cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Common Loons respond adaptively to a black fly that reduces nesting success

ABSTRACT Nesting birds must often cope with harassment from biting insects, but it is difficult to ascertain what effect such pests might have on breeding success and population dynamics. We tested the hypothesis that a black fly (Simulium annulus) that feeds on the blood of nesting Common Loons (Gavia immer) causes nest abandonment in this charismatic diving bird. In addition, we measured effects of fly-induced abandonment on a loon population, and examined potential predictors of fly abundance and nest abandonment. We also tested a second hypothesis, which holds that loon pairs that abandon a nest owing to flies should often remain at the site for their subsequent nesting attempt, since fly outbreaks last only 1–2 weeks. All predictions of the fly-induced abandonment hypothesis were supported, including strong correlations between fly counts and rate of abandonment, reduced incubation during severe fly years, and increased abandonment during cool springs, which promote longevity of the flies. The correl...
Taking the new Consumer Bankruptcy Model for a test drive: Means-testing real Chapter 7 debtors

Several bills pending in Congress would apply means-testing to Chapter 7 debtors, requiring those with apparent ability to repay to be dismissed from Chapter 7, leaving Chapter 13 as their main route to a discharge. Chapter 13 would require repayment over 5 years to prebankruptcy creditors. The authors applied one proposed means-testing formula to a sample of 1043 Chapter 7 cases from seven states across the country. They found that only 3.6% of the debtors emerged as "can-pays" who would be barred from Chapter 7, and that unsecured creditors could expect to collect much less from such debtors than industry-sponsored studies have claimed. Further, the paper shows how predictable avoidance behavior, such as increasing secured debt and/or charitable contributions, could further reduce the number of "can-pays." Thus, the paper casts doubt on the efficacy of imposing burdensome additional requirements on all Chapter 7 debtors in order to bar 3.6% of those debtors from that chapter.
The Place of the Amerindian in the Origin of the Southern Appalachian Grass Balds

An examination and critical reappraisal of the ecological and historical explanations concerning the origin of the grass bald areas of the Southern Appalachian summits. The possibility that the activity of Amerindians could have led to the formation of the balds as archaeological disclimax will be reexamined and proposals for future research will be suggested.
A Model of Metropolitan Growth and Migration

Migration has important influences on demographic and social factors, as well as on more purely economic variables, and the many variables in turn interact with one another. One important reason for the lack of comprehensive studies dealing with the effects of migration is that the appropriate data simply do not exist, particularly for the United States. Such studies would require a fairly long time series for a number of variables and for a number of geographic areas. Good time series data on migration within the U.S. are almost nonexistent and hence, even the most basic data requirements cannot be met. The interaction between the causes and effects of migration suggests that an appropriate specification of an urban growth model would take into account the various interdependent factors involved in the growth process. Hence, a simultaneous-equations model of urban growth and migration was developed in a study described in the chapter. Because the study employed Census data, the period of analysis is 10 years.
Regression-Based Analytics for Response Dynamics of SDN Solutions and Components

We consider Software-Defined Network (SDN) solutions that dynamically setup and teardown connections, and also their response dynamics of connectivity and TCP throughput. There is a wide variety of choices for controllers, switches, and software modules, and objective analytics of measurements are needed to compare the response dynamics of solutions based on their combinations. Throughput and ping measurements during connection changes contain significant statistical variations due to the complexities of controllers, northbound scripts, and network devices. We propose analytical methods to estimate response regression functions, which provide a rigorous and objective comparison of different SDN solutions and their components, namely, controllers, switches, and OpenFlow versions. We apply this approach in two scenarios: (a) switching of long-haul connections emulated in hardware by ANUE devices over a testbed consisting of HP and Cisco switches, and (b) multi-site science infrastructure emulated using VMs and Mininet. The results provide useful practical insights including: (i) the dpctl method responds seconds faster than the OpenDayLight (ODL) method on average under OpenFlow 1.0, but performs similar to ODL under OpenFlow 1.3, and (ii) the ping response of dpctl is about 0.6 sec faster than ODL for the second scenario.
Soft-switching – The Key to High Power WBG Converters

This paper proposes that viable high-voltage high-power converters using wide band-gap SiC devices, will require the use of soft-switching, in particular zero-voltage switching techniques, if system parasitics and high switching speeds are to be managed. An easy to understand and use quantitative comparison of different approaches can help us with selection of specific technologies for given applications. This paper presents the limitations of current approaches, and proposes a new converter figure of merit (CFOM) as the basis for understanding the limitations of high power converters based on wide band-gap SiC devices, showing that soft-switching is the key.
Hierarchical Item Response Models for Analyzing Public Opinion

Opinion surveys often employ multiple items to measure the respondent’s underlying value, belief, or attitude. To analyze such types of data, researchers have often followed a two-step approach by first constructing a composite measure and then using it in subsequent analysis. This paper presents a class of hierarchical item response models that help integrate measurement and analysis. In this approach, individual responses to multiple items stem from a latent preference, of which both the mean and variance may depend on observed covariates. Compared with the two-step approach, the hierarchical approach reduces bias, increases efficiency, and facilitates direct comparison across surveys covering different sets of items. Moreover, it enables us to investigate not only how preferences differ among groups, vary across regions, and evolve over time, but also levels, patterns, and trends of attitude polarization and ideological constraint. An open-source R package, hIRT, is available for fitting the proposed models.
Relationship of the Posterior Condylar Line and the Transepicondylar Axis: A CT-Based Evaluation

Posterior condylar referencing, a common method for determining femoral axial orientation during total knee arthroplasty (TKA), relies upon an assumed consistent relationship between the posterior condylar line (PCL) and the transepicondylar axis (TEA) of 3 degrees rotation. A total of 3,010 computed tomography (CT) scans and three-dimension (3D)-reconstructions for presurgical creation of patient-matched TKA instrumentation were analyzed. Demographic data and five anthropometric measurements (hip-knee angle [HKA], distal femoral angle [DFA], proximal tibial angle [PTA], tibial slope [TS], and PCL-TEA relationship) were recorded for each scan. A logistic regression model was fit to assess interaction between the PCL-TEA relationship and demographic and radiological variables. The mean (standard deviation [SD]) PCL-TEA was +2.9 degrees (0.8 degree). The range varied between +0.5 and +16.5 degrees. In 2,758 knees (91.6%), the PCL-TEA was within 3 ± 1 degrees, whereas 252 knees (8.4%) fell outside this range. There were no significant demographic or anthropometric differences between those knees with PCL-TEA relationship between 3 ± 1 degrees and those falling outside that range. The posterior condyles of diseased knees undergoing TKA can be reliably used to indirectly reference the TEA of the distal femur with an error of only 1 degree in 92% of patients.
On the existence of Wp2 solutions for fully nonlinear elliptic equations under either relaxed or no convexity assumptions

We establish the existence of solutions of fully nonlinear elliptic second-order equations like H(v,Dv,D2v,x) = 0 in smooth domains without requiring H to be convex or concave with respect to the second-order derivatives. Apart from ellipticity nothing is required of H at points at which |D2v|≤ K, where K is any given constant. For large |D2v| some kind of relaxed convexity assumption with respect to D2v mixed with a VMO condition with respect to x are still imposed. The solutions are sought in Sobolev classes. We also establish the solvability without almost any conditions on H, apart from ellipticity, but of a “cut-off” version of the equation H(v,Dv,D2v,x) = 0.
Yield increases resulting from AGPase overexpression in rice are reliant on plant nutritional status.

Upregulation of starch biosynthesis in either source or sink tissue has been shown to increase yield under non-limiting resources. Previously we demonstrated that overexpression of AGPase in both leaf and seed tissue results in greater yield increases than overexpression in a single tissue alone. This study examines the link between starch biosynthesis, plant yield, and plant nutrition. Rice overexpressing AGPase in leaves and seeds (LS) was grown under four nutrition treatments and compared to wild type (WT) sister plants. In this study yield differences were most pronounced at low to mid nutrition levels. Greatest differences were observed at 0.075 g N L−1, where biomass and seed weight per plant were increased by 45% in LS plants. Alternatively leaf starch trended higher at mid to high nutrition, but was only significant at 0.1 g N L−1, where starch was 2.59 × higher compared to the WT. This was in contrast with photosynthetic rates. Rates were unchanged between LS and WT plants at 0.05 g N L−1 nutrition, but significantly lower by 25% in LS plants at 0.1 g N L−1 and 0.2 g N L−1 nutrition. This study provides further insight into the complex interactions between starch biosynthesis, plant metabolism, and plant growth.
The Fifth International Fishing Industry Safety and Health Conference (IFISH 5): A Gathering of International Safety and Health Experts in Commercial Fishing, Aquaculture and Seafood Processing.

Few occupations are as old, or as hazardous, as commercial fishing. As the global production of seafood continues to rise, the health and safety of workers in not only fishing, but also the expandi...
Exploring Modeling by Programming: Insights from Numerical Experimentation

This chapter aims to provide students the background necessary to use computational methods and numerical experimentation to pursue mathematical research. We provide a brief refresher on differential equations, model building, and programming, followed by in-depth discussions of how numerical experimentation was critical to three undergraduate research projects involving parasite transmission in feral cats, the role of protein regulation in establishing circadian rhythms, and treatment costs in an influenza outbreak. Code (written in R) is provided for most of the models and nearly all of the figures presented in the chapter, so that the reader may learn the programming as they go along. We also propose ideas for extending the research projects presented in the text. Both deterministic and stochastic models are presented and the critical role of computational methods in obtaining solutions is illustrated.
Y-net: Biomedical Image Segmentation and Clustering.

We propose a deep clustering architecture alongside image segmentation for medical image analysis. The main idea is based on unsupervised learning to cluster images on severity of the disease in the subject's sample, and this image is then segmented to highlight and outline regions of interest. We start with training an autoencoder on the images for segmentation. The encoder part from the autoencoder branches out to a clustering node and segmentation node. Deep clustering using Kmeans clustering is performed at the clustering branch and a lightweight model is used for segmentation. Each of the branches use extracted features from the autoencoder. We demonstrate our results on ISIC 2018 Skin Lesion Analysis Towards Melanoma Detection and Cityscapes datasets for segmentation and clustering. The proposed architecture beats UNet and DeepLab results on the two datasets, and has less than half the number of parameters. We use the deep clustering branch for clustering images into four clusters. Our approach can be applied to work with high complexity datasets of medical imaging for analyzing survival prediction for severe diseases or customizing treatment based on how far the disease has propagated. Clustering patients can help understand how binning should be done on real valued features to reduce feature sparsity and improve accuracy on classification tasks. The proposed architecture can provide an early diagnosis and reduce human intervention on labeling as it can become quite costly as the datasets grow larger. The main idea is to propose a one shot approach to segmentation with deep clustering.
Investigation of Dominant Propagation Mechanisms for Inbody Wireless Communication at ISM Frequencies

Inbody channel modelling is essential for wireless communication inside the human body. This study seeks to identify the dominant propagation paths inside the human torso modeled by a homogeneous muscle-filled cylinder at radiowave frequencies of 915 MHz and 2.45 GHz by examining the path gain. The dominant path at short distance is the direct wave channel, while at larger distances the creeping wave channel is the dominant which also interferes with the direct wave channel.
Proposed Scouts BSA (formerly Boy Scouts) optics/photonics merit badge

This paper summarizes the effort to date to develop a proposed Scouts BSA Optics/Photonics merit badge, suggests activities that can be done now, and recommends actions for the future. The paper also includes a description of merit badges from the author’s point of view. The proposed Optics/Photonics merit badge would (1) Educate and expose potentially thousands of scouts and adult scout volunteers annually to the science, technology, manufacturing, and potential of optics and photonics; (2) List the organizations and academic institutions with optic, photonic, and photonic technician programs; (3) Help people make informed career decisions; (4) Advance the Scouts BSA STEM goals; and (5) Provide scouts with interesting and exciting activities.
Does Productivity in the Formal Food Sector Drive Human Ebola Virus Infections in Sub‐Saharan Africa?

As the hunting, butchering, processing, and consumption of bushmeat is a potential source of human Ebola virus infections, the extent to which bushmeat is a substitute for food produced in the formal market sector suggests that the relative price of formal non-bushmeat food could matter for the incidence of human Ebola virus infections. This paper considers if productivity in the formal food sector is a driver of human Ebola virus infections in Sub-Saharan Africa. We estimate count data specications of country level human Ebola virus infections as a function of food sector productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa over the 1975 - 2013 time period. Our parameter estimates suggest that if productivity in the formal food sector was on average 1 percent higher over the 1975 - 2013 time period, the incidence of human EV infection would have been 42.5 percent lower. This is consistent with bushmeat being a substitute for non-bushmeat, as food productivity increases lower the price of non-bushmeat relative to bushmeat. Our ndings suggest that productivity in the formal food sector is a driver of human EV infections in SubSaharan Africa as increases in food productivity have a favorable and dramatic eect on reducing the incidence of human EV infection.
The QCD Running Coupling at All Scales and the Connection Between Hadron Masses and $$\varvec{\varLambda _s}$$ Λ s

We report on recent experimental and theoretical developments in our understanding of the QCD running coupling $$\alpha _s$$ in QCD’s nonperturbative regime. They allow us to analytically compute the hadron mass spectrum, with $$\varLambda _s$$ the only input necessary to this determination. The computed spectra agrees well with experimental data.
Modular cognitive behavioral therapy for autism-related symptoms in children: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE To date, no one-on-one psychotherapy protocol for elementary and middle school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been found to be efficacious for treating autism-related symptoms such as failure to initiate social interactions. This study compared modular cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with enhanced standard community treatment (ESCT) in terms of impact on the severity of autism-related symptoms. METHOD Children with ASD (N = 107; aged 6-13 years) were randomly assigned to a treatment condition (CBT or ESCT). Both treatments provided 32 therapy sessions. The CBT condition utilized a modular design, matching specific evidence-based treatment elements to each child's clinical needs (e.g., social-communication symptoms). The ESCT condition provided social skills training and cognitive behavioral training in a structured and linear group therapy format. The primary outcome measure was independent evaluator ratings of peer engagement during school recess using a structured and validated observation system. Parents also made session-by-session ratings on personalized autism-related symptom profiles throughout treatment. RESULTS CBT outperformed ESCT on the primary outcome measure (p < .001; d = .50; 95% CI [.06, .93]) and the secondary outcome measure (p = .003; d = .87; 95% CI [.45, 1.27]). CONCLUSIONS The modular one-on-one CBT program evaluated in this study may be beneficial for reducing the severity of autism-related symptoms in some children with ASD. Further research is needed to clarify the extent of the treatment effect and the feasibility of implementation for therapists in the community. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Recipient Vessels: Femur Reconstruction

The free fibula is the gold standard for vascularized reconstruction of long bones of the extremity. Appropriate selection of recipient vessels is an important determinant of pedicle orientation and graft positioning. Due to the abundance of deep femoral and superficial femoral vascular branches, end-to-end anastomoses are highly possible. When radical resection or trauma has rendered this not feasible, end-to-side anastomoses and arteriovenous loop grafting are reliable techniques.
Sialic Acid in Biochemical Pathology

Free sialic acid constitutes a relatively small proportion of the total tissue sialic acid pool. The bulk of sialic acid in the body exists in sialoglycoconjugate form bound to either glycoproteins or glycolipids. Many proteins are glycosylated by complex carbohydrate chains terminated by a sialic acid residue (see Chapter 5). Glycosphingolipids are group of complex lipids that contain a long-chain base, sphingosine, as the basic building block (see Chapter 6). In almost all naturally occurring sphingolipids, sphingosine is acylated by a long-chain fatty acid, forming N-acylsphingosine, or ceramide. A complex hydrophilic side chain, consisting of carbohydrate, sialic acid, and other constituents, is attached to the terminal hydroxyl group of sphingosine. Glycoproteins and glycolipids are characteristic integral constituents of the plasma membrane in vertebrates. Their composition varies in different cell types and in different developmental stages. The compositional pattern can be further altered by viral transformation and oncogenesis. No genetic pathological condition related to abnormality in either synthesis or degradation of sialic acid itself is known. However, a series of genetic disorders do exist with the underlying abnormalities affecting either transport of sialic acid across the lysosomal membrane or intralysosomal degradation of sialic acid-containing glycoproteins and glycolipids. The latter category includes disorders in which removal of sialic acid is specifically impaired, and those in which presence of sialic acid in the affected compounds is incidental. The scope of this chapter will be limited to genetically defined conditions in which alterations of sialic acid or sialic acid-containing compounds occur. Other aspects such as differentiation, infections, and oncogenesis are covered elsewhere in this volume. Table I lists the disorders that are included as the subjects of this chapter. For further detailed information on the biochemical aspects of these genetic disorders, the reader is referred to the recently published reference volume edited by Scriver et al. (1995).
Ultrafiltration by a compacted clay membrane. I - Oxygen and hydrogen isotopic fractionation. II - Sodium ion exclusion at various ionic strengths.

Laboratory experiments were carried out to determine the magnitude of the isotopic fractionation of distilled water and of 0.01N NaCl forced to flow at ambient temperature under a hydraulic pressure drop of 100 bars across a montmorillonite disk compacted to a porosity of 35% by a pressure of 330 bars. The ultrafiltrates in both experiments were depleted in D by 2.5% and in O-18 by 0.8% relative to the residual solution. No additional isotopic fractionation due to a salt-filtering mechanism was observed at NaCl concentrations up to 0.01N. Adsorption is most likely the principal mechanism which produces isotopic fractionation, but molecular diffusion may play a minor role. The results suggest that oxygen and hydrogen isotopic fractionation of ground water during passage through compacted clayey sediments should be a common occurrence, in accord with published interpretations of isotopic data from the Illinois and Alberta basins. It is shown how it is possible to proceed from the ion exchange capacity of clay minerals and, by means of the Donnan membrane equilibrium concept and the Teorell-Meyer-Siever theory, develop a theory to explain why and to what extent ultrafiltration occurs when solutions of known concentration are forced to flow through a clay membrane.
“Just The Facts, Ma'am”: The Gender Gap in Academia, from the Classroom to the Bank

Women are now earning the majority of advanced degrees in the US and have expanded employment opportunities. Yet deep seeded inequities still exist that affect women's roles and opportunities for advancement in academia, which ultimately impact our economy. Case in point: men still outnumber women in leadership positions in academia, and women's median annual earnings still fall short compared to their male counterparts across all education levels. This session will begin by exploring research findings on the underlying causes of gender inequities in academia at various levels, ranging from students to the institutional leadership. The source of economic inequalities will be reviewed by highlighting gender based differences in the way men and women view money and the negotiation process, self-worth, entitlement and mechanisms of proving self at work. These gender based differences have significant, lasting, and often negative impacts on women's careers and advancement within organization. Evidence-based r...
TEDIUM and the software process

For nearly a quarter of a century Bruce Blum has been implementing information systems. In this book he describes and evaluates a comprehensive environment called TEDIUM, for the development and maintenance of information systems. TEDIUM automates most of the software life cycle and has been used to implement large and complex systems, which are used routinely in life critical situations.Blum reviews the software process, describes the TEDIUM environment, evaluates 8 years of operational experience, and identifies the factors that improve productivity.Contents: Part I, Concepts. The Software Process, A Philosophical Framework. TEDIUM, MUMPS, and the INA Example. Part II, Description. The Data Model. Program Specifications. The System. Part III, Evaluation Evaluation of TEDIUM. Examination of the Software Process.Bruce I. Blum is Principal Professional Staff, Applied Physics Laboratory, and Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "TEDIUM and the Software Process" is included in the Information Systems Series, edited by Michael Lesk
Effectiveness of Computer Technology in the Social Studies: A Review of the Literature

AbstractThe purpose of this review was to examine the literature on the effectiveness of computers in social studies instruction and learning. Studies exploring computer activities including simulations, drill and practice, educational games, tutorials, database management, word processing and writing, and graphing were included. Assessment of the efficiency and effectiveness of computer technology in the social studies remains in its infancy with a limited research base. The author explores required shifts in the pedagogical functioning of social studies educators and associated future research directions for the integration of computers into the social studies curriculum.
Quantitation of 6, 8 and 10-gingerols and 6-shogaol in plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 4990 Study Purpose: The ginger root or rhizome ( Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Zingiberaceae) is one of the most heavily consumed dietary substances in the world. Research has shown that ginger may prevent cancer and other chronic diseases most likely through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an HPLC assay to detect the main pungent ginger constituents (polyphenols made up of gingerols, shogaols, paradols and zingerone) that are most likely responsible for ginger root’s anti-inflammatory properties, in human plasma. Methods: A method was developed to extract 6, 8 and 10-gingerols and 6-shogaol from 0.5 mL plasma samples with 50% ethyl acetate and 50% hexane (v/v) and pelargonic acid vanillylamide (PAV), a synthetic capsaicin, as the internal standard. Analysis was achieved using a reversed-phase C18 column with UV detection at 282 nm and electrochemical detection at 500, 550 and 600 µV. Results: The method demonstrated linear performance from 0.05 to 5.0 µg/mL for all 4 ginger analytes in plasma. The coefficients of variation for intra- and inter-assays were ≤ 19.5% for 6-gingerol, ≤ 18.1% for 8-gingerol, ≤ 32.4% for 10-gingerol and ≤ 28.7% for 6-shogaol. The average recovery of 6-gingerol was > 81.3%, for 8-gingerol < 76.4%, for 10-gingerol < 98.2% and for 6-shogaol was < 73.5%. Conclusions: This method provides a rapid and sensitive method for detecting 6, 8 and 10-gingerols and 6-shogaol in plasma.
The present state of gamma-ray astronomy.

The current state of gamma-ray astronomy is reviewed in terms of the most recent experimental results that define, in either measured fluxes or upper limits, the cosmic photon spectrum in the energy range from 0.5 MeV to 10,000 TeV. Methods of research developed during the last 10 yr are discussed and specific results are cited. Cosmic gamma rays have been observed in two regions of the spectrum - from 0.5 to 6 MeV and from about 50 MeV to several hundred mega-electronvolts. Above 50 MeV, a strong concentration of intensity is observed in a band of directions around the galactic equator. In both spectral regions a diffuse background gamma ray flux, apparently isotropic and of extragalactic origin, is observed. Evidence of 50 MeV gamma-ray pulses from the Crab pulsar has been reported. No definite evidence of any other discrete gamma-ray source besides the galaxy itself has been observed at any energy.
MOJAVE: Monitoring of jets in active galactic nuclei with VLBA experiments. III. Deep VLA images at 1.4 Ghz

The MOJAVE blazar sample consists of the 133 brightest, most compact radio-loud AGNs in the northern sky, and it is selected on the basis of VLBA 2 cm correlated flux density exceeding 1.5 Jy (2 Jy for declinations south of 0°) at any epoch between 1994 and 2003. Since 1994 we have been gathering VLBA data on the sample to measure superluminal jet speeds and to better understand the parsec-scale kinematics of AGN jets. We have obtained 1.4 GHz VLA A configuration data on 57 of these sources to investigate whether the extended luminosity of blazars is correlated with parsec-scale jet speed and also to determine what other parsec-scale properties are related to extended morphology, such as optical emission line strength and gamma-ray emission. We present images and measurements of the kiloparsec scale emission from the VLA data, which will be used in subsequent statistical studies of the MOJAVE sample.
Producing the Common, Dak'art 2014: Ugochukwu-Smooth C. Nzewi in Conversation with Beth Hinderliter

In this interview Ugochukwu-Smooth C. Nzewi talks about curating the eleventh edition of the Dak’Art Biennale. The exhibition’s theme—“Producing the Common”—is discussed with regard to artworks that challenge the modernist utopias of the past and frame new ideas of a “global African common.” Nzewi offers insight into the anonymous exhibition within Dak’Art and his idea of a “density of the commons” and communitarian solidarity in African cultures.
Intermediate inclinations of type 2 Coronal-Line Forest AGN

Coronal-Line Forest Active Galactic Nuclei (CLiF AGN) are remarkable in the sense that they have a rich spectrum of dozens of coronal emission lines (e.g. [FeVII], [FeX] and [NeV]) in their spectra. Rose, Elvis & Tadhunter (2015) suggest that the inner obscuring torus wall is the most likely location of the coronal line region in CLiF AGN, and the unusual strength of the forbidden high ionization lines is due to a specific AGN-torus inclination angle. Here we test this suggestion using mid-IR colours (4.6$\mu$m-22$\mu$m) from the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) for the CLiF AGN. We use the Fischer et al. (2014) result that showed that as the AGN-torus inclination becomes more face on, the Spitzer 5.5$\mu$m to 30$\mu$m colours become bluer. We show that the [W2-W4] colours for the CLiF AGN ($\langle$[W2-W4]$\rangle$ = 5.92$\pm$0.12) are intermediate between SDSS type 1 ($\langle$[W2-W4]$\rangle$ = 5.22$\pm$0.01) and type 2 AGN ($\langle$[W2-W4]$\rangle$ = 6.35$\pm$0.03). This implies that the AGN-torus inclinations for the CLiF AGN are indeed intermediate, supporting the work of Rose, Elvis \& Tadhunter (2015). The confirmed relation between CLiF AGN and their viewing angle shows that CLiF AGN may be useful for our understanding of AGN unification.
The development of binocular discrimination in infants

The ability of 8- to 13-week-old infants to discriminate between stereoscopic and non-stereoscopic stimuli under short habituation experiences was tested repeatedly until they were 24 weeks old or able to reach for real objects with direction of gaze to one of two adjacent displays of a shadow-caster as the criterion measure. Stereopsis was demonstrated at the final session in 83% of the subjects by a reaching response to a virtual image. All but 1 of the 26 subjects discriminated on every test between depth and no-depth stimuli with no age differential; the subjects generally preferred the no-depth stimulus. While stereopsis and reactions to novelty or to complexity are possibile explanations of shadow-caster discriminations, the significant reaching response results plus the consistent gaze preference strongly support the hypothesis that binocular functioning is available at 8 weeks of age.
Effect of ethanol on p36 protein kinase substrate and insulin receptor substrate 1 expression and tyrosyl phosphorylation in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Ethanol inhibits insulin (IN) and epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced hepatocyte DNA synthesis. Growth factor receptor kinases, such as IN and EGF, phosphorylate insulin receptor substrate (IRS-1) and p36 protein kinase substrate, respectively, on tyrosine residues. IRS-1 and p36 are thought to be important intracellular signal transduction molecules involved in the regulation of cell growth. These investigations explored the effect of ethanol additions on the expression and tyrosyl phosphorylation (TP) of p36 and IRS-1 in a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (FOCUS) in relationship to cell proliferation induced by IN and serum growth factor stimulation. It was found that p36 was constitutively and highly expressed in serum-starved cells and protein, and mRNA levels did not change with cell proliferation induced by growth factors. However, exposure of FOCUS cells to ethanol additions substantially inhibited TP of p36. The early TP of IRS-1 induced by IN stimulation was also reduced by ethanol additions. Finally, there was a parallel decrease of FOCUS cell proliferation in ethanol-ex-posed cultures. These studies suggest that one possible mechanism of ethanol inhibitory effect on cell proliferation is through reduced TP of putative intracellular signal transduction molecules, such as p36 and IRS-1.
Factory daughters and Chinese modernity: a case from Dongguan

Abstract This article investigates how a group of Hong-Kong Chinese managers of the offshore facilities of a US-based corporation extend their firm’s base in southern China while simultaneously establishing themselves as a new kind of “Chinese” manager. These new managers set out to accomplish what their colleagues in other corporate sites have not been able to do: control the turnover rate of a female labor force, described as sexually tumultuous and hormonally problematic. To control the labor turnover rate, these managers create a strategy for keeping workers “just long enough” before they lose their dexterity and attentiveness as a result of repetitive work. Their strategy relies on a discourse of in loco parentis to justify invasive policies for monitoring workers’ bodily functions and basic mobility inside and outside of the factory. To make this argument, the article combines a Marxian critique of value with post-structuralist theories of discursive subjectivity. The objective is to demonstrate how the negotiation of social identity within the capitalist firm proceeds through the representation of binary cultural and sex differences that reinforce the dichotomies of laborer and manager. However, these binaries unfold in unpredictable and uneven ways that can prove problematic for the capitalist endeavor. The material for this article comes from an ethnographic study of this company’s operations in southern China and in northern Mexico.
Effect on apparent liver blood flow of histamine‐receptor blockers and inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis

We have recently shown that histamine H2-receptor blockade with Cimetidine reduces apparent liver blood flow. To determine the effects of inhibition of Prostaglandin synthesis and of H1-receptor blockade and of their additive effects when combined with Cimetidine (600 mg), we estimated liver blood flow from the clearance of a single dose (0.5 mg/kg) of indocyanine green (ICG) in six healthy subjects after indomethacin (50 mg, three times during 24 hr) and chlorpheniramine (8 mg, three times during 24 hr). Indomethacin and chlorpheniramine reduced ICG estimated liver blood flow by 18 ± 3% and 13 ± 4% (mean ± SEM). When Cimetidine was added to indomethacin or chlor pheniramine, the reductions inflow of 22 ± 6% and 19 ± 5% were not significantly greater than that after indomethacin, chlorpheniramine, or Cimetidine alone (16 ± 6%). These data suggest that both histamine acting through H1- and H2-receptors and Prostaglandins may influence liver blood flow in man and are consistent with evidence from animal experiments that suggest a role for Prostaglandins in H2-mediated vascular responses. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1983) 33, 91–94; doi:10.1038/clpt.1983.13
Cabbage Lepidopterous Pests and Their Parasites in Southwestern Virginia

Lepidopterous pests of cabbage and their parasites in southwestern Virginia were investigated in 1981 and 1982 in a pesticide-free plot. The imported cabbageworm, Artogeia rapae (L.) (formerly in Pieris ), peaked in mid-July and was the major pest. The cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), which peaked in August and June in 1981 and 1982, respectively, was the second most important pest. Small numbers of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), were present. A. rapae and T. ni had two to three generations per year. Of 14 parasite species recovered, 3 were common. Parasitization of A. rapae larvae by Cotesia glomeratus (L.) (formerly in Apanteles ) averaged ca. 25% each year. Pteromalus puparum (L.) parasitized 70 and 32% of the A. rapae pupae during 1981 and 1982, respectively. Parasitization of T. ni larvae by Voria ruralis (Fallen) averaged 27% in 1981 and 17%in 1982.
Neuroleptics Antagonize Nalbuphine Antianalgesia

Abstract To evaluate the role of σ receptors in the sexually dimorphic antianalgesic effect of agonist-antagonist κ opioids, 2 neuroleptics, haloperidol, a σ receptor antagonist, and chlorpromazine, which has minimal effect at σ receptors, were administered with the agonist-antagonist κ opioid nalbuphine in patients with postoperative pain. Before surgical extraction of bony impacted mandibular third molar teeth, patients received haloperidol (1 mg), chlorpromazine (10 mg), or placebo by oral administration. After surgery, the pain intensity did not differ significantly between the 3 treatment groups, suggesting lack of analgesic effect produced by either haloperidol or chlorpromazine. All patients were then administered nalbuphine (5 mg, intravenous). As previously reported, the group that did not receive a preoperative neuroleptic exhibited sexually dimorphic analgesia, with women experiencing greater analgesia than men. Antianalgesia was also observed, with men experiencing late onset increased pain compared with baseline, starting approximately 1 hour after nalbuphine administration. Both neuroleptics blocked nalbuphine antianalgesia, resulting in enhanced analgesia and elimination of the sex differences. Because chlorpromazine and haloperidol enhanced nalbuphine analgesia and eliminated sexual dimorphism, the receptor at which neuroleptics act to antagonize the “antianalgesia” might be a common site of action to both drugs. Perspective This study demonstrates that neuroleptics can block the antianalgesic effect of agonist-antagonist κ opioids. These findings could help inform the development of novel analgesics.
SONIA: a service for organizing networked information autonomously

The recent explosion of on-line information in Digital Liraries and on the World Wide Web has given rise to a number of query-based search engines and manually constructed topical hierarchies. However, these tools are quickly becoming inadequate as query results grow incomprehensibily large and manual classification in topic hierarchies creates an immense bottleneck. We address these problems with a system for topical information space navigation that combines query-based and taxonomic systems. We employ machine learning techniques to create dynamic document categorizations based on the full-text of articles that are retrieved by users' queries. Our system, named SONIA (Service for Organizing Networked Information Autonomously), has been implemented as part of the Stanford Digital Libraries Testbed. It employs a combination of technologies that take the results of queries to networked information sources and, in real-time, automatically retrieve, parse and organize these documents into coherent categories for presention to the user. Moreover, the system can then save such document oragnizations in user profiles which can then be used to help classify future query results by the same user. SONIA uses a multi-tier approach to extracting relevant terms from documents as well as statistical clustering methods to determine potential topics within a document collection. It also makes use of Bayesian classification techniques to classify new documents within an existing catetgorization scheme. In this way, it allows navigate the results of a query at a more topical level than having to examine each document text separately.
Intraoperative Chemonucleolysis As an Adjunct to Lumbar Discectomy

Study Design This is a report of a series of 104 patients who underwent lumbar discectomy and chemonucleolysis at the University of Virginia between 1985 and 1989. Objective The primary objective was to determine the safety of this procedure. A secondary objective was to begin studying its efficacy. Summary of Background Data This is the first report on the use of chymopapain during open surgery. Methods Patients with low back pain and radicular symptoms not cured with conservative therapy were selected for participation in the study, Intraoperetively, disc spaces were injected with 2 ml of chymopapain. Patients were followed-up for an average of 5 years. Patients were surveyed regarding pain relief, and failures of the procedure were analyzed. Results Seventy percent of patients reported good or excellent pain relief. Operative failures, characterized by reoperation at the same level, totaled 9.6%. Recurrent disc herniation at the time of reoperation occurred in 4.8%. Conclusion The procedure is safe and the relief of pain was similar to that in other published series. The suggestion is that the rate of recurrent disc herniation is reduced.
Osmoregulation in juvenile and adult white sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus

Blood samples from cannulated young adult (2.5–15 kg) white sturgeon, acclimated to San Francisco Bay water (24 ppt) had plasma values of 248.8 ± 13.5 mOsm kg−1 H2O, [Na+] = 125 ± 8.0 mEq 1−1, [K+] = 2.6 ± 0.8 mEq 1−1 and [CL−] = 122 ± 3.0 mEq 1−1. Freshwater acclimated sturgeon had an osmolality of 236 ± 7, [Na+] = 131.6 + 4.4, [K+] = 2.5 ± 0.7 and [CL−] = 110.6 ± 3.6. Freshwater acclimated fish gradually exposed to sea water (increase of 5 ppt h−1) had higher plasma osmolalities than did the bay water acclimated fish. These young adult sturgeon are able to tolerate transfer from fresh water to sea water as well as gradual transfer from sea water to fresh water. Plasma electrolytes in transferred fish are regulated, but tend to differ from long term acclimated fish at the same salinities. There is a gradual increase in the upper salinity tolerance (abrupt transfer) of juvenile white sturgeon with weight: 5–10 ppt for 0.4–0.9 g fish, 10–15 ppt for 0.7–1.8 g fish, and 15 ppt for 4.9–50.0 g fish. The ability of juveniles to regulate plasma osmolality is limited. The young adult fish are able to tolerate higher salinities (35 ppt) than juvenile sturgeon but probably are also characterized by low activity of the necessary ion exchange mechanisms in the gills which permit rapid adjustment of blood electrolytes with graduate change in external salinity.
Transplacental alloimmunization to fetal erythrocytes in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

: Evidence of transplacental immunization in rhesus monkeys was obtained by testing postpartum sera from 252 females for antierythrocyte agglutinins. One-third of the sera contained antibodies reactive with the mates' or the newborns' cells. Fetal erythrocytes were detected in the maternal circulation as early as 8 weeks after conception and as late as 12 days postpartum. Maternal antibodies were detected as early as 2 months after conception and persisted for more than 3 weeks postpartum. It was concluded that the fetal cells stimulated antibody production. Several features of transplacental immunization differ between rhesus monkeys and humans. A parity effect was not observed in rhesus. In fact, 33% of primiparous rhesus females produced antibodies. Also, several of the different allogeneic blood group factors appeared to be immunogenic but differed in immunopotency. Finally, direct antiglobulin tests indicated that erythrocytes of 11% of newborns were coated with maternal antibodies. Nevertheless, in contrast to humans, hemolytic disease was not observed.
Extracellular ATP is a central signaling molecule in plant stress responses

Because of their sessile nature, plants have developed a number of sophisticated signaling systems to adapt to environmental changes. Previous research has shown that extracellular ATP is an important signaling molecule used by plants and functions in a variety of processes, including growth, development, and stress responses. Recently, DORN1 was identified as the first plant purinoceptor, essential for the plant response to ATP. The identification of the receptor is a milestone for our overall understanding of various physiological events regulated by extracellular ATP. In this review, we will discuss the possible roles of DORN1 providing future direction for research into the role of extracellular ATP in plants.
The metabolism of luteinizing hormone. plasma clearance, urinary excretion, and tissue uptake ☆

The kinetics of plasma clearance, tissue uptake, and urinary excretion of tritiated ovine pituitary luteinizing hormone in adult male rats are reported. Most of the intravenously injected tritiated gonadotropin is cleared from circulation with a half-life of five minutes, and this is independent of the injected amount of hormone over a wide dose range. It was found that the hormone is rapidly removed from circulation by the kidneys, probably by glomerular filtration, and excreted in the urine. The radioactivity present in the urine is associated with material of the same molecular size as the native hormone and, moreover, the urinary hormone retains a significant amount of biological activity. A small amount of the hormone is catabolized by the kidney and liver, and our data suggest that this occurs in the cortex and hepatocytes, respectively.
Fate of gap junctions in isolated adult mammalian cardiomyocytes.

The fate of gap junctions in dissociated adult myocytes, maintained for up to 22 hours in culture medium, was investigated by semiquantitative analysis of thin sections and by freeze-fracture electron microscopy. Gap junctions in the dissociated myocyte are intact bimembranous structures seen either as invaginated surface-located structures or as annular profiles in the cytoplasm. Surface-located junctions are sealed from the exterior by a sheet of nonjunctional membrane originating (together with the "outer" junctional membrane) from the formerly neighboring cell. Serial sectioning was used to establish that at least part of the annular gap junction population in the freshly isolated myocyte represents truly discrete cytoplasmic vesicles; thus, some gap junctions are rapidly endocytosed after myocyte separation. Analysis of the surface-located-to-annular gap junction ratio suggested that no further endocytosis occurred in rabbit and cat myocytes maintained for 22 and 15 hours, respectively. Guinea pig myocytes, by contrast, did appear to continue endocytosis in culture. Analysis of the distance of gap junctional structures from the cell surface suggested that little if any inward migration of gap junction vesicles occurred. Hypoxia had no detectable effect on the internalization or inward movement of gap junctions. The quantity of ultrastructurally detectable gap junction membrane appeared to remain constant over time, as did the incidence of "complex structures" (i.e., annular gap junction profiles with features previously suggested to represent degradation). New gap junction formation was negligible, and a reappraisal of the nature of "complex structures" led to the conclusion that the origin of these structures need not be related to degradation. Taken together, the findings suggest that degradation and disappearance of gap junctional membrane after isolation of the mature myocyte constitute a much slower process than previously believed, and the possibility that the cardiac gap junction protein has a longer half-life than its counterpart in liver remains open.