cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Striking the balance between PTEN and PDK1: it all depends on the cell context.

Phosphatidyl-inosital-3 kinases (PI3Ks) are a family of highly conserved intracellular lipid kinases that regulate cellular proliferation, differentiation, metabolism, and survival (Engelman et al. 2006). Akt/PKB (henceforth referred to as Akt) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) are enzymatic effectors of PI3K signaling (Engelman et al. 2006). PI3K signaling is critical for normal development and function, and defects in its regulation result in a variety of neurological and developmental diseases and cancer (Vivanco and Sawyers 2002; Engelman et al. 2006; Endersby and Baker 2008). Class IA PI3Ks are activated by growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) either directly or through interaction with the insulin receptor substrate family of adaptor molecules (Engelman et al. 2006). The activity of PI3K results in the production of phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphospate (PIP3), a critical regulator of the serine/threonine kinase Akt to link growth factor signaling with cellular growth, proliferation, metabolism, and survival (Engelman et al. 2006; Chalhoub and Baker 2009). Akt is recruited to the membrane through interaction of its pleckstrin homology (PH) domain with PIP3, thus exposing its activation loop and enabling phosphorylation at Thr308 by the constitutively active phosphate-dependent kinase (PDK1) (Alessi et al. 1997; Calleja et al. 2007, 2009). For maximal activation, Akt is also phosphorylated on Ser473 of its C-terminal hydrophobic motif by mTOR, as described below. mTOR is both an effector and an activator of Akt signaling, thus linking growth factor signaling through PI3K with protein translation, cell growth, proliferation, metabolism, and survival. mTOR exists in two multiprotein complexes, each characterized by different binding partners with distinct activities. mTOR resides in a complex with PRAS40, raptor, and mLST8/GβL as part of mTOC complex 1 (mTORC1). mTORC2 is composed of mTOR in complex with rictor, mSIN1, protor, and mLST8 (Guertin and Sabatini 2009). The recently identified mTOR inhibitor DEPTOR associates with both complexes, as will be described below (Peterson et al. 2009). Akt activates mTORC1 by inhibitory phosphorylation of TSC2, which, along with TSC1, negatively regulates mTORC1 by inhibiting the Rheb GTPase, a positive regulator of mTORC1. Rather surprisingly, a PKCα-dependent, Akt-independent route linking PI3K with mTORC1 has been described recently, suggesting that there may be multiple routes between PI3K and mTORC1 (Fan et al. 2009). mTORC1 has two well-defined substrates—p70S6K (referred to hereafter as S6K1) and 4E-BP1—both of which critically regulate protein synthesis (Guertin and Sabatini 2009). Unlike mTORC1, which is regulated by Akt, mTORC2 is an Akt activator. PI3K signaling activates mTORC2, which in turn activates a number of kinases in addition to Akt, including serum glucocorticoid-induced protein kinase (SGK1) and PKCα, all of which may also play important roles in regulating cellular proliferation and growth.
Refactoring for reentrancy

A program is reentrant if distinct executions of that program on distinct inputs cannot affect each other. Reentrant programs have the desirable property that they can be deployed on parallel machines without additional concurrency control. Many existing Java programs are not reentrant because they rely on mutable global state. We present a mostly-automated refactoring that makes such programs reentrant by replacing global state with thread-local state and performing each execution in a fresh thread. The approach has the key advantage of yielding a program that is obviously safe for parallel execution; the program can then be optimized selectively for better performance. We implemented this refactoring in Reentrancer, a practical Eclipse-based tool. Reentrancer successfully eliminated observed reentrancy problems in five single-threaded Java benchmarks. For three of the benchmarks, Reentrancer enabled speedups on a multicore machine without any further code modification.
IT innovation: a new era

This presentation will discuss the emerging discipline of IT Innovation, a discipline where unique value can be created at the intersection of Information Technology and Innovation. The presentation also shares the structure of an emerging Innovation Capability Maturity Framework and Model while discussing how computing trends such as multicore technology and virtualization will re-ignite Moore’s law and provide a platform for Innovation that is unparalleled in history.
Some Replacement Policies in a Random Environment

Several models of maintenance of repairable multicomponent systems, subjected to a random environment, are introduced in this paper. For each model, it is shown how various probabilistic quantities of interest are “monotone” as a function of the probability law of the environment or as a function of other parameters of the model. Also, conditions are given which imply the positive dependence of the failure times, or of the counters of the number of failures, in these models.
Qualitative and Quantitative Characteristics of Rotavirus-Specific CD8 T Cells Vary Depending on the Route of Infection

CD8 T-cell response provides an important defense against rotavirus, which infects a variety of systemic locations in addition to the gut. Here we investigated the distribution, phenotype, and function of rotavirus-specific CD8 T cells in multiple organs after rotavirus infection initiated via the intranasal, oral, or intramuscular route. The highest level of virus-specific CD8 T cells was observed in the Peyer's patches of orally infected mice and in the lungs of intranasally infected animals. Very low levels of virus-specific CD8 T cells were detected in peripheral blood or spleen irrespective of the route of infection. Rotavirus-specific CD8 T cells from Peyer's patches of orally infected mice expressed high levels of CCR9, while CXCR6 and LFA-1 expression was associated with virus-specific CD8 T cells in lungs of intranasally infected mice. Oral infection induced the highest proportion of gamma interferon− CD107a/b+ CD8 T cells in Peyer's patches. When equal numbers of rotavirus-specific CD8 T cells were transferred into Rag-1 knockout mice chronically infected with rotavirus, the donor cells derived from Peyer's patches of orally infected mice were more efficient than those derived from lungs of intranasally infected animals in clearing intestinal infection. These results suggest that different routes of infection induce virus-specific CD8 T cells with distinct homing phenotypes and effector functions as well as variable abilities to clear infection.
El pecado original de las humanidades

El programa de las humanidades busco en su origen historico generar un espacio institucional para el despliegue del analisis y la interpretacion de todos los problemas humanos por parte de un sujeto que se suponia libre [...] pero en la medida en que las humanidades en tanto camino de formacion representan el espacio por excelencia en la universidad en donde el sujeto se pone a si mismo como objeto de representacion, se estudia, se convierte en un observador de segundo orden de su propio caracter de sujeto, a partir de alli, su plan de investigacion no podra nunca ser libre, sino que esta siempre ya dictado por los contenidos verosimiles de lo imaginario, ajeno y colectivo.
Adiabatic shear banding in ultrafine-grained Fe processed by severe plastic deformation

Abstract We have investigated the plastic deformation behavior of ultrafine-grained (UFG) bulk Fe. The UFG microstructure (grain size ∼300 and ∼150 nm) was obtained through combined equal channel angular extrusion and low-temperature rolling, and confirmed using transmission electron microscopy. Mechanical properties were measured under both quasi-static (strain rate in the range of 10−4–100 s−1) and dynamic (strain rate up to ∼103 s−1 using the Kolsky bar technique) compressive loading. Dynamic stress–strain curves of the UFG Fe exhibit significant flow softening, in addition to a significant reduction in the strain rate sensitivity of the flow stress. Consequently, under dynamic loading the plastic flow mode changes from the uniform deformation of conventional coarse-grained Fe to substantial localized deformation in UFG Fe. Both in situ high-speed camera movies and post-loading optical and scanning electron microscopy show the development of adiabatic shear bands, observed for the first time in pure Fe under compressive loading conditions. The morphology of the shear bands and the increased propensity for flow localization due to the ultrafine grain structure are explained using established models for adiabatic shear banding.
Producing an Accurate Crystal Drawing in Any Orientation from a Stereogram

A wholly general method is presented to produce accurate drawings of any crystal in any orientation from a stereogram of the crystal. A standard stereogram is prepared with all faces plotted, and the desired viewpoint is marked. The stereogram is then rotated as necessary to place this mark on the W radius of the net. The stereogram is then held in position, and the viewpoint moved along the W radius to the center of the net. Concurrently, all face poles are moved along their small circles by the same number of degrees and with the same sense of motion as the viewpoint. The poles are now reoriented. Next, appropriate zone circles and their diameters are drawn. Each zone has a zone pole whose direction on the stereogram is parallel to the edges in the zone. A line parallel to this zone pole, called an edge line, is drawn from the net into the adjoining drawing area. Edge lines are drawn for each zone of the crystal, and the crystal drawing is then made by drawing necessary edges to outline faces.
Influence of Cultural and Pest Management Practices on Performance of Runner, Spanish, and Virginia Market Types in North Carolina

Virginia market type peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cultivars are grown primarily in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia in the US, although growers in these states often plant other market types if marketing opportunities are available. Information on yield potential and management strategies comparing these market types is limited in North Carolina. In separate experiments, research was conducted to determine response of runner, Spanish, and Virginia market types to calcium sulfate and inoculation with Bradyrhizobium at planting, planting and digging dates, planting patterns, and seeding rates. In other experiments, control of thrips (Frankliniella spp.) using aldicarb, southern corn rootworm (Diabrotica undecimpunctata Howardi) using chlorpyrifos, eclipta (Eclipta prostrata L.) using threshold-based postemergence herbicides, and leaf spot disease (caused by the fungi Cercospora arachidicola and Cercosporidium personatum) fungicide programs was compared in these market types. Results showed that management practice and market types interacted for peanut pod yield in only the planting date experiment. Yield of runner and Virginia market types was similar and exceeded yield of the Spanish market type in most experiments.
Porosity and Structure Evolution during Coal Pyrolysis in Large Particles at Very Slow Heating Rates

Subsurface thermal conversion of coal into light gases and oils via pyrolysis potentially offers a more environmentally benign alternative to conventional coal combustion. Few studies have examined coal pyrolysis under conditions relevant to subsurface pyrolysis, such as very large particle sizes, confining pressures, and very slow heating rates. The presented work examines structural changes in the porous network of very large particles of Utah bituminous coal undergoing pyrolysis at atmospheric pressure at heating rates as slow as 0.1 °C/min. Several unique phenomena are observed, including an absence of plastic deformation at heating rates below 10 °C/min, the development of a bimodal macropore size probability distribution because of confinement effects when plastic deformation occurs, and a potential trapping mechanism for residual organic matter in the mesopore system. The pyrolysis behavior of very large bituminous coal particles at very slow heating rates is found to deviate substantially from tho...
Influence of a Neighboring Charged Group on Hydrophobic Hydration Shell Structure.

Raman multivariate curve resolution (Raman-MCR), as well as quantum and classical calculations, are used to probe water structural changes in the hydration shells of carboxylic acids and tetraalkyl ammonium ions with various aliphatic chain lengths. The results reveal that water molecules in the hydration shell around the hydrophobic chains undergo a temperature and chain length dependent structural transformation resembling that previously observed in aqueous solutions of n-alcohols. Deprotonation of the carboxylic acid headgroup (at pH ∼ 7) is found to suppress the onset of the hydration-shell structural transformation around the nearest aliphatic methylene group. Tetraalkyl ammonium cations are found to more strongly suppress the water structural transformation, perhaps reflecting the greater intramolecular charge delocalization and suppression of dangling OH defects in water’s tetrahedral H-bond network. The observed coupling between ionic and hydrophobic groups, as well as the associated charge asymm...
Spider silk-like proteins derived from transgenic Nicotiana tabacum

The high tensile strength and biocompatibility of spider dragline silk makes it a desirable material in many engineering and tissue regeneration applications. Here, we present the feasibility to produce recombinant proteins in transgenic tobacco Nicotiana tabacum with sequences representing spider silk protein building blocks . Recombinant mini-spidroins contain native N- and C-terminal domains of major ampullate spidroin 1 (rMaSp1) or rMaSp2 flanking an abbreviated number (8, 16 or 32) of consensus repeat domains. Two different expression plasmid vectors were tested and a downstream chitin binding domain and self-cleavable intein were included to facilitate protein purification. We confirmed gene insertion and RNA transcription by PCR and reverse-transcriptase PCR, respectively. Mini-spidroin production was detected by N-terminus specific antibodies. Purification of mini-spidroins was performed through chitin affinity chromatography and subsequent intein activation with reducing reagent. Mini-spidroins, when dialyzed and freeze-dried, formed viscous gelatin-like fluids.
Irish Transnational Social Movements, Deterritorialized Migrants, and the State System: The Last One Hundred and Forty Years

According to scholars who study transnational social movements of "deterritorialized migrants," such movements are: (1) a new phenomena of the modern global age, (2) a response to a modern communications revolution, and (3) a result of the weakening of modern states that contributes to the further decline of the national state system. This article examines the history of Irish conspiratorial brotherhoods over the last one hundred and forty years. It indicates the continuity between contemporary and past transnational movements. Recent social movement globalization studies underestimate the importance of past advances in communications technology and of close personal networks, particularly for social movements subject to repression. Finally, this article argues that the transnational character of social movements poses no inherent challenge to the state system. If transnational political outcomes that transcend the nation-state are more possible today than in the past, it is more due to reconfigured state...
Monitoring Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-guerin Treatment of Bladder Carcinoma with Flow Cytometry

AbstractFlow cytometry of bladder irrigation specimens was studied in 22 patients with low stage bladder carcinoma who were treated by transurethral resection of visible tumor followed in 3 to 5 weeks by a course of intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin. The most informative examinations were just before the first bacillus Calmette-Guerin treatment, 6 weeks after completing a 6-week course of treatment (3 months) and at 9 months. Of the patients 10 had recurrent tumors after therapy; recurrence was anticipated correctly by flow cytometry at the 12-week followup examination in 6 of the 10 patients and suspected in another. Of 12 patients who remained clinically free of disease for a minimum of 15 months after bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy flow cytometry identified correctly 7 at 12 weeks, while 1 had a partial response and the remaining 4 reverted to a negative status at 9 months. Of interest, only 4 of the 22 patients were free of disease by flow cytometry at the start of bacillus Calmette-Guerin treat...
Congenital obstructive uropathies: pre- and postnatal treatment

The evolution of sonographic techniques that allow accurate prenatal diagnosis of obstructive uropathies has led to consideration of specific therapeutic options in the care of such lesions. After briefly reviewing historical developments, the authors examine recent clinical experience with the prenatal treatment of congenital obstructive uropathies and consider possible clinical criteria for selecting appropriate candidates for such interventions.
The Statistical Distribution of the Number of Prompt Fission Gamma Rays

Peelle and Maienschein, among others, have reported that on average there are seven prompt gamma rays per fission of 235U. If we assume that the number of prompt gamma rays per fission is a random variable then we can consider the number of eight gamma rays as the first term of a moment expansion of the appropriate distribution. Higher order moments of this distribution are related to the number of n-fold coincidences of fission gamma rays as determined with appropriate gamma detectors. Measurements of twofold, threefold and fourfold coincidences are considered. The statistical theory of these coincidences is developed in this paper. Experimental work is underway, but final results have not yet been obtained.
Cyber-Physical Systems Engineering for Manufacturing

There is a convergence of interests in cyber-physical systems, systems engineering, and manufacturing innovation in the United States. The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has undertaken research programs in smart manufacturing systems to address many of the standards and measurement science issues that arise from this convergence. This chapter describes the convergence, the progress made thus far in the NIST programs in smart manufacturing systems, and the challenges that drive further research.
Transformative Solidarity: International Accompaniment as Conflict Transformation

This essay begins with an attack the author experienced while accompanying a Palestinian family in the South Hebron hills. Weaving this experience together with literature on strategic peace-building, MacDonald argues that such accompaniment can and should be understood as conflict transformation. Conflict transformation entails more than the resolution of immediate problems; it also draws attention to systemic injustices and unhealthy relational patterns. International accompaniment intends to reduce violence by preventing, interrupting, or diverting attacks that harm community leaders and other civilians. It also engages the conflict to raise awareness and increase public outcry. MacDonald concludes that genuine solidarity is not only a tool for transforming power imbalances, but also an embodiment of transformation itself.
Mega Cisterna Magna and Retrocerebellar Arachnoid Cysts

There is debate as to whether mega cisterna magna (MCM) arises from a pathologic insult; recent evidence suggests that it may be on the mildest end of the Dandy-Walker continuum. However, it can be considered an asymptomatic normal variation in which the posterior fossa appears mildly enlarged on imaging, typically with prominence of the subarachnoid space (SAS) posterior to the cerebellum (retrocerebellar space). This prominence of the cerebellar-medullary cistern communicates freely with the SAS and does not result in CSF obstruction or hydrocephalus because the foramina of Magendie and Luschka are patent, by definition. The development of the cerebellar hemispheres and vermis are normal. The tentorium may appear slightly higher than normal but has a normal insertion. MCM is thought to result from evagination of the tela choroidea’s posterior membranous area, possibly caused by delayed completion of the foramen of Magendie. Larger MCMs may simulate and be very difficult to distinguish from arachnoid cysts (which have a thin surrounding membrane) because of mild compression of the cerebellar vermis or hemispheres. They may have a split falx/dural fold, which can be seen in over half of the cases traversing the MCM and can distinguish MCM from arachnoid cysts.
New guidelines for nosocomial pneumonia

Purpose of reviewHospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) remain important causes of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. New evidence-based guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of these entities were released by the Infectious Diseases Society o
Exploring Academic Mobility Across the 49th Parallel: Promoting dialogue between Canada and the US

The movement of academic labor within the global landscape has received increasing attention from both scholars and policy makers. This attention has been focused on mobility within US/UK contexts (Cantwell & Lee, 2010), within the UK (McAlpine, 2012), across European countries (Fumasoli, Goastellec, & Kehm, 2015).
Diurnal variability of gas phase and surface water ethanol in southeastern North Carolina, USA

Abstract Diurnal variations in gas phase and surface water concentrations of ethanol and acetaldehyde were investigated at five locations in southeastern North Carolina, USA. There were distinct diurnal oscillations observed in gas phase concentrations with maxima occurring in late afternoon suggesting that photochemical production is an important process in the cycling of these analytes in the troposphere. The rapid decrease in concentrations after the mid day maximum suggests that there is also an atmospheric photochemical sink for both analytes most likely involving photo produced hydroxyl radicals with a half-life on the order of hours rather than days at ground level. Ethanol concentrations in the surface microlayer taken at the same time as gas phase samples had a very similar diurnal profile suggesting photochemical processes, in addition to atmospheric deposition, play a role in the aqueous phase cycling of both analytes. The concentration of ethanol and acetaldehyde increased significantly in flasks containing freshwater collected from the Cape Fear River exposed to simulated sunlight for 6 h underscoring the importance of in situ photochemical production. Results of this study are significant because they represent the first simultaneous analyses of the temporal variability of ethanol and acetaldehyde concentrations in the gas and aqueous phases. These measurements are essential in order to better define the processes involved in the global biogeochemical cycling of ethanol both now and in the future as our use of the biofuel continues to grow.
Engineering Sustainable Aquaculture in Rural Haiti: A Case Study

Large commercial and small scale aquaculture programs have been attempted in Haiti with mixed results. This paper examines a case study where a grassroots Haitian organization worked with American engineers and university students to design and construct simple infrastructure to augment their hatchery. This small investment has also encouraged other Haitians to open up aquaculture programs, independent of international intervention, that utilize this new infrastructure. The practices and partnership exhibited in this case study can be replicated with similar outcomes for local enterprises and businesses. Aquaculture still has many obstacles but many infrastructure challenges can be overcome through such synergies.
Noncompliance and dissent with cell phone policies: a psychological reactance theoretical perspective

This study employed Brehm’s psychological reactance theory (PRT) to understand why students do or do not choose to follow classroom cell phone policies. Results (N = 750) from this study demonstrat...
Toxoplasma gondii disrupts β1 integrin signaling and focal adhesion formation during monocyte hypermotility.

The motility of blood monocytes is orchestrated by the activity of cell-surface integrins, which translate extracellular signals into cytoskeletal changes to mediate adhesion and migration. Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite that infects migratory cells and enhances their motility, but the mechanisms underlying T. gondii–induced hypermotility are incompletely understood. We investigated the molecular basis for the hypermotility of primary human peripheral blood monocytes and THP-1 cells infected with T. gondii. Compared with uninfected monocytes, T. gondii infection of monocytes reduced cell spreading and the number of activated β1 integrin clusters in contact with fibronectin during settling, an effect not observed in monocytes treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or Escherichia coli. Furthermore, T. gondii infection disrupted the phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) at tyrosine 397 (Tyr-397) and Tyr-925 and of the related protein proline-rich tyrosine kinase (Pyk2) at Tyr-402. The localization of paxillin, FAK, and vinculin to focal adhesions and the colocalization of these proteins with activated β1 integrins were also impaired in T. gondii–infected monocytes. Using time-lapse confocal microscopy of THP-1 cells expressing enhanced GFP (eGFP)–FAK during settling on fibronectin, we found that T. gondii–induced monocyte hypermotility was characterized by a reduced number of enhanced GFP-FAK–containing clusters over time compared with uninfected cells. This study demonstrates an integrin conformation–independent regulation of the β1 integrin adhesion pathway, providing further insight into the molecular mechanism of T. gondii–induced monocyte hypermotility.
Targeting the tumour stroma to improve cancer therapy

Cancers are not composed merely of cancer cells alone; instead, they are complex ‘ecosystems’ comprising many different cell types and noncellular factors. The tumour stroma is a critical component of the tumour microenvironment, where it has crucial roles in tumour initiation, progression, and metastasis. Most anticancer therapies target cancer cells specifically, but the tumour stroma can promote the resistance of cancer cells to such therapies, eventually resulting in fatal disease. Therefore, novel treatment strategies should combine anticancer and antistromal agents. Herein, we provide an overview of the advances in understanding the complex cancer cell–tumour stroma interactions and discuss how this knowledge can result in more effective therapeutic strategies, which might ultimately improve patient outcomes.
Ribosome Regulation by EF-G and EF-Tu

The ribosome, the ribonucleoprotein particle responsible for protein synthesis, is a ribozyme, bearing the stamp of its origin in the RNA world. Although the individual reactions of protein synthesis are intrinsic catalytic properties of the ribosome, most are greatly accelerated or controlled by the action of extrinsic protein factors. During the elongation phase, two reactions, transfer RNA (tRNA) selection and translocation, are regulated by elongation factors Tu (EF-Tu) and G (EF-G), respectively. EF-Tu delivers aminoacyl-tRNA, in a ternary complex with guanosine triphosphate (GTP), to the ribosome. Binding of the correct aminoacyl-tRNA as dictated by messenger RNA (mRNA) initiates a sequence of events that includes a global conformational change in the 30S ribosomal subunit, the hydrolysis of GTP, a conformational change in EF-Tu, release of EF-Tu–GDP from the ribosome and accommodation of aminoacyl-tRNA into the ribosomal A site. Following peptide bond formation, EF-G binds to the ribosome and stimulates the concerted movement of tRNAs and mRNA by one codon, freeing the A-site for the next round of tRNA selection. Although EF-Tu accelerates the forward rate constants for tRNA selection and allows the ribosome to use a proofreading mechanism to enhance discrimination, EF-G accelerates an otherwise slow reaction. These factors thereby contribute to the remarkable speed and accuracy of protein synthesis by the ribosome.
Exploiting position history for efficient remote rendering in networked virtual reality

Distributed virtual reality systems require accurate, efficient remote rendering of animated entities in the virtual environment. Position, velocity, and acceleration information about each player is maintained at the player's local machine, but remote hosts must display this information in real-time to support interaction between users across the network. Prior applications have transmitted position information at the local frame rate, or they have relied on dead-reckoning protocols using higher derivative information to extrapolate entity position between less frequent updates. These approaches require considerable network bandwidth and at times exhibit poor behavior. This paper describes a position history-based protocol whose update packets contain only position information. Remote hosts extrapolate from several position updates to track the location and orientation of entities between infrequent updates. Our evaluation suggests that the position history-based protocol provides a network-scalable solution for generating smooth, accurate rendering of remote entities.
Gibberellins in the Rest Period of the Potato Tuber

Although gibberellin A3 has been shown to shorten the rest period of a number of seeds, shrubs, tubers and trees [1, 6, 8, 12, 22] the physiological role of native gibberellins is not yet understood. Rest in this sense refers to growth that is slowed or arrested, even though conditions are optimal for growth. After the rest period, growth is accelerated or renewed if environmental conditions are suitable [7]. The rest period of the potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tuber, usually measured from harvest, lasts 5 to 17 weeks, depending on age, variety, and to a small extent on storage temperature [7]. Actually, this period could be measured from the time of tuber enlargement, except for the obvious difficulty in judging when enlargement begins. Rosa [24] clearly showed that the sooner the tuber is harvested after enlargement begins, the longer is its rest period.
Pressure and ethical decision-making

Performance pressure degrades performance on many types of tasks. Mounting evidence, however, suggests that pressure may not affect ethical decision-making. For the present study, participants analysed an ethical dilemma using a cognitive tool (ACED IT), expressive writing, or a control task, and their decisions were compared for participants in high and low pressure conditions. Perceptions of moral intensity were also measured. The current project found that the ACED IT map appears to be an effective cognitive tool for aiding ethical decision-making. The ACED IT group performed better on ethical decision-making (EDM) indices than did participants in the other groups. Pressure did not have an impact with regard to the cognitive processes involved in EDM. Pressure did, however, have a significant effect on perceptions of the problem. Implications of this pattern of results are discussed. It is important to determine whether pressure impacts EDM, so that training interventions can address pressure effectively. The present study suggests that, while pressure may not have an impact on ethical decision-making, pressure does seem to impact perceptions regarding ethical decision-making.
Ramping Up the Response to Ebola

Ramping Up the Response to Ebola Additional seasoned responders are needed to help control the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but CDC staff have been pulled from the field owing to security concerns. These concerns need be addressed so that CDC staff can return.
Medieval Sunni historians on Fatimid policy and non-Muslim influence

Modern historians routinely cast the Fatimid era in Egypt and Syria as a time when flourishing non-Muslim communities enjoyed an unusual degree of influence in the state. To complement the theme of...
Voucher Specimens in Comparative Cytogenetic Studies

Comparative cytogenetics is a type of taxonomic study, and it may provide the systematist with additional information concerning relationships of organisms. While many of the persons engaged in chromosome studies on a comparative basis are specifically attempting to gather cytogenetic evidence to resolve systematic problems, others are accumulating data in peripheral studies which, nonetheless, are of great interest and utility to taxonomists. The prime purpose of this paper is to present some methods by which the common material of use both to cytologists and to formal taxonomists may be made available to each group. This should help not only to improve the validity of the cytogenetic data, but also will aid the taxonomist by providing reference material for future workers in the resolution of problems that will surely arise concerning the identity of animals utilized in cytological studies.
Acid gas capture at high temperatures using molten alkali metal borates

Materials designed for CO2 capture provide both an opportunity and a challenge in that industrial emissions typically contain an assortment of acid gasses, which may include SOx and NOx alongside C...
Erratum to “Opportunistic UAV Navigation With Carrier Phase Measurements From Asynchronous Cellular Signals”

It is noted that the original article noted in the title was incorrectly formatted as a Correspondence item. This work was accepted as a full paper. The author photos and biographies, omitted from the correspondence item, are published here.
Development of microscale bicrystal tensile testing for strength measurement of oxidized grain boundaries of alloy 600 exposed to PWR environments

Abstract Ni-based alloy 600 has been used as steam generator tubes in many pressurized water reactors (PWR). In these materials, oxidized grain boundaries are found, which may lead to (initiate) stress corrosion cracking in service. This work evaluates the cracking of oxidized grain boundaries on alloy 600. Novel testing procedure was developed, delivering not just yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation data, but also direct observation of the failure. The information obtained will help to understand the stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of this alloy. It was found that the orientations of the two grains adjacent to a grain boundary play an important role in determining its propensity to crack; it also determines whether blocked volume ratio is an important consideration. Furthermore, it is found that the grain boundary shear stress needs to be considered in addition to the grain boundary normal stress.
An unmatched case-control study evaluating the relationship between cancer diagnosis and drinking water source on the lower Eastern Shore of Maryland.

e22514Background: The lower Eastern Shore of Maryland is an agricultural and rural region with high cancer rates. Prior research has suggested that cancer patients on the lower Eastern Shore of Mar...
Glucose Toxicity of the Pancreatic ß-Cell

For purposes of this chapter, glucose toxicity is defined as pathophysiologic and largely irreversible damage to the pancreatic islet f3-cell caused by chronic exposure to supraphysiologic glucose concentrations. This leads to profound disturbances in insulin synthesis, which in turn leads to decreased insulin content and secretion. Using various experimental models, many authors have described negative effects of glucose on 13-cell function and termed these effects variously as glucose toxicity, 13- cell exhaustion, or glucose desensitization (1-50). While the distinction between 13- cell exhaustion and glucose toxicity is not always clear, we favor the concept that the two lie in a pathophysiologic continuum. f3-cell exhaustion is the earlier form and likely to be reversible, whereas glucose toxicity is the later form and less reversible. In marked contrast, we view “glucose desensitization” as a temporary, physiological state of p-cell refractoriness induced by repeated or prolonged exposure to high glucose concentrations, which is reversed in a time-dependent manner after restoration of normal glucose concentrations. This term implies an intrinsic and reversible alteration in stimulus-secretion coupling rather than damage to the 13-cell.
Effects of Partial and Total Denervation on the Distribution of Fiber Size of Rat Soleus Muscles: A Quantitative Computer Imaging Analysis

The effects of partial and total denervation on muscle fibers were studied in rat soleus muscles by quantitative computer imaging analysis. Within 5 weeks after denervation, there was a progressive reduction of the soleus muscle weight in total denervation groups but a gradual recovery beginning in the third week and reaching 75% of the control in the fifth week in the partial denervation group. The reduction of muscle mass was mainly due to the replacement of large and medium-sized fibers by small atrophic fibers.In totally denervated muscles, cross-sectional fiber area showed a rapid decline after denervation, but the shape of fiber size distribution was nearly normal. On the other hand, partially denervated muscles showed an asymmetrical fiber size distribution with a shift toward large fibers. In control and totally denervated muscles, mean fiber area strongly correlated with the standard deviation from the mean, but in partially denervated muscles, this strong correlation no longer existed and was replaced by larger standard deviations. It is concluded that only partially denervated muscles show significant variations in fiber size.
Cross‐Cultural Role Theory

Role theory considers the influence that role set members have on a focal person. Boundary spanning roles are important for research about multinational organizations, while the relationship of national values to roles and role relationships are part of comparative research. Cognitive theory has recently been applied to suggest that generalized role expectations be reconceptualized as sources of meaning or guidance that people occupying particular roles utilize to make sense of work events. Keywords: role theory; decision making; expatriate roles; role conflict; event meaning management
Bistatic radar chaotic system synchronization

We propose a scheme for bistatic radar that uses a three-dimensional chaotic system to generate a wideband signal that is replicated at the receiver to extract high resolution information from targets. The setup for the bistatic radar includes a drive oscillator at the transmitter and a response oscillator at the receiver. The challenge for this setup is synchronizing the response oscillator of the radar receiver utilizing a scaled version of the transmitted signal that is a function of one drive oscillator state variable where the scaling factor accounts for antenna gain, system losses, and space propagation. Since the scaling factor is not known a priori, the response oscillator must be able to accept the scaled version of the state variable as an input. Thus, we improve upon a generalized projective synchronization technique that introduces a controller variable and a controller parameter into the Lorenz system and show that the synchronization is achievable. We verify through simulations that, once synchronization is achieved, the short-time correlation of the driver and response state variables is high and that this correlation is consistent over long periods of time.
Room Temperature Creep Of SiC/SiC Composites

During a recent experimental study, time dependent deformation was observed for a damaged Hi-Nicalon reinforced, BN interphase, chemically vapor infiltrated SiC matrix composites subjected to static loading at room temperature. The static load curves resembled primary creep curves. In addition, acoustic emission was monitored during the test and significant AE activity was recorded while maintaining a constant load, which suggested matrix cracking or interfacial sliding. For similar composites with carbon interphases, little or no time dependent deformation was observed. Evidently, exposure of the BN interphase to the ambient environment resulted in a reduction in the interfacial mechanical properties, i.e. interfacial shear strength and/or debond energy. These results were in qualitative agreement with observations made by Eldridge of a reduction in interfacial shear stress with time at room temperature as measured by fiber push-in experiments.
Digestibility, intake and mineral utilization of combinations of grasses and legumes by lambs.

Defined mixtures of two grass (orchardgrass, perennial ryegrass) and two legume (alfalfa, red clover) hays, harvested in two cuttings in 2 yr, were fed in digestibility, intake and mineral balance trials to wether lambs. Each mixture was fed in ad libitum amounts to six crossbred wether lambs weighing 35 to 45 kg. The effect of increasing proportion of legume in mixtures on dry matter digestibility (DMD), neutral detergent fiber digestibility (DNDF) and digestible dry matter intake (DDMI) differed with species combination. For all combinations, a quadratic regression (P less than .05) for DMD and DNDF indicated a small, negative associative effect for mixtures of grasses and legumes compared with pure species. Dry matter intake (DMI) showed a quadratic increase with level of legume inclusion, indicating a positive associative effect. The observed increase of DMI was approximately 6 to 7% over predicted values with 25 or 50% legume in the mixture. Intake of NDF also showed a quadratic response to level of legume, but lambs tended to eat to a fairly constant intake of 42 to 43 g NDF/kg wt.75. Mineral utilization (apparent absorption, retention) differed (P less than .05) with cutting but not species combination, and generally improved with increasing legume content in the mixture. With the exception of calcium retention (negative quadratic effect), there was little evidence for significant associative effects between grasses and legumes in mineral utilization.
Legal and Institutional Policy Responses to Medical Futility

The medical futility debate centers on the conflict between a patient who demands treatment and a doctor who refuses it. This article seeks a social and professional consensus regarding this debate by considering two decisionmaking sources: case law produced by litigation over medical futility disputes and a sample of hospital policies relating to futile care. First considering relevant case law, the article describes two strains of litigation. Where the hospital seeks permission to end treatment and the patient or surrogate seeks continued treatment, the court almost always defers to the patient and orders continued treatment. Yet in malpractice suits brought by families for a physician’s failure to treat, courts consistently defer to the physician’s judgment of the situation as futile. In addition, there is no consistent rationale underlying the decisions to continue treatment or the decisions to uphold physician judgment. The article proposes that a lack of social and professional ambiguity may underlie this legal ambiguity.Next assessing medical futility in hospital policies, the article describes the results of the Life Sustaining Treatment Survey, a nationwide survey of health care professionals at hospitals. Data collected reveals that most policies deferred to physician judgment rather than explicitly defining futility. In addition, where policies did define futility, the definitions varied significantly from one institution to another. This article finds the lack of consensus in medical futility to be troubling and advocates for an unambiguous conflict resolution process for futility decisionmaking. Hospitals should provide substantial opportunities for negotiation, mediation, and consultation—approaches well suited to the complex decisions involved in health care relationships. However, to avoid ambiguities and confusion in such relationships, hospital policies should also specify a resolution mechanism for cases of persistent conflict.
Starting a grassroots teaching workshop: experiences of a recent convert [engineering education]

The author describes how, since the fall of 1998, he has coordinated a teaching workshop for engineering faculty at Bucknell University, USA. He details how the goal of the workshop is to stimulate a discussion of issues in engineering education and to raise the general level of awareness of recent advances in instructional theory and practice.
Hahn, Erwin L.: Pulsed NMR—A Personal History

The sections in this article are 1 Introduction 2 University of Illinois, 1946–50 3 Stanford, 1950–52 4 IBM Watson Laboratory, 1952–55 5 University of California, Berkeley, 1955–91 6 In Retrospect 7 Biographical Sketch
Implicaciones de la lógica cuántica para la noción de Transcendencia

This article attempts to study the notion of Transcendence from the perspective of Quantum Mechanics. The Laws of Physics reveal that nature is dynamic and it is understood in terms of mathematical models and relations. Uncertainty is a fundamental feature of the Quantum reality. Quantum structural pattern is the fundamental nature of reality, whether observable or unobservable. Transcendence in Quantum Mechanics is a dynamic concept which must be understood in terms of dynamic state. Transcendencein Quantum Mechanics is the process of uncovering deep treasures of the reality, which is dynamic. A movement toward the deeper reality of God is what is behind the notion of transcendence.
The nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of fluorocarbons: Part III. Halogenated propynes, propenes, butenes, and cyclopentenes

Abstract The nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of one fluorinated propyne (CF 3 C…CH), four halogenated propenes and butenes (CCl 2 CHCF 3 , CClFCHCF 3 , CF 3 CClCClCF 3 , and CF 3 CClCFCF 3 ), and two halogenated cyclopentenes (1,2-dichlorohexafluorocyclopentene and perfluorocyclopentene) have been investigated. In general, chemical shifts could be determined for H 1 and F 19 at various intramolecular sites; in most cases, spin-spin coupling constants could be determined. The molecular parameters obtained from analyses of the observed spectra are tabulated.