cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: AUA Guideline Amendment

Purpose: The purpose of this amendment is to incorporate relevant newly-published literature to better provide a rational basis for the management of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer.Materials and Methods: The original systematic review and meta-analysis of the published literature yielded 303 articles published from 1996 through 2013. This review formed a majority of the guideline statements. Clinical Principles and Expert Opinions were used for guideline statements lacking sufficient evidence-based data. In April 2014, the CRPC guideline underwent amendment based on a second comprehensive literature search, which retrieved additional studies published between February 2013 and February 2014. Thirty-seven studies from this search provided data relevant to the specific treatment modalities for CRPC.Results: Guideline statements based on six index patients developed to represent the most common scenarios encountered in clinical practice were amended appropriately. The additional literatur...
Developing Hyperspectral Vegetation Indices for Identifying Seagrass Species and Cover Classes

ABSTRACT Pu, R.; Bell, S., and English, D., 2015. Developing hyperspectral vegetation indices for identifying seagrass species and cover classes. Seagrass habitats are characteristic features of shallow waters worldwide and provide a variety of ecosystem functions. To date, few studies have evaluated the efficiency of spectral vegetation indices (VIs) for characterizing aquatic plants. Here we evaluate the use of in situ hyperspectral data and hyperspectral VIs for distinguishing among seagrass species and levels of percentage submerged aquatic vegetation (%SAV) cover in a subtropical shallow water setting. Analysis procedures include (1) retrieving bottom reflectance, (2) calculating correlation matrices of VIs with %SAV cover and F value matrices from analysis of variance among species, (3) testing the difference of VIs between levels of %SAV cover and between species, and (4) discriminating levels of %SAV cover and species by using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and classification and regression tr...
An embedding for π 2 of a subcomplex of a finite contractible two-complex

A longstanding open question in low dimensional topology was raised by J. H. C. Whitehead in 1941 [9]: “Is any subcomplex of an aspherical, two-dimensional complex itself aspherical?” The asphericity of classical knot complements [7] provides evidence that the answer to Whitehead's question might be “yes”. Indeed, each classical knot complement has the homotopy type of a two-complex which can be embedded in a finite contractible two-complex. This property is shared by a large class of four-manifolds; these are the ribbon disc complements, whose asphericity has been conjectured, and even claimed, but never proven. (See [4] for a discussion.) It is reasonable and convenient to formulate the following.
Identification of serum biomarkers for aging and anabolic response.

Objective With the progressive aging of the human population, there is an inexorable decline in muscle mass, strength and function. Anabolic supplementation with testosterone has been shown to effectively restore muscle mass in both young and elderly men. In this study, we were interested in identifying serum factors that change with age in two distinct age groups of healthy men, and whether these factors were affected by testosterone supplementation.
CASE: Mozilla vs. Godzilla — The Launch of the Mozilla Firefox Browser ☆

The case describes an interactive marketing campaign used to launch the open source, Mozilla Firefox browser. The case highlights key features of the campaign and the facilitating conditions that enabled product success. The sustainability of the community marketing effort in light of product maturation is the central marketing challenge that the organization now faces.
Uracil-DNA glycosylase-deficient yeast exhibit a mitochondrial mutator phenotype.

Mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been reported in cancer and are involved in the pathogenesis of many mitochondrial diseases. Uracil-DNA glycosylase, encoded by the UNG1 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, repairs uracil in DNA formed due to deamination of cytosine. Our study demonstrates that inactivation of the UNG1 gene leads to at least a 3-fold increased frequency of mutations in mtDNA compared with the wild-type. Using a Ung1p–green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion construct, we demonstrate that yeast yUng1–GFP protein localizes to both mitochondria and the nucleus, indicating that Ung1p must contain both a mitochondrial localization signal (MLS) and a nuclear localization signal. Our study reveals that the first 16 amino acids at the N-terminus contain the yUng1p MLS. Deletion of 16 amino acids resulted in the yUng1p–GFP fusion protein being transported to the nucleus. We also investigated the intracellular localization of human hUng1p–GFP in yeast. Our data indicate that hUng1p–GFP predominately localizes to the mitochondria. Further analysis identified the N-terminal 16 amino acids as important for localization of hUng1 protein into the mitochondria. Expression of both yeast and human UNG1 cDNA suppressed the frequency of mitochondrial mutation in UNG1-deficient cells. However, expression of yUNG1 in wild-type cells increased the frequency of mutations in mtDNA, suggesting that elevated expression of Ung1p is mutagenic. An increase in the frequency of mitochondrial mutants was also observed when hUNG1 site-directed mutants (Y147C and Y147S) were expressed in mitochondria. Our study suggests that deamination of cytosine is a frequent event in S.cerevisiae mitochondria and both yeast and human Ung1p repairs deaminated cytosine in mitochondria.
'Bringing coals to Newcastle'? Human rights, civil rights and social movements in New York City

In this article we examine the encounter between global human rights ideas and domestic discourses of civil rights and social justice, focusing on processes of translation and adaptation of women's human rights in two ethnographic sites in New York City. The first site is a citywide coalition working for the adoption of a New York City human rights ordinance. The second site is an advocacy organization working on domestic violence issues. We find that the local adoption of human rights in New York City - the 'domestication' of human rights - takes place in two central sites: law and social movement. We further find that the process of translation takes place unevenly in the two sites, and it is driven primarily by the actors, mechanisms and technologies in the social movement arena. Overall, we witness the emergence of a domestic human rights movement as a new counter-hegemonic space, characterized by multiplicity in meanings, ideological heterogeneity and ambivalence from those engaged in its construction. 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd Global Networks Partnership.
Antihypertensive effect of alpha- and beta-adrenergic blockade in obese and lean hypertensive subjects.

The purpose of this study was to determine the contribution of the adrenergic system in mediating hypertension in obese and lean patients. Thirteen obese, hypertensive patients with a body mass index (BMI) > or =28 kg/m2 (obese) and nine lean patients with a BMI < or =25 kg/m2 (lean) were recruited. After a 1-week washout period, participants underwent daytime ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Participants were then treated with the alpha-adrenergic antagonist doxazosin, titrating to 4 mg QHS in 1 week. In the next week, the beta-adrenergic antagonist atenolol was added at an initial dose of 25 mg/day and titrated to 50 mg/day within 1 week. One month after the addition of atenolol, all patients underwent a second ABPM session. There were no differences between the obese and lean subjects in baseline systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), or mean arterial pressures (MAP) measured by office recording or ABPM. However, obese subjects had higher heart rates than lean subjects (87.5+/-2.4 v 76.8+/-4.9 beats/min). After 1 month of treatment with the adrenergic blockers, obese patients had a significantly lower SBP (130.0+/-2.5 v 138.9+/-2.1 mm Hg, P = .02) and MAP (99.6+/-2.3 v 107.0+/-1.5 mm Hg, P = .02) than lean patients. Obese patients also tended to have a lower DBP than lean patients (84.3+/-2.5 v 90.9+/-1.6 mm Hg, P = .057), but there was no significant difference in heart rate after 1 month of adrenergic blockade. These results indicate that blood pressure is more sensitive to adrenergic blockade in obese than in lean hypertensive patients and suggest that increased sympathetic activity may be an important factor in the maintenance of hypertension in obesity.
Developmental outcomes of infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia: Comparison with other medically fragile infants

The purpose of this study was to compare the developmental outcomes and mother–infant interactions of infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and those of other medically fragile infants. One-hour behavioral observations were made of the interactions of mothers with two groups of infants (23 with BPD, 39 medically fragile without BPD or neurological problems) at enrollment, every 2 months during hospitalization, 1 month after discharge, and at 6 months' and 12 months' corrected age. Assessment of the home environment also was done at 6 and 12 months. Multiple regressions were calculated separately for child mental, adaptive, language, and motor outcomes. Predictors were: home environment assessment, measures of maternal interactive behaviors (positive attention, expression of negative affect, medicalized caregiving), infant group membership, and presence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in the infant. There were no significant differences between the two groups in any of the developmental outcomes or interactive variables, and the presence of IVH had no effect on these variables. Maternal positive attention and the home environment were correlated with mental development, and mother negative affect was related to adaptive behavior for both groups. Differences in developmental and interactive behaviors between infants with BPD and other prematurely born infants found in other studies appear to be a result of chronic health problems and, thus, are not unique to infants with BPD. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Res Nurs Health 24: 181–193, 2001
The accessibility of bovine rhodopsin in photoreceptor membranes.

Bovine photoreceptor membranes have been treated with proteases to determine the accessibility of rhodopsin to these large, water soluble molecules. The polypeptides that remain associated with the membranous structure after proteolysis were detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. Thermolysin and chymotrypsin degraded rhodopsin (apparent mol wt 35,000–36,000) to fragments of 29,000 and 23,000 apparent mol wt, respectively, without affecting the chromophoric absorption of the molecule or removing the region of the polypeptide carrying carbohydrate. The two fragments were isolated and their amino acid compositions were determined. They do not appear to be more hydrophobic than rhodopsin. Subtilisin, at low concentration and temperature, produced a fragment with the same molecular weight as that produced by thermolysin. At higher concentrations, subtilisin yields major fragments of mol wt 23,000 and 20,000 without affecting the chromophoric absorption. Two intermediate fragments of apparent mol wt 29,000 and 26,000 were detected during the course of this degradation. Carbohydrate is retained by all but the smallest fragment. Bleaching of the photoreceptor pigment did not appreciably alter any of the fragmentation patterns. Trypsin did not alter the molecular weight of rhodopsin under the conditions of this study. Approximately 35–45% of rhodopsin appears to be accessible to the aqueous environment and can be removed without affecting the chromophoric properties of the retinaldehyde-carrying region which remains bound to the membrane.
Recipients of housing assistance under welfare reform: Trends in employment and welfare participation

Abstract Between 1994 and 2001, the employment of low‐skilled single mothers increased dramatically and the welfare rolls shrank. Did these gains extend to single mothers who received federal housing assistance? This question is important because these women constitute a large, highly disadvantaged group and because housing assistance may work at cross‐purposes to welfare reform by fostering dependency on public support. The prospect of deep cuts in housing programs adds to the timeliness of this research. We find that employment increased as much for single mothers who received housing assistance as for those who did not. Although welfare participation appears to have declined somewhat less for single mothers getting housing assistance, this may be due to inadequate data. Demographic differences do not appear to matter. Gains from increased employment more than offset welfare losses, for an estimated annual net savings of approximately $265 million in government outlays for housing subsidies in 2001.
Electromagnetic field and the chiral magnetic effect in the quark-gluon plasma

Time evolution of an electromagnetic field created in heavy-ion collisions strongly depends on the electromagnetic response of the quark-gluon plasma, which can be described by the Ohmic and chiral conductivities. The latter is intimately related to the chiral magnetic effect. I argue that a solution to the classical Maxwell equations at finite chiral conductivity is unstable due to the soft modes $kl{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\ensuremath{\chi}}$ that grow exponentially with time. In the kinematical region relevant for the relativistic heavy-ion collisions, I derive analytical expressions for the magnetic field of a point charge. I show that finite chiral conductivity causes oscillations of magnetic field at early times.
An Institutional Approach to Peace and Prosperity: Toward a Korean Fisheries Community

The divided Koreas are considered an abnormal security hazard for Northeast Asia. They are still at war since the 1950–1953 conflict as the 1953 armistice was never followed by a peace treaty. At the same time, the Korean peninsula has a sensitive and geostrategic role in the region, surrounded by major powers pursuing their respective interests. In such a condition, the status quo has proven resilient for more than 45 years until the 1990s. Change occurred internally with the democratic transition and unification movement in the South and ongoing economic and political difficulties in the North and externally with the end of the Cold War and the euphoria over “the end of history.” These series of events encouraged social and political discussions over the possibility of Korean unification. In September 1991, both the Koreas simultaneously entered the United Nations. In December 1991, they signed “the Agreement on Reconciliation, Non-Aggression, and Exchanges, and Cooperation.”
An Odds Ratio Approach for Detecting DDF under the Nested Logit Modeling Framework.

An odds ratio approach (ORA) under the framework of a nested logit model was proposed for evaluating differential distractor functioning (DDF) in multiple-choice items and was compared with an existing ORA developed under the nominal response model. The performances of the two ORAs for detecting DDF were investigated through an extensive simulation study. The impact of model misfit on the performance of each ORA was also examined. To facilitate practical interpretation of each method, effect size measures were obtained and compared. Finally, data from a college-level mathematics placement test were analyzed using the two approaches.
The Therapeutic Relationship: Is Moral Conduct a Necessary Condition?

The question posed in the title of this essay would engage the interest of philosophers. Any serious attempt to answer it, as it is stated, requires skill at the clarification of concepts, like ‘therapeutic’ and ‘relationship’, adeptness at logical argument in demonstrating ‘necessary conditions’, and awareness of the normative and metaethical complexity involved in defining ‘moral conduct’. This is worthy work, but I shall, for the most part, refrain from it. Moreover, the way the question is posed leads toward considerations more theoretical than practical. The most philosophically pleasing result would be a clearer understanding of the meaning of the question and of the sorts of arguments which might allow it to be answered in some meaningful way. Again, this is valuable but, to some extent, unsatisfactory. It is the answer, not the ways of answering, which engages the interests of an audience different from the philosophers: namely, those who are related in the therapeutic relationship — physician and patient.
Skeletal muscle mitochondria: the aerobic gate?

At an animal’s maximum aerobic capacity (\(\rm\dot{v}\)O2max), the O2 flowing through the respiratory system is consumed by a functionally exclusive sink, skeletal muscle mitochondria. Thus, O2 consumption will never exceed the muscles demand. If the system is ideally designed, structures upstream to the skeletal muscle O2 sink must be built to insure adequate O2 delivery to the working muscle. There are a number of structure-function solutions available to supply the demanded to the muscle; these have been found to vary, often ontogenetically, with hypoxia, training, etc. But there is one relationship that is invariant: Total O2 uptake can be predicted by the total (active) skeletal muscle mitochondrial volume. In aerobic and sedentary animals, across a range of body sizes, maximum (in vivo) mitochondrial O2 consumption is constant among mammals (at approximately 2000 O2 molecules per square micron of inner mitochondrial membrane per second). Because the volume of mitochondria is one of the most plastic of all respiratory structures, we interpret this relationship as suggesting that skeletal muscle mitochondria alone sets the demand for O2 and, thus, the volume of skeletal muscle mitochondria dictates an animal’s maximum aeorbic capacity.
The Urban Physical Environment: Temperature and Urban Heat Islands

The term urban heat island (UHI) describes the phenomenon in which cities are generally warmer than adjacent rural areas. The UHI effect is strongest with skies free of clouds and with low wind speeds. In moist temperate climates, the UHI effect causes cities to be slightly warmer in midday than rural areas, whereas in dry climates, irrigation of vegetation in cites may cause slight midday cooling compared to rural areas. In most climates, maximum UHIs occur a few hours after sunset; maximum intensities increase with city size and may commonly reach 10°C, depending on the nature of the rural reference. Since the recognition of London’s UHI by Luke Howard in the early 1800s, UHIs of cities around the world have been studied to quantify the intensity of UHIs, to understand the physical processes that cause UHIs, to estimate the impacts of UHIs, to moderate UHI effects, and to separate UHI effects from general warming of Earth caused by accumulation of greenhouse gases in the upper atmosphere. This chapter reviews a portion of the literature on UHIs and their effects, literature that has expanded greatly in the last two decades spurred on by a series of successful international conferences. Despite considerable research, many questions about UHI effects remain unanswered. For example, it is still not clear what portion of the long-term trends of increasing temperatures at standard weather stations is caused by UHI effects and how much is contributed by greenhouse gas effects. Also not well quantified is the effect of increasing tree cover in residential areas on temperatures The process of urbanization alters natural surface and atmospheric conditions so as to create generally warmer temperatures (Landsberg, 1981). Oke (1997) suggested that urban atmospheres provide the strongest evidence we have of the potential for human activities to change climate. In the 20th century, rapid urbanization occurred worldwide, and today the majority of the world’s population lives in cities. Increased temperature in cities, termed the urban heat island (UHI) effect, is present all around the world and both contributes to global climate change and, in turn, is exacerbated by global climate change (Mills, 2007; Sanchez-Rodriguez et al., 2005). With increasing energy shortages, the importance of G.M. Heisler, USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, SUNY ESF, 5 Moon Library, Syracuse, NY 13210 (gheisler@fs.fed.us); A.J. Brazel, School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, Arizona State University, Coor Hall, 975 S. Myrtle, Tempe, AZ 85287-5302 (abrazel@asu.edu). doi:10.2134/agronmonogr55.c2 Copyright © 2010. American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, 5585 Guilford Road, Madison, WI 53711, USA. Agronomy Monograph 55. Urban Ecosystem Ecology. J. Aitkenhead-Peterson and A. Volder (ed.)
"Girlfriend getaway" as a contested term: discourse analysis.

Abstract All-female leisure travel is a fast growing tourism market segment that is frequently called “girlfriend getaways.” This study explored the meanings associated with the “girlfriend getaway” term, using discourse analysis to understand the ways women build significance, activities, identities, relationships, politics, connections, and sign systems and knowledge with respect to it. Eleven focus groups and 15 individual interviews were conducted with 83 American and Canadian women. The analysis revealed that “girlfriend getaway” is a term with contested and polysemous meanings. While some women found it to be adequate, accurate, cute, and reflective of their all-female tourist experiences, others described it as stereotypical, narrow/claustrophobic, “pink,” inadequate, and unreflective of their experiences. At times, the same symbolic meanings attracted some women but alienated others. Thus, tourism marketers need to identify and engage with different strands within their female clientele to ensure that their strategies appropriately respond to various preferences and lifestyles.
Setting the Stage - Transforming Women's Lives (Chapter 1)

This is the first chapter in a book that will explore the theoretical approaches of feminist and other critical legal schools. The book intends to celebrate the many ways in which the feminist legal project has substantially improved the lives of women. This improvement is most pronounced in the more affluent societies, but not entirely so. A cursory glance at both statutory and case law will illustrate the influence of feminist legal theory. But this book will also lament some of the disappointments of the feminist project, most significantly, the failure to capture its truly transformative potential.
Sex Pheromones of Lepidoptera: Seasonal Distribution of Male Pectinophora gossypiella in a Cotton-Growing Area

The seasonal distribution of adults of Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), the pink bollworm, in a cotton-growing area was measured using traps baited with gossyplure (a 50:50 mixture of the cis,cis and cis,trans isomers of 7,11 hexadecadienyl acetate). Male moths tended to congregate in cotton fields only when fruiting bodies (squares, flowers, and bolls) were present, and to disperse from the fields during early and late season. The presence or absence of cotton plants—and thus of a P. gossypiella infestation—in a given field during 1 yr had no influence on the abundance of male moths captured in that field during the following year.
The influence of repetition vs. no repetition given equal presentation time on the learning of connected discourse

Subjects were required to learn a 25 words-in-length passage of connected discourse. The general design was a single 2 x 5 factorial. The dichotomous dimension was repetition or no repetition of the learning material. The other dimension represented total presentation time and ranged from 20 to 60 seconds. There was a lack of significance of total presentation time on total learning time but a consistent and strong superiority of the repetition condition on the no repetition condition.
Human CC10 gene expression in airway epithelium and subchromosomal locus suggest linkage to airway disease.

The CC10 gene encodes the Clara cell 10-kDa protein, which is expressed in airway epithelial cells. Quantification of CC10 gene expression in freshly isolated human proximal airway epithelial cells...
Molecular Evidence for Linkage between the Genes for a Polygalacturonase (peh) and a Pectate Lyase (pel) in ErwiniaCarotovora Subsp. Carotovora

Our previous data obtained through cosmid cloning revealed that two pectate lyases and an endopolygalacturonase of Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora (Ecc) strain 71 were encoded by separate structural genes. No evidence, however, was presented for genetic linkage between pel and peh. To elucidate the organization of the various pectolytic enzyme genes, a sec gene library of the Ecc71 genome was constructed in E. coli (HB101). Ecc71 chromosomal DNA was partially digested with PstI and ligated into the PstI site of the cosmid vector pHC79. Of one thousand E. coli transductants, six produced pectolytic activity on polygalacturonate-yeast extract agar (PYA) or on citrus pectin overlay agar. Pectolytic colonies were purified, grown in Luria broth, and assayed for polygalacturonase (PEH) and pectate lyase (PEL) activities. While one clone (HB101/pAKC211) produced only PEL, the five remaining clones produced both PEL and PEH, although the PEL specific activity was much reduced in comparison to HB101/pAKC211. One Peh+Pel+ clone (HB101/pAKC212) was chosen for subsequent study. Subcloning of pAKC212 yielded a plasmid, pAKC213, having a 5.85 kb insert which still specified both PEL and PEH. Analysis by Tn5 mutagenesis of pAKC213 allowed identification of the pel and peh genes.
Numerical Stability of the Mixture Drift-Flux Equations

Drift-flux models can be used to describe two-phase-flow systems when explicit representation of the relative phase motion is not required. In these models, relative phase velocity is described by flow-regime-dependent, semiempirical models. Numerical stability of the mixture drift-flux equations is examined for different semi-implicit time discretization schemes. Representative flow-regime-dependent drift-flux correlations are considered, and analytic stability limits are derived based on these correlations. The analytic stability limits are verified by numerical experiments run in the vicinity of the predicted stable boundaries. It is shown that the stability limits are strong functions of the time-level specification and functional form chosen for the relative phase velocity. It is also shown that the mixture Courant limit normally associated with these methods is insufficient for ensuring a stable numerical scheme.
Challenges of big data storage and management

The amount of data generated daily by industries, large organizations and research institute is increasing at a very fast rate. These huge volumes of data need to be kept not just for analytic purposes, but also in compliance with laws and service level agreements to protect and preserve data. Storage and management are major concern in this era of big data. The ability for storage devices to scale to meet the rate of data growth, enhance access time and data transfer rate is equally challenging. These factors, to a considerable extent, determine the overall performance of data storage and management. Big data storage requirements are complex and thus needs a holistic approach to mitigate its challenges. This paper examines the challenges of big data storage and management. In addition, we also examines existing current big data storage and management platforms and provide useful suggestions in mitigating these challenges.Keywords: big data, storage systems, challenges, performance.
A new species of Bananogmius (Teleostei, Tselfatiformes) from the Upper Cretaceous Carlile Shale of western Kansas

A new species, Bananogmius ellisensis n. sp., known only from the holotype, is described from the Blue Hill Shale Member (Upper Cretaceous, middle Middle Turonian) of the Carlile Shale Formation in western Kansas. The skull and anterior portion of the specimen is well-preserved and was subjected to little post-mortem deformation suggesting rapid burial. The nearly complete skull shows three characters that separate the fish from other species of Bananogmius: a straight, rather than ventrally curved dentary, a narrow band of teeth on the dentary that does not extend onto its lateral side, and a cylindrically-shaped articular condyle of the quadrate. The uncompressed preservation of the skull reveals a pair of long structures ventral to the mandible that are also found, but not described for some other Bananogmius species. Based on the positions of muscles in extant teleosts, these structures are most likely the mineralized protractor hyoidei muscles. Furthermore, these structures may be homologous with ventral structures found in Tselfatia. The presence of Bananogmius adds a new ecological component to the Blue Hill Shale fauna.
ON ONTOLOGY AND THE PROVINCE OF LOGIC: SOME CRITICAL REMARKS

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a few critical remarks regarding Church's intentional view of ontology and logic. The logic may be viewed as the syntax and semantics of scientific language. The chapter also presents a few critical comments concerning William Kneale's conception of the province of logic. The small error in mathematics is of little account. It is easy to detect and readily corrected, and the result remains. However in philosophy, and especially in the delicate logical matters, small errors pile upon small errors to result in a major mistake. In such a case, the small errors are much more difficult to detect, and one must be vigilant in trying to stave them off.
Impact of adjuvant chemoradiation on survival in patients with resectable cholangiocarcinoma

Background The ideal adjuvant therapy for resected cholangiocarcinoma remains controversial. National guidelines stratify recommendations based on margin status, though few studies are currently available for reference.
Biodegradable materials for nonwovens

Abstract: Demand for nonwovens is increasing globally, particularly in the disposable products area. As the consumption of nonwoven products with short life increases, the burden on waste disposal also rises. In this context, biodegradable nonwovens become more important today and for the future. As a result, there is increasing effort to design and develop biodegradable nonwovens, with research and development efforts from both academia and industry. Several new biodegradable polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA) and Biomax have helped the industry to produce larger amounts of biodegradable nonwovens. In addition, the use of natural fibres in nonwoven products is also increasing. There is continuing effort to develop new ways to produce biodegradable nonwoven materials by combination of natural fibres and other biodegradable resins or fibres; these research and development activities are helping these environmentally friendly fabrics to become affordable materials for many consumer products.
Methods for automatic detection of mysticete sounds

Methods for the automatic recognition of low‐frequency sounds of baleen whales are presented. Matched filtering is implemented with a synthetic filter kernel derived from measurements of whale sounds, and this method is found effective at detecting blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) sounds in white background noise. Spectrogram correlation is implemented and found effective at detection of blue whale vocalizations in the presence of interfering sounds. Spectrogram correlation employs image correlation using spectrograms and carefully designed image kernels to give good performance in the presence of noise. The two methods are briefly compared. The effectiveness of the spectrogram correlator is also demonstrated with finback whale (B. physalus) sounds. A supplementary method for detecting regular, repetitive sequences of sounds is applied to minke whale (B. acutorostrata) pulse trains, and found to improve detection in conditions of high ambient noise.
Identification of Thymus Settling Progenitors.

Abstract T cells develop in the thymus, but are ultimately derived from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that reside in the bone marrow. In order to produce T cells throughout adult life, the thymus must be periodically seeded by bone marrow progenitors via the blood. The identity of progenitors that seed the adult thymus is unknown. To determine which bone marrow progenitors that have access to they thymus, we analyzed the blood of adult mice (Schwarz & Bhandoola, Nature Immunology 2004). We found that the only progenitors in blood with T lineage potential were lineage negative cells with high expression of Sca-1 and c-Kit (LSK). Such LSK cells in blood were potent T lineage progenitors, with the capacity to expand over a million fold in the thymus. Like the corresponding population in the bone marrow, the blood LSK population was heterogeneous, containing HSCs and downstream multipotent progenitors (MPPs) including RAG-expressing early lymphoid progenitors (ELPs) and CD62L+ cells. In order to determine which of these LSK subsets can settle in the thymus, we developed a quantitative assay for thymic seeding in normal adult mice. We find that the fraction of LSK cells that settle in the thymus from the blood is extremely small. Of the estimated 3,000 to 4,000 LSK cells that pass through the thymic circulation each day, less than 10 cells are able to settle in the thymus. Our data suggest that any decrease in thymic seeding, as may occur in aging, would lead to a decrease in total thymic output.
Magnetic Torque in Single Crystal Ni–Mn–Ga

Magnetic shape memory alloys deform in an external magnetic field in two distinct ways: by axial straining—known as magnetic-field-induced strain—and by bending when exposed to torque. Here, we examine the magnetic torque that a magnetic field exerts on a long Ni–Mn–Ga rod. A single crystal specimen of Ni–Mn–Ga was constrained with respect to bending and subjected to an external magnetic field. The torque required to rotate the specimen in the field was measured as a function of the orientation of the sample with the external magnetic field, strain, and the magnitude of the external magnetic field. The torque was analyzed based on the changes in the free energy with the angle between the field and the sample. The contributions of magnetocrystalline anisotropy and shape anisotropy to the Zeeman energy determine the net torque. The torque is large when magneotcrystalline and shape anisotropies act synergistically and small when these anisotropies act antagonistically.
Principles of Cryopreservation

Biospecimens are important reagents that are used to diagnose disease, monitor response to treatment and help in the development and testing of new therapies to treat human disease. In order to provide these critical functions, biospecimens need to maintain their requisite biological properties between the time that they are collected and when they are used. It is common for biospecimens to be frozen to preserve those critical biological properties. The purpose of this chapter is to describe our scientific understanding behind the freezing, storage and thawing processes that take place during cryopreservation and the manner by which these processes can preserve or damage the sample. Practical hints for applying scientific principles to daily biobanking practice are also included.
A cross-national comparison of international strategies: global citizenship and the advancement of national competitiveness

This paper examines national-level strategies concerning internationalisation of education and the extent to which global citizenship is deployed in their discourse. We focus on a cross-national co...
Marketing’s Point of View: Narrative Competition Within the Firm: An Abstract

Every firm experiences power struggles involving various actors over power, resources, strategy, and direction (Fligstein, 1987). This struggle for influence is often determined by the individual’s authority within the firm and by their ability to define and provide solutions for important problems. On the surface, the stories that capture firm priorities and those that mandate and maintain critical-resource precedence correspond closely to functional backgrounds of the top management team (Hambrick & Mason 1984). However, there are circumstances when the backgrounds of chief executives may fade in comparison to the situation at hand. For instance, in times when access to capital is greatly reduced or federal legislation restricts certain practices, the chief executive officer’s (CEO) background matters less than their ability to hire or promote the right individual (Zorn, 2004). Moreover, the degree to which a business function (marketing, finance, accounting, etc.) is perceived as holding the skills necessary (core competencies) for firm success, that subunit will gain power to direct the firm (Fligstein, 1987). In critical times, the competition for narrative dominance may be particularly acute and generate influence that comes to bear on key decision makers, regardless of functional background.
Adaptive optics improves multiphoton super-resolution imaging

Three dimensional (3D) fluorescence microscopy has been essential for biological studies. It allows interrogation of structure and function at spatial scales spanning the macromolecular, cellular, and tissue levels. Critical factors to consider in 3D microscopy include spatial resolution, signal-to-noise (SNR), signal-to-background (SBR), and temporal resolution. Maintaining high quality imaging becomes progressively more difficult at increasing depth (where optical aberrations, induced by inhomogeneities of refractive index in the sample, degrade resolution and SNR), and in thick or densely labeled samples (where out-of-focus background can swamp the valuable, in-focus-signal from each plane). In this report, we introduce our new instrumentation to address these problems. A multiphoton structured illumination microscope was simply modified to integrate an adpative optics system for optical aberrations correction. Firstly, the optical aberrations are determined using direct wavefront sensing with a nonlinear guide star and subsequently corrected using a deformable mirror, restoring super-resolution information. We demonstrate the flexibility of our adaptive optics approach on a variety of semi-transparent samples, including bead phantoms, cultured cells in collagen gels and biological tissues. The performance of our super-resolution microscope is improved in all of these samples, as peak intensity is increased (up to 40-fold) and resolution recovered (up to 176±10 nm laterally and 729±39 nm axially) at depths up to ~250 μm from the coverslip surface.
Introduction: Pretty Paganisms and Satanic Schools

Barnett introduces many of the texts and authors on which the rest of the book will focus—including Percy and Mary Shelley, Thomas Love Peacock, Leigh Hunt, John Keats—and outlines several of their attacks (in both poetry and prose) against the suppression of joyous paganism by Christian oppression. Barnett also defines many of the project’s key terms including, of course, “pagan,” which in the context of this project signals a way of thinking about sexuality and other sensual pleasures, music, excess, joyous celebration, and communal experiences as both conscious subversion and literary experimentation.
Cutaneous Complications of Immunosuppressive Agents

Immunosuppressive agents are being used with increased frequency in the treatment of"autoimmune" and other inflammatory disorders. Administration of these agents may result in a variety of cutaneous complications ranging from alopecia and hyperpigmentation to superficial and systemic infections. Dermatologists who care for these patients should be aware of these side effects, which, although rarely life-threatening, may produce significant morbidity.
Remove the Blinders: How Mathematics Distorted the Development of Quantum Theory

It is widely believed that mathematics provides the fundamental basis for physics. On the contrary, it is argued here that pictures of real objects moving in real space provide the proper basis for physics, and that mathematics merely provides quantitative models for calculating the dynamics of these objects. Such models may distort or even hinder the development of new physics, particularly if a consistent physical picture is lacking. This is discussed in connection with quantum mechanics, which discarded realism in favor of mathematical abstraction almost a century ago. A realistic, spin-quantized wave picture of quantum mechanics is presented that avoids the paradoxes and abstractions of the orthodox quantum theory. Quantum indeterminacy stems from an inappropriate application of a statistical point-particle model to extended soliton-like wave packets. Quantum transitions are continuous, rather than the abrupt transitions of the Hilbert space model. Quantum entanglement is an artifact of mathematical constructions incompatible with local realism. These are not merely matters of philosophical interpretation; several experimental implications are presented. It is time to remove the mathematical blinders that have prevented consideration of realistic quantum pictures.
Latino ethnicity, immigrant status, and preference for life-extending end-of-life cancer care.

10028Background: Latino advanced cancer patients are less likely to engage in advance care planning, use hospice services, and receive end-of-life (EOL) care in line with their preferences compared...
Engaging Communities to Improve Health: Models, Evidence, and the Participatory Knowledge Translation (PaKT) Framework

Stakeholder engagement can improve the quality and utility of behavioral research and is increasingly being seen as a means to bridge the gap between research and practice. In this chapter, we review a range of approaches to support the use of research evidence for creating change in communities, including the early community trials for cardiovascular health, community organization and mobilization, ecological models, systems approaches, and participatory approaches to research. We then present the participatory knowledge translation (PaKT) framework, which emphasizes strategic stakeholder engagement, investment in human and social capital, and joint knowledge creation and transfer. These inputs translate into infrastructure development at the individual, organizational, and community levels. Long-term outcomes include improvements in community health/disparities, systems to support knowledge translation, and community action to improve health. The framework suggests that strategic investments and engagement can support the development of important social networks and “engines of change” in community settings, so that communities can identify and address issues of importance to them by leveraging the best available evidence.
A catheter-based bariatric procedure: Wishful thinking or an intriguing concept.

Left gastric artery embolization acutely lowers ghrelin levels and is associated with modest weight loss sustainable for 1 year in morbidly obese patients. The procedure is relative quick, free of access complications when done via the radial artery, but long-term sequelae and the durability of ischemic injury to the fundus of the stomach is uncertain. Present reports provide pilot and proof-of-concept data that should fashion further study, but application to routine practice today is premature.
Matching Three-Dimensional Convection Models with Doppler Radar Observations

A technique is developed whereby the combined use of (a) the observed horizontal velocities by Dual Doppler radars; (b) the mass continuity equation and (c) the three-dimensional dynamical equations relevant for the PBL, allows a unique determination of the vertical velocity temperature and pressure fluctuations. Several approaches to verifications are pursued. They include: (a) scan-to-scan temporal continuity of the derived fields; (b) an objective test to find out how well the derived pressure perturbations balance the dynamical equations; (c) comparison of Dual Doppler derived horizontally averaged fluxes of heat versus direct tower measurements. All verification tests, as well as theoretical considerations indicate, that in order for the method to be viable the radars had to resolve the PBL with at least 10–20 vertical levels. One such event occurred on 27 September 1978 during project PHOENIX. An inversion lid above a shallow boundary layer of height around 800 m was broken and the PBL grew to a height of 2.4 km in less than half an hour. During that period, the vertical profiles of potential temperature and pressure variance derived from the Doppler radars suggest the existence of two inversions. Two inversions are also indicated by the aircraft data. Some aspects of the derived heat flux profiles such as negative heat flux at the top of the mixed layer are classical and constitute further evidence of the plausibility of the results. Some other aspects such as positive vertical gradient of the heat flux profile near the first inversion (where the heat flux is still positive) are non-classical. It is shown from the data that this latter feature is a transient, indicative of the mixing (during the growth of the PBL) of the potentially warmer upper layer with the potentially
Association of Dimethylguanidino Valeric Acid With Partial Resistance to Metabolic Health Benefits of Regular Exercise.

Importance Metabolic responses to exercise training are variable. Metabolite profiling may aid in the clinical assessment of an individual's responsiveness to exercise interventions. Objective To investigate the association between a novel circulating biomarker of hepatic fat, dimethylguanidino valeric acid (DMGV), and metabolic health traits before and after 20 weeks of endurance exercise training. Design, Setting, and Participants This study involved cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of the Health, Risk Factors, Exercise Training, and Genetics (HERITAGE) Family Study, a 20-week, single-arm endurance exercise clinical trial performed in multiple centers between 1993 and 1997. White participants with sedentary lifestyles who were free of cardiometabolic disease were included. Metabolomic tests were performed using a liquid chromatography, tandem mass spectrometry method on plasma samples collected before and after exercise training in the HERITAGE study. Metabolomics and data analysis were performed from August 2017 to May 2018. Exposures Plasma DMGV levels. Main Outcome and Measures The association between DMGV levels and measures of body composition, plasma lipids, insulin, and glucose homeostasis before and after exercise training. Results Among the 439 participants included in analyses from HERITAGE, the mean (SD) age was 36 (15) years, 228 (51.9%) were female, and the median (interquartile range) body mass index was 25 (22-28). Baseline levels of DMGV were positively associated with body fat percentage, abdominal visceral fat, very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides, and inversely associated with insulin sensitivity, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein size, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (range of β coefficients, 0.17-0.46 [SEs, 0.026-0.050]; all P < .001, after adjusting for age and sex). After adjusting for age, sex, and baseline traits, baseline DMGV levels were positively associated with changes in small high-density lipoprotein particles (β, 0.14 [95% CI, 0.05-0.23]) and inversely associated with changes in medium and total high-density lipoprotein particles (β, -0.15 [95% CI, -0.24 to -0.05] and -0.19 [95% CI, -0.28 to -0.10], respectively), apolipoprotein A1 (β, -0.14 [95% CI, -0.23 to -0.05]), and insulin sensitivity (β, -0.13; P = 3.0 × 10-3) after exercise training. Conclusions and Relevance Dimethylguanidino valeric acid is an early marker of cardiometabolic dysfunction that is associated with attenuated improvements in lipid traits and insulin sensitivity after exercise training. Levels of DMGV may identify individuals who require additional therapies beyond guideline-directed exercise to improve their metabolic health.