cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of a premolt calcium and low-energy molt program on laying hen performance, egg quality, and economics

The objectives of this study were to evaluate and compare the effects of production, physiology, egg quality, and economics of laying hens housed in a cage system when offered a calcium premolt treatment and low-energy molt diets versus a traditional feed withdrawal (FW) treatment during and after molt. In total, 981 Hy-Line W-36 laying hens (85 wk of age) housed 3 per cage were used. Six treatments were compared in a 2 × 3 factorial design with 2 calcium premolt treatments (fine and coarse) and 3 molt diets (FW, soybean hulls, and wheat middlings). The coarse Ca was a 50:50 mix of fine (0.14-mm mean diameter) and coarse (2.27-mm mean diameter) CaCO(3), whereas the fine Ca was an all-fine CaCO(3). Both diets were formulated to contain 4.6% Ca, such that only the particle size of the CaCO(3) differed. Production parameters in experiment 1 included egg production, egg weight and mass, specific gravity, Haugh units, egg components, feed consumption and utilization, and BW. Physiological parameters in experiment 2 included ovary and oviduct weights, femur- and humerus-ash percentages, heterophil to lymphocyte ratios, plasma Ca and inorganic P concentrations, and alkaline phosphatase activity. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and P < 0.05 was significant. The fine-Ca premolt treatment was more effective than the coarse-Ca treatment at decreasing egg production during molt and increasing it postmolt, regardless of the molt diet. The FW molt diet resulted in the greatest decrease in production, but the soybean hulls diet resulted in lower production and ovary and oviduct weights during molt compared with those of the wheat middlings molt diet. Therefore, a fine-Ca premolt treatment and a low-energy molt diet, particularly soybean hulls, can be useful alternatives to a FW molt.
A simple framework for assessing the sensitivity of mountain watersheds to warming‐driven snowpack loss

The common observation that snowpack increases with elevation suggests that a catchment's elevation distribution should be a robust indicator of its potential to store snow and its sensitivity to snowpack loss. To capture a wide range of potential elevation-based responses, we used Monte Carlo methods to simulate 20,000 watershed elevation distributions. We applied a simple function relating warming, elevation, and snowpack to explore snowpack losses from the simulated elevation distributions. Regression analyses demonstrate that snowpack loss is best described by three parameters that identify the central tendency, variance, and shape of each catchment's elevation distribution. Equal amounts of snowpack loss can occur even when catchments are centered within different elevation zones; this stresses the value of also measuring the variance and shape of elevation distributions. Responses of the simulated elevation distributions to warming are nonlinear and emphasize that the sensitivity of mountain forests to snowpack loss will likely be watershed dependent.
Microbial Ecology—New Directions, New Importance

Microbial ecology is the study of microorganisms in their natural habitats. In these habitats, they are rarely in pure culture and are usually interacting with other microorganisms, are sometimes interacting with host organisms, and are always interacting with their physicochemical environment. These conditions are usually very different from those used to grow microorganisms in pure culture in the laboratory. Since Bergey’s Manual is a compendium of properties of pure cultures of procaryotes, it might appear that a discussion of microbial ecology is inappropriate. However, ecological studies have a profound effect on our understanding of pure cultures, and this impact will become more important in the twenty-first century. This chapter will not give a comprehensive overview of microbial ecology, but will, instead, discuss the relevance of microbial ecology to pure culture studies and vice versa.
Rising in the East

The genome sequence of the giant panda using next- generation sequencing marks a watershed in genome sequencing - in more ways than one.
On-chip absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic flow channels

We describe a system, which integrates PDMS microfluidic flow channels, a CMOS active pixel sensor (APS) imager, and commercial light sources for performing visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. PDMS elastomer allows for spectroscopic measurements to be performed in the visible (350 to 750 nm) wavelength range. Along with a sensitive silicon photodetector such as an APS imager, measurements can be made on low concentrations of solutions by placing the microfluidic flow channels directly on the imager. Emission sources for absorption measurements are typically commercial LEDs with peak emission wavelengths that match the peak absorption wavelengths of the material under test. For calibration purposes, known dyes are tested and compared with the results obtained from the imager. Fluorescence measurements are performed in much the same way, but a band-blocking filter is placed between the microfluidic channels and the imager to greatly attenuate the pump wavelength. Typical emission sources for fluorescence are commercial Ar ion lasers and semiconductor lasers. We feel that the system has great advantages due to its miniaturized size and small fluid volumes required. Further system miniaturization is also possible due to the integration of emission sources and the expandability of CMOS imagers to integrate on board image processing.
FEM Analysis of Nb-Sn Rutherford-Type Cables

Rutherford-type cables are used in superconducting accelerator magnets. To produce magnetic fields larger than 10 T, brittle superconductors like are typically used. The original round wire, in the form of a composite of Copper, Niobium and Tin, is assembled into a so-called Rutherford-type cable, which is used to wind the magnet. The magnet is then subjected to a high temperature heat treatment to produce the chemical reactions that make the material superconducting. At this stage the superconductor is brittle and its superconducting properties sensitive to strain. This work describes a 2D finite element model, which simulates the mechanical behavior of Rutherford-type cable before heat treatment. The model was applied to a number of different cable architectures. To validate a critical criterion adopted into the single Nb-Sn wire analysis, the results of the model were compared with those measured experimentally on cable cross sections.
Social Control, Deterrence, and Perspectives on Social Order

Six basic conceptual questions about social control are posed, and alternative answers are assessed by reference to the deterrence doctrine and to two contending perspectives on social order, functionalism and Marxism. The Parsonian and Malinowskian varieties of functionalism suggest an unmanageably broad conception of social control. At the other extreme, a focus of social control studies on either the deterrence doctrine or the Marxist perspective would be unrealistically narrow. Something can be said for focusing social control studies on attempts at the prevention of deviance, but a conventional definition of deviance would preclude (1) the analysis of revolutionaries as agents of social control and (2) the postulated control exercised by a dominant
Nucleotide Composition of Deoxyribonucleic Acid of Some Species of Cryptococcus, Rhodotorula, and Sporobolomyces

The buoyant density of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from nine species and two varieties of Cryptococcus , three species and two varieties of Rhodotorula , and six species of Sporobolomyces was determined by CsCl density gradient equilibrium centrifugation. Several species were represented by two to four different strains. Expressed in moles per cent of guanine plus cytosine (GC content) the ranges were 49 to 65%, 52 to 70%, and 51 to 65% for Cryptococcus, Rhodotorula , and Sporobolomyces , respectively. For each genus, the GC content was distributed into two discrete groups with averages ranging from 52 to 54 and 60 to 66, respectively. An analysis of these results suggested that the determination of GC content of DNA had a taxonomic value for these yeast genera.
Understanding Sources of Variability of Overlay Test Procedure

“Fatigue cracking” is defined as the accumulation of reflective cracking on hot-mix asphalt (HMA) layers under the repeated application of vehicular loads combined with climatic effects. Several highway agencies have either implemented or considered implementing the overlay tester (OT) to evaluate the fatigue cracking resistance of HMA specimens as a function of the number of cycles that the specimen may resist during the test until a reflective crack appears and propagates. The repeatability of the number of cycles to failure measured with the OT is considered as one of the main challenges in reliably evaluating the fatigue cracking resistance of asphalt mixtures. The objective of this paper is to discuss some of the sources and causes of variability of the parameters measured with the OT. Some of the possible causes of inconsistency in the results include the amount of torque applied to attach OT specimens, the amount of glue required for each OT specimen, the curing time of the glue, and the elapsed ti...
Rab GAPs AS160 and Tbc1d1 play nonredundant roles in the regulation of glucose and energy homeostasis in mice

The related Rab GTPase-activating proteins (Rab GAPs) AS160 and Tbc1d1 regulate the trafficking of the glucose transporter GLUT4 that controls glucose uptake in muscle and fat cells and glucose homeostasis. AS160- and Tbc1d1-deficient mice exhibit different adipocyte- and skeletal muscle-specific defects in glucose uptake, GLUT4 expression and trafficking, and glucose homeostasis. A recent study analyzed male mice with simultaneous deletion of AS160 and Tbc1d1 (AS160(-/-)/Tbc1d1(-/-) mice). Herein, we describe abnormalities in male and female AS160(-/-)/Tbc1d1(-/-) mice on another strain background. We confirm the earlier observation that GLUT4 expression and glucose uptake defects of single-knockout mice join in AS160(-/-)/Tbc1d1(-/-) mice to affect all skeletal muscle and adipose tissues. In large mixed fiber-type skeletal muscles, changes in relative basal GLUT4 plasma membrane association in AS160(-/-) and Tbc1d1(-/-) mice also combine in AS160(-/-)/Tbc1d1(-/-) mice. However, we found different glucose uptake abnormalities in isolated skeletal muscles and adipocytes than reported previously, resulting in different interpretations of how AS160 and Tbc1d1 regulate GLUT4 translocation to the cell surface. In support of a larger role for AS160 in glucose homeostasis, in contrast with the previous study, we find similarly impaired glucose and insulin tolerance in AS160(-/-)/Tbc1d1(-/-) and AS160(-/-) mice. However, in vivo glucose uptake abnormalities in AS160(-/-)/Tbc1d1(-/-) skeletal muscles differ from those observed previously in AS160(-/-) mice, indicating additional defects due to Tbc1d1 deletion. Similar to AS160- and Tbc1d1-deficient mice, AS160(-/-)/Tbc1d1(-/-) mice show sex-specific abnormalities in glucose and energy homeostasis. In conclusion, our study supports nonredundant functions for AS160 and Tbc1d1.
Preparing for an academic career — The engineering faculty of tomorrow

To prepare our interested graduate students for careers as engineering educators, a three year graduated teaching experience has been developed combining face-to-face teaching experience with a seminar and workshops to provide some formal training in STEM higher education instruction. The department's “Academic Careers” seminar provides an introduction to the three major aspects of the academic career — teaching, research and service. Students also enroll in our Preparing Future Faculty and Professionals Program (PFFP). In the graduated teaching experience, students work first as teaching assistants, then as a member of the instructional team for a course helping to develop and deliver instructional materials and then, in the third year, the students have full teaching responsibility for a significant segment of that course. Feedback is provided to the students from seasoned engineering educators. Participation in these experiences allows our students to begin their academic careers with confidence. To date, five students have completed this program; there are four students currently in the program. The training program is more completely described in this paper together with program assessment information from former participants, both graduate students and their undergraduate students, and how the program has been modified based on these assessments for the current participants.
Instructors Heed the Who: Designing Negotiation Training with the Learner in Mind

We argue that while our field has made great progress in determining what to teach and how to teach it in negotiation, there has been a surprising reluctance to make the move from “mass production” to “mass customization” that so many other industries have successfully adopted. “The Who” of our training has so far been addressed seriously, they surmise, by only an elite subgroup of trainers. They explain how this can and should change.
Assessment and predictive modeling of pharmaceutical powder flow behavior in small-scale hoppers

Abstract The propensity of powder to bridge in hoppers and bins is important for a wide variety of pharmaceutical processes, yet it remains difficult to predict large-scale performance from small-scale powder measurements. Despite the availability of various powder flow testing techniques, the prediction of powder bridging has remained elusive. To address this issue, powder flow performance was characterized for several pharmaceutical powders out of small-scale conical hoppers under various conditions. Specifically, the impacts of powder properties, hopper design, hopper fill level and vibration prior to discharge were characterized. The hopper flow regimes were categorized as mass flow, funnel flow, rat-holing or bridging. A Projection to Latent Spaces (PLS, a.k.a. partial least squares regression) model was developed to predict flow behavior from easily measured powder properties such as the Hausner ratio and measured hopper dimensions. The model correctly predicted flow initiation for new materials for ~ 90% of tests. The variables of Hausner ratio, vibration prior to discharge, and hopper orifice diameter were seen to be most predictive of flow. Surprisingly, powder shear test data such as flow function and unconfined yield strength along with other flow properties were not predictive of hopper performance for the conditions studied. A useful metric, tan(ϕ)/D, was developed utilizing the hopper semi-apex angle (ϕ) and orifice diameter (D), and was considered as a first-pass scale-up model.
Impacts of Extended Laboratory Rearing on Female Fitness in Florida Colonies of the Parasitoid Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) With an Analysis of Wolbachia Strains

Spalangia cameroni Perkins is used as a biological control agent of filth flies. These parasitoids are reared commercially, but little is known about the impact of colony age on host-seeking and life history parameters. Host-seeking in bedding from equine stalls (pine shavings and manure) was analyzed with two colonies, one established in 2000 and one in 2010 (144 and 24 generations in colony). These two colonies, and a colony established in 2012 colony (4 generations), were analyzed for differences in female longevity and fecundity. Wolbachia were analyzed in each colony to document sequence variants. All wasps collected to start parasitoid colonies were from the same dairy in Gilchrist County, FL, but collected on different dates. Parasitoids from the 2000 colony parasitized fewer hosts than ones from the 2010 colony when challenged in a complex environment. Life history parameters were different between individuals in the colonies. Differences in reproductive productivity between the colonies could not be correlated to the presence or sequence variant of Wolbachia. New Wolbachia wsp and ftsZ sequences were identified in these colonies. Multiple strains of Wolbachia were found in each colony, and their presence did not vary among colonies. The invariance in strain presence suggests that Wolbachia strains were not lost during colony maintenance, i.e., lost through selection or random genetic drift.
Effect of heparin and parathyroid extract on acid phosphatase in bone.

SummaryTo test the theory that heparin might stimulate acid phosphatase in the bone of young rats, heparin, PTE, or a combination of both were injected. After an appropriate time interval acid phosphatase activity of bone of treated animals was compared with controls. It was found that heparin enhanced the FIE stimulated acid phosphatase activity of both calvaria and metaphysis but not diaphysis. The possible relation of these facts to the presence of lysosomes in osteoclasts was discussed.
Light and Gravity in Leaf-side Selection by the Green Peach Aphid, Myzus persicae

The predominant occurrence of M. persicae on the abaxial leaf surface of upright radish plants below the light source was significantly influenced by light and gravity during daylight and by gravity during darkness. However, when radish plants were inverted above the light source, light prevented nearly all gravity-influenced migrations. Finally, when the plants were inverted beneath the light source only 42% of the M. persicae migrated from the abaxial to adaxial leaf surface. This suggests that other factors inherent in the abaxial leaf surface are probably also affecting leaf-side selection.
Preliminary findings from efforts to model pulsed inductive theta-pinch plasmas via Particle-In-Cell

A method is pursued to approximately model the electron energy distribution of pulsed inductive plasma devices with Particle-In-Cell code to elucidate formation physics during early times (t < 1 μs). Specifically, reported results from AFRL-Kirtland's pulsed inductive device, FRCHX, are used as a test case to validate results. An r-z slab approximation is outlined and gyro-frequency, Larmor radius, and E×B guiding center drift are verified against theory to within 1% difference. The analyses presented, using both single electron and Particle-In-Cell modeling, agree with FRCHX reported results by showing that average electron kinetic energy does not exceed the ionization threshold of 15.47 eV for gaseous deuterium until after the first ¼ cycle of the ringing pre-ionization stage (when net magnetic field is approximately nullified). These results provide supportive evidence for the concept that bias field actually inhibits ionization if improperly implemented.
Strategic Land Pricing by Chinese Cities

This paper presents a model of the strategic pricing behavior of Chinese cities as they determine how much land to lease and what prices to charge for the land leases. They effectively sell the land asset at a price that may or may not reflect its market value, and in so doing they buy a flow of funds in the form of business tax (BT) and value added tax (VAT) revenue from the economic activity generated using the land. Cities retain all of the BT revenue, but receive only one-quarter of VAT revenue generated in their jurisdiction returned from the central government. A theoretical model is presented explaining how a land-providing monopolist may deviate from the usual monopoly pricing rule of operating at the unitary elastic point of the land demand curve, depending on the share of tax revenue that can be retained from economic activity in the city. Using data from prefecture and provincial level cities over the period 2003-2011 and fiscal data on BT and VAT shares of revenue in city budgets, the implications of the theoretical model are tested. Empirical tests of strategic pricing indicate that cities more reliant on VAT revenue operate at the unitary elastic point of their land demand curve, but cities that are able to retain a larger share of BT revenue operate above the unitary elastic point.
Analysis on results of municipal CSWs sentinel surveillance in Hezhou City in 2012

[Objective]To understand the epidemic situation of three sexually transmitted diseases( including AIDS,syphilis and hepatitis C) among female commercial sex workers( CSWs) in municipal entertainment places in Hezhou City,and its related risk behaviors.[Methods]The professional and technical personnel who have received the training performed the spot questionnaire survey in the entertainment places,and collected the blood samples to detect the antibodies of AIDS,syphilis and hepatitis C. All the results were put into the national sentinel surveillance client software and Guangxi CSWs sentinel problem database( EpiData),and the data were analyzed by Excel 2003 and SPSS17. 0 software. [Results]A total of 400 CSWs were detected from April to June 2012,12 people were positive for HIV,48 people were positive in syphilis toluidine red unheated serum test( TRUST),and 8 people had the hepatitis C antibody. All of 12 CSWs with HIV antibody were found in low-grade places. The infection rate of HIV in middle and low-grade places was 0 and 4. 51% respectively,and the difference was significant( χ2= 4. 778,P 0. 05). The positive rate of HIV antibody in urban and rural places was 1. 94% and 6. 67% respectively,and the difference was significant( χ2= 3. 863,P 0. 05). The infection rate of syphilis in middle and low-grade places was 3. 73% and 16. 17% respectively,and the difference was significant( χ2= 13. 046,P 0. 01). The infection rate of syphilis in urban and rural places was 7. 10% and 28. 89% respectively,and the difference was significant( χ2= 31. 361,P 0. 01). [Conclusion]CSWs in low-grade places are the high risk population for infection and spread of sexually transmitted diseases. In future,the publicity and intervention should focus on the low-grade places,especially rural low-grade places,and the key point of AIDS prevention is the publicity about correct use of condom during whole course in all situations among commercial sex workers and their clients.
Monitoring in resuscitation.

In resuscitation, not only must the changes in physiology be monitored but also the passage of time. The goal of the resuscitation is to restore tissue perfusion. This leads to a modification in the rank order of importance of vital signs that must be observed, and to an urgency in interpreting the results of interventions.
Nonadaptive Univariate Optimization for Observations with Noise

It is much more difficult to approximate the minimum of a function using noise-corrupted function evaluations than when the function can be evaluated precisely. This chapter is concerned with the question of exactly how much harder it is in a particular setting; namely, on average when the objective function is a Wiener process, the noise is independent Gaussian, and nonadaptive algorithms are considered.
TH-CD-206-12: Image-Based Motion Estimation for Plaque Visualization in Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography

Purpose: Visualization and quantification of coronary artery calcification and atherosclerotic plaque benefits from coronary artery motion (CAM) artifact elimination. This work applies a rigid linear motion model to a Volume of Interest (VoI) for estimating motion estimation and compensation of image degradation in Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CCTA). Methods: In both simulation and testbench experiments, translational CAM was generated by displacement of the imaging object (i.e. simulated coronary artery and explanted human heart) by ∼8 mm, approximating the motion of a main coronary branch. Rotation was assumed to be negligible. A motion degraded region containing a calcification was selected as the VoI. Local residual motion was assumed to be rigid and linear over the acquisition window, simulating motion observed during diastasis. The (negative) magnitude of the image gradient of the reconstructed VoI was chosen as the motion estimation objective and was minimized with Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (CMAES). Results: Reconstruction incorporated the estimated CAM yielded signification recovery of fine calcification structures as well as reduced motion artifacts within the selected local region. The compensated reconstruction was further evaluated using two image similarity metrics, the structural similarity index (SSIM) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). At the calcification site, the compensated data achieved a 3% increase in SSIM and a 91.2% decrease in RMSE in comparison with the uncompensated reconstruction. Conclusion: Results demonstrate the feasibility of our image-based motion estimation method exploiting a local rigid linear model for CAM compensation. The method shows promising preliminary results for the application of such estimation in CCTA. Further work will involve motion estimation of complex motion corrupted patient data acquired from clinical CT scanner.
Statistical behavior of the updating coefficients in the EM algorithm for PET

The authors have studied various convergence properties of the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm for image reconstruction in positron emission tomography (PET) using simulated projections from the Hoffman phantom. The authors' main interest was to address the problem of the deterioration of the image quality after a certain number of iterations. More specifically, they have studied the statistical properties of the updating coefficients /spl Delta/x in the EM algorithm. As a result, they show that the values of the updating coefficients follow a distribution composed of a peak region around 1.0, which includes the pixels in the area of the image where there is non-zero activity, and a tail distribution below 1.0, which corresponds to that part of the image that is far from being completely reconstructed. The authors find that the minimum and average values of the tail is related to the quality of the image and at optimum, as defined by quality criteria, is independent of the number of counts and independent of the shape of the image. The possibility of exploring this property in stopping the algorithm at the optimum image is discussed. >
Cell mimics created from the controlled synthesis and directed assembly of carbon nanofibers

Biological cells represent an engineering ideal. They are the fundamental unit of all biological systems, perform virtually any function, and operate with efficiencies unmatched by man-made creations. These capabilities result from the optimized arrangement of chemical and physical features across nanometer and micron lengths. Emerging capabilities to control synthesis and direct assembly of synthetic structures over similar length scales present the opportunity to mimic these natural structures. Vertically aligned carbon nanofibers (VACNFs) have a number of features that make them particularly well suited to the construction of cell mimics. VACNFs can be synthesized with nanometer scale dimensions, can be electrically addressed and can be deterministically grown in desired locations. Dense arrays of carbon nanofibers form semi-permeable barriers (pseudo-membranes) that can be integrated within fluidic structures or arranged as small volume (sub-nanoliter) containers. Size-dependent transport perpendicular to the orientation of the fibers can be controlled based on the wall-to-wall spacing of the individual nanofibers. Recent progress in VACNF device fabrication will be presented, focusing on efforts to tailor the effective membrane pore size, through oxide deposition and electropolymerization of polypyrrole, and to derivatize the surface of VACNFs for attachment of biomolecules such as proteins and DNA. By combining these modifications in permeability and chemical features, biologically inspired cell mimics of increasing sophistication can be constructed with the ultimate objective of emulating the structure, function, and organization of natural cells, while also providing unique capabilities in chemical recognition and separations
Transplacental Passage of Acetaminophen in Term Pregnancy.

Objective The objective of this study was to determine the maternal and fetal pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles of acetaminophen after administration of a therapeutic oral dose. Study Design After obtaining Institutional Review Board approval and their written informed consent, pregnant women were given a single oral dose (1,000 mg) of acetaminophen upon admission for scheduled cesarean delivery. Maternal venous blood and fetal cord blood were obtained at the time of delivery and acetaminophen levels were measured using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. PK parameters were calculated by noncompartmental analysis. Nonparametric correlation of maternal/fetal acetaminophen levels and PK curves were calculated. Results In this study, 34 subjects were enrolled (median, 32 years; range, 25–39 years). The median maternal weight was 82 kg (range, 62–100 kg). All but two subjects were delivered beyond 39 weeks' gestation. The median newborn birth weight was 3,590 g (interquartile range, 3,403–3,848 g). Noncompartmental analysis described similar PK parameters in the maternal (T 1/2, 84 minutes; apparent clearance [Cl/F], 28.8 L/h; apparent volume of distribution [Vd/F], 57.5 L) and fetal compartments (T 1/2, 82 minutes; Cl/F, 31.2 L/h; Vd/F, 61.2 L). Paired maternal/fetal acetaminophen levels were highly correlated (p Conclusion Fetal acetaminophen PKs in the fetus parallels that in the mother suggesting that placental transfer is flow limited. Maternal acetaminophen levels can be used as a surrogate for fetal exposure.
Translational Bypassing – Peptidyl-tRNA Re-pairing at Non-overlapping Sites

Ribosomal bypassing can lead to the translational fusion of non-contiguous ORFs. It involves dissociation of codon:anticodon pairing in the ribosomal P-site followed by mRNA slippage and re-pairing of the retained tRNA anticodon to mRNA at a non-overlapping codon. It is frame independent. The most studied case involves the bypassing of 50 non-coding nucleotides between codons 46 and 47 of phage T4 gene 60 where half the translating ribosomes successfully accomplish the feat. A nascent peptide signal encoded 5′ of the start of the coding gap facilitates the initial codon:anticodon dissociation. An mRNA structure forms in the ribosomal A-site. Only when sequence participating in this structure has passed the ribosomal P-site does the potential for anticodon re-pairing to mRNA at a matched codon arise. After such re-pairing, normal decoding of the A-site codon mediates resumption of standard translation.
Explanation and Manipulation

I argue that manipulationist theories of causation fail as accounts of causal structure, and thereby as theories of “actual causation” and causal explanation. I focus on two kinds of problem cases, which I call “Perceived Abnormality Cases” and “Ontological Dependence Cases.” The cases illustrate that basic facts about social systems—that individuals are sensitive to perceived abnormal conditions and that certain actions metaphysically depend on institutional rules—pose a challenge for manipulationist theories and for counterfactual theories more generally. I then show how law-based accounts of causal structure can answer such challenges. The moral of the story is that the basic manipulationist idea that our interest in causal structure is driven by our interest in manipulating our environment faces decisive problems in a central domain of application, the social sciences.
Functional Capacity and Motor Performance of Upper Limbs in Individuals with Cerebellar Disorders: A Pilot Study

In simple daily activities carried out by the upper limbs, the cerebellum is responsible for the adaptations required for the accurate movement based on previous experiences and external references. This paper aims to characterize the performance of the upper limbs after a cerebellar disease. We evaluated the digital and handgrip strength, dexterity, and function of the upper limbs. The motor performance of the upper limbs was assessed through the use of a digitizing tablet by performing aiming movements with the upper limb most affected by cerebellar disease and the paired limb of the healthy group. The results showed differences between groups: the cerebellar group had higher latency to movement onset, was slower, and presented less smooth trajectories and higher initial direction errors. Moreover, the movement direction influenced the peak velocity and the smoothness for both groups (contralateral directions were slower and less smooth). We concluded that cerebellar disorder leads to movement planning impairment compromising the formulation of an internal model. Alterations on movement execution seem to be a consequence from disruptions in the anticipatory model, leading to more adaptations. These findings are compatible with the roles of the cerebellum on the control of voluntary movement.
Seismic performance of a building affected by moderate liquefaction during the Christchurch earthquake

Abstract The seismic performance of an important structure in Christchurch, New Zealand was well-documented during the 2010–2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence. Minor ground deformation and negligible-to-minor structural damage occurred during the primary events of the sequence, except for the 22 February 2011 Mw6.2 Christchurch earthquake, which produced differential movement of the basement mat and architectural and structural damage. This case history is evaluated to garner insights. Static settlements are estimated to establish the pre-seismic conditions of the building. Dynamic nonlinear effective stress soil-structure-interaction analysis are performed for the primary events of the Canterbury earthquake sequence using FLAC2D with the PM4Sand constitutive model to capture the cyclic response of the key soil units. The analytical results indicate the post-Canterbury earthquake sequence measured differential mat movements were primarily due to the earthquake events. A thin liquefiable layer, which historic maps indicate is now a buried stream deposit, is largely responsible for the ground movements. A medium dense sandy gravel also appeared to contribute significantly to the observed foundation movements.
The diagnostic accuracy of somatosensory evoked potentials in evaluating neurological deficits during 1036 posterior spinal fusions

Background The goal of this study is to assess the sensitivity and specificity of somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) in predicting perioperative neurological deficits during posterior spinal fusions (PSF). Methods This study examined the diagnostic accuracy of significant changes of SSEPs and multimodal monitoring to evaluate and predict post-operative neurological deficits after PSF. All 1036 patients underwent PSF at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center from 2010 to 2012. Statistical analysis was completed using SPSS version 22. Results Of the 1036 patients included in the study, 35 (3.38%) patients had significant SSEP changes. Out of the 35 patients with significant SSEP changes, 22 (62.86%) patients had significant lower extremity (LE) SSEP changes. Ten (45.5%) of LE SSEP changes were loss of responses. Gender, obesity, and abnormal baselines did not significantly affect patient outcomes. Significant LE changes had an odds ratio of 13.18, 95% CI [3.44, 50.56], and LE loss of waveforms had an odds ratio of 19.48, 95% CI [3.76, 100.75]. Conclusions Patients with perioperative neurological deficits are 13 times more likely to have LE significant changes, and 19 times more likely to have a LE loss of SSEP responses. Our study results indicate that LE significant changes or LE loss of waveforms in SSEPs can serve as a marker of perioperative neurological deficits.
Response of Cds/CdTe Devices to Te Exposure of Back Contact: Preprint

Theoretical predictions of thin-film CdS/CdTe photovoltaic (PV) devices have suggested performance may be improved by reducing recombination due to Te-vacancy (VTe) or Te-interstitial (Tei) defects. Although formation of these intrinsic defects is likely influenced by CdTe deposition parameters, it also may be coupled to formation of beneficial cadmium vacancy (VCd) defects. If this is true, reducing potential effects of VTe or Tei may be difficult without also reducing the density of VCd. In contrast, post-deposition processes can sometimes afford a greater degree of defect control. Here we explore a post-deposition process that appears to influence the Te-related defects in polycrystalline CdTe. Specifically, we have exposed the CdTe surface to Te prior to ZnTe:Cu/Ti contact-interface formation with the goal of reducing VTe but without significantly reducing VCd. Initial results show that when this modified contact is used on a CdCl2-treated CdS/CdTe device, significantly poorer device performance results. This suggests two things: First, the amount of free-Te available during contact formation (either from chemical etching or CuTe or ZnTe deposition) may be a more important parameter to device performance than previously appreciated. Second, if processes have been used to reduce the effect of VTe (e.g., oxygen and chlorine additions to the CdTe), more » adding even a small amount of Te may produce detrimental defects. « less
Increasing T Cell Versatility with SUPRA CARs.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells offer a promising treatment option for advanced cancers resistant to standard therapy. Here, Cho et al. report a split-CAR design that enables the engineering of multi-feature CAR-T cells, aiming to address current challenges limiting the safety and efficacy of CAR-T cells for cancer treatment.
Fate and effects of phosphorus additions in soils under N2-fixing red alder

Soil phosphorus (P) dynamics are controlled by the interaction of geochemical, biochemical and biological processes. Changes in species composition or management could alter the relative importance of these processes. We examined soil P dynamics in two plantations of N2-fixing red alder (Alnus rubra) by determining the fate and effects of added fertilizer P. History of the plantations varied such that sites were previously occupied by 60-yr-old stands of alder or non-fixing Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). Without fertilization, the soil with a longer period of alder influence had more organic P (Po) and less sorbed inorganic P (Hydroxide- and Bicarb-extractable Pi). Fertilization increased soil total P, and 88% of the fertilizer was accounted for in the surface mineral soil (0–15 cm). Sorbed Pi was the major sink for fertilizer P (55–60%), independent of site history. Although Po was 35–70% of soil P in unfertilized plots, added P did not accumulate as Po. Neither site history nor P addition influenced phosphatase activity. Fertilization increased decomposition during incubation of the organic horizon, suggesting that late-stage decomposition is P-limited in these N-rich soils. On the time-scale of a few years, geochemical sorption and desorption of inorganic P were the most important processes controlling the distribution of added P. Organic P accumulation is expected to occur over a longer time frame, linked to the production and turnover of organic matter.
Tests of the Period-Doubling Route to Chaos

The period-doubling route to chaotic behavior has characteristic spectral and temporal properties which are here outlined.
Respiratory Electron Transfer Chains

Here we examine the classical electron transfer chains of the mitochondrial respiratory oxidoreductase complexes. These chains guide electrons between substrates and energy coupling sites and between the coupling sites themselves. Structural studies on oxidoreductases are showing that several redox cofactors separated in protein by 4–10 A are often in the form of a chain Long chains are evident in respiratory Complex I, II and in between Complexes III and IV. Calculations show that these chains are able to transfer electrons over very large distances with high directional specificity. Driven by small overall free energies, they operate in the microsecond time scale. Close proximity of the cofactors maintains physiologically productive rates even when substantial thermodynamically unfavorable steps are encountered in the chain. These steps offer potential points of regulation.
Energy Methods in Composite Material Shells

Many composite material structures not only involve anisotropy, multilayer considerations and transverse shear deformat mal effects, which can be very important. True, for preliminary design and analysis one often uses the simplified, easier to use analyses that have been presented earlier, but for the final design, transverse shear deformation and hygrothermal effects must be included. These thermal and moisture effects have been described in Chapter 14. Analytically they cause considerable difficulty, because with their inclusion few boundary conditions are homogeneous, hence separation of variables, used throughout the shell solutions to this point, cannot be utilized straightforwardly. Only through the laborious process of transformation of variables can separation of variables be used [See 22.1, pp. 63–66]. Therefore, energy principles are much more convenient for use in design and analyses of plate and shell structures when hygrothermal effects are present. Recently, the incorporation of piezoelectric effects, analogous to the thermal and hygrothermal effects, provides another source of nonhomogenous boundary conditions [22.2].
Bundling of axons through a capillary alginate gel enhances the detection of axonal action potentials using microelectrode arrays

Microelectrode arrays (MEAs) have become important tools in high throughput assessment of neuronal activity. However, geometric and electrical constraints largely limit their ability to detect action potentials to the neuronal soma. Enhancing the resolution of these systems to detect axonal action potentials has proved both challenging and complex. In this study, we have bundled sensory axons from dorsal root ganglia through a capillary alginate gel (Capgel™) interfaced with an MEA and observed an enhanced ability to detect spontaneous axonal activity compared with two-dimensional cultures. Moreover, this arrangement facilitated the long-term monitoring of spontaneous activity from the same bundle of axons at a single electrode. Finally, using waveform analysis for cultures treated with the nociceptor agonist capsaicin, we were able to dissect action potentials from multiple axons on an individual electrode, suggesting that this model can reproduce the functional complexity associated with sensory fascicles in vivo. This novel three-dimensional functional model of the peripheral nerve can be used to study the functional complexities of peripheral neuropathies and nerve regeneration as well as being utilized in the development of novel therapeutics.
Effects of Stress on Learning and Memory

Memories are sometimes enhanced by stress and at other times diminished. A unified conceptual framework is herein developed to identify the circumstances in which these opposing effects of stress are likely to be seen. Significant contributory factors appear to be the nature of the stressor, the nature of the learning task, and the relationship between the two. Stimulation of glucocorticoid receptors and activation of the amygdala are common to both types of effect. The challenge of future research is to further characterize downstream mechanisms that determine how these neural responses to stress promote or prevent memory formation under different circumstances.
Classic Bohemia: Paris and Greenwich Village

This chapter offers a basic introduction to classic bohemia, focusing first on the nineteenth century Parisian prototype, and then examining America’s own version of classic bohemia, early twentieth century Greenwich Village. This chapter, and the chapter that follows (Chap. 3: Contemporary Bohemia) provide the context for our assessment of Fishtown/Kensington’s artistic community (i.e., the extent to which it maintains continuity with and/or departs from bohemian tradition).
TROPICAL METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATE | Monsoon: ENSO–Monsoon Interactions

This article is reproduced from the previous edition, volume 3, pp 1386–1391, © 2003, Elsevier Ltd.
Motivational Communication in Dental Practices: Prevention and Management of Caries over the Life Course

Dental caries and periodontal diseases are preventable. Nevertheless, they remain prevalent. Dental practices offer an ideal setting for educating patients about oral health-related behavior change. This article describes the motivational communication approach to changing behavior and applies it to a discussion of behavior change communication over the course of life. CONTENT considerations focus on on identifying high-priority behaviors for change; patient affect, behavior, and cognition related to these behaviors, and understanding in which stage of change the patient is. Process the four principles of the Motivational Interviewing approach by Miller & Rollnick to analyze oral health-related behavior change over the life course.
Optical properties of indocyanine green under ultrasound treatment

Abstract Indocyanine green (ICG) is an FDA-approved and commercially available dye that exhibits fluorescence in the near infrared region. ICG has been utilized as a contrast agent for a wide range of applications in biomedical research and clinical diagnostics, particularly in-vivo imaging. The optical properties of ICG are known to be sensitive to its concentration, the temperature, and the presence of different serum proteins in its solutions. In this paper, we report a notable effect on modifying the optical properties of ICG using ultrasound (US) waves. Mid-frequency US waves at different powers were applied to ICG and bovine serum albumin (BSA) dissolved in a phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution. Our experimental results indicate a significant increase of the absorption and fluorescence of ICG dissolved PBS in the presence of BSA when the applied US is above a threshold pressure (4.4 MPa). In contrast, ICG samples without BSA showed no enhancement effect on ICG's absorption or fluorescence emission after US treatments under the same condition. In addition, the stability of the ICG samples after the US treatments was also measured. Significantly improved stability of ICG samples in the presence of BSA under the US treatment with a pressure higher than 4.4 MPa was observed. The mechanism of the enhancement effects of US on the optical properties of ICG has been discussed in this paper.
Deep Neural Network Models of Object Recognition Exhibit Human-Like Limitations when Performing Visual Search Tasks

ABSTRACT To find an object we are looking for, we must recognize it. Prevailing models of visual search neglect recognition, focusing instead on selective attention mechanisms. These models account for performance limitations that participants exhibit when searching highly simplified stimuli often used in laboratory tasks. However, it is unclear how to apply these models to complex natural images of real-world objects. Deep neural networks (DNN) can be applied to any image, and recently have emerged as state-of-the-art models of object recognition in the primate ventral visual pathway. Using these DNN models, we ask whether object recognition explains limitations on performance across visual search tasks. First, we show that DNNs exhibit a hallmark effect seen when participants search simplified stimuli. Further experiments show this effect results from optimizing for object recognition: DNNs trained from randomly-initialized weights do not exhibit the same performance limitations. Next, we test DNN models of object recognition with natural images, using a dataset where each image has a visual search difficulty score, derived from human reaction times. We find DNN accuracy is inversely correlated with visual search difficulty score. Our findings suggest that to a large extent visual search performance is explained by object recognition.