cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Orientation Independent Machine Vision Classification of Plant Parts

Abstract Machine vision can be a vital tool for measuring key process parameters in many agricultural production systems, including commercial nurseries and greenhouses. One important role of machine vision in these systems may be to identify plant features and properties which allow for robotic processing, automated grading, and other tasks. A technique for identifying key features of ornamental cuttings was developed which was orientation independent, provided complete classification and interconnection of the major plant parts (e.g. main stem, petioles, and leaf blades), and relied exclusively on the morphological content of a binary image. The technique segmented a plant image into objects which could then be classified according to geometric data. Results indicated the technique was effective on geranium cutting images regardless of position or orientation. A high average percentage of total image pixels (96·6%) were classified correctly in 80 sample images tested. However, sources of error for certain misclassifications revealed limitations of this technique. Branching or fork-based segmentation can leave gaps in the geometric data required for satisfactory classification. Also, plant parts which overlap and/or occlude other parts cause conflicting geometric data which can yield classification errors. The use of spectral information may be required to extend the technique and improve robustness.
Numerical solver of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation with Coulomb singularities

This paper addresses a very fundamental and important problem in the numerical analysis of atomic and molecular systems: How to discretize Hamiltonians with divergent potential terms, such as Coulomb singularities. At the point of a Coulomb singularity, the wave function cannot be described by a Taylor series expansion, which results in problems when standard discretization schemes are used. We propose using the known asymptotic form of the wave function near the singularity instead of the (nonexistent) Taylor series. This principle, namely discretization by asymptotic behavior correspondence (ABC), is employed in this paper for obtaining grid-discretizations for the Coulomb potential in Cartesian, cylindrical and spherical coordinate systems. We show that computations with the ABC discretization are faster and more precise than with a naive discretization by orders of magnitude. The ABC discretization is well suited for the standard numerical time propagators, such as the Crank-Nicholson, Peaceman-Rachford, and leapfrog schemes. We use the latter, since it is faster and has the same order of accuracy. The leapfrog scheme is generalized to allow absorbing potentials at the grid boundaries.
Apnoea in a former preterm infant after caudal bupivacaine with clonidine for inguinal herniorrhaphy

Awake regional anaesthesia for inguinal hernia repair in former preterm infants is suggested to avoid life-threatening respiratory complications known to occur after general anaesthesia. Caudal anaesthesia is becoming a more popular technique for this purpose. To prolong duration of anaesthesia and to reduce postoperative need for analgesics in these infants, caudal clonidine has been considered useful. We report a former preterm infant, who had two awake caudal anaesthetics for herniotomy within 3 weeks. The first was uneventful with bupivacaine 0.25% at 35 weeks postconceptional age. At 38 weeks, the baby suffered form intra- and postoperative apnoeas after inadvertent administration of bupivacaine 0.125% plus clonidine.
Chemical ordering of FePt nanoparticle self-assemblies by rapid thermal annealing

Abstract Self-assembled 4 nm FePt nanoparticle arrays were treated with rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process. The phase transformation from the chemically disordered face-centered-cubic structure of the as-synthesized FePt nanoparticles to the chemically ordered face-centered-tetragonal structure was realized by RTA, with both the annealing temperature and time being greatly reduced, as compared to conventional annealing. The onset of chemical ordering occurred at the annealing condition of around 400°C for only 5 s. Temperature-dependent coercivity measurements revealed strong thermal effects of the nanoparticle assemblies. Curie temperatures (Tc) of the annealed assemblies were derived from the temperature-dependent hysteresis measurements. Tc of the annealed assemblies increases with increasing annealing temperature, but is about 200–300 K lower than that of bulk FePt (750 K). The drastic reduction of Tc may be attributed to size effect and partial chemical ordering of FePt nanoparticles.
Describing boys' coping with homesickness using a two-process model of control

Abstract Previous research on children's coping suggests two theoretically important trends: (1) Age-related increases in secondary control coping (i.e., adjusting oneself to fit objective conditions), but not in primary control coping (i.e., modifying objective conditions to fit oneself); and (2) More frequent use of secondary control with relatively uncontrollable stressors than with controllable stressors. This study examined both age and stressor controllability as predictors of how boys coped with two common stressors in a residential summer camp setting: Homesickness (in the context of a relatively uncontrollable separation) and competitive loss (in the context of a relatively controllable game or match). Older boys used more secondary control coping for the objectively uncontrollable stressor of homesickness, but not for the more controllable stressor of competitive loss. The finding suggests key age-related gains in the capacity to tailor coping responses to stressor characteristics.
On the existence of a complete set of solutions of the Lur’e equation

The algebraic Lur’e equations are considered in the general case of an arbitrary pair (A, B) and a nonsingular matrix Γ of quadratic form. The necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a complete set of solutions of such equations are obtained. These conditions are other than in the standard case of a definite matrix Γ. For the standard case, the constraints on the pair (A, B) are maximally relaxed. Then the results are extended to the case of a singular matrix Γ. A special representation of Hamiltonian matrices, which forms the basis for the proofs, is developed.
Problem-Based Learning as A Strategy to Teach Service Quality: an assessment of on-line reviews

This article explores problem-based learning (PBL) as a teaching strategy for an undergraduate and graduate service management course. PBL enabled students to critically assess service quality issues, categorize customer feedback, and develop a survey to assess customer perceptions of service quality. Customer feedback was assessed via on-line customer reviews and categorized through content analysis utilizing SERVQUAL constructs. By framing the class project into “real world” examples, students were able to dissect the problems, to identify situational constraints, and ascertain a clear understanding of the desired outcome. The consolidation of online comments for 60 U.S. based restaurants is also reported.
Evidence for Cu(II) Reduction as a Component of Copper Uptake by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains a plasma membrane reductase activity associated with the gene product of the FRE1 locus. This reductase is required for Fe(III) uptake by this yeast; transcription from FRE1 is repressed by iron (Dancis, A., Klausner, R. D., Hinnebusch, A. G., and Barriocanal, J. G.(1990) Mol. Cell. Biol. 10, 2294-2301). We show here that Cu(II) is equally efficient at repressing FRE1 transcription and is an excellent substrate for the Fre1p reductase. This reductase activity is required for 50-70% of the uptake of 64Cu by wild type cells. Under conditions of low Fre1-dependent activity, cells retain 30-70% of Cu(II) reductase activity but only 8-25% of Fe(III) reductase activity. While Fre1p-dependent activity is 100% inhibitable by Pt(II), this residual Cu(II) reduction is insensitive to this inhibitor. The data suggest the presence of a Fre1p-independent reductase activity in the yeast plasma membrane which is relatively specific for Cu(II) and which supports copper uptake in the absence of FRE1 expression. The gene product of MAC1, which is required for regulation of FRE1 transcription, is also required for expression of Cu(II) reduction activity. This is due in part to its role in the regulation of FRE1; however, it is required for expression of the putative Cu(II) reductase, as well. Similarly, a gain-of-function mutation, MAC1up1, which causes elevated and unregulated transcription from FRE1 and elevated Fe(III) reduction and 59Fe uptake exhibits a similar phenotype with respect to Cu(II) reduction and 64Cu uptake. Ascorbate, which reduces periplasmic Cu(II) to Cu(I), suppresses the dependence of 64Cu uptake on plasma membrane reductase activity as is the case for ascorbate-supported 59Fe uptake. The close parallels between Cu(II) and Fe(III) reduction, and 64Cu and 59Fe uptake, strongly suggest that Cu(II) uptake by yeast involves a Cu(I) intermediate. This results in the reductive mobilization of the copper from periplasmic chelating agents, making the free ion available for translocation across the plasma membrane.
Caffeine inhibits nonselective cationic currents in interstitial cells of Cajal from the murine jejunum

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) discharge unitary potentials in gastrointestinal muscles that constitute the basis for pacemaker activity. Caffeine has been used to block unitary potentials, but ...
Proliferation and apoptosis in the human adrenal cortex during the fetal and perinatal periods: implications for growth and remodeling.

After 10–15 weeks of gestation, the human fetal adrenal cortex undergoes rapid growth due to enlargement of a specialized cortical compartment known as the fetal zone (FZ). Soon after birth, the FZ regresses and the adult zonation pattern develops at least in part from cells derived from the persistent definitive zone (DZ), a thin layer of tightly packed cells surrounding the FZ. We postulated that growth of the fetal adrenal cortex involves zone-specific cellular hyperplasia, whereas the postnatal involution of the FZ is due to apoptosis. Therefore, we investigated the pattern of cellular proliferation and death in the FZ and DZ of the human fetal and postnatal adrenal cortex using immunohistochemical staining for proliferating cell nuclear antigen as a marker of mitosis and in situ detection of DNA fragmentation as a marker of apoptosis. Between 10–14 weeks’ gestation, the mitotic indexes (percentage of proliferating cell nuclear antigen-positive cells) in the DZ (26.46 ± 2.95%) and in the FZ (21.26 ± 2...
Augmentation of immune activity by elimination of antibody and its implications in cancer.

A “procedure” consisting of thoracic duct fistula, intravenous return of cells, wasting lymph fluid, and administration of replacement therapy was performed on rats immunized with SRBC or nucleated cells from histo-incompatible donors. The “procedure” resulted in a large augmentation of the homoral immune response described by the following parameters. The number of 19S antibody-producing cells in spleen and lumph nodes increased up to twenty-fold. The daily antibody content in the lymph increased exponentially, doubling every 10 to 18 hours, and reached peak values of 100 times the antibody content in the whole animal prior to fistula. The peak antibody production rate of experimental animals was 1000 times the pre-fistula level—this latter rate being the antibody production level in animals with a stable immunity. The immune augmentation which was achieved in these experimentds does not represent the therorectical or practical limit attainable. When the “procedure” was performed in nonsplenectomized animals without raised venous pressure, the blood liter fell and then rose to pre-fistula levels or higher, and the daily antibody content of the lymph samples reached a platueau. When the “procedure” was performed in splenectomized animals with raised venous pressure the blood liter fell and remained low and there was a continuing exponential increase in antibody contenl of progressive lymph samples throughout the duration of the fistula procedure. The “procedure” and results are discussed in relation to aspects of immune regulation and practical advantages for antibody production. The implications of the “procedure” as a means of manipulating components important in tumor-host immune relationship are discussed with respect to possible immunotherapy of cancer. The “procedure” caused regression of M. S. V. induced tumors growing in syngeneic rats. It is suggested that the effect on the tumors was due to the mechanisms discussed.
The bovine calpastatin gene promoter and a new N-terminal region of the protein are targets for cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity.

Abstract To investigate the regulation of calpastatin gene expression, we isolated bovine heart calpastatin cDNAs and 5′-regions of the calpastatin gene. Analysis of 5′-cDNA sequence identified a new translation initiation site that is in frame and 204 nucleotides upstream of the previously designated start site. Conceptual translation from this upstream AUG produces a protein containing 68 additional N-terminal amino acids. This “XL” region contains three potential PKA phosphorylation sites but shares no homology with other regions of calpastatin or with any known protein. Immunoblot studies demonstrated that heart and liver contain a calpastatin protein of 145 kDa on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis that comigrates with full-length bacterially expressed calpastatin and calpastatin produced by coupled in vitro transcription-translation from the upstream AUG. An antibody raised against the XL region recognized the 145-kDa band, demonstrating that the upstream AUG is utilized and that the 145-kDa band represents full-length calpastatin in vivo. Transient transfection assays demonstrated that sequence within 272 nucleotides upstream of transcription initiation of the calpastatin gene is sufficient to direct moderate level transcription. Promoter sequences further upstream act to inhibit or stimulate transcriptional activity. Exposure of transfected cells to dibutyryl cAMP resulted in a 7–20-fold increase in promoter activity for constructs containing at least 272 nucleotides of upstream promoter sequence. Deletion analysis indicates that at least one cAMP-responsive element resides within 102 nucleotides of transcription initiation.
Toxic air pollution across a state line: implications for the siting of resource recovery facilities

Massive volumes of solid waste are produced in the United States. Options for disposal are limited. Incineration and recycling are frequently proposed solutions. However, incinerators and waste recovery facilities, such as scrap smelters, generate hazardous air pollutants and toxic ash. Their potential hazards to health have not been adequately assessed. To illustrate the policy issues surrounding waste incineration and resource recycling, we examine the case of U.S. Metals, a scrap metals recovery plant in Carteret, New Jersey. This plant emitted 20 kilograms of dioxin in its 25 years of operation. It also released 86 tons of lead annually; nearby air lead levels were repeatedly in violation of standards. Construction of a tall stack caused export of toxic emissions from the plant to Staten Island, New York; high concentrations of lead were documented in surface soil on Staten Island. Because neither the State of New Jersey nor the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency were willing to regulate emissions from the plant, New York, the downwind state, was forced to sue U.S. Metals in federal court. The suit resulted ultimately in closing the plant. The case illustrates the difficulties in regulating pollution across state lines, a difficulty compounded by the abdication of responsibility by state and federal agencies. Further, the episode appears paradigmatic of a disturbing trend by state and local governments to locate waste combustion facilities at sites which will resolve problems of solid waste by encouraging export of airborne pollutants across regulatory boundaries.
Standardized ultrasound evaluation of carotid stenosis for clinical trials: University of Washington Ultrasound Reading Center

Serial monitoring of patients participating in clinical trials of carotid artery therapy requires noninvasive precision methods that are inexpensive, safe and widely available. Noninvasive ultrasonic duplex Doppler velocimetry provides a precision method that can be used for recruitment qualification, pre-treatment classification and post treatment surveillance for remodeling and restenosis. The University of Washington Ultrasound Reading Center (UWURC) provides a uniform examination protocol and interpretation of duplex Doppler velocity measurements. Doppler waveforms from 6 locations along the common carotid and internal carotid artery path to the brain plus the external carotid and vertebral arteries on each side using a Doppler examination angle of 60 degrees are evaluated. The UWURC verifies all measurements against the images and waveforms for the database, which includes pre-procedure, post-procedure and annual follow-up examinations. Doppler angle alignment errors greater than 3 degrees and Doppler velocity measurement errors greater than 0.05 m/s are corrected. Angle adjusted Doppler velocity measurements produce higher values when higher Doppler examination angles are used. The definition of peak systolic velocity varies between examiners when spectral broadening due to turbulence is present. Examples of measurements are shown. Although ultrasonic duplex Doppler methods are widely used in carotid artery diagnosis, there is disagreement about how the examinations should be performed and how the results should be validated. In clinical trails, a centralized reading center can unify the methods. Because the goals of research examinations are different from those of clinical examinations, screening and diagnostic clinical examinations may require fewer velocity measurements.
Exceptional motion frames detection by means of spatiotemporal region of interest features

This paper proposes a new approach to detect exceptional motion frames from real videos irrespective of both static and dynamic backgrounds. The approach is based on the use of the spatiotemporal region of interest (ST-RoI) features obtained from ST-RoI, which is estimated using motion history image (MHI). Within ST-RoI, exceptional motion makes the motion vectors (e.g., directions) change a lot as compared to normal motion. The normalized continuous rank-increase measure (NCRIM) calculated from the ST-RoI features has been used as the judgement index for determining normal or exceptional motion frame. To demonstrate the interest of the proposed approach, the results based on the detection of exceptional motion frames in real videos obtained from a single camera placed on the escalator exit in an airport have been presented.
Does deep-blue use AI?

When Deep Blue played Garry Kasparov in February 1996 and May 1997, the extensive IBM web pages devoted to the site claimed that Deep Blue did not use artificial intelligence. We argue that this claim is inaccurate, is representative of a wide-spread phenomenon in the field, and is ultimately harmful to AI.
Explaining why experimental behavior varies across cultures: A missing step in “The weirdest people in the world?”

In this commentary, I argue that to properly assess the significance of the cross-cultural findings reviewed by Henrich et al., one needs to understand better the causes of the variation in performance in experimental tasks across cultures.
Variations in the low‐ and middle‐latitude topside ion concentration observed by DMSP during superstorm events

[1] Observations of the topside ion number density by the DMSP satellites on the dayside near 0930 LT and near dusk describe a characteristic evolution during the course of three superstorm events in November 2001, November 2003, and November 2004. Density enhancements at middle latitudes and at the equator may be identified as separate features that may appear together but can evolve independently. These characteristics are consistent with the action of both upward (outward) E × B drifts and equatorward neutral winds and it is suggested that both F region drivers are required to reproduce the observed behavior on these occasions. Upward excursions of the E × B drift at the equator may be short-lived compared to the satellite orbit period of about 100 min but may also exist for longer periods under the influence of penetration fields and modified dynamo fields. Upward drifts at middle latitudes may be induced by meridional winds and by the high-latitude convection pattern as it expands to latitudes as low as 40 degrees magnetic.
The effect of two degrees of freedom on vortex-induced vibration at low mass and damping

Although there are a great many papers dedicated to the problem of a cylinder vibrating transverse to a fluid flow (, that one observes a rather dramatic departure from previous results, which would suggest a possible modification to offshore design codes.
Adenosine-induced temporary block to improve accuracy of ostial coronary stent implantation: adenosine to improve stent implantation accuracy.

Implantation of coronary stents should be performed with high precision to ensure optimal clinical results. In some clinical conditions, during the cardiac cycle, significant movement of the predeployed stent may impact its implantation accuracy. We describe a case in which a patient had a short ostial left anterior descending artery stenosis and hyperkinetic left ventricle, resulting in significant movement of the stent inside the vessel lumen during the cardiac cycle. Intracoronary adenosine was used to create temporary heart block to enable accurate stent implantation.© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hydrodynamically driven docking of blocks for 3D fluidic assembly

In this work we develop a method for fluid dynamically driven assembly in three dimensions and demonstrate its applicability to the development of programmable matter. Towards this end, we investigate docking of a single block onto a larger structure using detailed numerical simulations and experiments. Our simulation results show that a block whose degrees of freedom are limited is able to align parallel with the docking site, a necessary condition for successful assembly, whereas an unconfined block could not. Experiments with blocks that were designed with this approach confirmed alignment parallel with the docking site in 97% of trials. To generate alignment in the other two planes, we designed blocks that self-align due to geometric interactions. We also introduced a pulsating flow to increase the probability of aligned assembly. Using this strategy, a 54% successful (fully aligned) assembly rate was achieved.
Spectral Analysis for Geophysical Data

Summary The Fourier methods which underlie the statistical analysis of four types of data are presented. These are (a) stationary time series, (b) homogeneous planar processes, (c) homogeneous processes on a sphere and (d) a combination of (a) with (b) or (c). The data to be analysed will be modified by the effects, (i) of filtering of the continuous phenomenon (e.g. by the recording device), (ii) discrete sampling of the continuous phenomenon, (iii) further filtering of the discrete record. The effects of these are analysed and described, in the case of (i) and (iii) by a description of the response function of the filter and in case (ii) by describing the‘aliasing’involved (i.e. degree of indistinguishability of spectral components). Procedures for estimating the spectrum of the discrete record are described. Signal measurement in noise problems (and to some extent their analogues in cases (b), (c), (d)) are discussed as a principal example of the final use of these spectral methods.
Automatic validation of pipeline specifications

Recent approaches on language-driven Design Space Exploration (DSE) use Architectural Description Languages (ADL) to capture the processor architecture, generate automatically a software toolkit (including compiler, simulator, and assembler) for that processor, and provide feedback to the designer on the quality of the architecture. It is important to verify the ADL description of the processor to ensure the correctness of the software toolkit. We present in this paper an automatic validation framework, driven by an ADL. We present algorithms for automatic validation of ADL specification of the processor pipelines. We applied our methodology to verify several realistic processor cores to demonstrate the usefulness of our approach.
Molecular and cellular determinants for generating ES-cell derived dopamine neurons for cell therapy.

Embryonic stem (ES) cells can generate midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neuronal phenotypes in vitro and have been successfully applied to restore function in animal models of Parkinson’s disease (PD). How can we best integrate our growing insight into the regulatory cascade of transcription factors guiding midbrain specification to further improve the in vitro differentiation of midbrain DA neurons for cell therapy of PD? To characterize the differentiation of authentic DA neurons in vitro, expression patterns of the numerous midbrain-characteristic markers need to be investigated. When using forced gene expression, such factors have to be closely monitored to avoid generation of nonphysiological cell types. Fluorescent markers such as Pitx3-GFP, TH-GFP, Sox1-GFP or surface antigens have proven useful for elimination of unwanted cell types by cell sorting, thereby averting tumors and increasing the DA fraction for transplantation studies. The importance of appropriate timing during application of extrinsic factors and the influence of cell-cell interactions in the dish has to be taken into account. This conceptual synopsis outlines current objectives, progress, but also challenges, in deriving midbrain DA neurons from pluripotent stem cells for clinical and scientific applications.
Football as a Status System in U.S. Higher Education

Sociologists have focused almost exclusively on academic aspects of status in higher education, despite the prominence of nonacademic activities, specifically athletics, in U.S. colleges and universities. We use the case of football to investigate whether intercollegiate sports influence the distribution of status in U.S. higher education. Analyzing data on conference affiliations and other organizational characteristics of 287 schools over time, we find evidence of an athletic status system. Our work expands understanding of status in U.S. higher education, enriches prior explanations for the prominence of football, and generates tractable insights about the ongoing evolution of the intercollegiate conference system.
C4d and the Fate of Organ Allografts

Research over the past ten years has revealed that humoral rejection of organ transplants is associated with C4d deposits along the capillaries of the graft ([1][1]–[3][2]) and, hence, it is thought that C4d provides a valuable diagnostic and prognostic marker. In this issue of JASN , Regele et al
In vivo evaluation of the dentate gate theory in epilepsy

The dentate gyrus is a region subject to intense study in epilepsy because of its posited role as a 'gate', acting to inhibit overexcitation in the hippocampal circuitry through its unique synaptic, cellular and network properties that result in relatively low excitability. Numerous changes predicted to produce dentate hyperexcitability are seen in epileptic patients and animal models. However, recent findings question whether changes are causative or reactive, as well as the pathophysiological relevance of the dentate in epilepsy. Critically, direct in vivo modulation of dentate 'gate' function during spontaneous seizure activity has not been explored. Therefore, using a mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis, a closed-loop system and selective optogenetic manipulation of granule cells during seizures, we directly tested the dentate 'gate' hypothesis in vivo. Consistent with the dentate gate theory, optogenetic gate restoration through granule cell hyperpolarization efficiently stopped spontaneous seizures. By contrast, optogenetic activation of granule cells exacerbated spontaneous seizures. Furthermore, activating granule cells in non-epileptic animals evoked acute seizures of increasing severity. These data indicate that the dentate gyrus is a critical node in the temporal lobe seizure network, and provide the first in vivo support for the dentate 'gate' hypothesis.
Tales of the City: A Study of Narrative and Urban Life

Tales of the City:. Study of Narrative and Urban Life. Ruth Finnegan. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. xii. 212 pp., appendixes, notes, references, photographs.
IS THE DEVIL IN THE DETAILS? Tension Between Minimalism and Comprehensiveness in the Shariah

The comprehensiveness of Islamic law has been questioned seriously in the modern period by Muslim reformists like Rashīd Riḍā. Such reformists have used as evidence Qur'anic verses and Prophetic reports that seem to state clearly that the strictures of Islamic law are few and limited and that Muslims should not extend them to all areas of life. How could the Shariah have developed as a holistic and exhaustive body of law in light of such evidence? Looking back at earlier Muslim scholars from the ninth to the eighteenth centuries, however, we see that these Qur'anic verses and Prophetic edicts were never understood in this way. They were either diffused with various hermeneutic strategies or understood as applying to debates unrelated to the comprehensiveness or minimalism of the Shariah.
Choosing a doctor: an exploratory study of factors influencing patients’ choice of a primary care doctor

We assessed the relative importance healthcare consumers attach to various factors in choosing a primary care doctor (PCD) in a cross-sectional, in-person survey. Three survey locations were used: doctors' offices, a public shopping area, and meetings of a women's organization. A total of 636 community residents, varying across major demographic categories, participated. Participants completed a 23-item survey, designed to assess which factors consumers perceive as most relevant in choosing a PCD. Participants perceived professionally relevant factors (e.g. whether the doctor is board certified, office appearance) and management practices (e.g. time to get an appointment, evening and weekend hours) as more important than the doctor's personal characteristics (race, age, gender, etc.). Participants' own characteristics bore little relationship to the perceived importance of doctor characteristics. Factors patients perceive as most important to their choice of a PCD are also those that have the greatest effect on the quality of healthcare they will receive. However, they do not always have access to this information. A better understanding of the factors that influence people's choice of a PCD can contribute to efforts to provide them with the resources to make well-informed decisions in selecting among healthcare options.
Epistemic comparativism: a contextualist semantics for knowledge ascriptions

Knowledge ascriptions seem context sensitive. Yet it is widely thought that epistemic contextualism does not have a plausible semantic implementation. We aim to overcome this concern by articulating and defending an explicit contextualist semantics for ‘know,’ which integrates a fairly orthodox contextualist conception of knowledge as the elimination of the relevant alternatives, with a fairly orthodox “Amherst” semantics for A-quantification over a contextually variable domain of situations. Whatever problems epistemic contextualism might face, lack of an orthodox semantic implementation is not among them.
Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen Sulfide, and Nitric Oxide as Signaling Molecules in the Gastrointestinal Tract

Carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) used to be thought of simply as lethal and (for H 2 S) smelly gaseous molecules; now they are known to have important signaling functions in the gastrointestinal tract. CO and H 2 S, which are produced in the gastrointestinal tract by different enzymes, regulate smooth muscle membrane potential and tone, transmit signals from enteric nerves, and can regulate the immune system. The pathways that produce nitric oxide, H 2 S, and CO interact; each can inhibit and potentiate the level and activity of the other. However, there are significant differences between these molecules, such as in half-lives; CO is more stable and therefore able to have effects distal to the site of production, whereas nitric oxide and H 2 S are short lived and act only close to sites of production. We review their signaling functions in the luminal gastrointestinal tract and discuss how their pathways interact. We also describe other physiological functions of CO and H 2 S and how they might be used as therapeutic agents.
Unintentional Home Injuries The Work of the Home Safety Council

The State of Home Safety in America study funded by the Home Safety Council provides heretofore unavailable information on unintentional injuries in the home. The home turns out to be a risky environment for many. The burden of home injuries has been thoroughly described in these reports.
Food and Supplement Polyphenol Action in Cancer Recurrence

There are 8000 different types of polyphenols. Various polyphenols have been found to be involved in the anticarcinogenesis process. Anticancer mechanisms include inducing apoptosis as well as halting pro-cancer growth processes and acting as antioxidants. In the little data that have been produced, polyphenols have shown promise in decreasing cancer recurrence in the breast, prostate and colon, with further research needed for these types of cancer as well as other types of cancer.
Engraftment of bone marrow cells into normal unprepared hosts: effects of 5-fluorouracil and cell cycle status

Bone marrow from animals treated with 5-fluorouracil (5FU) competes equally with normal marrow when assessed in vivo in an irradiated mouse, but shows markedly defective engraftment when transplanted into noncytoablated hosts. Using Southern Blot analysis and a Y-chromosome specific probe, we determined the level of engraftment of male donor cells in the bone marrow, spleen, and thymus of unprepared female hosts. We have confirmed the defective engraftment of marrow harvested 6 days after 5FU (FU-6) and transplanted into unprepared hosts and shown that this defect is transient; by 35 days after 5FU (FU-35), engraftment has returned to levels seen with normal marrow. FU-6 marrow represents an actively cycling population of stem cells, and we hypothesize that the cycle status of the stem cell may relate to its capacity to engraft in the nonirradiated host. Accordingly, we have evaluated the cycle status of engrafting normal and FU-6 marrow into normal hosts using an in vivo hydroxyurea technique. We have shown that those cells engrafting from normal marrow and over 70% of the cells engrafting from FU-6 marrow were quiescent, demonstrating no killing with hydroxyurea. We have also used fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis with a Y-chromosome probe and demonstrated that normal and post-5FU engraftment patterns in peripheral blood were similar to those seen in bone marrow, spleen, and thymus. Altogether these data indicate that cells engrafting in normal, unprepared hosts are dormant, and the defect that occurs after 5FU is concomitant with the induction of these cells to transit the cell cycle.
Localized hypoxia within the subgranular zone determines the early survival of newborn hippocampal granule cells

The majority of adult hippocampal newborn cells die during early differentiation from intermediate progenitors (IPCs) to immature neurons. Neural stem cells in vivo are located in a relative hypoxic environment, and hypoxia enhances their survival, proliferation and stemness in vitro. Thus, we hypothesized that migration of IPCs away from hypoxic zones within the SGZ might result in oxidative damage, thus triggering cell death. Hypoxic niches were observed along the SGZ, composed of adult NSCs and early IPCs, and oxidative byproducts were present in adjacent late IPCs and neuroblasts. Stabilizing hypoxia inducible factor-1α with dimethyloxallyl glycine increased early survival, but not proliferation or differentiation, in neurospheres in vitro and in newly born SGZ cells in vivo. Rescue experiments in Bax(fl/fl) mutants supported these results. We propose that localized hypoxia within the SGZ contributes to the neurogenic microenvironment and determines the early, activity-independent survival of adult hippocampal newborn cells.
Randomized phase III trial comparing vincristine, actinomycin, cyclophosphamide (VAC) with VAC/V topotecan/cyclophosphamide (TC) for intermediate risk rhabdomyosarcoma (IRRMS). D9803, COG study

9509 Background: IRRMS was defined as nonmetastatic alveolar (A) RMS or undifferentiated sarcoma (UDS); stage (stg) 2 and 3, group (gr) III embryonal (E) RMS; stg 4 ERMS <10y. IRRMS had a 5 yr fail...
Did Eastern Enterprises Send Enterprise Responsibility South

In Eastern Enterprises, a five Justice majority invalided a federal statute - the "Coal Act" - that had previously made businesses liable for a coal miners' widows' health benefit, even for miners who had been employed thirty to fifty years earlier. With this holding, many began to question the future of retroactivity, viewing the Court's decision as a condemnation to civil retroactivity. In this article, the author posits that, despite the Eastern Enterprise holding, the legal standard regarding the constitutionality of retroactivity remains where it has always been. For him, the opinion illustrates the Court's condemnation of "highly aggravated retroactivity", or, activity that imposes an extreme retroactive burden. In determining which retroactivity imposes such a burden, and is thus, unconstitutional, the Court points to the Coal Act's thirty-to-fifty year reach back; the contract-based principle that burdened employers; and the limitations the contracting party had in existing the agreement. With these factors in mind, the author examines contemporary issues, discussing the constitutionality of retroactive legislation such as CERCLA, pay ceilings, and cost-reimbursement contracts.
Surgery for malignant pleural mesothelioma

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a locally aggressive asbestos-related cancer that has a worldwide distribution and an overall poor prognosis. The average median survival for patients receiving the current best nonsurgical therapy, cisplatin/pemetrexed chemotherapy, is between 7 and 13 months. In selected patients with early stage disease and favorable tumor characteristics, aggressive surgical management in combination with adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy extends survival in up to 20% of patients. Despite the benefits of surgery for mesothelioma, many patients are not suitable for operative intervention due to advanced stage disease at presentation or the inability to tolerate aggressive surgical resection. The frontiers of mesothelioma research and treatment include an urgent search for biomarkers that can reliably detect early stage cancer in at-risk populations, clinical tests or indices that can reliably predict prognosis among surgical candidates and the development of efficacious drugs and targete...
The Folded Trapezius Flap for Through-and-through Cheek Defects

A through-and-through defect of the cheek is a reconstructive challenge--functionally, technically, and cosmetically. The goal of reconstruction is to reliably and expediently bridge a poorly vascularized gap with healthy tissue. Since 1979, five patients have undergone folded trapezius flap reconstruction of the cheek. Despite a history of radiation in four of the five, all flaps have healed and complications have been minimal. The key to success seems to be careful attention to the venous drainage. This technique provides a one-stage reconstruction of a difficult surgical defect.
WAXS and PDF-Based Analyses of Chromium Doping in Nanocrystalline Titania (Anatase and Brookite)

Chromium-doped (0.5-10 % Cr:Ti molar ratio) nanocrystalline titania (5–6 nm) prepared via sol-gel method was examined by synchrotron-based wide angle x-ray scattering (WAXS) for crystal structure determination. Atomic pair-distribution functions (PDF) for both raw and heat-treated samples were obtained by Fourier transforms of the WAXS data. The PDF data were fitted using structural models of nanocrystalline titania that considered phase compositions, lattice parameters, atomic positions and thermal factors. The unit cell of Cr-doped nanocrystalline titania expanded 1-2 % with respect to bulk titania as a consequence of the substitution of Ti by Cr and the generation of oxygen vacancies. We observed a lattice contraction after heat-treatment that may be caused by the redistribution of Cr atoms to nanoparticle surfaces during phase transformation and particle coarsening.
In the Name of Teaching: The Embodied Journey of a Different Kind of Educator

The use of autobiography in the development of teacher identity can lead to a deeper critical examination of how issues of race, social class, gender, and gender identity affect experience and worldview. This path can helps future teachers become more attuned to the issues they will confront in their classrooms. In this speech, the author shares her own personal experiences to illustrate this aforementioned point. She shares her educational autobiography and highlights those educators who helped shape her educational practice and the relationship she has with her students.
Development of spontaneous hepatoma in mice in relation to composition of dietary fat.

SummaryFive fractions of hydrogenated vegetable fat (commercial crisco) have been prepared by crystallization from ether at +15, +5, −5, and −15°C. When incorporated in the standard diet at equivalent levels, fractions of low melting point, presumably containing largely unsaturated and shorter-chain fatty acids as well as unsaponi-nable matter; are found to give rise to a high proportion of hepatomas in C3H male mice, while fractions of high melting point give rise to but a few. The magnitude of the observed-difference in incidence (p<.001) is believed sufficient to justify further studies on the nature of the responsible factors.
Setting the Stage for Cross-Border Solidarity: Movement Spillover and Early Mobilization in the Nicaragua Labor Rights Campaign

From 1996 to 2001, a network of U.S. organizations and activists intensively pressed corporations and government agencies to stop thwarting workers’ efforts to unionize Nicaragua’s assembly-for-export garment factories. Preexisting transnational mobilization— goal-seeking remnants of the 1980s U.S. Central America peace movement, networked with elements of Nicaragua’s Sandinista movement—propelled this cross-border campaign into existence. Some campaign organizations had U.S. union ties, but others, including some of the most pivotal organizations, did not; this and other forms of diversity strengthened the campaign by facilitating an effective interorganizational division of labor. The campaign adopted strategies that took into account its power relations with opponents and the other opportunity structures it was dealt, and it developed effective frames to recruit old and new activists to carry out this new mission.
Cats and chemotherapy: treat as 'small dogs' at your peril.

Practical relevance:To safely and effectively treat cats with cancer it is important to understand the drugs being used and some species-specific concerns in relation to chemotherapy.Clinical chall...
Aciconula Acanthosoma, New Species, a Caprellid Amphipod from Southern California, with Notes on its Ecology

A caprellid amphipod, Aciconula acanthosoma, new species, is described from nearshore waters of Santa Catalina Island, California. Previously the genus Aciconula was monotypic, known only from the western Pacific species A. miranda. The new species was common and persistent during 15 years of sampling, and was found on 12 types of substrata and in the gut contents of eight species of fishes. It is distinguished from A. miranda primarily by the spination of the head and pereionites. During studies of nearshore marine communities at Santa Catalina Island in southern California, I collected specimens of a caprellid amphipod referable to the genus Aciconula. It was common and persistent from 1973-1988 in samples from a variety of substrata, and in the gut contents of fishes. Subsequent study showed that these specimens differ from the unique type species A. miranda Mayer, 1903, known from six specimens from widely separated localities in the western Pacific Ocean (Arimoto, 1971). The new species is described herein.
The association of low birthweight and chronic renal failure among Medicaid young adults with diabetes and/or hypertension.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of low birthweight on chronic renal failure among young Medicaid patients with diabetes and/or hypertension. METHODS The study included Caucasian and African American young adults, aged 18-50, who enrolled in the Medicaid program from 1993 to 1996 in South Carolina and were diagnosed with diabetes and/or hypertension. The odds of chronic renal failure by low birthweight (< 2,500 grams) was estimated using logistic regression. RESULTS Of the 7,505 Medicaid patients with diabetes and/or hypertension, 179 (2.4%) were diagnosed with chronic renal failure. These patients were younger (mean age of 33.9 vs. 37.6, p = 0.0024) and had a higher proportion of low birthweight (15.1% vs. 11.4%, p = 0.07) compared with the 7,326 patients without renal failure. The odds ratio of chronic renal failure for low birthweight was significantly higher compared with normal birthweight (2,500-3,999 grams) (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.56, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.0, 2.4). The association between low birthweight and chronic renal failure was stronger among the 888 patients with both diabetes and hypertension (OR 2.6, 95% Cl 1.3, 5.7) than the 1,812 diabetes or the 4,805 hypertension patients. CONCLUSIONS The odds of chronic renal failure by low birthweight was highest in patients with both diabetes and hypertension, suggesting that the mechanism(s) involved in the disease progression to chronic renal failure may have a fetal early life origin.
The cost of convenience; Air pollution and noise on freeway and arterial light rail station platforms in Los Angeles

Abstract Light rail transit (LRT) systems constitute one of the most sustainable public transportation modes and transit agencies have increasingly constructed LRT lines along the median of roadways to reduce land acquisition costs and traffic conflicts. Despite these conveniences, few studies have examined the air pollution and noise exposures for passengers on LRT station platforms within freeway or arterial medians. In response, we monitored particle number count (PNC) concentrations and noise levels on 17 station platforms in the Los Angeles metro system in summer 2012 and assessed differences between freeway and arterial platforms. We visited each station on average 7 times for approximately 19 min with two teams carrying a full set of instruments. As expected, impacts were higher on green line platforms in the center of a grade-separated freeway compared to blue line platforms in the center of an arterial due to being in close proximity to greater traffic volumes. Overall, freeway-arterial platform differences were 35,100 versus 20,000 particles/cm 3 for PNC and 83 versus 62 dBA for noise. This average noise intensity on green line platforms was four times that on blue line stations. We also found that PNC concentrations were significantly higher at open air monitoring platform positions compared to standing under a shade canopy (about 2000 particles/cm 3 higher), but that noise levels were significantly lower at open air positions compared to under canopy positions (about 3.2 dBA lower). Results identify important factors for transport planners to consider when locating and designing in-roadway LRT platforms.