cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving Agricultural Productivity and Market Efficiency in Latin America and the Caribbean : How ICTs Can Make a Difference?

Agricultural growth rates in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region have been much slower than the rest of the developing world. In the regions of East Asia, South Asia and Middle East and North Africa, the annual growth of agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 1980-2004 exceeded 3 percent, while growth in Sub- Saharan Africa averaged almost 3 percent. This paper attempts to present an overview of the agricultural sector in LAC, discuss its distinctive features, and the potential role of Information and Communication Technology's (ICTs) in improving agricultural productivity and market efficiency in this region. The discussion in this paper will refer to the evidence provided by studies that evaluate the impact of ICTs interventions. While the emphasis will be put on the studies that evaluate interventions in the LAC region, there will also be references to studies in other developing economies whenever these are pertinent to the LAC context. The commercialization of agricultural products has suffered important transformations in recent decades, posing big challenges for farmers in the LAC region. Finally, the adoption of agricultural technologies will also be constrained by insecure land rights. Investing in technologies with long-run returns will not be attractive if farmers are uncertain about their property rights in the future (Jack, 2011). This is certainly an issue in several countries in LAC, where land conflicts, expropriation and de facto ownership are common.
Generalized Self-Efficacy, Holland Theme Self-Efficacy, and Academic Performance

The relations between generalized self-efficacy, confidence for the six Holland themes, and academic performance as measured by ACT scores and GPA were examined separately for female and male college students. It was predicted that for both women and men, generalized self-efficacy would be more strongly related to the average of confidence scores for the six Holland themes than to confidence for any single Holland theme. In addition, it was predicted that all forms of self-efficacy would be related to academic performance. Findings revealed a particularly strong relation between generalized self-efficacy and Investigative and Enterprising confidence for both women and men; in addition, for men, generalized self-efficacy was strongly related to Conventional confidence as well. ACT score was related to Investigative confidence for both men and women but not to generalized self-efficacy or confidence for the other Holland themes. However, GPA showed no substantial relations with either form of self-efficacy.
Feeding response of Ips paraconfusus to phloem and phloem metabolites of Heterobasidion annosum-inoculated ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa.

In studies of feeding by the bark beetle, Ips paraconfusus, two pine stilbenes (pinosylvin and pinosylvin methyl ether), ferulic acid glucoside, and enantiomers of the four most common sugars present in ponderosa pine phloem (sucrose, glucose, fructose, and raffinose) did not stimulate or reduce male feeding when assayed on wet α-cellulose with or without stimulatory phloem extractives present. When allowed to feed on wet α-cellulose containing sequential extracts (hexane, methanol, and water) of ponderosa pine phloem, methanol and water extractives stimulated feeding, but hexane extractives did not. Males confined in wet α-cellulose containing aqueous or organic extracts of culture broths derived from phloem tissue and containing the root pathogen, Heterobasidion annosum, ingested less substrate than beetles confined to control preparations. In an assay using logs from uninoculated ponderosa pines, the mean lengths of phloem in the digestive tracts increased as time spent feeding increased. Males confined to the phloem of basal logs cut from ponderosa pines artificially inoculated with H. annosum ingested significantly less phloem than beetles in logs cut from trees that were (combined) mock-inoculated or uninoculated and did not contain the pathogen. However, individual pathogen-containing treatments were not significantly different from uninoculated controls. It was concluded that altered feeding rates are not a major factor which may explain why diseased ponderosa pines are colonized by I. paraconfusus.
Emil du Bois-Reymond’s Reflections on Consciousness

The late nineteenth-century Ignorabimus controversy over the limits of scientific knowledge has often been characterized as proclaiming the end of intellectual progress, and by implication, as plunging Germany into a crisis of pessimism from which Liberalism never recovered. My research supports the opposite interpretation. The initiator of the Ignorabimus controversy, Emil du Bois-Reymond, was a physiologist who worked his whole life against the forces of obscurantism, whether they came from the Catholic and Conservative Right or the scientistic and millenarian Left. Du Bois-Reymond’s doubt that scientists would ever elucidate consciousness must therefore be seen as an endorsement, and not a rejection, of his faith in reason.
Crack propagation at bi‐material interfaces

There is currently a gap in the understanding of how crack propagation by intergranular versus transgranular fracture varies with changes in material properties and grain size. Much of the prior work in this area has been in terms of LEFM and criterion based on toughness alone. More recent work has shown that a toughness-and-strength approach is required. In this study a strength-and-energy approach is applied to intergranular-versus-transgranular fracture through a cohesive-zone approach implemented in a finite element model. Results show that intergranular fracture becomes more likely, and has an increasing shear component, as grain toughness increases and grain stiffness and grain size decrease. These results can help guide material development. (© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Duplex Ultrasonography Has Limited Utility in Detection of Postoperative DVT After Primary Total Joint Arthroplasty.

BackgroundDuplex ultrasound is routinely used to evaluate suspected deep venous thrombosis after total joint arthroplasty. When there is a clinical suspicion for a pulmonary embolism, a chest angio...
VX-509 (decernotinib) is a potent and selective janus kinase 3 inhibitor that attenuates inflammation in animal models of autoimmune disease.

Cytokines, growth factors and other chemical messengers rely on a class of intracellular non-receptor tyrosine kinases known as Janus kinases (JAKs) to rapidly transduce intracellular signals. A number of these cytokines are critical for lymphocyte development and mediating immune responses. JAK3 is of particular interest due to its importance in immune function and its expression, which is largely confined to lymphocytes, thus limiting the potential impact of JAK3 inhibition on non-immune physiology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potency and selectivity of the investigational JAK3 inhibitor VX-509 (decernotinib) against JAK3 kinase activity and inhibition of JAK3-mediated signaling in vitro and JAK3-dependent physiological processes in vivo. These results demonstrate that VX-509 potently inhibits JAK3 in enzyme assays (K i =2.5 nM + 0.7 nM) and cellular assays dependent on JAK3 activity (IC 50 range, 50-170 nM), with limited or no measurable potency against other JAK isotypes or non-JAK kinases. VX-509 also showed activity in two animal models of aberrant immune function. VX-509 treatment resulted in dose-dependent reduction in ankle swelling and paw weight and improved paw histopathology scores in the rat collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model. In a mouse model of oxazolone-induced delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH), VX-509 reduced the T-cell-mediated inflammatory response in skin. These findings demonstrate that VX-509 is a selective and potent inhibitor of JAK3 in vitro and modulates pro-inflammatory response in models of immune-mediated diseases such as CIA and DTH. The data support evaluation of VX-509 for treatment of patients with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Dynamical Systems in One and Two Dimensions: A Geometrical Approach

This chapter is intended as an introduction or tutorial to nonlinear dynamical systems in one and two dimensions with an emphasis on keeping the mathematics as elementary as possible. By its nature such an approach does not have the mathematical rigor that can be found in most textbooks dealing with this topic. On the other hand it may allow readers with a less extensive background in math to develop an intuitive understanding of the rich variety of phenomena that can be described and modeled by nonlinear dynamical systems. Even though this chapter does not deal explicitly with applications – except for the modeling of human limb movements with nonlinear oscillators in the last section – it nevertheless provides the basic concepts and modeling strategies all applications are build upon. The chapter is divided into two major parts that deal with one- and two-dimensional systems, respectively. Main emphasis is put on the dynamical features that can be obtained from graphs in phase space and plots of the potential landscape, rather than equations and their solutions. After discussing linear systems in both sections, we apply the knowledge gained to their nonlinear counterparts and introduce the concepts of stability and multistability, bifurcation types and hysteresis, hetero- and homoclinic orbits as well as limit cycles, and elaborate on the role of nonlinear terms in oscillators.
Heat Transfer due to Microscale Thin Film Evaporation From the Steady State Meniscus in a Coherent Porous Silicon Based Micro-Columnated Wicking Structure

A numerical fluid flow and heat transfer model is presented in order to study the evaporation characteristics of a stationary thin film liquid-vapor meniscus. The model is used to evaluate the evaporative heat transfer performance of micron-size rectangular channels on the surface of the secondary wick, inside a micro-columnated coherent porous silicon wick design. The shape of the liquid-vapor meniscus in the channel is obtained by solving the Young-Laplace equation, using a surface energy minimizing algorithm. Mass, momentum and energy equations are then solved in the liquid domain using a discrete finite volume method-based approach. The vapor is assumed to be fully saturated and evaporation at the liquid-vapor interface is modeled using kinetic theory. The effect of wall superheat and inlet-liquid subcooling on the rate of evaporation and associated heat transfer from the evaporating meniscus is characterized.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Observations on Coronary Occlusion.∗ II. Electrocardiographic Changes:

In the course of experiments designed to study the effects of coronary artery ligation in dogs1 it has been interesting to observe rather varied electrocardiographic changes and at this time a brief note is presented to describe some of the characteristic features observed.Seventeen dogs were used. Under amytal anesthesia, with respirations maintained by positive pressure, the pericardium was exposed by a subperiosteal resection of the anterior portion of the fourth rib on the left. The anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery was ligated 1.5 cm. from its origin. Using conventional limb leads, electrocardiographic tracings were taken at hourly intervals for the first 12 hours, again at 24 hours, at daily intervals for the next week, and at weekly intervals thereafter. In each instance a control tracing was taken before the operation was begun, the animal being under full amytal anesthesia at the time. Two dogs served as controls. The operative procedures were duplicated in every detail excep...
Biochemistry of Copper

Copper, as a component of numerous cuproenzymes, plays a vital role in many physiologic functions in man and animals. From the stand-point of human health there are at least three functional areas of prime importance. Copper is involved in the development and maintenance of cardiovascular and skeletal integrity, central nervous system structure and function, and erythropoietic function including iron metabolism. Although there is no evidence for widespread copper deficiency in the human population, it does occur, owing to genetic defects and other precipitating factors. A clear understanding of the functions of copper and its mechanisms of action could prove highly beneficial in the solution of present and unforeseen problems in medicine.
Transportable, Chemical Genetic Methodology for the Small Molecule-Mediated Inhibition of Heat Shock Factor 1

Proteostasis in the cytosol is governed by the heat shock response. The master regulator of the heat shock response, heat shock factor 1 (HSF1), and key chaperones whose levels are HSF1-regulated have emerged as high-profile targets for therapeutic applications ranging from protein misfolding-related disorders to cancer. Nonetheless, a generally applicable methodology to selectively and potently inhibit endogenous HSF1 in a small molecule-dependent manner in disease model systems remains elusive. Also problematic, the administration of even highly selective chaperone inhibitors often has the side effect of activating HSF1 and thereby inducing a compensatory heat shock response. Herein, we report a ligand-regulatable, dominant negative version of HSF1 that addresses these issues. Our approach, which required engineering a new dominant negative HSF1 variant, permits dosable inhibition of endogenous HSF1 with a selective small molecule in cell-based model systems of interest. The methodology allows us to uncouple the pleiotropic effects of chaperone inhibitors and environmental toxins from the concomitantly induced compensatory heat shock response. Integration of our method with techniques to activate HSF1 enables the creation of cell lines in which the cytosolic proteostasis network can be up- or down-regulated by orthogonal small molecules. Selective, small molecule-mediated inhibition of HSF1 has distinctive implications for the proteostasis of both chaperone-dependent globular proteins and aggregation-prone intrinsically disordered proteins. Altogether, this work provides critical methods for continued exploration of the biological roles of HSF1 and the therapeutic potential of heat shock response modulation.
A Peeler’s Thoughts on skin Improvement with Chemical Peels and Laser Resurfacing

Laser resurfacing with the new ultra-fast-pulsed CO2 laser has advanced the ability to rejuvenate skin. Resurfacing with the laser has advantages and disadvantages over chemical peeling. Physicians need to weigh the benefits and risks of each resurfacing modality before deciding what is best for a particular patient.
Artificial Insemination with Husband’s Semen: Prognostic Factors

This retrospective review of 38 couples has considered 148 cycles of artificial insemination with husband's semen (AIH) and 178 cycles of natural insemination with husband's semen (NIH). The indication for AIH in every case was that postcoital testing had revealed less than 15 motile sperm/high-power field of endocervical mucus. Conception through AIH occurred in 12 cases; 1 couple conceived by NIH. The rate of conception per cycle was significantly higher in the AIH cycles than in the NIH cycles (P < 0.005). No man with both low density (less than 25 million spermatozoa/ml) and low motility (less than 50%) on semen analysis produced a pregnancy through AIH. Couples demonstrating more than 15 motile sperm/high-power field (on examination of cervical mucus 2 hours after AIH) were more likely to conceive through AIH than couples demonstrating less than 15 motile sperm. The role of AIH is discussed.
Assessing New Bone Formation in Neonatal Calvarial Organ Cultures

Bone formation is a complex process, and testing anabolic effects on the skeleton of agents is slow and expensive in animals. Neonatal mouse calvariae cultured ex vivo show strong anabolic or catabolic bone responses to 1-week treatments and can be analyzed by quantitative histomorphometry. Changes in new bone area and osteoblast number caused by added proteins, drugs, or transfected genes can be quantified and analyzed for statistical significance. The organ cultures preserve much of the skeletal architecture and cellular diversity present in vivo and offer greater physiological relevance than cell lines studied in vitro.
A 21 dBm 60 GHz SiGe power amplifier using modified Wilkinson combiner

This paper presents a fully integrated 60 GHz power amplifiers (PA) fabricated in a 0.12 μm SiGe BiCMOS technology. The PA employs five common-emitter stages with on-chip power combining to achieve power gain of 27.5 dB, 19.2 dBm output power at 1dB compression, and saturated power of 21.3 dBm. The modified Wilkinson combiner that is used shows 0.5 dB insertion loss. Small signal characteristics of the amplifier show peak gain at 61 GHz with 3 dB bandwidth of 14 GHz (23%). The PA's bias is applied using digitally adjustable bias circuits and it consumes quiescent currents of 210 mA from a 2 V supply and 340 mA at 1 dB compression.
Ultrasound of the Shoulder

Ultrasonography utilizes nonionizing radiation to image the shoulder in high resolution. Shoulder pain is common, and rotator cuff abnormalities correlate highly with age. A careful clinical and sonographic examination of the shoulder can result in the diagnosis of shoulder pain in many individuals. The sonographic examination of the shoulder should be systematic and include imaging the rotator cuff tendon and muscles, long head of the biceps tendon, acromio-clavicular joint, as well as associated structures such as joint recesses and bursae. Knowledge of sonoanatomy will allow the practitioner to optimally position the patient to create sonographic windows to examine the various structures. A broad group of rotator cuff and nonrotator cuff pathologies may be depicted as well as manifestations of inflammatory arthropathies.
Epidemiology and Outcomes of Auricular Burn Injuries.

Auricular burns represent a unique type of injury. The acute management and clinical course of these injuries can be different from other facial burns. There is a paucity of literature pertaining to the epidemiology and acute management of auricular burns. Most studies focus on deformity reconstruction. The aim of this study was to characterize the epidemiology, treatment, and outcomes of auricular burns. Data from all patients presenting to a regional burn center in a 4-year period were reviewed and those with auricular burns were identified. Demographic data, burn mechanism, insurance status, method of treatment, need for skin grafting, percentage graft-take, time to reepithelialization and incidence of deformity were reviewed. During the study period, 593 facial burns were evaluated and 132 (22%) sustained burns to the auricle. The most common mechanisms of injury were flame (65.1%) and scalding (22.5%). Auricular burns were mostly second degree (88%), involved both ears in 44%, and involved only the ventral aspect of the ear in 57%. The majority of patients healed well with conservative management; none suffered from chondritis. Of the 89 patients followed to healing, 1 patient (1.1%) received full-thickness skin grafts to the auricle, resulting in excellent graft-take. All other patients were managed nonoperatively, and none suffered from ear deformities. Auricular burns occur with surprising frequency in patients presenting to burn centers. Careful acute management of these injuries can eliminate development of chondritis and minimize the rate of deformity and need for reconstruction. The majority of wounds heal with conservative management, but time to reepithelialization can be prolonged. Language: en
Micro-trauma: A Psychoanalytic Understanding of Cumulative Psychic Injury,

Our daily interactions with one another make us vulnerable, more than we may typically be able to register. According to Crastnopol (2015) in Micro-trauma: A Psychoanalytic Understanding of Cumulat...
Forty Years of Farm Management Surveys

T WAS about forty years ago that farm management survey work, as well as other lines of farm management research, was being initiated in the experiment stations of the United States. This was about the time when the better agricultural areas were well on their way in the shift from self-sufficient to commercial agriculture. Although the first work in farm management surveys began about 40 years ago it may be of interest to consider somre of the earlier developments which led up to this work. Before 1900, agricultural research workers all over the country were beginning to think of going to the farms for some of their information. One of these workers was L. H. Bailey of Cornell. In a lecture before the Training Conference for Rural Leaders at Cornell University in July 1911, Bailey spoke on "The Survey Idea in Country Life Work."' In this lecture he states that the survey idea at Cornell "was really begun with a piece of work in 1890 that culminated in the publication of Bulletin 19, 'Report upon the Condition of Fruit-Growing in Western New York'." The early development of the survey idea is well explained in Bailey's lecture as follows:
DNA Methylation of Synaptic Genes in the Prefrontal Cortex Is Associated with Aging and Age-Related Cognitive Impairment.

The current study investigates DNA methylation as a possible epigenetic regulator of transcription associated with aging and cognitive function. Young and aged male Fischer 344 rats were behaviorally characterized on a set shifting task, and whole genome bisulfite sequencing was employed to profile the DNA methylome of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). DNA methylation was also compared to RNA expression in the mPFC from the same animals. Variability in methylation was mainly observed for CpG sites as opposed to CHG and CHH sites. Gene bodies, specifically introns, contain the highest levels of methylation. During aging, hypermethylation was observed for genes linked to synaptic function and GTPase activity. Furthermore, impaired cognitive flexibility during aging was associated with hypermethylation of genes linked to the postsynaptic density, dendrites, the axon terminus, and Ca2+ channels. Finally, comparison with RNA expression confirmed that hypermethylation was correlated with decreased expression of synaptic genes. The results indicate that DNA methylation over the lifespan contributes to synaptic modification observed in brain aging and age-related cognitive impairment.
So-called acinic cell carcinoma of the breast arises from microgladular adenosis and is not a distinct entity

So-called acinic cell carcinoma of the breast arises from microgladular adenosis and is not a distinct entity
Demonstration of diffraction-free, acceleration-free space-time airy beams

We experimentally demonstrate pulsed Airy beams that are diffraction-free and acceleration-free by introducing a tight correlation between the spatial and temporal spectra of a femtosecond-pulsed beam via a two-dimensional pulse shaper. Such beams only exhibit transverse acceleration only in the pulse local time-frame.
Cardiovascular Risk Profile of Transgender Women With HIV: A US Health Care Database Study.

We sought to characterize the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor profile of transgender women with HIV identified through a U.S. healthcare database. Compared with age- and race-matched cisgender men with HIV, transgender women with HIV had an increased prevalence of anemia and lower absolute hemoglobin levels. HIV control was sub-optimal and prevalence of HCV co-infection was high among transgender women. Further study of non-traditional CVD risk factors/immune activation among transgender women with HIV is warranted.
The ORDVAC and the ILLIAC

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the details related to the development of ORDVAC and ILLIAC. An agreement was made in January 1949 with the Ballistic Research Laboratories of Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland, to the effect that two computers, the ORDVAC and the ILLIAC, were to be constructed by the University of Illinois, with the two organizations sharing the costs of development. The ORDVAC was completed in November 1951, was moved to Aberdeen, Maryland, in February 1952, and completed its acceptance tests early in March 1952. The ILLIAC was completed during Labor Day weekend of 1952. The ILLIAC was the sole service computer at the University of Illinois. The logical structure of the ORDVAC and the ILLIAC was patterned after the computer described in June 28, 1946 report. The memory for ILLIAC and ORDVAC was of the electrostatic type, with a capacity of 1024 40-bit words with a cycle time of 18 μsec.
Random Background Charges

The most serious deficiency with single-electronics is the so-called random background charge problem. Quantum dots are highly susceptible to nearby charges which can stem from several sources: charged impurities in the surrounding material, charged traps on surfaces and grain boundaries, charges on nearby conductors, and ionizing radiation. On top of that, these background charges will be in general mobile and move and change over time. Thus in both, space and time, we have to deal with random background charges. These random charges are so devastating, because they can fully suppress the Coulomb blockade, which is equivalent with a destruction of intended device behavior. As a simple example let us take a look at the Coulomb blockade dependence on background charge for a single-electron transistor. Figure 120 shows the I – V characteristic for a symmetrically biased SET for three different background charges.
1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-eluting nanofibrous dressings induce endogenous antimicrobial peptide expression.

AIM The aim of this study was to develop a nanofiber-based dressing capable of local sustained delivery of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) and augmenting human CAMP induction. MATERIALS & METHODS Nanofibrous wound dressings containing 1,25(OH)2D3 were successfully prepared by electrospinning, which were examined in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo. RESULTS 1,25(OH)2D3 was successfully loaded into nanofibers with encapsulation efficiency larger than 90%. 1,25(OH)2D3 showed a sustained release from nanofibers over 4 weeks. Treatment of U937 and HaCaT cells with 1,25(OH)2D3-loaded poly(ϵ-caprolactone) nanofibers significantly induced hCAP18/LL37 expression in monocytes and keratinocytes, skin wounds of humanized transgenic mice and artificial wounds of human skin explants. CONCLUSION 1,25(OH)2D3 containing nanofibrous dressings could enhance innate immunity by inducing antimicrobial peptide production.
Calculating the Interaction Between Atomic Nuclei

A microscopic theory for calculating the collision of atomic nuclei is described (Time Dependent Hartree-Fock Theory) and applied to some representative problems of current interest.
Exosomes secreted from virus- infected microglia can activate an inflammatory response in the central nervous system

Exosomes are membrane-bound nanovesicles released from cells that can be taken up by other cells, thus mediating intercellular communication. Exosomes contain miRNA, mRNA, and proteins that are specific to the cells from which they were released. Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) induced demyelinating disease is a mouse model for multiple sclerosis. TMEV infection of susceptible mice leads to a persistent viral infection of microglia in the central nervous system (CNS) which contributes to the development of a chronic progressive demyelinating disease associated with an inflammatory immune response. We have previously shown that TMEV infection of microglia activates an innate immune response with expression of type I interferons, cytokines, chemokines, and effector molecules associated with development and progression of demyelinating disease. Next, we wanted to determine whether microglia infected with TMEV secrete exosomes and whether these exosomes could influence uninfected CNS resident cells, such as microglia, astrocytes, and neurons. Our studies show that exosomes secreted from virus-infected microglia contain viral RNA that can activate an innate immune response in uninfected bystander cells which leads to increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Most interestingly, exosomes secreted from microglia in the brain of TMEV- infected mice could be transferred to uninfected mice and activate an inflammatory immune response in the brain of uninfected mice. These results suggest that exosomes secreted by virus-infected microglia can activate the immune response in bystander uninfected cells which may contribute to the inflammatory response associated with demyelinating disease.
Köhler Disease: Avascular Necrosis in the Child.

Kohler disease is a childhood condition of pain and swelling of the medial midfoot with associated osteochondrosis or avascular necrosis of the tarsal navicular. The age at presentation is between 2 and 10 years, with boys more likely to be affected than girls. Radiographs show increased sclerosis and sometimes flattening and fragmentation of the navicular. Long-term outcomes for Kohler disease are favorable regardless of the type of treatment, although a short period of immobilization with a short leg walking cast may reduce the duration of symptoms.
Impact of iron and manganese nano-metal-oxides on contaminant interaction and fortification potential in agricultural systems – a review

Environmental context Nanominerals are more reactive than bulk minerals, a property that strongly influences the fate of nutrients and contaminants in soils and plants. This review discusses applications of Fe- and Mn-nano-oxides in agricultural systems and their potential to be used as fertiliser and contaminant adsorbents, while addressing potential phytotoxicity. We discuss areas where significant advances are needed, and provide a framework for future work. Abstract Rising population growth and increase global food demand have made meeting the demands of food production and security a major challenge worldwide. Nanotechnology is starting to become a viable remediation strategy of interest in farming. Ultimately, it may be used as a sustainability tool in agricultural systems. In these roles, it could be used to increase the efficiency of techniques such as food monitoring, pathogen control, water treatment and targeted delivery of agrochemicals. In addition to these uses, nanoparticles, particularly nano-metal-oxides (NMOs), have been engineered to act as contaminant scavengers and could be applied to a wide range of systems. Numerous studies have investigated the scavenging ability of NMOs, but few have investigated them in this role in the context of agricultural and food systems. Within these systems, however, research has demonstrated the potential of NMOs to increase crop health and yield but few have studied using NMOs as sources of key micronutrients, such as Fe and Mn. In this review, we address previous research that has used Fe- and Mn-NMOs in agricultural systems, particularly the worldwide crop production of the four major staple foods – rice, wheat, maize and soybeans – highlighting their application as fertilisers and sorbents. Fe- and Mn-NMOs are strong candidates for immobilisation of agricultural contaminants in soils and, because they are naturally ubiquitous, they have the potential to be a cost-effective and sustainable technology compared with other remediation strategies.
Comparative Study Of Photodynamic Therapy With Riboflavin-Tryptophan Gel And 13% 5-Aminolevulinic Acid In The Treatment Of Mild To Moderate Acne Vulgaris

Background Non-invasive photodynamic therapy (PDT) with 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) has been used as an alternative acne treatment for many years. Riboflavin and tryptophan are newly introduced photosensitizers. Objective To compare the efficacy of PDT with riboflavin-tryptophan (RT) gel with that of 13% ALA for the treatment of facial acne. Methods We performed a double-blind, split-face study of 37 subjects with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris. RT gel was applied to half of the face, and 13% ALA was applied to the other half. Then, the whole face was irradiated using a blue light-emitting diode for 20 mins. Four treatment sessions were performed over a 4-week duration, at 1-week interval. The acne lesion counts and acne severity were assessed. Sebum secretion, Propionibacterium acne colonization, pore size, and skin texture were also evaluated. Results PDT with RT gel demonstrated good efficacy, non-inferior to ALA for acne treatment, with a significant reduction in acne lesion counts, severity grading, porphyrin, and sebum output. The pore size and skin texture were improved. Side-effects were minimal and well tolerated in all subjects. Conclusion PDT therapy with RT gel is an effective alternative treatment for acne vulgaris.
Abstract P176: Improving Door to Needle Times With CT Telestroke

Introduction: Thrombolytic treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) during night-time hours and weekends is associated with prolonged door to needle (DTN) times. A CT suite telestroke unit (CTTU) w...
Investigation of the Effects of Cardiovascular Therapeutic Ultrasound Applied in Female and Male Rats' Hearts of Different Ages.

This study investigates the role of age and sex on the cardiovascular effects of 3.5-MHz pulsed ultrasound in a rat model. Ultrasonic bursts of 2.0-MPa peak rarefactional pressure amplitude (equivalent to an in vitro spatial-peak temporal-peak intensity of ~270 W/cm2 and a mechanical index of 1.1) were delivered in five consecutive 10 second intervals, one interval for each PRF (6, 5, 4, 5, and 6 Hz; always the same order) for a total exposure duration of 50 consecutive seconds. Sixty F344 rats were split into twelve groups in a 3×2×2 factorial design (3 ages, male vs. female, and ultrasound application vs control). This study is the first study on US-induced cardiac effects that contains data across three age groups of rats (pre-menopause, fertile and post-menopause) to mimic the fertile and non-fertile human window. Ultrasound was applied transthoracically while heart rate, stroke volume, ejection fraction, temperature, and other physiologic parameters were recorded at baseline and after exposure. Significant decreases in cardiac output compared to respective control groups were observed in multiple experimental groups, spanning both females and males. Negative chronotropic effect was observed in young male (~7%) and female (~16%) rats, in 5-mo-old male (~9%) and female (~15%) rats, and in old rats where the effect was not statistically significant. Younger groups and, to a lesser extent, lower-weight groups generally had more significant effects. The pathophysiology of ultrasound-induced cardiovascular effects appears to be multifactorial and not strictly related to hormones, menopause, weight, sex, or age, individually.
Concurrent studies of oxygen consumption and aggregation in stimulated human platelets.

A new approach to the study of the “burst” of oxygen consumption in stimulated human platelets is described. Following addition of collagen, thrombin, or arachidonic acid to washed platelets, O2 consumption and aggregation were measured concurrently. In contrast to thrombin and arachidonic acid, collagen induced a calcium-dependent O2 burst after a lag phase of 25-35 sec. Elevation of platelet cAMP levels completely inhibited the oxygen burst and aggregation response. Blockade of energy metabolism also prevented the oxygen burst; however, the aggregation response was not completely suppressed. Eicosatetraynoic acid and indomethacin—inhibitors of arachidonic acid oxygenation—also abolished the collagen-induced O2 burst but not aggregation. These findings indicate that the platelet O2 burst is utilized for formation of prostaglandin endoperoxides, which are apparently not essential for collagen-induced aggregation. Comparison of the oxygen consumption and aggregation curves elicited by arachidonic acid in the presence of increasing amounts of ADP scavengers demonstrated the obligatory participation of released ADP in aggregation induced by this fatty acid. Stored platelets did not exhibit an oxygen burst when challenged by collagen or thrombin, although the aggregation response was relatively intact. In contrast, addition of arachidonic acid to stored platelets elicited both an O2 burst and aggregation, suggesting that phospholipase A2 activity, or steps leading to its activation, are more labile to storage than the platelet cyclooxygenase. It is concluded that concurrent comparison of oxygen consumption and aggregation responses permits a direct evaluation of the role of endoperoxide formation in human platelet aggregation.
SELECTIVE MEDIUM FOR CARBOHYDRATE-UTILIZING TRANSDUCTANTS OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

Abstract Murphey, W. H. (The University of Texas, Dallas), and E. D. Rosenblum. Selective medium for carbohydrate-utilizing transductants of Staphylococcus aureus. J. Bacteriol. 87:1198–1201. 1964.—The composition and properties of modified eosin-methylene blue agar are described. It is an efficient, selective medium for isolation of carbohydrate-utilizing staphylococci from large, nonutilizing populations. The medium has been used to measure the rate of transduction of mannitol fermentation and to demonstrate genetic recombination in mannitol-negative mutants of Staphylococcus aureus.
Molecular basis of the alcohol dehydrogenase-negative deer mouse : evidence for deletion of the gene for class I enzyme and identification of a possible new enzyme class

The molecular basis of the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)-negative deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) has been investigated. Several classes of mammalian ADHs have been recognized based upon biochemical and structural properties. ADH cDNA clones identified by hybridization to a mouse class I ADH cDNA clone were obtained from a deer mouse ADH-positive liver cDNA library. This cDNA has been identified as being a class I sequence and represents the deer mouse Adh-1 gene. An additional cDNA sequence identified in both the ADH-positive and -negative deer mouse cDNA libraries was identified by weak cross-hybridization to the mouse cDNA. This cDNA encodes an amino acid sequence representing a new class of mammalian ADH, and the deer mouse gene for this ADH is named Adh-2. ADH-negative deer mice do not produce mRNA, that is detected by the Adh-1 cDNA probe. However, both stocks of deer mice produce high levels of Adh-2 mRNA in liver. Southern analysis using an essentially full-length Adh-1 cDNA probe has shown that the Adh-1 gene is deleted in the ADH-negative mice. Biochemical analysis of enzyme activity suggests at least three ADH polypeptides are expressed in different tissues and have somewhat different substrate specificities, as in the mouse.
Gain in efficiency from using generalized least squares in the Haseman-Elston test

Techniques that test for linkage between a marker and a trait locus based on the regression methods proposed by Haseman and Elston [1972] involve testing a null hypothesis of no linkage by examination of the regression coefficient. Modified Haseman-Elston methods accomplish this using ordinary least squares (OLS), weighted least squares (WLS), in which weights are reciprocals of estimated variances, and generalized estimating equations (GEE). Methods implementing the WLS and GEE currently use a diagonal covariance matrix, thus incorrectly treating the squared trait differences of two sib pairs within a family as uncorrelated. Correctly specifying the correlations between sib pairs in a family yields the best linear unbiased estimator of the regression coefficient [Scheffe, 1959]. This estimator will be referred to as the generalized least squares (GLS) estimator. We determined the null variance of the GLS estimator and the null variance of the WLS/OLS estimator. The correct null variance of the WLS/OLS estimate of the Haseman-Elston (H-E) regression coefficient may be either larger or smaller than the variance of the WLS/OLS estimate calculated assuming that the squared sib-pair differences are uncorrelated. For a fully informative marker locus, the gain in efficiency using GLS rather than WLS/OLS under the null hypothesis is approximately 11% in a large multifamily study with three siblings per family and 25% for families with four siblings each.
Disparate Positions on Confidentiality and Privilege Across National Boundaries Create Danger and Uncertainty for In-House and Their Clients

The bar in the United States is a unified one, with attorney-client privilege, work product immunity and the duty of confidentiality attaching to its members as a general premise. In most other countries, the bar is bifurcated, and distinctions are made between lawyers undertaking different areas of work. Among the distinctions made between the different legal professions is the existence and applicability of the doctrine of privilege and confidentiality. In many countries, rules relating to confidentiality and privilege are confined to lawyers who are members of the bar. Excluded from bar membership in many of these countries are in-house counsel, the concept being that the "independence" which is called for in legal practice is evidenced by self-employment. It is felt that financial reliance on a single employer carries with it the surrender of ethical autonomy.Increasingly, as clients conduct business on a global basis and cross-border legal practice increases, disparate standards on confidentiality and privilege are giving rise to recurring problems. Most vulnerable seem to be in-house counsel advising companies that operate in multiple jurisdictions. Some countries grant legal professional privilege to in-house counsel, while others do not. Some countries call for criminal sanctions to be imposed if a confidentiality obligation is breached, while others only protect documents in the possession of the lawyer. When the reach of a lawyer's practice transcends borders, the lawyer must ascertain to whom, and to what, confidentiality applies or privilege attaches. Something may be protected in one jurisdiction, but not in another. It is incumbent upon lawyers to acquaint themselves, and their staffs, with rules relating to confidentiality and privilege in all relevant jurisdictions. This is particularly true for in-house counsel, whom are shown to be significantly impacted by the reach of these doctrines.
Oral nitrates: More than symptomatic therapy in coronary artery disease?

The predominant venodilator properties of the nitrates and their augmentation of collateral coronary blood flow to the ischemic myocardium endows them with some ideal characteristics for treating myocardial ischemic syndromes. Additional efficacy stems from the ability of the nitrates to replenish the deficient endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF), nitric oxide (NO), in patients with coronary heart disease and also to inhibit platelet aggregation. In stable angina pectoris, the antianginal and anti- ischemic effects of oral nitrates are well established. Continuous administration of nitrates may lead to tolerance of their clinical efficacy. Recent studies, however, have demonstrated that when used in recommended doses, tolerance can be avoided during long-term treatment with oral nitrates without provocation of anginal attacks during periods of low nitrate levels at night and early hours of the morning. Thus, prolonged treatment with an asymmetric twice-daily regimen of immediate-release isosorbide-5-mononitrate in patients with stable angina pectoris does not give rise to clinical tolerance, prolongs exercise duration, and delays the onset of myocardial ischemia. In unstable angina pectoris, nitrates rapidly relieve chest pain and ameliorate the electrocardiographic signs of myocardial ischemia. In patients with acute myocardial infarction, early treatment with nitrates prevents left ventricular dilatation, improves pumping function, and reduces the risk of ventricular arrhythmias. In patients with chronic heart failure, oral nitrates improve exercise tolerance and, when given in combination with the systemic arterial dilator hydralazine, extend survival. Meta-analysis of published studies has demonstrated that both intravenous and oral nitrates reduced infarct size and morbidity and mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction. In the ISIS 4 post-infarction study, isosorbide-5-mononitrate 60 mg once daily was not superior to placebo in reducing mortality risk. However, in the GISSI 3 study, the combination of nitrates with an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor reduced mortality risks by 17% in patients with acute myocardial infarction. In both the ISIS 4 and GISSI 3 studies, 62% and 57% of the patients in the placebo and control groups, respectively, were treated with nitrates for control of rest angina, myocardial ischemia, and or left ventricular failure symptoms, and this widespread use of open-label nitrates in the control groups may have diluted the true beneficial effects of nitrates in both studies. Taken together, these many studies with oral nitrate treatment in coronary heart disease and heart failure clearly emphasize that these drugs are safe and play more than a symptomatic role in the management of patients with acute and chronic ischemic syndromes due to coronary artery disease.
New Fossil Crabs (Decapoda: Brachyura) from the La Meseta Formation (Eocene) of Antarctica: Paleogeographic and Biogeographic Implications

TWO new species of brachyuran decapod crustaceans, Lyreidus antarcticus and Chas- mocarcinus seymourensis, have been collected in close association with the recently reported first marsupial remains from the La Meseta Formation, Seymour Island, Antarctica. Lyreidus antarcticus is similar to specimens of that genus currently being studied from upper Eocene beds in New Zealand. Both the Antarctic and New Zealand forms of the genus, in contrast with the ecological distribution of recent Lyreidus spp., are adapted to nearshore, high energy regimes. In the Antarctic specimens, this adaptation is reflected in the architecture of the abdomen and walking legs and is confirmed by associated fauna and sedimentary structures. Modem representatives of the genus are interpreted to have adapted to a deeper water, outer shelf to inner slope habitat with concomitant morphological changes. This transition to lower latitudes and deeper water might reflect continued adaptation to cool temperate water conditions. Chasmocarcinus is reported, for the first time, from the fossil record and appears to have been adapted to a similar shallow water, moderately high energy environment as are recent species of that genus. Discovery of these crabs represents only the second occurrence of Brachyura from Antarctica. Their presence corroborates conclusions drawn from the interpretation of the molluscs regarding age and environment of deposition of the La Meseta Formation. Milder climatic conditions in the late Eocene (40 m.y.B.P.) may reflect the high latitude circulation of the southern oceans by the main Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceanic gyres prior to development of a deep oceanic separation between Antarctica and Australia and subsequent initiation of the circum-Antarctic current. tions result which are also of significance. Comparison of Lyreidus antarcticus n. sp. with living and fossil representatives of the genus provides reconfirmation of the Eocene age of the La Meseta Formation, suggests close relationship with species of the genus known from New Zealand, and provides additional evidence that the genus, now adapted to rel- atively deep water environments, previously occupied nearshore, shallow water habitats. Chasmocarcinus has never before been re- ported from the fossil record but does appear to provide some additional documentation for a moderately high energy, shallow water environment of deposition for the La Meseta Formation. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to describe two new species ofbrachyurans, and to apply information from the study of these two forms to the interpretation of the paleo- ecology of the La Meseta Formation. Addi- tionally, recognition of these two new species inevitably has implications on the interpre- tation of the paleobiogeography of the south- ern hemisphere and those implications will also be discussed.