cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Performance Analysis of Slotted Aloha with Multi-Access-Point Diversity

Slotted Aloha is an effective random access protocol and can also be an important element of more advanced media access protocols. This paper investigates slotted Aloha in a radio environment with multiple access points. Specifically, we examine the impact of multi-access-point (multi-AP) diversity on the performance of slotted Aloha. The paper considers both omni-directional (OM) and beamforming (BF) antennas at transmission nodes. This leads to the investigation and comparison of four different network scenarios, i.e., OM with multi-AP diversity, OM without multi-AP diversity, BF with multi-AP diversity and BF without multi-AP diversity. Performance evaluations and comparisons are presented in terms of throughput.
Scripting parametric refactorings in Java to retrofit design patterns

Retrofitting design patterns into a program by hand is tedious and error-prone. A programmer must distinguish refactorings that are provided by an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) from those that must be realized manually, determine a precise sequence of refactorings to apply, and perform this sequence repetitively to a laborious degree. We designed, implemented, and evaluated Reflective Refactoring (R2), a Java package to automate the creation of classical design patterns (Visitor, Abstract Factory, etc.), their inverses, and variants. We encoded 18 out of 23 Gang-of-Four design patterns as R2 scripts and explain why the remaining are inappropriate for refactoring engines. We evaluate the productivity and scalability of R2 with a case study of 6 real-world applications. In one case, R2 automatically created a Visitor with 276 visit methods by invoking 554 Eclipse refactorings in 10 minutes - an achievement that could not be done manually. R2 also sheds light on why refactoring correctness, expressiveness, and speed are critical issues for scripting in next-generation refactoring engines.
High-resolution 3D imaging of tissue

Laminar optical tomography (LOT) is a technique capable of 3D optical imaging of absorption and fluorescence contrast in living tissue. LOT can image to depths of 2 mm with 100-200 micron resolution at up to 100 frames per second. We report on the application of LOT to high-resolution depth-resolved imaging of brain function and skin cancer.
Nitrite‐driven nitrous oxide production under aerobic soil conditions: kinetics and biochemical controls

Nitrite (NO2 ) can accumulate during nitrification in soil following fertilizer application. While the role of NO2 as a substrate regulating nitrous oxide (N2O) production is recognized, kinetic data are not available that allow for estimating N2O production or soil-to-atmosphere fluxes as a function of NO2 levels under aerobic conditions. The current study investigated these kinetics as influenced by soil physical and biochemical factors in soils from cultivated and uncultivated fields in Minnesota, USA. A linear response of N2O production rate (PN2O )t o NO2 was observed at concentrations below 60lgNg � 1 soil in both nonsterile and sterilized soils. Rate coefficients (Kp) relating PN2O to NO2 varied over two orders of magnitude and were correlated with pH, total nitrogen, and soluble and total carbon (C). Total C explained 84% of the variance in Kp across all samples. Abiotic processes accounted for 31‐75% of total N2O production. Biological reduction of NO2 was enhanced as oxygen (O2) levels were decreased from above ambient to 5%, consistent with nitrifier denitrification. In contrast, nitrate (NO3 )-reduction, and the reduction of N2O itself, were only stimulated at O2 levels below 5%. Greater temperature sensitivity was observed for biological compared with chemical N2O production. Steady-state model simulations predict that NO2 levels often found after fertilizer applications have the potential to generate substantial N2O fluxes even at ambient O2. This potential derives in part from the production of N2O under conditions not favorable for N2O reduction, in contrast to N2O generated from NO3 reduction. These results have implications with regard to improved management to minimize agricultural N2O emissions and improved emissions assessments.
Out of sight but not out of mind: the role of counter electrodes in polymer-based solid-state electrochromic devices

Throughout the literature, a variety of counter electrode materials have been used in conjugated polymer-based electrochromic devices (ECDs) without a comparative understanding of their effects on the electrochromic properties of the device. In this study, we show that poor ECD performance, often attributed to electrochromic polymer (ECP) stability, is in fact largely due to an inappropriate choice of counter electrode. We have compared a set of counter electrode materials used in the ECD literature in magenta-to-clear and black-to-clear devices and evaluated how they affect the device parameters including contrast, switching time, stability, and voltage requirements. We demonstrate that through the appropriate choice of counter electrode material (i) the operating voltage can be lowered, (ii) no additional equilibration/break-in time is required, and (iii) the contrast and switching times of the ECP is maintained when incorporated into a device. Furthermore, we show that even unencapsulated ECDs with ECP-Magenta as the vibrantly colored material assembled and operated under ambient conditions can withstand over 10 000 switches without compromising contrast or switching time.
Stat3 enhances transactivation of steroid hormone receptors

Steroid hormone receptors (SHRs) are members of the superfamily of ligand-activated transcription factors that regulate many biological processes. Co-regulators act as bridging molecules between the SHR and general transcription factors to enhance transactivation of target genes. Previous studies demonstrated that Stat3 is constitutively activated in prostate cancer and can enhance prostate specific antigen (PSA) expression and promote androgen independent growth. In this study, we investigate whether Stat3 can enhance steroid hormone receptors activation. CV-1 cells in which plasmids expressing androgen receptor (AR), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), progesterone receptor (PR) or estrogen receptor (ER) were cotransfected with a constitutively active STAT3 mutant. Stat3 stimulates the transcriptional activity of all four SHR tested, AR, GR, PR and ER, in a hormone-dependent manner. Stat3 acts in a synergistic fashion with other coactivators such as SRC-1, pCAF, CBP, and TIF-2 on the transcriptional activity of these SHR. In addition, Stat3 significantly enhanced the sensitivity of androgen receptor in response to androgen. STAT3 did not affect the specificity of AR for other steroid hormones other than androgen or binding of AR to other hormone responsive elements. These findings suggest that Stat3 can enhance the transactivation of AR, GR, PR and ER, and activated Stat3 could have a role in the development or progression of a hypersensitive AR.
3D TEM Tomography of Templated Bilayer Films of Block Copolymers

Transmission electron microscope (TEM) tomography was used to visualize the morphology and 3D connectivity of a lithographically templated, self-assembled bilayer film of cylinder-forming 45.5 kg/mol polystyrene-block-polydimethylsiloxane. The structure, formed after a 5 min solvothermal anneal, was imaged with a resolution of ≈3 nm in 3D, enabling a comparison between measurement and self-consistent mean-field theory (SCFT) calculations. Images of etched and unetched samples showed that etching collapsed the PDMS microdomain structure and reduced the template dimensions. In addition to the general comparison between modeled and measured dimensions, the tomography revealed connections between the orthogonal layers of cylinders at their crossing points. Comparison with the SCFT model, even under solvothermal annealing conditions, shows that it is helpful in understanding the detailed nanoscale structure of features created by directed self-assembly (DSA), which is essential in developing nanomanufacturing processes based on DSA.
Targeting of Arf-1 to the early Golgi by membrin, an ER-Golgi SNARE.

Arf and Rab family GTPases regulate membrane traffic in cells, yet little is known about how they are targeted to distinct organelles. To identify sequences in Arf-1 necessary for Golgi targeting, we examined the localization of chimeras between Arf-1 and Arf-6. Here, we identify a 16–amino acid sequence in Arf-1 that specifies Golgi targeting and contains a motif (MXXE) that is important for Arf-1 binding to membrin, an ER-Golgi SNARE protein. The MXXE motif is conserved in all Arfs known to localize to the Golgi and enables Arf-1 to localize to the early Golgi. Arf-1 lacking these 16 aa can still localize to the late Golgi where it displays a more rapid Golgi-cytosol cycle than wild-type Arf-1. These studies suggest that membrin recruits Arf-1 to the early Golgi and reveal distinct kinetic cycles for Arf-1 at early and late Golgi determined by different sets of Arf regulators and effectors.
1-Tetradecanol Complex: Therapeutic Actions in Experimental Periodontitis

Background: The present study was planned to investigate the therapeutic actions of 1-tetradecanol complex (1-TDC), a novel monounsaturated fatty acid mixture, in established periodontitis in rabbits. Methods: Periodontitis was initiated in 18 New Zealand White rabbits using ligatures around mandibular second premolars, followed by topical Porphyromonas gingivalis application (10 9 colony forming units). After 6 weeks of disease induction (phase 1), three animals were sacrificed to assess the established periodontitis level. P. gingivalis application was discontinued, and the remaining 15 animals continued with topical treatment of 1-TDC (100 mg/ml; n = 5) or placebo (n = 5) or no treatment (n = 5) for an additional 6 weeks (phase 2). Mandibular block sections obtained after euthanasia were decalcified and embedded in paraffin. In addition to the macroscopic analyses, hematoxylin and eosin–stained sections were used to study cellular inflammatory infiltrate and quantitative histomorphometry. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase and osteocalcin were used to identify osteoclastic and osteoblastic activity, respectively. Results: P. gingivalis application resulted in periodontal disease with gingival inflammation and bone loss (30% compared to baseline) at 6 weeks. Treatment with 1-TDC stopped the progression of the disease and resulted in a significant reduction in the macroscopic periodontal inflammation, attachment, and bone loss (10.1% – 1.8%), whereas periodontal disease progressed in the untreated and placebo groups (P <0.05). Histologic assessment and histomorphometric measurements demonstrated that 1-TDC inhibited inflammatory cell infiltration and osteoclastic activity (P <0.05). Conclusion: The findings suggest that topical application of cetylated monounsaturated fatty acid complex (1-TDC) is a potential therapeutic approach in controlling the progression of chronic periodontal disease. J Periodontol 2009;80:11031113.
A NEGLECTED RESOLUTION OF RUSSELL'S PARADOX OF PROPOSITIONS

Bertrand Russell oered an inuential paradox of propositions in Appendix B of The Principles of Mathematics, but there is little agreement as to what to conclude from it. We suggest that Russell's paradox is best regarded as a limitative result on propositional granularity. Some propositions are, on pain of contradiction, unable to discriminate between classes with dierent members: whatever they predicate of one, they predicate of the other. When accepted, this remarkable fact should cast some doubt upon some of the uses to which modern descendants of Russell's paradox of propositions have been put in recent literature.
Distributed coordination and data fusion for underwater search

This paper presents coordination and data fusion methods for teams of vehicles performing target search tasks without guaranteed communication. A fully distributed team planning algorithm is proposed that utilizes limited shared information as it becomes available, and data fusion techniques are introduced for merging estimates of the target's position from vehicles that regain contact after long periods of time. The proposed data fusion techniques are shown to avoid overcounting information, which ensures that combining data from different vehicles will not decrease the performance of the search. Motivated by the underwater search domain, a realistic underwater acoustic communication channel is used to determine the probability of successful data transfer between two locations. The channel model is integrated into a simulation of multiple autonomous vehicles in both open ocean and harbor search scenarios. The simulated experiments demonstrate that distributed coordination with limited communication significantly improves team performance versus prior techniques that continually maintain connectivity.
Aromatic amino acid catabolism by lactococci

Summary - While catabolism of amino acids is believed to play an important role in cheese f1avor development, the pathways present in cheese microflora are poorly understood. To determine the pathways of aromatic amino acid catabolism in lactococci and effects of Cheddar cheese ripening conditions on catabolic enzymes and products, eight starter lactococcal strains were screened. Cell-free extracts prepared from these strains were found to contain an œ-ketoglutarate-dependent aminotransferase activity with tryptophan, tyrosine and phenylalanine. Tryptophan, tyrosine and phenylalanine aminotransferase specifie activities (Ilmol product formed/mg proteinlmin) ranged from 0.30 to 2.8 10-3, 0.93 to 7.3 10-3 and 1.5 to 7.2 10-3, respectively. Metabolites produced from tryptophan by a cellfree extract of Lactococcus lactis S3 were indolepyruvic acid, indoleacetic acid and indole-3-aldehyde. Indoleacetic acid and indole-3-aldehyde can form spontaneously from indolepyruvic acid under the conditions employed. A defined medium was used to determine whether the aminotransferase(s) was expressed and which metabolite(s) accumulate under conditions that simulated those of ripening Cheddar cheese in terms of pH, salt, temperature and carbohydrate starvation. The results indicated that the aminotransferase(s) was expressed and stable under these conditions. The tryptophan metabolites that accumulated were determined to be strain-specific. lactococcus / aminotransferase / aromatic amino acid / catabolism / cheese flavor
Modelocking pulse dynamics in fiber lasers

Erbium-doped modclocked fiber lasers provide a potentially attractive short pulse source1 near 1.5 microns for applications to high speed fiber optic communication systems and interconnection networks.
Evidence of solar geomagnetic seasonal control of the topside ionosphere

Abstract Ion composition results obtained from the polar orbiting OGO-4 satellite during 1967–68 reveal a pronounced longitudinal variation in the composition of the topside ionosphere. This variation is in the form of a large scale wobble or shift in the latitudinal distributions of the major topside ions H+, O+, He+ and N+, observed as the earth rotates beneath the fixed satellite orbit. Both the location and prominence of distinct ionospheric features, including the O+-H+ transition level, the H+/He+ ratio, the high latitude depletion of H+ and He+, and the winter bulge in He+, are found to change significantly between longitudes for which the angle between the Earth-Sun line and the dipole equator has its greatest variation. Similarly, it is found that the ambient ion concentrations at a given latitude may change by as much as an order of magnitude between contrasting longitudes, even though the altitude and magnetic activity remain nearly constant. The overall result is that seasonal variations, such as the decrease in production of ionization at winter latitudes, are maximized at the location of extreme ‘solar-geomagnetic’ season. The persistence of the longitudinal asymmetry over a range of local times, seasons, and magnetic conditions reveals that the topside ionosphere is dependent upon a ‘solar-geomagnetic’ rather than simply a solar seasonal control. This variation, which may involve large scale transport of both ions and neutral particles, presents an added complication to studies of the topside ionosphere. These results indicate that investigations of both long and short term changes in the ion composition must, to be rigorous, take into consideration the ‘solar-geomagnetic’ seasonal effects.
Steroid regulation of excitability in identified insect neurosecretory cells

n the moth Manduca sexta, the declining ecdysteroid titer on the final day of the molt from the fourth to the fifth larval instar acts on the ventromedial neurosecretory cells (VM cells) to stimulate the release of eclosion hormone (EH). EH then triggers the motor programs involved in ecdysis behavior. Intracellular recordings that were made from the VM cells throughout the intermolt and molting stages showed no spontaneous action potentials until 0.9 hr before ecdysis (during the expected time of EH release), when 50% of the VM cells fired tonically at rest. This change was associated with a marked reduction in VM cell threshold without alteration of input resistance, resting potential, or synaptic drive. The increase in VM cell excitability was dependent on the declining ecdysteroid titer, because the injection of 20- hydroxyecdysone (20-HE) 11.5 hr before ecdysis significantly delayed the expected decrease in VM cell threshold. Since the same steroid treatment given 4.6 hr before ecydysis did not delay the subsequent increase in VM cell excitability, the inhibitory actions of 20-HE appear not to be mediated by a rapid membrane mechanism. The possible involvement of genomic events in the steroid-dependent increase in VM cell excitability was examined using the RNA synthesis inhibitor actinomycin D (AcD). When injected 6.3 hr before ecdysis, AcD blocked EH release without altering the response of the nervous system to exogenous peptide. Such AcD treatments also prevented the increase in VM cell excitability. These results suggest that the declining ecdysteroid titer increases the excitability of the VM cells via a transcription-dependent process.
Implementation of a Collaborative Document Processing in the Cloud

Document processing is among one of the most widely used and well developed applications. With the recent fast development of high-speed internet and distributed computing, it becomes feasible to move document processing to web- and even cloud-based environment. The initial benefits of moving office documents into cloud for small and medium sized business are cost saving for purchasing, maintaining, and upgrading both software and hardware. However, the most significant advantage of this trend is to enable users of real-time collaborative editing on a shared cloud-based document. Therefore, moving office applications into cloud is an inevitable trend for the development of office application. A novel efficient document-processing model (DPC) in the cloud was proposed by the author in [12]. In this paper we implemented the DPC model in the Google cloud through the Google App Engine. Our preliminary cases testing results verified the proposed DPC model enabling users to process office document collaboratively with a proper granularity in the cloud.
Teacher Education for Effective Science Instruction — A Social Cognitive Perspective

Science education suffers from teachers' inadequate preparation and negative attitudes. Social cognitive theory offers teacher educators a model for understanding the reasons for inadequate science instruction and for developing teacher education practices that can overcome the obstacles to effective science instruction. Research showing the relationship between teachers' self-efficacy, anxiety, and teaching effectiveness is reviewed. Teacher education strategies that increase self-efficacy, lower anxiety, and increase teacher effectiveness are described, and problems in science education in need of further study are discussed.
Categories of resistance to greenbug (Homoptera: Aphididae) biotype I in Aegilops tauschii germplasm.

Abstract Categories of resistance to greenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), biotype I, were determined in goatgrass, Aegilops tauschii (Coss.) Schmal., accession 1675 (resistant donor parent), ‘Wichita’ wheat, Triticum aestivum L., (susceptible parent), and an Ae. tauschii-derived resistant line, ‘97-85-3’. Antibiosis was assessed using the intrinsic rate of increase (rm) of greenbugs confined to each of the three genotypes. Neither parent nor the resistant progeny expressed antibiosis. Mean rm values for greenbug I on Wichita (0.0956), and Ae. tauschii (0.10543) were not significantly different. Mean rm values for Wichita and 97-85-3 were also not significantly different. Antixenosis was determined by allowing aphids a choice to feed on plants of each of the three genotypes. Ae. tauschii 1675 exhibited antixenosis, but this resistance was not inherited and expressed in 97-85-3. In experiments comparing Wichita and Ae. tauschii 1675, greenbug I population distributions were not significantly different o...
Wirewalker: An Autonomous Wave-Powered Vertical Profiler

Abstract An inexpensive vertically profiling float that draws its energy from the ocean surface wavefield is described. Termed the “Wirewalker,” it is a generalized platform capable of supporting a variety of self-contained instruments. The motion of the waves drives the positively buoyant profiler downward. It then free floats upward, decoupled from the surface motion field. The design focuses on mechanical simplicity and low cost. In moderate sea states, a prototype Wirewalker has completed profiles to depths of 60 m every 15 min. Profiles from the surface to 50–100 m can be obtained rapidly enough that diel and higher-frequency variability can be resolved.
America's Waters: A New Era of Sustainability: Report of the Long's Peak Working Group on National Water Policy

This report summarizes the findings of a working group that examined opportunities for development of federal law related to use and protection of water resources.
Infection of newly recruited American eels (Anguilla rostrata) by the invasive swimbladder parasite Anguillicoloides crassus in a US Atlantic tidal creek

Jennifer L. Hein1, Isaure de Buron2, William A. Roumillat1, William C. Post1, Allan P. Hazel1, and Stephen A. Arnott1* South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Marine Resources Research Institute, 217 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29422, USA Department of Biology, College of Charleston, 58 Coming St, Charleston, SC 29401, USA *Corresponding author: tel: +1 843 953 9794; fax: +1 843 953 9820; e-mail: arnotts@dnr.sc.gov
Statistical Refinement of the Q-Matrix in Cognitive Diagnosis:

Most methods for fitting cognitive diagnosis models to educational test data and assigning examinees to proficiency classes require the Q-matrix that associates each item in a test with the cogniti...
Transient virilization in early puberty

Abstract A case report of a patient in whom transient elevation of androgens during early puberty, presumably physiologic, resulted in significant clitoral enlargement is presented. ACTH stimulation showed elevated A5 pathway steroids. The findings are consistent with partial 3-β-ol hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency. However, the condition resolved spontaneously following puberty.
Treatment of a Thyroid Tumor in an African Pygmy Hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris)

Abstract A 4-year-old, intact male, African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris ) was presented for evaluation of a 1.5 × 2.5cm firm mass on the right ventral neck. The ventral cervical mass was surgically resected and histopathologically diagnosed as a presumptive metastatic C-cell carcinoma. Following surgery, the hedgehog was treated with a total of 32Gy (8Gy/fraction for 4 weekly fractions) via external beam radiation therapy. No acute radiation side effects were noted during or 1 week post–radiation therapy. At the time of writing, the hedgehog was 9 months postdiagnosis with no evidence of local recurrence or metastatic disease.
The Simulation of the Impact on the Opening of One-way Valve due to Spring Stiffness Coefficient

The method of UDF and dynamic mesh of FLUENT software is used to research the impact on the opening of one-way valve due to spring stiffness coefficient.The results indicate that the reciprocating vibration amplitude is large relatively for the first time,the valve core is almost stable for the second time.The balance displacement and the maximum displacement which the valve core got will reduce linearly when the spring stiffness coefficient increase.The time which the valve core takes by reaching the balance position and the maximum position will reduce linearly when the spring stiffness coefficient increase.When the flow field is steady,the net pressure between inlet and outlet will increase linearly when the spring stiffness coefficient increase.
The case against routine aspirin use for primary prevention in low-risk adults.

A policy of generalized aspirin use in adults for the primary prevention of CVD is probably not warranted. Instead, the benefits and risks of aspirin therapy for primary prevention need to be considered on an individual basis, and should be reserved for persons at highest long-term risk of CVD and at low risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.
Fast and Efficient Parallel Matrix Computations on a Linear Array with a Reconfigurable Pipelined Optical Bus System

We present fast and cost efficient parallel algorithms for a number of important and fundamental matrix computation problems on linear arrays with reconfigurable pipelined optical bus systems. These problems include computing the inverse, the characteristic polynomial, the determinant, the rank, the Nth power, an LU- and a QR-factorization of a matrix, and solving linear systems of equations. Our algorithms provide a wide range of performance-cost combinations. Compared with known results, the running time of parallel solutions to all these problems can be reduced by a factor of O(log N) while maintaining costs under O(N 4).
Social appearance anxiety and dietary restraint as mediators between perfectionism and binge eating: A six month three wave longitudinal study.

Binge eating is related to perfectionism and restrained eating. However, the mechanisms underlying these relationships are not well understood. It is possible that social anxiety, specifically social appearance anxiety (i.e., the fear of overall appearance evaluation), influences the relationship between binge eating, perfectionism, and dietary restraint. In the current study (N = 300 women), we tested the relationship between dietary restraint, social appearance anxiety, concern over mistakes (a component of perfectionism), and binge eating in prospective data (three time points: at baseline, at two month, and at six month follow up). We found that social appearance anxiety, dietary restraint, and concern over mistakes each predicted binge eating at baseline. Only social appearance anxiety prospectively predicted binge eating when accounting for all variables. Further, in the tested model, social appearance anxiety mediated the relationship between concern over mistakes and binge eating across six months. On the contrary, dietary restraint did not mediate the relationship between concern over mistakes and binge eating in the tested model. The finding that social appearance anxiety served as a mediator between concern over mistakes and binge eating, but that dietary restraint did not, implies that social appearance anxiety may be a more salient prospective predictor of binge eating than dietary restraint. Intervening on social appearance anxiety may be important in the treatment and prevention of binge eating.
Growth of Bacteria in Soy-Extended Ground Beef Stored at Three Temperatures.

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of five separate levels of textured soy protein (TSP) on growth of psychrotrophs, mesophiles, coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus , and fecal streptococci in soy-extended ground beef stored at -16°, 0° and 6°C. Highly significant increases in psychrotroph and mesophile counts accompanied increased levels of soy at 0° and 6°C, but not at -16°C. Soy-extended beef samples containing 20 and 40% TSP spoiled one day faster at 6°C and four days sooner at 0°C than non-extended ground beef. No significant differences in coliform, fecal streptococci or S. aureus counts could be attributed to increasing levels of TSP in extended ground beef at -16°, 0° or 6°C. Protein content did not vary significantly with TSP concentration; however, fat decreased as soy level increased. Moisture and carbohydrate-ash content increased significantly as soy level increased, as did pH which reached a maximum of 6.5.
Duration in Poverty-Related Programs and Number of Child Maltreatment Reports: A Multilevel Negative Binomial Study

This study examined the relationship of a family’s duration in poverty-related programs (i.e., Aid to Families with Dependent Children/Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Medicaid) to the s...
Die Emergenz der sowjetischen Faktografie

Anhand einer Analyse des Werks von Sergej Tret’jakov untersucht dieser Artikel Dokumentation als einen Schauplatz dessen, was sein Kollaborateur Bertolt Brecht »kollektive Denkprozesse« genannt hat. Solche emergenten Formen kollektiver Kognition treten haufig in historischen Krisen- und Umbruchsmomenten auf, wenn das individuelle Bewusstsein Ereignissen, die sich gerade in der Gegenwart entfalten, hinterherhinkt.
The Impossible Tribar

Few mathematicians have never meditated on Maurits Escher’s magnificent “Waterfall”. This print convincingly depicts an over and undershot waterwheel perpetually driven by a closed stream. The water flows from the base of the wheel down a zigzag millrace which is supported by two towers, and spills from it again, two stories above the wheel.
Cognitive Control Deficits Differentiate Adolescent Suicide Ideators From Attempters.

Objective Mental illness and suicidal ideation are among the strongest correlates of suicidal behaviors, but few adolescents with these risk factors make a suicide attempt. Therefore, it is critical to identify factors associated with the transition from suicide ideation to attempts. The present study tested whether deficits in cognitive control in the context of suicide-relevant stimuli (ie, suicide interference) reliably differentiated adolescent ideators and attempters. Methods Adolescents (n = 99; 71 girls) aged 13-18 years (mean = 15.53, SD = 1.34) with recent suicide ideation (n = 60) or a recent suicide attempt (n = 39) were recruited from an acute residential treatment facility between August 2012 and December 2013. We measured interference to suicide-related, negative, and positive words using the Suicide Stroop Task (SST). Results When stimuli were analyzed separately, suicide attempters showed greater interference for suicide (t₉₇ = 2.04, P = .044, d = 0.41) and positive (t₉₇ = 2.63, P = .010, d = 0.53) stimuli compared to suicide ideators. An additional omnibus interference (suicide, negative, positive) x group (suicide ideator, suicide attempter) analysis of variance revealed a main effect of group (F₁,₉₇ = 4.31, P = .041, ηp² = 0.04) but no interaction (P = .166), indicating that attempters showed greater interference for emotional stimuli, regardless of valence. Multiple attempters drove this effect; single attempters and ideators did not differ in SST performance (P = .608). Conclusions General deficits in cognitive control in the context of emotional stimuli may be a marker of adolescent suicide risk.
Technique and complications from masters in andrological surgery

“Good decisions come from experience, and experience comes from bad decisions”—author unknown.
Nitroaromatic sensing with a new lanthanide coordination polymer [Er2(C10H4O4S2)3(H2O)6]n assembled by 2,2′-bithiophene-5,5′-dicarboxylate

A new three dimensional lanthanide-containing coordination polymer composed of 2,2′-bithiophene-5,5′-dicarboxylic acid ([Er2(C10H4O4S2)3(H2O)6]n) was solvothermally synthesized and characterized using single crystal X-ray diffraction, PXRD, FTIR, TGA, and luminescence measurements. The emission of this compound dispersed in ethanol is linker based and is quenched upon addition of nitroaromatic species due to a charge transfer from the MOF to the nitroaromatic species. This compound is able to sense a variety of nitroaromatic species, but is particularly sensitive to nitrophenols and nitroaniline.
The influence of parental food preference and neophobia on children with phenylketonuria (PKU).

Abstract Background In a previous case-control study, we demonstrated that children with PKU and non-PKU controls preferred sweet foods. Additionally, children with PKU exhibited food neophobia, with no preference for bitter tasting foods associated with the taste of phenylalanine (Phe)-free L-amino acid supplements. Objective In an observational extension study, we evaluated the influence of parental food choice and neophobia on their children's taste preferences and food neophobia. Methods Male and female parents/caregivers of 35 children with PKU and 35 control parents, completed a neophobia and food frequency questionnaire for comparison using the same questionnaires that they completed for their children. Results Both groups of children (PKU and non PKU control) were rated as more food neophobic and exhibited more neophobic behaviour than parents, although children with PKU more so than non-PKU controls (PKU food neophobia p Conclusions In PKU, parental food choices and their food neophobia have limited influence on their children's eating habits. Food neophobia in children with PKU may be associated with fear of eating unfamiliar foods potentially containing a source of protein or aspartame. Their preference for sweet foods may be influenced by limited food choices and habitual consumption of artificially sweetened L-amino acid supplements.
Contesting the Sexual: Sexuality in an African Context

Disputes over sexuality are not new to the continent—they began with the colonial and Christianization project. I employ the story of a Zimbabwean lesbian Melissa, and various studies to prove the presence of same-sex and transgender sexualities in pre-colonial, colonial, and postcolonial Africa. Pointing to sexual rituals (cisungu among the Bemba of Zambia and ngweko among the Kikuyu), I argue that Africans did not attach shame to sexuality as was the case in Europe. I disagree with Caldwell et al.’s (1989: 185–234) claim that Africans do not discuss sexual matters. The current silence, I contend, is due to the dominance of Victorian era values that characterized missionary and colonial activities. These factors outlawed sexual rites and criminalized non-heterosexual expressions—thus increasing the silence, which is now presented as postcolonial Africa’s position on human sexuality.
State-of-the-Art Review on Seismic Design of Steel Structures

Abstract This state-of-the-art review provides an overview of the evolution of seismic design requirements for main steel building seismic force–resisting systems, as driven by new developments, th...
Contemporary Psychoanalysis and Social Work Theory

This paper maintains that much in the contemporary postmodern and relational paradigms in psychoanalysis is a refinding of elements of clinical social work theory. To illustrate that, this paper elucidates the pivotal differences between contemporary psychoanalytic theory and classical ego psychological psychoanalytic theory. I describe my own experiences in training, first as a social worker, then as an ego psychological psychotherapist, and finally as a psychoanalyst to illustrate how I began to realize the homologous nature of clinical social work and contemporary psychoanalysis. The beginnings of social casework theory from Mary Richmond and Charlotte Towle are then described. Like Moliere's bourgeois gentleman who discovered he's been “speaking prose” for forty years without knowing it, perhaps social work theory has been “cutting edge” for eighty years without knowing it.
Neuronal Function in the Nervous System

This chapter discusses neuronal function in the nervous system. A neuron is the basic functional unit of the nervous system. Its primary property is excitability. The afferent processes of the neuron are called dendrites, and the efferent process is the axon. Neural transmission is a function basic to the nervous system, and the neuron with its processes serves as one of its basic conductive units. The synapse is a juncture point at which electrical impulses are transmitted from nerve to muscle, gland, or another neuron. Interneuron transmission occurs in the brain from nerve to nerve. Electrical transmission at the synapse is aided by the release of biochemical transmitters. Peripheral neuromuscular synapses release acetylcholine. Neuronal function at higher levels is accomplished in neuronal patterns and networks. The principles of network excitation and inhibition, convergence and divergence, and probabilistic selectivity of impulses at the synapse are important in brain function. There remains a significant knowledge gap between understanding the electrical and biochemical properties in neuronal transmission and explaining the neuronal activity necessary for speech and language.
A Critical Analysis of Corporate Social Responsibility in Ghana’s Telecommunications Industry

While there has been extensive research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) across disciplines, there is still a dearth of research on CSR in Africa, south of the Sahara, which is one of the s...
Analysis of death for children under 5 years old in Pudong New Area,2002-2013

Objective To analyse the death situations of children under 5years old of the residents in Pudong New Area of Shanghai from 2002 to 2013,and provide references for developing measures to promote children health. MethodsThe vital data of children under 5years old were collected and analyzed from 2002 to 2013.The cause of death was coded by the 10 th edition of International Classification of Diseases(ICD-10).The trend was tested by join-point regression program4.1. Results The total death of children under 5years old in Pudong New Area was 889.Under 5mortality rate(U5MR)covered from 3.09‰~6.56‰.Infant mortality rate(IMR)covered from 2.31‰~5.37‰.The top three causes of death were congenital malformation,neonatal illness,injury and poisoning,which three causes added up to 81.21% of the total.Conclusions The U5 MR of the registered population in Pudong New Area is quite low.Prenatal and postnatal care and foster physical fitness should be promoted among the population in order to reduce the cause specific death rate of genital malformation and neonatal illness,and enhance children safety education to reduce the cause specific death rate of injury.
A Convolutional Neural Network-based Model of Neural Pathways in the Retina *

A variety of the visual functions of the vertebrate retina rely on the interactions between excitation and inhibition within specialized retinal circuitry. The nonlinear properties of these interactions, as well as a large number of cell types and pathways involved, pose a challenge for characterizing many of these retinal functions. To address these challenges, we develop a computational model in the convolutional neural network framework, along with an efficient, robust learning procedure that enables incorporating both excitatory and inhibitory interactions between the network layers of the retina through feedforward and lateral connections. The model successfully describes the spiking rate of retinal ganglion cells, for both real and simulated validation data. The recovered biologically-plausible model parameters represent the linear and nonlinear computations across retinal network layers. This novel model of retinal responses and the associated learning algorithm provide a powerful tool for understanding the complex visual computations in the retina and for replicating naturalistic visual functions of the retina for retinal prostheses applications.
Stability of the vaginal, oral, and gut microbiota across pregnancy among African American women: the effect of socioeconomic status and antibiotic exposure.

Objective A growing body of research has investigated the human microbiota and pregnancy outcomes, especially preterm birth. Most studies of the prenatal microbiota have focused on the vagina, with fewer investigating other body sites during pregnancy. Although pregnancy involves profound hormonal, immunological and metabolic changes, few studies have investigated either shifts in microbiota composition across pregnancy at different body sites or variation in composition at any site that may be explained by maternal characteristics. The purpose of this study was to investigate: (1) the stability of the vaginal, oral, and gut microbiota from early (8-14 weeks) through later (24-30 weeks) pregnancy among African American women according to measures of socioeconomic status, accounting for prenatal antibiotic use; (2) whether measures of socioeconomic status are associated with changes in microbiota composition over pregnancy; and (3) whether exposure to prenatal antibiotics mediate any observed associations between measures of socioeconomic status and stability of the vaginal, oral, and gut microbiota across pregnancy. Methods We used paired vaginal, oral, or gut samples available for 16S rRNA gene sequencing from two time points in pregnancy (8-14 and 24-30 weeks) to compare within-woman changes in measures of alpha diversity (Shannon and Chao1) and beta-diversity (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity) among pregnant African American women (n = 110). Multivariable linear regression was used to examine the effect of level of education and prenatal health insurance as explanatory variables for changes in diversity, considering antibiotic exposure as a mediator, adjusting for age, obstetrical history, and weeks between sampling. Results For the oral and gut microbiota, there were no significant associations between measures of socioeconomic status or prenatal antibiotic use and change in Shannon or Chao1 diversity. For the vaginal microbiota, low level of education (high school or less) was associated with an increase in Shannon and Chao1 diversity over pregnancy, with minimal attenuation when controlling for prenatal antibiotic use. Conversely, for within-woman Bray-Curtis dissimilarity for early compared to later pregnancy, low level of education and prenatal antibiotics were associated with greater dissimilarity for the oral and gut sites, with minimal attenuation when controlling for prenatal antibiotics, and no difference in dissimilarity for the vaginal site. Conclusions Measures of maternal socioeconomic status are variably associated with changes in diversity across pregnancy for the vaginal, oral, and gut microbiota, with minimal attenuation by prenatal antibiotic exposure. Studies that evaluate stability of the microbiota across pregnancy in association with health outcomes themselves associated with socioeconomic status (such as preterm birth) should incorporate measures of socioeconomic status to avoid finding spurious relationships.
Expression, purification, characterization, and site-directed mutagenesis of phosphorylase kinase [upsilon] subunit

A catalytic fragment, 71-290/ derived from limited chymotryptic digestion of phosphorylase b kinase (Harris, W. R. et al., [1990] J. Biol. Chem., 265, 11740-11745), is reported to have about six-fold greater specific activity than does the 7 subunit-calmodulin complex. To test whether there is an inhibitory domain located outside the catalytic core of the y subunit, full-length wild-type and seven truncated forms of 7 were expressed in E. coli. Recombinant proteins accumulate in the inclusion bodies and can be isolated, solubilized, renatured, and purified further by ammonium sulfate precipitation and Q-Sepharose column. Four out of seven truncated mutants show similar (71.353 and 7i.34i) or less (71-331 and 71.275) specific activity than does the full-length wild-type 7, 71.386Three truncated forms, 71.316, 71.300/ and 71.290 have molar specific activities approximately twice as great as those of the full-length wild-type 7 and the nonactivated holoenzyme. All recombinant 7s exhibit similar values for both substrates, i.e., about 18 /zM for phosphorylase b and about 75 /zM for MgATP. Three truncated 7 s , 7 1 . 3 1 6 / 7 i-3oo/ and 7 1 . 2 9 0 / have a 1.9to 2.5-fold greater catalytic efficiency (%nax/^) than that of the full-length wild-type 7 and a 3.5to 4.5-fold greater efficiency than that of the
State making through conservation: The case of post-conflict Nepal

Abstract In this article we use the case of post-conflict Nepal to advance political ecological analyses of conservation violence, securitization, and militarization and analyses of the role of environmental governance in state-making. During the civil war of 1996–2006, Maoist insurgents controlled most of rural Nepal, including several national parks. Maoist insurgents' occupation of parks supported their goal of establishing a parallel state. Following the war's cessation, the Nepali government has worked to remake the state in rural areas formerly under Maoist control. We conducted an ethnographic study of Nepal's Chitwan National Park and its buffer zone, employing participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. Territoriality and territorialization are constitutive concepts of our analysis and we view national parks and buffer zones as internal territorializing practices for extending state power over people and nature. We found that the Nepal Army's role in conservation is expanding, the national parks agency is increasingly militarized, and conservation policy in Nepal's buffer zones has shifted toward securitization. Buffer zone legislation and regulation, we document, grants the Nepal Army sweeping powers of surveillance and law enforcement in hundreds of communities and countless farms and pastures. We found that buffer zone residents increasingly experience the state as an imminent presence in their daily lives. Based on our findings we argue that militarization and securitization practices in conservation are a strategically important to the Nepali government's efforts to reassert state power over rural spaces and to buttress them against future peasant-based insurrections.
Contact angle measurement using a Hele-Shaw cell: A proof-of-concept study

Abstract Contact angle is an important property to quantify the wettability of a solid surface with a liquid, which characterizes interactions of the solid-liquid pair. Generally, to measure contact angle, special instruments such as a goniometer are necessary, but they are not readily available in certain research settings. In this study, an alternative method to measure contact angle based on a Hele-Shaw cell, microscopy imaging, and image processing is suggested. In this method, a liquid drop is injected into a transparent Hele-Shaw cell, the meniscus of the drop is captured in the top or bottom view using a brightfield microscope, and the contact angle is measured from the captured image based on a geometrical model of the drop in the Hele-Shaw cell. The proposed method was tested using two different liquids (deionized water and glycerol) and two different solid surfaces (polydimethylsiloxane [PDMS] and commercial water-repellent-coated glass) with various gap heights of Hele-Shaw cells and validated in comparison with a goniometer. Our results show that the proposed method could measure contact angles reasonably well. Although the concept of the proposed quick-and-dirty contact angle measurement method was proven in this study, there is still room to improve the accuracy and reliability of the proposed method.