cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cisco: Early If Not Elegant (A)

Cisco Systems' strategy was acquire, acquire, acquire during the 1990s. Along the way, the firm tailored an integration process unique to each acquisition that Cisco consumed. From the day the intended purchase was announced, human-resources and business-development teams traveled to the acquired company's headquarters to familiarize themselves with the new acquisition. The day after the deal was closed, the human-resources arm of the business-development department hit the firm with tailor-made orientation programs. Cisco's approach had worked well between 1994 and 2000, with more than 70 acquisitions. By 2001, Cisco's buying spree had slowed, and acquisitions dropped to only two that year, causing public speculation that the firm had overshopped. Yet in early 2002, John Chambers, CEO of Cisco Systems, announced that he still intended to acquire eight or ten companies that year. What new postmerger-integration challenges would the firm face? This case provides an opportunity to examine Cisco's postmerger-integration (PMI)strategy, which takes place in a short time frame in order to achieve cost savings, high earnings, and an integrated culture. Students will discover how Cisco realizes value from its acquisitions and the role of executives in the acquired companies. They will also be challenged to think about how Cisco's PMI strategy reflects its corporate strategy and culture. See also the B case (UVA-BP-0467).
Case 10: West Indian/Caribbean

A 65-year-old male presents to the emergency department with his wife. From the triage assessment, you learn that the husband recently emigrated from Jamaica, West Indies, to join his wife in the USA. Per his wife, the patient has been losing weight and seems to be “more tired.” She reports that the patient has been self-medicating with a variety of “herbal remedies” which seemed to have helped. The patient is a healthy, well-groomed male with shoulder length hair (dreadlocks) who appears older than his stated age.
A Traceability Model for Beef Product Origin Within a Local Institutional Value Chain

The lack of suitable systems to track farm and meat attributes through supply chains is a recognized market barrier, particularly for midsized farms. Even though midsized farms tend to have a comparative advantage in producing differentiated products, there is a disconnect between how these products are produced and the consumer's ability to distinguish them from commodity products. In many midscale marketing scenarios, the missing link is a functional information value chain to supply product information to consumers who value those attributes. Automatic identification and data-capture technologies offer the feasibility for animal and product data collection and tracking. Radio frequency identification (RFID) and two-dimensional (2D) barcodes provide the essential unique identification, which is the requisite for development of a dynamic traceability system. A study was conducted using RFID of beef animals and transferring information to 2D barcodes on beef carcasses and beef packages. Scanning of 2D barcodes on the resulting beef packages provided farm and animal information, including product origination, via a web-accessible database. When a sample of 347 consumers was presented with a flyer displaying a 2D barcode, 16 percent scanned the code to view the farm-of-origin website. As consumers place increasing value on food choices, traceability systems that clearly differentiate products will result in monetary rewards to participants in the value chain. Adopting traceability systems like the model outlined herein is expected to facilitate creation of regional food systems and serve to better connect consumers with farmers.
Effect of Cold Exposure on Thyroid Hormone in Fischer 344 Rats of Increasing Age

Male rats aged 6 weeks, 6 months, and 18 months were kept at 4 to 5 degrees C for 12 days and compared with age-matched controls at room temperature as to survival, weight change, food consumption, core body temperature, and several parameters of thyroid hormone economy. After 12 days in the cold, 14%, 50%, and 71% of 6-week-, 6-month-, and 18-month-old rats, respectively, were living. Weight declined in both older groups, though at a faster rate in the oldest. Increasing age did not affect serum T3, rT3, TSH, or the ability to convert T4 to T3 by 20% liver homogenate. Cold exposure, however, resulted in an increase in serum T3 and a decrease in T4 to T3 conversion by liver homogenate in a similar magnitude both in mature and early senescent rats.
Senator Benton and the People: Master Race Democracy on the Early American Frontiers . By Ken S. Mueller.

Senator Benton and the People: Master Race Democracy on the Early American Frontiers . Early American Places Series. By Ken S. Mueller. (Dekalb: Northern Illinois University Press, 2014. xi + 320 pp. Notes, bibliography, index. $45.00, cloth; $29.95, paper.) Although one of nineteenth-century America’s preeminent political figures, Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton has attracted no major biographies or monographs since the 1950s. The political career of Benton, a pillar of the Democratic Party for decades and westward expansion’s most bombastic visionary, spanned the era from the War of 1812 to the sectional crisis of the 1850s. For much of the twentieth century, the ardent Jacksonian was lauded by historians, including Arthur Schlesinger Jr., William Nisbet Chambers, and John F. Kennedy, as a tribune for the common settler and, late in his career, a courageous opponent of the extreme proslavery and sectionalist elements growing in Washington, DC, and Missouri, despite his own slaveholding background. … pasleyj{at}missouri.edu
Analysis on Impact of Medium and Short Wave Radio Transmitting Station on Secondary System of Substation

For ensuring whether it will produce electromagnetic interference on microcomputer relay protection of substation secondary system when the medium and short wave radio transmitting station is working,this paper studies theoretical calculation on electric field intensity of vertical antenna,horizontal dipole antenna,rhombic antenna and log-periodic antenna and longitudinal voltage and lateral voltage induced at both ends of microcomputer relay protection control cablecore of substation secondary system.The calculation result shows longitudinal voltage and lateral voltage are not exceeding provisions of DL/Z 713-2000 which explains that the secondary system will not affected by electromagnetic interference of medium and short wave radio transmitting station.But it suggests control cable should be replaced by a kind of copper shield cable with steel tape armoring and lowpass filter should be installed for control cable circuit.
Clinical Aspects of the Chenodeoxycholic Acid Trial

Some 900 patients selected by rigorous criteria will be enrolled at 10 treatment centers widely dispersed around the country when the second phase of the national double-blind cooperative study to evaluate chenodeoxycholic acid as a dissolving agent for cholesterol gallstones gets under way next year. The questions being asked by the study and the structure established to assure definitive answers are detailed.
Day-to-Day Health

This chapter examines the challenges related to general, daily, combat-related health care needs apart from wounds. Cold weather, illness, disease, and combat exhaustion generated significant problems for the combat medics. They treated these and other ailments at a daily sick call for their unit even as the fighting continued. And while American troops always remained the primary focus, medics at times assisted both German combatants and civilians. Combat medics uniquely and effectively met an unexpected, broad spectrum of health care needs.
Timing Properties of Synchronous Systems

The general structure and principles for operating a fully synchronous digital VLSI system are described in Chapter 2. The combinational logic and the storage elements make up the computational circuitry used to implement a specific synchronous system. The clock distribution network provides the time reference for the storage elements—or registers—thereby enforcing the required logical order of operations. This time reference consists of one or more clock signals that are delivered to each and every register within the integrated circuit. These clock signals control the order of computational events by controlling the exact times the register data input signals are sampled.
Retrieval Processes and Witness Memory

Publisher Summary This chapter addresses several issues concerning retrieval and discusses their potential implications for eyewitness testimony. The chapter discusses the predictions made by the widely embraced encoding specificity principle. This principle asserts that an event will be remembered to the extent that the retrieval cues match the features stored in the memory trace. For example, reinstating the original emotional and physical context should increase the amount that witnesses recall as well as the accuracy of lineup identification, and it does. The principle also predicts that performance should increase if more cues are provided through repeated tests, and if witnesses can convey their responses in the same format (for example, visual, tactile) in which they encoded the event. The chapter then discusses why memory for an event can be reduced by experiencing related events, that is, interference). The evidence that retrieval requires mental resources (effort) is described. Removing distractions should increase performance because all attentional resources can then be focused on retrieval. Effort is needed to use various strategies for recall, such as mentally reinstating the context and generating specific cues.
Enabling technology innovation through plasma modeling: Biotechnology as the next frontier

Low temperature plasmas (LTPs) represent enabling sciences and technologies that are arguably responsible for huge swaths of our industrial and high technology infrastructure. The information technology revolution has been singularly enabled by the ability to fabricate microchips using LTPs. Virtually every human implant is fabricated or made biocompatible using LTPs. All non-incandescent lighting sources rely on LTPs, either directly as the source of photons or indirectly through materials fabrication. The current generation of jet engines are enabled by LTP processing, and interplanetary missions are made possible by LTP propulsion. Now, LTPs have the potential to treat wounds and disease.
P2P streaming capacity for heterogeneous users with degree bounds

Peer-to-peer live streaming is a promising way for service providers to offer high-quality IPTV to consumers at reasonable cost. The fundamental problem in peer-to-peer streaming is its capacity problem, or the maximum supported stream rate for a given network with a given peer selection constraint. This problem has been widely studied for small networks where the number of downloading peers is unlimited. For a large networks, however, the number of downloading peers must be limited, which adds an outgoing degree bound for each overlay multicast tree. The streaming capacity problem under uniform degree bound has been first studied in, which solves the problem for homogeneous users, and derives an upper bound for streaming capacity for heterogeneous users. In this paper, we first design an algorithm to construct trees that actually achieve the upper bound for streaming capacity under the case of heterogeneous users with uniform degree bound, and next solve the streaming capacity problem for nonuniform degree bound case also. From our study of the nonuniform degree bound case, we see that the degree bounds do not affect the streaming capacity if the degree bound of each peer is proportional to its uplink capacity.
A SANITARY SURVEY OF ICE

A study of the sanitary quality of ice products and manufacturing waters from three Denver plants including coliform, mesophilic and psychrophilic microbial determinations and sediment evaluations was made. Cubed ice from vending units in Fort Collins, Colorado was examined for mesophilic and psychrophilic microorganisms and sediments. Some additional observations are presented. Generally microorganisms were consistently present in low numbers. The coliform content of ice was extremely low and often they were not present. There were indications that much of the microbial and sediment contamination in ice resulted from environmental or human exposure after manufacture. A variety of foreign particulate matter was observed in both the Denver and Fort Collins ice; however, there appeared to be little correlation between sediment and microbial content. Sanitary control of ice manufacture and dispensing should include sediment testing and microbial determinations to supplement the currently used coliform determ...
Developing Crop Varieties with Improved Nutrient-Use Efficiency

New crop plants suited to growth in semiarid environments will be fundamental to the future of agriculture. The interactions between nitrogen supply and water availability that determine yield and quality in crops grown in semiarid environments are being elucidated. The change in glutamate concentration has profound effects on plant metabolisms. The metabolic changes resulted in phenotypic changes that included increases in mean plant biomass production in dry soils, tolerance to the herbicide phosphinothricin, tolerance to both severe and mild water deficit, and resistance to rotting necrotrophs including carcinogenic Aspergillus flavus contaminations. Leaves had higher nutritional value and higher yield indicating improved NUE and WUE. Sporulation of A. flavus can be inhibited. Cancer incidences due to toxin contamination can potentially be reduced by 50%. Biomarkers for these valuable traits in crops of importance are being sought through proteomics and metanomics. Changes in the rhizosphere’s microbiome occur. Plants can become more nutritionally valuable.
Mechanosensing at the Surface

Skin is innervated by a rich variety of mechanosensitive neurons that trigger distinct sensations such as pressure, flutter and pain. A growing body of evidence indicates that epithelial cells actively partipate in sensation by modulating, and even directly exciting, mechanosensitive neurons in healthy skin and pathophysiological conditions. This research aims to unveil how epithelial Merkel cells work in concert with the nervous system to generate discriminative touch sensation. Using mouse genetics and optogenetics, we previously demonstrated that Merkel cells have dual roles: they transduce sustained firing that signals pressure, and boost firing rates of tactile afferents during dynamic touch. Our current studies focus on defining mechanisms of neurotransmission between Merkel cells and tactile afferents, and elucidating how connections between Merkel cells and mechanosensory neurons remodeled during healthy skin renewal.
Did Armstrong Cheat

AbstractIn this paper, I explore the idea that under one way of understanding cheating, Armstrong did not fulfill any of the three necessary conditions: (1) that cheating violates a rule—I will make the case that though doping was against the official rules, it was not against the rules the athletes used; (2) that it is cheating if the intent is to obtain an unfair advantage—I will argue that dopers were not attempting to obtain an unfair advantage, at least on one plausible understanding of fairness; and (3) that cheating requires fair enforcement of the rules—I will show that the official rules against doping were hardly enforced at all, much less fairly enforced, and thus lacked enough sufficient normative force to deem breaking them cheating.
Use of Disease-modifying Antirheumatic Drugs for Inflammatory Arthritis in US Veterans: Effect of Specialty Care and Geographic Distance.

Objective To evaluate the effect of access to and distance from rheumatology care on the use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) in US veterans with inflammatory arthritis (IA). Methods Provider encounters and DMARD dispensations for IA (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis) were evaluated in national Veterans Affairs (VA) datasets between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2015. Results Among 12,589 veterans with IA, 23.5% saw a rheumatology provider. In the general IA population, 25.3% and 13.6% of veterans were exposed to a synthetic DMARD (sDMARD) and biologic DMARD (bDMARD), respectively. DMARD exposure was 2.6- to 3.4-fold higher in the subpopulation using rheumatology providers, compared to the general IA population. The distance between veterans’ homes and the closest VA rheumatology site was Conclusion Use of rheumatology care and DMARD was low for veterans with IA. DMARD exposure was strongly associated with rheumatology care use. Veterans in the general IA population living far from rheumatology sites accessed rheumatology care and bDMARD less frequently than veterans living close to rheumatology sites.
Bone Metastases from Lung Cancer

Skeletal metastases arise from a variety of primary cancers, with the most prevalent being lung cancer, breast cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and prostate cancer. Metastases account for the majority of malignant bone tumors. The use of FDG in PET/MR imaging allows for superior anatomic localization and functional assessment of malignant skeletal lesions and their response to therapy. The Dixon-based whole-body MRI sequence commonly performed on PET/MR systems can be of added value in detecting bone metastases.
Soy Protein Isolate Suppresses Bone Resorption and Improves Trabecular Microarchitecture in Spontaneously Hyperphagic, Rapidly Growing Male OLETF Rats.

Background Traditionally, milk proteins have been recommended for skeletal health; recently, soy proteins have emerged as popular alternatives. Excess adiposity appears detrimental to skeletal health, as obese adolescents have increased fracture rates compared with healthy controls. However, soy protein effects on skeletal health during excess adiposity remain unknown. Objective The study objective was to examine the effects of isocaloric diets containing milk protein isolate (MPI), soy protein isolate (SPI), or a 50/50 combination (MIX) as the sole protein source on metabolic health indicators and bone outcomes in rapidly growing, hyperphagic, male Otsuka Long Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats. Methods OLETF rats, aged 4 wk, were randomly assigned to 3 treatment groups (MPI, SPI, or MIX, n = 20 per group) and provided with access to experimental diets ad libitum for 16 wk. Results Body mass did not differ between the groups, but SPI had lower percentage body fat than MPI (P = 0.026). Insulin was lower in MPI than in MIX (P = 0.033) or SPI (P = 0.044), but fasting blood glucose was not different between the groups. SPI significantly reduced serum cholesterol compared with MPI (P = 0.001) and MIX (P = 0.002). N-terminal propeptide of type I collagen (P1NP) was higher in MIX than MPI (P = 0.05); C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTx) was higher in MPI than SPI (P < 0.001) and MIX (P < 0.001); the P1NP to CTx ratio was significantly higher in SPI and MIX than in MPI (P < 0.001). Trabecular separation was reduced in SPI compared with MPI (P = 0.030) and MIX (P = 0.008); trabecular number was increased in SPI compared with MIX (P = 0.038). No differences were seen in cortical geometry and biomechanical properties. Conclusions In the context of excess adiposity, soy- and milk-based proteins have comparable effects on cortical bone geometry and biomechanical properties, whereas soy-based proteins favorably affect the trabecular microarchitecture, and the combination of both proteins may offer additional benefits to bone remodeling in rapidly growing male OLETF rats.
Suppression of Physiologic Diplopia in Intermittent Exotropia

Patients with intermittent exotropia were tested for the awareness of physiologic diplopia in an attempt to determine whether or not they have suppression of their peripheral retina during the late...
Chapter 5 Delivery: You, the Room, and the Audience

Delivery is your interaction with the audience and with the room. Voice, gestures, eye contact, stance, movement—all of these contribute to delivery. How you deliver your presentation affects not only how intently the audience listens to you, but also whether your audience trusts you. According to Michael Faraday, “[Lectures] depend entirely for their value on the manner in which they are given. It is not the matter, not the subject, so much as the [person].”2 What Faraday meant here was not that the quality of the content was unimportant, but that no matter what the subject is, the audience will be engaged only if the speaker delivers that subject in an engaging way. For instance, over the years, one of the most popular courses at Cornell has been beekeeping. Is that because so many students attend Cornell because they want to become apiarists? No. The reason for the course’s popularity has been that the faculty members are so passionate about beekeeping and know the subject so well that students naturally have become interested.
New developments in HFC-245fa appliance foam

Bayer Corporation The phaseout of HCFC-141b as a blowing agent for rigid foams is scheduled to begin in 2003 or sooner. The blowing agent to replace it should have low thermal conductivity, zero ozone depletion potential (ODP), low global warming potential (GWP) and be low in toxicity. In addition, other desirable characteristics include good compatibility with polyols, stability of the blowing agent by itself and in masterbatches, ease of handling, compatibility with plastic food liners, reasonable cost and feasibility of manufacture, good processing characteristics in machinery and no flammability. Finally, the blowing agent should produce foams having insulation properties which are comparable to or better than those made with HCFC-141b. Considerable effort is being directed to developing new appliance foam systems for North America which use blowing agents that have many or all of these characteristics. A number of candidates have been evaluated from which HFC-245fa meets the majority of these criteria if not all of them. Bayer Corporation reported data on HFC-245fa blown appliance foams which had most of these characteristics. Energy performance in cabinets was less than 1% poorer with the HFC-245fa foam versus an HCFC-141b commercial foam. For the future, energy standards in the United States will become 25 to 30% more stringent after July 1, 2001. Therefore, the insulation value of HFC-245fa foams will most likely have to be better than foams blown with HCFC-141b. This paper will discuss new developments with HFC-245fa blown appliance foams. Results of a design of experiments to study the effects of catalyst levels, the processing temperatures of the masterbatch and the isocyanate and the viscosity of the formulation on physical properties will be presented. Results will be compared to a previously reported HFC-245fa system and to an HCFC-141b commercial system.
Suffering and Identity: “Difficult Patients” in Hospice Care

Hospice care takes a variety of forms across the world, though the philosophy of “being there” remains similar across locations. Within the hospice approach, the suffering of the declining person is often not isolated to that single individual. Family members, paid care staff, and other healthcare workers feel their own pain when they experience the suffering of others. This chapter uses U.S.-based hospice workers’ descriptions of “difficult patients” to illustrate how hospice workers’ identities are related to suffering that extends beyond patients (diffusion of suffering). I find hospice workers suffer most when patients’ lives bring out the workers’ greatest fears, when patients remind them of their own personal loss, and when patients’ experiences make ethical questions salient. Each condition challenges the meaning of hospice work and identities, creating distress in hospice workers.
Hegel and Solovyov

Vladimir Sergeyevich Solovyov (1853–1900) was not only the most impressive speculative thinker produced by Russia in the nineteenth century; he was also the most systematic and original of the Russian neo-Hegelians. Both his philosophical system and his metaphilosophical system were profoundly influenced by Hegel.
Facilities and Husbandry (Small Fish Models)

Publisher Summary This chapter provides information useful in housing, breeding, and rearing several small fish species. These activities can be conducted under good laboratory practice guidelines as are being met in some studies in the laboratory. The chapter focuses on the freshwater medaka ( Oryzias latipes ) and guppy ( Poecilia reticulata ), which can also be reared in saltwater conditions, as well as the sheepshead minnow ( Cyprinodon variegatus ), a marine species. Several other species commonly used for scientific research are also mentioned. Because of the small size of the fish, statistically significant numbers can be maintained in any variety of containers, depending on whether the fish are being housed for breeding, nursery, exposure, growout, or other purposes. Culture water used in maintenance, production, and exposures of freshwater fishes at Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) is provided from a 177-m well and is non-chlorinated, particle-filtered, carbon-filtered, temperature-adjusted, and aerated prior to introduction into tanks and raceways. Exposure systems have to be designed individually to accommodate specific tests, but the primary focus of the toxicological program has been in development. The use of exposure systems and methods are designed to allow for continuous long-term exposure to constant concentrations of a test material. The control of external factors within a limited degree of variability coupled with greater consistency in administering test substances to test organisms insures the accuracy and reproducibility of the test organism response.
Blended with the Savior: Gregory of Nyssa's Eucharistic Pharmacology in the Catechetical Oration

Humankind, for Gregory of Nyssa, was poisoned through a primordial act of eating the forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden. As a result, the toxin of sin and death has been blended into the body and soul of each person, dispersing itself throughout the component parts of their nature. If eating and drinking initiated the spiritual and physical degradation of humanity, Gregory argues, then it must also be through eating and drinking—namely, through the Eucharist—that humanity will be healed. This article proposes that Gregory9s instruction on the Eucharist in his Catechetical Oration should be understood as more than merely a metaphorical flourish, more than a clever use of medical imagery at the service of a sacramental theology. Rather, his use of technical medical terminology and concepts about dietetics and pharmacology are an example of medical knowledge being applied within the embodied practices of a particular Christian ritual. That is, when read in light of the crucial medical concept of krasis—in which health and disease are identified as a delicate blending of hot, cold, wet, and dry—we are better able to discern how Gregory9s discussion of ritualized bread-eating functions as a medical intervention into the diseased and dying nature of humanity. In his discussion of food9s power to reconfigure the four fundamental qualities of human physiology, Gregory presents the Eucharistic bread as part of a dietary regimen, a method for blending Christ9s healing and life-giving power into bodies that are currently bent toward death. In this way, the bread is offered as a singularly potent antidote for sicknesses afflicting body and soul alike.
Distribution, Toxic Potential, and Influence of Land Use on Conventional and Emerging Contaminants in Urban Stormwater Pond Sediments

This study examined the distribution and toxic potential of conventional and emerging contaminants in composite sediment samples from 15 stormwater ponds in the Minneapolis–St. Paul, MN metropolitan area. Previously, coal tar-based sealants were shown to be a major source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to these ponds, and concentrations of carcinogenic benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) equivalents were influencing management options about pond maintenance. For the second component of this study, a complex mixture of 13 metal(loid)s, 4-nonylphenols, 8 brominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs), and total polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were detected in all surficial samples. Contaminants with detection frequencies ≥ 20% included: silver (46.7%), beryllium (20.0%), chloride (60.0%), bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (60.0%), 10 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs; 26.7–80.0%), 4-nonylphenol monoethoxylate (66.7%), 4-nonylphenol diethoxylate (40.0%), bifenthrin (20.0%), total permethrins (33.3%), and 24 other BDE congener groups (20.0–93.3%). Five stormwater ponds had contaminants exceeding benchmarks likely to be associated with harmful effects to benthic organisms. Ponds with watersheds dominated by either commercial and/or industrial land uses had significantly higher (p < 0.05) concentrations of zinc, 4-nonylphenol, six BDEs (28 + 33, 47, 99, 100, 154, and 209), and total PBDEs than those dominated by residential land uses. Multivariate statistical analyses verified that updated B[a]P equivalents were an effective chemical proxy for making management decisions about excavated pond sediment. Jurisdictions that do not test their stormwater pond sediments prior to maintenance dredging should consider the environmental ramifications of applying this potentially contaminated material to land.
Predictors of Theory of Mind performance in bilingual and monolingual children

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions:The goal of the current study was to examine whether language and Executive Function (EF) skills predict Theory of Mind (ToM) performance in bilingual...
Genome-wide scans of myopia in Pennsylvania Amish families reveal significant linkage to 12q15, 8q21.3 and 5p15.33

Myopia is one of the most common ocular disorders in the world, yet the genetic etiology of the disease remains poorly understood. Specialized founder populations, such as the Pennsylvania Amish, provide the opportunity to utilize exclusive genomic architecture, like unique haplotypes, to better understand the genetic causes of myopia. We perform genetic linkage analysis on Pennsylvania Amish families that have a strong familial history of myopia to map any potential causal variants and genes for the disease. 293 individuals from 25 extended families were genotyped on the Illumina ExomePlus array and merged with previous microsatellite data. We coded myopia affection as a binary phenotype; myopia was defined as having a mean spherical equivalent (MSE) of less than or equal to − 1 D (diopters). Two-point and multipoint parametric linkage analyses were performed under an autosomal dominant model. When allowing for locus heterogeneity, we identified two novel genome-wide significantly linked variants at 12q15 (heterogeneity LOD, HLOD = 3.77) in PTPRB and at 8q21.3 (HLOD = 3.35) in CNGB3. We identified further three genome-wide significant variants within a single family. These three variants were located in exons of SLC6A18 at 5p15.33 (LODs ranged from 3.51 to 3.37). Multipoint analysis confirmed the significant signal at 5p15.33 with six genome-wide significant variants (LODs ranged from 3.6 to 3.3). Further suggestive evidence of linkage was observed in several other regions of the genome. All three novel linked regions contain strong candidate genes, especially CNGB3 on 8q21.3, which has been shown to affect photoreceptors and cause complete color blindness. Whole genome sequencing on these regions is planned to conclusively elucidate the causal variants.
Potent and PPARα-independent anti-proliferative action of the hypolipidemic drug fenofibrate in VEGF-dependent angiosarcomas in vitro.

Angiosarcomas are highly aggressive tumors of endothelial origin, which carry a poor prognosis. Fenofibrate is a hypolipidemic drug, which acts by activating the transcription factor PPARα. It has also been widely reported to have ‘anti-cancer’ activity. The current study investigated its effect in a murine VEGF-dependent angiosarcoma cell-line, MS1 VEGF. The study utilised assays to monitor cell proliferation and viability, apoptosis, cell cycle progression, mitochondrial membrane potential, changes in protein expression, and changes in miRNA expression using microarrays. Fenofibrate showed potent anti-proliferative action in MS1 VEGF angiosarcoma cells, without inducing apoptosis. It enriched cells in G2/M cell cycle phase and hyperpolarised mitochondria. Other PPARα activators failed to mimic fenofibrate action. Inhibitors of PPARα and NFκB failed to reverse the inhibitory effect of fenofibrate and their combination with fenofibrate was cytotoxic. Fenofibrate downregulated the expression of key VEGF-effector proteins, including Akt, ERK, Bcl-2 and survivin, and a chemical inhibitor screen discovered relevance of these proteins to cell proliferation. A miRNA microarray revealed that fenofibrate differentially regulated cellular miRNAs with known roles in cancer and angiogenesis. The data raise the possibility that fenofibrate could be useful in angiosarcoma therapy, especially considering its well-established clinical safety and tolerability profile.
Expressions of American White Ethnonationalism in Support for “Blue Lives Matter”

This paper poses three related questions. What is white ethno-nationalism as it exists today within the United States, how is this sentiment expressed by particular organizations, and how is it exp...
Unfreezing Libya's Assets: Missed Opportunity for Neotrusteeship?

The aim of this paper is to determine why the US unblocked upwards of $37 billion (out of approximately $160 billion total) worth of Libya's frozen assets without any obvious conditions to ensure wise spending or promotion of stability in the country. One approach to state-building efforts is neotrusteeship, foreign control over domestic political or economic functions. The unfreezing of $160 billion in Libyan assets, a far larger figure than any country was willing to provide in its own aid funds to rebuild post-Qaddafi Libya, seemed to provide a perfect opportunity to apply the kind of neotrusteeship on behalf of the Libyan people that scholars have discussed. Yet the US and others lifted their freeze on these assets before any credible assurance that Libya's transitional government could or would use these assets to establish good governance (or at least state stability) in Libya, restore Libya's economy for the benefit of all its people, or create security institutions that would prevent Libya from becoming a haven for terrorists. This paper will use qualitative methods to trace the US foreign policy decision making process behind the unfreezing of these assets and try to understand why the US took a non-interventionist stance with regard to Libya's frozen assets.
A role for worm cutl-24 in background- and parent-of-origin-dependent ER stress resistance

Abstract Organisms in the wild can acquire disease and stress resistance traits that far outstrip the programs endogenous to humans. Finding the molecular basis of such natural resistance characters is a key goal of evolutionary genetics. Standard statistical-genetic methods toward this end can perform poorly in organismal systems that lack high rates of meiotic recombination, like Caenorhabditis worms. Here we discovered unique ER stress resistance in a Kenyan C. elegans isolate, which in inter-strain crosses was passed by hermaphrodite mothers to hybrid offspring. We developed an unbiased version of the reciprocal hemizygosity test, RH-seq, to explore the genetics of this parent-of-origin-dependent phenotype. Among top-scoring gene candidates from a partial-coverage RH-seq screen, we focused on the neuronally-expressed, cuticlin-like gene cutl-24 for validation. In gene disruption and controlled crossing experiments, we found that cutl-24 was required in Kenyan hermaphrodite mothers for ER stress tolerance in their inter-strain hybrid offspring, and was a contributor to the trait in their purebred progeny. These data establish the Kenyan strain allele of cutl-24 as a determinant of a natural stress-resistant state, and they set a precedent for the dissection of natural trait diversity in invertebrate animals without the need for a panel of meiotic recombinants.
No pesticide-free Switzerland.

On 13 June 2021, the people of Switzerland voted on two popular initiatives that aimed to introduce stricter pesticide policies. Both initiatives were rejected, but the political and societal debate led to large changes in governmental and industry policies.
Interacting Population Reaction-Diffusion Systems, Dirichlet Conditions

We will use the techniques described in the last chapter to study reaction-diffusion systems related to ecology. We consider steady states and stabilities for prey-predator and competing-species systems. In this chapter, we are primarily concerned with the case when values for the species are prescribed on the boundary (i.e., Dirichlet boundary conditions). In the next chapter, more elaborate problems and other boundary conditions are treated, together with certain asymptotic approximations. The special case of zero-flux boundary condition (i.e. homogeneous Neumann condition) is studied in Chapter 7. Numerical approximations and calculations by finite difference is presented in Chapter 6.
Live-Model Simulation: Improving Nursing Students' Attitudes and Knowledge of Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract Background An estimated 5.2 million people have Alzheimer's disease (AD). Few new nurses are entering gerontology because of ageism toward older adults and those with dementias and a lack of gerontological education. The purpose of the study was to test whether live-model simulation used as a teaching modality could improve students' knowledge of AD and their attitudes toward older adults with AD and related dementias. Method Mezirow's transformation theory was used as the framework for the randomized controlled trial. Sample consisted of 65 nursing students. Result Within the group of students who participated in the experience, there was a significant change in knowledge from pre- to posttest. Conclusion This study offers new insights into how live-model simulations can help students to become more knowledgeable about AD.
Improved modeling of multiple scattering in hyperspectral BRDF of coastal sediments observed using the Goniometer of the Rochester Institute of Technology (GRIT)

Approximate solutions to the Radiative transfer equation for granular media have been previously developed 1 . To apply these models to coastal sediments, modifications are needed to account for observed phenomenology. This study uses a new hyperspectral goniometer system, the Goniometer of the Rochester Institute of Technology (GRIT), designed for both field and laboratory settings, to compare observed bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) measurements with outcomes predicted by the approximate radiative transfer solutions. In previous laboratory studies,2 using a more limited hyperspectral goniometer observing in the principle plane, we had seen that the degree of optical contrast between coastal sand constituents was indicative of whether these models accurately predict the observed BRDF dependence on sediment density. Our earlier measurements using another field hyperspectral goniometer also demonstrated results consistent with the laboratory measurements as well as with CASI- 1500 airborne hyperspectral measurements 3,4 . In our earlier work, 2 the presence of highly contrasting constituents (translucent quartz and more opaque fractions composed of minerals such as magnetite) led to greater reflectance as density decreased, exactly the opposite of what was anticipated from radiative transfer models for a more uniform sand. The present study shows that the illumination zenith angle also plays a significant role in whether or not BRDF dependency exhibits behavior predicted by current radiative transfer theory, and this distinction is directly related to the degree of multiple scattering, which depends on the illumination zenith angle. We also investigate a novel sampling paradigm that constrains the measurements to constant phase angle and reveals when the multiple scattering component of models departs from the assumptions of current theory. For the multiple scattering term, we also propose and analyze a simple modification which removes the isotropic assumption and provides a better match to BRDF observations under the constrained sampling paradigm.
Normalizing internal representations for speech classification

Speech segments are encoded using an autoassociative network, and the possibility of matching the hidden unit activation sequences for classification is studied. Good discrimination can be achieved by matching the lower dimensional projections of the unknown with template speech patterns. The possibility of normalizing the variations of the hidden unit activation sequences is then explored. In particular, experiments demonstrate the advantage of the presented technique for single- and multi-speaker syllable distinction tasks. Normalisation of the encoded representations of sounds within classes and across speakers improves results significantly. >
PAST AND PREDICTED FUTURE CHANGES IN THE LAND COVER OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER FLOODPLAIN, USA

This study provides one historical and two alternative future contexts for evaluating land cover modifications within the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) floodplain. Given previously documented changes in land use, river engineering, restoration efforts and hydro-climatic changes within the UMR basin and floodplain, we wanted to know which of these changes are the most important determinants of current and projected future floodplain land cover. We used Geographic Information System data covering approximately 37% of the UMR floodplain (3232 km2) for ca 1890 (pre-lock and dam) and three contemporary periods (1975, 1989 and 2000) across which river restoration actions have increased and hydro-climatic changes have occurred. We further developed two 50-year future scenarios from the spatially dependent land cover transitions that occurred from 1975 to 1989 (scenario A) and from 1989 to 2000 (scenario B) using Markov models. Land cover composition of the UMR did not change significantly from 1975 to 2000, indicating that current land cover continues to reflect historical modifications that support agricultural production and commercial navigation despite some floodplain restoration efforts and variation in river discharge. Projected future land cover composition based on scenario A was not significantly different from the land cover for 1975, 1989 or 2000 but was different from the land cover of scenario B, which was also different from all other periods. Scenario B forecasts transition of some forest and marsh habitat to open water by the year 2050 for some portions of the northern river and projects that some agricultural lands will transition to open water in the southern portion of the river. Future floodplain management and restoration planning efforts in the UMR should consider the potential consequences of continued shifts in hydro-climatic conditions that may occur as a result of climate change and the potential effects on floodplain land cover. Published 2011. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Galactose-induced retinal microangiopathy in rats

Purpose. The suitability of the galactose-fed rat as a model of diabetic retinopathy was examined in nondiabetic rats fed diets enriched with either 30% or 50% galactose for up to 2 years. Methods. Retinal capillaries were examined by light and electron microscopy, and the prevalence or severity of diabetic-like lesions was quantitated. Results. Histologic evaluation of trypsin digests of retina revealed significantly greater than normal frequencies of pericyte ghosts and acellular capillaries at both 15 and 23 months receiving a 50% galactose diet. Similar lesions were observed in rats receiving a 30% galactose diet for 23 months. Capillary basement membrane thickening, dilated hypercellular capillaries (or intra-retinal microvascular abnormalities), and foci of vascular cells appeared in rats fed 50% galactose, but saccular microaneurysms characteristic of retinopathy in diabetic patients, diabetic dogs, and experimentally galactosemic dogs were not observed. Administration of the aldose reductase inhibitor, Sorbinil, to rats fed 50% galactose resulted in a significant inhibition of cataract and of galactitol accumulation in nerve and blood (by more that 90%) and retina (by 62%), but did not inhibit development of the retinal microvascular lesions. Conclusions. Two years of galactosemia in rats seems to reproduce only a portion of the lesions characteristic of diabetic retinopathy in patients or dogs. Nevertheless, lesions characteristic of at least the early stages of retinopathy clearly do develop in this galactosemic rat model, and are not restrained by inhibition of retinal polyol accumulation by 62%. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1995;36:490-496.
Immunotherapy of Tumors with Neuroimmune Ligand Capsaicin

Red chili pepper (Capsicum frutescens) is a highly consumed spice throughout the world. Its principal pungent ingredient is the phenol capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide). Capsaicin causes neurogenic inflammation and has analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. We have observed previously that dendritic cells, a key cell type in immune responses, have the receptor for capsaicin, and engagement of this receptor has powerful immune consequences. In this study, we demonstrate that intratumoral administration of capsaicin into a preexisting tumor results in retarded progression of the injected tumor regardless of whether the tumor is at its early or late stage. Furthermore, it leads to significant inhibition of growth of other, uninjected tumors in the same animal. Capsaicin-elicited immunity is shown to be T cell-mediated and tumor-specific. These results reflect the immunological potency of a neurological ligand in modulating immune response against an established tumor.
SCIT-DNS: critical infrastructure protection through secure DNS server dynamic updates

Domain Name Systems (DNS) provide the mapping between easily remembered host names and their IP addresses. While domain name information is typically created and updated off-line, dynamic DNS updates allow clients to manage domain names online, in real time. The current secure DNS standards (DNSSEC) require private keys to be kept online to sign dynamic updates, leaving private keys subject to network-based attacks.In this work, we develop a secure implementation framework of DNS servers that voids the above requirement. Our approach, called Self-Cleansing Intrusion Tolerance (SCIT), strengthens DNSSEC through hardware redundancy. Our system uses a highly integrated cluster of DNS servers that constantly rotates the role of individual servers, handles one-server failures gracefully, confines the damages of successful intrusion to a limited time, and digitally signs dynamic updates by a clean server using the DNS zone key while keeping the key offline at all times. It is our belief that the availability and integrity of critical communications infrastructure, such as DNS, far outweigh the costs of hardware redundancy.In this paper, we present (1) the architecture of SCIT DNS clusters that achieves the above goals, (2) a secure Cluster Coordination Protocol (CCP) that servers in the cluster use to coordinate role changes without ever opening a port, and (3) the designs of our ongoing SCIT DNS cluster prototype. Preliminary experiences of our prototype show that role rotation and self-cleansing cycles are in the range of minutes, restricting the damages of even undetected but successful attacks to short time windows.
Buffering Action of Krebs-Ringer-Phosphate Solutions in Respiration Studies of Dental Pulp

This study shows the buffering limitations of Krebs-Ringer-phosphate solution in the presence of acid production by dental pulp and indicates the need for appropriate selection of suspending fluid volume and tissue sample mass in reaction vessel loads.