cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) gene expression in the anterior pituitary. I. Presence of pro-TRH messenger ribonucleic acid and pro-TRH-derived peptide in a subpopulation of somatotrophs.

We have previously reported the presence of authentic pro-TRH-derived peptides in cultured anterior pituitary (AP) cells. The present studies were undertaken to determine whether pro-TRH mRNA could be demonstrated in the AP and to elucidate the cell type expressing pro-TRH. AP cells were cultured for up to 18 days, during which time the content of both TRH and prepro-TRH-(25-50) rose significantly (P < 0.01). In contrast, the cellular contents of LH, FSH, TSH, and ACTH fell significantly (P < 0.01), whereas that of GH increased by 45.9% (P < 0.05). Northern blot analysis revealed that the levels of pro-TRH mRNA extracted from AP cells (18 days in culture) were similar to those in hypothalamic tissue from adult male rats, indicating a high relative abundance of this mRNA in the AP. In situ hybridization experiments showed a dense accumulation of silver grains over a subpopulation of cultured AP cells. A combination of in situ hybridization for pro-TRH mRNA and immunocytochemistry for pituitary hormones rev...
Developing a Multicultural Curriculum in a Predominantly White Teaching Context: Lessons From an African American Teacher in a Suburban English Classroom

AbstractThe author sought to understand an African American English teacher's multicultural curriculum transformation and teaching in a suburban, mostly White, high school. Building on Banks's (1998) model of multicultural curriculum integration, the study focused on a context that might otherwise be ignored because there was not a large student‐of‐color representation in the school. The teacher in the study was operating at one of the highest levels of Banks's model, the transformational approach. Although the teacher shared characteristics with many of the Black teachers explored in the literature, there was one important difference: much of the research and theory about Black teachers and their instruction focus on Black teachers and their effectiveness in predominantly Black settings. The Black teacher in this study taught in a predominantly White teaching context. The study suggested that even teachers highly conscious of race, culture, gender, and ethnicity may find it difficult to reach the highest...
Light: Thank Einstein for the new super-photons

An exotic state of matter, the Bose-Einstein condensate, has been recreated in an intense beam of light – could it reach wavelengths that lasers can't?
JECP/SP: a computer program for generating stereographic projections, applicable to specimen orientation adjustment in TEM experiments

1. The crystallographic problem Stereographic projection (SP) is an important crystallographic tool in carrying out electron diffraction experiments and in the analysis of crystal structures and defects. There are several commercial or public-domain computer programs available that allow users to draw stereographic projections of direct and reciprocal space. While these programs are often sufficient for regular use, there are always situations when the user will need to perform a certain operation that is not a feature of any of the existing programs. In the present work, a computer program was written for generating stereographic projections and was also extended as an application for specimen orientation adjustment in TEM experiments. Computer-assisted specimen orientation adjustment in TEM experiments would be especially useful under certain circumstances, for example, when (i) a severely stained specimen is observed and the visibility of Kikuchi line pairs is thus poor; (ii) a beam-sensitive specimen is examined, and thus it is essential to shorten the time spent on specimen tilting when the electron beam is illuminating the area of interest; (iii) a smallgrain-size specimen is investigated, for which even a slight orientation adjustment may cause the corresponding diffraction pattern to disappear due to a lateral sample shift; and (iv) a crystalline specimen is used in acquiring electron diffraction intensities of reachable zone-axis patterns for structure determination. In these cases, under the guidance of this software, the microscope can be kept in the image mode when the specimen is tilted. The holder is tilted to the computer-predicted angles and the illuminated area of the specimen is kept in the area of interest or in some neighboring area until the target tilt angles have been obtained, afterwhich it is moved to the area of interest.
Combinatorial chemistry synthesis techniques

As pharmaceutical companies race to find new and novel drugs faster, the tools of combinatorial chemistry are increasingly playing a larger role. Chemists can now prepare hundreds or thousands of analogs simultaneously to reveal structure-activity relationships (SAR) all at once and potentially shorten the discovery process for new drugs by years. A wide variety of solid-phase organic chemistry techniques have evolved for the preparation of chemical libraries, such as H.M. Geysen et al.'s (1984) pin method, R.A. Houghten's (1985) tea-bag method, very large-scale immobilized polymer synthesis (VLSIPS), mix-and-split synthesis and soluble polymers. Solution-based techniques are also under refinement and several extractive techniques have been reported. Also, the use polymer-bound reagents and sequestration agents, for removing impurities, are being developed. An overview of chemical library techniques is presented.
Ultrahigh speed resonant tunneling diode/transmission line clock generator and track-and-hold

Resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) have been successfully used for high speed trigger sources and millimeter wave oscillators. Here, two new circuits combining RTDs and transmission lines (TL) are proposed for square wave clock generation in multigigahertz high speed digital circuits and for sampling analog signals at multigigahertz clock frequency data rates as is required in analog-to-digital converters. Both circuits require picosecond slew rates. The designs presented here are free of transistors and are limited in performance only by the switching speed of the RTD and the bandwidth of the transmission line. SPICE simulations incorporating a physics-based RTD model demonstrate the potential of these circuits for track-and-hold applications.
Influence of altered visual feedback on neck movement for a virtual reality rehabilitative system

This paper investigates altering visual feedback during neck movement through control-display (C-D) gain for a head-mounted display, for the purpose of determining the just noticeable difference (JND) for encouraging individuals with kinesiophobia (i.e. fear avoidance of movement due to chronic pain) to effectively perform therapeutic neck exercises. The JND was defined as .25 probability of detecting a difference from unity C-D gain (gain=1). A target-aiming task with two consecutive neck moves per trial was presented; one neck move had varying C-D gain and the other had unity gain. The VR system was able to influence neck moves without changing locations of the target. Participants indicated whether the two neck movements were the same or different. Logistic regression revealed that the JND gains were 0.903 (lower bound) and 1.159 (upper bound) as the participants could not discriminate a 55° turn, ranging from 49.7° to 63.7°. This preliminary study shows that immersive VR with altered visual feedback i...
The specific heat of pure copper and of some dilute copper + iron alloys showing a minimum in the electrical resistance at low temperatures

The specific heat of pure copper and of some dilute alloys of iron in copper, containing approximately 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2at. % iron, have been measured in the temperature range 0.4 to 30 °K. The electrical resistance of the copper + iron alloys has been measured from 0.4 to 80 °K. The alloys show specific-heat anomalies which probably extend from the absolute zero of temperature to the region of the minimum in electrical resistance. The entropy contents of the anomalies lie close to the value R In 2 per mole of iron suggesting that only two energy states of the iron ions are involved in the resistance minimum phenomena. The results are discussed in relation to existing theories.
THE DISADVANTAGED BEFORE THE BURGER COURT

Decisions of the Warren Court affecting the disadvantaged involved, almost exclusively, the constitutionally protected rights of indigent defendants and voters. In contrast, the Burger Court's decision-making has included a significant volume of cases affecting the material interests of the poor. As the analysis herein demonstrates, support for the interests of the poor by the Burger Court has been negatively associated with the material quality of the interest at stake. The Court's decisions suggest a reluctance to subject governmental classifications inimical to the poor to consistent and appropriate scrutiny. An alternative scheme for assessing equal protection claims is therefore offered.
Branch-mispredict level parallelism (BLP) for control independence

A microprocessorpsilas performance is fundamentally limited by the rate at which it can resolve branch mispredictions. Control independence (CI) architectures look for useful control and data independent instructions to fetch and execute in the shadow of a branch misprediction. This paper demonstrates that CI architectures can be guided to exploit substantial branch-mispredict level parallelism (BLP) in existing control intensive applications. A program has branch-mispredict level parallelism when its dynamic execution trace contains hard-to-predict branches that are both control and data independent, and thus could, potentially, be resolved in parallel. Although applications have a high degree of inherent BLP, we find that the amount of BLP exploited by naive CI architectures tends to be quite small. We show that spawn selection and data dependence handling policies in a CI architecture should make choices that explicitly aim to maximize branch-mispredict level parallelism. We demonstrate that with BLP-focussed policies, CI architectures can expose high amounts of branch-mispredict level parallelism and achieve 50% to 90% improvements in IPC on several of the SPEC 2000 Integer benchmarks.
Visual motion detection circuits in flies: peripheral motion computation by identified small-field retinotopic neurons

Giant motion-sensitive tangential neurons in the lobula plate are thought to be cardinal elements in the oculomotor pathways of flies. However, these large neurons do not themselves compute motion, and elementary motion detectors have been proposed only from theory. Here we identify the forms, projections, and responses of small-field retinotopic neurons that comprise a well known pathway from the retina to the lobula plate. Already at the level of the second and third synapses beneath the photoreceptor layer, certain of these small elements show responses that distinguish motion from flicker. At a level equivalent to the vertebrate inner plexiform layer (the fly's outer medulla) at least one retinotopic element is directionally selective. At the inner medulla, small retinotopic neurons with bushy dendrites extending through a few neighboring columns leave the inner medulla and supply inputs onto lobula plate tangentials. These medulla relays have directionally selective responses that are indistinguishable from those of large-field tangentials except for their amplitude and modulation with contrast frequency. Centrifugal neurons leading back from the inner medulla out to the lamina also show orientation-selective responses to motion. The results suggest that specific cell types between the lamina and inner medulla correspond to stages of the Hassenstein-Reichardt correlation model of motion detection.
Very low‐pressure pyrolysis. IV. The decomposition of i‐propyl iodide and n‐propyl iodide

The decomposition rate constant of i-PrI under conditions of very low-pressure pyrolysis (VLPP) is completely consistent with the well-known high-pressure Arrhenius parameters and the RRK(M) theory. The decomposition of n-PrI under the same conditions proceeds via two pathways, the anti-Markownikoff dehydroiodination and CI bond scission. The data, analyzed by taking into account the mutual interaction of the two pathways, is completely consistent with the known Arrhenius parameters for the bond scission step and, when combined with a reasonable A-factor, yields an activation energy for HI elimination which is as predicted for these semi-ion pair transition states.
Impulsivity and the Initiation of Fights in Children with Disruptive Behavior Disorders

This study examined whether children who initiate physical fights are impulsive as measured by a continuous performance test. A series of 111 7-13-year-old psychiatric patients were diagnosed using DSM-III-R criteria and divided according to whether they showed a persistent pattern of initiating physical fights. Children who initiated fights were impulsive irrespective of whether ADHD was present or not, although ADHD was also associated with increased impulsivity. Oppositional-defiant disorder and conduct disorder diagnoses were not associated with impulsivity. These findings are discussed in terms of an underlying impulsive personality trait and its possible relationship to outcome in children with disruptive behavior disorders.
Randomised trial of exercise dose in children reduces diabetes risk (as measured by insulin resistance) in both 20-min and 40-min doses

Commentary on Davis CL, Pollock NK, Waller JL, et al. Exercise dose and diabetes risk in overweight and obese children: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2012;308:1103–12[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] An increasing number of children are classified as obese and sedentary.1 Poor physical fitness and obesity contribute risk towards type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).2 Unfortunately, the simple ‘cure’ for childhood obesity, ‘move more, eat less’, remains elusive. A constant stream of studies addressing this global health ‘epidemic’ have not led to significant progress, in part because add-on physical activity programmes do not compensate for the degree to which the environment, and our choices within it, has reduced physical movement in our daily routine. This problem is highlighted in schools, where physical education and active recess have been whittled away by economic constraints. … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJAMA%26rft.stitle%253DJAMA%26rft.issn%253D0002-9955%26rft.aulast%253DDavis%26rft.auinit1%253DC.%2BL.%26rft.volume%253D308%26rft.issue%253D11%26rft.spage%253D1103%26rft.epage%253D1112%26rft.atitle%253DExercise%2Bdose%2Band%2Bdiabetes%2Brisk%2Bin%2Boverweight%2Band%2Bobese%2Bchildren%253A%2Ba%2Brandomized%2Bcontrolled%2Btrial.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1001%252F2012.jama.10762%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F22990269%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1001/2012.jama.10762&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=22990269&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F18%2F4%2F147.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000308861000026&link_type=ISI
Radiological reasoning: submucosal laryngeal mass.

OBJECTIVE This case illustrates the characteristic imaging findings of a laryngeal schwannoma and explores the differential diagnosis of a well-defined submucosal laryngeal mass. CONCLUSION Laryngeal schwannomas are rare but should be considered in cases of a well-defined submucosal lesion of the larynx to ensure proper surgical excision. Although imaging characteristics of laryngeal schwannomas are sometimes typical, they can also be nonspecific, and other entities should be kept in the differential diagnosis.
Reexamining the Role of the Accessory Plasmid pAtC58 in the Virulence of Agrobacterium tumefaciens Strain C58

Isogenic strains of Agrobacterium tumefaciens carrying pTiC58, pAtC58, or both were constructed and assayed semiquantitatively and quantitatively for virulence and vir gene expression to study the effect of the large 542-kb accessory plasmid, pAtC58, on virulence. Earlier studies indicate that the att (attachment) genes of A. tumefaciens are crucial in the ability of this soil phytopathogen to infect susceptible host plants. Mutations in many att genes, notably attR and attD, rendered the strain avirulent. These genes are located on pAtC58. Previous work also has shown that derivatives of the wild-type strain C58 cured of pAtC58 are virulent as determined by qualitative virulence assays and, hence, pAtC58 was described as nonessential for virulence. We show here that the absence of pAtC58 in pTiC58-containing strains results in reduced virulence but that disruption of the attR gene does not result in avirulence or a reduction in virulence. Our studies indicate that pAtC58 has a positive effect on vir gene induction as revealed by immunoblot analysis of Vir proteins and expression of a PvirB::lacZ fusion.
The Revised Alternation Condition in Lexical Phonology

The present paper makes a case for retention of the (Revised) Alternation Condition in Lexical Phonology, a theory in which any single rule which presebts beytralizing, lexical effects restricted to derived forms along with allophonic, derivationally unterstricted dffects is cominally impossible. However, Korean obstruent palatalization does display both of these properties, whereby /t, t h / neutralize with /ĉ, ĉ h / before [i], but only if the [i] occurs in another morpheme (cf. /pat h + i/→ [paĉ h i] ‘field-SUBJ’ vs. monomorphemic [pathi] ‘endure’), whereas / s / acquires the palatal allophone [∫[ before [i] both within ([∫i] ‘poem’) and between (/os + i/→ [o∫i] ‘cloth-SUBJ’) morphemes. The Revised Alternation Condition alone imposes just this restriction on a single palatalization rule functioning both lexically and post-lexically in Korean, which suggests that its removal from the theory is premature.
Analyzing medical processes

This paper shows how software engineering technologies used to define and analyze complex software systems can also be effective in detecting defects in human-intensive processes used to administer healthcare. The work described here builds upon earlier work demonstrating that healthcare processes can be defined precisely. This paper describes how finite-state verification can be used to help find defects in such processes as well as find errors in the process definitions and property specifications. The paper includes a detailed example, based upon a real-world process for transfusing blood, where the process defects that were found led to improvements in the process.
China's Economic Offensive and Taiwan's Defensive Measures: Cross-Strait Fruit Trade, 2005–2008

This article explains how Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration was able to restrict cross-Strait fruit trade and resist China's “fruit offensive” in a democratic setting. During 2004–2005, China implemented various preferential policies for the importation of Taiwanese fruit and wooed Taiwanese farmers in the rural south, where political support for the DPP was concentrated. However, trade statistics show that cross-Strait fruit trade only increased slightly, making up just 4 or 5 per cent of Taiwan's total fruit exports during 2005–2008. I argue that focusing solely on regime type ignores the formal and informal policy instruments a democratic state can wield to manage its commercial ties with, and resist economic offensives from, other states. Cross-Strait fruit trade was limited because the DPP used legal as well as corporatist informal policy instruments to resist China's fruit offensive. I conclude that state–society institutional relations explain cross-Strait economic relations and economic statecraft better than regime type alone.
Re‐examining extreme longevity of the cave crayfish Orconectes australis using new mark–recapture data: a lesson on the limitations of iterative size‐at‐age models

Summary 1. Centenarian species, defined as those taxa with life spans that frequently exceed 100 years, have long been of interest to ecologists because they represent an extreme end point in a continuum of life history strategies. One frequently reported example of a freshwater centenarian is the obligate cave crayfish Orconectes australis, with a maximum longevity reported to exceed 176 years. As a consequence of its reported longevity, O. australis has been used as a textbook example of life history adaptation to the organic-carbon limitation that characterises many cave-stream food webs. 2. Despite being widely reported, uncertainties surround the original estimates of longevity for O. australis, which were based on a single study dating from the mid-1970s. In the present study, we re-evaluated the growth rate, time-to-maturity, female age-at-first-reproduction and longevity of O. australis using a mark–recapture study of more than 5 years based upon more than 3800 free-ranging individuals from three isolated cave streams in the south-eastern United States. 3. The results of our study indicate that accurate estimates of the longevity of O. australis are ≤22 years, with only a small proportion of individuals (<5%) exceeding this age. Our estimates for female time-to-maturity (4–5 years) and age-at-first-reproduction (5–6 years) are also substantially lower than earlier estimates. 4. These new data indicate that the age thresholds for life history events of O. australis are comparable to other estimates for a modest assemblage of cave and surface species of crayfish for which credible age estimate exists, suggesting that a cave environment per se is not required for the evolution of extreme longevity in crayfish.
Modeling Situation Factors Used in MCE Procedures for Raster GIS

Multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) procedures are widely used in raster-based geographic information systems (GIS) to perform a variety of land use siting applications. Many of the criteria used in an MCE analysis are based on spatial relationships or situation characteristics. Situation factors measure the accessibility that each raster cell is to resources or land uses that generate spatial externalities for the activity being sited. This accessibility can be measured either in terms of distance to the nearest target cell containing resources or the overall level of resource availability as measured by a spatial interaction model. This paper examines the spatial structure of these situation factors to identify the set of critical target cells for which distance estimates are most sensitive. Critical target cells are especially important in the case of positive externalities in which an activity would be inclined to locate near these cells to use or consume the resources there. Critical target cells are useful for evaluating the utility of the final site selection with respect to resource/activity ratios.
Choking off Plaque Neovascularity: A Promising Atheroprotective Strategy or A Double-Edged Sword?

“For every complex problem there is a simple solution—and it’s wrong.” — H.L. Mencken Atherosclerosis is a highly prevalent disease that results from a complex interplay between lipids, endothelial cells, immunoinflammatory cells, cytokines, extracellular matrix, and neovascularization.1 Several lines of evidence suggest that increased adventitial and plaque neovascularity, commonly observed in murine and human atherosclerosis, plays an important role in progression and, possibly, destabilization of atherosclerosis.1–9 Increased plaque neovascularity may contribute to plaque progression by its link to inflammation, as a source of intraplaque hemorrhage and plaque lipid (Figure).1,5,7–9 Schematic illustrates the potential mechanisms of plaque neoangiogenesis and its potential role in atherosclerotic plaque progression. The putative mechanism by which oral DNA Vaccine against Flk-1 (fetal liver kinase or VEGFR2)-expressing cells may inhibits angiogenesis and plaque progression is also shown. The red arrows indicate the potential adverse aspects of such a therapeutic strategy. VEGF indicates vascular endothelial growth factor; VEGFR2, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2; IL-8, interleukin-8. See page 1095 The precise mechanisms contributing to increased plaque neovascularity remain to be defined; however, inflammation and one or more angiogenic growth factors have been implicated. One of the pathways for angiogenesis leading to neovascularization involves the family of vascular endothelial growth factor(s) (VEGF) and their receptors (VEGFR). Therefore, VEGF and VEGFR mediated angiogenesis has emerged …
Kinematic motion control of wheeled mobile robots considering curvature constraints

This paper presents a time invariant kinematic motion controller for wheeled mobile robots. A path manifold that considers curvature limitations is used to provide a desired path shape and convergence to the reference posture or trajectory. Lyapunov based techniques are then used to derive a control law that asymptotically converges the robot to thepath manifold. Posture regulation, path following, and trajectory tracking capability are provided. Allowable initial conditions are estimated based upon curvature constraints of the robot. Curvature boundaries and asymptotic convergence naturally limit allowable initial conditions and are resolved by driving the robot to intermediate goal points within regions of allowable initial conditions. The proposed controller is evaluated in simulation.
A functorial approach to weak amenability for commutative Banach algebras

Let A be a commutative algebra, and let M be a bimodule over A . A derivation from A into M is a linear mapping D : A → M that satisfies If M is only a left A -module, by a derivation from A into M we mean a linear mapping D : A → M such that Each A -bimodule M is trivially a left module. However, unless it is commutative , i.e. the two classes of linear operators from A into M characterized by (1) and (2), respectively, need not coincide.
Movement of Carbon from Vegetative Cells to Heterocysts in Anabaena cylindrica

Abstract Radioactive carbon assimilated by vegetative cells of Anabaena cylindrica in the light passed via an intrafilamentous route into heterocysts in the dark. After several hours, label per heterocyst approximated label per vegetative cell. Much of the label entering heterocysts was not available for diffusional exchange back into vegetative cells.
Resting state connectivity immediately following learning correlates with subsequent sleep-dependent enhancement of motor task performance

There is ongoing debate concerning the functions of resting-state brain activity. Prior work demonstrates that memory encoding enhances subsequent resting-state functional connectivity within task-relevant networks and that these changes predict better recognition. Here, we used functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI) to examine whether task-induced changes in resting-state connectivity correlate with performance improvement after sleep. In two separate sessions, resting-state scans were acquired before and after participants performed a motor task. In one session participants trained on the motor sequence task (MST), a well-established probe of sleep-dependent memory consolidation, and were tested the next day, after a night of sleep. In the other session they performed a motor control task (MCT) that minimized learning. In an accompanying behavioral control study, participants trained on the MST and were tested after either a night of sleep or an equivalent interval of daytime wake. Both the fcMRI and the sleep control groups showed significant improvement of MST performance, while the wake control group did not. In the fcMRI group, increased connectivity in bilateral motor cortex following MST training correlated with this next-day improvement. This increased connectivity did not appear to reflect initial learning since it did not correlate with learning during training and was not greater after MST training than MCT performance. Instead, we hypothesize that this increased connectivity processed the new memories for sleep-dependent consolidation. Our findings demonstrate that physiological processes immediately after learning correlate with sleep-dependent performance improvement and suggest that the wakeful resting brain prepares memories of recent experiences for later consolidation during sleep.
Rap1 relocalization contributes to the chromatin-mediated gene expression profile and pace of cell senescence

Cellular senescence is accompanied by dramatic changes in chromatin structure and gene expression. Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants lacking telomerase (tlc1Δ) to model senescence, we found that with critical telomere shortening, the telomere-binding protein Rap1 (repressor activator protein 1) relocalizes to the upstream promoter regions of hundreds of new target genes. The set of new Rap1 targets at senescence (NRTS) is preferentially activated at senescence, and experimental manipulations of Rap1 levels indicate that it contributes directly to NRTS activation. A notable subset of NRTS includes the core histone-encoding genes; we found that Rap1 contributes to their repression and that histone protein levels decline at senescence. Rap1 and histones also display a target site-specific antagonism that leads to diminished nucleosome occupancy at the promoters of up-regulated NRTS. This antagonism apparently impacts the rate of senescence because underexpression of Rap1 or overexpression of the core histones delays senescence. Rap1 relocalization is not a simple consequence of lost telomere-binding sites, but rather depends on the Mec1 checkpoint kinase. Rap1 relocalization is thus a novel mechanism connecting DNA damage responses (DDRs) at telomeres to global changes in chromatin and gene expression while driving the pace of senescence.
Ethical Supply Chains in the Cocoa, Coffee and Tea Industries

Ethical trade is an increasingly popular approach that allows companies to manage the social and environmental dimensions of their supply chains. Yet is it able to benefit poor producers and workers in developing economies, particularly those who outside of industrial production systems? This paper examines how ethical trade is being applied to smallholder tea, coffee and cocoa growers in Asia, Africa and South America. It shows that many of the primary concerns among growers are not included in ethical trade standards. It argues that, although civil-society organisations have influenced the direction and scope of such standards (e.g. through partnerships with companies), the cultural and ideational dimensions to ethical trade impose limits on what can be modified and improved. Furthermore, the standards overlook critical aspects of business practice and their consequences for growers. The consequences of this are not only potentially detrimental for ethical trade’s intended beneficiaries but also for this system’s corporate supporters. No matter what the business case may be for ethical trade, ultimately its success depends on accurately identifying and addressing the well-being of those in developing countries. This paper shows not only how far we are from achieving that goal but also some of the hitherto unrecognised reasons.
Improving the Convergence of Schwarz Methods for Helmholtz Equation

Various domain decompositionmethods have been proposed for the Helmholtz equation, with the Optimized Schwarz Method (OSM) being one of them (see e.g. [7] for a review of various domain decomposition methods, and [3] for the details of OSM). In this paper, we focus on OSM, which is based on the idea of using approximated half-space Dirichlet-to-Neumann (DtN) maps to improve the convergence of the Schwarz methods; current version of the OSM is based on polynomial approximation of the half-space DtN map. See [8] for a review of various approaches to approximating the half-space DtN map (more commonly referred to as Absorbing Boundary Conditions (ABCs)).
Use of the back of the hands to apply imiquimod

THERAPEUTIC CHALLENGE Topical imiquimod is an approved treatment for actinic keratoses on the face and scalp. Because individual sachets contain only 250mg ofmedicated cream,maximizing application efficiency is useful. Although multiple studies have compared differing application frequencies, the application process has not varied: apply to the treatment area in a thin layer, rub in until it disappears, and then wash hands. This process is effective and user-friendly, but applying dots of cream to the face or scalp and using the fingertips to blend the dots together may not be optimal.
Does perceived injustice correlate with pain intensity and disability in orthopaedic trauma patients

Abstract Introduction Individuals who experience musculoskeletal trauma may construe the experience as unjust and themselves as victims. Perceived injustice is a cognitive construct comprised by negative appraisals of the severity of loss as a consequence of injury, blame, injury-related loss, and unfairness. It has been associated with worse physical and psychological outcomes in the context of chronic health conditions. The purpose of this study is to explore the association of perceived injustice to pain intensity and physical function in patients with orthopaedic trauma. Methods A total of 124 orthopaedic trauma patients completed the Injustice Experience Questionnaire (IEQ), the PROMIS Physical Function Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT), the PROMIS Pain Intensity instruments, the short form Patient Health Questionnaire for depression (PHQ-2), the short form Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ-2), and the short form Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS-4) on a tablet computer. A stepwise linear regression model was used to identify the best combination of predictors explaining variance in PROMIS Physical Function and PROMIS Pain Intensity. Results The IEQ was associated with PROMIS Physical Function ( r =−0.36; P r =0.43; P β =5.1, SE: 2.0, P =0.013, 95% CI: 1.1–9.2), employed work status ( β =5.1, SE: 1.5, P =0.001, 95% CI: 2.1–8.2), any cause of injury other than sports, mvc, or fall ( β =7.7, SE: 2.1, P β =0.93, SE: 0.23, P β =1.2, SE: 0.12, P Conclusion Perceived injustice was associated with both physical function and pain intensity in bivariate correlations, but was not deemed as an important predictor when assessed along with other demographic and psychosocial variables in multivariable analysis. This study confirms prior research on the pivotal role of catastrophic thinking and self-efficacy in reports of pain intensity and physical function in patients with acute traumatic musculoskeletal pain.
Saber-sheath trachea in a patient with severe COPD

An 86-year-old man was evaluated for chronic cough and right lower lobe (RLL) mass. His medical history was significant for severe chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD). He had smoked one pack of cigarettes daily for 55 years. He had a barrel-shaped chest and diminished breath sounds in bilateral lungs were heard. CT of the chest noted RLL mass and abnormal configuration of the trachea (figure 1). Bronchoscopic examination showed an enlarged non-collapsible horseshoe-shaped trachea (figure 2). Endobronchial ultrasound with fine-needle aspiration of the left paratracheal lymph nodes revealed squamous cell carcinoma. A diagnosis of stage IIIb lung cancer was …
Dissociation of changes in metabolic rate and blood pressure with erythrocyte Na-K pump activity in older men after endurance training.

We examined whether changes in resting metabolic rate (RMR) and blood pressure in older normotensive men in response to endurance training were associated with alterations in the Na-K pump activity of plasma-bathed erythrocytes. Eleven men performed cycling exercise three times a week for 8 weeks, and six other men served as controls. Measurements included: RMR by indirect calorimetry, supine blood pressure, body composition by underwater weighing, plasma and erythrocyte Na and K parameters using flame photometry and ouabain. Peak VO2 increased 12% (p < .001), RMR increased 10% (p < .01), mean blood pressure decreased 5% (p < .05), erythrocyte K increased 5% (p < .01), plasma K decreased 7% (p < .001), and plasma Na decreased by 4% (p < .001) in response to training. Erythrocyte Na and Na-K pump rate did not change, nor did the individual changes correlate with changes in RMR or mean blood pressure. Exercise training increases RMR and reduces blood pressure in older men, but these changes are dissociated with erythrocyte Na-K pump activity.
Development of Zinc Phosphide as an Absorber Using Chemical Reflux Technique.

Recent trend in thin film solar cells is to use earth abundant materials such as zinc and iron. Zinc phosphide (Zn3P2) has been has been explored as a choice for solar cell absorber and is currently reviving attention. Zinc phosphide is synthesized from earth-abundant constituents. We have already optimized zinc phosphide phase both in nanocrystalline and bulk thin film form. The purpose of this study is to study growth conditions at different temperatures. In this study, Trioctylphosphine (TOP) is used as a source of phosphorous which reacts with zinc and results in the growth of Zn3P2. The synthesized zinc phosphide phase has been characterized using SEM, EDS, XRD and XPS. We report a simple and repeatable process for synthesis of Zn3P2 phase.
Student Collaboration and Standards-Based Music Learning: A Literature Review.

This article is a review of relevant literature on collaborative, standards-based music learning. The review is organized as follows: (a) historical perspective, (b) collaborative music learning, (...
Study of execution of knowledge management in mining enterprise

The definition of knowledge and knowledge management is explained.On the basis of analyzing recent status of Chinese mining enterprises,the necessity of execution of knowledge management is discussed and the measures for execution are suggested.
MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF ASTROCYTES REGULATING CHRONIC PAIN

Clinical management of chronic pain is a real challenge and deeper researches are needed on the cellular mechanisms that initiate and maintain chronic pain so as to develop new analgesics.Researches in recent year indicate that glial cells,such as microglia and astrocytes in central nervous system(CNS) play an important role in the development and maintenance of chronic pain.Notably,astrocytes that are abundant in number and occupy the largest volume in CNS make very close contacts with synapses,and astrocytic activation is more persistent than microglial activation in situations of chronic pain induced by peripheral nerve injury,tissue damage,tumor infiltration,arthritis,etc.and displays a closer correlation with chronic pain behaviors.Accumulating evidence indicates that activated spinal cord astrocytes release proinfammatory cytokines and chemokines via MAP kinases,which contributes to the maintenance of pain states.This review focuses on recent advances on the roles of spinal cord astrocytes in chronic pain.
Perinatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury

This variety of brain injury accounts for more of the nonprogressive neurological deficits seen in children than any other type. Those of concern are principally mental retardation, seizures, and a variety of motor deficits—especially spasticity—but also choreoathetosis and ataxia, often grouped together as “cerebral palsy.” This discussion includes pathophysiological aspects of hypoxic-ischemic insults to the brain, the clinical features in the neonatal period, and the neuropathological lesions with their accompanying neurological sequelae.
Headache and Psychiatric Disorders

Headaches and psychopathology were evaluated in 1013 children, aged 9 to 15 years, enrolled in the Great Smoky Mountains Study, and reported from Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC.
Autophagy, TGF-β, and SMAD-2/3 Signaling Regulates Interferon-β Response in Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infected Macrophages.

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a lung tropic virus causing severe airway diseases including bronchiolitis and pneumonia among infants, children and immuno-compromised individuals. RSV triggers transforming growth factor-beta(TGF-beta) production from lung epithelial cells and TGF-beta facilitates RSV infection of these cells. However, it is still unknown whether RSV infected myeloid cells like macrophages produce TGF-beta and the role of TGF-beta if any during RSV infection of these cells. Our study revealed that RSV infected macrophages produce TGF-beta and as a consequence these cells activate TGF-beta dependent SMAD-2/3 signaling pathway. Further mechanistic studies illustrated a role of autophagy in triggering TGF-beta production from RSV infected macrophages. In an effort to elucidate the role of TGF-beta and SMAD-2/3 signaling during RSV infection, we surprisingly unfolded the requirement of TGF-beta---SMAD2/3 signaling in conferring optimal innate immune antiviral response during RSV infection of macrophages. Type-I interferon (e.g. interferon-beta or IFN-beta) is a critical host factor regulating innate immune antiviral response during RSV infection. Our study revealed that loss of TGF-beta---SMAD2/3 signaling pathway in RSV infected macrophages led to diminished expression and production of IFN-beta. Inhibiting autophagy in RSV infected macrophages also resulted in reduced production of IFN-beta. Thus, our studies have unfolded the requirement of autophagy---TGF-beta---SMAD2/3 signaling network for optimal innate immune antiviral response during RSV infection of macrophages.
Rare Genetic Causes of Stroke

Cerebrovascular diseases are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. While modifiable and nonmodifiable vascular risk factors have been identified in patients with cerebrovascular disease, these account for only a portion of the risk. It is becoming increasingly evident that genetics play a significant role in determining stroke risk with both single gene mutations and polygenic diseases contributing to stroke predisposition. Single gene mutations causing mitochondrial and metabolic dysfunction, connective tissue instability, and vascular damage and polygenic syndromes linked to hemostasis and metabolic disorders have all been associated with increased risk of stroke. Evidence from linkage analysis, twin studies, candidate gene approaches, and genome-wide association studies have drastically improved our understanding of the genetic basis for cerebrovascular disease and continue to provide valuable insight about the genetic link to stroke and related disorders. In this chapter we review uncommon genetic causes of stroke, including mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS), hereditary endotheliopathy with retinopathy, nephropathy, and stroke (HERNS), homocystinuria, inherited connective tissue disorders, and moyamoya disease.
Multi-gigabit operation of a compact, broadband modulator based on ENZ confinement in indium oxide

We report the first high-speed demonstration of a compact electroabsorption modulator based on epsilon-near-zero confinement in conducting oxide films. The non-resonant, 4μm-long device operates simultaneously over the entire C band through field-effect carrier density tuning.
Optimizing the stimulus presentation paradigm design for the P300-based brain-computer interface using performance prediction

Objective. The role of a brain-computer interface (BCI) is to discern a user's intended message or action by extracting and decoding relevant information from brain signals. Stimulus-driven BCIs, such as the P300 speller, rely on detecting event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to a user attending to relevant or target stimulus events. However, this process is error-prone because the ERPs are embedded in noisy electroencephalography (EEG) data, representing a fundamental problem in communication of the uncertainty in the information that is received during noisy transmission. A BCI can be modeled as a noisy communication system and an information-theoretic approach can be exploited to design a stimulus presentation paradigm to maximize the information content that is presented to the user. However, previous methods that focused on designing error-correcting codes failed to provide significant performance improvements due to underestimating the effects of psycho-physiological factors on the P300 ERP elicitation process and a limited ability to predict online performance with their proposed methods. Maximizing the information rate favors the selection of stimulus presentation patterns with increased target presentation frequency, which exacerbates refractory effects and negatively impacts performance within the context of an oddball paradigm. An information-theoretic approach that seeks to understand the fundamental trade-off between information rate and reliability is desirable. Approach. We developed a performance-based paradigm (PBP) by tuning specific parameters of the stimulus presentation paradigm to maximize performance while minimizing refractory effects. We used a probabilistic-based performance prediction method as an evaluation criterion to select a final configuration of the PBP. Main results. With our PBP, we demonstrate statistically significant improvements in online performance, both in accuracy and spelling rate, compared to the conventional row-column paradigm. Significance. By accounting for refractory effects, an information-theoretic approach can be exploited to significantly improve BCI performance across a wide range of performance levels.
Conductance nonreciprocity on the surface of a topological insulator with magnetic electrodes

Abstract Asymmetric electrical conductance is theoretically demonstrated on the surface of a topological insulator (TI) in the limit of infinitesimally small forward and reverse biases between two spin selective electrodes. The discontinuous behavior relies on the spin-momentum interlocked nature of TI surface electrons together with the resulting imbalance in the coupling coefficients between the electrodes and TI surface states. The analysis is based on a transmission matrix model that, in combination with a phenomenological treatment for the diffusive limit, accounts for both ballistic and scattered paths simultaneously. With the estimated conductance asymmetry over a factor of 10, implementations in the ratchet-like applications and low-voltage rectification circuits are potentially practicable.
Lunotriquetral Ligament Reconstruction Utilizing a Palmaris Longus Autograft

Injury to the lunotriquetral ligament can result in midcarpal instability, with resultant alterations in normal wrist kinematics and subsequent arthrosis. We performed a previously undescribed technique of lunotriquetral ligament reconstruction in two patients utilizing a palmaris longus tendon autograft. Average age at presentation was 24 years old with a mean follow up of 10 months. Average range of motion was 62.5° of flexion and 57.5° of extension. Total arc of motion was 83% of the contralateral uninvolved extremity. Average grip strength was 31 kg which was 91% of the contralateral extremity. Average Quick Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand score was 12.5 and Modern Activity Subjective Survey of 2007 was 1.5. No complications were noted.