cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Figurative Language: Semiotics

This article examines the various facets of figurative language. First, it considers figurative language from a traditional perspective as an embellishment of language. Next, it offers a historical overview of figurative language including commentary by Aristotle, Giambattista Vico, Groupe μ, I. A. Richards, Max Black, Paul Ricoeur, George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, and Ronald W. Langacker. Third, it discusses the literal-figurative debate. Fourth, it offers a detailed discussion of the 20th-century view of metaphor as a cognitive grammatical construct. Finally, it examines metaphor as a theory-generating mechanism used by scientists and educators to explain and disseminate their research.
Fast Neutrons in Prostatic Adenocarcinomas: Worldwide Clinical Experience

Primary tumor control remains a major problem in the treatment of locally advanced prostate carcinoma. Clinical local failure rates approach 30–40% and may be significantly higher when results of prostatic biopsy or prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels are considered. The low growth rate and cycling fraction of prostate adenocarcinoma suggest potential therapeutic advantage for the high linear energy transfer (LET) of neutrons. The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) performed a multi-institutional randomized trial (RTOG 77–04) comparing mixed beam (neutron plus photon) irradiation to conventional photon irradiation for the treatment of locally advanced prostate cancer. A subsequent trial by the Neutron Therapy Collaborative Working Group (NTCWG 85–23) compared pure neutron irradiation to standard photon irradiation. Both randomized trials demonstrate significant improvement in locoregional control with neutron irradiation compared to conventional photon irradiation in the treatment of locally advanced prostate carcinoma. To date, only the mixed beam trial has shown a significant survival benefit. Future analysis of the larger NTCWG trial at the 10-year point should confirm whether or not improved locoregional control translates into a survival advantage. These findings have significant implications for all local treatment strategies including dose-escalated conformal photon irradiation, prostate implantation, and neutron radiation. Given the large numbers of patients afflicted with this disease, a positive survival advantage for neutrons or mixed beam therapy would provide a strong incentive for the development of economically feasible clinical neutron facilities.
Nutrition support in solid tumor cancer patients

Although nutritional support in the form of prescribed enteral or parenteral nutrition provides limited benefit to patients with advanced, incurable cancer, severely malnourished cancer patients who are being considered for curative surgery or highly effective cancer treatment can gain modest benefits. This chapter reviews some of the data that support the above statement and underscores the need for a multidisciplinary approach in such decision-making.
Longitudinal associations between eating and drinking engagement during mealtime and eating in the absence of hunger in low income toddlers

Abstract To develop effective obesity-related interventions during early life, it is important to identify predictors of eating in the absence of hunger during toddlerhood. Hence, this study examined longitudinal associations between child eating and drinking engagement at 27 months of age and child eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) at 33 months of age (N = 91 children; 57.1% boys). At 27 months of age, we coded child eating and drinking engagement during a videotaped naturalistic lunch meal at home. We also obtained mothers' reports of their child's food responsiveness (FR), satiety responsiveness (SR), and desire to drink (DD) using the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ). Children participated in a standard EAH protocol at 27 and 33 months of age where they were presented with palatable foods and the amount of food eaten was assessed (calculated as total kilocalories consumed). Correlational analyses showed that EAH at 27 months of age was positively related to EAH at 33 months of age and that neither mother-reported child FR or SR were associated with child eating engagement. Mother-reported child DD was associated with child drinking engagement. To predict EAH at 33 months, a regression analysis was conducted in which EAH at 27 months, mother-reported and observed child eating and drinking engagement at 27 months were entered as predictors, controlling for child demographics (i.e., age, sex, race/ethnicity and weight-for-length z-score (WLZ). Findings were that children who were observed to engage in more drinking at 27 months of age consumed more energy (measured as kcal) in the EAH at 33 months of age. Implications for understanding eating, and drinking, behaviors in toddlerhood are discussed.
Esmolol, Antinociception, and Its Potential Opioid-Sparing Role in Routine Anesthesia Care

β-Adrenergic blockade is an important mechanism for reducing morbidity and mortality in patients with hypertension and heart failure. Esmolol has been used widely for its chronotropic and antihypertensive effects. However, there has been recent inquiry regarding perioperative esmolol use and nociceptive modulation. Conventional postoperative analgesic treatment has relied primarily on opioids, which present their own adverse effects and pharmacoepidemiologic repercussions. Esmolol, to date, has not shown any direct analgesic or anesthetic properties; however, recent studies suggest that esmolol may have antinociceptive and postoperative opioid-sparing effects. In this Daring Discourse narrative, we describe the role of esmolol in current perioperative β-blockade guidelines (related to noncardiac surgery), briefly describe studies supporting the antinociceptive effects of esmolol, propose mechanisms for esmolol antinociception, and forecast potential routine esmolol use intraoperatively (as part of a multimodal total intravenous anesthetic) and its effects on opioid sparing. The reading audience of regional anesthesiologists and acute pain medicine physicians is uniquely positioned to take a lead role in promulgating this care advance amid (i) the unwanted effects of the opioid epidemic and (ii) the uncertain notion of whether routine general anesthesia care (with fentanyl) may indirectly be contributing to the epidemic.
From the structure of experience to concepts of structure: How the concept "cause" is attributed to objects and events.

The pervasive presence of relational information in concepts, and its indirect presence in sensory input, raises the question of how it is extracted from experience. We operationalized experience as a stream of events in which reliable predictive relationships exist among random ones, and in which learners are naive as to what they will learn (i.e., a statistical learning paradigm). First, we asked whether predictive event pairs would spontaneously be seen as causing each other, given no instructions to evaluate causality. We found that predictive information indeed informed later causal judgments but did not lead to a spontaneous sense of causality. Thus, event contingencies are relevant to causal inference, but such interpretations may not occur fully bottom-up. A second question was how such experience might be used to learn about novel objects. Because events occurred either around or involving a continually present object, we were able to distinguish objects from events. We found that objects can be attributed causal properties by virtue of a higher-order structure, in which the object's identity is linked not to the increased likelihood of its effect, but rather, to the predictive structure among events, given its presence. This is an important demonstration that objects' causal properties can be highly abstract: They need not refer to an occurrence of a sensory event per se, or its link to an object, but rather to whether or not a predictive relationship holds among events in its presence. These learning mechanisms may be important for acquiring abstract knowledge from experience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Cardiotoxicity due to targeted anticancer agents: a growing challenge.

The emergence of various targeted anticancer agents has led us to uncharted territory secondary to their cardiotoxic potential with many burning questions, which in turn has led to the evolution of...
Book Review: Global Lawmakers: International Organizations in the Crafting of World Markets

Susan Block-Lieb and Terence Halliday gradually build up an empirically grounded, meticulously realized argument that individual lawmakers matter. When one allows facts to inform theory rather than the other way around, the authors show, what becomes clear is that individual lawmakers are not just governmental delegates, but a whole variety of professionals, industry association representatives, and others with some stake in the lawmaking process. These actors work not just through formal processes, but also through an array of informal ones. Most importantly, their presence matters to the content of the legal norms that take hold around the world. The book thus carves a new place among a very small universe of empirically grounded analyses of international lawmaking, and an even smaller universe of accounts that focus on individual actors. It organizes these observations through the lens of social ecology theory, which, though unfamiliar to international legal theory, offers fascinating purchase on the question of how actors develop international legal orders. The book also contributes the first in-depth empirical analysis of the lawmaking work of the little-studied United Nations Commission on International Trade Law.
I am Here. Where Are All the Other (Straight White) Male Dancers

In the demographics of the American dance world—both professional and social—one group appears to be underrepresented: straight white men. Despite being the second largest group of Americans and over-represented in many other fields of endeavor, they are proportionally the least represented in social dance. Those men that do dance often began later in their lives than their female peers. Why are so many straight white men missing-in-action on the dance floor; and why, despite boundaries built by social pressure and a lack of enthusiasm or desire to change that fact, do some of “us” slip through and onto the floor? Through oral accounts, personal experience, and literature research, the research examines why so many men refuse to dance, and the motivations of those men that do dance—like me.
Contribution and consequences of xylem-transported CO2 assimilation for C3 plants.

Traditionally, leaves were thought to be supplied with CO2 for photosynthesis by the atmosphere and respiration. Recent studies, however, have shown that the xylem also transports a significant amount of inorganic carbon into leaves through the bulk flow of water. However, little is known about the dynamics and proportion of xylem-transported CO2 that is assimilated, vs simply lost to transpiration. Cut leaves of Populus deltoides and Brassica napus were placed in either KCl or one of three [NaH13 CO3 ] solutions dissolved in water to simultaneously measure the assimilation and the efflux of xylem-transported CO2 exiting the leaf across light and CO2 response curves in real-time using a tunable diode laser absorption spectroscope. The rates of assimilation and efflux of xylem-transported CO2 increased with increasing xylem [13 CO2 *] and transpiration. Under saturating irradiance, rates of assimilation using xylem-transported CO2 accounted for c. 2.5% of the total assimilation in both species in the highest [13 CO2 *]. The majority of xylem-transported CO2 is assimilated, and efflux is small compared to respiration. Assimilation of xylem-transported CO2 comprises a small portion of total photosynthesis, but may be more important when CO2 is limiting.
The White Working Class, Authoritarianism, and Unions

This article explores the relationship between authoritarianism, union membership, and attitudes toward Donald Trump. Matched samples of both unionized and non-unionized white working-class persons in San Diego County were asked about their attitudes toward Trump and other candidates running for office in the 2016 presidential elections, along with questions that probed their levels of authoritarianism and ethnocentrism. The major finding of this research is that, while there were similar levels of authoritarianism in both the unionized and non-unionized samples, the social psychological tendency of authoritarianism only predicted support for Trump among the non-unionized sample. The reasons for this relationship are explored in more depth in this article.
Single Channel EEG for Near Real-Time Sleep Stage Detection

Sleep disorders are considered as one of the major human life issues in the recent years. Therefore, efficient and automated systems that can differentiate sleep stages and assist physicians/neurologists in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep-related disorders, are highly on demand. The present paper is devoted to developing an easy-to-implement sleep stage classification algorithm that works fast (near real-time) in a proficient way. The proposed algorithm is based on two statistical features applied to single-channel EEG signals. We examined the effectiveness of our technique by building a near real-time detection system using the Neurosky's Mindwave Mobile device, an affordable wireless EEG headset, to obtain EEG signals. The system is one-way without feedback loops. The results of analyzing our algorithm show that the run-time performance of this detection technique is quasi-linearly proportional to the size of the input samples and the execution time is fast, regardless of the time recording the data.
Chapter 6 – Diffusion

We may describe multicomponent diffusion by (1) the Maxwell–Stefan equation where flows and forces are mixed, (2) the Chapman–Cowling and Hirschfelder-Curtiss-Bird approaches where the diffusion of all the components are treated in a similar way, and (3) reference to a particular component, for example, the solvent or mass average (barycentric) definition. Frames of reference in multicomponent system must be clearly defined. Binary diffusion coefficients are often composition dependent in liquids, while they are assumed to be independent of composition for gases. Under mechanical equilibrium on a molecular scale, the exchange of momentum proceeds faster than the exchange of mass and heat for liquids. On the other hand, the molecular exchange of momentum, matter, and heat is on the same order as gases. The rate of exchange of transport processes is measured by the Schmidt number Sc and the Prandtl number Pr.
Accessing Alternative Response Payways: A Multi-Level Examination of Family and Community Factors on Race Equity.

Abstract Background Although research has identified factors associated with child welfare involvement, less attention has been paid to how Black families are assigned to types of child welfare responses. The advent of alternative response pathways allows child protection workers to assign child abuse and neglect responses to families based on the type and seriousness of the maltreatment, history of prior reports and age of the child. Objective The effects of family and community characteristics on alternative response pathways are examined by exploring decision-making at two points in the child welfare system: access to an alternative response child welfare system and assignment to either an investigative or alternative response pathway. Participants and Setting Black and White families reported for child abuse and neglect (N = 31,802) in New York State were studied. Methods Using data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System matched with New York State county socioeconomic indicators, logistic and multi-level analyses examined the effect of county-level variables on family characteristics. Results The analysis determined that Black children and families were not assigned to alternative response pathways similarly to White families especially in counties where indication rates were higher. Conclusion Findings imply that Black families involved in the child welfare system may benefit from increased access to culturally responsive interventions that target neighborhoods with high indication rates.
True abdominal epilepsy is clonic jerking of the abdominal musculature

Abdominal epilepsy (AE) has long been reported as a rare phenomenon in children with various episodic gastrointestinal sensory and painful symptoms suspected to be due to epileptic seizures. Originally, AE was diagnosed when abdominal sensory or painful symptoms were associated with pain, temporal lobe origin, an epileptiform or paroxysmal EEG pattern, and a clinical response to antiseizure medication. AE has also been associated with non-epileptic etiologies such as migraine. Reports of abdominal epilepsy based on an abnormal EEG or clinical response to antiseizure medication without diagnosis confirmation by video-EEG are at best speculative, and at worst, misdiagnoses. We describe three adult patients with focal aware motor seizures manifesting as recurrent, isolated prolonged painless rhythmic clonic jerking of the abdominal musculature including epilepsia partialis continua. All patients had a contralateral structural lesion on high-resolution brain MRI in the abdominal region of the motor homunculus. Standard EEG was unrevealing and only after extra EEG electrodes and video-EEG monitoring was the ictal origin confirmed. Historically, AE has been described as a disorder involving subjective sensory symptoms including vague abdominal pain, instead of epileptic motor signs of abdominal clonic jerking. We recommend replacing the use of vague terms such as AE with International League Against Epilepsy terminology along with diagnostic confirmation validated by video-EEG monitoring. [Published with video sequence].
SymTrak-8 as a Brief Measure for Assessing Symptoms in Older Adults.

Patient- and caregiver-reported 23-item SymTrak scales were validated for monitoring clinically actionable symptoms and impairments associated with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs) in older adults. Items capture physical and emotional symptoms and impairments in physical and cognitive functioning. An abbreviated SymTrak is desirable when response burden is a concern. Develop and validate the 8-item SymTrak. Secondary analysis of SymTrak validation study; 600 participants (200 patient-caregiver dyads; 200 patients without an identified caregiver). Demographic questions, SymTrak, and Health Utility Index Mark 3 (HUI3). SymTrak-8 demonstrated good fit to a one-factor model using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Concurrent criterion validity was supported by high standardized linear regression coefficients (STB) between baseline SymTrak-8 total score (independent variable) and baseline HUI3 preference-based overall HRQOL utility score (dependent variable; 0 = death, 1 = perfect health), after adjusting for demographics, comorbid conditions, and medications, with strength comparable to SymTrak-23 (STB = − 0.81 and − 0.84, respectively, for SymTrak-8 and SymTrak-23, when patient-reported; and − 0.60 and − 0.62, respectively, when caregiver-reported). Coefficient alpha (0.74; 0.76) and 24-h test–retest reliability (0.83; 0.87) were high for SymTrak-8 for patients and caregivers, respectively. The convergent correlation between brief and parent SymTrak scales was high (0.94). SymTrak-8 demonstrated approximate normality and a linear relationship with SymTrak-23 and HUI3. Importantly, a 3-month change in SymTrak-8 was sensitive to detecting the criterion (3-month reliable change categories; improved, stable, declined in HUI3 overall utility), with results comparable to SymTrak-23. SymTrak-8 total score demonstrates internal reliably, test–retest reliability, criterion validity, and sensitivity to change that are comparable to SymTrak-23. Thus, patient- or caregiver-reported SymTrak-8 is a viable option for identifying and monitoring the aggregate effect of symptoms and functional impairments in patients with multimorbidity when response burden is a concern.
Bureaucracies of Displacement: From Immigrants’ Social and Physical Exclusion to Their Judicial Removal

The immigration bureaucracy produces a mass displacement of people through indefinite separations, uncertain futures, and a context of fear and anxiety. Menjivar and Gomez Cervantes explore three aspects of the US immigration bureaucracy: legislation, enforcement, and judicial spaces, as these contribute to the legal exclusion of certain migrants leading to their physical displacement within the US (through detention) and outside the country (through deportation). Displacement begins before entry, as some groups are not even allowed in and new immigration categories make it nearly impossible to enter. Immigration enforcement criminalises Latinos/as and Muslims, promoting their physical displacement. Judicial decisions separate families while placing immigrants in detention and deportation. Ultimately, the immigration bureaucracy spills over, with economic, emotional, and physical consequences for the well-being of immigrants, their families, and communities.
Thermal decomposition of cyclohexane by flash pyrolysis vacuum ultraviolet photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry: a study on the initial unimolecular decomposition mechanism.

Thermal decomposition of cyclohexane at temperatures up to 1310 K was performed using flash pyrolysis coupled with vacuum ultraviolet (118.2 nm) photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The experimental results revealed that the major initiation reaction of cyclohexane decomposition was C–C bond fission leading to the formation of 1,6-hexyl diradical. The 1,6-hexyl diradical could isomerize to 1-hexene and decompose into ˙C3H7 + ˙C3H5 and ˙C4H7 + ˙C2H5. The 1,6-hexyl diradical could also undergo direct dissociation; the C4H8 fragment via the 1,4-butyl diradical intermediate was observed, serving as evidence of the 1,6-hexyl diradical mechanism. Quantum chemistry calculations at UCCSD(T)/cc-pVDZ level of theory on the initial reaction pathways of cyclohexane were performed and found to be consistent with the experimental conclusions. Cyclohexyl radical was not observed as an initial intermediate in the pyrolysis. Benzene was produced from sequential H2 eliminations of cyclohexane at high temperatures.
A Review of International Perspectives on Intimate Partner Violence

In this final chapter of the brief, we highlight some of the unique findings from comparing chapters written about intimate partner violence (IPV) around the world. Although there were many similarities throughout countries, we did identify some unique challenges faced in certain countries, unique resources that could provide helpful ideas to other countries, and variability in the legal protections for victims and the definition of IPV. Ultimately, we want to highlight that advocacy work continues throughout all countries, and continued legislative efforts are present.
ANALYSIS OF THE OUTCOME OF ALL PREGNANCIES IN A COMMUNITY.KAUAI PREGNANCY STUDY.

Abstract Analysis of the reproductive mortality rate and morbidity in a community-wide study of all pregnancies on the island of Kauai, Hawaii resulted in the following: 1. 1. About 24 per cent of the pregnancies at 4 weeks' gestation resulted in loss of the conceptus. The monthly risk of loss described a decreasing curve from a high of 11 per cent during the 4 to 7 weeks period. 2. 2. By age 2, 10 per cent of the surviving infants had perinatal handicaps which required special medical and educational services for physical defects, mental retardation, or a combination of the two. Approximately the same number sustained minor defects requiring little or no specialized care. 3. 3. Two thirds of the liveborn infants with birth weight under 2,500 grams were mature infants of at least 37 weeks' gestation. Observed differences between these small, but mature, infants and the true premature babies indicate the importance of accurate gestational data in the management and study of prematurity. 4. 4. Postmaturity was not associated with increased death and morbidity. It is suggested that frequent reports of increased risks resulting from postmaturity may in part be an artifact caused by inaccurate gestational data. 5. 5. In this series it was found that for each 1,000 live births there were an estimated 1,311 pregnancies which had advanced to 4 weeks' gestation; 286 had ended in fetal deaths before 20 weeks and 25 more after that time; of the live births, 100 had perinatal handicaps requiring special care (16 of these died); 3 more died under age 2; and an additional 32 with IQ's from 70 to 80 may require special educational services. The 1,311 pregnancies at 4 weeks' gestation yielded 865 living children at age 2 without handicaps recognizable by the methods used in this study.
Nonlinear maximum likelihood estimation of AR time series

Describes an algorithm for finding the exact maximum likelihood (ML) estimators for the parameters of an autoregressive time series. The authors demonstrate that the ML normal equations can be written as an interdependent set of cubic and quadratic equations in the AR polynomial coefficients. They present an algorithm, based on the properties of Sylvester resolvent matrices, that solves this set of non-linear equations for low-order problems. >
Urban Renewal and Its Aftermath

Abstract The federal urban renewal program created by Title I of the Housing Act of 1949 fell short of expectations and spawned an army of critics. Originally the program had promised a great deal to a variety of interests, but it could not accommodate all of its early supporters. Social reformers and low‐rent housing advocates were among the first backers who found it wanting. By the early 1960s, the foes of big government and critics of prevailing planning orthodoxies were exploiting the program's shortcomings to further their own agendas. The impact of urban renewal, however, was never as great as some observers assumed, and its physical legacy was limited. Yet its record did influence later federal revitalization programs that granted local authorities greater flexibility and emphasized rehabilitation and the urban context. Moreover, it called into question the efficacy of planning panaceas and federal dollars in solving urban problems.
Groups of unmanned vehicles: differential flatness, trajectory planning, and control

This paper addresses the problem of trajectory planning and tracking control of groups of unmanned vehicles. The trajectory planner is aimed at satisfying the dynamic equations and constraints. The planner builds on two features of the group: (1) state equations for each member are differentially flat, and (2) inequality constraints have special structures due to proximity constraints between members. Under these assumptions, formations are made so that the dynamic equations and constraints are satisfied. Illustrative simulations of groups of unmanned ground vehicles in formations are presented. The results are also implemented on a laboratory facility with three unmanned ground vehicles.
Education Reform in Democratic Spain.

Education Reform in Democratic Spain. Oliver Boyd-Barrett and Pamela O'Malley, eds. New York: Routledge, 1995. 265 pp.
Surgical molecular navigation with ratiometric activatable cell penetrating peptide for intraoperative identification and resection of small salivary gland cancers

Author(s): Hussain, Timon; Savariar, Elamprakash N; Diaz-Perez, Julio A; Messer, Karen; Pu, Minya; Tsien, Roger Y; Nguyen, Quyen T | Abstract: BackgroundWe evaluated the use of intraoperative fluorescence guidance by enzymatically cleavable ratiometric activatable cell-penetrating peptide (RACPPPLGC(Me)AG) containing Cy5 as a fluorescent donor and Cy7 as a fluorescent acceptor for salivary gland cancer surgery in a mouse model.MethodsSurgical resection of small parotid gland cancers in mice was performed with fluorescence guidance or white light (WL) imaging alone. Tumor identification accuracy, operating time, and tumor-free survival were compared.ResultsRACPP guidance aided tumor detection (positive histology in 90% [27/30] vs 48% [15/31] for WL; p l .001). An approximate 25% ratiometric signal increase as the threshold to distinguish between tumor and adjacent tissue, yielded g90% detection sensitivity and specificity. Operating time was reduced by 54% (p l .001), and tumor-free survival was increased with RACPP guidance (p = .025).ConclusionRACPP provides real-time intraoperative guidance leading to improved survival. Ratiometric signal thresholds can be set according to desired detection accuracy levels for future RACPP applications.
Incidence and management of rhinosinusitis after complex orbitofacial reconstruction

Objectives/Hypothesis To examine the sinus-related sequelae of free flap reconstruction for complex orbitofacial defects. Study Design Retrospective chart review. Methods Demographic, clinical, and radiographic data on a series of 55 patients who had undergone free tissue transfer for orbitofacial reconstruction was retrospectively reviewed. Follow-up of ≥ 3 months was available for 49 patients. Outcome measures studied included clinical or radiographic evidence of sinusitis and the need for sinus surgery. Results The most commonly involved sinuses were the ethmoid (n = 40) and maxillary (n = 38) sinuses, and the anterolateral thigh was the most common flap used (n = 41). Clinical and/or radiographic sinusitis was evident in 21 patients (43%), and 10 patients (20%) required sinus surgery at some point during follow-up. Involvement of multiple sinuses in the initial orbitofacial surgery was associated with a significantly increased need for subsequent sinus surgery (P = 0.009). Adjuvant radiotherapy and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy were associated with a significantly increased risk for the development of rhinosinusitis (P = 0.045 and 0.016, respectively). Conclusion Rhinosinusitis and the need for operative management of sinus obstruction are common in patients having undergone complex orbitofacial reconstruction. Careful management of the paranasal sinuses is an important component of the multidisciplinary treatment of such patients. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 124:1059–1065, 2014
A Nurse’s Journey to Treat Obstetric Fistulae in Niger

Obstetric fistula is a devastating condition that results from prolonged or unassisted labor. It produces debilitating physical and emotional consequences caused by constant leaking of urine and/or feces. Because high-quality medical care is available throughout the developed world, unrepaired obstetric fistulae are virtually nonexistent in developed nations. However, the condition is rampant in many developing countries, including Niger, a nation in West Africa. This article explains what obstetric fistula is, why it is such a problem, and what nurses and other health care professionals can do to help improve the situation worldwide. It also tells the story of one nurse who went on a volunteer mission to treat obstetric fistulae in Niger, where she met a courtyard full of women she will never forget.
A pulsed arc-glow hollow cathode lamp

Abstract A copper pulsed arc-glow discharge has been designed, and time-resolved Fabry-Perot emission line profiles have been obtained for the Cu(I) 324.7 nm doublet. Results when compared to a standard copper hollow cathode lamp operated under the same pulsed conditions showed that the arc-glow lamp gave 17 per cent greater time- and wavelength-integrated intensity, and a line profile that was not as severely self-reversed. Total radiant power emitted by the arc-glow lamp was less because of the reduced size of the emission region. Line widths during the first 21 μsec of a pulse were in the range 0.0012–0.0025 nm including an instrumental broadening contribution estimated to be less than 0.0004 nm. Argon pressures for the discharge ranged from 15 to 26 Torr. Pulse durations of 300 μsec with a repetition rate of 100 Hz and pulse currents up to 300 mA were used.
MESMO 2: A mechanistic marine silica cycle and coupling to a simple terrestrial scheme

Abstract. Here we describe the second version of Minnesota Earth System Model for Ocean biogeochemistry (MESMO 2), an earth system model of intermediate complexity, which consists of a dynamical ocean, dynamic-thermodynamic sea ice, and energy moisture balanced atmosphere. The new version has more realistic land ice masks and is driven by seasonal winds. A major aim in version 2 is representing the marine silica cycle mechanistically in order to investigate climate-carbon feedbacks involving diatoms, a critically important class of phytoplankton in terms of carbon export production. This is achieved in part by including iron, on which phytoplankton uptake of silicic acid depends. Also, MESMO 2 is coupled to an existing terrestrial model, which allows for the exchange of carbon, water and energy between land and the atmosphere. The coupled model, called MESMO 2E, is appropriate for more complete earth system simulations. The new version was calibrated, with the goal of preserving reasonable interior ocean ventilation and various biological production rates in the ocean and land, while simulating key features of the marine silica cycle.
Spreading kinetics of a drop on a smooth solid surface

Abstract Spreading of a drop on a perfectly smooth solid surface is analyzed using the method of matched asymptotic expansions. The analysis includes the effect of intermolecular forces near the contact line both on surface diffusion of adsorbed molecules and on flow within the liquid phase itself near the contact line. The former effect produces slip and allows the contact line to advance, while the latter effect is found to be small for most situations of interest. Equations obtained for drop shapes and spreading rates are formally similar to those found previously for rough surfaces, the main difference being that the length scale for the effective range of intermolecular forces replaces the length scale of surface irregularities in the definition of the small parameter used in the perturbation expansions. Expressions for the spreading rate are given for both zero and small but nonzero equilibrium contact angles.
Revisiting/Revising Art and Home: (Be)Longing and Identity in Out-of-School Art Education Settings

ABSTRACT What does “home” mean in the context of teaching artistry and art making that happens outside of the school setting?
Protein composition and architecture of the photosynthetic membranes from the cyanobacterium, Anacystis nidulans R2

Abstract The protein composition of the photosynthetic membrane from the cyanobacterium, Anacystis nidulans R2, was analyzed by acrylamide gel electrophoresis following solubilization with lithium dodecyl sulfate. Autoradiograms of 35S-labelled membranes revealed over 90 bands by this procedure. The effect of solubilization conditions on protein resolution was analyzed by modifying temperature and sulfhydryl concentrations. Labelling cells with 59Fe yielded nine iron-containing bands on these gels. Three of these bands, at 33, 19, and 14 kDa, were also heme proteins as determined by tetramethylbenzidine staining, and represent cytochromes f, b6 and c-552, respectively. The remaining iron proteins are highly sensitive to solubilization conditions, especially the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol, and we suggest that these bands may be Fe-S proteins. Lactoperoxidase-catalyzed iodination of the membranes indicated that at least 41 proteins have surface-exposed domains. Some of the known proteins with external surfaces include cytochrome c-552 and the chlorophyll-binding proteins of Photosystems I and II. Neither cytochrome f nor b6 appear to be accessible to external labelling. When this structural information was combined with the isolation of functional submembrane complexes, we constructed a topological model of the membrane. Using this model we have discussed the protein architecture of the cyanobacterial membrane.
Pulsed-electron-beam melting of Fe

Pulsed (50 nsec) electron beams with deposited energies of 1.1 to 2.3 J/cm/sup 2/ have been used to rapidly melt a surface layer of Fe. Calculations show that this range of energies produces melt depths from 0.4 to 1.2 ..mu..m and melt times of 100 to 500 nsec. Optical microscopy and SEM of pulse treated polycrystalline foils show slip traces, as well as a general smoothing of surface features which shows that melting has occurred. TEM shows that the resolidified material is bcc, and that the material within a grain is epitaxial with the substrate. TEM also shows slip traces along (110) planes, as well as a high density of dislocations, both extended and loop. At the highest energy, subgrain boundaries are observed. Some samples were implanted with 1 x 10/sup 16/ Sn/cm/sup 2/ at 150 keV. After pulse treatment, the Sn depth profile was observed to have broadened, consistent with liquid phase diffusion. The Sn had the unexpected effect of suppressing slip at the sample surface.
Space suits and life support systems for the exploration of Mars

The requirements and technologies needed for a viable space suit, or Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), to be worn under conditions of Martian gravity field and environment are examined and alternative concepts for space suits and portable life support systems for the exploration of Mars are proposed. The challenge is illustrated by a comparison of the Martian surface with previous and current manned space environments, such as the low earth orbit, the lunar surface, and the surface of the earth. A summary of relevant data collected from Mariner and Viking probes is presented and it is pointed out that this information must be used to create an EMU which provides temperature regulation; humidity control; a regulated oxygen supply; pressure regulation; metabolic and toxic waste removal; contaminant control; thermal and cosmic radiation protection; biological isolation of the human and the Mars environment from each other; tear, dust, and puncture protection; water; and communication.
Partial purification and characterization of barley peptide hydrolases

Abstract Two peptidases from germinated barley were partially purified and characterized. Recycling filtration on dextran gel was used in an improved preparative procedure. BAPA-ase (barley peptide hydrolase A) was found to be inactivated by low pH, mildly resistant to heat treatments and activated by relatively high concentrations (10 −2 -10 −1.3 M) of Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ . This enzyme had a very low order of substrate specificity when tested with a variety of dipeptides. It did not hydrolyze several possible protein substrates. BAEE-ase (barley peptide hydrolase B) was inactivated at high pH values, was more resistant than BAPA-ase to heat inactivation and was not activated by a variety of metal ions. This enzyme exhibited a relatively high specificity when tested with simple peptide substrates. It also did not hydrolyze proteins. Values for K m and V with alpha- N -benzoyl- l -arginine ethyl ester as substrate are given.
Climate change, Risky Business, and a call to action for ecologists

At the invitation of UN Secretary Ban Ki‐moon, world leaders from government, finance, business, and civil society gathered at the Climate Summit 2014 in New York on 23 September to catalyze respon...
Yield and Quality of Wheat, Triticale, and Elytricum Forage in the Southern Plains

Hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major cool-season forage that couples with warm-season perennials to provide livestock feed in the Southern Plains. Productivity and quality of wheat forage declines in April, creating a forage deficit period until warm-season perennial grasses are available. Other cool-season annual grasses with different growth patterns may provide growth during this period to fill this forage deficit. A field experiment was conducted on Brewer silty clay (fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Udertic Argiustoll) from 1994 to 1997 to compare seasonal forage production patterns and yield and quality of winter wheat, triticale (× Triticosecale rimpaui Wittm.) and × Elytricum spp. (Triticum aestivum × Elytrigia spp. OK-906'). Aboveground whole-plant biomass during late fall and early spring were greater for wheat than elytricum, but this trend was reversed in late spring and early summer. Average growing degree days to reach physiological maturity were 2500, 2670, and 3100 for wheat, triticale, and elytricum, respectively. Averaged across years, triticale and elytricum reached maturity 8.5 and 28 d after wheat, respectively. At physiological maturity, differences in biomass accumulation between wheat and triticale were minimal, but elytricum at physiological maturity produced 22% more total biomass, 3.5% less grain, and 28% greater straw yield as compared with wheat. Differences in straw in vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD) among species were minimal. Because of its prolonged vegetative-growth phase compared with wheat or triticale, elytricum has the potential to fill the late spring forage deficit period and reduce supplemental feed cost for livestock.
Resolution of Corticosteroid-Induced Diabetes in Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis with Omalizumab Therapy: A Novel Approach

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) occurs in up to 15% of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) ([1]). Clinically, the disease manifests by symptoms consistent with bronchial asthma along ...
A measurement of the quality of orange-juice consumption.

Theil's index of quality of consumption was used to measure the quality of orange-juice products. A change in the quality of a group of goods is defined as the covariance between the goods' income elasticities and logarithmic quantity changes. Over the sample from 1988 to mid 1999, the quality index for orange juice products was estimated to increase by about 50%. Decomposition of the change in quality showed that most of the increase resulted from strong demand trends. Income, prices, and advertising, each, had largely offsetting positive and negative impacts on quality over the sample. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Vascular permeability factor (vascular endothelial growth factor) gene is expressed differentially in normal tissues, macrophages, and tumors

Vascular permeability factor (VPF), also known as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), increases microvascular permeability and is a specific mitogen for endothelial cells. Expression of VPF/VEGF previously was demonstrated in a variety of tumor cells, in cultures of pituitary-derived cells, and in corpus luteum. Here we present evidence, by Northern analysis and in situ hybridization, that the VPF/VEGF gene is expressed in many adult organs, including lung, kidney, adrenal gland, heart, liver, and stomach mucosa, as well as in elicited peritoneal macrophages. The highest levels of VPF/VEGF transcripts were found in epithelial cells of lung alveoli, renal glomeruli and adrenal cortex, and in cardiac myocytes. The prominence of VPF/VEGF mRNA in these tissues suggests a possible role for VPF/VEGF in regulating baseline microvascular permeability, which is essential for tissue nutrition and waste removal. We also demonstrate particularly high VPF/VEGF mRNA levels in several human tumors, where it may be involved in promoting tumor angiogenesis and stroma generation, both as an endothelial cell mitogen and indirectly by its permeability enhancing effect that leads to the deposition of a provisional fibrin gel matrix.
Environmental toxins: physical, social, and emotional.

My objective in this article is to raise questions about sources of environmental toxins and possible effects on lactogenesis. Toxins are known to interrupt normal biological functioning. The effects of exposures to toxins and the underlying biological mechanisms are not well understood. Many possible negative influences on lactogenesis are not even considered for empirical research. For my purposes, toxins are defined broadly to include physical toxins (e.g., chemicals, hormones, drugs), as well as social toxins (unemployment, inadequate safety, lack of access to education) and emotional toxins (fear, uncertainty, humiliation). The social ecological model, shown in Figure 1, is a multilevel systems approach used in public health to consider multiple influences on health. The model looks at individual health behaviors (such as breastfeeding) within an expanded context of interpersonal relationships, community, institutions, and policies. The model can guide investigations and suggest sites for intervention that have significant impact. Open in a separate window FIG. 1. Social ecological model.
Nanofluid Extinction Coefficients for Photothermal Energy Conversion

Suspensions of nanoparticles in liquids (i.e. nanofluids) have been shown to dramatically affect thermal and optical properties of the base liquid at low particle loadings [1–3]. Recent studies by the co-authors have indicated that selected nanofluids are promising as solar energy harvesters [4,5]. In order to determine the effectiveness of nanofluids in solar applications, their ability to convert light energy to thermal energy must be known. That is, the extinction coefficient of real nanofluids must be established. Although it is relatively straight-forward to model these properties from knowledge of bulk properties, with the help of some simplifying assumptions, real spectroscopy tests do not always match these calculations. This study compares model predictions of extinction coefficients to spectroscopic measurements. Unfortunately, the models and the optical testing data do not show very good agreement. Some possible reasons for this are discussed. Also, some simple experiments are presented to investigate the extent of scattering in nanoparticle suspensions. As alluded to above, all of these tests are conducted on nanofluid compositions which are considered to be suitable for solar thermal collectors.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
A Suction Instrument for Coronary Artery and Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

A suction instrument that is useful in the small heart and for maintaining clear visibility during direct coronary artery revascularization is described. The instrument permits a variable degree of suction intensity which allows it to be used atraumatically.
Reversal of Autocrine and Paracrine Effects of Interleukin 1 (IL-1) in Human Arthritis by Type II IL-1 Decoy Receptor POTENTIAL FOR PHARMACOLOGICAL INTERVENTION

Interleukin 1 (IL-1), produced by both synovial cells and chondrocytes, plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of cartilage destruction in osteoarthritis (OA). We examined the specific expression and function of IL-1 receptor family-related genes in human joint tissues. Gene array analysis of human normal and OA-affected cartilage showed mRNA expression of IL-1 receptor accessory protein (IL-1RAcp) and IL-1 type I receptor (IL-1RI), but not IL-1 antagonist (IL-1ra) and IL-1 type II decoy receptor (IL-1RII). Similarly, human synovial and epithelial cells showed an absence of IL-1RII mRNA. Functional genomic analyses showed that soluble (s) IL-1RII, at picomolar concentrations, but not soluble TNF receptor:Fc, significantly inhibited IL-1β-induced nitric oxide (NO) and/or prostaglandin E2 production in chondrocytes, synovial and epithelial cells. In OA-affected cartilage, the IC50for inhibition of NO production by sIL-1RII was 2 log orders lower than that for sIL-1RI. Human chondrocytes that overexpressed IL-1RII were resistant to IL-1-induced IL-1β mRNA accumulation and inhibition of proteoglycan synthesis. In osteoarthritis, deficient expression by chondrocytes of innate regulators or antagonists of IL-1 such as IL-1ra and IL-1RII (soluble or membrane form) may allow the catabolic effects of IL-1 to proceed unopposed. The sensitivity of IL-1 action to inhibition by sIL-1RII has therapeutic implications that could be directed toward correcting this unfavorable tissue(s) dependent imbalance.