cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding Hospitality Employers’ Perceptions of Preemployment Testing in Determining Successful Hires

The main objectives of this research were to investigate traits that hospitality managers use to define successful hires and the role of preemployment testing methods in determining successful hire...
Conventions and The Normativity of Law

This essay criticises the attempt to explain the so-called normativity of law with reference to a model of coordination conventions. After specifying the explanandum of the normativity of law, I lay out the conceptions of ‘coordination’ and ‘convention’ and how the combination of both sets out to contribute to legal philosophy. I then present two arguments against such an account. Firstly, along a reductio ad absurdum , I claim that if an account of coordination conventions tries to explain the normativity of law by focusing on a coordination problem among judges it leads to self-contradiction. Secondly, I argue that even if one allows for widening the coordination problem beyond the group of judges, one is unable to account for the notion of duty. I will substantiate this second argument by distinguishing different scopes of the deontic operator “ought”. I conclude by reconsidering what explaining the normativity of law could amount to.
Text Analysis as a Guide for Research in Art Education

Researchers in art education are pursuing complex questions in diverse areas of inquiry including historical context, art criticism, assessment, and the sociology of art. Research methods are drawn from the social disciplines as well as the physical sciences. The authors contend that in order for progress to continue in the development of research methods that support the analysis of complex data, a multilayered framework of overlapping and connecting orientations to the question of reality needs to be built and explored. The purpose of this article is to present the initial version of such a framework based on information derived from the study of text analysis. Use of the framework as an exploratory guide is intended to facilitate design of research that addresses the analysis of complex multidimensional data.
Analytical Electron Microscopy: X-Ray Microanalysis Using the Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses analytical electron microscopy. The key to the analytical electron microscope is the controllable electron beam. By focusing the beam to a fine probe and collecting all the characteristic emitted radiations such as X rays, optical photons, inelastically scattered electrons, and energy loss electrons, the complete chemical composition and crystallography of the selected region could in principle be determined. The chapter discusses the physical basis of the techniques of X-ray microanalysis, summarizes some of the more important parameters influencing the microanalysis, and presents its outstanding capabilities with a number of examples of metallurgical interest. Performing X-ray microanalysis in the scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) has two principal advantages over carrying it out in the electron probe microanalyzer. The first is an intrinsic advantage conferred by the use of very thin samples, thin enough for appreciable electron transmission. The second principal advantage of the STEM is that the microanalysis can be directly correlated to the substructural detail such as a local precipitate morphology or crystal structure obtained from the identical region in the conventional imaging or diffraction mode of the transmission microscope.
The UCSC Genome Browser Database: update 2009

The UCSC Genome Browser Database (GBD, http://genome.ucsc.edu) is a publicly available collection of genome assembly sequence data and integrated annotations for a large number of organisms, including extensive comparative-genomic resources. In the past year, 13 new genome assemblies have been added, including two important primate species, orangutan and marmoset, bringing the total to 46 assemblies for 24 different vertebrates and 39 assemblies for 22 different invertebrate animals. The GBD datasets may be viewed graphically with the UCSC Genome Browser, which uses a coordinate-based display system allowing users to juxtapose a wide variety of data. These data include all mRNAs from GenBank mapped to all organisms, RefSeq alignments, gene predictions, regulatory elements, gene expression data, repeats, SNPs and other variation data, as well as pairwise and multiple-genome alignments. A variety of other bioinformatics tools are also provided, including BLAT, the Table Browser, the Gene Sorter, the Proteome Browser, VisiGene and Genome Graphs.
CAR-T cells secreting BiTEs circumvent antigen escape without detectable toxicity

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapy for solid tumors is limited due to heterogeneous target antigen expression and outgrowth of tumors lacking the antigen targeted by CAR-T cells directed against single antigens. Here, we developed a bicistronic construct to drive expression of a CAR specific for EGFRvIII, a glioblastoma-specific tumor antigen, and a bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) against EGFR, an antigen frequently overexpressed in glioblastoma but also expressed in normal tissues. CART.BiTE cells secreted EGFR-specific BiTEs that redirect CAR-T cells and recruit untransduced bystander T cells against wild-type EGFR. EGFRvIII-specific CAR-T cells were unable to completely treat tumors with heterogenous EGFRvIII expression, leading to outgrowth of EGFRvIII-negative, EGFR-positive glioblastoma. However, CART.BiTE cells eliminated heterogenous tumors in mouse models of glioblastoma. BiTE-EGFR was locally effective but was not detected systemically after intracranial delivery of CART.BiTE cells. Unlike EGFR-specific CAR-T cells, CART.BiTE cells did not result in toxicity against human skin grafts in vivo.
SEASONAL ABUNDANCE OF LESSER CORNSTALK BORER (LEPIDOPTERA: PYRALIDAE) ADULTS IN SOYBEAN, PEANUT, CORN, SORGHUM, AND WHEAT IN NORTHERN FLORIDA

The abundance of adults of Elasmopalpus lignosellus in field crops in northern Florida was studied in 1982-84 using pheromone traps. The trap captures revealed that the temporal pattern of abundance differed for each crop. Multiple generations occurred in groundnut and grain sorghum fields, with adults in abundance during both vegetative and reproductive crop-growth stages. Adults were abundant in soyabean fields only during the vegetative and early reproductive crop-growth stages, with captures comprising individuals of two generations. Adults were abundant in wheat fields only during early seedling stages, while few adults were collected at any time in maize fields. There was rarely any considerable overlap between adult populations of different generations. The temporal patterns and magnitudes of adult captures were similar in fields of the same crop planted on about the same date but dissimilar in fields of different crops or fields of the same crop planted on different dates
High-order harmonic generation in solid C 60

High-order harmonic generation (HHG) has unleashed the power of strong laser physics in solids. Here we investigate HHG from a large system, solid ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$, with 240 valence electrons engaging harmonic generation at each crystal momentum. We employ the density functional theory and the time-dependent Liouville equation of the density matrix to compute HHG signals. We find that under a moderately strong laser pulse, HHG signals reach 15th order, consistent with the experimental results from ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ plasma. The helicity dependence in solid ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ is weak, due to the high symmetry. In contrast to the general belief, HHG is unsuitable for band structure mapping in ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$. However, we find a window of opportunity using a long wavelength, where harmonics are generated through multiple-photon excitation. In particular, the fifth-order harmonic energies closely follow the transition energy dispersion between the valence and conduction bands. This finding is expected to motivate future experimental investigations.
Readers Recruit Executive Functions to Self-Correct Miscues During Oral Reading Fluency.

Reading fluency undoubtedly underlies reading competence; yet, the role of executive functions (EFs) is less well understood. Here, we investigated the relation between children’s reading fluency a...
Off-line learning in a rhythmic bimanual task: early feedback dependency is reduced over wakefulness

Research has supported two distinct forms of motor skill consolidation that can occur between practice sessions: (1) off-line learning, and (2) memory stabilization. Off-line learning describes performance improvement between practice sessions that is above the gain observed at the end of practice, while memory stabilization describes a gain in performance that is maintained between practice sessions. This study used a Lissajous plot to provide concurrent feedback to train participants to produce a 90° relative phase between the index fingers (flexion/extension motion). Significant improvements in performance emerged after ten trials (5 min) of practice. At the end of training, participants were divided into two delay interval groups before retesting, 2-h and 6-h. The retesting session started with participants performing an interference task (10 trials, 5 min) that required training on a 45° relative phase between the fingers with concurrent feedback from the Lissajous plot. When training with the interference task was completed participants were retested with the 90° relative phase without the Lissajous plot feedback. In the retest of the 90° pattern, a performance loss was found in the 2-h delay group, whereas the 6-h delay group maintained the end of practice performance level. Maintenance of the same level of performance without the Lissajous plot represents memory stabilization of the initially trained 90° pattern. The findings are discussed within the context of current positions regarding procedural consolidation and the coordination dynamics framework wherein action and perception are linked through the informational nature of relative phase.
Outcomes of Liver Transplantation in Treated Portopulmonary Hypertension Patients With a Mean Pulmonary Arterial Pressure ≥35 mm Hg.

Portopulmonary hypertension (POPH), pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) that develops in the setting of portal hypertension, affects 5%-6% of patients with liver disease and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. A mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) threshold of 35 mm Hg is used to stratify perioperative risk and liver transplant eligibility in treated POPH patients but does not take into account the specific factors that contribute to the pressure elevation. Methods In this case series, we describe the characteristics and posttransplant outcomes of patients with treated POPH and an mPAP ≥35 mm Hg and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) <250 dynes-s-cm-5 at or just before liver transplantation (LT). We also describe the effect of PAH therapy on pulmonary hemodynamics in patients with POPH. Results Sixteen patients were included. All patients were on PAH therapy at the time of LT. PAH therapy resulted in a decrease of mPAP (median 18.4%; interquartile range [IQR] 8.9%-27.0%) with a reduction in PVR (median 50.5%; IQR, 45.4%-70.7%), and an increase in both cardiac output (CO) (median 28.1%; IQR 5.7%-63.8%) and PAWP (median 50.0%; IQR 16.7%-108.3%) before LT. One year posttransplant survival was 69% (11/16); however, only 1 death was attributed to POPH. At 1-year posttransplant, 63.6% (7/11) of patients were weaned off all PAH therapy with clinical and echocardiographic resolution of POPH. Conclusions In treated POPH patients with an mPAP ≥35 mm Hg and PVR < 250 dynes-s-cm-5 before LT, 1-year posttransplant survival was 69% and the majority of patients were able to discontinue PAH therapy.
Politics and Commercial Space Activities

This chapter examines the evolution of private enterprise and its relationship to U.S. politics, government policies. and regulations. International treaties are discussed as they relate to the use of outer space and celestial bodies. Partnerships with NASA are examined. The focus on future commercial exploits is discussed.
Mechanisms of viral persistence in the brain and therapeutic approaches

There is growing recognition of the diversity of viruses that can infect the cells of the central nervous system (CNS). While the majority of CNS infections are successfully cleared by the immune response, some viral infections persist in the CNS. As opposed to resolved infections, persistent viruses can contribute to ongoing tissue damage and neuroinflammatory processes. In this manuscript, we provide an overview of the current understanding of factors that lead to viral persistence in the CNS including how viruses enter the brain, how these pathogens evade antiviral immune system responses, and how viruses survive and transmit within the CNS. Further, as the CNS may serve as a unique viral reservoir, we examine the ways in which persistent viruses in the CNS are being targeted therapeutically.
Effect of ischemia-reperfusion on outcomes after open mesenteric bypass for chronic mesenteric ischemia

Abstract Objective Significant physiologic perturbations can occur in patients with chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI) undergoing open mesenteric bypass (OMB). These events have frequently been attributed to ischemia–reperfusion events and have been directly implicated in the occurrence of multiple organ dysfunction (MOD). Scoring systems (MOD score [MODS] and sequential organ failure assessment [SOFA]) have been derived within the critical care field to provide a composite metric for these pathophysiologic changes. The purpose of the present study was to describe the early pathophysiologic changes that occur after OMB for CMI and determine whether these are predictive of the outcomes. Methods Patients with CMI who had undergone elective OMB from 2002 to 2018 at a single institution were reviewed. Changes in the hemodynamic, pulmonary, hepatic, renal, and hematologic parameters in the first 96 hours postoperatively were analyzed. The MODSs and SOFA scores were calculated. Cox regression was used to determine the association of the MODSs and SOFA scores with the outcomes. Results The use of OMB was analyzed for 72 patients (age, 66 ± 11 years; 68% women; body mass index, 23.8 ± 6 kg/m2; 48 ± 34-lb weight loss in 59%). Previous mesenteric stent placement or bypass had been performed in 39% [stenting in 21; bypass in 8; (one patient had both)]. An antegrade configuration (93%) was most common (retrograde configuration, 7%), with revascularization of the superior mesenteric artery/celiac vessels in 85% (superior mesenteric artery only in 15%). Postoperative pathophysiologic and metabolic changes were common, and the mean MODSs and SOFA scores were 3.6 ± 2.4 (range, 1-10) and 4.0 ± 2.7 (range, 1-13), respectively. The median length of stay was 14 days (interquartile range, 9-21). The 30-day mortality was 4% (n = 3) and in-hospital morbidity was 53% (n = 38; gastrointestinal, 25%; infectious, 22%; cardiac, 18%; pulmonary, 18%; renal, 11%). The clinical follow-up period was 16 ± 20 months. The MODSs and SOFA scores correlated linearly with overall mortality (MODS: odds ratio [OR], 1.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-1.7; P Conclusions Most CMI patients undergoing OMB will experience significant metabolic derangements resulting from sequelae of the ischemia–reperfusion phenomenon postoperatively. These can be objectively assessed in the early postoperative period using simply applied scoring systems to reliably predict the early and long-term outcomes. A derivation of the MODS and/or SOFA score after OMB for CMI can identify the most vulnerable patients at the greatest risk of mortality.
A Fatal Case of Massive Verapamil Overdose: An Overview of the Treatment Options.

Calcium channel blocker overdose is usually very fatal and challenging to manage. The patients are usually asymptomatic on admission, but deteriorate very rapidly. Currently, there is no specific antidote, and the treatment is supportive requiring high level of critical care, and may necessitate extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The use of high-dose insulin is reported to help stabilize the blood pressure and wean off inotropes. The recommendations for supportive treatment in patients with calcium channel blocker overdose are based upon low-quality evidence reports including case series and animal studies. We present the case of a 55-year-old male with a history of atrial fibrillation who was admitted to the hospital 30 min after intentionally ingesting 80 tablets of 180 mg extended release verapamil. On admission, the patient was asymptomatic, but electrocardiogram (ECG) showed a complete heart block which necessitated a transcutaneous pacing, followed by transvenous pacemaker placement. Rapid deterioration of the patient’s hemodynamic status led to the patient getting intubated and was started on pressors as well as high-dose insulin. Despite all the aggressive measures, the patient died in less than 24 h after being admitted. We report this case to provide a brief review of the treatment options available at this time, because to date, there is no specific antidote for such overdose, and it remains very fatal despite the amount of supportive care provided. J Med Cases. 2021;12(9):373-376 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc3763
Treatment of Facial Paralysis Using Electromyographic Feedback — A Case Study

Facial expression is our primary means of nonverbal communication. It is how we present ourselves to the world and the way in which other distinguish our emotions. Impairment of facial function may limit expressive movements as well as produce a variety of functional deficits. Facial paralysis is not only physically disabling, but can be psychologically disabling as well. The effectiveness of neuromuscular retraining for postacute facial paralysis is well documented [1,2, 3,4, 5, 6] and is a growing field of practice. The neuromuscular Retraining Clinic (NMRC), Facial Retraining Program, at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison, has applied this research to an active clinical practice since 1983. Over 350 individuals with diagnoses such as postsurgical removal of acoustic neuroma and other tumors, Bell’s palsy, traumatic injury, cancer, congenital abnormalities, postanastomosis, and muscle transfers have been treated. Patients with paralysis, paresis, and/or synkinesis resulting from a peripheral injury to the seventh cranial nerve (C. N. VII) have effectively learned to improve facial motor control using specific neuromuscular retraining techniques and augmented feedback, including electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback.
Does Marriage Moderate Genetic Effects on Delinquency and Violence

Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 1,254), the authors investigated whether marriage can foster desistance from delinquency and violence by moderating genetic effects. In contrast to existing gene-environment research that typically focuses on one or a few genetic polymorphisms, they extended a recently developed mixed linear model to consider the collective influence of 580 single nucleotide polymorphisms in 64 genes related to aggression and risky behavior. The mixed linear model estimates the proportion of variance in the phenotype that is explained by the single nucleotide polymorphisms. The authors found that the proportion of variance in delinquency/violence explained was smaller among married individuals than unmarried individuals. Because selection, confounding, and heterogeneity may bias the estimate of the Gene × Marriage interaction, they conducted a series of analyses to address these issues. The findings suggest that the Gene × Marriage interaction results were not seriously affected by these issues.
AE—Automation and Emerging Technologies: Neural Network Prediction of Maize Yield using Alternative Data Coding Algorithms

Abstract Backpropagation neural networks with five data coding schemes were used to predict maize yield at three scales in east-central Indiana of the Midwest USA, using 1901–1996 local crop-stage weather data and yield data from farm, county, and state levels. Input data included precipitation and air temperature during maize reproductive (R) stages R1 (silking) to R5 (denting of kernels), the year, and, for some nets, the scale of yield data. The five coding schemes were maximum value, maximum and minimum value, logarithm, thermometer (powers of 10), and binary (powers of 2). Root mean squared error over a testing set was determined at farm, county, and state scales. The best version of the network was maximum and minimum value coded and gave a root mean squared error of 10·5% overall (8·6% farm, 12·5% county, 9·0% state yield). The prediction error among the five coding types ranged from 10·5 to 46·9% for the best net of each type. Neural net software usually has a default coding scheme, which is used without considering an alternative. The results of this study suggested that the data coding method had a significant effect on neural net performance, and that sensitivity testing of data representation should be performed when constructing neural nets. The study also confirmed the usefulness of neural nets for yield prediction from simple data sets.
Correlation between the autotrophic index and protozoan colonization rates as indicators of pollution stress

The advantages of using microbial communities or multispecies in pollution assessment are discussed. Laboratory and field research assessing the effects of pollution on microbial community structure and function (that is, a ratio of autotrophy to total biomass, protozoan colonization rates, and species richness) indicates that the results are sensitive measures of pollution. The results of one test confirm the results of other tests. All the tests are quick, inexpensive, and reproducible.
Integrative Biological Modelling In Silico

In silico models of biological systems provide a powerful tool for integrative analysis of physiological function. Using the computational models of the heart as examples, we discuss three types of integration: structural integration implies integration across physical scales of biological organization from protein molecule to whole organ; functional integration of interacting physiological processes such as signalling, metabolism, excitation and contraction; and the synthesis of experimental observation with physicochemical and mathematical principles.
Sexuality, reproduction, and contraception among residents in obstetrics and gynecology.

A national survey of obstetrics and gynecology residents was conducted in order to investigate their contraceptive practices and attitudes of residents both personally and professionally. In April 1992 4900 questionnaires were mailed to the 275 obstetrics and gynecology US residency program directors to distribute anonymously to their residents. 1091 questionnaires (29% of those mailed) were returned representing 3761 residents in 218 of the 275 programs surveyed. 25% of respondents experienced at least 1 unplanned pregnancy (mean 0.35) men more commonly than women (28% vs. 21% p = 0.01). Among the 1062 respondents who had been sexually active only 15 (1.4%) had never used contraception. The oral contraceptive (OC) pill the most common current method of contraception (59%) was significantly more prevalent among female residents than among female partners of male residents (p < 0.001). Condom use was more prevalent among male residents than among partners of female residents (p = 0.005). Condom users were significantly less satisfied than tubal ligation vasectomy and OC users (4.4 on a scale of 1 through 7 vs. 6.3 6.0 and 6.0 respectively p < 0.05). 283 (26%) of respondents stated that they would not use the intrauterine device (IUD) personally but might recommend it to their patients. Similar attitudes were expressed for tubal ligation (16%) subdermal implants (16%) vasectomy (15%) the rhythm method (12%) diaphragm (10%) cervical cap (8%) OC (7%) spermicide (7%) and condoms (5%). When controlled for age parity and marital status and using log linear analysis gender had a statistically significant impact on the use of several contraceptive methods. Female residents were 5 times more likely than a comparably educated nonphysician group of women to use OCs. Women in the nonphysician national group were significantly more likely to use other methods of contraception. Controlling for demographic variables male and female residents had different attitudes on contraceptive use. Residents believed that OC use was safe and reliable for themselves and their patients but demonstrated doubt about their own use of an IUD.
Local Versus Global Equilibration near the Bosonic Mott-Insulator-Superfluid Transition

We study the time scales for adiabaticity of trapped cold bosons subject to a time-varying lattice potential using a dynamic Gutzwiller mean-field theory. We explain apparently contradictory experimental observations by demonstrating a clear separation of time scales for local dynamics ($\ensuremath{\sim}\text{ }\mathrm{ms}$) and global mass redistribution ($\ensuremath{\sim}1\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{s}$). We provide a simple explanation for the short and fast time scales, finding that while density or energy transport is dominated by low energy phonons, particle-hole excitations set the adiabaticity time for fast ramps. We show how mass transport shuts off within Mott-insulator domains, leading to a chemical potential gradient that fails to equilibrate on experimental time scales.
Role of precursor chemistry in the direct fluorination to form titanium based conversion anodes for lithium ion batteries

A new synthetic route for the formation of titanium oxydifluoride (TiOF2) through the process of direct fluorination via a fluidized bed reactor system and the associated electrochemical properties of the powders formed from this approach are reported. The flexibility of this synthetic route was demonstrated using precursor powders of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles, as well as a reduced TiOxNy. An advantage of this synthetic method is the ability to directly control the extent of fluorination as a function of reaction temperature and time. The TiOF2 synthesized from TiO2 and TiOxNy showed reversible capacities of 300 mA h g−1 and 440 mA h g−1, respectively, over 100 cycles. The higher reversible capacity of the TiOF2 powders derived from TiOxNy likely relate to the partial reduction of the Ti in the fluorinated electrode material, highlighting a route to optimize the properties of conversion electrode materials.
Anthropology Meets Epigenetics: Current and Future Directions

Anthropologists are interested in understanding patterns of human variation, whether assessed along cultural, biological, linguistic, or material metrics. Epigenetics, the study of heritable chemical modifications to DNA, is an emerging approach that could enrich modern anthropological research. Epigenetic marks can change in response to many of the processes anthropologists study—for example, migration, nutritional stress, psychosocial stress, and social inequalities, to name a few. Thus, epigenetic processes could provide a biological explanation for the embodiment of such environmental experiences. Further, given the potential for epigenetic marks to be inherited across generations, it is possible that these marks facilitate intergenerational transmission of environmental information and therefore help to shape the direction of evolutionary change. In this article, we review some of the ways in which epigenetic methods have been successfully incorporated into anthropological and related studies as well as emphasize promising future directions and challenges for the use of epigenetic data across subfields of anthropology. While epigenetic data have great potential for informing anthropological research, we emphasize that a healthy skepticism is necessary given our still-nascent understanding of these processes. [human biology, embodiment, methods, epigenetics] RESUMEN Los antropologos estan interesados en entender los patrones de variacion humana, evaluados a lo largo de metricas culturales, biologicas, linguisticas o materiales. La epigenetica, el estudio de las modificaciones quimicas hereditarias al ADN, es un campo emergente que podria enriquecer la investigacion antropologica moderna. Los marcadores epigeneticos pueden cambiar en respuesta a muchos de los procesos que estudian los antropologos—por ejemplo, migracion, estres nutricional, estres psicosocial, y desigualdades sociales, para nombrar unos pocos. Por consiguiente, los procesos epigeneticos podrian dar una explicacion biologica a la corporeizacion de tales experiencias ambientales. Ademas, dado el potencial de los marcadores epigeneticos para ser heredados a lo largo de generaciones, es posible que estos marcadores faciliten la transmision intergeneracional de informacion ambiental y por lo tanto ayuden a moldear la direccion del cambio evolucionario. En este articulo, revisamos algunas de las formas en las que los metodos epigeneticos han sido exitosamente incorporados en los estudios antropologicos y relacionados, asi mismo enfatizamos las direcciones futuras prometedoras y los retos para el uso de la informacion epigenetica en los diferentes subcampos de la antropologia. Mientras la informacion epigenetica tiene gran potencial para dar luz a la investigacion antropologica, nosotros enfatizamos que es necesario un saludable escepticismo dado nuestro aun incipiente entendimiento de estos procesos. [biologia humana, corporeizacion, metodos, epigenetica]
Spatial-mode control of vertical-cavity lasers with micromirrors fabricated and replicated in semiconductor materials

Micromirrors were fabricated in gallium phosphide by mass transport to provide spatial-mode control of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL's). The concave mirrors were used in an external-cavity configuration to provide spatial filtering in the far field. Single-mode cw lasing was demonstrated in 15-microm-diameter VCSEL's with currents as high as 6 times threshold. The fabrication process was extended to micromirrors in gallium arsenide by use of a replication and dry-etch transfer process.
Dexamethasone Inhibits Trabecular Cell Retraction

Abstract Glucocorticosteroids such as dexamethasone (Dex) are known to cause an increased resistance to aqueous outflow in the intact and cultured eye. We investigated whether Dex treatment of cultured endothelial or trabecular meshwork (TM) cells might interfere with the cell separations and retraction induced by the facility-enhancing agents ethacrynic acid (ECA), cytochalasin B and the calcium chelator EGTA. Our hypothesis was that Dex-induced changes in the response of our model cells in vitro might serve as a paradigm for those produced in the cells of the outflow pathway, perhaps through influencing the changing dimensions of the pathway for aqueous humor through the juxtacanalicular tissue and/or inner wall of Schlemm's canal. We treated calf pulmonary artery endothelial (CPAE) and human and porcine TM cells with Dex (1–100μ m , 1–9 days), and then assessed monolayer and cytoskeletal integrity by immunofluorescence microscopy for tubulin and direct fluorescence staining for F-actin after exposure to the agents named above. We found that Dex-pretreated CPAE and TM cells gradually (over 5–7 days) became refractory to the effects of both ECA and EGTA, but not to cytochalasin B. Despite the preservation of general cell shape and attachment after ECA in Dex-treated cells, microtubule disruption still took place as in controls. Dex-treated cells also demonstrated a reorganization of filamentous actin staining after ECA and EGTA. Combination experiments of ECA and EGTA in Dex-treated cells suggested that the Dex effects were due to a greater strength of cell-to-cell and cell-to-substrate attachment, possibly due to interference with the normal cellular signaling required for coordinated cellular retraction and junctional disruption.
Political Organization and Competition for Resources in Nambiquara Society

This article describes decision making leadership and political organization among the indigenous Nambiquara of Brazil. The author describes the Nambiquara before their contact with Western civilization. The Nambiquara live in western Brazil near the Bolivian border. Their habitat was discovered around 1910 and then ignored until around 1960 when a road was built parallel to the old telegraph lines. The region is a mix of savanna and forest. Villages are comprised of two or three thatched houses of related kin. Trees are felled for gardens and left in place before burning which provides the soil with nutrients before the bush takes over. Gardens include staples such as corn and manioc as well as beans peppers tobacco cotton yams and sweet potatoes. The Nambiquara move away after all the good gardening places are used up. Meat is obtained by men hunting with bows and arrows. Animals are only raised as pets. Women are responsible for gardening. The associations of men with animals and women with plants is captured in the symbolism of songs the shape of rituals and the meaning of their myths. Sharing is a basic value. Although there is no word for "generosity" there is a word for "stinginess." Important decisions are made by consensus even though this is a slow process. Men are the political authorities. When a member of the group is unwilling to maintain the group norms he leaves to live elsewhere. The Nambiquara identify the village as their social group and recognize one leader ("a capable one") per village. Leaders must be hunters and gardeners generous wise and not bossy. The relationship between leaders and followers is influence and not authority. Political life is a balance of individualism and equality and shaped by abundance.
Differentiating language usage through topic models

Abstract Sociologists wishing to employ topic models in their research need a helpful guide that describes the variety of topic modeling procedures, their issues, and various means of resolving them so as to convincingly answer sociological questions. We present this overview by recounting a series of our prior collaborative projects that have employed and developed various forms of topic models to understand language differentiation in academe. With each project, we encountered a variety of model-specific issues concerning the validity of topics and their suitability to our data and research questions. We developed a variety of novel visualization techniques to make sense of topic-solutions and used a variety of techniques to validate our results. In addition, we created a variety of new topic modeling techniques and procedures suitable to different kinds of data and research questions.
Iatrogenic Flow Limiting Arterial Dissection

Iatrogenic arterial dissection is an uncommon complication that usually occurs during guide wire passage through stenoses or occlusions. It is reported to occur in 0.42% of patients during arterial access of cardiac catheterization. In some cases, this may be a catastrophic complication requiring thrombolysis and/or surgical bypass.
Improved Yield Potential with an Early Planting Cotton Production System

Mid-South cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) has reached a yield plateau in recent years. Shifting the growing season earlier in the year by planting earlier may allow the crop to develop under more favorable weather patterns and escape late season insects, The objectives were to determine the effect of early planting on growth and development, lint yield, and fiber quality of cotton. Early season dry matter partitioning, early season light interception, weekly bloom counts, lint yield, yield components, and fiber quality data were collected on genotypes planted during the first week of April (early planting) and the first week of May (normal planting). The data were collected from two experiments conducted over the years 1996 to 2000. Early June leaf area index of the early planted plants was 172% greater than plants in the normal planting, which contributed to a 55% greater canopy light interception for the early planting at that time. Early planting shifted the blooming period earlier in the growing season every year but 1997. Four out of 5 yr, the early planted cotton demonstrated a 10% yield improvement over the normal planted crop. In 1997, the early planted crop was stunted by an early season cold period, and yet its yields were equivalent to the normal planted crop. Planting earlier than normal has the potential to provide for increased lint yields for Mississippi Delta cotton producers. Techniques to mitigate early cold temperature stress could help make the yield improvements found with this early planting production system more consistent.
Justice and Moral Bargaining

INTRODUCTIONIn my view, justice is entirely conventional; indeed, all of morality consists in conventions that are the result of continual tacit bargaining and adjustment. This is not to say social arrangements are just whenever they are in accordance with the principles of justice accepted in that society. We can use our own principles of justice in judging the institutions of another society, and we can appeal to some principles we accept in order to criticize other principles we accept.To use David Hume's model of the relevant sort of convention, two people rowing a boat each continually adjusts his or her rate of rowing to the other so that they come to row at the same rate, a rate that is normally somewhere between the rate at which each would prefer to row. In the same way the basic principles of justice accepted by people of different powers and resources are the result of a continually changing compromise affecting such things as the relative importance attached to helping others as compared with the importance attached to not harming others.Hume's rowers provide an example of a “convention” that is normally completely tacit. There are other models in which the bargaining can be more explicit, for example when a seller comes to set prices that are acceptable to customers, when employers reach understandings with employees concerning wages, or when political groups influence legislation.I want eventually to consider the implications for moral reasoning and argument of the thesis that principles of justice are entirely the result of implicit bargaining and convention of this sort.
How can we understand Islamic law today

Abstract This article attempts to point to certain major aspects of Islamic law which have been obscured from view by the separation between specialized academic disciplines. It indicates the parallel between Arab common law and English common law and also points out that Arab common law is the template for Islamic law, while acknowledging that the Sunni and Shicite traditions differ over this. Arab custom also provided negative examples and the article shows that these were contradicted in the Qur'an and Prophetic hadith with respect to practices prejudicial to women. The article suggests that the tribal system made it impossible to enforce certain formal legal penalties and that interim measures were used until the Sunni schools of law were established following the urbanization of Islamic society. What remains today of the traditional Islamic impulse is the importance of an independent judiciary as an essential value. The impact of social reality on Islamic law often takes the form of differences in u&...
How and why Phoenix households changed: 1970-1980.

Abstract American households changed dramatically in size and composition during the 1970s. This paper examines the spatial properties of these changes at the census tract level in metropolitan Phoenix. Research questions center on where, why, and how households change in an urban context. Findings indicate a high degree of diversity in the extent and nature of household change across 189 census tracts. This diversity was explained, in part, by age and type of housing and by minority status of area residents. The study also revealed that high levels of household change occurred in conjunction with both high and low rates of population turnover. Residential mobility was, under certain circumstances, the dominant vehicle for household change, whereas under different conditions it was the mechanism for maintaining a constant household structure. Little household change under conditions of high turnover occurred in older, multiple-family housing where stability in household structure was achieved by high “thr...
A Narnian Theory of the Atonement

In the first instalment of a seven volume series, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe , C. S. Lewis offers us an extraordinary tale involving four children who enter a magical land, Narnia, a myriad of talking animals, a Christ-like lion named Asian and a satanic creature known simply as the Witch (although she claims the title of Queen of Narnia and Empress of the Lone Islands). At the heart of the story is a drama of salvation, or at least saving deliverance. One of the children, Edmund, is held captive by the Witch and will be released only on the condition of Asian's taking Edmund's place. Asian is the ransom for Edmund. In rough outline, Asian's ransoming Edmund and his subsequent resurrection fits the classic ransom theory of the atonement, a theory which can hardly boast of enormous contemporary appeal. I do not think its unpopularity is altogether deserved. Versions of the theory may be found in many patristic writers including Irenaeus, Gregory of Nyssa, Basil the Great, St Ambrose, St Jerome, and Origen. I wish here to defend a modified ransom theory against six of the classic objections which have contributed to its neglect. As C. S. Lewis, the father of Narnia, has presented a rich story of a ransom drama which is more familiar (and sometimes more fun to read) than the Nicene and Prenicene fathers, I will use The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe to set forth a bold, unsophisticated ransom theory.
New processes and designed polymers by cationic techniques

The most important recent development in cationic polymerizations is the emergence of living polymerizations leading to a variety of new potentially useful well-defined macromolecules under conventional laboratory conditions. Three requirements have to coexist for living carbocationic polymerization to occur: Controlled initiation controlled chain-transferless propagation and controlled (quasiliving) termination. The first part of this presentation will briefly discuss the road to these three key requirements. The second part will concern practical consequences and select systems. The synthesis of narrow-molecular-weight-distribution (Mw/Mn = 1.1 - 1.3) tert-chlorine telechelic polyisobutylenes over a wide molecular weight range (Mn from ∼1000 to ∼125, 000 g/mole) will be outlined together with recent work on aromatic olefins, e.g., styrene, tert-butylstyrene and p-chlorostyrene. These developments led to the combination of these living systems for the synthesis of block copolymers by sequential monomer addition. Tri- or higher block copolymers comprising glassy outer segments and rubbery inner segments, for example, poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene, poly(p-chlorostyrene-b-isobutylene-b-p-chlorostyrene), have been prepared. These new thermoplastic elastomers exhibit phase-separated microstructures and an interesting combination of physical-mechanical properties.
Developing Coincident Timing Skill in Children: A Comparison of Training Methods

Abstract The present study attempted to determine whether the nature of training experiences influences the development of coincident timing skill in young children. The task involved visual tracking of a moving light sequence and a 43 cm arm movement to a padded target. Subjects attempted to tap the target coincident with the completion of the light sequence. Sixty first grade children were randomly assigned to one of five groups, with an equal number of males and females in each group. Subjects assigned to the training groups received 48 trials on each of two days, with stimulus speeds that were either slow (179 cm/sec or 4 mph), fast (313 cm/sec or 7 mph), varied-random (179, 224, 268, 313 cm/sec or 4, 5, 6, 7 mph), or varied-blocked (i.e., 6 consecutive trials with one speed before changing to another). Control subjects performed a neutral coloring activity during the training phase of the experiment. All subjects were then given 10 trials on a third day with each of two stimulus speeds not experience...
A fiberoptic compatable midinfrared laser with CO2 laser-like effect: Application to atherosclerosis

In theory, pulses of laser light in the 2-microns range should ablate tissue in a manner similar to that of the 10.6-microns CO2 laser with the added advantage of efficient transmission through flexible quartz fibers. Using 200-microseconds pulses of 2.15-microns thulium-holmium-chromium:YAG (THC:YAG) laser light, we were able to create 700-microns-diameter holes through calcific atherosclerosis in vitro. In vivo evaluation of thrombogenicity and healing was accomplished by exposing the luminal surface of rabbit aortas to the THC:YAG laser. Serial histologic examinations of laser-treated rabbit aortae revealed a time course of resolution of the lesions which was very similar to that observed with like-sized lesions created with the same amount of continuous wave CO2 energy. No significant differences in thrombogenicity nor healing response were noted. The excellent in vivo response observed is due in part to the pulsed nature of the THC:YAG laser output as well as to the efficient tissue absorption at the 2.15-microns wavelength. We feel that excellent ablative effects with minimal collateral thermal damage can be obtained through fiberoptic delivery systems by taking advantage of laser wavelengths corresponding to the infrared absorption peak of water in the 2-microns region and pulsed delivery of the laser energy.
Two-dimensional SAR imaging using linear arrays with transverse motion

Abstract This paper presents a new two-dimensional SAR imaging technique using DFT processing of linear arrays with transverse motion operating in the sequential mode (DFTSQM). High-resolution images are generated without the need of range gating. Multiple target detection is performed on the basis of angular (azimuth and elevation) coordinates. No phase shifting or tapering hardware is required. Computer simulation and an example show the impulse invariance, and indicate that the new system's performance is comparable to standard SAR processing.
Transfer of radionuclides to animals — An historical perspective of work done in the United States

This report presents a historical perspective of work done in the U.S. on the metabolism of radionuclides by animals. Also covered are the important concepts of interspecies metabolic correlations and means of accelerating turnover of internally deposited radionuclides. Although a large amount of data exist for a large number of radionuclides and animal species there are many parameters of interest and additional data is needed. Also, much of the data are in internal reports that are not easily accessible. In-depth reviews of work done in the U.S. are not available. If I were asked for recommendations following this workshop, I would propose the formation of a committee to comprehensively review the available data on the metabolism of radionuclides by animals and, if necessary, to plan work that could be conducted by multinational teams of scientists. The results of the planned experiments would remove the remaining uncertainties associated with the uptake, retention and loss of radionuclides by animals that are of economic importance, primarily as food sources, to man. The data would also provide the necessary input to other international efforts related to the calculation of radiation dose per unit intake for members of the general public. These kinds of joint international studies are common in the physical sciences. More are needed in the biological sciences. In addition, this is truly a global problem requiring international collaboration and cooperation. The sharing of the burden would help ensure the collection of the necessary data in a timely and cost effective manner.