cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Infectivity studies of rhabdovirus in the penaeid blue shrimp

KEYWORDS Rhabdovarus, penaeld shrimp (Renaeus styhrostns), lnfecUvaty In a previous study we demonstrated the infectivity of a rhabdovlrus (RPS) isolated from infectious hypodermal haematopoleUc necrosis virus (IHHNV) -infected penaeld shrimp for semi-adult (5-6 g) or adult (15-16 g) blue shrimp, Penaeus styhrostns The viral infection was found to be restricted to the lymphoid organ (Oka) and resulted in cellular alteration and necrosis of the target organ (Nadala et al, 1992a) However, no disease symptoms or mortality was observed m the experimentally infected animals In the present study the capablhty of RPS to cause disease m young blue shrimp was further examined Thin report describes three routes of infection - water-borne, oral feeding and Intramuscular lnlectlon of RPS m younger blue shrimp The RPS used in the experiments was originally molated from naturally infected P vannamet in 1990 (Lu et al, 1991) The wrus was m its third passage m a continuous fish cell line, eplthehoma papulosum cyprlnl (EPC) cells and allquots of wrus were stored at -70 °C The tltre of the virus stock preparation was 55 x 107 plaque-forming units (PFU) m1-1 The experimental shrimp (P styhrostrls, 0 2-3 0 g) were obtained from Anuenue Fisheries Research Center, State of Hawau, USA These animals were healthy and did not carry RPS when examined by both plaque assay m EPC and nitrocellulose-enzyme immuno-assay (NC-EIA) before being used All experimental shrimp were fed with a pelleted shrimp feed every other day during the course of the experiments, and were maintained in approximately 15-20%0s seawater m 761 glass aquaria at ambient temperature (20-24 °C) Except for water circulation through a filter, water was not changed during the period of the experiments In the first infectivity experiments, 50 post-larval animals (0 2 g) were dwided into two groups 25 for RPS infection and 25 for negative control For RPS infection, one group of the animals was transferred to a 1 1 beaker containing 490 ml of the seawater, to which 10 ml of the RPS preparation was added, thus resulting m a final virus concentration of 1 1 × 106 PFU m1-1 seawater The ammals were kept in the beaker for 3 h at room temperature (rt) (20-24 °C) The control animals were treated the same way except that 10 ml of mlmmum essential medium supplemented with no serum (MEM-0) was added Each group was then transferred to the experimental aquaria Dead shrimp were recorded daily for 45 days and cumulative mortality was plotted as percentage (%) of total shrimp At 10, 20, 35 and 45 days postlnfectlon, three animals were sampled from each of the two groups for the recovery of Infectious RPS m EPC cell culture
Assessing the designs and effectiveness of Japan's emissions trading scheme

After years of discussions and trials, Japan's domestic emissions trading scheme remains purely voluntary. The newly elected Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has taken a firmer stance on climate change, initially intending to establish a nationwide mandatory cap-and-trade as early as 2011. This has promoted several questions regarding the possible designs and feasibility of such a scheme. This article describes the key features of the two trial schemes implemented, thus far, assesses the effectiveness of their implementation and discusses what will be the likely areas of contention should the Japanese government introduce a mandatory cap-and-trade in the future. The analyses indicate that the initial years of ‘Japan's Voluntary Emissions Trading Scheme’ (JVETS) implementation have shown positive performance, although its scale has remained limited. The ‘Trial Implementation of an Integrated Domestic Market for Emissions Trading’ emerged as a hybrid scheme, one that incorporated varying interests. Significa...
Genes are not information: Rendering plant genetic resources untradeable through genetic restoration practices

Abstract Genetic commodification relies on methods that treat genes as information. By representing genes as information, scientists produce standardized and stable objects that are easily tradable. In this paper, I argue that a Midwestern plant conservation science institution (MPCSI) challenges genetic commodification through distinct knowledge-making and social practices. In particular, scientists at this institution treat genes not as information, but as contextual and contingent entities. By employing genetic technologies that deemphasize the code metaphor of genes, these scientists make genes unavailable to trade as information. I analyze the socionatural implications of this institution’s use of genetic technology in native ecosystem restoration. Drawing from interviews and participant observation, I focus on specific techniques used by the MPCSI’s scientists to view genes as embodied relational entities, rather than abstract information. I illustrate how these technologies allow the MPCSI to challenge the epistemologies and methodologies that are crucial to producing genetic commodities. Additionally, I illustrate how the MPCSI serves as a model for plant science institutions to reconceptualize their use of banked plant genetic resources. This model complicates the commodity speculation paradigm common to bioprospectors. At the same time, this genetic restoration approach relies on and produces different engagements with markets. I detail the MPCSI’s emerging relationship with commercial seed nurseries to illustrate how decommodification is integral to commodification. Finally, I argue that although the MPCSI’s genetic restoration strategy necessitates limited market engagements, their scientific practices and institutional relationships produce drastically different socioecological outcomes compared to institutions that treat genes as information.
The Role of Interfaces in the Nucleation of Amyloid Nanotubes

The nucleation and growth pathways of cross-s peptide aggregates are widely studied but not fully understood. Using Amyloid-s(16-22), the nucleating core of the Amyloid-s protein, and a rhodamine 110 -labeled peptide (Rh1722) that co-assembles with Amyloid- s(16-22) nanotubes without changing morphology, we investigate the role of interfaces in amyloid nucleation and self assembly. The high sensitivity of the Rhodamine 110 lifetime to its local environment provides a metric for structural heterogeneity, which is exploited in these studies using Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM). Specifically, we identify the importance of air-solvent and solvent-glass interfaces in the nucleation of cross-s peptide nanostructures and apply FLIM to demonstrate that different interfaces can lead to distinct nucleation and self-assembly pathways and also to differences in the structure of assembled peptides.
Bell’s inequalities for particles of arbitrary spin in fixed analyzers

We propose a new set of observables for experiments on entangled particles of arbitrarily large spin that produce significant Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality violations for fixed analyzer settings over a wider range of spins than was previously possible. These observables are better suited for experiments where analyzer orientations must be chosen before the spin of the entangled particles is known, such as experiments using polarization entangled downconverted photons.
Methods reported in ESP research articles: A comparative survey of two leading journals

Abstract Research articles published between 2003 and 2012 in English for Specific Purposes were surveyed and compared with those in the Journal of English for Academic Purposes over the same timeframe. The aim was to discover the research methods most commonly used and the research paradigms underrepresented in the field. In both journals the research methods were overwhelmingly qualitative, with an emphasis on analysis of written discourse (particularly corpus-based). These results contrast with earlier studies in the field of applied linguistics and ESOL, where a preference for publishing quantitative research was noted. There was very little purely quantitative research in the two journals of the current inquiry, apart from corpus-based studies, but a growing interest in qualitative/quantitative and mixed methods was noted. This research and discussion note argues for greater variety in research methods in ESP, and more balance between quantitative and qualitative research in the journals.
Oxidation of formyl radical in solid O2 at 13 K: formation of formic acid and formylperoxyl radical, HC(O)OO☆

Abstract Formic acid and formylperoxy radical have been identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in the photo-oxidation of H2CO and H213CO in solid O2 and 18O2. The mechanistic implication of this observation to gas phase oxidation reactions are discussed.
The monomer-dimer equilibrium and glycosaminoglycan interactions of chemokine CXCL8 regulate tissue-specific neutrophil recruitment

Chemokines exert their function by binding the GPCR class of receptors on leukocytes and cell surface GAGs in target tissues. Most chemokines reversibly exist as monomers and dimers, but very little is known regarding the molecular mechanisms by which the monomer-dimer equilibrium modulates in vivo function. For the chemokine CXCL8, we recently showed in a mouse lung model that monomers and dimers are active and that the monomer-dimer equilibrium of the WT plays a crucial role in regulating neutrophil recruitment. In this study, we show that monomers and dimers are also active in the mouse peritoneum but that the role of monomer-dimer equilibrium is distinctly different between these tissues and that mutations in GAG-binding residues render CXCL8 less active in the peritoneum but more active in the lung. We propose that tissue-specific differences in chemokine gradient formation, resulting from tissue-specific differences in GAG interactions, are responsible for the observed differences in neutrophil recruitment. Our observation of differential roles played by the CXCL8 monomer-dimer equilibrium and GAG interactions in different tissues is novel and reveals an additional level of complexity of how chemokine dimerization regulates in vivo recruitment.
Evaluation of intact soil-core microcosms for determining potential impacts on nutrient dynamics by genetically engineered microorganisms

Nutrient export from intact soil-core microcosms in leachate or by plant uptake was evaluated as a means to assess the ecosystem impacts from the environmental release of genetically modified root-colonizing bacteria. Intact cores of two soil types, a Burbank sandy loam and a Palouse silt loam, were excavated for use as microcosms, seeded with corn and wheat, respectively, and inoculated with Azospirillum lipoferum transposon Tn5 mutants. Microcosms were leached at 33 d and 67 d after seeding and the leachate analyzed for sulfate, phosphate, ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, dissolved organic carbon and inorganic carbon. Statistically significant differences in leachate nutrient concentrations between treatments were due to differences in soil types, rather than inoculation with the bacteria. The high variation in the concentrations of nutrients in the leachates from replicate microcosms, attributed to real field variation, suggest that the measurement of nutrient export in leachate from microcosms may not be a sensitive indicator of ecosystem impacts. One exception was dissolved organic carbon (and total carbon). A statistically significant difference (p ≥ 0.05) was observed between the microcosms receiving live inoculum and those receiving heat-killed cells for leachate organic carbon concentration. Plant uptake of N, P, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn and Zn was not affected by inoculation but the coefficients of variation were considerably lower than for the leachate analyses. It is suggested that, although the leaching of organic carbon from microcosms may be used as a holistic indicator of ecosystem impacts from the release of genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMs), measurements of plant assimilation of nutrients and specific rates of microbial transformation of nutrients may provide more sensitive effects end points.
Predicting paleoelevation of Tibet and the Himalaya from δ18O vs. altitude gradients in meteoric water across the Nepal Himalaya

The δ18O value of meteoric water varies with elevation, providing a means to reconstruct paleoelevation if the δ18O values of paleowater are known. In this study, we determined the δ18O values of water (δ18Omw) from small tributaries along the Seti River and Kali Gandaki in the Nepal Himalaya. We found that δ18Omw values decrease with increasing altitude for both transects. δ18Omw vs. altitude along the Kali Gandaki in west-central Nepal fit a second order polynomial curve, consistent with increasing depletion of 18O with increasing elevation, as predicted by a Rayleigh-type fractionation process. This modern δ18Omw vs. altitude relationship can be used to constrain paleoelevation from the δ18O values of Miocene–Pliocene carbonate (δ18Oc) deposited in the Thakkhola graben in the southern Tibetan Plateau. Paleoelevations of 3800±480 m to 5900±350 are predicted for the older Tetang Formation and 4500±430 m to 6300±330 m for the younger Thakkhola Formation. These paleoelevation estimates suggest that by ∼11 Ma the southern Tibetan Plateau was at a similar elevation to modern.
Complications of Krypton Red Laser Photocoagulation to Subretinal Neovascular Membranes

Abstract The use of krypton red laser photocoagulation (KRLPC) to treat subretinal neovascular membranes (SRNVM) is increasing. The complications of this treatment in a large series of patients have not been reported. Over a 15-month period, 195 patients had KRLPC to SRNVM of the following etiologies: senile macular degeneration (151), presumed ocular histoplasmosis (33), miscellaneous (11). Fourteen patients had the following complications attributable to KRLPC: choroidal hemorrhage (9), retinal pigment epithelial tears (3), choroidal ischemia (1) and choroidal folds (1). The visually significant complication rate was 3.6%. Proper patient selection and treatment technique may decrease the risk of complications.
Polymeric Gene Transfection on Insulin-Secreting Cells: Sulfonylurea Receptor-Mediation and Transfection Medium Effect

Purpose In vitro transfection of secreting cells is regarded as one strategy for improved cell engineering/transplantation. Insulin-secreting insulinoma cell lines or pancreatic β-cells could be genetically engineered using designed polymeric vectors which are safer than viral vectors. This study investigates the effects of the constituents in transfection media on polymeric transfection.
Sentinel Lymph Node Intraoperative Imprint Cytology in Patients with Breast Cancer—Costly or Cost Effective?

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is now standard of care for breast cancer patients. Intraoperative imprint cytology (IIC) provides results to the surgeon, which may lead to a lymphadenectomy under the same anesthetic when it is positive for metastases. Thus, a positive IIC can spare the patient a second operation and the charges associated with it. The aim of this study is to assess the cost effectiveness of IIC in breast cancer patients. This study evaluated 98 patients who underwent a SLN biopsy between July 2008 and May 2009. The patients were divided into 1 of 3 groups based on the results of IIC and permanent sections: (1) true-negative (TN) IIC, (2) true-positive (TP) IIC, and (3) false-negative (FN) IIC. Total charges for each patient were extracted retrospectively, and nonparametric tests assessed differences in the charges between the three groups. The median total charges per patient for each population were the following: (1) $14,764.62, (2) $19,025.89, and (3) $29,750.64 (P < 0.05). A difference of more than $10,000 exists in total charges per patient between the node-positive population who did not benefit from IIC (FN) and the node-positive population who did benefit from IIC (TP). IIC is a cost-effective evaluation of breast cancer patients. The difference in total charges between the FN and TP groups outweighs the cost of the IIC. In addition to the reduced costs incurred by the patient and the hospital, IIC spares the patient the psychological and physical stress of a second operation.
Pharmacologic approaches to the prevention of intraoperative awareness

Intraoperative awareness is defined as the unintended experience and explicit memory of surgical events. Awareness is a potentially devastating complication and has been deemed a sentinel event by ...
Early one-stage surgical reconstruction of the extremely high vagina in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia

High vaginal atresia is a very rare anomaly seen in the most severely masculinized females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. These children have a foreshortened vagina conjoining the urogenital sinus proximal to the external urethral sphincter. In the past, they have undergone early clitoral recession and labioscrotal reduction, followed by vaginal pull-through at 2 to 4 years of age. Cumulative experience with repair of this anomaly has led us to attempt earlier one-stage intervention and to develop techniques that circumvent previously encountered vaginal stenoses. One-stage reconstruction of three older children (ages 2 to 9 years) involved: closure of the urethrovaginal fistula, mobilization of the vagina from the rectum and urethra, use of bilateral buttock flaps to augment the anterior vaginal wall, augmentation of the posterior wall with an inverted perineal U flap, clitoral recession, and advancement of labioscrotal and clitoral shaft flaps inferiorly to create labia majora and minora (respectively). The introiti were quite capacious after employing such flaps, did not require postoperative dilatation, and were free of strictures or urethrovaginal fistulae during long-term follow-up. Three younger patients were seen for initial evaluation at 8 to 12 months of age, when early one-stage reconstruction was undertaken. Paradoxically, these repairs were technically less difficult and did not require buttock flap augmentation because an island of anterior perineal skin could be rotated in to reach the anterior vaginal wall. A nerve stimulator was used to identify the external urethral sphincter, while the vagina was aggressively mobilized and advanced forward beyond the site of fistula closure on the urethra to avert formation of a urethro-vaginal fistula.2 +
Monoaminergic neurotoxins: are they selective?

Introduction of 6-hydroxydopamine into the cerebrospinal fluid produces a selective destruction of adrenergic pathways. However, the selectivity of interstitial injections of 6-hydroxydopamine for catecholamine elements is critically dependent upon the dose and volume of injection and must be evaluated by biochemical and cytochemical indices.
Binocular Neurones which signal Change of Disparity in Area 18 of Cat Visual Cortex

BINOCULARLY activated neurones which seem to play a specific role in the detection of retinal image disparity have been described for both cat and monkey visual cortex1–6. The receptive field properties are such that for a given position of the eyes, each neurone will respond to an optimally oriented, moving line only if there is a particular disparity between the images of that line on each retina. As most of the receptive field disparities have a horizontal component, the response is related to movement of the line in a plane at a particular distance. If the plane of the optimally oriented stimulus is moved so it is effectively closer or further from the animal, there is a sharp decrease in the binocular response of the neurone, often to levels below the response to one eye alone4,5. Most of the disparity-specific neurones so far described1–6 are maximally responsive when the disparity is constant, at some particuar value, and cease to respond well when the disparity is changed from that value.
Accommodating ‘foreigners’: narrative accounts of Berlin's German-born Turkish Ausländer

This paper examines the discursive messages conveyed through everyday encounters among German-born Turkish Auslander (foreigners) and ethnic Germans in Berlin. Using narrative analysis, I explore how these messages operate to maintain a series of separate and unequal social relations based on gender, ethnicity, religion, and skin colour. The personal experiences of local residents illustrate how these discourses serve to mark some Auslander as less threatening than others, some as preferable, and others as undesirable. Some Auslander are also considered more valuable than others, and the status of one often depends on the superior or subordinate status of the other. Through exploring these complexities as experienced by local informants, this paper shows the importance of certain interactive processes that construct Auslanderness in varying ways, while still defining people's identities in relation to norms that privilege the dominant subjects.
Foreign Object Damage in Flexure Bars of Two Gas-Turbine Grade Silicon Nitrides

Foreign object damage (FOD) behavior of two commercial gas-turbine grade silicon nitrides, AS800 and SN282, was determined at ambient temperature through strength testing of flexure test specimens impacted by steel ball projectiles with a diameter of 1.59 mm in a velocity range from 220 to 440 m/s. AS800 silicon nitride exhibited a greater FOD resistance than SN282, primarily due to its greater value of fracture toughness (K(sub lc)). The use of an additional equiaxed, fine-grained silicon nitride (NC132) showed that fracture toughness was a key material parameter affecting FOD resistance. The observed damages generated by projectile impact were typically in the forms of well- or ill-developed ring and cone cracks with little presence of radial cracks.
Water chemistry and CaCO3 dissolution in the saline part of an open-flow mixing zone, coastal Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Along the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, brackish ground water (mixed fresh water and sea water) is channeled through upper Pleistocene limestone via fracture-controlled caverns. In caves, cenotes, and caletas at Xcaret, Yalku, and Tancah, this open-flow coastal mixing zone comprises three major layers: (1) an upper dilute zone of gradually increasing salinity with depth (slow mixing), (2) a thin intermediate zone of rapidly increasing salinity with depth (rapid mixing), and (3) a lower saline zone of gradually increasing salinity with depth. The intermediate layer occurs at different absolute salinities at different localities, and it generally corresponds to the level of a notch (apparently related to dissolution) in the wall rock of the caverns. Chemical composition of the mixed ground water is consistent with that predicted from theoretical conservative mixing of fresh-water and sea-water end members sampled in the Yucatan coastal region. Inorganic-C alkalinity, Mg:Ca and Sr:Ca, and δ18O and δ13C of the mixed water give no indication of dissolution or precipitation of CaC03 as the ground water flows rapidly seaward. Field and petrographic observations, however, show that aragonite is preferentially dissolving throughout the modern mixing zone, and in particular in the saline portion. Comparison of saturation indices to calculated mixing curves shows that the coastal mixing zone of the eastern Yucatan Peninsula is undersaturated with respect to CaC03 over a wide range of salinity, including mixtures of as much as 95% sea water for aragonite and 90% sea water for calcite. Supersaturation with respect to stoichiometric dolomite is maintained over the whole range of salinities, but super-saturation with respect to calcian dolomite (Ca57Mg43) can be confined to high-salinity mixtures, depending on the thermodynamic data base used in calculations. These data suggest that (1) dissolution of coastal limestone can take place in the sea-water-dominated portion of the mixing zone and (2) the mixing-zone model for dolomitization can be extended to much higher salinities than is indicated by the widely accepted "Dorag" model.
Expression of the Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Molecule Mamu-A*01 Is Associated with Control of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus SIVmac239 Replication

Several HLA alleles are associated with attenuated human immunodeficiency virus disease progression. We explored the relationship between the expression of particular major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I alleles and viremia in simian immunodeficiency virus SIVmac239-infected macaques. Of the common MHC class I alleles, animals that expressed Mamu-A*01 exhibited the best control of viral replication.
Direct visualization of microtubules using a genetic tool to analyse radial progenitor-astrocyte continuum in brain

The development of radial progenitor cells and astroglia in the cerebral cortex depends on the microtubule cytoskeleton. Eom et al. have developed a new mouse model where the microtubules of astrocytes and radial glia cells are fluorescently tagged, facilitating the detailed study of microtubule dynamics and development in these cells.
THE ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARIES OF SIX CAROLINA BAYS: COMMUNITY COMPOSITION AND ECOTONE DISTRIBUTION

Community and environmental gradients within the ecological boundaries of Carolina bay wetlands may provide important information on the interaction between Carolina bays and associated uplands, and may also provide guidance for improved management. We established twelve 30-m transects on the sloping rims of each of six Carolina bays in northeastern South Carolina to characterize the community gradient, as well as important environmental factors producing this gradient. Mid-points of the transects were placed on jurisdictional wetland boundaries. Hydrology, soil properties, and plant species composition were measured within these transects. On average, transects included an elevation change of 0.6 m that corresponded with gradients of hydrology, soil properties, and community characteristics. Decreasing surface soil moisture (i.e., fewer flood events) and decreasing soil nutrients were associated with a shift from shrub-bog vegetation with relatively low alpha diversity and prominence of evergreens to a relatively diverse and heterogeneous community characterized by grasses, herbs, low shrubs, and vines. Ecotones, identified by abrupt changes in community composition, were more frequently found outside jurisdictional wetland boundaries. Likewise, five near-endemic and endemic plant species were found outside the wetland boundaries. Our data reinforce the need for better understanding of how Carolina bays interact with adjacent landscape elements, and specifically how ecological boundaries are influenced by this interaction.
Jacques Bénigne Winslow (1669-1760) and the Misnomer Cavernous Sinus

Sinus cavernosi, or the cavernous sinus, was coined by Jacques Benigne Winslow in the 18th century. Among the neurosurgeons and the modern-day neuroanatomists, Winslow is mainly known for erroneously using the term cavernous sinus. As the anatomical understanding of the parasellar space advanced during the next 200 years, it was unclear as to why Winslow compared this space in the brain with that of a male reproductive organ (corpus cavernosum). Our primary objective was to study the historical treatise on anatomy written by Winslow in the 18th century and analyze his anatomical dissections and nomenclature for the parasellar compartment. In addition, his pertinent contributions to neuroscience are highlighted in this vignette.
EPNR: an energy-efficient automated layout synthesis package

This paper reports our experiences with incorporating energy (or switched capacitance) based algorithms into an automated layout synthesis system based on standard cells. Our experimental results show an average savings of 18.5% in interconnect energy at a cost of about 6.2% area increase relative to area-minimized layouts on MCNC Logic Synthesis '93 benchmarks. The basic premise is that the wires with high switching should be made short even if it involves stretching several low switching wires. We modified an existing layout system, VPNR, to include these techniques during the placement and global routing phases. Attempts to include switching probabilities into channel routing did not produce appreciable results. Our experiments also lend insight into the composition of the solution space for VLSI energy minimization problems.
Early Experience of a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Program at a Veterans Affairs Facility

Importance The US Food and Drug Administration recently approved the use of a transcatheter aortic valve in patients for whom traditional valve replacement surgery poses a high or prohibitive risk. Our hospital was one of the first Veterans Affairs facilities to launch a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) program. Objective To evaluate our early experience with transfemoral TAVR. Design and Setting We retrospectively reviewed the records of all patients who underwent TAVR during the first year of our program at the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Participants The mean (SD) age of the patients was 77 (9) years, and their mean (SD) Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicted risk of mortality score was 8.8 (10.7). Interventions All patients underwent TAVR with the SAPIEN transcutaneous valve. Main Outcome Measures We evaluated operative mortality and major operative morbidity (stroke, myocardial infarction, renal failure necessitating dialysis, and requirement for mechanical circulatory support, as well as vascular complications and requirement for permanent pacemaker), in addition to length of hospital stay and discharge status. Results Between December 21, 2011, and December 13, 2012, a total of 19 transfemoral TAVR procedures were performed at our center. Implantation was successful in all cases. There were no reports of operative (30-day) mortality, prosthetic valve endocarditis, renal failure necessitating dialysis, perioperative myocardial infarction or stroke, or conversion to surgical aortic valve replacement. Seven patients (37%) had mild paravalvular leak, 3 patients (16%) had moderate paravalvular leak, 2 patients (11%) had groin wound complications, 2 patients (11%) required a permanent pacemaker, 1 patient (5%) had a vascular access complication requiring endovascular repair, and 1 patient (5%) required temporary circulatory support (with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation). The mean (SD) length of hospital stay after TAVR was 8.0 (5.9) days. All patients were discharged home. Conclusions and Relevance Transcatheter aortic valve replacement can be performed safely and with good outcomes at a Veterans Affairs facility with a committed multidisciplinary team and substantial experience in heart valve and endovascular therapies.
A nano-optical vector network analyzer

We reconstruct the magnetic near-field and source current distribution of a linear coupled-dipole IR optical antenna from the complete 3D electric vector near-field as probed using scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy. Fine details associated with antenna coupling are observed.
Dissociation of pepsinogen and acid secretion in the guinea pig

Abstract In vivo observations have suggested that acid secretion may potentiate pepsinogen release. We measured pepsinogen and acid secretion by guinea pig fundic mucosal sheets stimulated by 10 −4 M histamine, 10 −8 and 10 −9 M cholecystokinin, and 3 × 10 −7 M carbamylcholine and then investigated the effects of 10 −4 M omeprazole on basal, carbacholstimulated, and cholecystokinin-stimulated secretion. Histamine increased basal acid secretion fivefold (p −8 M and 9.1 at 10 −9 M (both p −4 M histamine and 10 −9 M cholecystokinin increased acid secretion 3.5-fold and pepsinogen secretion 6.4-fold, statistically equivalent to the sum of the effects of histamine and cholecystokinin alone. Carbachol increased acid secretion and pepsinogen secretion by factors of 4.0 and 10.9, respectively (both p −4 M omeprazole abolished basal and carbachol-stimulated acid secretion. However, pepsinogen secretion was unaffected (p > 0.05). Furthermore, omeprazole-treated tissues increased pepsinogen secretion by factors of 10.0 with 3 × 10 −7 M carbachol and 9.1 with 10 −9 M cholecystokinin (both p
The Relationship Between Cesarean Section and Labor Induction

Background: Numerous study results vary when analyzing the relationship between labor induction and the likelihood of cesarean delivery; and few have accounted for the multiple influences of maternal sociodemographic characteristics combined with the provider and hospital in subsequent birth outcomes such as cesarean section. Objective: This study evaluated the likelihood of cesarean birth following labor induction while accounting for maternal, hospital, and provider characteristics. Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective descriptive design using secondary data was employed to determine what variation in cesarean births was due to differences of hospitals, providers, and patients using the Quality Health Outcomes Model (QHOM). Data were partitioned by primiparous and multiparous women. The individual demographic, system, and provider outcomes in all hospitals and single birth center for Maricopa County in 2005 (N=62,816) were analyzed, using both random effects and fixed effects models. Results: For primiparous women, an increased likelihood of cesarean births was associated with medical inductions, maternal age, being Black, and the number of prenatal visits; and less likely in teaching hospitals and women with higher educational attainment. In multiparous women, cesarean births were associated with increased maternal age and medical inductions; and less likely in for-profit hospitals and following elective induction. Discussion: Labor inductions were associated with an increased likelihood of cesarean sections based on parity, age, race, number of prenatal visits, education, and hospital teaching status and ownership. Because the QHOM emphasizes multiple contextual variables that influence the delivery and outcomes of care, it can prove ideal for the study of birth outcomes following interventions such as the induction of labor. Clinical Relevance: Nurses should be well educated about the risks of elective labor induction prior to term gestation and “elective” cesarean birth.
Race and Regionalism in the Politics of Taxation in Brazil and South Africa

Race and Regionalism in the Politics of Taxation in Brazil and South Africa. By Evan S. Lieberman. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003. 344p. $75.00 cloth, $24.99 paper. Evan Lieberman has produced a first-rate work of comparative political economy. Just as importantly, he has done so by going boldly (and engagingly) where so few have gone before—into the tax state. Given how critical the capacity of a state to tax economic elites is to the provision of public goods, redistribution, and the promotion of development in general, it is indeed shocking to realize just how little attention this question has received from political scientists (there being as always some notable exceptions). Lieberman sets out to correct this gap not only by carefully and meticulously defining and measuring different tax states but also by providing a rich historical and comparative account of the rise and consolidation of the two very different tax states of South Africa and Brazil.
Growth, reproduction, and feeding of large monkfish, Lophius americanus

The American monkﬁsh, Lophius americanus, supports important commercial ﬁsheries in the Northwest Atlantic. Although life historyinformation is available for smaller L. americanus, the biology of large monkﬁsh (.70 cm) is poorly understood because relatively fewlarge ﬁsh are caught in standard resource surveys.Between 2006 and 2008, 699 L. americanus of 71–118 cm total length were collectedfrom commercial gillnet ﬁshers operating in the mid-Atlantic Bight (n=689) and in the Gulf of Maine (n=10) to investigate growthrates, reproductive biology, and feeding habits of large monkﬁsh. All those collected were mature females ranging in age from 7 to 13years. Growth was linear at an average annual rate of 7.6 cm. Hepatosomatic indices peaked in February and gonadosomatic indicesbetween Februaryand April. Postovulatory follicles and vitellogenic oocytes were observed in the same ovaries, evidence that monkﬁshspawn over a protracted period and possibly more than once annually. Food habits were similar to those reported for smaller benthicphase monkﬁsh, but cannibalism was more prevalent in large ﬁsh (5.6% frequency of occurrence). Frequencies of feeding and canni-balism were greatest in females in the ﬁnal stage of oocyte maturation.
Inhibition of ovulation in the postpartum cow and the lactating sow

Abstract Increased genetic selection and capacity for milk production in dairy cows has been associated with a decline in fertility. Following parturition, nutritional requirements increase rapidly with milk production and the resulting negative energy balance (NEBAL) extends for 8–10 weeks of early lactation. NEBAL delays the timing of first ovulation through attenuation of LH pulse frequency and low levels of blood glucose, insulin and IGF-I that collectively limit oestrogen production by dominant follicles. NEBAL results in mobilization of adipose tissue and loss of body condition score (BCS), which is strongly associated with the length of the postpartum anovulatory period. Failure of ovulation of the first wave dominant follicle is associated with elevated nonesterified fatty acids and ketones in plasma and greater accumulation of triglycerides in the liver during the first 3 weeks of lactation. NEBAL is related to lower fertility in dairy cows both through inhibition of ovulation in early lactation and effects exerted later during the breeding period. Management strategies to minimize the inhibitory effects of NEBAL on first ovulation should begin during the prepartum transition period and include maintaining moderate BCS and energy intake through parturition. Modern sows have been improved genetically for higher productivity including ovulation rate, litter size and milk production. Peak milk yield is achieved within 10 days after farrowing with consequent massive mobilization of body fat and protein mass. Conservation of body protein mass (
Design and optimization of a 71 Gb/s injection-locked CDR

High data rate wireline systems suffer from increasing complexity and design difficulty due to stringent system specifications and circuit and technology challenges. A methodology therefore must exist which allows circuit and system challenges to be dealt in an effective manner while paying close attention to the extensive coupling between these two domain. In this work we look at the problem of system and circuit design of a 71 Gb/s Clock and Data Recovery circuit (CDR) in a 180nm SiGe process. To provide power efficient and robust clock recovery (CR) circuits for this system, an injection locked CR block has been implemented, leading to a reduction in circuit components and power consumption over conventional CDRs. The design methodology is based on an iterative approach alternating between circuit and system level design optimization. The core of the circuit consumes 136mW from 3.3V supply. The total circuit consumes 514mW, including 60mW for the limiting amplifiers.
Precision pulsed I-V system for accurate GaAs device I-V plane characterization

A precision on-wafer VXI-based pulsed I-V measurement system capable of rapid device characterization is presented. This system was developed for I-V plane characterization of GaAs FETs, HBTs, and diodes up to 100 volts. The pulsed I-V system is capable of pulsewidths under 200 nanoseconds with absolute current and voltage uncertainties less than 2.5 percent over greater than 110 dB of dynamic range. Measurement throughput is under 250 ms per I-V point. Accuracies are achieved by applying "DC voltage substitution" calibration to a novel pulser/sense instrument configuration. >
G//Ana Territorial Organization

This analysis of G//ana territorial organization shows how land rights are acquired and how they affect patterns of land use. Both spatial and social boundaries are discussed. It is shown that the appearance of overlapping spatial boundaries is clarified through a focus on the land rights of individuals and a consideration of historical population movements over the region. The discussion of social boundaries shows that, while interterritorial marriage and mobility networks are extensive, increases in property andfoodproduction appear to be associated with a closing of social boundaries (increased social nucleation). This is suggested by greater endogamy and a trend toward patrilineal inheritance of land rights in recent years.
DECLINING STUDENT PERFORMANCE IN COLLEGE GEOGRAPHY AND THE DOWN‐WRITING OF TEXTS

Student preparation for college showed significant declines through the 1970s, according to Scholastic Aptitude Tests and other indices. During the same period, scores declined on my standardized, mid-term exam used for introductory physical geography at UCLA. I suggest that the latter is primarily caused by the former. As a result of declining preparation and abilities, many physical geography texts have been down-written to a high-school level. These texts have grave implications for the quality of learning, recruiting of quality students, and academic respect for geography as a discipline.
Dual-use signal processing for a multiple-sensor system: sonar and optical image processing for underwater obstacle avoidance

A novel method for streamlining two different signals from sonar and optical sensors into a single signal processing flow to implement an obstacle avoidance algorithm is presented. The processing architecture consists of a custom fabricated analog smoothing array and a microcontroller The combination of these two elements reduces power requirements well below that of a DSP performing a similar algorithm enabling a necessary increase of endurance for an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). Both signals utilize the same signal path and the final heading decision is made with the microcontroller through a simple and low-power differencing and accumulation process.
Interaction between the Indonesian Seas and the Indian Ocean in Observations and Numerical Models

Recent measurements from six bottom-mounted gauges are used with numerical model results to study the exchange of water between the Indonesian seas and the Indian Ocean via the Lesser Sunda Islands known collectively as Nusa Tengarra. The observations are approximately three years in length, from late 1995 to early 1999, and include measurements of bottom pressure, temperature, and salinity. The locations of the gauges are at the boundaries of three straits connecting the southern Indonesian seas with the eastern Indian Ocean: the Lombok Strait, the Ombai Strait, and the Timor Passage. The magnitude of intraseasonal variations in the pressure data dominates over that of the seasonal cycle. Intraseasonal variability appears most frequently and largest in magnitude at the westernmost strait (Lombok) and decreases along the coastline to the Timor Passage. Comparison to wind data shows these intraseasonal variations to be due to Kelvin wave activity in the Indian Ocean, forced by two distinct wind variations: semiannual monsoon reversals and Madden‐Julian oscillation (MJO) activity. Sea level variations from both forcing mechanisms are then adjusted by local, alongshore winds. Longer-duration model results show the observation period (1996 through early 1999) to be a time of increased ENSO-related interannual variability and of suppressed annual cycle. MJO activity is also increased during this time. These factors explain the dominance of the higher frequency signals in the pressure data and the relative lack of a distinct annual cycle. An optimal fit of model sea level variations to model through-strait transport variations is used to estimate transport variability from the observed pressure records. At each strait the optimal fit is consistent with a cross-strait geostrophic balance for transport variations in the upper 250 m.
ACT-R/PM and menu selection

Understanding the interaction of a user with a designed device such as a GUI requires clear understanding of three components: the cognitive, perceptual and motor capabilities of the user, the task to be accomplished and the artefact used to accomplish the task. Computational modeling systems which enable serious consideration of all these constraints have only recently begun to emerge. One such system is ACT-R/PM, which is described in detail. ACT-R/PM is a production system architecture that has been augmented with a set of perceptual-motor modules designed to enable the detailed modeling of interactive tasks. Nilsen's (1991) random menu selection task serves two goals: to illustrate the promise of this system and to help further our understanding of the processes underlying menu selection and visual search. Nilsen's original study, two earlier models of the task, and recent eye-tracking data are all considered. Drawing from the best properties of the previous models considered and guided by information from the eye-tracking experiment, a series of new models of random menu selection were constructed using ACT-R/PM. The final model provides a zero-parameter fit to the data that does an excellent, though not perfect, job of capturing the data.
Effects of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising on Medication Choice: The Case of Antidepressants

Abstract Although direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) has generated substantial controversy, little is known about its effects on consumer and physician behavior. In this article, the authors examine the impact of DTCA and physician detailing on the choice of antidepressant medication. The authors find that detailing has a much greater effect on medication choice in the antidepressant market than does DTCA.
Polytopes of polynomials with zeros in a prescribed set

In the publication by A.C. Bartlett, C.V. Holot, and H. Lin (Proc. Amer. Contr. Conf., Minneapolis, MN, 1987) a fundamental result is established on the zero locations of a family of polynomials. It is shown that the zeros of a polytope P of nth-order real polynomials are contained in a simply connected set D if and only if the zeros of all polynomials along the edges of P are contained in D. The present authors are motivated by the fact that the requirement of simple connectedness of D may be too restrictive and applications such as dominant pole assignment and filter design where the separation of zeros is required. They extend the edge criterion of Bartlett et al. to handle any set D whose complement D/sup c/ has the following property: every point D in D/sup c/ lies on some continuous path which remains within D/sup c/ and is unbounded. This requirement is typically verified by inspection and allows for a large class of disconnected sets. >
Female fertility per flower and trade-offs between size and number in Claytonia virginica (Portulacaceae)

A consistent and paradoxical feature in flowering plants is the production of many more flowers than appear required for female fertility through fruit and seed production. Many mechanistic hypotheses for this observation share key assumptions about (1) limited resources available for reproduction and (b) greater female fertility benefits from larger flowering-time investment. Here I investigate these assumptions in two populations of Claytonia virginica. I also test predictions from theoretical analyses, comparing patterns of flowering allocation and fertility per flower in 18 populations of C. virginica. Results support the assumption that larger benefits accrue from greater flowering-time investment. The between-population pattern of flowering allocation and fertility per flower is also consistent with theoretical expectation, although not statistically significant. Not supported is the assumption that reproduction occurs under strong resource constraint. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed.