC). Assessments were made against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including two methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. While 2Pyr-11,11 was identified as one of the most potent antimicrobial quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) reported to date, boasting nanomolar inhibition against five of six bacteria tested, no significant improvement in bioactivity of tris-pyridinium amphiphiles over their bis-pyridinium counterparts was observed. However, the multicationic QACs (multiQACs) presented herein did display significant advantages over the monocationic CPC; while similar red blood cell lysis was observed, superior activity against both Gram-negative bacteria and resistant S. aureus strains led to the discovery of four pyridinium-based multiQACs with advantageous therapeutic indices.
Equilibrium Considerations in the Roasting of Metallic Sulfides

The chemistry of sulfide roasting is analyzed to show those aspects of performance which can be predicted from considerations of thermodynamic equilibrium. It is concluded that equilibrium calculations can serve as a yardstick for prediction of roaster-gas composition and sulfate formation in the calcine for fluid-bed roasting practice. A method of calculation which combines the equilibrium and stoichiometric factors is outlined, and illustrated by an example from the roasting of Cu-Fe sulfides.
Free market ideology and deregulation in Colorado’s oil fields: Evidence for triple movement activism?

ABSTRACTUnconventional oil and gas extraction (UOGE) has spurred an unprecedented boom in onshore production in the US. Despite a surge in related research, a void exists regarding inquiries into policy outcomes and perceptions. To address this, support for federal regulatory exemptions for UOGE is examined using survey data collected in 2015 from two Northern Colorado communities. Current regulatory exemptions for UOGE can be understood as components of broader societal processes of neoliberalization. Free market ideology increases public support for federal regulatory exemptions for UOGE. Perceived negative impacts do not necessarily drive people to support increased federal regulation. Utilizing neo-Polanyian theory, interaction between free market ideology and perceived negative impacts is explored. Free market ideology appears to moderate people’s views of regulation: increasing the effect of perceived negative impacts while simultaneously increasing support for deregulation. To conclude, the ways in...
Increasing the genome-targeting scope and precision of base editing with engineered Cas9-cytidine deaminase fusions

Base editing induces single-nucleotide changes in the DNA of living cells using a fusion protein containing a catalytically defective Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9, a cytidine deaminase, and an inhibitor of base excision repair. This genome editing approach has the advantage that it does not require formation of double-stranded DNA breaks or provision of a donor DNA template. Here we report the development of five C to T (or G to A) base editors that use natural and engineered Cas9 variants with different protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) specificities to expand the number of sites that can be targeted by base editing 2.5-fold. Additionally, we engineered base editors containing mutated cytidine deaminase domains that narrow the width of the editing window from ∼5 nucleotides to as little as 1-2 nucleotides. We thereby enabled discrimination of neighboring C nucleotides, which would otherwise be edited with similar efficiency, and doubled the number of disease-associated target Cs able to be corrected preferentially over nearby non-target Cs.
Epigenetic Control of Osteoblast Differentiation by Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2)

Because epigenetic processes are critical during development, there is considerable interest in understanding how epigenetic enzymes control lineage commitment and progression. We review recent studies indicating that methylation of histone 3 at lysine 27 (H3K27), which is a major epigenetic modification that promotes gene silencing by reducing chromatin accessibility, is a principal regulatory mechanism that controls osteogenesis. Key studies have shown that enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2/Ezh2), which is the active subunit of the polycomb-repressive complex 2 (PRC2) and catalyzes methylation of H3K27, is critically required for normal skeletal patterning and bone formation. For example, while germline deletion of Ezh2 is embryonically lethal, conditional loss of Ezh2 in the mesenchyme demonstrates that this histone methyltransferase controls normal tissue patterning during fetal development. Furthermore, recent findings show that Ezh2 has an important role in mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) lineage allocation and osteoblast differentiation. Strikingly, suppressing Ezh2 activity in vitro stimulates osteogenic and inhibits adipogenic differentiation. Furthermore, Ezh2 inhibition in vivo has been shown to stimulate bone formation and prevents bone loss associated with estrogen depletion. These findings collectively suggest that inhibition of the biological activity of EZH2 in human patients may have utility in regenerative therapies that stimulate bone accrual.
Tasting is knowing: the aesthetics and politics of disgust in John Layman’s and Rob Guillory’s Chew

Chew, written by John Layman and drawn by Rob Guillory, is a disgusting comic. Yet that is precisely its appeal. This article begins with the paradox of aversion, a question drawn from the realm of...