cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photoalignment of a Nematic Liquid Crystal Fluid and Glassy−Nematic Oligofluorenes on Coumarin-Containing Polymer Films

The orientations of both a nematic liquid crystal fluid and a series of monodisperse glassy−nematic oligofluorenes were investigated on photoalignment films comprising a polymethacrylate backbone with 7-benzoyloxycoumarin pendants. Both classes of liquid crystalline material were found to undergo a transition from a parallel to a perpendicular orientation with reference to the polarization axis of UV-irradiation at a sufficiently high extent of dimerization. The UV−vis and FTIR spectroscopic analyses revealed photostability with irradiation up to a fluence of 10 J/cm2, thereby excluding photodegradation as the basis for the observed crossover. A kinetic model was used to interpret the crossover behavior for irradiation at 25 °C, leading to the conclusion that liquid crystal molecules interact more favorably with coumarin monomers than with dimers. Through thermal annealing above Tg followed by cooling to room temperature, a glassy−nematic pentafluorene film was prepared on a photoalignment film, exhibitin...
The Biology of Fear

Each of us has felt afraid, and we can all recognize fear in many animal species. Yet there is no consensus in the scientific study of fear. Some argue that ‘fear’ is a psychological construct rather than something discoverable through scientific investigation. Others argue that the term ‘fear’ cannot properly be applied to animals because we cannot know whether they feel afraid. Studies in rodents show that there are highly specific brain circuits for fear, whereas findings from human neuroimaging seem to make the opposite claim. Here, I review the field and urge three approaches that could reconcile the debates. For one, we need a broadly comparative approach that would identify core components of fear conserved across phylogeny. This also pushes us towards the second point of emphasis: an ecological theory of fear that is essentially functional. Finally, we should aim even to incorporate the conscious experience of being afraid, reinvigorating the study of feelings across species.
Anesthesia of Artemia Larvae: Method for Quantitative Study

Potency of anesthetics is quantitatively measured with laboratory-hatched larvae of the brine shrimp Artemia salina. Statistical fluctuations are minimized in that 100,000 animals are used to determine a single median anesthetic dose value. The technique was developed to study molecular mechanisms of general anesthesia.
Effects of radiation on rat respiratory epithelial cells: critical target cell populations and the importance of cell-cell interactions.

Abstract The oncongenic effects of radiation on rat respiratory tissues are modulated in vivo within the intact tissue. The degree of modulation as well as the mechanism whereby modulation occurs appears to be different for different types of ionizing radiations. A combined cell culture -in vivo model is described. This model has been developed to evaluate the influence of the host and tissue environment on development and expression of the neoplastic phenotype in irradiated rat trachea. Our data indicates that the potentially oncogenic effects of neutrons, X Rays, and α-particles are different depending on the exposure conditions employed and the conditions under which exposed cells are maintained following exposure.
On the parameters which control the forward velocity of a Bostick plasmoid

Abstract The forward velocity of Bostick plasmoids is shown experimentally to be proportional to the mean surge current through their button source.
Postsecondary education and the sub-baccalaureate labor market: Corrections and extensions

Abstract This paper presents results based on corrections to the data — the National Longitudinal Study of the Class of 1972 (NLS72) — used in two earlier papers on the effects of education in sub-baccalaureate labor markets. The corrected results confirm most of the earlier results except that, for men, the effects of vocational Associate degrees are insignificant while the effects of vocational credits earned are significant — confirming that under some circumstances there are economic benefits to small amounts of community college without earning degrees. Other corrected results confirm that those levels of education with positive returns seem to act as signals of ability. Finally, some extensions using the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) data are presented, generally confirming the variation in returns within the sub-baccalaureate labor market and the value of completing credentials rather than incomplete programs.
Prefabricated dowels: A literature review

Abstract The various subtopics of post and core research were identified and reviewed. The literature in each subtopic was evaluated and conclusions were based on those evaluations.
African American Women’s Coping with Health Care Prejudice:

African American clients have reported racism and prejudice in health care; yet there is limited documentation of the strategies used to cope with these experiences. This study describes African American women's perceptions of prejudice in health care and the strategies used to cope with the experiences. This qualitative study used the constructivist perspective of interpretive interactionism for paradigmatic and methodological guidance. Participants were 20 women ranging from age 26 to 74 years with 50% having a high school education. Individual interviews consisting of five areas were conducted with three instruments measuring ethnic identity, socioeconomic status, and general demographics. The analyses provide two themes: experience with the "White health care system" and strategies for coping with the prejudice, which included getting angry, learning to unlearn, being assertive, and walking away. Consistent with the discussions of race in the United States, racism in health care has become a subtle entity that infuses health care relationships.
Prostaglandin and tumor necrosis factor levels in early wound inflammatory fluid: Effects of parenteral omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid administration

Abstract Monokines are important mediators of wound healing. Specifically, the proportions of proinflammatory (tumor necrosis factor and PGE 2 ) and antiinflammatory (PGF 2α ) monokines may modulate its early phases. Using a polyvinyl alcohol sponge model of rat wounding, the authors determined the temporal changes in the levels of monokines in wound inflammatory fluid, and examined whether dietary manipulation for 6 days with the precursors (ω6 fatty acids) and inhibitors (fish oil ω3 fatty acids) of the prostaglandin-2 series influenced monokine composition of wound fluid. For 3 days before the wounding, adult rats received isocaloric, isovolemic, and isonitrogenous total parenteral nutrition (TPN), in which lipids supplied either 35% (Intralipid [IL] or fish oil emulsion [FO]) or 8% (minimal essential fatty acid; EFA) of the total calories. Control rats received isocaloric enteral chow. The controls were studied at 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours, and the experimentals at 72 hours after wounding. Cell counts were performed, and cell-free fluid was analyzed for PGE 2 , PGF 2α , and TNF. In control rats, the total WBC count was highest at 24 to 48 hours, and decreased significantly by 96 hours. The percentage of mononuclear cells progressively increased throughout the 96 hours, and the total mononuclear cell count peaked at 72 hours. The TNF and prostaglandin levels were highest at 24 hours; these decreased rapidly by 72 hours. At all time-points, the levels of PGE 2 remained higher than those of PGF 2α . Seventy-two hours postwounding, the different intravenous lipid preparations did not significantly after the WBC count, mononuclear cell count, or prostaglandin levels when compared with the 72-hour control, or with each other. However, TNF levels were significantly higher in the EFA low-fat group than in the high-fat IL or FO groups. This study confirms TNF's early role in wound healing, and provides previously undescribed evidence suggesting that PGE 2 and PGF 2α also help initiate the early inflammatory phase of wound healing. That all monokines peaked before the mononuclear cell peak suggests a functionally diverse, tightly regulated monocyte population differing in degree of activation over time. The lack of a temporal inversion of the PGE 2 :PGF 2α ratio differs from previous studies that suggest that this ratio inverts as the inflammatory phase wanes. Interestingly, neither of the high-fat TPN preparations (IL or FO) resulted in significantly different monokine levels. However, the low-fat TPN preparation (EFA) did result in significantly increased wound TNF levels, which suggests that low quantities of exogenous fat may be more important than the type of fat for optimal wound healing.
Histomorphometric determination of formation rates of archaeological bone.

Archaeological rib samples were subjected to quantitative histologic analysis to determine rates of cortical bone formation. Histologic features are usually well enough preserved to permit the determination of mean annual Haversian bone formation rate averaged over the life span of the individual. Moreover, gross estimates of aging archaeological bone correlate well with histologic parameters expected for particular ages.
Ontogenetic changes in classification behavior

A developmental study of free-classification behavior within the age range of 3-1/2 to 19 years indicates that categorical responses, which are characteristic of adult behavior, increase with age while overgeneralized responses, classifications including noncategorical instances, decrease with age. Overdiscriminated responses which are incomplete categorical classifications increase from 3-1/2 to 6 years and then decrease to 19 years of age. These results are discussed within a two-stage theory of conceptual development (Kendler, 1971).
MicroRNAs, diet, and cancer: new mechanistic insights on the epigenetic actions of phytochemicals

There is growing interest in the epigenetic mechanisms that impact human health and disease, including the role of microRNAs (miRNAs). These small (18–25 nucleotide), evolutionarily conserved, non-coding RNA molecules regulate gene expression in a post-transcriptional manner. Several well-orchestered regulatory mechanisms involving miRNAs have been identified, with the potential to target multiple signaling pathways dysregulated in cancer. Since the initial discovery of miRNAs, there has been progress towards therapeutic applications, and several natural and synthetic chemopreventive agents also have been evaluated as modulators of miRNA expression in different cancer types. This review summarizes the most up-to-date information related to miRNA biogenesis, and critically evaluates proposed miRNA regulatory mechanisms in relation to cancer signaling pathways, as well as other epigenetic modifications (DNA methylation patterns, histone marks) and their involvement in drug resistance. We also discuss the mechanisms by which dietary factors regulate miRNA expression, in the context of chemoprevention versus therapy. 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Late Pleistocene divergence between eastern and western populations of wood ducks (Aix sponsa) inferred by the 'isolation with migration' coalescent method.

During the Late Pleistocene, glaciers sundered many species into multiple glacial refugia where populations diverged in allopatry. Although deeply divergent mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages often reflect the number of refugia occupied, it is unlikely that populations that split during the recent Wisconsin glaciations will have reached reciprocal monophyly. We examined mtDNA control region sequences from eastern and western populations of wood ducks (Aix sponsa) to determine whether their current, disjunct distribution is consistent with the occupancy of two glacial refugia. We used the ‘isolation with migration’ coalescent method (im) to simultaneously estimate effective population sizes, maternal gene flow, and time since divergence. We found 24 unique haplotypes, none of which were shared between the eastern and western populations, but we did not find diagnostic monophyletic lineages suggestive of long-term isolation in multiple glacial refugia. However, a high ΦST (0.31) indicates that eastern and western populations are well differentiated in mtDNA, and results from im suggest that these populations have been diverging, without extensive gene flow, for 10 000 to 124 000 years. Results from im further suggest that these populations most likely split about 34 000 years ago, and this time of divergence is consistent with the occupancy of multiple glacial refugia during the Late Wisconsin glaciation. Eastern wood ducks are characterized by high genetic diversity, a large effective population size, and a recent population expansion, while western wood ducks have much less genetic diversity, a smaller population size, and have not undergone a recent population expansion.
A real-time measure of cavitation induced tissue disruption by ultrasound imaging backscatter reduction

A feedback method for obtaining real-time information on the mechanical disruption of tissue through ultrasound cavitation is presented. This method is based on a substantial reduction in ultrasound imaging backscatter from the target volume as the tissue structure is broken down. Ex-vivo samples of porcine liver were exposed to successive high-intensity ultrasound pulses at a low duty cycle to induce mechanical disruption of tissue parenchyma through cavitation (referred to as histotripsy). At the conclusion of treatment, B-scan imaging backscatter was observed to have decreased by 22.4 plusmn 2.3 dB in the target location. Treated samples of tissue were found to contain disrupted tissue corresponding to the imaged hypoechoic volume with no remaining discernable structure and a sharp boundary. The observed, substantial backscatter reduction may be an effective feedback mechanism for assessing treatment efficacy in ultrasound surgery using pulsed ultrasound to create cavitation
Antecedents And Consequences Of Consumers" Online Privacy Concerns

This paper proposes a theoretical framework to investigate the factors that influence the privacy concerns of consumers who use the Internet, and the possible outcomes of such privacy concerns. Factors identified as antecedents to online privacy concerns are perceived vulnerability to personal data collection and misuse, perceived ability to control data collection and subsequent use, the level of Internet literacy, social awareness, and background cultural factors. The possible consequences of online privacy concerns are the lack of willingness to provide personal information online, rejection of e-commerce, or even unwillingness to use the Internet. Managerial implications of the framework are discussed.
Ureteral fibrin sealant injection of the distal ureter during laparoscopic nephroureterectomy--a novel and simple modification of the pluck technique.

OBJECTIVES To describe a novel technique to block the distal ureter, thus preventing spillage of tumor cell bearing urine during laparoscopic pluck nephroureterectomy. Currently, there is no consensus on the appropriate management of distal ureter during laparoscopic nephroureterectomy. METHODS A review was performed of patients who underwent modified laparoscopic pluck nephroureterectomy for upper tract transitional cell carcinoma from July 2007 to December 2008. After confirming an absence of bladder tumors, an 8F olive-tipped ureteral catheter was introduced into the ureteral orifice. Five milliliters of Tisseel was injected into the ureter. Five milliliters of indigo carmine was injected intravenously to confirm the presence of ureteral blockage. Using a Collins knife, the ureteral orifice was dissected until the extravesical fat was visualized. A Foley catheter was placed and a laparoscopic nephroureterectomy was then completed. The drain was removed on the 3rd postoperative day and Foley was removed on the 10th postoperative day after a normal cystogram. RESULTS We performed 8 procedures using the above-described technique. The median age was 62 years, all were males; 2 were operated on the right side and 6 on the left. The average operative time and estimated blood loss was 308 minutes and 150 mL, respectively. The average length of stay was 6 days. One major and 2 minor complications (ileus) were noted. Mean cancer follow-up is 11 months. All specimen margins free of tumor. No extravesical or intravesical recurrences were noted. CONCLUSIONS Ureteral fibrin sealant injection produces dependable ureteral obstruction during laparoscopic pluck nephroureterectomy and may prevent tumor spillage in the extravesical tissues.
Approximate continuous wavelet transform with an application to noise reduction

We describe a generalized scale-redundant wavelet transform which approximates a dense sampling of the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) in both time and scale. The dyadic scaling requirement of the usual wavelet transform is relaxed in favor of an approximate scaling relationship which in the case of a Gaussian scaling function is known to be asymptotically exact and irrational. This scheme yields an arbitrarily dense sampling of the scale axis in the limit. Similar behavior is observed for other scaling functions with no explicit analytic form. We investigate characteristics of the family of Lagrange interpolating filters (related to the Daubechies (1988) family of compactly-supported orthonormal wavelets), and finally present applications of the transform to denoising and edge detection.
The response of vitamin K deficient chicks subjected to heat stress

Abstract COMPARATIVELY little has been reported on the effect of environmental temperature on blood clotting or the prothrombin time of the chick. Rubenstein and Lack (1960) and Denyes and Carter (1961) reported prolonged prothrombin times in various species subjected to low temperatures. Mills et al. (1944) observed an increase in hemorrhagic deaths in vitamin K-deficient rats exposed to elevated temperatures. Griminger et al. (1963) subjected one year old adult Leghorn chickens of both sexes to high, normal and low temperatures. They observed a general trend toward hypoprothrombinemia with increasing environmental temperatures. The present studies were conducted to determine the effect of dietary vitamin K on the prothrombin time of the chick when subjected to high environmental temperatures. EXPERIMENTAL Two experiments were conducted in a study of the effect of vitamin K and heat on chick prothrombin time. All chicks were brooded in electrically heated battery brooders provided with raised wire floors. . . .
Irony and the Age of Gold in the Book of the Duchess

RONSARD'S couplet recalls a theme common enough in classical and medieval poetry: that the Golden Age, man's brief happy spring on earth, was a time when Love ruled human relations, and love's fulfillment was to be had for the asking. To the mind of the moralist our Fall, from Arcadia or from Eden, has one cause and symptom: "love is falle into discord"2; wars displace peaceful friendliness. The amorist's private passion is as much affected by the world's decline: eros joins amicitia and caritas in a general decay, when innocence becomes duplicity and contentment lapses into unsatisfiable longing. This essay argues that Chaucer drawing on his French contemporaries and on Ovid uses primitivistic myth to console John of Gaunt for the death of his first wife. The consolation, such as it is, proves to be secular, not Christian. Nature teaches the poet her law, and she forces the modern lover to come to terms with the golden past. The narrator's characterization of himself is at the heart of the poem. His interpretation of his experience shapes ours, though not always in the way he intends; his part in the action of his dream makes possible its resolution. He is an unhappy lover whose portrait Chaucer takes, almost word for word, from the opening of Froissart's Paradys d'Amours:
Nano-conductive Adhesives for Nano-electronics Interconnection

With the phasing out of lead-bearing solders, electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs) have been identified as one of the environmentally friendly alternatives to tin/lead (Sn/Pb) solders in electronics packaging applications. In particular, with the requirements for fine-pitch and high-performance interconnects in advanced packaging, nanoconductive adhesives are becoming more and more important due to the special electrical, mechanical, optical, magnetic, and chemical properties that nano-sized materials can possess. There has been extensive research for the last few years on materials and process improvement of ECAs, as well as the advances of nanoconductive adhesives that contain nano-filler such as nanoparticles, nanowires, or carbon nanotubes and nanomonolayer graphenes. In this chapter, recent research trends on electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs) and their related nanotechnologies are discussed, with the particular emphasis on the emerging nanotechnology, including materials development and characterizations, processing optimization, reliability improvement, and future challenges/opportunities identification. The state of the art on nanoisotropic/anisotropic conductive adhesives incorporated with nanosilver, carbon nanotubes, and nanonickel, and their recent studies on those for flexible nano/bioelectronics, transparent electrodes, and jettable processes are addressed in this chapter. Future studies on nanointerconnect materials are discussed as well.
Formation of curved seafloor fabric by changes in rift propagation velocity and spreading rate: Application to the 95.5°W Galapagos propagator

Possible rigid plate models and shear models for the formation of curved seafloor lineaments by rift propagation are investigated and are applied to the Galapagos propagation rift system at 95 deg W. It is shown that the geometry noted at the Galapagos can result from either rift propagation acceleration or a spreading rate decrease during the last few hundred thousand years. It is postulated that the reverse curvature could result from either deceleration of rift propagation or an increase in spreading rate. The data interpreted as requiring a shear zone are found to be equally consistent with two distinct models based on rigid plate tectonics.
Aspirin triggered lipid mediators: novel inhibitors of leucocyte trafficking.

Despite nearly 100 years of wide usage, complete knowledge of the therapeutic impact of aspirin is still evolving1-3and new beneficial effects are being uncovered in cardiovascular disease and cancer.4 5 The irreversible acetylation of cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-1 and its more recently discovered isoform COX-21 6 with inhibition of prostaglandins is well appreciated and explains some, but not all, of the pharmacological actions of aspirin. Another series of bioactive lipid mediators on which aspirin has an impact are lipoxins (LX), and their C15 epimers (15R), denoted aspirin triggered lipoxins (ATL, fig 1), which are biosynthesised by separate routes involving transcellular circuits.7 Native LX in the nanomolar range inhibit the adhesion and transmigration of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs)8-10 and hence serve as counter-regulatory signals operative in the resolution of inflammatory sites.11 12 Not only do LX serve counter-regulatory roles, but specific enantiomerically modified LX (ATL) may also be actual effectors of well established anti-inflammatory therapeutic actions of aspirin. The impact of 5S,6R,15S-trihydroxy-7,9,13- trans -11- cis -eicosatetraenoic acid (LXA4) and ATL was investigated in tumour necrosis factor (TNFα) initiated PMN responses in vitro and in vivo using the metabolically more stable LX analogues 15R/S-methyl-LXA4and 15-epi-16-(parafluoro)-phenoxy-LXA4. These compounds represent subtle modifications to the native LXA4 and ATL structure that prevent rapid metabolic inactivation of the lipoxin and 15-epi-LX structures.13 14 These compounds are also potent novel inhibitors of TNFα driven PMN associated inflammatory events in vitro as well as in vivo, as shown in a murine model with end points relevant to pulmonary inflammation. Figure 1 Generation of aspirin triggered lipid mediators (ATLM): anti-inflammation signals. Arachidonic acid can be transformed via COX-1 or its inducible isoform COX-2 to produce prostaglandins and thromboxane. Acetylation by aspirin blocks this conversion.1 6 …
Rings of continuous functions: Decision problems

R=C(X,R) is the ring of continuous functions from the topological space X to the real field
Demographic and health surveys indicate limited impact of condoms and HIV testing in four African countries.

Condom promotion and HIV testing for the general population have been major components of HIV prevention efforts in sub-Saharan Africa's high prevalence HIV epidemics, although little evidence documents their public health impact. Recent enhancements to the large, population-based demographic and health surveys (DHS) and AIDS information surveys (AIS) allow use of these data to assess the population-wide impact of these strategies. We analysed the latest DHS and AIS data from four sub-Saharan African countries with high prevalence, heterosexually transmitted HIV epidemics (Cote d'Ivoire, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zambia; N = 48 298) to answer two questions: 1) Are men and women who use condoms less likely to be HIV-infected than those who do not?; and 2) Are men and women who report knowing their HIV status more likely to use condoms than those who do not? Consistent condom use was associated with lower HIV infection rates for Swazi men but with higher HIV infection rates for women in Tanzania and Zambia; it made no significant difference in the other five sex/country subgroups analysed. Inconsistent condom use was not significantly associated with HIV status in any subgroup. Knowing one's HIV status was consistently associated with higher rates of condom use only among married people who were HIV-positive, even though condom use in this group remained relatively low. Effects of knowing one's HIV status among other subgroups varied. These results suggest that condoms have had little population-wide impact for HIV/AIDS prevention in these four countries. HIV testing appears to be associated with increased condom use mainly among people in stable partnerships who test positive. HIV testing and condom promotion may be more effective when targeted to specific groups where there is evidence of benefit rather than to general populations.
Characteristics of Mall Patrons: Comparisons Across Four Ethnic Groups

The research reported here investigates demographical, situational, and shopping behavior similarities and differences among four subpopulations of mall shoppers: Anglos, African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asians. The results indicate that there are many differences among these ethnic groups. Managerial implications of these findings and future research directions are discussed.
Action Localization in Videos through Context Walk

This paper presents an efficient approach for localizing actions by learning contextual relations, in the form of relative locations between different video regions. We begin by over-segmenting the videos into supervoxels, which have the ability to preserve action boundaries and also reduce the complexity of the problem. Context relations are learned during training which capture displacements from all the supervoxels in a video to those belonging to foreground actions. Then, given a testing video, we select a supervoxel randomly and use the context information acquired during training to estimate the probability of each supervoxel belonging to the foreground action. The walk proceeds to a new supervoxel and the process is repeated for a few steps. This "context walk" generates a conditional distribution of an action over all the supervoxels. A Conditional Random Field is then used to find action proposals in the video, whose confidences are obtained using SVMs. We validated the proposed approach on several datasets and show that context in the form of relative displacements between supervoxels can be extremely useful for action localization. This also results in significantly fewer evaluations of the classifier, in sharp contrast to the alternate sliding window approaches.
A data-driven feature extraction framework for predicting the severity of condition of congestive heart failure patients

In this paper, we propose a novel methodology for utilizing disease diagnostic information to predict severity of condition for Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) patients. Our methodology relies on a novel, clustering-based, feature extraction framework using disease diagnostic information. To reduce the dimensionality we identify disease clusters using cooccurence frequencies. We then utilize these clusters as features to predict patient severity of condition. We build our clustering and feature extraction algorithm using the 2012 National Inpatient Sample (NIS), Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) which contains 7 million discharge records and ICD-9-CM codes. The proposed framework is tested on Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Electronic Health Records (EHR) from 3041 patients. We compare our cluster-based feature set with another that incorporates the Charlson comorbidity score as a feature and demonstrate an accuracy improvement of up to 14% in the predictability of the severity of condition.
Social Stratification in Nigeria

identification, and the like-appear to be of overriding importance. Thus, we can agree with Davis who contends that "to jump to ... the conclusion that prostitution can be abolished by eliminating its economic causes is erroneous. Economic causes seldom act alone, and hence their removal is seldom a panacea."'9 Single factors rarely operate alone, be these economic, kinship, migration, and the like. Rather, we must view total situations of disorganization and stability in terms of interrelated forces which maximize and minimize each other, or even completely reverse potentialities inhering in single factors. The present inquiry into the sociocultural correlates of commercialized prostitution in Okinawa appears to confirm the hypothesis, arrived at on the basis of data in Western urban centers, that prostitution exists primarily in marginal areas in which there is marked population instability. At the same time, however, the data presented here also tend to point up the necessity of examining other forces operative among those who are immediately involved in the institution itself, namely, the quality of their kinship and community ties. In this way it may be possible to gain further insight into the forces which lead individuals in marginal areas into particular modes of behavior, both normative and sociologically dysfunctional. 19 Kingsley Davis, "The Sociology of Prostitution," American Sociological Review II (December 1937), 749.
Ultraviolet Point Radiation in Production of Developmental Abnormalities in the Chick Embryo.

By means of the apparatus described by Hinrichs, ultraviolet point radiation was used to locally modify the development of chick embryos.1 At various intervals during incubation, eggs were opened,2 and the desired region exposed for a given period of time, after which the shell was again sealed shut, and the incubation continued.Most of the present experiments were made on the developing eye, and results were obtained as follows: (a) inhibition of the rate of development as compared with the unradiated eye, (b) killing of lens tissue, (c) stimulation of rate of pigment formation in the optic cup. The type of effect obtained depended on the dosage and the age of the embryo.Exposures of the developing brain resulted as follows: short exposure of the forebrain of a 2-day embryo produced a lateral overgrowth on the exposed side. No such effect was obtained in the hindbrain. Longer exposures produced a coagulation of brain tissue. Exposure of the median posterior region of a 2-day embryo caused degeneration of...
Conservation farming system on intensive multiple-cropping paddy fields in South China

This paper summarized the development and evolvement of conservation farming system on South China intensive multiple-cropping paddy fields, with its technical characters, patterns, and research progress analyzed. In South China rice cropping areas, a series of key technologies of conservation tillage received some breakthrough and gained remarkable ecological, economic and social benefits, offering a good pattern for the crop production and environment protection in South China intensive multiple rice cropping areas. The shortages in the research and popularization of this farming system were also pointed out, and it was suggested that researches should be intensified on the aspects of regional arrangement, technical mechanism, and ecological-economic evaluation, so as to formulate feasible policies about the ecological compensation of conservation farming system.
pH adjustment schedule for the amide local anesthetics.

Several studies have indicated that the addition of sodium bicarbonate to solutions of local anesthetics to raise the pH closer to the pKa shortens the latency, increases the intensity, and prolongs the duration of the resultant neural blockade. However, the addition of too much bicarbonate will cause precipitation, and this may result in the injection of particulate free base along with the solution. The present study was carried out to determine the maximal amount of sodium bicarbonate that can be added to each of the amide local anesthetics without the formation of a precipitate and, thus, to construct a pH adjustment schedule to simplify the alkalinization of local anesthetics in clinical practice.
Fusion Between v-SNARE Nanodiscs and “Flipped” t-SNARE Cells: Control of Fusion Pore Nucleation and Lifetimes by SNARE Protein Transmembrane Domains

A key step during neurotransmitter or hormone release (exocytosis) is the formation of a nanometer-sized fusion pore that connects the plasma membrane to the synaptic or secretory vesicle. The pore can flicker open and closed repeatedly before dilating or resealing irreversibly. Pore dynamics affect vesicle recycling, amount and kinetics of released cargo, and activation of downstream events. The fusion pore is clearly a key intermediate; however, factors regulating its dynamics are poorly understood, in large part due to a lack of biochemically defined single-pore assays.We have developed a novel assay that probes single fusion pores formed between ∼16 nm flat lipid bilayer nanodiscs (NDs) reconstituted with neuronal/exocytotic vesicular soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (v-SNARE) proteins and cells engineered to express cognate “flipped” target membrane t-SNAREs on their surfaces, with the SNARE domain facing the extracellular medium. Conductance through single, voltage-clamped fusion pores directly reports sub-millisecond pore dynamics. Pore currents fluctuated, briefly returned to baseline multiple times, and disappeared ∼6 s after initial opening, as if the fusion pore fluctuated in size, flickered, and resealed. We found that putative interactions between v- and t-SNARE transmembrane domains (TMDs) promote, but are not essential for pore nucleation. Surprisingly, the same modifications that reduced pore nucleation rates dramatically prolonged pore lifetimes. Our results indicate that rod-shaped, post-fusion cis-SNARE complexes that poorly fit the highly curved fusion site rapidly vacate the pore region, leaving pore properties to be determined by lipids. In contrast, mutants deficient in TMD-zippering prevented pore resealing for >60 s, possibly due to their post-fusion Y-shape. Thus, post-fusion geometry of the proteins may determine pore stability, analogous to the well-known effects of lipid geometry on highly curved fusion intermediates.
Growing Dedicated Energy Crops on Marginal Lands and Ecosystem Services

Marginal lands are candidates for growing dedicated energy crops such as perennial warm-season grasses (WSGs) and short-rotation woody crops (SRWCs), but actual field data on ecosystem services have not been widely discussed. This review (i) discusses potential marginal lands studied for energy crop production, (ii) considers the impacts of energy crops on ecosystem services, and (iii) underlines research needs. Some marginal or degraded lands studied for energy crops include highly erodible, flood-prone, compacted, saline, acid, contaminated, or sandy soils, reclaimed minesoils, urban marginal sites, and abandoned or degraded croplands. Field data are few but indicate that ecosystem services vary with the type of marginal land, management (i.e., fertilizer or amendment rates), and perennial species. Biomass yields can vary between 1 and 14 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ under WSGs and between 0.5 and 9.5 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ under SRWCs. Growing energy crops on marginal lands can reduce water and wind erosion, sequester soil C between 0.25 and 4 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, restore contaminated or compacted soils, and improve biodiversity. Fertilization or addition of organic amendments increases biomass yield and C sequestration on marginal lands. Future research on energy crops on marginal lands should evaluate (i) all ecosystem services, (ii) site-specific management strategies, (iii) species tolerant to adverse climatic, soil, and environmental conditions, and (vi) economic viability, among others. Overall, dedicated bioenergy crops can provide biofuel feedstocks and other ecosystem services, but more experimental data are needed to reduce the uncertainty regarding the performance of energy crops under different types of marginal or degraded lands.
The Propositional Logic

This chapter discusses the simplest symbolic logic—the propositional logic or the propositional calculus. A proposition is a declarative sentence that is either true or false, but not both. The “true” or “false” assigned to a proposition is called the truth value of the proposition. From propositions, compound propositions can be built by using logical connectives. A formula is said to be valid if and only if it is true under all its interpretations. A formula is said to be invalid if and only if it is not valid. A formula is said to be inconsistent or unsatisfiable, if and only if it is false under all its interpretations. A formula is said to be consistent or satisfiable, if and only if it is not inconsistent. In the propositional logic, since the number of interpretations of a formula is finite, one can always decide whether a formula in the propositional logic is valid—inconsistent—by exhaustively examining all of its possible interpretations.
Intellectual Foundations of Tory Doctrine

The meaning of a text is known as much by what it omits as by what it relates. So we are told by the most fashionable authorities, who omit to tell us their own political agendas. According to this bizarre and truly academic way of using English, the whole of human experience is “text.” We may therefore discover the political culture of any of the possible “Australias” which made Eugene Kamenka by examining those elements which none of them contain.
Towards a Law of Coworkers

A growing body of research reveals what most Americans already know from experience: that our coworkers play a central role in our lives. The significance of coworker relationships is only magnified in an era of expanding work hours in the twenty-four-seven economy. But the law does not reflect this reality, and instead relegates coworkers to the status of legal strangers. This Article argues that the law’s failure to recognize coworker relationships undermines not only these relationships, but also the goals of work law, and makes the case for a law of coworker relationships that would promote the equal, fair, and safe workplace the law envisions. This Article bypasses the longstanding divide between the collective focus of labor law and the individual focus of employment law by positing a relational theory of work law, with coworkers at the center. Relying on a rich social science literature, the Article shows how coworker bonds help to achieve the goals of work law by enhancing employee leverage, promoting collective action, facilitating worker voice, and even preventing legal violations from occurring in the first place. But across a wide swath of doctrines, from labor law to antidiscrimination law to wage-and-hour law and beyond, the law limits workers’ ability to harness the power of these bonds by erecting barriers to coworker bonding, discouraging the exchange of coworker support, and allowing employers to rupture coworker bonds. To remedy these shortcomings, this Article proposes a law of limited-purpose support that would recognize coworker bonds. This model would adapt time-tested doctrines to the reality of coworker relationships, and would provide new protections to coworkers. This law of limited-purpose support would align work law with work life, and allow coworker relationships to fulfill their promise of achieving a better workplace.
More Than a Destination: Contraceptive Decision Making as a Journey

Abstract Background Contraceptive use is widely recognized as a means of reducing adverse health-related outcomes. However, dominant paradigms of contraceptive counseling may rely on a narrow definition of “evidence” (i.e., scientifically accurate but exclusive of individual women's experiences). Given increased enthusiasm for long-acting, reversible contraceptive methods, such paradigms may reinforce counseling that overprivileges effectiveness, particularly for groups considered at high risk of unintended pregnancy. This study investigates where and how women's experiences fit into the definition of evidence these counseling protocols use. Methods Using a qualitative approach, this analysis draws on semistructured interviews with 38 young (ages 18–24) Black and Latina women. We use a qualitative content analysis approach, with coding categories derived directly from the textual data. Findings Our analysis suggests that contraceptive decision making is an iterative, relational, reflective journey. Throughout contraceptive histories, participants described experiences evolving to create a foundation from which decision-making power was drawn. The same contraceptive-related decisions were revisited repeatedly, with knowledge accrued along the way. The cumulative experience of using, assigning meanings to, and developing values around contraception meant that young women experienced contraceptive decision making as a dynamic process. Implications for Practice This journey creates a rich body of evidence that informs contraceptive decision making. To provide appropriate, acceptable, patient-centered family planning care, providers must engage with evidence grounded in women's expertise on their contraceptive use in addition to medically accurate data on method effectiveness, side effects, and contraindications.
DO PREFERENCES FOR AMENITIES DIFFER AMONG HOME BUYERS? A HEDONIC PRICE APPROACH

Prior studies estimating the impact of amenity accessibility on residential property prices have largely treated housing as a homogenous commodity; however, there is strong evidence that differentiation in metropolitan housing submarkets matters. Using a hedonic pricing approach and controlling for spatial effects, this paper examines the preferences of house and apartment buyers regarding amenity accessibility in Brooklyn, New York, between 2008 and 2013. Amenity preferences between the two types of homebuyers are indeed different. The marginal implicit value of accessibility to cultural amenities is greater to apartment than house buyers, while the marginal implicit value of workplace amenity accessibility is greater to house than apartment buyers. The results illustrate the importance of differentiating housing submarkets when estimating these impacts. Urban policy-makers and real estate developers can use these results to inform land use planning in metropolitan areas aimed at further increasing residential property values.
Point-of-Care Ultrasound Diagnosis of Proximal Hamstring Rupture

Abstract Background Acute proximal hamstring ruptures can be a diagnostic challenge in the emergency department. The revealing sign of large posterior thigh ecchymosis is typically not yet present; the physical examination is limited due to pain, radiographs can be unremarkable, and definitive testing with magnetic resonance imaging is not practical. These avulsions are often misdiagnosed as hamstring strains and treated conservatively. The diagnosis is made after failed treatment, often months after the injury. Surgical repair at that time can be technically challenging and higher risk due to tendon retraction and adhesion of the tendon stump to the sciatic nerve. Case Reports The first case illustrates an example of how delay in diagnosis can occur in both emergency medicine and outpatient primary care settings. It also shows complications and morbidity potential for patients who warrant and do not receive timely surgical repair. The second case illustrates physical examination findings obtainable during the acute setting, and the use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in facilitating an expedited diagnosis and treatment plan. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? Timely diagnosis of hamstring rupture is paramount to optimize patient outcomes for this serious injury. The best results are obtained with surgical repair within 3–6 weeks of injury. POCUS evaluation can aid significantly in the timely diagnosis of this injury. If the POCUS examination raises clinical concern for a proximal hamstring rupture, this may allow for earlier diagnosis and definitive treatment of proximal hamstring rupture.
ADPglucose pyrophosphorylase: basic science and applications in biotechnology

The enzymatic reactions of bacterial glycogen and plant starch synthesis are similar and some of the properties of the biosynthetic enzymes are compared. Regulation occurs at the synthesis of ADPglucose and in almost all cases, ADPglucose pyrophosphorylase, is allosterically activated about 10- to over 40-fold by glycolytic intermediates and inhibited by AMP, ADP or Pi. The activator specificity of the ADPglucose pyrophosphorylase varies with respect to the source of enzyme and can be correlated to the major assimilation pathway occurring in the organism. For example, ADPglucose pyrophosphorylases from plants and other oxygenic photosynthetic organisms are activated by 3-phosphoglycerate. Organisms using glycolysis for carbon assimilation have ADPglucose pyrophosphorylases with fructose-1,6-bis-phosphate as the major activator. Chemical modification and site-directed mutagenesis studies that have determined the activator binding sites for some enzymes are described. The structural genes of Escherichia coli ADPglucose pyrophosphorylase allosteric mutants which no longer require activator for activity have been isolated. Transformation of plant systems with an allosteric bacterial mutant gene (but not with the wild-type gene) increases their starch content. Transformed potato tubers can have 25-60% more starch than the normal tuber indicating the importance of allosteric regulation of ADPglucose synthesis. The increase of a normal plant product by transformation of the plant with a gene encoding the rate-limiting enzyme in starch synthesis is an important biotechnological advance and suggests the possibilities of changing starch composition (extent of branching and chain sizes) via transformation with the starch synthase and branching enzyme genes.
Feasibility of Hands-On Maintenance of the Ion Sources in the NBI of MARS

The problem of the radiation in penetrations was solved in the MARS sloshing beam line by providing several bends through the penetration shield to efficiently attenuate the streaming radiation. The design of the shield within the NBI penetration and the off-axis arrangement of the ion sources along with the selection of low activation materials for the NBI help reduce the biological dose to an acceptable level at the back of the injector where hands-on maintenance is highly desirable.
Imaging black holes

There is only indirect evidence of the existence of black holes. A laboratory demonstration of an X-ray interferometer is a step towards achieving the angular resolution necessary to obtain a direct, X-ray image of a black hole.