cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Orientalism, the ‘Terrible Turk’ and Genocide

This article examines the connections between Orientalism and the construction of the stereotypic image, the ‘terrible Turk.’ It focuses on the major politically motivated texts that were produced during the First World War as war propaganda. These texts portrayed Turks as the enemy of civilization at a time when Britain and later the United States were at war with the Ottoman Empire, which unofficially was known as Turkey in the West. In the years after the First World War, the essentially racist characterizations of Turks in these polemical texts made them undiplomatic and they essentially were forgotten. In recent decades, however, diverse international actors have been recycling these texts in a concerted effort to delegitimize the Republic of Turkey and to ‘otherize’ Turks as ‘genocidal’ for deporting the Armenian population out of eastern Anatolia in 1915. By examining the motives behind both the Armenian and Turkish reframing of the 1915 events as a Turkish genocide campaign against Armenians or an...
Prostaglandins of rat testis

The purpose of the study was to determine whether prostaglandins were present in mammalian testis, a tissue that has a large concentration of polyenoic fatty acids that are potential precursors of prostaglandins. Acid-soluble lipids of rat testis were extracted, purified, and fractionated by thin layer and column chromatographies.3H-Prostaglandins were added as internal reference standards to monitor recoveries and facilitate identification. Initial identification of prostaglandin species was done by chromatography. Further identification was done by elution of the prostaglandin zones followed by rechromatographies (both thin layer and column), measurements of UV absorption spectra, and by gas liquid chromatography. The results of these analyses indicate that prostaglandin E1, 11α,15(S)-dihydroxy-9-oxo-β-trans-prostenoic acid; prostaglandin E2, 11α-15(S)-dihydroxy-9-oxo-5-cis-13-trans-prostadienoic acid; and prostaglandin F1, 9α,11α,15(S)-trihydroxy-13-trans-prostenoic acid occur in rat testicular tissue and that prostaglandin F2α, 9α, 11α, 15(S)-trihydroxy-5-cis-13-trans-prostadienoic acid and prostaglandin E2, 11α,15(S)-dihydroxy-9-oxo-5-cis-13-trans-prostadienoic acid may be the primary species of this tissue. Prostaglandin B1, 15(S)-hydroxy-9-oxo-8(12),13-trans-prostadienoic acid and prostaglandin B2, 15(S)-hydroxy-9-oxo-5-cis,8(12),13-trans-prostatrienoic acid also were detected, and some evidence was obtained for the presence of prostaglandin metabolites.
The growth of Cu-Sn intermetallics at a pretinned copper-solder interface

This article reports a comparative study of the formation and growth of intermetallic phases at the interface of Cu wetted with a thick solder joint or a thin, pretinned solder layer. The η phase (Cu6Sn5) forms when Cu is wet with eutectic solder at temperatures below 400 °C. The intermetallic layer is essentially unaffected by aging at 70 °C for as long as 13 weeks. On aging a eutectic joint at 170 °C, the η-phase intermetallic layer thickens and e phase (Cu3Sn) nucleates at the Cu/intermetallic interface and grows to a thickness comparable to that of the η phase, while a Pb-rich boundary layer forms in the solder. The aging behavior of a thin, pretinned eutectic layer is qualitatively different. At 170 °C, the Sn in the eutectic is rapidly consumed to form η-phase intermetallic, which converts to e phase. The residual Pb withdraws into isolated islands, and the solderability of the surface deteriorates. When the pretinned layer is Pb-rich (95Pb-5Sn), the Sn in the layer is also rapidly converted into η phase, in the form of dendrites penetrating from the intermetallic at the Cu interface and discrete precipitates in the bulk. How ever, the development of the intermetallic largely ceases when the Sn is consumed; e phase does not form, and the residual Pb remains as an essentially continuous layer, preserving the solderability of the sample. These observations are interpreted in light of the Cu-Sn and Pb-Sn phase diagrams, the temperature of initial wetting, and the relative diffusivities of Cu and Sn in the solder and intermetallic phases.
EFFECTS OF TRIOPS NEWBERRYI (NOTOSTRACA: TRIOPSIDAE) ON AQUATIC INSECT COMMUNITIES IN PONDS IN THE COLORADO DESERT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

The association between a size-selective floodwater predator, the tadpole shrimp Triops newberryi, and aspects of the aquatic insect community (successional pattern, size structure, and composition) were studied in replicate ponds in the Coachella Valley of southern California. The abundance of early colonists, particularly the mosquito Culex tarsalis, chironomid larvae, and mayfly nymphs, and the size structure of the aquatic insect communities in ponds containing tadpole shrimps differed significantly from ponds without shrimps. Based on headwidths of co-occurring aquatic insects, ponds containing tadpole shrimps at densities >5 individuals m2 had fewer small instars of aquatic insects relative to ponds without Triops. The composition of aquatic insect communities in ponds containing tadpole shrimps differed from ponds without Triops, particularly during the first 3 weeks after inundation. These results suggest that effects of tadpole shrimps, such as predation on early life history stages of co-occurr...
Hepatectomy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Complicated by Vasculitis Flare

Background. The hepatitis C virus is a major cause of hepatocellular carcinoma. Extrahepatic manifestations of hepatitis C include mixed cryoglobulinemia which can result in ischemic damage to multiple organs. The management of these sequelae in posthepatectomy patients is unclear. Case Report. A 49-year-old male with hepatitis C was found to have a 4 cm hepatocellular carcinoma on surveillance imaging. He underwent portal vein embolization followed by hepatectomy. His postoperative course was complicated by the development of splenic infarcts, small bowel ischemia, skin lesions, and liver damage. Findings of elevated cryocrit and elevated rheumatoid factor suggested the diagnosis of cryoglobulin-related vasculitis. The patient improved on supportive care. Conclusion. Cryoglobulinemia is associated with hepatitis C and may complicate the care of this patient population. The treatment of cryoglobulinemia posthepatectomy patients is complicated by concerns over how medications may affect the regenerating liver. Steroids should be used with caution in this setting. Summary. Brief report of hepatectomy complicated by vasculitis in the context of hepatocellular carcinoma secondary to hepatitis C addresses the management of mixed cryoglobulinemia in post-hepatectomy patients.
Biomarkers of thyroid function, genotoxicity and agricultural fungicide use.

© 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 19:175, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20073
Major Changes in Circulation Features over the South Pacific During FGGE, 10–27 January 1979

Abstract An analysis of the large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns over the South Pacific during part of FGGE SOP-1, 10–27 January 1979, is presented. Results, which are derived from Level III-b analyses produced at ECMWF, are composited for three time periods, based on changing characteristics of the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ): 0000 GMT 10 January–1200 GMT 18 January, when the SPCZ was a quasistationary persistent feature of the circulation; 0000 GMT 19 January–0000 GMT 24 January, when the SPCZ propagated westward and began to weaken; and 1200 GMT 24 January–1200 GMT 27 January, when it disappeared. The major findings include 1) the buildup of high pressure in the eastern Pacific coincident with the westward movement of the SPCZ, followed by a rapid buildup of high pressure over the central Pacific and demise of the SPCZ; 2) a trend from middle and upper tropospheric wavelike patterns in wind, temperature and height to more zonally-oriented patterns when the SPCZ disappears; and 3) stro...
1,2,4-Triazines. Synthesis of selected members of the s-triazolo[3,4-f]- [1,2,4] triazine and tetrazolo[1,5-f] [1,2,4] triazine ring systems

A convenient synthesis of 3-amino-6-hydrazino-5(2H)[1,2,4]triazinone 4 has been developed and a study of the reactions of 4 with aliphatic acids, orthoesters and miscellaneous active carbonyl reagents has been undertaken. When 4 was refluxed in either neat acid or orthoester in dimethylformamide, a facile ring closure reaction with the N-1 nitrogen of the 1,2,4-triazine ring occurs affording a novel series of 3-aIkyl(aryl)-8(5H)-s-triazolo[3,4-f] [1,2,4]triazinones (6–11). Ring closure with carbon disulfide and cyanogen bromide is also reported affording 6-amino-3(2H)thio-8(5H)-s-triazolo[3,4-f] [1,2,4]triazinone 12 and 3,6-diamino-8(5H)-s-triazolo-[3,4-f] [1,2,4]triazinone 14, respectively. In addition 4 has been converted into 3-amino-6-azido-5(2H)-1,2,4-triazinone 15 which was employed in a study of azide-tetrazole equilibrium affording 6-amino-8(5H)tetrazolo[1,5-f][1,2,4]triazinone 16. Rates for interconversion at various temperatures were measured and an activation energy for the process determined.
HERE'S YOUR CHANCE: Chance in Biology: Using Probability to Explore Nature

By M. Denny and S. Gaines Princeton University Press (2002) pp. 424. ISBN 0-691-09494-2 (pbk) £ 19.95 / $29.95. ![Figure][1] As a teacher of introductory biology, I try very hard to instill in my students the fact that quantitative reasoning is an integral tool
Evolving techniques for the investigation of muscle bioenergetics and oxygenation

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) are both powerful, non-invasive methodologies and, as such, offer great potential to investigate both human biochemistry and human physiology, and ultimately to contribute significantly to the field of medicine. Consequently there has been much effort devoted to fostering the evolution of these methodologies into distinct and applicable techniques. Here we will highlight several MRI and MRS techniques for the assessment of human biochemistry and physiology that ultimately may provide useful clinical assessments and diagnoses of various muscular and cardiovascular pathologies. Specifically, the evolving techniques that will be discussed are: (1) 1 H MRS of myoglobin to assess the intracellular partial pressure of O 2 , (2) 31 P MRS to assess metabolic capacity, and (3) the combination of 31 P chemical shift imaging to assess local metabolic demand (oxygen uptake; o 2 ) with arterial spin labelling to assess local perfusion (blood flow; ), in an effort to characterize the elusive spatial matching of skeletal muscle ( / o 2 ).
Convex polyhedra of doubly stochastic matrices. I. Applications of the permanent function

Abstract The permanent function is used to determine geometrical properties of the set Ω n of all n × n nonnegative doubly stochastic matrices. If F is a face of Ω n , then F corresponds to an n × n (0, 1)-matrix A, where the permanent of A is the number of vertices of F . If A is fully indecomposable, then the dimension of F equals σ(A) − 2n + 1, where σ(A) is the number of 1's in A. The only two-dimensional faces of Ω n are triangles and rectangles. For n ⩾ 6, Ω n has four types of three-dimensional faces. The facets of the faces of Ω n are characterized. Faces of Ω n which are simplices are determined. If F is a face of Ω n which is two-neighborly but not a simplex, then F has dimension 4 and six vertices. All k-dimensional faces with k + 2 vertices are determined. The maximum number of vertices of a k-dimensional face is 2k. All k-dimensional faces with at least 2k−1 + 1 vertices are determined.
Theory on colloidal double‐layer interactions

The potential energy between two interacting colloidal particles is derived by a knowledge of the energy of interaction of two parallel flat plates. The proposed method maps pairs of infinitesimal surface elements from the two interacting bodies to parallel plate-like elements. The results obtained from this theory are compared with the Derjaquin approximation for large kR and the Levine and Dube approximation for small kR.
SPARC (BM-40, Osteonectin) Inhibits the Mitogenic Effect of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor on Microvascular Endothelial Cells

SPARC (secreted protein, acidic and rich in cysteine) is a matricellular protein that modulates cell adhesion and proliferation and is thought to function in tissue remodeling and angiogenesis. In this study, we demonstrate that SPARC inhibits DNA synthesis by >90% in human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC) stimulated by the endothelial cell mitogen vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Peptides derived from SPARC domain IV, which contains a disulfide-bonded EF-hand sequence and binds to endothelial cells, mimicked the effect of native SPARC. The inhibition was also observed with a peptide from the follistatin-like domain II, whereas peptides from SPARC domains I and III had no effect on VEGF-stimulated DNA synthesis. The inhibition of HMEC proliferation was mediated in part by the binding of VEGF to SPARC. The binding of 125I-VEGF to HMEC was reduced by SPARC and SPARC peptides from domain IV in a concentration-dependent manner. In a radioimmune precipitation assay, peptides from SPARC domains II and IV each competed with native SPARC for its binding to VEGF. It has been reported that VEGF stimulates the tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases Erk1 and Erk2. We now show that SPARC reduces this phosphorylation in VEGF-stimulated HMEC to levels of unstimulated controls. SPARC thus modulates the mitogenic activity of VEGF through a direct binding interaction and reduces the association of VEGF with its cell-surface receptors. Moreover, an additional diminution of VEGF activity by SPARC is accomplished through a reduction in the tyrosine phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases.
Dynamical Theory of Nuclear Induction. II

This paper represents the generalization of an earlier theory by Wangsness and the author in which the phenomena of relaxation were treated by considering the interaction of individual nuclear moments with the molecular system and assuming that the latter remains always in thermal equilibrium. Instead of a single nuclear moment, the representative spin system is here allowed to consist of several moments, interacting with each other, and the corresponding general Boltzmann equation for the distribution matrix is developed. A first application is given by investigating the effect of a weak alternating field in the vicinity of resonance conditions. It is seen that the phenomenon of saturation is closely related to the change of populations in states, other than the two between which the resonance transitions occur. This general type of Overhauser effect is shown to be equivalent to that of a dc circuit and it is illustrated by a special example. The general formalism is adapted to the treatment of a nuclear spin system in a strong constant field with particular attention to the structure of resonance spectra in liquids, due to chemical shift and spin coupling. A special case is that where the spin coupling causes a splitting of the lines, large compared to their natural width and their broadening due to the alternating field. An expression for the signal, obtained in this case, is developed and the effect of the spin coupling upon the effective longitudinal and transverse relaxation time is illustrated by the particular example of the two coupled nuclei of spin \textonehalf{} and with independent dipole relaxation. New phenomena appear if the rate of relaxation-transitions is comparable or large compared to the frequency separation of resonance lines, due to spin coupling. The effect of such transitions by some nuclei upon the line width and structure of the resonance of others is investigated, assuming the spin coupling to be small compared to the chemical shift. Similar effects occur to the resonances of a nucleus in a weak alternating field, if other nuclei are at the same time irradiated by an alternating field of different frequency and sufficiently strong so that its effect is comparable or large compared to that of the spin coupling. It is shown that, even for the case of a single kind of nucleus, the presence of the strong field causes a doubling of the resonance with the weak field which can be used to calibrate the strength of the former by a frequency measurement. Another illustration is given in the case of two nuclei and explicit expressions for line width and intensity are given for the example of two nuclei with spin \textonehalf{} and independent dipole relaxation.
Pollen indicators of land-use change in southern Connecticut

Changes in fossil pollen assemblages from a 2-m core from Linsley Pond, North Branford, Connecticut, are compared with historically documented land use changes in the lake watershed. Dating with 210Pb and 14C reveals two sedimentation rate changes in the core which are associated with the arrival of European farmers; the building of cabins and suburban housing subdivisions on the lake shore. At European settlement in 1700 ad Ambrosia and Rumex pollen first appear, Gramineae-type pollen increases, and Tsuga decreases. Just before the beginning of agricultural disturbance Fagus pollen declines. The chestnut blight of 1913 causes a reduction of Castanea pollen and a subsequent vegetational succession through Betula to Quercus. The sedimentation rate determined by the chestnut blight horizon is consistent with the rate deduced from 210Pb analysis.
The mosaic of myeloid neoplasia: implications for classification.

When Dr. Tefferi mentioned to me recently that he was preparing a commentary about categorisation of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) [1] on a paper in this issue of Leukemia & Lymphoma[2], I...
Malignant liver tumors in infants and children

At the Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., 18 patients have been seen in the past 12 years with primary tumors of the liver. The tumors were divided as follows: 13 hepatoblastoma, 2 hepatocellular carcinoma, 2 rhabdomyosarcoma, and 1 mixed mesenchymal sarcoma. Of the patients with hepatoblastoma, all were seen by 4 years of age, and 8 were under 1 year when first seen. Three had pulmonary metastases when first seen. The 2 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were 8 and 12 years old, respectively. The patients with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma were 18 and 30 months of age when seen; 1 had a primary tumor arising in the liver, the other had a tumor in the bile ducts extending into the liver. Ten of the 13 children with hepatoblastoma underwent lobectomy; 5 of these 10 are alive, 1 with known metastases. The other 4 are presumed cured. One of the children with hepatic carcinoma had severe preexisting cirrhosis of the liver and has had 3 local limited excisions. One of the patients with rhabdomyosarcoma is alive and cured after hepatic lobectomy. As yet, there is no known effective chemotherapeutic regimen. Radiation therapy has been useful only in shrinking the tumor, but neither of these modalities has resulted in cure. At the present time, the only known cures are achieved by early detection and successful surgical removal.
An upper limit to the protein content of the germinal substance of bacteriophage T2.

Among the products of osmotic shock of bacteriophage T2 can be identified ghosts, nucleic acid, and a “nonsedimentable” protein amounting to about 3% of the total viral protein. The nonsedimentable protein is an authentic component of the phage and differs from ghost protein both antigenically and by failing to adsorb to bacteria. It is probably not combined with the viral nucleic acid and is not a basic protein, resembling, in fact, the ghost protein in amino acid composition. It is injected into the cell when the virus attaches to bacteria, but it is not an important precursor of the nonsedimentable protein in the viral offspring. Its function is unknown.
The Genera Barrouxia, Defretinella, and Goussia of the Coccidian Family Barrouxiidae (Protozoa, Apicomplexa)

The apicomplexan family Barrouxiidae Leger, 1911 is reviewed and revised on the basis of present information. It includes the genera Barrouxia Schneider, 1885 with ten named species, Defretinella Hennere, 1966 with one named species, and Goussia Labbe, 1896 with 25 named species. The family is characterized by having bivalved sporocysts with a longitudinal suture line. Available information, admittedly spotty, is given for each species on oocyst, sporocyst and sporozoite structure, and on locus of sporulation. The following seven new combinations are made: Goussia flaviviridis (Setna & Bana, 1935) n. comb. in the gecko Hemidactylus flaviviridis; G. hyalina (Leger, 1898) n. comb. in an unidentified aquatic beetle; G. lacazei (Labbe, 1895) n. comb. in the centipedes Lithobius forficatus and L. martini; G. metchnikovi (Laveran, 1897) n. comb. in the gobies Gobio gobio and G. albipinnatus; G. schaudinniana (Pinto, 1928) n. comb. in the centipede Lithobius forficatus; G. stankovitchi (Pinto, 1928) n. comb. in the small bleak Alburnus alburnus, the bream Abramis brama, and the red roach Scardinius erythrophthalmus; Goussia sp. (Dogel' Akhmerov, 1959) nov. comb. in the freshwater fish Gnathopogon chankaensis.
Comparison of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and electrochemical noise measurement of plasma polymerised films as pretreatment for cold rolled steel

Abstract Plasma polymerised films have shown promise as possible alternatives to phosphating for the corrosion protection of cold rolled steel. After plasma cleaning using either a mixture of argon and hydrogen or a sequential combination of argon and hydrogen followed by oxygen, steel panels were coated with a 250 nm thickness plasma polymerised film of dimethylsilane followed by 30 μm of cathodic electrocoat. Various plasma cleaning conditions were compared, and both electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and electrochemical noise measurement were used to rank the performance of the system. Results from the two types of test correlate reasonably, showing that the system is fairly effective in protecting the substrate from the onset of corrosion. These preliminary results demonstrate that plasma cleaning is a very important step in the process.
Eugenics and American social history, 1880–1950

Eugenics, the attempt to improve the human species socially through better breeding was a widespread and popular movement in the United States and Europe between 1910 and 1940; Eugenics was an attempt to use science (the newly discovered Mendelian laws of heredity) to solve social problems (crime, alcoholism, prostitution, rebelliousness), using trained experts. Eugenics gained much support from progressive reform thinkers, who sought to plan social development using expert knowledge in both the social and natural sciences. In eugenics, progressive reformers saw the opportunity to attack social problems efficiently by treating the cause (bad heredity) rather than the effect. Much of the impetus for social and economic reform came from class conflict in the period 1880–1930, resulting from industrialization, unemployment, working conditions, periodic depressions, and unionization. In response, the industrialist class adopted firmer measures of economic control (abandonment of laissez-faire principles), the...
Further considerations of a general d' in multidimensional space

Thomas (Psychonom. Bull. Rev. 6 (1999) 224) proposed a generalization of d', d'g for multidimensional distributions and demonstrated that it is not equivalent to Euclidean distance as had been assumed in some previous studies. In this note, it is further shown not to be a metric in the general sense as it fails the triangle inequality. Also, a rigorous proof is offered of the claim (found in Thomas, Psychonom. Bull. Rev. 6 (1999) 224) that in order for the definition of d'g to correspond to the quantity that is estimated from data in the traditional way (using hits and false alarms) one must assume a distance classifier (proved in the case of equal covariance matrices). If one assumes optimal responding instead, then the estimated d' corresponds to (the square root of) Mahalanobis distance. This latter observation clears up an apparent paradox between the fact that d'g is not a metric and Ashby and Perrin's (Psychol. Rev. 95 (1988) 124) statement relating the weighted Euclidean scaling model and a signal detection model of similarity that would yield a distance classifier.
Characterization of mechanisms involved in uptake of Streptococcus dysgalactiae by bovine mammary epithelial cells

Bovine mammary epithelial cells were pretreated with inhibitors of protein kinase activity, actin polymerization and receptor-mediated endocytosis. In addition, mammary epithelial cells and Streptococcus dysgalactiae were pretreated with inhibitors of protein synthesis. Results showed that activity of tyrosine protein kinases, intact microfilaments and de novo eukaryotic protein synthesis was required for uptake of S. dysgalactiae by bovine mammary epithelial cells; a process that appeared to occur via receptor-mediated endocytosis. In contrast, de novo bacterial protein synthesis was not required for uptake of S. dysgalactiae by MAC-T cells. This study provides insight into bacterial and cellular mechanisms involved in early host-pathogen interactions, putting into perspective the role of mammary epithelial cells in the development and establishment of intramammary infections by S. dysgalactiae.
A Pulsatile Assist Device (PAD) for Use During Cardiopulmonary Bypass

Abstract A pulsatile assist device (PAD) has been developed to convert roller pump flow to pulsatile flow in a simple fashion. The device can also be used as an arterial counterpulsator before and after cardiopulmonary bypass. The PAD has been used in 125 adult patients undergoing open-heart operations for coronary artery or valvular heart disease or the combination. Ninety-two patients were in New York Heart Association Functional Class III or IV or had ejection fractions of less than 0.3. The PAD functioned as a hemodynamically effective arterial counterpulsator before and after perfusion. All patients were successfully weaned from bypass with the PAD. There has been 1 intraoperative death and 2 late deaths. Only 1 patient had a perioperative myocardial infarction, and this person was successfully treated with intraaortic balloon pumping. We believe the PAD is a simple and reliable device for intraoperative counterpulsation and for the creation of pulsatile cardiopulmonary bypass. More important, use of the PAD may decrease both the incidence of perioperative myocardial infarction and the need for postoperative intraaortic balloon pumping.
Issues Surrounding Antibiotic Use in Older Adults

By the year 2030, an estimated 20 % of the United States population will be aged 65 years and older, and almost 30 million of these individuals are anticipated to have functional limitations necessitating long-term care. Older adults’ increased susceptibility to nosocomial infections, combined with their often atypical presentation, results in a tendency to inappropriately prescribe antibiotics in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Furthermore, reduced laboratory capacity in LTCFs can cause significant delays in receiving culture results and prolonged duration of empiric antimicrobial therapy. This review explores these factors and other issues contributing to the misuse and overuse of antibiotics as they relate to diagnosis, transmission, and management of infections in older adults. Inappropriate antimicrobial use has considerable consequences, including the development of multidrug resistant organisms, increasing incidence and mortality related to Clostridium difficile infection, and increasing adverse drug reactions, and therefore prompt and coordinated action is required to address this growing public health threat.
A note on finite semifield planes that admit affine homologies

Let π be a translation plane of order n that admits an abelian group of order n in its translation complement. If π admits an affine homology then it is a semifield plane.
To see or not to see: does previewing a future opponent affect the contest behavior of green swordtail males (Xiphophorus helleri)?

Animals assess the fighting ability of conspecifics either by engaging in aggressive interactions or observing contests between others. However, whether individuals assess physical prowess outside the context of aggressive interactions remains unknown. We examined whether male green swordtails (Xiphophorus helleri) extract information about the fighting ability of solitary individuals via observation and whether acquiring such information elicits behavioral modifications. Contests preceded by mutual visual assessment were significantly shorter than fights where only one or neither of the two individuals was informed in advance. Focal animals initiated aggressive behavior more often against larger opponents only after previewing their adversary, indicating that swordtails can extract information about relative body size from watching solitary conspecifics. When a fighting disadvantage is perceived, observers adopt tactics that increase their probability of winning the contest.
Carrier diffusion in semiconductors subject to large gradients of excited carrier density

Under conditions of intense optical pumping or electrical injection it is possible to excite such a dense plasma of electrons and holes that these carriers interact among themselves much more rapidly than they interact with the lattice phonons. In this circumstance there will be established a temperature of excited carriers, ${T}_{e}$, much larger than the temperature of the lattice, ${T}_{L}$, for periods of time sufficient for many effects to be observed. In the accompanying paper it is shown that the temperature dependence of the forbidden band gap is then described by ${\ensuremath{\Delta}E}_{\mathrm{cv}}({T}_{e},{T}_{L})={\ensuremath{\Delta}H}_{\mathrm{cv}}({T}_{L})\ensuremath{-}{T}_{e}{\ensuremath{\Delta}S}_{\mathrm{cv}}({T}_{L})$. With ${T}_{e}\ensuremath{\gg}{T}_{L}$, this means that anomalously large changes in the band gap will occur and, if also there are large gradients of ${T}_{L}$ present in the sample, there will be very large gradients in the band gap. This means there will be very large gradients in the chemical potentials of the excited electrons and holes. As the band gap tends to be least where the carriers are most dense and ${T}_{L}$ the greatest, these chemical potential gradients oppose the normal outward diffusion of the excited carriers. We find that, under certain conditions, this effect may be sufficient to produce "negative diffusivity" or carrier self-confinement.
Housing Market Distortions and the Mortgage Interest Deduction

Housing market distortions from the mortgage interest deduction (MID) typically focus on a single choice measure such as home size or self-reported amount of debt on a new mortgage. We estimate the...
A BiCMOS process utilizing selective epitaxy for analog/digital applications

A 2- mu m BiCMOS process that has been designed for 10-V analog/digital applications is described. This process utilizes selective epitaxial growth to integrate a vertical n-p-n bipolar with an f/sub T/ of 3.0 GHz, and a nonoptimized vertical p-n-p structure into a 2- mu m CMOS process with poly-to-n/sup +/ capacitors. The insertion of the bipolar structures is accomplished with only two added masking steps, and with no changes to the critical process parameters that determine the performance of the MOS transistors. The circuit worthiness of the process is demonstrated by fabricating CMOS, vertical n-p-n RTL, and vertical p-n-p RTL ring oscillators, and demonstrating high yields for these circuits. >
Gramsci, Catholicism and Secular Religion

AbstractThe article considers Antonio Gramsci's views of religion, the relation of Marxism and religion, secularisation, and secular religion as an overcoming of traditional religions in order to probe his assessment, while he was in prison in the 1930s, of the concrete prospects for a Marxist overcoming of Christianity in the West and, specifically, of the Catholic Church in Italy. It shows that Gramsci had a well-developed and sophisticated historical analysis of secularisation in the West, which he presented in relation to a history of the Catholic Church understood as both a clerical organisation and a community of the faithful. It argues that this analysis led him to conclude that the Church had remained remarkably strong in interwar Italy and, thus, that the immediate prospects for the triumph of secular religion there were remote. However, it also explains why his historical analysis of secularisation left him relatively confident about the long-term prospects of a Marxist secular religion. The art...
Who Rules China

A new and powerful capitalist class has arisen in China since 1976. Has this capitalist class achieved sufficient domination of Chinese social, economic and political life to qualify as a ruling class? We attempt to clarify this question within the context of current Chinese reality that has resulted from the turbulent historical events and processes shaking China over the last 28 years. The question is difficult to settle definitively because of the atypical, even peculiar, basis of the emergence of capitalism in China, and in particular the crucial, guiding role of the Chinese Communist Party. Given the control of political life in China by the Party, it appears that command of the Party by the new capitalist class would be a pre-requisite for capitalist class rule. A brief examination of the composition, leadership, and politics of the Chinese Communist Party suggests that while a line promoting capitalism has great influence within the Party, such command has not yet been fully achieved.
A Spicy Kind of High: A Profile of Synthetic Cannabinoid Users

Aims: Over the last 6 years, numerous products have been made available and marketed as “legal highs.” Many of these products contain compounds similar to those within cannabis and function to create a high comparable to that of smoking marijuana. Though governments have regulated these psychoactive compounds, variants are still sold. At this point, little is known about the characteristics of users of synthetic cannabinoids. Design and Participants: A self-report survey instrument was administered to 2349 university students at a large institute in the State of Georgia. Respondents reported on their lifetime, last-year, and last-month synthetic cannabinoid use and demographic characteristics. Results: Males, Whites and Hispanics, users of other substances, and those from more affluent families were significantly more likely to report having used a synthetic cannabinoid. In addition, those that self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) were twice as likely to have used synthetic can...
Interacting signaling pathways controlling multicellular development in Dictyostelium

cAMP functions as the key extracellular signaling molecule controlling Dictyostelium development acting through classic G-protein-coupled/serpentine receptors. Whereas aggregation is controlled by nanomolar pulses of cAMP, a more continuous micromolar signal controls multicellular differentiation by activating a transcriptional cascade via a receptor-mediated but non G-protein-coupled pathway. Potential mechanisms by which extracellular cAMP functions to differentially control aggregation followed by morphogenesis and cell-type differentiation are discussed. This review also summarizes new findings elucidating pathways controlling cell-type regulation in this organism, including signaling cascades mediated by glycogen synthase kinase 3 and cAMP-dependent protein kinase, key regulators of cell-type differentiation in metazoans, and newly identified transcription factors.
Loss-based optical trap for on-chip particle analysis

Optical traps have become widespread tools for studying biological objects on the micro and nanoscale. However, conventional laser tweezers and traps rely on bulk optics and are not compatible with current trends in optofluidic miniaturization. Here, we report a new type of particle trap that relies on propagation loss in confined modes in liquid-core optical waveguides to trap particles. Using silica beads and E. coli bacteria, we demonstrate unique key capabilities of this trap. These include single particle trapping with micron-scale accuracy at arbitrary positions over waveguide lengths of several millimeters, definition of multiple independent particle traps in a single waveguide, and combination of optical trapping with single particle fluorescence analysis. The exclusive use of a two-dimensional network of planar waveguides strongly reduces experimental complexity and defines a new paradigm for on-chip particle control and analysis.
The Use and Effectiveness of a Targeted Math Intervention for Third Graders

Students who fail to develop proficiency in math skills in the primary grades are more likely to experience difficulties in the math curriculum later on. These students may be in need of a more tar...
Impact of Hole Transport Layer Surface Properties on the Morphology of a Polymer-Fullerene Bulk Heterojunction

Investigations on the impact of interfacial modification on organic optoelectronic device performance often attribute the improved device performance to the optoelectronic properties of the modifier. A critical assumption of such conclusions is that the organic active layer deposited on top of the modified surface (interface) remains unaltered. Here the validity of this assumption is investigated by examining the impact of substrate surface properties on the morphology of poly(3-hexylthiophene):1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)-propyl-1-phenyl-[6,6]C61 (P3HT:PCBM) bulk-heterojunction (BHJ). A set of four nickel oxide and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) hole transport layers (HTL) with contrasting surface properties and performance in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices is studied. Differences in vertical composition variation and structural morphologies are observed across the samples, but only in the near-interface region of <∼20 nm. Near-interface differences in morphology are most closely correlated with surface polarity and surface roughness of the HTL. Surface polarity is more influenced by surface composition than surface roughness and crystal structure. These findings corroborate the previously mentioned conclusions that the differences in device performance observed in solar cells employing these HTLs are dominated by the electronic properties of the HTL/organic photoactive active layer interface and not by unintentional alteration in the BHJ active layer morphology.
Relation of level of total serum cholesterol to amount of calcific deposits in operatively excised stenotic mitral valves: analysis of 155 cases.

Abstract This report analyzes 155 patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis in whom the Operatively excised mitral valve was x-rayed to determine the presence of and extent of calcific deposits and the preoperative level of total serum cholesterol (TC). The amount of mitral calcium was graded 0 to 4+ and the average TC for each of the 5 groups was: 0 deposits—21 patients (14%) (TC = 188 mg/dl); 1+—50 patients (32%) (TC = 196 mg/dl);2+—22 patients (14%) (TC = 198 mg/dl);3+—37 patients (24%) (TC = 205 mg/dl), and 4+—25 patients (16% ) (TC = 184 mg/dl). These average values of TC and the mean ages of the patients in each of the 5 groups of mitral calcium were not significantly different.
The Contribution of Cytolethal Distending Toxin to Bacterial Pathogenesis

Cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) is a bacterial toxin that initiates a eukaryotic cell cycle block at the G2 stage prior to mitosis. CDT is produced by a number of bacterial pathogens including: Campylobacter species, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, Shigella dystenteriae, enterohepatic Helicobacter species, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (the cause of aggressive periodontitis), and Haemophilus ducreyi (the cause of chancroid). The functional toxin is composed of three proteins; CdtB potentiates a cascade leading to cell cycle block, and CdtA and CdtC function as dimeric subunits, which bind CdtB and delivers it to the mammalian cell interior. Once inside the cell, CdtB enters the nucleus and exhibits a DNase I-like activity that results in DNA double-strand breaks. The eukaryotic cell responds to the DNA double-strand breaks by initiating a regulatory cascade that results in cell cycle arrest, cellular distension, and cell death. Mutations in CdtABC that cause any of the three subunits to lose function prevent the bacterial cell from inducing cytotoxicity. The result of CDT activity can differ somewhat depending on the eukaryotic cell types affected. Epithelial cells, endothelial cells, and keratinocytes undergo G2 cell cycle arrest, cellular distension, and death; fibroblasts undergo G1 and G2 arrest, cellular distension, and death; and immune cells undergo G2 arrest followed by apoptosis. CDT contributes to pathogenesis by inhibiting both cellular and humoral immunity via apoptosis of immune response cells, and by generating necrosis of epithelial-type cells and fibroblasts involved in the repair of lesions produced by pathogens resulting in slow healing and production of disease symptoms. Thus, CDT may function as a virulence factor in pathogens that produce the toxin.
Ricoeur’s Attempted Rapprochement between Phenomenology and Hermeneutics

In the attempt to situate the results of the present study in terms of the first variation of the second trend noted above, Ricoeur’s provocative attempt to mediate a dialectic rapprochement between phenomenology and hermeneutics will be considered. Ricoeur’s argument is based on the thesis, that beyond “the simple opposition there exists, between phenomenology and hermeneutics, a mutual belonging.”1 The simple opposition that Ricoeur refers to concerns the hermeneutical critique of Husserl’s phenomenological idealism. Ricoeur distinguishes the latter critique, from the phenomenological concern per se with the “question of meaning,”2 and holds that this “phenomenology remains the unsurpassable presupposition of hermeneutic...[while again, this] phenomenology cannot constitute itself without a hermeneutical presupposition.”3
Anterior cruciate ligament injury and access to care in South Florida: Does insurance status play a role?

Background: Health insurance status and access to care are recurring topics of discussion and concern. The purpose of this investigation was to examine access to care on the basis of insurance status for patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in South Florida. Methods: From March 2010 to March 2011, eighty patients with ACL injuries were identified at a county hospital sports medicine clinic and a university-based sports medicine practice. Demographic and injury-specific data were obtained with attention to the date of injury, the date of diagnosis, and the number of medical visits. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated from multivariable Cox proportional-hazards regression models to determine the effect of insurance type on the time to diagnosis of an ACL tear. Results: Patients with private insurance were diagnosed at a median fourteen days after the injury, whereas those receiving Medicaid and those without insurance were diagnosed a median of fifty-six and 121 days after the injury, respectively (p < 0.001). Patients without insurance and those receiving Medicaid had more medical visits prior to diagnosis (median, four; range two to six) than those with private insurance (median, three; range, one to five) (p = 0.006). Differences for patient delays due to not seeking care were not significant among the three groups (p = 0.484). Conclusions: When grouped according to insurance status, subjects receiving Medicaid in South Florida faced greater system-related delays in obtaining care than did subjects with private insurance. System-related factors such as lack of access to specialized care result in an increased number of medical encounters. These regional findings are consistent with those of other regional studies on access to orthopaedic care. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
"A Totally Different World": Playing and Learning in Multi-User Virtual Environments

This study examines children’s perceptions of their experiences in two science-oriented multiuser virtual environments (MUVEs), River City and Whyville. Sixth-grade students were asked how they would rate and compare different features of these environments. The children rated River City as providing greater educational benefits but preferred communicating with real people in Whyville as opposed to River City’s computer-based agents. They felt more integrated into the community in Whyville, where they enjoyed equal participation with other members, than as guests to the virtual town of River City. Finally, children rated their enjoyment at customizing their unique Whyville avatars higher than when selecting a pre-constructed avatar in River City; however, they rated both MUVEs highly when asked about seeing their avatars onscreen.
A semi-automated digital microphotographic approach to measure meiofaunal biomass

Meiofauna studies often investigate community structure and function where biomass estimates and taxonomic analysis are required. Nondestructive methods of biomass estimation are necessary to preserve specimens for subsequent taxonomic analysis. A semi-automated protocol to estimate meiofaunal biomass was developed to meet this need. The method improves upon previous indirect biomass techniques by using digital microphotography and analytical graphics software to obtain better estimates of biovolume. The technique is not fully automated because the digital images require some manipulation. Dry mass and carbon mass were estimated for two dominant components of marine benthic meiofauna (Nematoda and Harpacticoida) as the product of conversion factors and body volumes. The technique was validated by comparing indirect dry and carbon mass estimates to direct measurements using an analytical balance and carbon-hydrogen-nitrogen (CHN) elemental analyzer. No significant difference was found between the semi-automated method and direct measurements for harpacticoid dry or carbon mass (P = 0.68 and P = 0.74, respectively), or nematode dry mass (P = 0.28) or carbon content (P = 0.17). The semi-automated indirect method was used to estimate the biomass of meiofauna (13,279 harpacticoids and 12,288 nematodes) collected from the deep-sea Gulf of Mexico. Estimated average wet mass was compared to direct analytical balance measurements from an earlier, independent study in the same area. Wet mass estimates generated by the indirect method (2.67 ± 0.86 µg/harpacticoid and 0.85 ± 4.78 µg/ nematode) were similar to direct measurements in the earlier study (2.80 µg/harpacticoid and 0.85 µg/nematode). The semi-automated indirect method is about three times faster than traditional microscope methods to measure body volume, estimates biomass comparably to direct methods, and conserves samples and images of samples for other analyses.