cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in Color and other Characteristics of Green Beans Stored in Controlled Refrigerated Atmospheres

SUMMARY The value of controlled atmosphere for holding of green beans prior to marketing or processing was studied. Respiration rates and color changes were studied in bottles under atmospheres ranging from 0 to 10% CO2 and 2 to 20% O2. The bottles were flushed periodically. Other studies involved storing green beans at 45°F up to 15 days in a 10% CO2 and 3% O2 atmosphere continuously produced by a generator and in air. The tests used to evaluate product included visual color and chlorophyll determinations; organoleptic evaluation; plate counts; pH measurements and nitrogen analyses. Oxygen concentration had to he reduced to 2% to decrease respiration to 60% of that in air, while carbon dioxide had little or no effect on respiration. The greatest advantage of con-trolled-atmosphere storage for beans lies in improving the color of stored product by retarding chlorophyll breakdown. Flavor and texture scores and microbiological studies showed no differences between con-trolled-atmosphere and air storage.
Différence be Damned

I must confess straight off that I am a woman. My use of initials unfairly masks that fact, and I would not wish Mr J. R. Lucas to be left in the dark as to how to take my remarks. For in a recent issue of this journal he writes: 'In speech, in writing, in every social setting, I respond to a woman quite differently from the way I respond to a man, and this difference of response colours my whole understanding of the situational I have to wonder what that difference in response would be in the present context of a professional philosophy journal; I thought it was long settled that women too are rational beings capable of contributions to philosophy that need not be discounted on the basis of the writer's sex. How genial of Mr Lucas to put us on our guard that he at least habitually takes the writings of Elizabeth Anscombe or Philippa Foot or Marcia Yudkin (the usual way I present myself) under special consideration, sees them coloured in pink perhaps, in contrast to the virile black and white or decent bluegrey that surrounds for him the words of male philosophers. It is rare indeed to find so forthright an admission, even rarer to find it buttressed by arguments that this is noble and fair and much more reasonable than it might seem at first sight. Mr Lucas raises at the outset the spectre of a sexless society, then one in which people are indifferent to the sex of their emotional partners, and comments: 'But I have doubts, and suspect that long after I am dead men will go on falling in love with women and women will continue to find their hearts wooed and won by men. And this fact, if it is a fact, makes a profound difference to our social institutions.'2 I suspect that long after I am dead some women will go on falling in love with women and some men will continue to find their hearts wooed and won by men. Ought not this fact, if it is a fact, to make a profound difference to our social institutions? Apparently not, for Mr Lucas goes on to argue by the 'logic of the pair-bond and the peer-group' that there is a pressure toward role-differentiation in any intimate partnership and that pair-groups are much more stable when there are pre-existent understandings of what part each will play. The conventional guidelines need not be inflexible and immutable, allows Mr Lucas, but it is really much better that they assign by sex. 'If they are to be varied, they need to be varied explicitly, with a fairly full understanding
Definition, identification and treatment of resistant hypertension in chronic kidney disease patients

Resistant hypertension, the inability to achieve goal blood pressure despite the use of three or more appropriately dosed antihypertensive drugs (including a diuretic), remains a common clinical problem, especially in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). While the exact prevalence and prognosis of resistant hypertension in CKD patients remain unknown, resistant hypertension likely contributes significantly to increased cardiovascular risk and progression of kidney disease in this population. We review the identification and evaluation of patients with resistant hypertension, including the importance of 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in the identification of 'white-coat', 'masked' and 'non-dipper' hypertension, the latter of which has particular clinical and therapeutic importance in patients with resistant hypertension and CKD. We then discuss treatment strategies for resistant hypertension that target the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying resistance to treatment, including persistent volume excess, incomplete renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockade and inadequate nocturnal blood pressure control. Finally, we propose a treatment algorithm for evaluation and treatment of resistant hypertension in patients with CKD.
Cerebral arteriovenous malformations. Part 1: cellular and molecular biology.

Object The scientific understanding of the nature of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in the brain is evolving. It is clear from current work that AVMs can undergo a variety of phenomena, including growth, remodeling, and/or regression—and the responsible processes are both molecular and physiological. A review of these complex processes is critical to directing future therapeutic approaches. The authors performed a comprehensive review of the literature to evaluate current information regarding the genetics, pathophysiology, and behavior of AVMs. Methods A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed to reveal the molecular biology of AVMs as it relates to their complex growth and behavior patterns. Results Growth factors involved in AVMs include vascular endothelial growth factor, fibroblast growth factor, transforming growth factor β, angiopoietins, fibronectin, laminin, integrin, and matrix metalloproteinases. Conclusions Understanding the complicated molecular milieu of developing AVM...
Volume sampled voxelization of geometric primitives

We present a 3-D antialiasing algorithm for voxel-based geometric models. The technique band-limits the continuous object before sampling it at the desired 3-D raster resolution. By precomputing tables of filter values for different types and sizes of geometric objects, the algorithm is very efficient and has a complexity that is linear with the number of voxels generated. The algorithm not only creates voxel models which are free from object space aliasing, but it also incorporates the image space antialiasing information as part of the view independent voxel model. The resulting alias-free voxel models have been used to model synthetic scenes, for discrete ray tracing applications. The discrete ray-traced image is superior in quality to the image generated with a conventional surface-based ray tracer, since silhouettes of objects, shadows, and reflections appear smooth (jaggy-less). In addition, the alias-free models are also suitable for intermixing with sampled datasets, since they can be treated uniformly as one common data representation. >
Catheter-related bloodstream infection due to Mycobacterium neoaurum in a patient with acute leukemia.

Rapidly growing non-tuberculous mycobacteria (RGM) are a diverse group of organisms usually isolated from the environment, and are associated with infection at several sites. Mycobacterium fortuitum , Mycobacterium chelonae and Mycobacterium abscessus account for the most common RGM associated with infections in humans [1]. Frequently, these pathogens have been associated with soft-tissue infection, endocarditis, pneumonia and keratitis [2]. Rarely, RGM have been implicated in bloodstream infections (BSIs) and catheter exit site infection [3]. Mycobacterium neoaurum is an unusual human pathogen and a very rare cause of BSI mostly in immunocompromised patients [2]. We herein report a patient with leukemia, who developed Mycobacterium neoaurum catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI), after receiving chemotherapy. In addition, we review cases of M. neoaurum from the literature to define management of this rare infection. Lastly, we discuss the usefulness of 16S rRNA gene sequencing for rapid and accurate identification of closely related RGM. A 48-year-old African American man with a history of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia presented for his fourth cycle of chemotherapy with methotrexate and cytarabine. On day 2 of chemotherapy, he developed a temperature of 101 ° F with blood pressure 110/90 mmHg, pulse 72 per min and respirations 14 per min. Th ere was no focus of infection on physical examination, including his port-a-cath site. His white blood cell count was within normal limits, with an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) of 1900 cells/mL. Work-up including blood cultures was performed. With persistent fever, antibiotic therapy with cefepime and vancomycin was initiated. Blood culture obtained via the port-a cath grew gram-positive bacilli in the aerobic bottle, after 5 days of incubation. On day 6 after chemotherapy, the patient became neutropenic. During neutropenia, the fever persisted, and also, blood cultures remained positive despite broad-spectrum antibiotics. His port-a-cath was removed and within 1 day, his fever resolved and bacteremia cleared. Th e organism causing bacteremia was an acid-fast bacillus, identifi ed eventually by 16S rRNA sequencing method as Mycobacterium neoaurum . Antibiotic susceptibility testing was not performed. However, as the patient required further chemotherapy for leukemia, the decision was made to treat him for an extended period with ciprofl oxacin and doxycycline, despite no evidence of pocket or metastatic infection. Th e patient completed 3 months of antibiotic therapy. Th ere was no recurrence of his bacteremia during
The Role of the Pinna in Human Localization

The pinna, or external ear, has been shown experimentally to perform an acoustical transformation essential to localization in human hearing. The mathematical form of the transformation is given, the inverse to the transformation is shown to exist, and a theory of localization constructed from the evidence. The theory is extended to reverberation and other facets of human hearing. The basic theorem applied to the study is 9in order to know, the inverse to the transformation of perception must be constructed9.
Reconstructing the migration patterns of late Pleistocene mammals from northern Florida, USA

Abstract We used analyses of the strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) ratios of tooth enamel to reconstruct the migration patterns of fossil mammals collected along the Aucilla River in northern Florida. Specimens date to the late-glacial period and before the last glacial maximum (pre-LGM). Deer and tapir displayed low 87Sr/86Sr ratios that were similar to the ratios of Florida environments, which suggest that these taxa did not migrate long distance outside of the Florida region. Mastodons, mammoths, and equids all displayed a wide range of 87Sr/86Sr ratios. Some individuals in each taxon displayed low 87Sr/86Sr ratios that suggest they ranged locally, while other animals had high 87Sr/86Sr ratios that suggest they migrated long distances (> 150 km) outside of the Florida region. Mastodons were the only taxa from this region that provided enough well-dated specimens to compare changes in migration patterns over time. Pre-LGM mastodons displayed significantly lower 87Sr/86Sr ratios than late-glacial mastodons, which suggests that late-glacial mastodons from Florida migrated longer distances than their earlier counterparts. This change in movement patterns reflects temporal changes in regional vegetation patterns.
Measurement of Acculturation in a Community Population of Mexican Americans

A 26-item acculturation measure was administered to a probability sample of 1245 adult Mexican Americans residing in Los Angeles. This measure demonstrated high internal reliability for the total sample and for specific sex, educational, and language groups. Construct validity was supported by showing acculturation scores predicted length of exposure to U.S. culture. Data suggested that, among first generation Mexican Americans, those who were younger and male acculturated more rapidly than those who were older and female. This sex difference, but not the age difference, could be explained by educational and employment experiences. Among later generation Mexican Americans, those who were younger again had higher acculturation levels, possibly due to age differences in education and employment, or to historical factors differentially effecting age cohorts.
Skin Aging: Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment

Skin aging is a consequence of genetically programmed processes of intrinsic aging and extrinsic aging caused by ultraviolet light and other environmental insults. There are many different approaches to reduce or postpone the untoward effects of intrinsic programmed aging and extrinsic environmental injury. The prevention of extrinsic aging utilizes various methods of photoprotection and antioxidants. Treatments of aged skin are not limited to a single procedure but may consist of a combination of many adjuvant treatments each of which offers different degrees of effectiveness, risk, duration and cost. It is important to have an understanding of the likely benefits and limitations of available treatments. Scientific evaluation and education about the modalities available for treatment of aged skin can help to achieve these goals
Ecosystem Services and the Clean Water Act: Strategies for Fitting New Science into Old Laws

This Article explores the administrative reform potential that exists for integrating new knowledge about ecosystem services into Clean Water Act (CWA) regulatory programs as an example for all environmental laws. Part II of the Article reviews the relevant general rules of federal administrative law governing agency interpretation of the policy space available under statutory authority for integrating new science into decision making. Part III then explores the strategies an agency such as EPA can use under those rules to integrate the concept of ecosystem services into regulatory programs by searching for statutory provisions to support what I call "direct protection" authority and "performance metric" authority. Part IV of the Article turns to the dredge and fill permit program of section 404 of the CWA and the water quality standards and total maximum daily load (TMDL) program of section 303 of the CWA as its case studies, showing how opportunities for and obstacles to the two integration strategies arise in the structure and text of the statute. The Article closes with some thoughts on a more overarching agenda for working ecosystem services into existing federal environmental protection programs.
How RNase R Degrades Structured RNA: ROLE OF THE HELICASE ACTIVITY AND THE S1 DOMAIN *

RNase R, a ubiquitous 3' exoribonuclease, plays an important role in many aspects of RNA metabolism. In contrast to other exoribonucleases, RNase R can efficiently degrade highly structured RNAs, but the mechanism by which this is accomplished has remained elusive. It is known that RNase R contains an unusual, intrinsic RNA helicase activity that facilitates degradation of duplex RNA, but how it stimulates the nuclease activity has also been unclear. Here, we have made use of specifically designed substrates to compare the nuclease and helicase activities of RNase R. We have also identified and mutated several residues in the S1 RNA-binding domain that are important for interacting with duplex RNA and have measured intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence to analyze the conformational changes that occur upon binding of structured RNA. Using these approaches, we have determined the relation of the RNA helicase, ATP binding, and nuclease activities of RNase R. This information has been combined with a structural analysis of RNase R, based on its homology to RNase II, whose structure has been determined, to develop a detailed model that explains how RNase R digests structured RNA and how this differs from its action on single-stranded RNA.
Mapping DNA Polymorphisms Using-PCR Primes Derived From the Sequence of an Avian CR1 Element

Primers complementary to the chicken middle repetitive sequence element CR1 were used to generate and simultaneously map polymorphic polymerase chain reaction products (CR1-PCR) with various chicken DNAs as templates. Ten primers were prepared using the sequence of a single CR1 element as a guide. These 10 primers generated 23 polymorphic CR1-PCR products. The average number of polymorphic CR1-PCR products generated using single primers (1.1 per primer) was significantly higher than the average number observed using combinations of two primers (0.3 per primer combination). The polymorphic CR1-PCR products were mapped in a subset of a reference backcross population designed for the genetic linkage analysis of the chicken. Nineteen of the polymorphic CR1-PCR products identified were assigned to 13 of 19 linkage groups characterized thus far in this population; three have yet to be linked to a specific map location. One of the CR1-PCR markers mapped to the chicken Z chromosome. There was no evidence for a significant clustering of CR1-PCR markers within the map, even at the site of the CR1 element whose sequence was used for primer design.
Epidural anesthesia dysfunction is associated with postoperative complications after pancreatectomy.

BACKGROUND Epidural anesthesia is an accepted measure of pain control after major abdominal surgery. However, if the epidural anesthesia is unsuccessful, a variety of adverse effects can occur - excessive stress response, poor patient mobilization, increased opioid use, and hypotension due to vasodilation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of epidural dysfunction on outcomes after pan-createctomy. METHODS Between August 2010 and October 2014, 72 patients underwent open pancreatectomy with epidural anesthesia. Epidural dysfunction was defined as either hypo-function due to inadequate pain control (requirement of epidural replacement, conversion to intravenous continuous opioid infusion, or intravenous bolus opioid use) or hyper-function (hypotension or oliguria). We then analyzed for an association between epidural dysfunction and surgical outcomes. RESULTS Epidural dysfunction occurred in 49% after pancreatectomy - hypo-function in 35% and hyper-function in 14%. Epidural dysfunction was independently associated with the development of overall (P < 0.001), pancreas-related (P = 0.041), and non-pancreas-related complications (P = 0.001). Hypo-function alone was independently associated with both pancreas-related (P = 0.015) and non-pancreas-related complications (P = 0.004). Hyper-function was independently associated with non-pancreas-related complications (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS Outcomes after pancreatic resection can be improved by increasing the success rate of epidural anesthesia.
SELECTION ON LOCOMOTOR PERFORMANCE CAPACITY IN A NATURAL POPULATION OF GARTER SNAKES.

Selection on locomotor performance was determined for a series of marked and recap- tured individuals from a population of garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi) in Northern California. We measured snake length and mass, burst speed, endurance on a treadmill, and the distance crawled around a stationary circular track. Size-corrected values (residuals) of mass and locomotor performance were generated from the scaling equations of S-V length (SVL). Random- ization tests and regressions were used to determine the probability that a trait was a significant predictor of survivorship, and a nonparametric, cubic spline estimate of the fitness function was used to facilitate detection of the patterns of selection. From 275 ("cohort") snakes measured and tested within 8 days of birth in 1985, 79 were recaptured in the spring-summer of 1986 and subsequent years. Birth SVL was the only significant (randomization P = 0.022) predictor of neonatal survival from 1985 to 1986 with directional selection favoring larger individuals. In addition to the lab-born cohort, 382 field-born snakes from all ages in the population were captured, tested, and released during spring-summer 1986. Similar to the 1985 cohort, the survivorship of 37 of 86 neonates from 1986 to 1987 showed no significant relationship with any residual value using any statistical test. Survivorship from 1986 to 1987 for 127 of 250 yearlings (including 32 lab-born cohort snakes) analyzed with the randomization test showed that greater values of both speed (P = 0.007) and distance residual (P = 0.008) significantly favored survival, whereas inter- mediate values of mass residual (P = 0.006) were significantly more likely to survive. Univariate regressions predicting the survival of yearlings from 1986 to 1987 gave similar results to the randomization test, but in a multiple regression with yearling burst speed residual, distance capacity residual, and a quadratic term of mass residual, distance capacity residual was the least important predictor variable. For the survivorship of 37 of the 113 older snakes, greater burst speed residual significantly favored survival (randomization P = 0.001).
A Hittite Cylinder Seal in the Fitzwilliam Museum

The Hittite cylinder seal discussed here (Figs. 1–4) was purchased by Sir Max Mallowan in the 'thirties while he was working in northern Syria. In the division of his collections it was allotted to the Fitzwilliam Museum, in Cambridge, which received it in 1966. Extensive use has severely worn the engraved surface, and even the two large old chips have been smoothed over. Despite the loss of all details, such as facial features, each element of the composition can be recognized or restored. In the chipped area are fragments of the main figure, the Storm-god raising a mace and standing on the shoulders of two Mountain-gods. Before the Storm-god and facing him is the Sun-god, winged disk overhead, two kneeling animal-headed supporting figures below. The Storm-god is followed by a deity in walking position, over a bull. A many-branched tree, repeated in the impression, closes the three-part composition, and a cross with approximately equal arms occupies a place between the tree and the upraised mace. Simple incised lines mark the top and bottom edges of the engraved surface. There seems to be no form that can unquestionably be called a Hittite hieroglyph.
Scanning electron microscopy of the insect compound eye. I. The apposition eye (Sarcophage bullata).

External and internal surfaces of the compound eye of the flesh fly, Sarcophaga bullata, were examined with a scanning electron microscope. A low patterned corneal nippleridge array and sparse setiform interfacetal hairs were observed on the corneal lens surface. Particular cleavage planes revealed outlines of the Semper Cells, their nuclei and distal terminations of photoreceptor cells. The latter, with their axonal processes, were visualized and described. These axons were noted traversing the external chiasma and entering the lamina ganglionaris where suggestions of synaptic contact were pointed out. The present descriptions were correlated with those taken from literature of the transmission electron microscope.
Hetero- to homofermentative change in lactobacilli.

Cultures.?The cultures used were derived from the single-cell cultures described in the previous paper (Hodges et al, 1951), the latter prepared from the cultures EH68H and RH37E of oral lactobacilli originally isolated by Harrison. As described in the previous paper in detail these single-cell cultures were maintained in Jay's broth and tomato-juice yeast-extract agar for from 2 to 4 years in a state in which the cultures did not ferment sorbitol and mannitol and were then subjected to serial transfers, with washing, in semisynthetic mediums, giving rise to cultures which did ferment sorbitol and mannitol. The lactobacilli were examined (a) as removed from unchanged subcultures prepared from stock tomato-juice yeast-extract broth; (b) as removed from changed cultures, the change in fermentation of which had been maintained during at least three successive transfers through semisynthetic mediums and tomato-juice yeast-extract broth. Mediums.?The mediums used were (a) tomato-juice yeast-extract (Orland, 1946), and (b) a modification of the synthetic medium of Henderson and Snell (1948), the modification being: (1) the replacement of the mixture of
Site Use in a Redeveloping Area

The purpose of this case is to help students understand the concept of most fitting and appropriate use and to assess whether it represents an improvement on the concept of highest and best use as conventionally applied in real property appraisals. The information used in this case was compiled for the defendants involved in a lawsuit that arose over the fair market value of a property subject to eminent domain in Durham, North Carolina. No attempt is made to obscure the identity of the principals or the location because the information needs to be context specific to make it meaningful.
Almighty God and the Almighty Dollar: The Study of Religion and Market Economies in the United States

This essay reviews several of the main ways in which scholars of religion have depicted relationships between religion and market economies in the United States. It traces sociological, historical, and ethnographic approaches to the study of religion and market economies, examining how scholars have navigated the tensions between religious declension, on the one hand, and celebration of free market ideals, on the other. It then suggests some directions for further study, including better integration of the studies of material goods, labor, and capitalism with studies of religion and market economies; new studies of religion and finance; greater attention to non-capitalist systems in U.S. history; and studies that recognize the permeable and co-constructed nature of religion and market economies.
An analysis on higher education massification in Singapore

The elite education policy was carried out by the government of Singapore before the mid of 1980s. But Singapore government's idea and policy of education have changed a lot since the mid of 1980s. The most significant change is to enlarge the scale of enrollment of higher education institutions to provide more education opportunities. This change has pushed higher education in Singapore into a period of fast expansion. This essay analysed the social and economic background which led to this change and the main reforms and problems in the course of change.
Computer Science and Programming Courses in Geography Departments in the United States

Geographic information systems (GIS) are fundamental information technologies. The capabilities and applications of GIS continue to rapidly expand, requiring practitioners to have new skills and competencies, especially in computer science. There is little research, however, about how best to prepare the next generation of GIScientists with adequate computer science skills. This article explores how U.S. geography departments are introducing and developing computer science and programming skills in their geography and GIS degree programs. We review the degree requirements in fifty-five geography departments and discover that forty-four of them offer some kind of GIS programming course. Of the 210 separate degree options identified, however, only 22 require one of these courses for a degree. There is little consistency or emphasis on computer science and programming skills in geography or GIS degrees, despite the immense importance of these components in geography and GIS careers. We propose future researc...
Embodied Utopia: Introduction

The drive to construct or envision ideal societies existed long before Thomas More coined the word ‘utopia’ in 1516, and has outlasted him in the longstanding hopes of planners, architects, philosophers and social reformers that particular ways of ordering space and designing the built environment might have a salutary effect on society, communities, families and individuals. The notion of the ideal city or ideal place has long existed in most of the world’s religious traditions; likewise, throughout history, communities based on the pursuit of shared ideals have separated themselves from their larger social context. It is, perhaps, the secularization and mass application of utopia that might be perceived as a specifically modern, if not specifically western, phenomenon. Perhaps this is also utopia’s downfall.
Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of Microphase Separation in Mixed Thiol Monolayers on Silver Nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles with mixed ligand self-assembled monolayers were synthesized from dodecanethiol and another ligand from a homologous series of alkanethiols (butanethiol, pentanethiol, heptanethiol, octanethiol, nonanethiol, decanethiol, undecanethiol, or dodecanethiol[D25]). These were hypothesized to exhibit ligand phase separation that increases with degree of physical mismatch between the ligands based on the difference in the number of carbons in the two ligands. Dodecanethiol/dodecanethiol[D25] was expected to exhibit minimal phase separation as the ligands have only isotopic differences, while dodecanethiol/butanethiol was hypothesized to exhibit the most phase separation due to the difference in chain length. Phase separation of all other ligand mixtures was expected to fall between these two extremes. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectroscopy provided a value for ligand phase separation by comparison with a binomial (random) model and subsequent calculation of the ...
Intensity based local terrain estimation with a multi-beam sonar

The motivating mission for the work presented in this paper is performing photo-surveys of areas of the deep ocean seafloor using an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). This paper describes a method for estimating the full terrain profile ahead of an AUV using an obstacle avoidance sonar. This allows the use of an existing trajectory planning method to optimize low altitude trajectories for high imaging coverage of the terrain. Field data from several dives by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute are presented to demonstrate the method.
Advances in the design and higher-order assembly of collagen mimetic peptides for regenerative medicine

Regenerative medicine makes use of cell-supporting biomaterials to replace lost or damaged tissue. Collagen holds great potential in this regard caused by its biocompatibility and structural versatility. While natural collagen has shown promise for regenerative medicine, collagen mimetic peptides (CMPs) have emerged that allow far higher degrees of customization and ease of preparation. A wide range of two and three-dimensional assemblies have been generated from CMPs, many of which accommodate cellular adhesion and encapsulation, through careful sequence design and the exploitation of electrostatic and hydrophobic forces. But the methodology that has generated the greatest plethora of viable biomaterials is metal-promoted assembly of CMP triple helices—a rapid process that occurs under physiological conditions. Architectures generated in this manner promote cell growth, enable directed attachment of bioactive cargo, and produce living tissue.
Polysilane-Based Thin Films with High Photosensitivity

The present work investigates the intrinsic photosensitivity of a family of poly(alkyl)(aryl)silanes and poly(hydridophenyl)silane for use in the development of photoimprinted waveguide devices. Limited testing of passive optical behavior (e.g. absorption, refractive index) and photosensitive response was performed for these materials in thin film form. It was determined that the materials exhibited dramatic photobleaching under 248 nm (KrF excimer laser) exposure. Based on a Kramers-Kronig analysis of the absorption changes, refractive index changes on the order of - 0.1 are estimated. Confirmation of this calculation has been provided via ellipsometry which estimates refractive index changes at 632 nm of -0.14 ± 0.01. In addition, embedded strips have been photoimprinted into the material to confirm waveguiding capacity of the films. Possible sources of photosensitivity in this material and its potential for application in various device configurations will be discussed.
Checks and balances: The glucocorticoid receptor and NFĸB in good times and bad

Mutual regulation and balance between the endocrine and immune systems facilitate an organism's stress response and are impaired following chronic stress or prolonged immune activation. Concurrent alterations in stress physiology and immunity are increasingly recognized as contributing factors to several stress-linked neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Accumulating evidence suggests that impaired balance and crosstalk between the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NFκB) - effectors of the stress and immune axes, respectively - may play a key role in mediating the harmful effects of chronic stress on mood and behavior. Here, we first review the molecular mechanisms of GR and NFκB interactions in health, then describe potential shifts in the GR-NFκB dynamics in chronic stress conditions within the context of brain circuitry relevant to neuropsychiatric diseases. Furthermore, we discuss developmental influences and sex differences in the regulation of these two transcription factors.
Through the aqueduct and the courts: An analysis of the human right to water and indigenous water rights in Northwestern Mexico

Abstract This article examines the relationship between the human right to water and indigenous water rights as articulated in the legal strategies of indigenous Yaqui (Yoemem) leadership in Mexico, and in the jurisprudence of the Inter-American Human Rights System. Accelerated urban growth and climate change in the area of study are rekindling historical water conflicts between rural indigenous communities and state authorities encouraging urban development. This configuration is not unique to Northwestern Mexico and, thus, offers an instructive case for exploring contradictions and alignments between indigenous right claims and the human right to water. This article addresses the following questions: What role does the human right to water play in the competing claims of state authorities and indigenous Yaqui leadership in Mexico? To what extent can the human right to water be reconciled with the collective rights of indigenous peoples? And in particular, what can be learned from international jurisprudence in this regard? Through content analysis of legal documents and media sources I show that even when Yaqui claims over water are advanced in the arena of international human rights, the human right to water does not have a primary role in framing their demands. In fact, I show that the human right to water was primarily mobilized to uphold rural-to-urban water transfers and undermine indigenous opposition to large-scale infrastructure development. This article produces new empirical knowledge to contribute to scholarship examining what a human right to water means in practice. This line of research is particularly timely as the human right to water becomes institutionalized in the context of growing public debate and legal discussions on collective indigenous rights.
A P53-Deficiency Gene Signature Predicts Recurrence Risk of Patients with Early-Stage Lung Adenocarcinoma

Background: Lung cancer is associated with the highest mortality rate of all cancer types, and the most common histologic subtype of lung cancer is adenocarcinoma. To apply more effective therapeutic treatment, molecular markers that are able to predict the recurrence risk of patients with adenocarcinoma are critically needed. Mutations in TP53 tumor suppressor gene have been found in approximately 50% of lung adenocarcinoma cases, but the presence of a TP53 mutation does not always associate with increased mortality.Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas RNA sequencing data of lung adenocarcinoma were used to define a novel gene signature for P53 deficiency. This signature was then used to calculate a sample-specific P53 deficiency score based on a patient's transcriptomic profile and tested in four independent lung adenocarcinoma microarray datasets.Results: In all datasets, P53 deficiency score was a significant predictor for recurrence-free survival where high P53 deficiency score was associated with poor survival. The score was prognostic even after adjusting for several key clinical variables including age, tumor stage, smoking status, and P53 mutation status. Furthermore, the score was able to predict recurrence-free survival in patients with stage I adenocarcinoma and was also associated with smoking status.Conclusions: The P53 deficiency score was a better predictor of recurrence-free survival compared with P53 mutation status and provided additional prognostic values to established clinical factors.Impact: The P53 deficiency score can be used to stratify early-stage patients into subgroups based on their risk of recurrence for aiding physicians to decide personalized therapeutic treatment. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(1); 86-95. ©2017 AACR.
Biomimetic wall-shaped adhesive microstructure for shear-induced attachment: the effects of pulling angle and preliminary displacement

To date, a handful of different gecko-like adhesives inspired by spatula-shaped attachment hairs have been suggested based on wedge and flap geometry of contact elements. However, while these surface designs have been shown to have directionality in adhesion, high friction, long lifetime and the ability to work in vacuum, an experimental verification of the very basic concept of the pulling angle effect has not yet been reported. To close this gap, here we use wall-shaped adhesive microstructures of three different flap heights to systematically study the effect of pulling angle on the normal and tangential components of the pull-off force tested at different preliminary tangential displacements. In accord with the prediction of the Kendall model for the normal component of peeling force, there is an optimal normal force that is required to detach the wall-shaped adhesive microstructure. The optimum is obtained at about half the distance needed to initiate sliding and at pulling angles that range within 60–90°, which suggests that the wall-shaped microstructure can tolerate relatively large inaccuracies in the loading direction. The increase of the attachment force with increasing flap height is found to correlate with the flap thickness, which decreased with increasing flap height.
Structure of Marine Biofilms

Microbial biofilms in marine environments are dynamic systems exhibiting spatial and temporal heterogeneity. Their species composition may range from low to high diversity and change over time. Within the biofilm, populations of individual species are clustered together in microcolonies or bundles of filaments and can be organized into distinct layers. These communities are faced with fluctuating environmental conditions that may change diurnally, tidally, seasonally, and episodically. These changes may be reflected in the overall structure of the biofilm, especially in cases where sedimentary deposits result. In hypersaline lagoons and sabkhas this results in laminated sediments. In carbonate rich waters, where sediment trapping and binding, as well as lithification occur, the end result of these processes is a stromatolite. In this study, two different marine microbial mat systems were compared and contrasted using light and transmission electron microscopy: a flat laminated microbial mat from Laguna Figueroa, Baja California, Mexico, and lithified marine stromatolites from Highborne Cay, Bahamas. This approach, including preliminary image analysis has revealed several unique features.
Aging and the Lower Urogenital System

Publisher Summary Lower urinary tract (LUT) function in older persons reflects not only aging per se , but also co-morbid disease and changes in sex hormones. Women's focus on the LUT shifts from reproduction to other functions, especially continence and sexual health, whereas that of men increasingly turns to prostate disease. The prevalence of LUT symptoms, such as nocturia, vaginal dryness, and urinary incontinence, increase with age, yet this association is not absolute. Age brings with it increased inter-individual variability, making chronological age a poor marker for health status: an 80-year-old may be a nursing home resident with end-stage dementia, or a vibrant, sexually active working woman. Clinically, the prevalence of LUT symptoms in older persons may be underestimated because of patient under-reporting due to embarrassment, reticence, or assumption that such symptoms are “normal.” Assessment of symptom severity can be compromised by a person's acceptance of “old age” (e.g., “that's what happened to my mother and grandmother”). The fact that only half of older persons with LUT symptoms report them as impacting daily life may have more to do with circumstances and psychological factors than symptom severity. Furthermore, it is crucial to differentiate age-related changes and age-associated pathophysiology from both symptoms and function. Observed changes may not impair function or cause symptoms, but can predispose to dysfunction especially when an additional “insult” occurs. Older individuals have decreased physiological reserve, a phenomenon called “homeostenosis.” Therefore, even a small additional effect can have a major impact on function.
The Priestley Separation Axiom for Scattered Spaces

Let R be a quasi-order on a compact Hausdorff topological space X. We prove that if X is scattered, then R satisfies the Priestley separation axiom if and only if R is closed in the product space X×X. Furthermore, if X is not scattered, then we show that there is a quasi-order on X that is closed in X×X but does not satisfy the Priestley separation axiom. As a result, we obtain a new characterization of scattered compact Hausdorff spaces.
Transition Processes of Mixing Layers

Near the trailing edge of a splitter plate in an originally laminar mixing layer, the coherent structures have a nominally constant period with no superimposed random fine scale turbulence. However, in a region further downstream, the phase of the passing coherent structures becomes decorrelated and random small eddies occur. In this paper, the physical mechanisms of these transition processes are discussed.
Formulae for Differential Corrections

A small change dα;- of some coordinate a is composed of element corrections de i according to the formula \({\Sigma _i}\left( {\partial {\alpha _j}/\partial \varepsilon } \right)d{\varepsilon _i} = d{\alpha _j}\). From a set of residuals dα j the corresponding improvements de 1 are to be found. The differential quotients are calculated from the initial elements. For the polar coordinates, the following formulation may be practicable (Heintz 1967a): Choose a convenient unit of N years for the time scale \(\tau = \left( {t - T} \right)/N;put\;e = \sin \phi\) and express also other element differentials in units of degrees: $$d\phi = 57.296\;\sec \;\phi \;de;$$ $$d\eta \; = \mu {\sec ^2}\phi \;dT$$ $$d{a^ \circ } = 57.296\;da/a;$$ $$dm = N{\sec ^2}\phi \;d\mu$$ .
Development of an assay based on SOMAmer affinity reagents that detects drug-unbound serum EGFR in the presence of cetuximab and panitumumab.

2587 Background: EGFR is an oncogene product whose extracellular domain (ECD) can be either up-regulated or down-regulated in serum of patients with various cancers. In colon cancer patients with p...
A Comparison of WholeTree and Chipped Pine Log Substrate Components in the Production of Greenhouse Grown Annuals

Abstract WholeTree (WT) and chipped pine logs (CPL) are potential new sustainable greenhouse substrate components made by milling chipped pine trees and/or pine logs (Pinus taeda L.). Two experimen...
Deceptive Claims using Fake News Advertising: The Impact on Consumers

Fake news advertising, advertising that mimics legitimate news articles, can be harmful if it misleads consumers to take actions they otherwise would not have taken (e.g., purchase an inferior product). However, little is known whether fake news ads bring in new customers or are merely viewed by people already in the market for the advertised products. Exploiting an FTC enabled shutdown of fake news advertisements for various products such as acai cleanses and teeth whiteners but where the product sites continued to remain operational, I identify the extent of consumer interest in the presence and absence of fake news advertising. The findings indicate interest wanes after the shutdown of fake news advertising, but there is some substitution by consumers to other channels such as regular advertisements.
Guns In Political Advertising Over Four US Election Cycles, 2012-18.

Gun-related deaths are on the rise in the US, and following recent mass shootings, gun policy has emerged as an issue in the 2020 election cycle. Political advertising is an increasingly important ...
Expression and regulation of the mer operon in Thermus thermophilus

Mercury (Hg) is a highly toxic and widely distributed heavy metal, which some Bacteria and Archaea detoxify by the reduction of ionic Hg (Hg[II]) to the elemental volatile form, Hg(0). This activity is specified by the mer operon. The mer operon of the deeply branching thermophile Thermus thermophilus HB27 encodes for, an O-acetyl-l-homoacetylserine sulfhydrylase (Oah2), a transcriptional regulator (MerR), a hypothetical protein (hp) and a mercuric reductase (MerA). Here, we show that this operon has two convergently expressed and differentially regulated promoters. An upstream promoter, P oah , controls the constitutive transcription of the entire operon and a second promoter (P mer ), located within merR, is responsive to Hg(II). In the absence of Hg(II), the transcription of merA is basal and when Hg(II) is present, merA transcription is induced. This response to Hg(II) is controlled by MerR and genetic evidence suggests that MerR acts as a repressor and activator of P mer . When the whole merR, including P mer , is removed, merA is transcribed from P oah independently of Hg(II). These results suggest that the transcriptional regulation of mer in T. thermophilus is both similar to, and different from, the well-documented regulation of proteobacterial mer systems, possibly representing an early step in the evolution of mer-operon regulation.