cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-strength epoxy nanocomposites for 3D printing

Abstract Clay-based nanoscale filler materials are commonly used to impart unique and desirable properties to polymer resins. Small volume fractions of nanoclay have disproportionately large effects on stiffness, toughness, strength, and gas barrier properties of polymer matrices due to their high surface-to-volume ratio and platelet morphology. Recent work has suggested that highly loaded epoxy/clay/fiber mixtures possess desirable rheological properties for use as feedstock materials for direct-write 3D printing, but little is known about the effects of the deposition process on the resulting properties of the printed composites. In this work we characterize the effects of a functionalized nanoclay on the rheological properties and printing behavior of an epoxy resin in the absence of fiber reinforcements, and investigate the effects of clay content and the deposition process on the thermo-mechanical properties of the resulting 3D-printed epoxy/clay nanocomposites. The rheological properties of ink formulations containing up to 12.5 wt% nanoclay are measured using parallel plate rheometry, and the thermo-mechanical properties of the printed composites are measured using 3-pt flexural testing, dynamic mechanical analysis, and thermo-gravimetric analysis. Flexural strength values range from 80 MPa to 100 MPa for cast samples and printed samples tested transverse to the printing direction, and up to 143 MPa for printed samples tested parallel to the print direction. Although the observed anisotropic strength values indicate that the deposition process does impart orientation to the nanoclay, the strength in each direction is significantly greater than values reported for 3D printed thermoplastic composites, suggesting that the epoxy/clay system has high potential for further development as a 3D printing feedstock material.
Statistical Methods, History of: Pre-1900

Statistics first assumed its recognizably modern form, as a set of tools and rationales for analyzing quantitative data, during the decade of the 1890s. Before then, statistical methods were developed and put to use in a variety of scientific and bureaucratic activities. These were sometimes recognized as analogous, but there were no common textbooks, nor even a shared name. The history of statistical methods up to 1900 means an examination of the development of statistical knowledge in various social and intellectual settings, and of the migration of techniques and understandings among them. The fields involved include mathematical probability, observational astronomy, quantitative natural history, phsyics, and an array of social science projects.
DAVIDSON AND SOCIAL SCIENTIFIC LAWS

The debate on the role of laws in explaining human behavior has been a central topic of the philosophy of social science since its inception. At least since the Enlightenment, social scientists have looked with envy at the success of the natural sciences, and have wondered whether they might equal this success by emulating their methodology. By focusing on the central role of laws in scientific explanation, it was hoped that the social sciences would find the key to becoming more scientific. In philosophy, this program found inspiration in the efforts of the logical positivists to achieve a unified science, culminating in the work of Carl Hempel, who set out to demonstrate the parallel role of laws in explaining both natural and social scientific phenomena. With the eclipse of the fortunes of logical positivism, however, the game in the philosophy of social science has become quite different. For the last several decades, it has been widely assumed that nomological explanation is a misguided goal in the social sciences, in that social scientific laws are probably either impossible, impractical, or irrelevant. Thus, recent work on this topic has consisted largely of evaluating the adequacy of various arguments against social scientific laws. The issue no longer seems to be whether there possibly could be any laws governing human behavior. Rather, the debate has been over finding the right peg upon which to hang the failure of social scientists to produce them. And if no definitive argu ment has yet been identified to show that social scientific laws cannot exist, it has been cause for little concern; for, like the search for an elusive math ematical proof, the question has not been whether the theorem is correct, but only to whom shall fall the good fortune of finally demonstrating its truth. It is now believed by many philosophers that, in the argument against social scientific laws, this honor should go to Donald Davidson. For despite the plethora of arguments leveled against a science of human behavior
Vocal–Acoustic Communication in Fishes: Neuroethology

In terms of species number, teleost fishes are the largest group of living vertebrates. Current estimates show that the majority of all known orders of teleosts include species that produce sound, many of which have clear social communication functions. Fishes exhibit a diverse range of musculoskeletal mechanisms that may have independently evolved for sound production. This includes the rapid contraction of paired vocal muscles that vibrate either the swimbladder or pectoral girdle, and the rubbing together ( stridulation) of parts of the pectoral girdle–fin complex, oral jaw, or pharyngeal teeth. By comparison, tetrapods show only two major types of vocal organs, the syrinx of birds and the larynx of all other nonavian groups. The more conserved tetrapod pattern may depend, in part, on the dependence of their vocalizations on respiration. Unlike peripheral mechanisms, the functional organization of those regions of the central nervous system (CNS) controlling vocalizations among vertebrates is highly conserved across distantly related groups of fishes and terrestrial vertebrates. Hence, the available data suggest that both vocal behaviors and the neural bases for acoustic communication first evolved among fishes and retain their basic organizational features in more recently evolved groups of tetrapods.
Universal Intermediate Phases and Nanostructures of High-Temperature Superconductors

The phase diagrams of cuprate superconductors are frequently oversimplified and represented by a cartoon in which Tc(x) is parabolic. It is then supposed, at least in many theories, that a single continuous metal–insulator transition occurs near the optimal composition x = xc, where Tc is maximized. In fact, the actual phase diagrams are not parabolic, but are described, even in the simplest case (LSCO), better by a trapezoid, with two phase transitions, not one. Because of strong electron–phonon interactions, the two transitions are broadened and obscured by spinodal immiscibility gaps. Examples of such gaps show how they can be identified and related to the formation of nanodomains and filaments.
The Performance Implications of a Global Integration Strategy in Global Industries: An Empirical Investigation Using Inter-area Product Flows

Several authors in international management have stressed the importance of global integration for firms competing internationally. Surprisingly, little empirical research has been conducted on the relationship between global integration and performance.
De-centering linguistics: A comment on Lemert

Lemert deals with trends that have each a philosophical heritage and academic context. I know something about the academic context of ethnomethodology, less about that of European structuralism; a little about the philosophical sources and foes of ethnomethodology, less about those of European structuralism. In consequence, I find myself somewhat in the position of commenting on a war from the vantage point of a specialist in ammunition.
Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet and Activity to Limit Gestational Weight: Maternal Offspring Metabolics Family Intervention Trial, a Technology Enhanced Randomized Trial.

Introduction Technology-enhanced antenatal diet and lifestyle intervention could prevent excess gestational weight gain and benefit mother and child. Study design A randomized clinical trial. Setting/participants Overweight and obese ethnically diverse pregnant women in Chicago, Illinois, were enrolled between October 2012 and December 2015, with antenatal data collection completed by July 2016. Analysis was completed June 2017. Intervention Participants were randomized when their fetus was gestational age 16 weeks to dietitian-led Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet and physical activity coaching that was received as three individual and six group counseling sessions by phone and webinar. A commercially available smartphone application was used for self-monitoring diet and physical activity. Telephone, text message prompts, and e-mail reminders encouraged adherence and website viewing. Usual-care, “web-watcher” participants were e-mailed biweekly newsletters and publicly available maternity website links. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was gestational weight gain measured at baseline, 24 weeks, and 35.0–36.6 weeks. Secondary outcomes included weekly rate of gestational weight gain, newborn anthropometrics, maternal diet quality, physical activity, and blood pressure. Results Among 281 participants randomized (n=140 in intervention, n=141 in usual care, BMI 25 to Conclusions Technology-enhanced Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet and lifestyle intervention resulted in significantly less total gestational weight gain over 35 weeks with no adverse infant outcomes. Nutrient quality improved without an adverse impact on rate of prematurity. Increased cesarean delivery requires further exploration. The National Academy of Medicine goals were not achieved by the majority of participants. Obesity prevention preconception is needed. Trial registration This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT01631747.
Non-beta-amyloid/tau cerebrospinal fluid markers inform staging and progression in Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder characterized by neuropathologic changes involving beta-amyloid (Aβ), tau, neuronal loss, and other associated biological events. While levels of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ and tau peptides have enhanced the antemortem detection of AD-specific changes, these two markers poorly reflect the severity of cognitive and functional deficits in people with altered Aβ and tau levels. While multiple previous studies identified non-Aβ, non-tau proteins as candidate neurodegenerative markers to inform the A/T/N biomarker scheme of AD, few have advanced beyond association with clinical AD diagnosis. Here we analyzed nine promising neurodegenerative markers in a three-centered cohort using independent assays to identify candidates most likely to complement Aβ and tau in the A/T/N framework. CSF samples from 125 subjects recruited at the three centers were exchanged such that each of the nine previously identified biomarkers can be measured at one of the three centers. Subjects were classified according to cognitive status and CSF AD biomarker profiles as having normal cognition and normal CSF (n = 31), normal cognition and CSF consistent with AD (n = 13), mild cognitive impairment and normal CSF (n = 13), mild cognitive impairment with CSF consistent with AD (n = 23), AD dementia (n = 32; CSF consistent with AD), and other non-AD dementia (n = 13; CSF not consistent with AD). Three biomarkers were identified to differ among the AD stages, including neurofilament light chain (NfL; p < 0.001), fatty acid binding protein 3 (Fabp3; p < 0.001), and interleukin (IL)-10 (p = 0.033). Increased NfL levels were most strongly associated with the dementia stage of AD, but increased Fabp3 levels were more sensitive to milder AD stages and correlated with both CSF tau markers. IL-10 levels did not correlate with tau biomarkers, but were associated with rates of longitudinal cognitive decline in mild cognitive impairment due to AD (p = 0.006). Prefreezing centrifugation did not influence measured CSF biomarker levels. CSF proteins associated with AD clinical stages and progression can complement Aβ and tau markers to inform neurodegeneration. A validated panel inclusive of multiple biomarker features (etiology, stage, progression) can improve AD phenotyping along the A/T/N framework.
Shells below, stars above: four perspectives on shell beads

In the papers assembled here, five scholars focus on shell beads at site, watershed, and regional scales. Themes include manufacturing techniques such as bore size discussions, changes in bead pref...
The Disarticulation of the Administrative State (and Public Administration)

The author takes the opportunity to review two compelling contributions to the field of Public Administration (PA) to expose how either would not ostensibly identify with the scholarly field of PA ...
Learning Shared Vector Representations of Lyrics and Chords in Music

Music has a powerful influence on a listener’s emotions. In this paper, we represent lyrics and chords in a shared vector space using a phrase-aligned chord-and-lyrics corpus. We show that models that use these shared representations predict a listener’s emotion while hearing musical passages better than models that do not use these representations. Additionally, we conduct a visual analysis of these learnt shared vector representations and explain how they support existing theories in music. This work adds to our understanding of how lyrics and chords interact with one another in music and bears applications in music emotion recognition tasks and music information retrieval.
Arousal and movement disorders

Abstract The pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) is involved in three processes that subserve all movement, and its dysregulation will affect the execution of those movements. The PPN participates in arousal and the maintenance of arousal, in preconscious awareness, and in modulating posture and locomotion. These processes allow the PPN to sustain the background of activity necessary for generating movement, so that disturbances in PPN function result in a number of devastating movement disorders. The involvement of the PPN in generating the mechanism behind the P50 potential, a requisite for responding to the environment, and in the readiness potential (RP) in advance of a voluntary movement are discussed. Abnormal P50 potential and RP manifestation are observed in such disorders as the Parkinson's and Huntington diseases. In addition, descending PPN projections to reticulospinal systems modulate posture and locomotion. For many reasons, deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the PPN is an effective therapy for alleviating some of the symptoms seen in movement disorders. However, PPN DBS may in the future be useful in the treatment of disorders that involve gamma band dysregulation.
Linguistic Commodification and Africa’s Linguistic Identities: Creating a Nexus!

Linguistically, Africa is a rich continent with a heteroglossic map that represents the diversity of its people yet perceptually the continent is viewed and views itself as poor. This perception negates the critical pragmatic roles that the more than 2000 languages play for African people. Historical and political events in Africa and beyond, have aided this perception and rendered African languages to be viewed as liabilities rather than as assets. This chapter focuses on the East African linguistic landscape by examining language as a commodity, a cultural marker, and a resource in the twenty-first century. The main argument is that lingua franca such as Swahili and youth varieties such as Sheng can serve as economic vehicles without compromising their roles as cultural reservoirs.
The Quest for the Blueprint of the Nuclear Pore Complex.

During my postdoc interview in June of 1998, I asked Gunter why he was moving more towards the nucleus in his latest studies. He said, "Well Joe, that's where everything starts." By the end of the interview, I accepted the postdoc. He had a way of making everything sound so cool. Gunter's progression was natural, since the endoplasmic reticulum and the nucleus are the only organelles that share the same membrane. The nuclear envelope extends into a double membrane system with nuclear pore complexes embedded in the pore membrane openings. Even while writing this review, I remember Gunter stressing; it is the nuclear pore complex. Just saying nuclear pore doesn't encompass the full magnitude of its significance. The nuclear pore complex is one of the largest collection of proteins that fit together for an overall function: transport. This review will cover the Blobel lab contributions in the quest for the blueprint of the nuclear pore complex from isolation of the nuclear envelope and nuclear lamin to the ring structures.
Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Initiation, Cost Sharing, and Health Care Utilization in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: A Retrospective Claims-Based Study

BACKGROUND: For newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients, early access to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) is a consistent predictor of adherence and optimal response. The expense o...
Parental caregivers’ use of support networks for adults with autism by educational status

The predominance of literature on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) focuses on the diagnosis and needs of young children with ASD and their parental caregivers. Research that compares adults with ASD ...
Broad transcriptional response of the human esophageal epithelium to proton pump inhibitors.

Background Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have been recognized as a primary treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), an allergic inflammatory disease of the esophageal mucosa. The mechanisms underlying esophageal epithelial responses to PPIs remain poorly understood. Objective We hypothesized that PPIs can counteract IL-13–mediated esophageal epithelial responses that are germane for EoE pathogenesis. Methods Transcriptional responses of human esophageal cells to IL-13 and the PPIs omeprazole and esomeprazole were assessed by RT-PCR and RNA sequencing. Cytokine secretion was measured by multiplex analysis and ELISA. Results Human esophageal epithelial cells robustly responded to PPI stimulation by inducing a set of 479 core genes common between omeprazole and esomeprazole treatments. The transcriptional response to PPIs was partially mediated through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling pathway, as the aryl hydrocarbon receptor antagonist GNF-351 modified approximately 200 genes, particularly those enriched in metabolic processes and regulation of cell death. PPI treatment reversed approximately 20% of the IL-13 transcriptome. Functional analysis of the PPI-responsive, upregulated genes revealed enrichment in metabolic and oxidation processes, and the unfolded protein response. In contrast, downregulated genes were overrepresented in functional terms related to cell division and cytoskeletal organization, which were also enriched for the genes in the EoE transcriptome reversed by PPIs. Furthermore, PPI treatment decreased the IL-13–induced proliferative response of esophageal epithelial cells. Conclusions These results demonstrate broad effects of PPIs on esophageal epithelium, including their ability to curtail transcriptomic processes involved in cellular proliferation and IL-13–induced responses, and they highlight the importance of AHR signaling in mediating these responses.
Livesley's lament on classifying personality pathology: A commentary

This commentary on Livesley's paper in this special issue on International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11's personality disorder (PD) section addresses each of four issues that Livesley claims are impeding progress towards an evidence-based system for the classification of personality pathology. I focus my commentary on the third issue, but also comment briefly on the others. Regarding, first, the complexity of personality pathology and, second, problematic assumptions about the nature of personality pathology, I contend that Livesley's comments are accurate, but omit that the fundamental impediment is the refusal of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) establishment to allow the official classification to reflect the reality of personality pathology that he describes, in contrast to its acceptance in the ICD-11. In response to Livesley's third claim that a viable alternative to categorical diagnosis is not available, I take issue with various aspects of his assertions and develop arguments that the ICD-11 PD model provides a useful, although admittedly imperfect, system. Finally, I agree with Livesley that the revision processes for official classifications are conservative and open to non-scientific influences, but maintain that whereas the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders establishment held fast to the status quo, the ICD-11 PD Working Group made considerable progress towards a valid PD diagnostic system. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Librarian's Guide to Micropublishing: Helping Patrons and Communities Use Free and Low-Cost Publishing Tools to Tell Their Stories

A review of Walt Crawford's book The Librarianâs Guide to Micropublishing: Helping Patrons and Communities Use Free and Low-Cost Publishing Tools To Tell Their Stories.
Reasons for action

1. Introduction David Sobel and Steven Wall 2. Intention, belief, and instrumental rationality Michael Bratman 3. Reasons: practical and adaptive Joseph Raz 4. The explanatory role of being rational Michael Smith 5. Practical competence and fluent agency Peter Railton 6. Practical conditionals James Dreier 7. Authority and second-personal reasons for acting Stephen Darwall 8. Promises, reasons, and normative powers Gary Watson 9. Regret and irrational action Justin D'Arms and Daniel Jacobson 10. Mackie's motivational argument Philip Clark 11. The truth in ecumenical expressivism Michael Ridge 12. Voluntarist reasons Ruth Chang.
Michael Adas, Dominance by Design: Technological Imperatives and America's Civilizing Mission, Cambridge, Ma: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2006

In Dominance by Design, Michael Adas investigates the place of technological ideals, assumptions, and practices in the USA's projects of nation-building, both in North America and around the world....
Chemical Etiology of Nucleic Acid Structure: The α-Threofuranosyl-(3'→2') Oligonucleotide System

TNAs [(L)-alpha-threofuranosyl oligonucleotides] containing vicinally connected (3'-->2') phosphodiester bridges undergo informational base pairing in antiparallel strand orientation and are capable of cross-pairing with RNA and DNA. Being derived from a sugar containing only four carbons, TNA is structurally the simplest of all potentially natural oligonucleotide-type nucleic acid alternatives studied thus far. This, along with the base-pairing properties of TNA, warrants close scrutiny of the system in the context of the problem of RNA's origin.
Oversampling diversity versus dual antenna diversity for chip-level equalization on CDMA downlink

We examine through numerical simulations the performance of three equalizers for CDMA downlink in which the channel is frequency-selective: the traditional RAKE receiver, and chip-spaced MMSE (minimum mean square error) and ZF (zero-forcing) equalizers. These simulation results provide an upper-bound on average BER performance for users near a single transmitting base-station, in which the channel is assumed static and known. We present results for two channel models: a random 4-path multipath channel with delay spread of 10 micro seconds, and an empirically derived random multipath channel generated by the commercial software package SMRCIM. We compare the cases of diversity obtained by two spatially separated antennas to two "virtual channels" obtained through oversampling a single antenna's received signal. This simulation study has yielded the expected result that spatial diversity is preferable to diversity obtained via oversampling. Furthermore, the MMSE always out-performs both RAKE and ZF equalizers.
Phenotypic properties of catecholamine-positive cells that differentiate in avian neural crest cultures

We have investigated several phenotypic features of the catecholamine-positive (CA+) cell population that develops in quail neural crest cultures. The number, spatial distribution, and morphology of CA+ and tyrosine hydroxylase-positive (TH+) cells are similar at all ages examined, suggesting that these 2 cell classes are identical. Neither CA+ nor TH+ cell bodies or processes were stained using antisera that recognize the 70 or 160 kDa subunits of chicken neurofilament protein. Other cell bodies and fibers in the cultures (which were CA- and TH-) were stained with these neurofilament antisera. The uptake and storage of 3H-norepinephrine by neural crest cultures containing CA+ cells were inhibited in the presence of desmethylimipramine and by incubation at 0 degrees C, but were unaffected by normetanephrine. Overnight treatment with reserpine eliminated histochemically detectable CA fluorescence from the cultures. Chronic reserpine treatment from day 2 to 7 in vitro prevented the appearance of CA+ cells, while normal numbers of TH+ and somatostatin-like immunoreactive (SLI) cells developed. The number and light-microscopic morphology of the CA+ cells that developed in these cultures were not dramatically altered by either exogenous NGF or 6-hydroxydopamine. Using the method of Grillo et al. (1974), we have demonstrated that the CA+ cells observed in the light microscope corresponded to cells containing abundant cytoplasmic granular vesicles (GV) characteristic of catecholamine storage granules observed in other systems. The GV diameters were quite similar in cells examined after 5, 7, 14, and 21 d in vitro. Most GV were 50-200 nm in diameter and were distributed in a unimodal manner, with the observed modal values in the range of 85-115 nm at the ages examined. The number of GV/micron2 of cytoplasmic area remained quite constant at all ages examined. These data, taken together with other available information, suggest that the CA+ cells that differentiate in our neural crest cultures resemble, in many respects, the small, intensely fluorescent cells found in autonomic ganglia and extra-adrenal chromaffin tissue of many species. At present, we do not know if the CA+ cells that differentiate in our neural crest cultures are a stable endpoint of development or whether they are a developmental intermediate in adrenergic differentiation that is normally observed only transiently during the development of avian sympathetic ganglia in vivo, but that can persist under our tissue culture conditions.
Ubiquitous MIMO multifunction digital array radar

Radar equipment specifications are often driven by the need to detect small targets in clutter. Relevant specifications include dynamic range, phase noise, system stability, isolation and spurs. Furthermore, the desire for low probability of intercept radar operation also influences the radar hardware design. This paper describes how digital array radars can be used to manage radar time and energy, thereby simplifying radar equipment design. Digital arrays enable both highly focused transmit beams (e.g., for track) and broad transmit illumination (e.g., for search). Regarding the latter, multi-input multi-output (MIMO) techniques, which allow wide angular coverage, are described.
Meeting the demands of reason: the life and thought of Andrei Sakharov

Jay Bergman, Ithaca, NY, Cornell University Press, 2009, xvii +454 pp For scholars of contemporary history and the Cold War in particular, the desirability of a comprehensive biography of Andrei Sa...
Where We Stand: An Analysis of America's Family Law Adjudicatory Systems and the Mandate to Establish Unified Family Courts

The volume and scope of family law cases in contemporary American society, as well as their unending nature both individually and systemically, exacerbate the difficulty of their resolution. To address this crisis, the American Bar Association and others have recommended court reform, specifically, the establishment of unified family courts in all jurisdictions. A unified family court is a single forum within which to adjudicate the full range of family law issues, based on the notion that court effectiveness and efficiency increase when the court resolves a family's legal problems in as few appearances as possible. The model is based on the concept that a court with a comprehensive view of all of a family's legal problems can resolve issues more quickly and capably than can a system requiring the family to appear in several different tribunals for similar matters. This article evaluates how America's courts currently adjudicate family law matters. The article provides a comprehensive overview of the results of a nationwide survey determining how each state handles family law matters. The survey results reveal variety and inconsistency in how America's courts process family law cases, illustrating the need for a restructuring of the family legal system. Some problems noted by the study include conflicting jurisdiction among courts, unpredictable decision-making, a waste of judicial and litigant resources, successive appeals, and inefficient court administration. The article urges each state to conduct a comprehensive analysis of its existing family justice system. It advocates that reformers look to fundamental principles of unified family courts as a means to guide court reform efforts. States must acknowledge and live up to their responsibility to overhaul outdated and ineffective family justice systems.
Can Consuming Flavonoids Restore Old Microglia to their Youthful State

Microglial cells, which are resident macrophages in the central nervous system, are “primed” in the aged brain and are hypersensitive to messages emerging from immune-to-brain signaling pathways. Thus, in elderly individuals who have an infection, microglia overreact to signals from the peripheral immune system and produce excessive levels of cytokines, causing behavioral pathology including serious deficits in cognition. Importantly, recent studies indicate dietary flavonoids have anti-inflammatory properties and are capable of mitigating microglial cells in the brains of aged mice. Thus, dietary or supplemental flavonoids and other bioactive agents have the potential to restore the population of microglial cells in the elderly brain to its youthful state. This review briefly describes the immune-to-brain signaling pathways, consequences of microglial cell priming, and the potential of flavonoids to mitigate brain microglia and cognitive deficits induced by inflammatory cytokines.
Expletives and Woman's Place.

This study empirically examined the relationship between the expletives, “bitch” and “bastard,” and sex-role stereotyping. The expletives were rated by 68 men and 68 women on 80 trait adjectives as to how typical or characteristic each trait was of the stereotypic bitch or bastard in our society. The sex-role implications of the 10 trait terms judged most characteristic of each expletive were then examined. For male subjects, the most distinguishing feature between the two expletives was the inclusion of the stereotypically masculine trait “dominant,” in their characterization of bitch. Female subjects, on the other hand, did not ascribe such opposite sex-role stereotype traits to bitch, but rather emphasized stereotypically masculine traits in their characterization of bastard. These results are discussed in terms of the regulatory and expressive nature of language, as well as the differential sanction value of the terms “bitch” and “bastard” for out-of-role behavior.
Generation of fluorine-bearing fluids in hydrothermal experiments

Abstract Fluorine-bearing fluids can be generated by breakdown of PdF 2 in hydrothermal experiments. This promising technique allows addition of a fixed amount of F without affecting the composition of the rest of the system. The method is simpler, more flexible and potentially yields better results than most other techniques of F addition. Melting and crystallization experiments using natural starting materials are particularly well suited to application of this method.
Power reduction in liquid-crystal display modules

A method for driving a liquid-crystal display (LCD) which can reduce power consumption by up to 50 percent is described. While the drive method commonly used requires power-supply current both to charge and to discharge the display capacitance, the method described here allows the capacitance to be discharged by shorting the display electrodes momentarily.
Microfluidic aptameric affinity sensing of vasopressin for clinical diagnostic and therapeutic applications

We present a microfluidic aptameric biosensor, or aptasensor, for selective detection of clinically relevant analytes with integrated analyte enrichment, isocratic elution and label-free detection by mass spectrometry. Using a microfluidic platform that is coupled to matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI–MS), we demonstrate specific purification, enrichment, and label-free detection of trace amounts of arginine vasopressin (AVP), a peptide hormone that is responsible for arterial vasoconstriction. During extreme physical trauma, in particular immunological shock or congestive heart failure, AVP is excreted abnormally and is hence a biomarker for such conditions. The device uses an aptamer, i.e., an oligonucleotide that binds specifically to an analyte via affinity interactions, to achieve highly selective analyte capture and enrichment. In addition, via thermally induced reversible disruption of the aptamer-analyte binding, the device can be easily regenerated for reuse and allows isocratic analyte elution, i.e., release and collection of analytes using a single aqueous solution. Furthermore, the device is coupled to MALDI–MS using a microfluidic flow gate, which directs the eluted analyte onto a MALDI sample plate for mass spectrometry. We first perform systematic characterization of kinetic and thermal release properties, as well as the overall timescale of the assay, using fluorescently labeled AVP. We then demonstrate MALDI–MS detection of unlabeled AVP at clinically relevant concentrations approaching 1 pM.
Hypoplastische und keimepithelfreie Zonen in beidseits deszendierten Hoden als Zeichen einer partiellen Dysgenesie

Hypoplastische Zonen als Ausdruck einer partiellen Dysgenesie mannlicher Keimdrusen sind bisher erst in kryptorchen und pathologisch veranderten Hoden in ungefahr 50% der Falle beschrieben worden. In einer Serie von 53 unausgewahlten Sektionsfallen mit 105 makroskopisch normalen Scrotalhoden konnten hypoplastische Zonen ein einziges Mal=in 2 %, namuch in beiden im ubrigen postpuberal entwickelten Hoden eines 13jahrigen Knaben histologisch nachgewiesen werden. Hypoplastische Zonen wurden spater bei vier weiteren Fallen mit deszendierten Scrotalhoden gefunden. Es handelt sich um jungere Leute im Alter von 17–26 Jahren. Die mikroskopische Untersuchung ergab zudem, daβ sich die hypoplastischen Zonen in Scrotalhoden unter dem Einfluβ der Entwicklungstendenz des scrotalen Milieus offenbar in keimepithelfreie Zonen weiterentwickeln konnen, wobei Ubergangskanalchen als Zwischenstufen auftreten. Es kommen auch Ubergange von keimepithelfreien in normale Samenkanalchen vor. Derartige keimepithelfreie Zonen sprechen deshalb, wie die hypoplastischen Zonen, fur eine partielle Dysgenesie. In einzelnen Fallen treten in keimepithelfreien Tubuli onkocytenartige Sertolizellen auf, die als Spermiophagen interpretiert werden. Die klinische Bedeutung der partiellen Dysgenesie beidseits deszendierter Hoden ist noch ungeklart.
Active mate choice at cock-of-the-rock leks: tactics of sampling and comparison

The importance of active mate choice as a component of sexual selection remains controversial, despite recent studies identifying traits that correlate with male mating success. We analyzed the sampling sequences of individual female Guianan cock-of-the-rock, providing quantitative documentation of active female choice in this lekbreeding species. We compared observed sampling patterns with null models of random female movement and of movement weighted by the observed distribution of male success. The courts actually visited by individual females were significantly more clumped and centrally located than predicted by computer simulations of either random or weighted movement. Contrary to simplified hypotheses of female choice, hen cock-of-the-rock were not limited either to sequential comparisons or to threshold decision rules when selecting mates. Instead, they repeatedly sampled a subset of potential mates, using the “pool-comparison” tactic. Within this pool, females preferentially mated with the males ranked highest in terms of total courtship visits received, and rejected low-ranking males. Our results suggest complex interactions between patterns of female sampling and male dispersion in lek mating systems, and also provide insights into the constraints on female sampling in lek species.
Reductions in body weight following chronic central opioid receptor subtype antagonists during development of dietary obesity in rats

Abstract Acute administration of long-acting general opioid antagonists reduces body weight and food intake in rats. In contrast, chronic administration of short-acting general opioid antagonists produces transient effects. The present study evaluated whether chronic central administration of selective long-acting antagonists of mu (beta-funaltrexamine, BFNA, 20 μg), mu1 (naloxonazine, 50 μg), delta1([ d -Ala2,Leu5,Cys6]-enkephalin, DALCE, 50 μg), delta2 (naltrindole isothiocyanate, NTII, 20 μg) or kappa (nor-binaltorphamine, NBNI, 20 μg) opioid receptor subtypes altered weight and intake of rats exposed to a palatable diet of pellets, fat, milk and water, relative to pellet-fed and diet-fed controls. Diet-fed rats receiving chronic vehicle injections significantly increased weight (7–10%) and intake over the 11-day time course. Weight was significantly reduced over the time course in rats administered either BFNA (9%), naloxonazine (12%), DALCE (7%) or NTII (6%). Initial weight reductions failed to persist following chronic NBNI. All antagonists chronically reduced fat intake, but did not systematically alter total intake, pellet intake or milk intake relative to the pattern of weight loss. These data indicate that central mu, mu1, delta1, delta2, and, to a lesser degree, kappa receptors mediate long-term opioid modulation of weight even in animals maintained on diets that ultimately result in dietary obesity.
Identification of silver and palladium in irradiated TRISO coated particles of the AGR-1 experiment

Abstract Evidence of the release of certain metallic fission products through intact tristructural isotropic (TRISO) particles has been seen for decades around the world, as well as in the recent AGR-1 experiment at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). However, understanding the basic mechanism of transport is still lacking. This understanding is important because the TRISO coating is part of the high temperature gas-cooled reactor functional containment and critical for the safety strategy for licensing purposes. Our approach to identify fission products in irradiated AGR-1 TRISO fuel using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and energy filtered TEM (EFTEM), has led to first-of-a-kind data at the nano-scale indicating the presence of silver at triple-points and grain boundaries of the SiC layer in the TRISO particle. Cadmium was also found in the triple junctions. In this initial study, the silver was only identified in SiC grain boundaries and triple points on the edge of the SiC–IPyC interface up to a depth of approximately 0.5 μm. Palladium was identified as the main constituent of micron-sized precipitates present at the SiC grain boundaries. Additionally spherical nano-sized palladium rich precipitates were found inside the SiC grains. No silver was found in the center of the micron-sized fission product precipitates using these techniques, although silver was found on the outer edge of one of the Pd–U–Si containing precipitates which was facing the IPyC layer. Only Pd–U containing precipitates were identified in the IPyC layer and no silver was identified in the IPyC layer. The identification of silver alongside the SiC grain boundaries and the findings of Pd inside the SiC grains and alongside SiC grain boundaries provide important information needed to understand silver and palladium transport in TRISO fuel, which has been the topic of international research for the past forty years. The findings reported in this paper may support the postulations of recent research that Ag transport may be driven by grain boundary diffusion. However, more work is needed to fully understand the transport mechanisms. Additionally, the usefulness of the advanced electron microscopic techniques for TRISO coated particle research is demonstrated in this paper.
The retinoblastoma protein and BRG1 form a complex and cooperate to induce cell cycle arrest

The retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein (RB) binds several cellular proteins involved in cell cycle progression. Using the yeast two-hybrid system, we found that RB bound specifically to the protein BRG1. BRG1 shares extensive sequence similarity to Drosophila brahma, an activator of homeotic gene expression, and the yeast transcriptional activator SNF2/SW12. BRG1 contains an RB-binding motif found in viral oncoproteins and bound to the A/B pocket and the hypophosphorylated form of RB. BRG1 did not bind RB in viral oncoprotein-transformed cells. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments suggested BRG1 associates with the RB family in vivo. In the human carcinoma cell line SW13, BRG1 exhibited tumor suppressor activity by inducing formation of flat, growth-arrested cells. This activity depended on the ability of BRG1 to cooperate and complex with RB, as both an RB-nonbinding mutant of BRG1 and the sequestration of RB by adenovirus E1A protein abolished flat cell formation.
Using evaluation to transform training

Some important new directions for evaluation are presented that can help the training function add greater value and enhance organizational effectiveness.
Permeability of lipid bilayers to water and ionic solutes.

Abstract The lipid bilayer moiety of biological membranes is considered to be the primary barrier to free diffusion of water and solutes. This conclusion arises from observations of lipid bilayer model membrane systems, which are generally less permeable than biological membranes. However, the nature of the permeability barrier remains unclear, particularly with respect to ionic solutes. For instance, anion permeability is significantly greater than cation permeability, and permeability to proton-hydroxide is orders of magnitude greater than other monovalent inorganic ions. In this review, we first consider bilayer permeability to water and discuss proposed permeation mechanisms which involve transient defects arising from thermal fluctuations. We next consider whether such defects can account for ion permeation, including proton-hydroxide flux. We conclude that at least two varieties of transient defects are required to explain permeation of water and ionic solutes.
On Open Access Evangelism

As librarians take on the responsibility for promoting Open Access (OA) publishing at their institutions, they face many doubts and misconceptions about OA. This article reviews common misunderstandings about OA and reflects on different methods academic librarians can use to address researcher doubts and convince faculty to commit themselves to publishing their works in OA venues.
Strong 0-1 laws in finite model theory

We introduce a new framework for asymptotic probabilities of sentences, in which we have a σ-additive measure on the sample space of all sequences A = { } of finite models, where the universe of is {1,2, …, n}. and use this framework to strengthen 0-1 laws for logics.
Formation of VEGF isoform-specific spatial distributions governing angiogenesis: computational analysis

The spatial distribution of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF) is an important mediator of vascular patterning. Previous experimental studies in the mouse hindbrain and retina have suggested that VEGF alternative splicing, which controls the ability of VEGF to bind to heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) in the extracellular matrix (ECM), plays a key role in controlling VEGF diffusion and gradients in tissues. Conversely, proteolysis notably by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), plays a critical role in pathological situations by releasing matrix-sequestered VEGF and modulating angiogenesis. However, computational models have predicted that HSPG binding alone does not affect VEGF localization or gradients at steady state. Using a 3D molecular-detailed reaction-diffusion model of VEGF ligand-receptor kinetics and transport, we test alternate models of VEGF transport in the extracellular environment surrounding an endothelial sprout. We show that differences in localization between VEGF isoforms, as observed experimentally in the mouse hindbrain, as well as the ability of proteases to redistribute VEGF in pathological situations, are consistent with a model where VEGF is endogenously cleared or degraded in an isoform-specific manner. We use our predictions of the VEGF distribution to quantify a tip cell's receptor binding and gradient sensing capacity. A novel prediction is that neuropilin-1, despite functioning as a coreceptor to VEGF165-VEGFR2 binding, reduces the ability of a cell to gauge the relative steepness of the VEGF distribution. Comparing our model to available in vivo vascular patterning data suggests that vascular phenotypes are most consistently predicted at short range by the soluble fraction of the VEGF distributions, or at longer range by matrix-bound VEGF detected in a filopodia-dependent manner. Isoform-specific VEGF degradation provides a possible explanation for numerous examples of isoform specificity in VEGF patterning and examples of proteases relocation of VEGF upon release.
Economic value of natural Coastal wetlands: A critique

Recent estimates by J. Gosselink, E. Odum, and R. Pope of the economic value of natural wetlands have had considerable impact on analyses and discussions of public policies concerning natural wetlands management. However, these economic value estimates are neither conceptually nor empirically correct. First, these workers failed to recognize the nature of the process by which economic values are determined and made an illegitimate marriage of the principles of systems ecology and economic theory. Second, where Gosselink et al. attempted to apply proper economic principles, their calculations resulted in economic value estimates that are most likely in error.
A Full Topological Analysis of Unstable and Metastable Bond Critical Points

Researchers are developing conceptually based models linking the structure and dynamics of molecular charge density to certain properties. Here we report on our efforts to identify features within the charge density that are indicative of instability and metastability. Towards this, we use our extensions to the quantum theory of atoms in molecules that capitalize on a molecule’s ridges to define a natural simplex over the charge density. The resulting simplicial complex can be represented at various levels by its 0-, 1-, and 2-skeleton (dependent sets of points, lines, and surfaces). We show that the geometry of these n-skeletons retains critical information regarding the structure and stability of molecular systems while greatly simplifying charge density analysis. As an example, we use our methods to uncover the fingerprints of instability and metastability in two much-discussed systems, that is, the di-benzene complex and the He and adamantane inclusion complex.