cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Do Dairy Producers Use Effective Management Practices to Improve the Value of Market Cows?1

A survey of dairy producers in Pennsylvania was undertaken to ascertain the management of market cows and identify practices currently used to improve the quality of beef from these animals. Ninety dairy producers in Pennsylvania were selected based on recommendations from financial advisers and consultants who suggested that these producers would have the necessary records required to complete the survey. Of these 90 producers surveyed, 69 provided usable responses to the survey (77% response). Average herd size of respondents was 280 ± 226 cows. During on-farm interviews, producers were asked questions regarding how market cows were sold, condition of cows sold, drug residue notifications, vaccination and injection administration, foot trimming frequency, and perceived mobility of market cows. The results of the survey indicated that most producers market cattle through auction markets. The survey also showed that most producers did not use marketing strategies to take advantage of seasonal cow beef price variability. The average number of injections given annually to dairy cows was 19.4 ± 12.4. The percentage of injections given in the neck varied, but very few producers administered all injections in the neck; a majority of injections (65%) were given in other sites. The tail-head or the hip/ rump/flank areas were identified as the most common sites. Producers also reported a 5% annual rate of “downer” cows, the principal cause being metabolic disorders.
Surface and grain boundary energies of tin dioxide at low and high temperatures and effects on densification behavior

This work presents experimental data on the surface and grain boundary energies of tin dioxide nanoparticles at room temperature and high temperature conditions (quenched from 1300 °C), and a discussion of impacts on the fundamental understanding of the nondensification mechanism of SnO2 during sintering. The results were obtained using a combination of water adsorption microcalorimetry, high-temperature oxide melt drop solution calorimetry, and scanning electron transmission microscopy. At room temperature, the average surface and grain boundary energies of anhydrous SnO2 were 1.20 ± 0.02 and 0.71 ± 0.08 J m−2, respectively. At high temperature, SnO2 showed a surface energy of 0.94 ± 0.03 J m−2. This remarkable decrease was attributed to the lower oxygen pressure and was associated with a decrease in contact angle during sintering. This observation indicates a moderate but significant thermodynamic reason behind nondensification behavior of SnO2 in addition to common kinetic descriptions: high sintering temperatures and atmospheres cause smaller dihedral angles that decrease sintering stresses.
Recent progress in high-T/sub c/ superconductivity: what would make a difference?

Recent progress in the fundamental understanding of the high-temperature superconductors is reviewed with an eye toward its practical implications. An attempt is also made to identify a research agenda for the future, needed in support of the applications of these new materials. >
High performance electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs) modified with novel aldehydes

Electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs) have been proposed as one of the major alternatives for tin/lead solders in electronic packaging. However, the conductivity of ECA is inferior to that of solders due to the physical contact between conductive fillers and insulative organic lubricants on Ag flakes. In this study, novel aldehydes were introduced into a typical ECA formulation. During the curing process, the aldehydes acted as a reducing agent and reduced metal oxide within ECAs. At the same time, aldehydes could consume ambient oxygen and prevent the oxidation of the metal fillers in the ECA. The oxidation product of aldehydes, carboxylic acids with shorter molecular chains, could partially replace or remove the long chain steric acid (C-18) surfactant on the Ag flakes and enhance the electrons tunneling between the Ag flakes in the ECAs. As such, the multiple effects of aldehydes in ECAs improved the conductivity significantly. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and thermomechanical analysis (TMA) studies indicated the improved electrical performance was achieved without sacrificing the mechanical and physical properties of ECAs.
Photoreceptor classes and transmission at the photoreceptor synapse in the retina of the clawed frog, Xenopus laevis.

The photoreceptor population in Xenopus consists of a green-sensitive rod (λmax = 523 nm), a blue-sensitive rod (λmax = 445 nm) and three classes of cone. The largest cone is red-sensitive (λmax = 611 nm). The imtermediate cone is presumed to be blue-sensitive based on physiological criteria, whereas the miniature cone may be UV-sensitive. Horizontal cells (HC) are of two sorts: axon-bearing and axonless. The axon-bearing HC is of the luminosity type and probably contacts all types of photoreceptor. The axonless HC is of the chromaticity type and contacts only intermediate (blue) cones and at least one type of rod. During development dendrites of HCs and bipolar neurons penetrate photoreceptor bases. A progressive maturation of HC and bipolar synapses with rods and cones occurs between tadpoles stages 37/8 and 46. Neighboring rods and cones are joined by gap junctions. During this same period, the outer segments are laid down and photopigments synthesized. A linear relation was found between the quantum capturing ability of the rod and its absolute threshold. Mature rods of the Xenopus retina release glutamate in a calcium-dependent manner. Glutamate release was found to be a linear function of calcium influx through L-type calcium channels. Both types of HC possess ionotropic glutamate receptors of the AMPA subtype. Microsc. Res. Tech. 50:338–346, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Besprechungen—Comptes rendus—Reviews

EICHENGREEN, BARRY and Lindert, Peter (eds.): The International Debt Crisis in Historical Perspective. Cambridge/London: The MIT Press 1989.282 pp. Index. U.S. $ 25.00.
Piloted simulation of a ground-based time-control concept for air traffic control

A concept for aiding air traffic controllers in efficiently spacing traffic and meeting scheduled arrival times at a metering fix was developed and tested in a real time simulation. The automation aid, referred to as the ground based 4-D descent advisor (DA), is based on accurate models of aircraft performance and weather conditions. The DA generates suggested clearances, including both top-of-descent-point and speed-profile data, for one or more aircraft in order to achieve specific time or distance separation objectives. The DA algorithm is used by the air traffic controller to resolve conflicts and issue advisories to arrival aircraft. A joint simulation was conducted using a piloted simulator and an advanced concept air traffic control simulation to study the acceptability and accuracy of the DA automation aid from both the pilot's and the air traffic controller's perspectives. The results of the piloted simulation are examined. In the piloted simulation, airline crews executed controller issued descent advisories along standard curved path arrival routes, and were able to achieve an arrival time precision of + or - 20 sec at the metering fix. An analysis of errors generated in turns resulted in further enhancements of the algorithm to improve the predictive accuracy. Evaluations by pilots indicate general support for the concept and provide specific recommendations for improvement.
Effects of Dissuading Unnecessary Help Requests While Providing Proactive Help

We tested effects of dissuading students from requesting help unless they really needed it. The manipulation occurred while the students solved problems on an ITS that provided proactive help. Compared to their counterparts, dissuaded students requested help much less often. Moreover, the less help students requested, the higher their posttest score. Among students with lower pretest scores, dissuaded students marginally gained more than their non-dissuaded counterparts. We discuss our results, a new type of help abuse, some ramifications of proactive help, and the generalizability of our results.
Monomer-trimer equilibrium of the ectodomain of SIV gp41: Insight into the mechanism of peptide inhibition of HIV infection

The monomer-trimer equilibrium of the ectodomain of SIV gp41 ~residues 27-149, e-gp41! has been characterized by analytical ultracentrifugation, circular dichroism ~CD!, and NMR spectroscopy. Based on analytical ultracentrifugation experiments performed at different rotor speeds and protein concentrations, the equilibrium association constant for the SIV e-gp41 trimer is 3.1 3 10 11 M 22 . The presence of intermolecular nuclear Overhauser effects in a mixture of 12 C and 13 C-labeled e-gp41 prepared under nondenaturing conditions unambiguously demonstrates that there is a dynamic equilibrium between the monomer and trimer. The CD spectra taken as a function of SIV e-gp41 concentration sug- gest that the helical content of the monomeric state does not change significantly relative to that of the trimeric state. The relevance of the monomer-trimer equilibrium is discussed with respect to gp41 function and the inhibitory properties of gp41 peptides.
Comparison of Child Self-Report and Parent Report on the Sibling Need and Involvement Profile

Considering the needs of siblings is an important component of family-centered practice for children with developmental disabilities. A syntactically and semantically simplified version of the Sibling Need and Involvement Profile (SNIP) was developed to allow self-report. Total profile scores for the self-report version correlated well with the original (Spearman’s rho = .928, p < .01), and test–retest reliability was good (Spearman’s rho = .896, p < .01). Children who piloted the instrument demonstrated good understanding of the vocabulary and the intent of the questions; however, using the instrument with adult supervision is suggested. A comparison of children’s self-report scores to those of their parents’ resulted in low, insignificant correlations, suggesting that parents’ and children’s perspectives do not always agree. Multiple measures, including sibling self-report and parent reports, are necessary for accurate determination of sibling need and involvement.
Can we build synthetic, multicellular systems by controlling developmental signaling in space and time?

Using biological machinery to make new, functional molecules is an exciting area in chemical biology. Complex molecules containing both ‘natural’ and ‘unnatural’ components are made by processes ranging from enzymatic catalysis to the combination of molecular biology with chemical tools. Here, we discuss applying this approach to the next level of biological complexity — building synthetic, functional biotic systems by manipulating biological machinery responsible for development of multicellular organisms. We describe recent advances enabling this approach, including ﬁrst, recent developmental biology progress unraveling the pathways and molecules involved in development and pattern formation; second, emergence of microﬂuidic tools for delivering stimuli to a developing organism with exceptional control in space and time; third, the development of molecular and synthetic biology toolsets for redesigning or de novo engineering of signaling networks; and fourth, biological systems that are especially amendable to this approach.
Analysis of three-dimensional grids: Sine-and-cosine equation for the nine-point prismatic array

The nine-point prismatic array consists of a cube with center point. This paper illustrates an operational sine-and-cosine equation that makes explicit use of the center point datum. It is useful for interpolating the array.
A clinical trial of the effectiveness of regularly scheduled versus as-needed administration of acetaminophen in the management of discomfort in older adults with dementia

Objectives To determine in a sample of nursing home patients with dementia and a painful condition whether the regularly scheduled administration of acetaminophen (650 mg four times a day (qid)) was more or less effective than as-needed (prn) administration of acetaminophen in reducing discomfort. Design Double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled, crossover study. One arm consisted of 650 mg of acetaminophen administered qid with placebo prn; the other arm consisted of placebo administered qid with acetaminophen prn. Setting Two community and one Veterans Affairs nursing homes in the San Francisco Bay area. Participants Thirty-nine nursing home patients with a mean+/-standard deviation Mini-Mental State Examination score of 4.3+/-5, a mean Global Deterioration Scale score of 5.7+/-0.4, and a mean Discomfort Scale score of 10.7+/-6.8. Approximately 84% had degenerative joint disease. Results Mean Discomfort Scale scores of 7.4+/-3.7 during the prn arm and 7.2+/-2.1 during the qid arm (t=0.249, nonsignificant) were within the range previously shown to indicate substantial discomfort. No significant differences in discomfort scores were found between the trial arms after controlling for baseline discomfort and prn use of acetaminophen. Conclusion Although this trial was negative in terms of the analgesic effects of acetaminophen, the findings have important implications for clinical practice. Prn administration of acetaminophen is sometimes the standard of care for pain management in nursing homes or is offered as an intervention to assess effectiveness. Findings from this study suggest that a 2,600-mg/d dose of acetaminophen is inadequate for elderly nursing home patients with degenerative joint disease, fractures, or back pain who have significant discomfort.
Creating and managing interorganizational learning networks to achieve sustainable ecosystem management

Effective and sustainable ecosystem management is becoming a vital societal issue. Increasingly, there is a growing mandate among all sectors of society—public, governmental, business, civic, and environmental—to become collaborative stakeholders in dialogues about the management of ecosystem resources. What has been missing, however, is an explicit analysis of interorganizational networks for sustainable ecosystem management as emerging learning organizations. This article demonstrates the explanatory and diagnostic power of applying the concepts of virtual learning networks to sustainable ecosystem management to guide stakeholders in cocreating a shared conceptual infrastructure for generative learning, consensus building, and collaborative decision making. Related dynamics of collaboration and power and the diffusion of rules and practices are also explored. Next steps are indicated for further development, demonstration, and documentation of the applicability and utility of this model to sustainable e...
Asthma surveillance in the United States. A review of current trends and knowledge gaps.

The national population data systems are designed to monitor broad changes in health status of the US population. These data sets have provided valuable surveillance data that constitute our knowledge of the changing trends in asthma. These same data systems are designed to understand major aspects of health and therefore are unlikely to provide much detailed diagnostically specific epidemiologic information. The recent increase in illness and deaths from asthma, as described by the NCHS data systems, suggest important changes that need further investigation. Although much of the NCHS data have been used to define these recent trends, these data have not been fully evaluated to describe the role of subpopulations in this decade of increasing morbidity and mortality. These recent changes in asthma may be driven by single or multiple causes, including increasingly frequent, increasingly severe, or new environmental exposures; changes in medical care, such as pharmacotherapy, or inadequate access to high quality health care. The NCHS data systems do not have adequate information to identify how these factors may be contributing to illness and deaths from asthma. Therefore, further investigations of the factors that are contributing to these trends will have to be conducted with other sources of data.
High frequency core and winding loss modeling

Presents a collection of slides covering the following topics: core loss; machines; winding loss; eddy-current loss; wire testing; foil; force current sharing; geometry; hysteresis loss; anomalous loss; Steinmetz equation; iGSE; improved generalized SE and relaxation effect.
Evidence That Glutathione Peroxidase RNA and Manganese Superoxide Dismutase RNA Bind the Same Protein

Abstract Rat lung extract contains protein that binds to a cis element in the 3′ untranslated region of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) mRNA; this region is located 200 bases downstream of the stop codon and 77 bases downstream of the selenocysteine insertion sequence. GPx mRNA-binding protein (GPx-BP) has the following characteristics in common with Mn superoxide dismutase mRNA-binding protein (MnSOD-BP): 1. RNA-binding activity is redox-sensitive; free sulfhydryl groups on the protein are required for binding. 2. RNA-binding activity is enriched in a 130,000 × g supernatant fraction and is inhibited by RNA in the polysomal fraction. 3. The MnSOD and GPx cis elements compete with each other for protein binding. 4. UV crosslinking studies with each probe reveal a [ 32 P]-labeled protein of the same apparent molecular mass, 56 kDa. These observations provide evidence that MnSOD and GPx RNAs bind the same protein.
The Prospective Course of Rapid-Cycling Bipolar Disorder: Findings From the STEP-BD

Objective: In a naturalistic follow-up of adult bipolar patients, the authors examined the contributions of demographic, phenomenological, and clinical variables, including antidepressant use, to prospectively observed mood episode frequency. Method: For 1,742 bipolar I and II patients in the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD), episodes of mood disorders were evaluated for up to 1 year of treatment. Results: At entry, 32% of the patients met the DSM-IV criteria for rapid cycling in the prestudy year. Of the 1,742 patients, 551 (32%) did not complete 1 year of treatment. Among the 1,191 patients remaining, those with prior rapid cycling (N=356) were more likely to have further recurrences, although not necessarily more than four episodes per year. At the end of 12 months, only 5% (N=58) of the patients could be classified as rapid cyclers; 34% (N=409) had no further mood episodes, 34% (N=402) experienced one episode, and 27% (N=322) had two or three episodes. Patients w...
The Inadequacy of Catastrophe Theory for Morphology

As I have said, the standard singularity theories of shape fail to give an understanding of biological morphology and manufacturing design. As an example of this, we will show how Rene Thom’s Catastrophe Theory fails. However, I will first state this:
State Constitutional Amendments Defining Marriage: On Protections, Restrictions, and Credibility

This symposium article discusses recent state constitutional amendments limiting marriage, suggesting that many of the rationales offered in support of such amendments involve faculty factual assertions or conclusions which do not follow from the premises offered. The article concludes that the state marriage amendments do not strengthen marriage but instead make it a political tool, thereby sullying it in the name of protecting it.
Migraine with unilateral mydriasis.

A 54-year-old, post-menopausal woman has had migraine headaches since the age of 40, occurring about once per month, responding well to sumatriptan. She experiences a stabbing pain in the left eye and left side of head, associated with nausea and vomiting. The pain has only affected her left side but a brain MRI was normal. She has an aura of blurred vision in the left eye alone, seeing images as if through a broken glass, with shimmering lights but no scotoma. She experienced a headache at work and a co-worker noticed her left pupil to be markedly dilated (see photo). Her medical history was otherwise unremarkable. She does not know if she’d had a dilated pupil previously. Her neurological and funduscopic exam, after the episode resolved, were normal. She takes thyroid supplement as her only medication. Benign episodic unilateral mydriasis (1) is due either to sympathetic overactivity, causing increased dilatation, or parasympathetic underactivity, causing decreased contraction. No other third-nerve symptoms had been present (ptosis or eye movement limitations that would cause diplopia). The association with recurrent migraines, previous normal brain MRI, absence of other neurological symptoms and complete resolution limit the diagnosis to a benign process. Probably the most common cause for episodic unilateral mydriasis is due to handing a scopolamine patch then touching one eye.
Renal Effects of Hypercalciuria in immobilized Children

SummaryIt Is shown that hypercalciuria without frank hypercalcemia develops within a few days in otherwise healthy children immobilized for various orthopedic conditions. This occurrence permits investigation of the metabolic effects of hypercalciuria. In the present study, an inverse correlation has been demonstrated between rate of urinary calcium excretion and renal concentrating performance in such children. In addition to its physiological Interest, the degree of Impairment of concentrating performance observed may be of considerable clinical significance in immobilized patients not given free access to water.
Single-photon frequency conversion by exploiting quantum interference

We present a scheme to achieve efficient single-photon frequency conversion by exploiting quantum interference between different transition pathways for single-photon states. As an example, we discuss the single-photon frequency-conversion process in the configuration wherein a $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$-type (Lambda-type) three-level quantum emitter is coupled to a Sagnac interferometer. It is shown that the efficiency of the frequency conversion approaches unity in the ideal case. A real-space theoretical approach and a pseudospectral numerical method are developed, which facilitate the computation for the full spatiotemporal dynamics of the scattering process.
Physical design of microprocessor used in wireless fire monitoring system

The wireless fire monitoring system,which is convenient to install and much chipper,has been used in many occasions.The microprocessor is the key issue of the fire monitoring system.Based on the TSMC 180 nm CMOS technology,the physical design of a microprocessor is implemented,in which ARM Cortex-m0 is taken as a core.The excellent microprocessor runs at the clock of 50 MHz.Its maximum power consumption is about 11.6 mW,and its total area is 2 794 371.012 703 μm2.Its specification meets the design target.
Characterizing the boundary lateral to the shear direction of deformation twins in magnesium

The three-dimensional nature of twins, especially the atomic structures and motion mechanisms of the boundary lateral to the shear direction of the twin, has never been characterized at the atomic level, because such boundary is, in principle, crystallographically unobservable. We thus refer to it here as the dark side of the twin. Here, using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and atomistic simulations, we characterize the dark side of deformation twins in magnesium. It is found that the dark side is serrated and comprised of coherent twin boundaries and semi-coherent twist prismatic-prismatic boundaries that control twin growth. The conclusions of this work apply to the same twin mode in other hexagonal close-packed materials, and the conceptual ideas discussed here should hold for all twin modes in crystalline materials.
El episodio de los Horacios y Curiacios de Tito Livio en el Poema de Mio Cid

ABSTRACTLa declamacion del Cid durante las Cortes de Toledo desemboca en el sangriento enfrentamiento entre una triada de sus mejores soldados contra tres miembros del clan de Carrion. Este combate triple responde al nuevo sistema triadico que gobierna este tercer cantar. La critica cidiana sostiene una influencia de la epica francesa para este episodio al igual que defiende la necesidad del autor del poema por mantener un patron triple. Sin embargo, la peculiaridad del numero de combatientes y el papel que el monarca Alfonso VI como juez desempena durante la asamblea tienen una raiz literaria. Esta pugna entre ambas triadas y el hecho de que el rey delegue la supervision del pleito recuerda el episodio de los Horacios y Curiacios de Tito Livio en el libro primero de su Ab urbe condita. La influencia de la obra de Tito Livio durante la Edad Media, y en concreto el exito de este episodio belicoso, posibilita argumentar una base literaria para la confeccion del episodio cidiano. Asi, el cambio numerico de e...
The Morbidity of Radical Prostatectomy for Multifocal Stage I Prostatic Adenocarcinoma

AbstractDuring a 25-year period 33 patients with stage I multifocal prostatic adenocarcinoma underwent radical prostatectomy. Carcinoma was present in 81 per cent of the specimens. The operative mortality was 3 per cent. Pelvic recurrence, rectal injury and urethrovesical stricture each occurred in 9 per cent of the cases. Fifteen per cent of the patients were totally incontinent and 42 per cent had stress incontinence. One patient required combined retropubic and perineal approaches to remove the specimen. The safest interval between the first and the radical procedure was 6 weeks or more. The 5 and 10-year relative survival rates were 100 per cent. The best candidate for a radical prostatectomy after transurethral prostatic resection or suprapubic enucleation prostatectomy is one with a thick surgical capsule in whom the first procedure precedes the radical procedure by at least 6 weeks.
Some Restrictions on Constitutive Equations

The condition for stability of a homogeneous state of deformation of an elastic body under dead-loading is derived on the basis of the Hadamard criterion. The strong-ellipticity condition then follows as a necessary condition. The pure homogeneous deformation is then discussed, of a cube of incompressible isotropic neo-Hookean elastic material, under dead-loading by three equal pairs of equal and opposite forces applied to the faces of cube. It is shown that the resulting state of pure homogeneous deformation is not uniquely determined. The implications of this result, with respect to the material stability conditions proposed by Coleman and Noll and by Truesdell and Toupin are discussed. Finally, some explicit restrictions on the strain-energy function are given, which result from the consideration that the velocities of propagation of plane waves in the pure homogeneously deformed material must be real.
The Path of Traditional Labor Politics

BEFORE THERE COULD BE effective national political activity by organized laboring men in the United States, there first had to be enduring union organizations. Strong, stable labor unions in the nation have been a development of the twentieth century. It is not surprising, therefore, that it has been only in the comparatively recent past that the political desires of trade union leaders have received serious attention from platform makers and candidates for President.
Coding and Billing in Surgical Education: A Systems-Based Practice Education Program.

Objective Despite increased emphasis on systems-based practice through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core competencies, few studies have examined what surgical residents know about coding and billing. We sought to create and measure the effectiveness of a multifaceted approach to improving resident knowledge and performance of documenting and coding outpatient encounters. Design We identified knowledge gaps and barriers to documentation and coding in the outpatient setting. We implemented a series of educational and workflow interventions with a group of 12 residents in a surgical clinic at a tertiary care center. To measure the effect of this program, we compared billing codes for 1 year before intervention (FY2012) to prospectively collected data from the postintervention period (FY2013). All related documentation and coding were verified by study-blinded auditors. Setting Interventions took place at the outpatient surgical clinic at Rhode Island Hospital, a tertiary-care center. Participants A cohort of 12 plastic surgery residents ranging from postgraduate year 2 through postgraduate year 6 participated in the interventional sequence. Results A total of 1285 patient encounters in the preintervention group were compared with 1170 encounters in the postintervention group. Using evaluation and management codes (EM for new patients the monthly average E&M level increased from 2.61 to 3.19 (p Conclusions This study describes a series of educational and workflow interventions, which improved resident coding and billing of outpatient clinic encounters. Using externally audited coding data, we demonstrate significantly increased rates of higher complexity E&M coding in a stable patient population based on improved documentation and billing awareness by the residents.
Adding Singing Capabilities to Unit Selection TTS Through HNM-Based Conversion

Adding singing capabilities to a corpus-based concatenative text-to-speech (TTS) system can be addressed by explicitly collecting singing samples from the previously recorded speaker. However, this approach is only feasible if the considered speaker is also a singing talent. As an alternative, we consider appending a Harmonic plus Noise Model (HNM) speech-to-singing conversion module to a Unit Selection TTS (US-TTS) system. Two possible text-to-speech-to-singing synthesis approaches are studied: applying the speech-to-singing conversion to the US-TTS synthetic output, or implementing a hybrid US+HNM synthesis framework. The perceptual tests show that the speech-to-singing conversion yields similar singing resemblance than the natural version, but with lower naturalness. Moreover, no statistically significant differences are found between both strategies in terms of naturalness nor singing resemblance. Finally, the hybrid approach allows reducing more than twice the overall computational cost.
Employer Branding Revisited

In 1996, employer branding was introduced into the lexicon of human resources and marketing. Twenty years later, many of the foundational concepts of employer branding have been researched. Despite...
Hydrothermal preparation of hematite nanotubes/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites as electrode material for high performance supercapacitors

Abstract We report the fabrication of hematite nanotubes/reduced graphene oxide (α-Fe2O3 NTs/rGO) nanocomposites via a one-step hydrothermal process without using any template. The structure and morphology of the samples are confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Electrochemical performances of the samples are investigated employing cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The α-Fe2O3 NTs/rGO demonstrated a maximum specific capacitance of 262.2 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and good cyclic stability at 5 A g−1 with 96% capacitance retention after 500 cycles. The integration of α-Fe2O3 NTs with rGO sheets improved the electrochemical performances.
Colorectal cancer after surveillance colonoscopy : False-negative examination or fast growth?

PURPOSE: Colonoscopy is the preferred method for colorectal cancer surveillance of high-risk patients. Despite its high sensitivity, polyps or cancers may be undetected by colonoscopy and later attributed to an accelerated adenoma-carcinoma sequence. This study assesses how the characteristics of colorectal cancers found at intervals between surveillance relate to the adenoma-carcinoma sequence and its prevention. METHODS: The records of 557 patients with colorectal cancer that were diagnosed from January 1, 1990, to December 31, 1996, were reviewed to identify those patients who had prior colonoscopic surveillance within 60 months of their diagnosis. RESULTS: There were 29 (5.2 percent) patients who had one or more colonoscopies before diagnosis of their colorectal cancer. Mean interval between diagnosis and prior colonoscopy was 23 (range, 4–59) months. The distribution of cancers included nine cecum, two ascending, three hepatic flexure, five transverse, one splenic flexure, three descending, two sigmoid, three rectum, and one anal canal. The mean tumor size was 4.4 cm for the cecum and 2.4 cm for all other locations. There were 7 Tis, 6 T1, 4 T2, and 12 T3 lesions. Six patients with T3 lesions had prior colonoscopies within 24 months of the diagnosis. Three of four patients with lymphatic metastases had tumors in the cecum. Twenty tumors (69 percent) were well or moderately differentiated. Mean follow-up was 41 (range, 7–95) months with two local recurrences and two unrelated deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Size, differentiation, and stage of colorectal cancer in addition to the interval to diagnosis suggest that the majority of cancers found during surveillance colonoscopy followed prior false-negative examinations. Because cecal landmarks are most constant, prior photographic documentation may help to prove or disprove fast growth of cancers found in the cecum during surveillance colonoscopy.
Dominance and Altruism as Traits

One issue in psychology that persists despite frequent, incontrovertible research studies that purport to close the final curtain, is whether, and to what degree, various personality attributes are traits or states. If trait, then individuals will differ from one another on certain behavioral dimensions and these differences will be relatively stable over time and across settings; if state, then individuals will vary differentially in their behavioral response depending on any number of variables, such as physical setting, social context, and who else is present. The controversy arose in response to the lack of empirical evidence demonstrating the cross-situational consistency of observed behavior. This failure led some personality researchers to question the theoretical utility of the trait concept (Mischel, 1968), or to suggest a reformulation of the traditional conceptualization of “personality trait” (Alker, 1972; Bowers, 1973). One recent resolution to this dilemma has been to propose a person-situation, interactional psychology of personality (Endler, 1975; Endler and Magnusson, 1976). But there are still strong arguments for a trait approach (Buss and Craik, 1980; Buss and Plomin, 1984; Epstein, 1979 and 1980).
Some Constraints on Embodied Analogical Understanding

Arguments over the cognitive status of analogy are strikingly similar to those that recur again and again in the endless debates about the reducibility of metaphor. This is not surprising, since, if we regard analogy as primarily a matter of underlying structural isomorphism or shared similarities, then metaphor can be seen as a type of analogical process in which we project structures from an experiential domain of one kind (the source-domain) onto a domain of another kind (the target domain). For the purposes of the kind of argument I am going to give, it is not necessary to make any sharp distinction between the analogical and the metaphorical, because I shall be focusing on something they both hold in common, namely, structural isomorphism between the source and target domains.
Does Native Hawaiian culture-based treatment deserve more funding than treatment-as-usual?

Native Hawaiian culture-based addiction treatment programs are disproportionately funded by federal entitlements exempt from treatment-as-usual and receive almost double the amount of fundi...
Choosing a Handheld Computer: PDAs, MDAs, and the Alphabet Soup of Handheld Computers

Handheld computers have exploded onto the medical scene. It’s a time of transformation, in which PDA no longer means “public display of affection,” but rather “personal digital assistant.” Already, the processing power and information storage (hundreds of megabytes!) that can fit in your pocket is astounding.As the technology advances in leaps and bounds, so too advances the promise of handheld computers to revolutionize health care. And guess what? You can turn your handheld into a sophisticated clinical tool today.The reality of a pocket “medical digital assistant,” or MDA, has arrived. In the pages that follow, you’ll learn, step by step, just how to turn your PDA into an MDA. First, though, you have to make a purchase. . . . When it comes to picking the handheld computer itself, many healthcare professionals suffer from “analysis paralysis.”The options available are vast and growing daily. In this chapter, we give you a good overview of the handheld computers available and hope we can enable you to select one to fit your clinical needs and lifestyle (yes, you can track your golf scores and grocery lists with them as well). “Handhelds,” “mobile computing,” and “portable computers” are the buzzwords of this fast-growing consumer and enterprise market. Many types of devices and computers are available that could be considered handheld computers. To simplify your selection, we concentrate on traditional handhelds; this means small, portable handheld computers that easily slip into your handbag, lab coat, or shirt pocket.
Recurrent Papillary Glioneuronal Tumor

Background Papillary glioneuronal tumors (PGNTs) are rare World Health Organization grade I neoplasms that are characterized by a benign course and excellent response to surgical resection. A few reports exist of tumors with more aggressive clinical and histologic features. In this report we detail the case of an unusually aggressive PGNT in a 67-year-old woman. Case Description The patient had a 3-year history of seizures and was diagnosed with a frontoparietal mass on imaging. She underwent subtotal resection with a histologic diagnosis of PGNT. Less than a year after surgery, the patient experienced recurrence of disease and underwent reresection and adjuvant radiation treatment. The patient's disease continued to progress despite radiation treatment, so adjuvant temozolomide was initiated. Molecular testing was performed and revealed a TERT promotor mutation, an FGFR3-TACC3 oncogenic fusion, and a copy number loss in CDKN2A/CDKN2B. Conclusions PGNTs, while typically benign, can rarely recur after surgery. Molecular testing should be performed on all PGNTs to help possibly identify more aggressive tumors and potentially reveal novel treatment options.
Mutations in the Membrane-Anchored SdhC Subunit Affect Fitness and Sensitivity to Succinate Dehydrogenase Inhibitors in Botrytis cinerea Populations from Multiple Hosts

Succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHIs) are an essential group of fungicides for managing gray mold, caused by Botrytis cinerea, in numerous crops. Resistance to boscalid, an early-generation SDHI, is widespread worldwide and was linked to mutations in the iron-sulfur protein encoding the SdhB subunit of the SDH complex. Herein, we report on four simultaneous dependent mutations at codons 85 (G85A), 93 (I93V), 158 (M158V), and 168 (V168I) of the membrane-anchored SdhC subunit of B. cinerea. Isolates without and with mutations in SdhC were referred to as C- and C+ genotypes, respectively. The C+ genotype was found in all the five surveyed hosts from different U.S. regions but its frequency was higher, 25 to 40%, in the tree fruit isolates compared with 12 to 25% in the small fruit populations. The four SdhC mutations were found in isolates without mutations in SdhB or with mutations known to confer resistance to the SDHIs in SdhB. However, the frequency of C+ isolates was significantly higher in the SdhB wild-type isolates, which suggests that SDHI sprays may have played a role in selecting for the C- over the C+ genotype. Field C+ isolates exhibited reduced sensitivity to fluopyram and increased sensitivity to boscalid and penthiopyrad in vitro and on detached fruit. Homology modeling confirmed the positioning of the four mutations in the ubiquinone-binding pocket. The SdhCG85A is found in the proximal ubiquinone binding site and SdhCM158V is positioned in the iron sulfur protein interface next to the [3Fe-4S] cluster, whereas SdhCI93V is positioned next to the heme b with vital functions in the SDH enzyme. Beside the differential sensitivity to the SDHIs, these mutations caused a significant fitness cost in the C+ isolates including sporulation and increased sensitivity to reactive oxygen species. The presence of Botrytis populations differentially sensitive to the SDHIs suggests increased risks for resistance development but also opens up new perspective for future gray mold management using different SDHI fungicides.
Rossum’s Mimesis

In this chapter we frame the efforts of robotics to create new, intelligent machinery as a tension between refactoring human mechanisms through mimesis and the techno-optimistic promise of artificial intelligence that vaults beyond the capabilities of its human creators in an expression of metaphysical poetics, frequently termed The Singularity. The Rossum father and son characters in Karel Capek’s R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) become opposing poles in our analysis for the shifting motivations underlying why and how human labor might be replaced by automation. Exploring R.U.R. in the context of its early twentieth-century cultural context demonstrates its conversation with a reshaping world order and corresponding movements of nationalism. Yet the tension in robotics as both mimesis and poetics continues into the present age, and we examine present-day utopian visions of technological posthumanism by studying Kurzweil’s The Singularity Is Near, demonstrating striking parallels with R.U.R. in the tropes of human disentanglement from prosaic needs, and the techno-utopian image of a posthuman age of leisure and plenty.
Quantitative Assessment of Thermal Features of the Southwest Portion of Yellowstone Park

The objectives of this project are to obtain chemical, thermal, and hydrological data for thermal features in the southwest portion of Yellowstone National Park, and to make assessments of the heat, mass, and chemical budgets for the region. With a better understanding of the hydrothermal regime we intend to delineate key thermal features which should be monitored on a periodic basis to detect inadvertent geothermal development impact.
Carbon-fluorine bond cleavage mediated by metalloenzymes.

Fluorochemicals are a widely distributed class of compounds and have been utilized across a wide range of industries for decades. Given the environmental toxicity and adverse health threats of some fluorochemicals, the development of new methods for their decomposition is significant to public health. However, the carbon–fluorine (C–F) bond is among the most chemically robust bonds; consequently, the degradation of fluorinated hydrocarbons is exceptionally difficult. Here, metalloenzymes that catalyze the cleavage of this chemically challenging bond are reviewed. These enzymes include histidine-ligated heme-dependent dehaloperoxidase and tyrosine hydroxylase, thiolate-ligated heme-dependent cytochrome P450, and four nonheme oxygenases, namely, tetrahydrobiopterin-dependent aromatic amino acid hydroxylase, 2-oxoglutarate-dependent hydroxylase, Rieske dioxygenase, and thiol dioxygenase. While much of the literature regarding the aforementioned enzymes highlights their ability to catalyze C–H bond activation and functionalization, in many cases, the C–F bond cleavage has been shown to occur on fluorinated substrates. A copper-dependent laccase-mediated system representing an unnatural radical defluorination approach is also described. Detailed discussions on the structure–function relationships and catalytic mechanisms provide insights into biocatalytic defluorination, which may inspire drug design considerations and environmental remediation of halogenated contaminants.
School Funding Under the Neutrality Principle: Notes on a Post-Espinoza Future

The Supreme Court reads the Constitution to accord only grudging permission to families that wish to exit from the free, public school system. They must be allowed to do so, but only on the condition that they arrange and pay for a private alternative. This effectively creates a subsidy for government-run schools relative to private schools—85% of which are religious. Two First Amendment rules—that publicly provided schools must be secular, and that the state may not prefer irreligion to religion—suggest that such a preferential subsidy for secular over religious education should not be permitted. Such a result, however, conflicts head-on with the idea of the “common school,” which forms the small-c constitution of American education. Advocates of the common school sought and still seek to create free public schools that homogenize and standardize schoolchildren in a “common” political culture. These two sets of constitutional principles are in deep tension. First Amendment neutrality requires the state to abjure any opinion when it comes to religion. Common schooling, by contrast, is all about the state having opinions. In a slow-moving series of Supreme Court cases, this tension appears to be coming to a head. In Zelman v. Simmons-Harris (2002), the Supreme Court held that the First Amendment permits states to use public money to offset religious school tuition, so long as religious schooling is freely chosen by parents. In a case on the Court’s current docket, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, the Court will decide whether religious schools must be permitted to receive such subventions on the same basis as any other private school. Neither Zelman nor Espinoza challenges the public-school subsidy, but plaintiffs’ arguments in both make it more tenuous. Indeed, legality of the subsidy was questioned during the Espinoza oral argument at the Supreme Court. This Essay argues that, given current trends on the Court and especially if the Espinoza plaintiffs prevail, neutrality arguments against the subsidy have increasing heft. Those who advocate the values associated with common schooling should begin to think about how they might adapt were it to be abolished.
Stereological characterization of neurogenic niche secretory cell types in the mouse dorsal dentate gyrus

Adult neurogenesis in the dorsal dentate gyrus (DG) subregion of the mammalian hippocampus supports critical cognitive processes related to memory. Local DG cell populations form a neurogenic niche specialized to regulate adult neurogenesis. Recently, DG astrocytes, microglia, endothelia, and neural stem cells have been identified as sources of neurogenesis-modulating secreted factors. Accurately estimating the size of these cell populations is useful for elucidating their relative contributions to niche physiology. Previous studies have characterized these cell types individually, but to our knowledge no comprehensive study of all these cell types exists. This is problematic because considerable variability in reported population size complicates comparisons across studies. Here, we apply consistent stereological methods within a single study to estimate cell density for neurogenesis-modulating secretory cell types in the dorsal DG of adult mice. We used immunohistochemical phenotypic markers to quantify cell density and found that stellate astrocytes were the most numerous followed by endothelia, intermediate progenitors, microglia, and neural stem cells. We did not observe any significant sex differences in cell density. We expect our data will facilitate efforts to elucidate the role of DG secretory cell populations in regulating adult neurogenesis.