cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Some remarks on volcanic vent evolution during plinian eruptions

Abstract The magma mass discharge rate governs the eruption magnitude of plinian eruptions, and depends strongly on conduit geometry. The presence of lithic clasts in pumice deposits results largely from conduit erosion, and the magma discharge rate and the lithic abundance in the resulting deposit are parameters linked by the overall vent widening rate. Many pumice fall deposits have lithic-enriched basal and top sections; pumice flow deposits tend to carry more lithics than the preceding fall layer. Theoretical models of vent evolution for a cylindrical conduit with radius R indicate an R 4 dependency of the magma discharge rate, which would lead to rapidly decreasing lithic abundances from bottom to top in plinian fall deposits, and from fall to flow deposits, contrary to observations. To simulate observed lithic abundance patterns, a model of conduit evolution with a stepped geometry was developed, in which the lower conduit section remains at approximately constant radius, while the upper conduit section widens. The mass discharge rate during an eruption then increases with R 2 top , and predicted lithic abundance patterns agree qualitatively with field data. Field evidence for conduit widening in the upper conduit section only is presented from plinian pumice beds from Nisyros, Greece. The change in eruption style from plinian fall to surge and ash flow is sometimes accompanied by a dramatic change in lithic abundance and lithic type. In these cases, this transition in deposition style is not the result of a gradual increase in mass discharge rate because of overall vent widening, but is caused by catastrophic rupture of the lower vent section during incipient caldera collapse, with resulting changes in magma discharge rates, lithic abundance and possibly water/magma interaction.
Nephrectomy and upper pole heminephrectomy for poorly functioning kidney: Is total ureterectomy necessary?

Objective: We analyzed our experience with nephrectomy and upper pole heminephrectomy combined with subtotal ureterectomy to determine the incidence of the problems associated with the distal ureteral stump. Materials and Methods: The records of 48 children who underwent nephrectomy or upper pole heminephrectomy with subtotal ureterectomy for a poorly functioning kidney were reviewed. Results: No patient who underwent nephrectomy for a poorly functioning single-system kidney required secondary surgery. No secondary surgery was required in any patient who underwent upper pole heminephrectomy for ectopic ureter, while secondary surgery was required in five of 17 patients (29%) who underwent upper pole heminephrectomy for ectopic ureterocele. All five patients presented with recurrent febrile urinary tract infection after upper pole heminephrectomy. They also had reflux into the ipsilateral lower moiety, contralateral kidney, or distal ureteral stump. Our results and data from other reports suggest that recurrent urinary tract infections after upper pole heminephrectomy were treatment outcomes based on the initial surgical approach to ectopic ureterocele rather than isolated problems associated with the distal ureteral stump. Conclusion: We consider that total ureterectomy is unnecessary at the time of nephrectomy or heminephrectomy for a poorly functioning kidney because the distal ureteral stump rarely causes a problem.
Specific assay for homoserine and its lactone in Pisum sativum. Preparation of homoserine hydroxamic acid

Abstract The existence of homoserine lactone in Pisum sativum seedlings is demonstrated. L-Homoserine lactone reacts with hydroxylamine, at neutral or alkaline pH, to form homoserine hydroxamic acid. Procedures are described for preparing L-homoserine lactone and L-homoserine hydroxamic acid. The hydroxamic acid yields a color with maximum absorbance at 492 nm with Fe3+ in 0.25 N HCl. This reaction permitted assay for total homoserine and homoserine lactone. Six-day old Pisum sativum seedlings, with cotyledons removed, were extracted with 90% ethanol. Evaporation of the ethanol and addition of Na2SO4 solution and toluene and centrifugation removed protein lipids and esters. After clarification with activated charcoal, homoserine lactone content was estimated by reaction with NH2OH and Fe3+ reagents. For total homoserine, protein precipitation was with 2 N HCl and toluene. Evaporation to dryness at 60 °C under vacuum converted all homoserine to the lactone. The values found for total homoserine (μmols/g, wet weight) and preformed lactone (%) with the various growth media used were as follows: nitrate 87.4 (14.7%), NH2OH 75.2 (6.3%), water 70.5 (7.9%), urea 56.4 (18.9%). Acetic anhydride added to homoserine hydroxamic acid forms acetohydroxamic acid, which yields a color with maximum absorbance at 505 nm with Fe3+. This color reaction is seven times as sensitive as the reaction of Fe3+ with homoserine hydroxamic acid itself.
Non-violence in ethnic relations in Estonia

The Soviet Union's collapse left in its wake many vexing problems, of which few have attracted as much attention as the tensions between nationalities. The Baltic republics were in the forefront of efforts to win independence from Moscow and enact reforms. Due to this vanguard role, accessibility to visitors, and links with exiles in Western lands, the Baltic countries' handling of the nationalities problem after regaining independence has attracted disproportionate scrutiny. Yet observers tend to make merely incidental remarks about one truly noteworthy aspect of relations between nationalities in these republics today: the absence of violence. Doomsayers suggest it is only a matter of time before an explosion occurs. Others take it for granted that the Baltic states will handle things in a civilized manner, and find nothing unexpected in the course of events so far. Careful consideration of possible reasons for the remarkably peaceful relations between nationalities in these countries would enable us to reach more informed decisions about the prospects for maintaining this pattern and lessons other countries might draw from the Baltic experience. This report examines the situation in Estonia, with emphasis on the relations between the Estonian and Russian nationalities. It is the tension between just these groups that has attracted the most attention in the Baltic area recently. Russian officials alleged mistreatment of Russians in Estonia and threatened to delay die departure of troops from the country, after reaching agreements on withdrawals with Latvia and Lithuania. The Baltic country where nationalities problems generated the most fuss but minimal bloodshed deserves a close look, in the quest to identify conditions that hinder eruption of violence in ethnic relations. Another reason to focus on Estonia is that its demographic situation is intermediate. Lithuanians constitute an overwhelming 80% of the population in their land, but the majority in Estonia is smaller (under 65%) and more worried about survival, while the Russian minority may see greater prospects for successful resistance to nationalist policies. In Latvia, the natives are a bare majority and the Russian minority is the largest in all the Baltic states, so a certain balance of power may restrain both sides from taking precipitous actions. A theory discussed below suggests that the potential for violence is greatest in a situation like Estonia's, where the power ratio is at an
Effect of oral administration of haloperidol on plasma thyrotropin concentrations in men

Abstract To investigate the effects of neuroleptics on plasma thyrotropin (TSH) concentrations, haloperidol tablets were administered orally to 34 normal male volunteers. Seventeen of the subjects received 4 mg; the other 17 received 10 mg. Plasma samples were collected at baseline and 1, 3, 4, 6, 14, 24, 36, 48, 72 and 96 hr after drug administration. Plasma TSH was assayed by a double antibody radioimmunoassay procedure. A significant change in plasma TSH occurred for all subjects (p After haloperidol 10 mg a statistically significant rise in TSH occurred at 3–4 hr, which corresponded to the time of attainment of maximal plasma haloperidol concentrations. A significant but modest correlation between plasma haloperidol and TSH was present at 3 hr (0.373; p
High-Throughput Chemical Vapor Deposition System and Thin-Film Silicon Library

Thin-film Si materials library were fabricated rapidly on glass substrates using the combinatorial hot-wire CVD technique. We found that the films with high hydrogen dilution become microcrystalline Si, and the films with no and low hydrogen dilution remain in the amorphous Si structure, We also found that the ratio of hydrogen to silane (R) is a good measure of the structure change.
Diverse Perceptions of Stakeholder Engagement within an Environmental Modeling Research Team

Integrating stakeholder perspectives is increasingly important in environmental science as a growing number of research projects are justified with a “solutions” orientation prioritizing societal relevance. In earth systems modeling, there is potential for model developers to engage with stakeholders who may use modeling results to inform decisions about resource management and policy. Challenges associated with stakeholder engagement relate to how researchers perceive the role of stakeholders and how they view the utility of integrating knowledge and perspectives from outside academia in model development. This study analyzes researchers’ perceptions of stakeholder engagement within BioEarth, a large collaborative regional earth systems modeling project designed to integrate input from agriculture and forestry sector decision-makers. The project addresses the impact of climate change on water, nitrogen and carbon cycling in the US Pacific Northwest. Surveys and semi-structured interviews were conducted to assess perceptions of stakeholder engagement among the 18principal investigators (PIs). Results reveal that PIs have varying perceptions of the role of stakeholders in earth systems modeling and diverse assessments of the optimal type and timing of stakeholder engagement. As funding agencies and research institutions promote increased collaboration with stakeholders from outside academia, these findings demonstrate fundamental differences of opinion among environmental scientists regarding the value of stakeholder engagement. This research has implications for transdisciplinary research projects that seek to address sustainability challenges by involving stakeholders in technical academic modeling. Facilitating learning opportunities for researchers who are new to stakeholder engagement is essential, as is close collaboration among researchers with different levels of prior stakeholder engagement experiences.
The therapeutic potential of modulating the ceramide/sphingomyelin pathway

Membrane lipids of the sphingolipid class contain a long-chain sphingoid base backbone (such as sphingosine), an amide-linked, long-chain fatty acid, and one of various polar head groups. The structure of these head groups defines the various sphingolipid subtypes, with a hydroxyl group found in ceramide, phosphorylcholine in sphingomyelin (SM), and carbohydrates in glycosphingolipids (Figure ​(Figure11 and not shown). Because SM is concentrated in the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane and provides a barrier to the extracellular environment (1), it was long assumed to serve only structural roles. However, in 1987 our laboratory reported for the first time rapid sphingomyelinase (SMase) activation in response to 1,2-diacylglycerols but not phorbol esters (2), and proposed the existence of an SM-based signaling pathway (3, 4). Subsequently, Hannun and coworkers showed that this pathway can be activated by receptor-mediated mechanisms (5) and provided evidence that ceramide is a second messenger (6). Indeed, sphingolipid metabolism has proved to be a dynamic process, and sphingolipid metabolites — including ceramide, sphingosine, and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) — are now recognized as messengers playing essential roles in cell growth, survival, and death (7, 8). Figure 1 Schematic representation of sphingolipid intermediary metabolism.
Anti- and Protumorigenic Effects of PPARγ in Lung Cancer Progression: A Double-Edged Sword

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily of ligand-activated transcription factors that plays an important role in the control of gene expression linked to a variety of physiological processes, including cancer. Ligands for PPARγ include naturally occurring fatty acids and the thiazolidinedione class of antidiabetic drugs. Activation of PPARγ in a variety of cancer cells leads to inhibition of growth, decreased invasiveness, reduced production of proinflammatory cytokines, and promotion of a more differentiated phenotype. However, systemic activation of PPARγ has been reported to be protumorigenic in some in vitro systems and in vivo models. Here, we review the available data that implicate PPARγ in lung carcinogenesis and highlight the challenges of targeting PPARγ in lung cancer treatments.
Moving toward a nursing model in advanced practice.

The nurse practitioner focus has been evolving from a medical to a nursing orientation since the inception of the role in 1965. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between role attitudes and values, confidence about practice knowledge and skills, and orientation to a medical or nursing model to guide practice. A national random sample of482 nurse practitioners completed the Attitudes and Values Scale, the Confidence in Skills Scale, and a demographic survey. Findings indicate that nurse practitioners are very confident about their practice skills and knowledge and have a very strong nursing orientation. There is a direct positive correlation between level of confidence and degree of nursing orientation. Nurses in the sample also rated themselves as more confident about hands-on skills than indirect role components such as utilization of research, change theory, and evaluation of practice outcomes. The discussion interweaves this study's findings with role theory and offers a comparison ...
The impact of generalized anxiety disorder and stressful life events on risk for major depressive episodes.

Background Both generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and stressful life events (SLEs) are established risk factors for major depressive disorder, but no studies exist that examine the interrelationship of their impact on depressive onsets. In this study, we sought to analyze the joint effects of prior history of GAD and recent SLEs on risk for major depressive episodes, comparing these in men and women. Method In a population-based sample of 8068 adult twins, Cox proportional hazard models were used to predict onsets of major depression from reported prior GAD and last-year SLEs rated on long-term contextual threat. Results For all levels of threat, prior GAD increases risk for depression, with a monotonic relationship between threat level and risk. While females without prior GAD consistently show higher depressive risk than males, this is no longer the case in subjects with prior GAD who have experienced SLEs. Rather, males appear to be more vulnerable to the depressogenic effects of both prior GAD and SLEs. Conclusion The effects of prior GAD and SLEs jointly increase the risk of depression in both sexes, but disproportionately so in males.
The Parameters of Conversational Style

There are several dimensions along which verbalization responds to context, resulting in individual and social differences in conversational style. Style, as I use the term, is not something extra added on, like decoration. Anything that is said must be said in some way; co-occurrence expectations of that "way" constitute style. The dimensions of style I will discuss are:1. Fixity vs. novelty2. Cohesiveness vs. expressiveness3. Focus on content vs. interpersonal involvement.
Biologically inspired posture control for a dexterous robotic hand

A biologically inspired control strategy is presented for producing more human-like movement in anthropomorphic manipulators when in contact with surfaces of varying contours. In preliminary experiments, 10 human subjects were asked to run their hands over several contoured surfaces and the hand motion profiles were recorded. It was observed that humans tended to minimize abduction of the fingers while adapting to the contours of each surface. Based on observations from this data, a control strategy was developed to mimic the tendencies seen in human trials with a robotic hand. Experiments were repeated with the robotic hand using the same surfaces. Results verify that the control strategies developed are capable of producing more biomimetic motion, help to stabilize the system, and enable the manipulator to dynamically react to its environment at a low computational cost.
Rethinking Trauma in the Hurricane’s Wake:

Although a hurricane is a force of nature, its particular destructiveness and the resulting human misery are enabled by specific human acts and particular social conditions. Hurricane Katrina challenges us to recognize that psychological healing is possible for the victims of a catastrophe but that their healing is contingent on material changes in the social world.
Multi-FFT Vectorization for the Cell Multicore Processor

The emergence of streaming multicore processors with multi-SIMD architectures and ultra-low power operation combined with real-time compute and I/O reconfigurability opens unprecedented opportunities for executing sophisticated signal processing algorithms faster and within a much lower energy budget. Here, we present an unconventional FFT implementation scheme for the IBM Cell, named transverse vectorization. It is shown to outperform (both in terms of timing or GFLOP throughput) the fastest FFT results reported to date in the open literature.
Storied selves: A critical discourse analysis of young children’s literate identifications

A wealth of research demonstrates that as young children acquire literacy they also approximate literate roles and relationships. Such literate identifications, or storied selves, are complex, some...
Children's judgements of transitivity errors*

Diary studies of English, Hebrew and Portuguese have led to debate on whether there is directionality in children's transitivity errors – that is, whether children are as likely to coin intransitives from transitives (*Bert knocked down) as they are transitives from intransitives (*I falled my cup). The judgements made by 3- and 4-year-olds showed a strong bias in favour of innovative transitives in English. It is argued that this bias results from children's preference for prototypical, highly transitive descriptions of events.
Itraconazole in the treatment of New World mucocutaneous leishmaniasis

Background A well-tolerated oral drug is required for the treatment of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL). Current parenteral treatment regimens with pentavalent antimonials are associated with marked toxicity and significant rates of relapse. Aim To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of high-dose itraconazole for the treatment of MCL. Methods An uncontrolled treatment study was performed in 13 Ecuadorian patients with MCL. Each patient received a daily dosage of 400 mg of itraconazole for a minimum of 3 months. Results All 13 subjects responded to itraconazole during the first month of treatment, but by 12 months after treatment the complete resolution of MCL lesions was observed in only three (23%) subjects. No adverse effects of treatment were reported. Response to treatment was associated with a short evolution of the disease and mild to moderate disease severity. Conclusion Prolonged and high-dose treatment regimens with itraconazole are not effective for the treatment of the majority of patients with MCL.
Executive function and the Wisconsin card sorting test: Relationship with behavioral ratings and cognitive ability

The frontal lobes are thought to be responsible for executive functions, behavioral regulation, and social discourse. It has been proposed that frontal lobe dysfunction may be responsible for many deficits observed in children with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The most widely accepted measure of executive function in adults is the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST; Heaton, 1981). The WCST has been interpreted as a measure of frontal lobe functioning in children as well. Although a number of studies have lent support to the involvement of the frontal lobes in developmental behavior disorders, results have not been consistently replicated using the WCST and other measures. Further, the sensitivity and specificity of the WCST as a measure of frontal lobe dysfunction has not been consistently demonstrated. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between performance on the WCST and behavioral measures commonly employed in the diagnosis of developmental behavior disorders a...
Eddy Seeding in the Labrador Sea: A Submerged Autonomous Launch Platform Application

AbstractTwo submerged autonomous launch platforms (SALPs) were deployed at 500-m depth on a deep-water mooring in the northeastern Labrador Sea from 2007 to 2009 to automatically release profiling floats into passing warm-core anticyclonic Irminger Rings (IRs). The objective was to investigate the rings’ vertical structure and evolution as they drifted from their formation site near the western coast of Greenland to the area of deep convection in the south-central part of the basin. Mechanically and electronically, the SALP worked well: 10 out of 11 floats were successfully released from the mooring over 2 years. However, getting floats trapped in eddy cores using a preprogrammed release algorithm based on temperature and pressure (a proxy for current speed) measured by the SALPs met with limited success mainly because 1) the floats settled at a park pressure that was initially too deep, below the volume of water trapped in the eddy core; 2) the eddies translated past the mooring much more quickly than an...
Eye & Why: A Prototype for Learning Objects Visualization in Virtual Environment

In this paper, we have introduced a 3D Car gaming metaphor, an interactive interface for searching learning objects from distributed search repositories. By analyzing the semantic information of the search results, the metaphor creates groups and presents them as virtual roads, where each rendered traffic sign corresponds to the visual representation of a learning object. The road network based learning object visualization scheme assists the learner in realizing the relationships (if one exists) among the displayed results. Hence, the learner would be able to discard or explore a group of information very easily from the rendered visual relationship constructs, thus resulting in an effective information navigation process. Additionally, the game motivated car metaphor employs customized and interactive 3D visual schemes to make the learning and navigational process more entertaining.
Seismic moment distribution revisited: I. Statistical results

SUMMARY An accumulation of seismic moment data gathered over the previous decade justifies a new attempt at a comprehensive statistical analysis of these data: herein, more rigourous statistical techniques are introduced, their properties investigated, and these methods are employed for analysis of large modern data sets. Several theoretical distributions of earthquake size (seismic moment‐frequency relations) are described and compared. We discuss the requirements for such distributions and introduce an upper bound or a ‘corner moment’ for a distribution to have a finite energy or moment flux. We derive expressions for probability density functions and statistical moments of the distributions. We also describe parameter evaluation, in particular how to estimate the seismic moment distribution for the largest earthquakes. Simulating earthquake size distributions allows for a more rigourous evaluation of distribution parameters and points to the limitations of the classical statistical analysis of earthquake data. Simulations suggest that several earthquakes approaching or exceeding the corner magnitude (mc) limit need to be registered to evaluate mc with reasonable accuracy. Using the Harvard catalogue data, we compare moment distribution parameters for various temporal spans of the catalogue, for different tectonic provinces and depth ranges, and for earthquakes with various focal mechanisms. The statistical analysis suggests that the exponent b is universal (b=0.60‐0.65) for all moderate earthquakes. The corner moment (Mc) value, determined by the maximum-likelihood method, both in subduction zones and globally, is about 10 21 N m, corresponding to the corner moment magnitude mc#8.0. For midoceanic earthquakes, mc is apparently smaller for spreading ridges, it is about 5.8, and for strike-slip earthquakes on transform faults it decreases from 7.2 to 6.5 as the relative slip velocity of faults increases. We investigate the seismic moment errors, both random and systematic, and their dependence on earthquake size. The relative errors seem to decrease for larger events. The influence of moment uncertainties on the parameter estimates is studied. Whereas the b values do not appear to be significantly influenced by the errors, for the corner moment large errors can lead to substantially biased estimates. We compare the Harvard catalogue results with the earthquake data from instrumental catalogues in the first three-quarters of the 20th century. Several very large earthquakes (mi9) occurred around the middle of the century. Their magnitude values cannot be fitted by a modified Gutenberg‐Richter law with mc=8.0‐8.5. Among other factors, this discrepancy can be explained by either substantially higher errors in the earlier magnitude values, or by mc being higher for some subduction zones. It is unlikely that data available presently or soon will be sufficient to determine the corner magnitude of 9 and above, with reasonable precision, using purely statistical methods.
Nano Sensors and Devices for Space and Terrestrial Applications

A nanosensor technology has been developed using nanostructures, such as single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), on a pair of interdigitated electrodes (IDE) processed with a silicon-based microfabrication and micromachining technique. The IDE fingers were fabricated using photolithography and thin film metallization techniques. Both in-situ growth of nanostructure materials and casting of the nanostructure dispersions were used to make chemical sensing devices. These sensors have been exposed to nitrogen dioxide, acetone, benzene, nitrotoluene, chlorine, and ammonia in the concentration range of ppm to ppb at room temperature. The electronic molecular sensing of carbon nanotubes in our sensor platform can be understood by intra- and inter-tube electron modulation in terms of charge transfer mechanisms. As a result of the charge transfer, the conductance of p-type or hole-richer SWNTs in air will change. Due to the large surface area, low surface energy barrier and high thermal and mechanical stability, nanostructured chemical sensors potentially can offer higher sensitivity, lower power consumption and better robustness than the state-of-the-art systems, which make them more attractive for defense and space applications. Combined with MEMS technology, light weight and compact size sensors can be made in wafer scale with low cost. Additionally, a wireless capability of such a sensor chip can be used for networked mobile and fixed-site detection and warning systems for military bases, facilities and battlefield areas.
Grain-boundary migration in the presence of diffusing impurities: Simulations and analytical models

The mobilities of grain boundaries is a key factor in determining the evolution of polycrystalline microstructures. In most cases, the intrinsic boundary mobility is strongly aŒected by the presence of impurities. We present a series of simulations of grain-boundary migration in systems without impurities, with static impurities and with impurities that are free to diŒuse. The simulations are performed within a kinetic Monte Carlo formalism based upon a simple spin model with interstitial impurities and consider the eŒects of bulk impurity concentration, impurity diŒusivity, interaction strength and temperature. Two regimes of motion were distinguished (at low and high velocities) with a smooth transition between them under all conditions. Contrary to the classical continuum model of impurity drag, the simulation results demonstrate that attractive and repulsive impurity±grain-boundary interactions yield very diŒerent grain-boundary mobilities and the domain wall velocity never exhibits sharp jumps. A discrete model is developed that properly describes the transition between regimes and the diŒerences between attractive and repulsive impurities.
A new queuing strategy for large scale ATM switches

In this article, different buffering techniques used to solve the contention problem in ATM switching architectures are compared. Then, the buffer requirements needed to achieve a given quality of service (QoS) is determined. Based on the results, we propose a combined central and output queuing (CCOQ) technique to be used in designing large-scale ATM switches for high-speed networks.
Testing of a Prototype SAES St909 Getter Bed for Conditioning Gas to a Tritium Stripper System

SAES St909 getter beds are used to condition the gas feed to certain tritium stripper systems in the Tritium Facilities at the Savannah River Site. Low-oxygen and low-moisture waste gas containing nitrogen, helium or argon is pre-conditioned by the St909 getter prior to tritium stripping and discharge to the environment. SRS has recently built and tested a full-scale St909 Prototype Getter Bed to replace an existing design. The Bed was activated, loaded with nitrogen and tested for effectiveness in gettering oxygen and cracking water, methane and carbon dioxide at two temperatures, three pressures and three flow rates (residence times). Tests have been conducted using carrier gases of nitrogen and helium. This paper will discuss the new St909 getter bed design and test results.
On the design of high gain feedback sampled-data systems

Disturbance decoupling problem for a class of sampled-data systems with small sampling periods is investigated using singular perturbation methods.
Suppression of nutrient-induced inflammation with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent ameliorates ovarian dysfunction in lean insulin-sensitive women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

early follicular phase. TNFa, IL-27, IL-35, IL-37, a-1 acid glycoprotein were measured by a high sensitivity ELISA, while CRP, testosterone (T), androstenedione (AE), SHBG, DHEA-S levels were measured by RIA. Free androgen index (FAI) was calculated as percentage ratio of total testosterone to SHBG values. RESULTS: Levels of inflammatory mediators (CRP, TNFa, a-1 acid glycoprotein) were significantly increased in obese PCOS patients compared to obese controls and in lean PCOS patients compared to lean controls (all p<0.001). Levels of cytokines with anti-inflammatory properties (IL-27, IL-35, IL-37) were significantly decreased in obese PCOS patients compared to obese controls and in lean PCOS patients compared to lean controls (all p<0.001). Levels of T, androstenedione, DHEA-S were significantly increased, while level of SHBG was significantly increased in obese PCOS patients compared to obese controls and in lean PCOS patients compared to lean controls (all p<0.001). When obese and lean PCOS patients were compared, levels of IL-27, IL-35, IL-37 were significantly lower, while level of a-1 acid glycoprotein was significantly higher in obese PCOS patients compared lean patients (all p<0.001). FAI was higher in obese PCOS patients compared to obese controls, PCOS leans patients compared to lean controls (both p<0.001). BMI had a strong negative correlation with IL-27, IL-25, IL-37 and a positive correlation with a-1 acid glycoprotein (all p<0.001). FAI had a strong positive correlation with CRP, TNFa, a-1 acid glycoprotein and a negative correlation with IL-27, IL-25, IL-37 (all p<0.001). BMI had a positive correlation with FAI (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study further confirm the pro-inflammatory state of PCOS.Moreover, obesity along with PCOS significantly elevates the inflammatory status and hyperandrogenism. Supported by: This research received funding from the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Istanbul University (grant 31834).
Survival During Starvation of Symbiotic, Aposymbiotic, and Non-Symbiotic Hydra

Many experimental studies on the benefit of endosymbiotic algae to their coelenterate hosts have utilized so-called “aposymbiotic” animals as controls. These individuals, although from a species which normally contains algal symbionts, have no algae. Algae-free individuals may be obtained through experimental treatment; aposymbiotic strains of Hydra viridis have been produced in culture by the use of 0.5 per cent glycerol (Whitney, 1907). Populations of aposymbionts may also be obtained through the culture of eggs of H. viridis which have not been infected with algae. Although these algae-free eggs are apparently produced in nature, no naturally occurring aposymbiotic H. viridis have been reported. Differential survival during starvation has been proposed as one factor which may favor symbiotic green hydra over aposymbiotic forms (Muscatine and Lenhoff, 1965).
Toxic Lunch in Bhopal and Chemical Publics

On November 28, 2009, as part of events marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the disaster at the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, gas survivors protested the contents of the report prepared by government scientists that mocked their complaints about contamination. The survivors shifted from the scientific document to a mediated lunch invitation performance, purporting to serve the same chemicals as food that the report had categorized as having no toxic effects. I argue that the lunch spread, consisting of soil and water from the pesticide plant, explicitly front-staged and highlighted the survivor’s forced intimate relationship with such chemicals, in order to reshape public perception of risks from toxins. Chemical matter like sevin tar and naphthol tar bound politicians, scientists, corporations, affected communities, and activists together, as these stakeholders debated the potential effects of toxic substances. This gave rise to an issue-based “chemical public.” Borrowing from such theoretical conce...
A Social Influence Interpretation of Workplace Ostracism and Counterproductive Work Behavior

We used social network analysis to examine a theoretical model exploring why, and under what circumstances, the perpetrators’ ostracizing behaviors are accurately perceived by the target employees. In turn, these perceptions of ostracism lead to the target employees’ counterproductive work behaviors. Adopting perspectives from both perpetrators and targets, we directly measured the ostracizing behaviors by all potential perpetrators (coworkers) and perceived workplace ostracism by target employees. We integrate Social information processing theory and conservation of resource theory to propose a moderated mediation model, and found that employees who have a high level of need to belong are more likely to capture coworkers’ ostracizing behaviors, and those with low political skill are more likely to engage in counterproductive work behavior as their reaction to perceived workplace ostracism. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Evaluation of Uncertainty in Measured Results for Standard PtRh10-Pt Thermocouple of Second Class

Standard PtRh10-Pt thermocouple of second class adopts comparison method between two electrodes of the same name, the error of measurement is directly transmitted to the next measuring instrument,namely temperature measuring instrument.The un- certainty of its measurement is a condition to evaluation of satisfaction for checking cheap metallic thermocouple.Through evaluation of measuring the uncertainty for standard PtRh10-Pt thermocouple of second class,the measuring level can be compared.
Endocrine Studies in Patients With Advanced Hypospadias

AbstractWe evaluated 15 boys less than 4 years old with advanced degrees of hypospadias for the presence of an endocrinopathy by a variety of special tests. There were 6 different endocrine-related abnormalities uncovered in 11 patients. One child had been exposed to progesterone given to the mother during the first trimester of pregnancy, 1 had an abnormal karyotype and 1 had an absent gonad on 1 side. One patient with a family history of Reifenstein’s syndrome had low receptor numbers and 3 patients exhibited a poor genital response to exogenous testosterone despite normal receptor levels. However, the most striking finding was that of a poor testosterone response to human chorionic gonadotropin injections, which was seen in 7 patients. In several instances this improved with time and even normalized in 2 patients. This experience suggests that hypospadias is a local manifestation of an endocrinopathy rather than a local dysmorphic problem, and that 1 major cause of it may be a delay in maturation of th...
Original papers: Evaluation of a wireless infrared thermometer with a narrow field of view

Many agricultural studies rely on infrared sensors for remote measurement of surface temperatures for crop status monitoring and estimating sensible and latent heat fluxes. Historically, applications for these non-contact thermometers employed the use of hand-held or stationary industrial infrared thermometers (IRTs) wired to data loggers. Wireless sensors in agricultural applications are a practical alternative, but the availability of low cost wireless IRTs is limited. In this study, we designed prototype narrow (10^o) field of view wireless infrared sensor modules and evaluated the performance of the IRT sensor by comparing temperature readings of an object (T"o"b"j) against a blackbody calibrator in a controlled temperature room at ambient temperatures of 15^oC, 25^oC, 35^oC, and 45^oC. Additional comparative readings were taken over plant and soil samples alongside a hand-held IRT and over an isothermal target in the outdoors next to a wired IRT. The average root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) between the collected IRT object temperature readings and the blackbody target ranged between 0.10 and 0.79^oC. The wireless IRT readings also compared well with the hand-held IRT and wired industrial IRT. Additional tests performed to investigate the influence of direct radiation on IRT measurements indicated that housing the sensor in white polyvinyl chloride provided ample shielding for the self-compensating circuitry of the IR detector. The relatively low cost of the wireless IRT modules and repeatable measurements against a blackbody calibrator and commercial IR thermometers demonstrated that these wireless prototypes have the potential to provide accurate surface radiometric temperature readings in outdoor applications. Further studies are needed to thoroughly test radio frequency communication and power consumption characteristics in an outdoor setting.
A Very Brief Introduction to Linguistics for Lawyers

Many people think linguists are people who speak a lot of languages. That’s one definition, but certainly not the only one. The type of linguistics that this book describes refers to scientifically studying languages rather than merely speaking them. Linguists analyze the components that make up spoken language, such as sounds, prefixes, suffixes, words, meaning, sentences, and discourse. Written language shares most of these components as well, except that the sounds of spoken language are represented by letters in written scripts. In addition, all living languages continuously change under the influences of time, space, and social interaction, which create variations within a language that grow out of group differences based on age, gender, race, location, occupation, education, ethnicity, and even religious orientation.
A Systems Biology Comparison of Ovarian Cancers Implicates Putative Somatic Driver Mutations through Protein-Protein Interaction Models

Ovarian carcinomas can be aggressive with a high mortality rate (e.g., high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas, or HGSOCs), or indolent with much better long-term outcomes (e.g., low-malignant-potential, or LMP, serous ovarian carcinomas). By comparing LMP and HGSOC tumors, we can gain insight into the mechanisms underlying malignant progression in ovarian cancer. However, previous studies of the two subtypes have been focused on gene expression analysis. Here, we applied a systems biology approach, integrating gene expression profiles derived from two independent data sets containing both LMP and HGSOC tumors with protein-protein interaction data. Genes and related networks implicated by both data sets involved both known and novel disease mechanisms and highlighted the different roles of BRCA1 and CREBBP in the two tumor types. In addition, the incorporation of somatic mutation data revealed that amplification of PAK4 is associated with poor survival in patients with HGSOC. Thus, perturbations in protein interaction networks demonstrate differential trafficking of network information between malignant and benign ovarian cancers. The novel network-based molecular signatures identified here may be used to identify new targets for intervention and to improve the treatment of invasive ovarian cancer as well as early diagnosis.
Rib Fracture Fixation: Indications and Outcomes

Rib fractures are a frequently identified injury in the trauma population. Not only are multiple rib fractures painful, but they are associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes. Pneumonia in particular can be devastating, especially to an elderly patient, but other complications such as prolonged ventilation and increased intensive care and hospital durations of stay have a negative impact on the patient. Computed tomography scan is the best modality to diagnosis rib fractures but the treatment of fractures is still evolving. Currently patient care involves a multidisciplinary approach that includes pain control, aggressive pulmonary therapy, and possibly surgical fixation.
Biodiversity and phylogeny of Marasmius (Agaricales, Basidiomycota) from Madagascar

Prior to this monographic treatment, limited research on the genus Marasmius (Basidiomycota, Agaricales) had been conducted in Madagascar. Based on field work in January 2013 and January–February 2014, which generated 45 specimens of Marasmius sensu stricto , supplemented by herbarium exsiccatae and published literature, 35 species of Marasmius are documented from Madagascar. Of these, 5 species are recognized herein as new to science, viz., Marasmius madagascariensis , M. rubrobrunneus , M. dendrosetosus , M. sokola and M. tanaensis ; an additional 11 species represent new distribution records for Madagascar. Species delimitations are based on comprehensive morphological descriptions and molecular sequences (ITS) data. Line drawings of salient micromorphological features, color photographs of basidiomes, comparisons with allied taxa, a key to aid in identification, and phylogenetic inferences are provided.
The Next Reappointment Revolution

In the 1960’s, the Supreme Court famously imposed the one person, one vote requirement on federal, state and local legislatures. The doctrine triggered a reapportionment revolution that rapidly resolved the problem of malapportioned districts. Within just a few years, legislatures across the nation were reapportioned to equalize the population between districts. Sadly, however, the national commitment to equal-population districts has led directly to the current crisis of political gerrymandering. The boundaries of equal-population districts must be redrawn every ten years to maintain population equality. Even with rigid adherence to population requirements, district boundaries are easily manipulated to secure incumbent seats and advance partisan interests. Redistricting is rightly condemned for allowing politicians to pick their voters, rather than the other way around. At the local level, however, one group of municipalities avoids redistricting by incorporating weighted voting into their apportionment plans. While scholars have studied other variations in municipal apportionment, they have failed to examine the nuances of weighted voting apportionment plans. This Article begins to fill that void, demonstrating that weighted voting dramatically increases the options for legislative apportionment and arguing that weighted voting could serve as a model for the next reapportionment revolution. As this Article explains, weighted voting eliminates the need for strict population equality. It can be used alone to preserve representation for whole political units, such as towns on the county board. It can also be incorporated into multimember districts, equal-population districts, or both, to equalize the mathematic weight of each vote across unequal population districts. Weighted voting thus enables the formation of districts that reflect priorities other than population equality, including districts that correspond to political subdivisions and prevent gerrymandering.
After the Medical Error.

I grew up knowing that my father had saved my mother’s life. This wasn’t some romantic drama. During her first cone-down radiation treatment for invasive breast cancer, she convinced the radiologist to let my father, an internist practicing in the same hospital, watch. As the machine was lowered, he realized that the cone was aimed at a 10-year-old fibroadenoma scar instead of her cancerous tumor. My dad stopped the treatment and my mom had new tattoos drawn, only to realize that these were also incorrectly placed. They drove to the surgeon’s office, where the surgeon consulted his handwritten note and drew the location of the recent tumor with permanent marker.
Non-classical continuum theory for fluids incorporating internal and Cosserat rotation rates

This paper presents a non-classical continuum theory for fluent continua in which the conservation and balance laws are derived by incorporating both internal rotation rates arising from the velocity gradient tensor and the rotation rates of the Cosserats. Specifically, in this non-classical continuum theory we have (1) the usual velocities ( $$\bar{ \pmb {\varvec{v }}}$$ ), (2) the three internal rotation rates ( $${}_i^t\bar{ \pmb {\varvec{\Theta }}}$$ ) about the axes of a fixed triad whose axes are parallel to the x-frame arising from the velocity gradient tensor $$(\bar{ \pmb {\varvec{L }}})$$ that are completely defined by the antisymmetric part of the velocity gradient tensor, and (3) three additional rotation rates ( $${}_e^t\bar{ \pmb {\varvec{\Theta }}}$$ ) about the axes of the same triad located at each material point as additional three unknown degrees of freedom, referred to as Cosserat rotation rates. This gives rise to $$\bar{ \pmb {\varvec{v }}}$$ and $${}_e^t\bar{ \pmb {\varvec{\Theta }}}$$ as six degrees of freedom at a material point. The internal rotation rates $${}_i^t\bar{ \pmb {\varvec{\Theta }}}$$ , often neglected in classical fluid mechanics, exist in all deforming fluent continua as these are due to velocity gradient tensor. When the internal rotation rates $${}_i^t\bar{ \pmb {\varvec{\Theta }}}$$ are resisted by deforming fluent continua, conjugate moment tensor arises that together with $${}_i^t\bar{ \pmb {\varvec{\Theta }}}$$ may result in energy storage and/or dissipation, which must be considered in the conservation and balance laws. The Cosserat rotation rations $${}_e^t\bar{ \pmb {\varvec{\Theta }}}$$ also result in conjugate moment tensor that together with $${}_e^t\bar{ \pmb {\varvec{\Theta }}}$$ may also result in energy storage and/or dissipation. The main focus of this paper is a consistent derivation of conservation and balance laws for fluent continua that incorporate the aforementioned physics and associated constitutive theories for thermofluids using the conditions resulting from the entropy inequality. The material coefficients derived in the constitutive theories are clearly defined and discussed.