cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Slave law in the Americas

In this book, Alan Watson argues that the slave laws of North and South America--the written codes defining the relationship of masters to slaves--reflect not so much the culture and society of the various colonies but the legal traditions of England, Europe, and ancient Rome. A pathbreaking study concerned as much with the nature of comparative law as the specific subject of the law of slavery, "Slave Law in the Americas" posits an essential distance in the Western legal tradition between the tenets of law and the values of the society they govern. Laws, Watson shows, often are made not by governments or rulers but by jurists as in ancient Rome, law professors as in medieval and continental Europe, and judges as in common law England. Bodies of law, often created without reference to particular social and political ideals, are also often transferred whole cloth from one society to another. Tracing the effects of the reception of Roman law throughout Europe (excluding England) and the Americas, Watson reveals the enormous impact of this legal tradition on subsequent lawmakers operating under utterly dissimilar social and political conditions in the New World. Slave law in the colonies, Watson demonstrates, had much to do with the mother country's relations to Roman law. Spain, Portugal, France, and the United Dutch Provinces, all within the Roman legal tradition, imposed on their colonies slave laws that were private and nonracist in character, laws that interfered little in master-slave relations and provided for the relative ease of manumission and the grant of citizenship to freed slaves. England, however, did not ascribe to Roman law and colonists created rather than received slave law. Public and racist, slave law in the English colonies uniquely reflected local concerns, involving every citizen in the protection and perpetuation of slavery, strictly regulating education, manumission, and citizenship status. "Comparative legal history," Watson writes, "is in its infancy." Presenting the laws of slavery in ancient Rome and in the slaveholding colonies of America, Watson demonstrates how comparative law can elucidate the relationship of law, legal rules, and institutions to the society in which they operate. Investigating not the dynamics of slavery but of slave law, he reveals the working of a legal culture and its peculiar history.
The TAM family: phosphatidylserine-sensing receptor tyrosine kinases gone awry in cancer

The TYRO3, AXL (also known as UFO) and MERTK (TAM) family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are aberrantly expressed in multiple haematological and epithelial malignancies. Rather than functioning as oncogenic drivers, their induction in tumour cells predominately promotes survival, chemoresistance and motility. The unique mode of maximal activation of this RTK family requires an extracellular lipid–protein complex. For example, the protein ligand, growth arrest-specific protein 6 (GAS6), binds to phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) that is externalized on apoptotic cell membranes, which activates MERTK on macrophages. This triggers engulfment of apoptotic material and subsequent anti-inflammatory macrophage polarization. In tumours, autocrine and paracrine ligands and apoptotic cells are abundant, which provide a survival signal to the tumour cell and favour an anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive microenvironment. Thus, TAM kinase inhibition could stimulate antitumour immunity, reduce tumour cell survival, enhance chemosensitivity and diminish metastatic potential.
Nicotinic receptors partly mediate brainstem autonomic dysfunction evoked by the inhaled anesthetic isoflurane.

BACKGROUND:Isoflurane is one of the most commonly used volatile anesthetics, yet the cardiorespiratory depression that occurs with its use remains poorly understood. In this study, the author examined isoflurane modulation of postsynaptic γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in parasympathetic cardi
Estimating woody browse abundance from aerial imagery

In the deciduous forests of the eastern US, timber harvest programmes are often designed to increase the availability of woody browse for terrestrial wildlife. However, assessing the efficacy of timber harvest at increasingly available browse has traditionally required labour-intensive field-based measurements of woody plant growth and abundance. The objective of this study was to use readily available digital aerial imagery to estimate the amount of woody browse in regenerating clearcuts in central West Virginia. Aerial imagery from the National Agriculture Imagery Program and woody browse data collected from 11 regenerating clearcuts in the summer of 2007 were used in this analysis. Red, green and blue visible bands, as well as a simple texture metric, were used to create a multiple linear regression model to predict the amount of woody browse. The final model exhibited large correlation (R 2 = 0.94) and was statistically significant (F = 22.48, p = 0.0009), indicating that simple measures of image digital numbers and texture have potential utility in assisting forest and wildlife managers to assess habitat quality in forest regeneration areas.
Two-dimensional photonic band-gap materials

Abstract The properties of 2D photonic lattices, and especially the presence of photonic band-gaps, are reviewed. Using symmetry arguments, general conditions on the nature of the eigenmodes for all 2D periodic dielectric lattices are derived. A method of computing photonic band-structures is briefly discussed. The in-plane band-structures of the square and triangular lattices of cylinders are systematically investigated. The out-of-plane band-structure for a prototypical system is described. Effects of periodicity-breaking are discussed, including localization of light due to lattice defects, and localized surface modes.
DISPARITIES BETWEEN RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: DO GOLDEN EAGLES WARRANT SPECIAL CONCERN BASED ON MIGRATION COUNTS IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES?

Abstract A recent summary of raptor migration count data concluded that the status of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in western North America warranted concern (Hoffman and Smith 2003). Our analysis of these data did not lead us to the same conclusion. We have three specific concerns. First, the regional characterizations of eagle migration in Hoffman and Smith (2003) are based on a very small sample of sites. Therefore, we recommend that these characterizations be considered as hypothetical in nature. Second, we suggest that the population cycles and patterns of age-specific population change described by Hoffman and Smith (2003) are neither as general nor as clear-cut as they indicated. Finally, although the authors expressed concern about the status of Golden Eagles based upon both their findings and data from other sources, we did not find compelling evidence for population declines in our inspection of those same data. Disparidad entre Resultados y Conclusiones: ?Es el Estatus de Aquila chrysaetos...
Brains and brain components in African and European honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) — a volumetric comparison.

SummaryThe volumes of brains and major brain regions were compared between European (EHB) and African (AHB) honey bee workers. The brain volume was not significantly different between the two bee races. The overall composition of major brain regions appeared similar except for the lobes of the mushroom bodies, which were significantly larger in EHB. Discriminant analysis indicated that brains from EHB could be distinguished from those of AHB based on the volumes of the central body together with either the mushroom body lobe or the mushroom body calyx. Whether learning and memory capacities differ between AHB and EHB based on the size of mushroom body lobes and whether the differences are adaptive due to the environments where EHB and AHB originated are discussed.
Letter to the Editor---The Operations Research Society of Japan

I thought that your publication might like to have an informal first-hand report on the organization meeting of the Operations Research Society of Japan, which was held at Keio University Mita Campus, Tokyo, June 15 and 16, 1957.
New Digital Control Architecture Eliminating the Need for High Resolution DPWM

Due to the non-linear quantization effects of A/D converter and digital pulse-width modulator (DPWM), limit cycle oscillation is hard to predict in the voltage-mode digital controlled switching power supplies. As a result, one dedicated DPWM with very high resolution is indispensable to reduce the limit cycle oscillations, which usually results complexity and high cost for digital controllers. This paper investigates a new digital control architecture eliminating the needs for high resolution DPWM, so that greatly cost reduction can be achieved. Experimental verification is done at the hardware prototype to verify the control concept.
A Realist's Ideal Pursuit

It is no exaggeration to say that Yan Xuetong’s Ancient Chinese Thought, Modern Chinese Power is a path-breaking project that integrates ancient Chinese philosophy, Pre-Qin history, and contemporary International Relations (IR) theory. Although Yan has not introduced a new grand theory of IR in the book per se, he has paved a fresh theoretical and intellectual path to reforming current, western-philosophy-and-history-based IR theory. If scholars follow Yan’s guidance and approach as laid out in the book, it will be no surprise to see developed more than one new IR theory. The book is translated from Yan’s research on pre-Qin international political philosophy and its implications for the rise of China. It consists of three parts: Yan’s three articles on pre-Qin philosophical masters’ writings on international politics; 1 three critical reviews of Yan’s articles by three brilliant Chinese scholars, as well as Yan’s responses to his critics; and three useful appendixes giving background information on Yan’s research. The book raises three major arguments in the book. They are: (i) norms and morality determine the stability of interstate order, and the hierarchical relation among states is conducive to world peace; (ii) humane authority is a superior model for great powers compared to hegemony and tyranny in international politics; and (iii) political power is the most important element of power compared to economic, military, and soft power. It is obvious that each of these arguments poses fundamental challenges to the major canons of contemporary IR theory. In this review article, I first discuss the three significant contributions of Yan’s book to the studies of ancient Chinese philosophy, IR theory, and China’s foreign policy. I then raise certain questions after a reading of the
Green initiative-power management and its effects on electronics packaging

The influence of Green initiatives and resulting reduction in power consumption have an impact on module reliability. In this paper we will discuss an approach that IBM is using to acquire and save cyclic field data from processors as well as the testing methodology used to quantify the reliability impacts of variable cyclic loads on FCPLGA packages. Important questions to be answered are: (1) what types of cyclic loads will IBM modules see in the field as a result of power management and applications run by our diverse customer set, and (2) what unique testing must be conducted to assure that there is no reliability exposure associated with said cyclic loads. This paper discusses new failure mechanisms found through minicycle stressing in a lab environment, meant to simulate cyclic loads that a processor would see in the field, where power was being throttled to control overall consumption. We will also discuss the methodology and implementation of a Figure of Merit algorithm which allows us to pull cyclic load histories on individual processors while in the field or from processors that have been returned to IBM.
What Are the Odds?: Predicting Specialization in Offending Over the Life Course

A number of methodological techniques and theoretical propositions have been used in the extant literature on specialization/versatility. These various methodologies and theories have created an ongoing debate that has revealed several areas of focus that need to be addressed. The current study applies Moffitt’s (1993) taxonomy and uses a series of random effects logistic regression models to estimate the impact of a violent, property, drug, or other prior offense on the commission of a subsequent offense across different types of criminal careers. Specifically, we attempt to determine the odds a prior offense has on predicting a subsequent offense among four offender trajectories, controlling for various aspects of the criminal career and demographic characteristics. Findings suggest that the odds of committing any offense type over the life course are greater if the prior offense was of the same type. This relationship remains consistent across offender trajectories.
Evidence of shared risk for Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease using family history

This case-control study examined the potential for a common etiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) using reported family history. Structured interviews were used to collect AD and PD family history from subjects (n = 1531) with AD, PD, AD/PD, or controls. Intergroup analysis compared reported AD and PD family histories in the three case groups to the histories reported in the control group. Intragroup analysis stratified each diagnostic group based on positive family history of AD, then compared the subgroups for a family history of PD. Subjects with AD had a higher risk of having a family history of AD [odds ratio (OR) 2.3; 1.5–3.4] and subjects with PD had a higher risk of having a family history of PD (OR 2.2; 1.2–4.0) as compared to control subjects. Intergroup analyses revealed no significant crossed risk, increased risk of subjects with AD having a family history of PD vs controls and vice versa. Intragroup analysis found that subjects with PD and a family history of AD were more likely to have a family history of PD (OR 1.7; 1.1–2.6) when compared to subjects with PD and no family history of AD. A similar trend was found for subjects with AD (OR 1.7; 0.9–3.1). AD and PD cases each have an increased familial risk of their respective disease. Probands with AD or PD and a family history of either disease have a higher crossed risk of a family history of the other disease. These findings suggest the existence of common genetic and/or environmental factors that predispose to both AD and PD in the subset of cases with positive family history of both neurodegenerative diseases.
Interorganizational Relationship Trends of Critical Access Hospitals.

Purpose Examine the types of interorganizational relationships (IORs)—defined as formal linkages between 2 or more organizations to produce or coordinate some good or service—pursued by Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), how these relationship patterns have changed over time, and how these relationships compare to non-CAHs. Methods We used univariate analyses to describe the prevalence of different types of formal horizontal (eg, system affiliation) and vertical (eg, physician organization, nursing home ownership) relationships for CAHs over time (2002-2012) and chi-square tests to compare the prevalence of these relationships to non-CAHs. Findings Contract management relationships were more prevalent among CAHs than other types of hospitals, and they declined over time for all types of hospitals. Network membership was more common among CAHs compared to rural, non-CAHs. Tightly integrated relationships with physician organizations were more common among CAHs, relative to rural, non-CAHs. Nursing home ownership was more prevalent among CAHs and rural, non-CAHs relative to urban, non-CAHs, but it declined over time for all hospital types. Conclusions Our findings highlight a number of differences in the types of IORs pursued by CAHs relative to other types of hospitals and raise questions about the role of the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program in stimulating these differences. Our findings also suggest that even though the prevalence of hospitals engaging in any horizontal or vertical strategy was relatively stable, the fluctuations in the particular forms of these IORs were more dramatic.
The world was never flat: early global encounters and the messiness of empire

Thomas Friedman’s 2005 book The world is flat was meant as a wake-up call to those in the United States who direct its corporate boardrooms and govern its political/economic state, a warning that globalization has brought about a level economic ‘playing field’ in which the United States might be losing the game. As rhetoric, the title certainly works well to raise fears about North America’s future economic role. It also works in concretizing a popular view of globalization, a view that obscures its uneven, discordant, and decidedly unflat processes and practices. In this paper I help deconstruct this view by fleshing out the everyday ways through which United States expanded economically in its early (1890—1927) global empire. Based on archival work in Argentina, Russia, Scotland, and the United States, I provide a historical look at encounters between North American business men and women and their foreign customers, students, and workers. Focusing on the diverse practices and personal encounters that w...
Effect of Humidity Instability on Rehydroxylation in Fired Clay Ceramics

Several samples of the XIX-century Davenport pottery and XX-century structural masonry were reheated at 500°C and then exposed to a humid gas of controlled relative humidity. Changes in the sample masses were recorded in response to both systematic and transient step changes in humidity. In addition, a reheated masonry sample underwent a sequence of soaking and drying and hundreds of hours of interactions with humid air in between these treatments to examine long-term effects of extreme humidity fluctuations. All experimental results indicate that instantaneous humidity and the sample's hygral history have a negligible effect on the long-term kinetics of mass gain. This important finding provides strong experimental support for the newly developed rehydroxylation (RHX) ceramic dating technique by proving that humidity affects physically bonded water in the ceramics, but has a negligible effect on chemically bonded water.
Mechanisms Involved in Calcium Deficiency Development in Tomato Fruit in Response to Gibberellins

Although gibberellins (GAs) have been shown to induce development of the physiological disorder blos- som-end rot (BER) in tomato fruit (Solanum lycopersicum), the mechanisms involved remain largely unexplored. BER is believed to result from calcium (Ca) deficiency, but the relationship between Ca content and BER incidence is not strong. Our objectives were to better understand how GAs and a GA biosynthesis inhibitor affect BER development in tomato fruit. Tomato plants of two BER-susceptible culti- vars, 'Ace 55 (Vf)' and 'AB2,' were grown in a greenhouse environment and subjected to Ca-deficiency conditions. Plants were treated weekly during fruit growth and devel- opment with 300 mg L -1 GA4?7, 300 mg L -1 prohexadi- one-calcium (Apogee, a GA biosynthesis inhibitor), or water beginning 1 day after flower pollination. GA4?7 treatment induced an increase in BER incidence in both cultivars up to 100%, whereas 'Ace 55 (Vf)' and 'AB2' plants treated with Apogee did not show BER incidence. The number of functional xylem vessels was higher in the pla- cental and pericarp tissue of tomato fruit treated with Apogee at the early stages of fruit growth. Treatment with Apogee also increased fruit pericarp Ca concentration. GA4?7 treatment enhanced the expression of the putative CAX and Ca-ATPase genes, that code for proteins involved in Ca movement into storage organelles. The lowest water- soluble apoplastic Ca concentration and the highest mem- brane leakage values were observed in the pericarp of GA4?7-treated fruit. These results suggest that GAs consis- tently reduced fruit Ca uptake and water-soluble apoplastic Ca concentration, leading to leakier plasma membranes and an increase in BER development in fruit tissue of both tomato cultivars.
Today's research, tomorrows cures: the ethical implications of oncofertility.

In contemporary society, translational medical research is the name of hope itself. For many, advances in modern medicine can be seen as a steady progression of science over dreadful and intractable illnesses, especially illness of children and young adults. Advances in the creation of families and protection of children have most clearly marked medicine’s success. Yet every scientific discovery and medical advance carries with it the inevitable dilemmas of choice and power. This chapter will look carefully at the effect on treatment when two trajectories of translational research converge to form a new field of inquiry—the field of oncofertility—and explore the ethical and social implications of the power that such research will create. Over the last 30 years, advances in reproductive technology have changed the event of infertility from a crisis of faith and generativity to a treatable medical condition. A breakthrough development in reproductive technology occurred with the historic birth of Louise Brown in 1978 through in vitro fertilization (IVF). Although infertility remains prevalent and is emotionally difficult for those it affects, it is now often curable, with nearly 85% of persons seeking treatment able to produce a child [1]. The advancements of assisted reproductive technology (ART), and particularly IVF, have increased the number of women who able to become pregnant using gametes from her and her partner, or by using donor sperm or eggs. It is, by many accounts, one of the measurable, tangible narratives of medical success, becoming so normative that in 2003, 112,872 ART cycles were carried out in the U.S. alone, resulting in 35,785 live births and 48,756 infants born using the techniques developed for the treatment of infertility [2]. This story of breakthrough advances in treating infertility parallels another—the successful treatment of previously fatal cancers, particularly cancers in children. Most people today who are diagnosed with cancer survive, with 5-year survival rates being well over 80% for many forms of cancer [3]. The idea of cancer has shifted from that of a death sentence to that of a chronic disease that will need to be monitored over the long term. With the increase in successful treatment of cancer patients, medical teams must now focus not only on the short-term treatments, but also anticipate long-term quality-of-life issues for their patients in the world beyond the “cure.” As survivors of cancer treatment are returned to the trajectory of their lives, they develop similar goals for education, career, and family life that their
Effects of sidewall functionalization on conducting properties of single wall carbon nanotubes

We investigated the conducting properties of functionalized single wall nanotubes (SWNTs) with a finite addend concentration. Robust differences are found between monovalent and divalent additions. For the former a small number of addends can significantly disrupt the ballistic conductance of nanotubes near the Fermi level. As the concentration increases the conductance decreases rapidly and approaches zero at addend to C ratio around 25%. In contrast, divalent functionalizations have weak effects, and the nanotube quantum conductance remains above 50% of that of a perfect tube even for an addend concentration as large as 25%. These differences can be attributed to the formation of impurity states near the Fermi level for monovalent additions, while divalent addends create impurity states far away from the Fermi level.
Enzymatic Interconversion of Isomorphic Fluorescent Nucleosides: Adenosine Deaminase Transforms an Adenosine Analogue into an Inosine Analogue

Adenosine deaminase, a major enzyme involved in purine metabolism, converts an isomorphic fluorescent analogue of adenosine (thA) to an isomorphic inosine analogue (thI), which possesses distinct spectral features, allowing one to monitor the enzyme-catalyzed reaction and its inhibition in real time. The utility of this sensitive fluorescently-monitored transformation for the high throughput detection and analysis of ADA inhibitors is demonstrated.
The Afterlife for Retiring Deans and Other Senior Medical Administrators

Career options for individuals leaving the administrative role as dean of a school of medicine or other senior administrative positions are considered. Options discussed include retirement and a variety of other positions both within schools of medicines and in other venues. Many opportunities exist for a challenging and fulfilling career path after leaving the role as a senior administrator in an academic medical center.
Inductance of a superconducting Corbino ring

Analytical expressions are obtained for the inductances of a thin Corbino ring. The calculations are made of a Corbino ring suspended in free space and with the superconducting current flowing only in the radial direction. With the superconducting current density, the authors calculate the kinetic and field inductances for conditions where the electrical skin depth and London penetration depth are larger than the ring's thickness. For these conditions the field inductance is independent of the film's thickness while the kinetic inductance is proportional to the reciprocal of the film's thickness. >
Sintering of High‐Purity Nickel Oxide

The results of an investigation of densification and grain growth during the sintering of high-purity NiO in various atmospheres are presented. The sintering of NiO powders is divided into three stages. Grain growth during the third stage follows the empirical equation D2=K t, where D is the average grain diameter, K a rate constant, t the sintering time. The activation energy of grain growth was found to be 55 kcal. per mole. The shrinkage and weight loss during the sintering process in vacuum were larger than in argon, air, and oxygen. Grain growth during sintering also differed with the sintering atmosphere. It was concluded that the sintering process is not explained reasonably by the theory of a semiconductor.
Spectral editing of two-dimensional magic-angle-spinning solid-state NMR spectra for protein resonance assignment and structure determination

Several techniques for spectral editing of 2D 13C–13C correlation NMR of proteins are introduced. They greatly reduce the spectral overlap for five common amino acid types, thus simplifying spectral assignment and conformational analysis. The carboxyl (COO) signals of glutamate and aspartate are selected by suppressing the overlapping amide N–CO peaks through 13C–15N dipolar dephasing. The sidechain methine (CH) signals of valine, lecuine, and isoleucine are separated from the overlapping methylene (CH2) signals of long-chain amino acids using a multiple-quantum dipolar transfer technique. Both the COO and CH selection methods take advantage of improved dipolar dephasing by asymmetric rotational-echo double resonance (REDOR), where every other π-pulse is shifted from the center of a rotor period tr by about 0.15 tr. This asymmetry produces a deeper minimum in the REDOR dephasing curve and enables complete suppression of the undesired signals of immobile segments. Residual signals of mobile sidechains are positively identified by dynamics editing using recoupled 13C–1H dipolar dephasing. In all three experiments, the signals of carbons within a three-bond distance from the selected carbons are detected in the second spectral dimension via 13C spin exchange. The efficiencies of these spectral editing techniques range from 60 % for the COO and dynamic selection experiments to 25 % for the CH selection experiment, and are demonstrated on well-characterized model proteins GB1 and ubiquitin.
Shelter From the Storm: TANF, Assets, and the Great Recession

A growing body of literature suggests that asset limits in public assistance are associated with low savings rates among low-income families. Several states have begun eliminating or significantly ...
Effect of Forest Structure and Fragmentation on Site Occupancy of Bat Species in Missouri Ozark Forests

Changes in structure and arrangement of forests may influence the distribution of bat communities by affecting roosting and foraging habitat. Using Anabat bat detectors, we determined presence of bat species at 316 sample plots in southeastern Missouri, USA, through qualitative identification of echolocation calls collected. We used maximum-likelihood estimation techniques incorporating detection probabilities into estimation of site occupancy by species of bats. We compared a priori models at 2 geographic scales using information theoretic methods. At the local-site scale, eastern pipistrelle (Pipistrellus subflavus) and red bat (Lasiurus borealis) occupancy was most influenced by structural characteristics of forested areas, whereas Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis) were influenced most by density of large-diameter snags that could provide roosting habitat. At the landscape scale, occupancy of Indiana bats was directly related to amount of nonforested land cover. Northern long-eared bat (M. septentrionalis) occupancy was inversely related to edge. These data describe implications of forest fragmentation and provide information that can be used when integrating forest-management practices into bat conservation.
Stand Risk Rating for the Southern Pine Beetle: Integrating Pest Management with Forest Management

Stand risk rating for the southern pine beetle. Dendroctonus frontalis Zimm., is a first step toWard dealing with a serious but sporadic insect problem. Two approaches, one utilizing readily available resource data, the other employing data obtained from aerial photographs, illustrate application of current knowledge to meet the protection needs of resource management-the primary role of integrated pest management. During a 36-month period in Louisiana, highrisk stands accounted for 13.4 infestations per 1,000 acres, four times the rate of low-risk stands; in Texas high-risk stands accounted for 9 .9 infestations per 1 ,000 acres during 1973-1978, almost five times the number for low. One of the most damaging ~nd unpredictable pests of southern pine forests is the southern pine beetle (SPB). Knowledge of SPB biology and ecology has grown immensely in recent years (Thatcher et al. 1980), but the onset or collapse of outbreaks still cannot be effectively predicted. Many factors that affect the SPB also affect the host trees--not necessarily in the same direction, or to the same extent. In the absence of a predictive biological understanding of the SPB, risk rating of stands can be utilized to develop sound, long-range plans that integrate pest management and forest man-' agement at minimal cost. This article describes two cost-effective approaches to implement stand risk rating over a large land base. Readily available inventory data are used in one system developed in Louisiana for national forests (Lorio 1978, Lorio and Sommers 1981 ); the other system was ,directed at mixed ownerships in east Texas (Mason 1979, Mason et al. 1981 ). These applications exemplify the practicality of integrating pest management strategies with operational forest management.
Paranasal Sinuses on MR Images of the Brain: Significance of Mucosal Thickening

One hundred twenty-eight patients were examined prospectively to determine the significance of mucosal thickening seen in the paranasal sinuses during routine MR imaging of the brain. On the basis of responses to a questionnaire, each patient was categorized as symptomatic (n = 60) or asymptomatic (n = 68) for paranasal sinus disease. Patients were categorized further on the basis of the maximal mucosal thickening seen by MR in any paranasal sinus. A modified t test was used to compare the prevalence of various degrees of mucosal thickening between symptomatic and asymptomatic groups. Statistically significant differences between the groups were seen only in those patients with normal sinuses and in those with 4 mm or more of mucosal thickening. We conclude that mucosal thickening of up to 3 mm is common and lacks clinical significance in asymptomatic patients. An ancillary finding is that 1- to 2-mm areas of mucosal thickening in the ethmoidal sinuses occur in 63% of asymptomatic patients. This minimal mucosal thickening in the ethmoidal sinuses is thought to be a normal variant, possibly a function of the physiologic nasal cycle.
A Preliminary Report on the Foreign Parasites of Popillia Japonica

A general report on the progress of investigations for the parasites of the green Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) in Japan and Korea. The parasites found comprise three Tachinids upon adult beetles, two Dexiids and five Scoliids upon grubs, and one predator, Shipments totalling 326,000 individuals, in various stages, have been forwarded to the Bureau laboratory at Riverton, New Jersey, for colonization.
Epidemiological investigation of 1 case of food poisoning by vibro alginolyticus

Objective To analyze 1 case of food poisoning which was caused by vibro alginolyticus in a district area of Nantong,and to provide theoretical basis for protection.Methods Hygienic investigation and epidemiological investigation were used to investigate the case of food poisoning,laboratory isolation and culture was used to detect the collected specimens,and statistical methods and case-control study were used to identify the reasons of this food poisoning and propose targeted countermeasures.Results According to these results,this food poisoning was caused by vibro alginolyticus,it may be due to use chopper and chopping boards to chip food regardless of raw and cooked,and food was not completely processed.Conclusion The biological characteristics of vibro alginolyticus is similar with vibrion parahaemolyticus.There were never been relevant reports in Nantong region,and the food posioning of vibro alginolyticus were rarely reported in other regions.Health administrative departments and the centers for disease control and prevention should strengthen the identification and study of this kind of food poisoning,and take preventive measures to prevent it.
Cooled perch effects on performance and well-being traits in caged White Leghorn hens.

We assessed the effects of chilled water cooling perches on hen performance and physiological and behavioral parameters under "natural" high temperatures during the 2013 summer with a 4-hour acute heating episode. White Leghorns at 16 wk of age (N = 162) were randomly assigned to 18 cages (n = 9) arranged into 3 units. Each unit was assigned to one of the 3 treatments through 32 wk of age: 1) cooled perches, 2) air perches, and 3) no perches. Chilled water (10°C) was circulated through the cooled perches when cage ambient temperature exceeded 25°C. At the age of 27.6 wk, hens were subjected to a 4-hour acute heating episode of 33.3°C and plasma corticosterone was determined within 2 hours. Egg production was recorded daily. Feed intake and egg and shell quality were measured at 5-week intervals. Feather condition, foot health, adrenal and liver weights, plasma corticosterone, and heat shock protein 70 mRNA were determined at the end of the study at 32 wk of age. The proportion of hens per cage perching, feeding, drinking, panting, and wing spreading was evaluated over one d every 5 wks and on the d of acute heat stress. There were no treatment effects on the measured physiological and production traits except for nail length. Nails were shorter for cooled perch hens than control (P = 0.002) but not air perch hens. Panting and wing spread were observed only on the day of acute heat stress. The onset of both behaviors was delayed for cooled perch hens, and they perched more than air perch hens following acute heat stress (P = 0.001) and at the age 21.4 wk (P = 0.023). Cooled perch hens drank less than control (P = 0.019) but not air perch hens at the age 21.4 wk. These results indicate that thermally cooled perches reduced thermoregulatory behaviors during acute heat stress, but did not affect their performance and physiological parameters under the ambient temperature imposed during this study.
Some Problems with the Concept of ‘Feedback’

The concept of ‘feedback’, originally a technical term of cybernetics, has been so widely applied that it has become part of our everyday vocabulary. Though both scientists and philosophers have considered in detail a number of conceptual issues suggested by the perspectives of cybernetics, this basic concept has not yet received the critical attention it deserves.
Sum-rule corrections: a route to error cancellations in correlation matrix renormalisation theory

ABSTRACTWe recently proposed the correlation matrix renormalisation (CMR) theory to efficiently and accurately calculate ground state total energy of molecular systems, based on the Gutzwiller variational wavefunction (GWF) to treat the electronic correlation effects. To help reduce numerical complications and better adapt the CMR to infinite lattice systems, we need to further refine the way to minimise the error originated from the approximations in the theory. This conference proceeding reports our recent progress on this key issue, namely, we obtained a simple analytical functional form for the one-electron renormalisation factors, and introduced a novel sum-rule correction for a more accurate description of the intersite electron correlations. Benchmark calculations are performed on a set of molecules to show the reasonable accuracy of the method.
Abstract 339: Combining Urgent Coronary Angiography With Therapeutic Hypothermia Does Not Slow Cooling Times for Comatose Survivors of Cardiac Arrest

Introduction: Selected comatose survivors of out-of-hospital-cardiac arrest (OHCA) meet criteria for both emergent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and induction of mild therapeutic hypothermia (MTH). It is unclear which should be performed first. We hypothesized that urgent catheterization prior to MTH may significantly prolong time to cooling. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study, reviewing electronic medical records of all patients treated with MTH in the University of Michigan Emergency Department (ED) for OHCA. We identified whether the endovascular cooling device was inserted in the ED or catheterization lab and assessed time from ED arrival to cooling device insertion, to cooling initiation, and to reaching ≤33.5°C. Neurological outcomes were determined by Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) via chart review. Times were compared via Student’s t-tests. Results: Between 7/1/2006 and 9/14/2012, 123 consecutive patients were treated with MTH. Twenty-six (22%) had their device placed in the catheterization lab (14/26 received PCI) while 92 (77%) had theirs placed in the ED. There was no significant difference between catheterization lab v. ED device placement in time from ED arrival to device insertion, arrival to cooling initiation, and arrival to reaching target temperature (see table). Forty-six percent vs 39% of those whose devices were inserted in the catheterization lab vs ED survived past hospital discharge (OR 1.8; 95% CI 0.7-4.4), and 35% vs 39% had favorable 6-month neurological outcomes (OR 1.3; 95% CI 0.5-3.3). Conclusions: In our system, initiating cooling in the catheterization lab as opposed to the ED does not significantly delay cooling times. The resources and efficiencies involved in activation of the cath lab team may offset the time taken to perform angiography and potential subsequent PCI. These data support the practice of immediate cardiac catheterization in appropriate comatose survivors of cardiac arrest.
CAre: Certificate Authority Rescue Engine for Proactive Security

Cryptography and encryption is a topic that is blurred by its complexity making it difficult for the majority of the public to easily grasp. The focus of our research is based on SSL technology involving CAs, a centralized system that manages and issues certificates to web servers and computers for validation of identity. We first explain how the certificate provides a secure connection creating a trust between two parties looking to communicate with one another over the internet. Then the paper goes into what happens when trust is compromised and how information that is being transmitted could possibly go into the hands of the wrong person. We are proposing a browser plugin, Certificate Authority Rescue Engine (CAre), to serve as an added source of security with simplicity and visibility. In order to see why CAre will be an added benefit to average and technical users of the internet, one must understand what website security entails. Therefore, this paper will dive deep into website security through the use of public key infrastructure and its core components; certificates, certificate authorities, and their relationship with web browsers.
Creating and providing data management services for the biological and ecological sciences: science environment for ecological knowledge

The Science Environment for Ecological Knowledge (SEEK) [1] is an information technology project designed to address the many challenges associated with data accessibility and integration of large-scale biocomplexity data in the ecological sciences. The SEEK project is creating cyberinfrastructure encompassing three integrated systems: EcoGrid, a Semantic Mediation System (SMS) and an Analysis and Modeling System (AMS). SEEK enables ecologists to efficiently capture, organize and search for data and analytical processes (i.e., scientific workflows) from their desktop in a user friendly interface -ultimately providing access to global data and analytical resources typically out of reach for many ecologists. The prototype application is ecological niche modeling.
Purchasing Production Equipment: Other Devices

Filmmaking equipment goes well beyond cameras. The amount of gear that you can purchase is mind-boggling, however each device is built to serve specific functions. For example, some microphones are more appropriate for certain recording scenarios than others. Camera stabilization equipment, like tripods, removes distracting movement from scenes. Oppositely, dynamic movement of a camera, such as sweeping through a landscape with a drone , can bring landscapes to life. Using tools to adjust the light gives you greater latitude to enhance the character and value of each scene. It is important to examine the many options, and how they might play into the successful production of your films. Early identification of all the gear that you need helps you (1) adjust your filmmaking budget or (2) correct how you are going to allocate your funds. This chapter introduces some of the gear that you can purchase, however value and use of this equipment will be discussed in subsequent chapters.
Nonsensical choices? Fall armyworm moths choose seemingly best or worst hosts for their larvae, but neonate larvae make their own choices

Selecting optimal host plants is critical for herbivorous insects, such as fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), an important maize pest in the Americas and Africa. Fall armyworm larvae are presumed to have limited mobility, hence female moths are presumed to be largely responsible for selecting hosts. We addressed host selection by fall armyworm moths and neonate and older (3rd-instar) larvae, as mediated by resistance and herbivory in maize plants. Thus, we compared discrimination among three maize cultivars with varying degrees of resistance to fall armyworm, and between plants subjected or not to two types of herbivory. The cultivars were: (i) susceptible, and deficient in jasmonic acid (JA) production and green leaf volatiles (GLV) emissions (inbred line B73-lox10); (ii) modestly resistant (B73), and; (iii) highly resistant (Mp708). The herbivory types were: (i) ongoing (= fall armyworm larvae present), and; (ii) future (= fall armyworm eggs present). In choice tests, moths laid more eggs on the highly resistant cultivar, and least on the susceptible cultivar, though on those cultivars larvae performed poorest and best, respectively. In the context of herbivory, moths laid more eggs: (i) on plants subject to versus free of future herbivory, regardless of whether plants were deficient or not in JA and GLV production; (ii) on plants subject versus free of ongoing herbivory, and; (iii) on plants not deficient in compared to deficient in JA and GLV production. Neonate larvae dispersed aerially from host plants (i.e. ballooned), and most larvae colonized the modestly resistant cultivar, and fewest the highly resistant cultivar, suggesting quasi-directional, directed aerial descent. Finally, dispersing older larvae did not discriminate among the three maize cultivars, nor between maize plants and (plastic) model maize plants, suggesting random, visually-oriented dispersal. Our results were used to assemble a model of host selection by fall armyworm moths and larvae, including recommendations for future research.
Elevated glycohemoglobin HbA1c is associated with low back pain in nonoverweight diabetics

Abstract Background Context Low back pain (LBP) is a common complaint in clinical practice of multifactorial origin. Although obesity has been thought to contribute to LBP primarily by altering the distribution of mechanical loads on the spine, the additional contribution of obesity-related conditions such as diabetes mellitus (DM) to LBP has not been thoroughly examined. Purpose To determine if there is a relationship between DM and LBP that is independent of body mass index (BMI) in a large cohort of adult survey participants. Study Design Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data to characterize associations between LBP, DM, and BMI in adults subdivided into 6 subpopulations: normal weight (BMI 18.5–25), overweight (BMI 25–30), and obese (BMI >30) diabetics and nondiabetics. Diabetes was defined with glycohemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥6.5%. Patient Sample 11,756 participants from NHANES cohort. Outcome Measures Percentage of LBP reported. Methods LBP reported in the 1999-2004 miscellaneous pain NHANES questionnaire was the dependent variable examined. Covariates included HbA1c, BMI, age, and family income ratio to poverty as continuous variables as well as race, gender, and smoking as binary variables. Individuals were further subdivided by weight class and diabetes status. Regression and graphical analyses were performed on the study population as a whole and also on subpopulations. Results Increasing HbA1c did not increase the odds of reporting LBP in the full cohort. However, multivariate logistic regression of the 6 subpopulations revealed that the odds of LBP significantly increased with increasing HbA1c levels in normal weight diabetics. No other subpopulations reported significant relationships between LBP and HbA1c. LBP was also significantly associated with BMI for normal weight diabetics and also for obese subjects regardless of their DM status. Conclusions LBP is significantly related to DM status, but this relationship is complex and may interact with BMI. These results support the concept that LBP may be improved in normal weight diabetic subjects with improved glycemic control and weight loss, and that all obese LBP subjects may benefit from improved weight loss alone.
Many-body effects in bcc metals: An embedded atom model extension of the modified Johnson pair potential for iron

In this work, we generalize a many-body extension of pairwise interatomic potentials originally proposed by Baskes [Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 2592 (1991)], in particular, showing how a pair potential interacting with multiple near neighbor shells may be extended to an embedded atom form without changing the cohesive energy or lattice constant. This is important for parametric studies of interatomic potentials, particularly how elastic constants affect other properties. Specifically, we apply this to the modified Johnson potential, a pair potential for Fe that has been used extensively for understanding liquid and amorphous metals.