cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiphoton ultraviolet photochemistry

Abstract Multiphoton photodissociation has been observed in C 2 N 2 , C 2 H 2 , C 2 H 4 , CH 3 OH, and C 2 H 5 OH. In all of these molecules fluorescence from small free radicals such as CN, CH, and OH has been observed. None of the observed fluorescence can result from the absorption of a single 193 nm photon. Arguments are presented which suggest that the observed results are best explained by invoking a sequential absorption scheme where the excited molecule absorbs a second laser photon rather than predissociating. Emissions have also been observed when H 2 O is photolyzed with the ArFlaser. In H 2 O the evidence suggest that this emission arises from collisional dissociation of two excited H 2 O molecules.
Dynamics of pulsed-microwave breakdown in a nonuniform field

A waveguide-fed mica aperture was the site of breakdown. The development of breakdown was followed both in time and space. It was found that the initial stages of breakdown proceeded as expected; the final luminosity distribution, however, seems to suggest that the initial plasma configuration results in a drastic change in the Efield distribution across the aperture.
The Missing Child in Consumption Theory

Children are essentially invisible in theories of consumer society and culture, despite their presence and centrality in everyday life. In this article, I argue that children and childhood, and thus mothers and motherhood, must be acknowledged and investigated as constitutive of — rather than derivative of or exceptional to — commercial, consumer culture generally. The focus here is not on how to better accommodate children and childhood (and mothers and motherhood) within extant notions of consumption and consumer culture, but to begin to open up the field of consumption studies to the essential and non-negotiable presence of children and childhood throughout social life.
Risk taking and personality.

Comparisons were made of the personality and social orientations of antisocial risk takers, defined as residents in a long-term drug-treatment facility (N = 24); adventurous risk takers, defined as rock climbers (N = 18); and prosocial risk takers, or heroes, defined as policemen and firemen decorated for bravery (N = 2 l). Measures included substance abuse proclivity, emotional arousability, conformity, moral reasoning, empathy, psychopathy, and sensation seeking. Discriminant analysis identified two functions that correctly classified 98.18% of the sample. Drug-unit residents had high scores on an Antisocial function, characterized by emotionality, depression, psychopathy, substance abuse proclivity, and lower scores on moral reasoning. Rock climbers had high scores on an Antistructural function, characterized by sensation seeking and moral reasoning, the latter reflecting the higher education level of the rock climbers. Neither discriminant function characterized the heroes. Thus, drug-unit residents, rock climbers, and heroes appear to represent both different psychological types and different forms of risk taking. There is a tension in the theory of personality and behavior between the desire to create simple, reductionistic, and easily testable models of personality-behavior relations and the competing recognition that any behavior is subject to a number of influences. Nowhere is this more evident than in the study of personality and risk taking. For purposes of this article, risk taking is defined as any purposive activity that entails novelty or danger sufficient to create anxiety in most people. Risk taking can be either physical or social, or a combination of the two.
Categorization of common coupling in kernel based software

Common coupling is an important factor that needs to be considered in software design. It affects software dependency via the definition-use relationship of global variables. Common coupling can arise in all types of software; here we focus on issues specific to kernel-based software. In a previous paper, we described a categorization of common coupling and used it to study the maintainability of the Linux operating system. In this paper, we present a detailed description of this categorization, prove its completeness, and suggest further applications. We hope that, by this approach, we can make it easier for others to use our categorization to measure the maintainability of other kernel-based software.
MgrA Represses Biofilm Formation in Staphylococcus aureus

MgrA is a pleiotropic regulator that controls autolysis, virulence, and efflux pump activity in Staphylococcus aureus. We recently found that mgrA mutants of strains RN6390, SH1000, and MW2 also displayed enhanced biofilm formation compared with their respective parents. The biofilms formed by mgrA mutants of RN6390 and MW2 are independent of sigB and ica loci, two genetic elements that have been previously associated with biofilm formation in S. aureus. Biofilms formed by mgrA mutants are dependent on the expression of surface proteins mediated by the sortase gene srtA. Extracellular DNA was also a crucial component of the early biofilm of mgrA mutants. Genetic analysis indicated that biofilm formation in mgrA mutants is mediated in part by agr RNAIII, a genetic locus regulated by mgrA. Additionally, SarA is important to biofilm formation in mgrA mutants since the double sarA mgrA mutants failed to form biofilms compared to single mgrA mutants of RN6390 and MW2. However, the SarA-mediated effect is independent of agr and proteases such as V8 protease and aureolysin. Collectively, our data showed MgrA to be a repressor of biofilm formation, and biofilms formed by mgrA mutants have features that are distinct from other reported biofilm types in S. aureus.
On the error floor analysis of turbo codes: weight spectrum estimation (WSE) scheme

In this paper, we propose an efficient method to find the smallest-weight codewords of a turbo code with specific interleavers. This enables us to obtain accurate approximations to the error floor performance of turbo codes.
Estimating recall bias without gold standards: job tenure in Colombia

This study proposes an alternative method for estimating the incidence and severity of recall bias that does not require a frequently inaccurate ‘gold standard’. Analysing job tenure from Colombian panel data, we concluded that contextual factors are more relevant than individual socio-economic characteristics in shaping recall bias outcomes.
Supervenience and property-identical divine-command theory

Property-identical divine-command theory (PDCT) is the view that being obligatory is identical to being commanded by God in just the way that being water is identical to being H 2 O. If these identity statements are true, then they express necessary a posteriori truths. PDCT has been defended in Robert M. Adams (1987) and William Alston (1990). More recently Mark C. Murphy (2002) has argued that property-identical divine-command theory is inconsistent with two well-known and well-received theses: the free-command thesis and the supervenience thesis. I show that Murphy's argument is vitiated by mistaken assumptions about the substitutivity of metaphysical identicals in contexts of supervenience. The free-command thesis and the supervenience thesis therefore pose no serious threat to PDCT.
Transient and Permanent Deficits in Motion Perception after Lesions of Cortical Areas MT and MST in the Macaque Monkey

We examined the nature and the selectivity of the motion deficits produced by lesions of extrastriate areas MT and MST. Lesions were made by injecting ibotenic acid into the representation of the left visual field in two macaque monkeys. The monkeys discriminated two stimuli that differed either in stimulus direction or orientation. Direction and orientation discrimination were assessed by measuring thresholds with gratings and random-dots placed in the intact or lesioned visual fields. At the start of behavioral testing, we found pronounced, motion-specific deficits in thresholds for all types of moving stimuli, including pronounced elevations in contrast thresholds and in signal-to-noise thresholds measured with moving gratings, as well as deficits in direction range thresholds and motion coherence measured with random-dot stimuli. In addition, the accuracy of direction discrimination was reduced at smaller spatial displacements (i.e. step sizes), suggesting an increase in spatial scale of the residual directional mechanism. Subsequent improvements in thresholds were seen with all motion stimuli, as behavioral training progressed, and these improvements occurred only with extensive behavioral testing in the lesioned visual field. These improvements were particularly pronounced for stimuli not masked by noise. On the other hand, deficits in the ability to extract motion from noisy stimuli and in the accuracy of direction discrimination persisted despite extensive behavioral training. These results demonstrate the importance of areas MT and MST for the perception of motion direction, particularly in the presence of noise. In addition, they provide evidence for the importance of behavioral training for functional recovery after cortical lesions. The data also strongly support the idea of functional specialization of areas MT and MST for motion processing.
Zintl phase as thermoelectric materials: Synthesis, structure and properties of Yb5Al2Sb6

We present the synthesis, crystal structure, spectroscopic properties, and electronic structure of a new member of the Zintl family, Yb5Al2Sb6. The compound crystallizes in the Ba5Al2Bi6 structure type. A preliminary assessment of its thermoelectric properties including electrical conductivity, thermopower, and thermal conductivity are reported. Moreover, investigations of solid solutions of this phase, doping effects and chemical modifications will be presented. The room temperature conductivity, thermopower and thermal conductivity of Yb5Al2Sb6/0.5Ge were 1100 S/cm, 20 μV/K, and 3.8 W/m.K, respectively.
Bateson, Double Description, Todes, and Embodiment: Preparing Activities and Their Relation to Abduction

Does all understanding consist in our using concepts to relate to the things around us, or do we also possess a more direct, spontaneous, bodily way of doing so? I explore this second possibility via Bateson's (1979) notion of "double description." These phenomena are dynamic phenomena, in that they have their existence only in our embodied relations to the temporal unfolding of events in the two or more relevant sources. As such, as Bateson (1979) put it, they are of a different "logical type" (Russell, 1908) to their source events. Bateson did not, however, extend this important insight out into the ways in which can make ourselves ready to relate to the others and othernesses around us, not only in such a way as to intertwine our outgoing activities towards them in with the incoming activities from them in a subtlety responsive manner, but also come to use the relational understandings created in such dynamic interplays in an anticipatory fashion-thus to provide us with embodied, perceptual skills that enable us to go out to meet familiar circumstances with appropriate kinds of response "at the ready", so to speak. Below, following Todes (2001) and Merleau-Ponty (1962), I outline the kind of preparing activities required if we are to acquire new embodied "readinesses" that enable us to become more "at home" in surroundings which are in fact in continual change― a process that connects with Bateson's (1979) account of abduction, the process in which we can sense the existence of a "pattern that connects." Overall, my purpose in all of this is to bring to the fore the ineradicable role of our bodies in spontaneously arriving at what counts as real for us, and which although unnamable by us, determines that of "which knowledge always speaks" (Merleau- Ponty, 1962, p. ix).
How Do Student Ratings Measure Up to a New Validity Framework

The authors examine student ratings within a new framework that emphasizes six distinct aspects of validity: content, substantive, structural, generalizability, external, and consequential. They conclude that greater attention should be directed toward consequential validity, particularly the matters of how ratings are used on today's campuses and what happens as a result.
Diagnostic value of transbronchial, thoracoscopic, and open lung biopsy in immunocompetent children with chronic interstitial lung disease

Abstract Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic value of transbronchial biopsy (TBB), video-assisted thoracoscopy (VAT), and open lung biopsy (OLB) in immunocompetent children with chronic, diffuse infiltrates; to identify factors that may predict diagnosis in children requiring biopsy; to determine whether age, number of biopsies, or type of procedure are associated with diagnostic yield in children undergoing transthoracic biopsy; and to compare morbidity of VAT with that of OLB. Study design: As part of a prospective, descriptive study to define the clinical spectrum of pediatric interstitial lung disease, 30 immunocompetent children required TBB, VAT, and/or OLB for diagnosis of diffuse infiltrates. We reviewed and analyzed the following clinical variables: age; preoperative diagnosis; type of procedure; number of lobes undergoing biopsies; durations of surgery, chest tube insertion, and hospitalization; tissue diagnosis; and complications. Results: Specific diagnoses were made in 50%, 60%, and 53% of patients undergoing TBB, VAT, and OLB, respectively. A variety of rare disorders was found, and tissue diagnosis confirmed the preoperative diagnosis in 25% of all procedures. For patients who underwent transthoracic biopsy, patient age of greater than 24 months was significantly associated with increased diagnostic yield, but the number of lobes biopsied and type of procedure were not. VAT was associated with shorter operating time, chest tube placement, and hospitalization when compared with OLB. The complications of VAT and OLB were comparable. Conclusion: Lung biopsy is an important tool for the diagnosis of interstitial lung disease in immunocompetent children, but the diagnosis of many children, particularly those aged 2 years or younger, remains uncertain. (J Pediatr 1997;131:565-9)
Passband Timing Recovery in an All-Digital Modem Receiver

The performance of conventional modem receivers, where adaptive equalization is achieved by a digital transversal filter with tap gains spaced at the symbol interval, depends critically on the choice of the sampling phase. In this paper, a digital timing recovery loop is described and analyzed in the case of passband quadrature amplitude modulated data signals. Under conditions likely to be encountered on actual voiceband communication channels, the clock phase derived is shown to prevent spectral nulls and to accurately approximate the optimum timing phase for an infinite equalizer. Computer simulations show that the proposed system is capable of fast timing acquisition.
A 1–9 GHz Linear-Wide-Tuning-Range Quadrature Ring Oscillator in 130 nm CMOS for Non-Contact Vital Sign Radar Application

A 1-9 GHz linear-wide-tuning-range quadrature ring oscillator has been designed and fabricated in UMC 0.13 ?m CMOS process. The chip was wire-bonded on printed circuit board and tested, showing a liner tuning range from 1 GHz to 9 GHz. Comparative study with other differential ring oscillators demonstrates the advantages of this design in low power consumption and linear-tuning. The oscillator was designed as the voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) for a non-contact vital sign radar sensor. It can also be used for other applications such as ultra-wideband (UWB) impulse radio and clock recovery in broadband optical communications.
Projective testing: Historical foundations and uses for human resources management☆

Abstract The use of projective psychological measures has intrigued scientists and the general public for nearly a century. In the following, we provide the historical and conceptual foundations for a variety of projective measures and review empirical research using them in application to areas relevant to human resource management (HRM). From these reviews, we argue that the slowing of projectives research in HRM applications over the past two decades does not appear to be warranted given these findings. Based on this historical account, we note two major barriers to the use of these measures in HRM. The first is the lack of an HRM-centric literature on projectives, as most research has drawn on theories and measures designed in the context of abnormal attributes. Secondly, subgroups of researchers have historically become mired in what we call philosophical deadlock, wherein the evidence provided by one group does not address the concerns of another and vice versa. We humbly provide some suggestions and hint at future directions for projective measurement in HRM.
Perceptions and measurements of physical activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Promoting physical activity should be a priority for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) because a sedentary lifestyle compounds patients’ already disproportionately high risk for card...
Metal-ceramic microstructures in the Fe-Mn-O system -- Morphology control by impurity addition

The influence of the addition of impurities and changes in the oxygen partial pressure on the formation of metal-ceramic microstructures by partial reduction of ternary or higher ceramic oxides was experimentally investigated in the model system Fe-Mn-O at constant temperature and total pressure. Electron microscopy studies were performed for microstructural characterization, phase identification and chemical analysis. It was observed that the addition of dopants such as BaO, CaO, MgO, SrO, Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} or ZrO{sub 2} to the initial, polycrystalline oxide solid solution (Fe{sub 1{minus}x}Mn{sub x}){sub 1{minus}{Delta}}O strongly influences the location and rate of metal precipitation during reduction. Experimental observations are discussed based on solubility limits and the segregation of dopants.
The impact of salt fingering on the thermohaline circulation under mixed boundary conditions

Abstract The impact of salt fingers on the thermohaline circulation in a single hemisphere basin under mixed boundary conditions is investigated through scaling analysis and numerical experiments. By assuming that the internal density ratio is determined by the surface horizontal density ratio, the effect of a double-diffusive parameterization on the vertical diffusivity of density (Kρ) is estimated. Salt fingers reduce the magnitude of Kρ, with the extent of the reduction dependent on the magnitude of the density ratio. The reduced diapycnal mixing leads to a diminished thermohaline circulation and modifies the stability criteria for the thermal/haline mode transition under mixed boundary conditions. Quasi-equilibrium numerical experiments with the GFDL Modular Ocean Model produce results consistent with the scaling analysis in the reduction of the magnitude of the thermohaline circulation and the change in the critical freshwater forcing required for the existence of the stable thermal mode. Sensitivity...
The potential of ground clay brick to mitigate Alkali–Silica Reaction in mortar prepared with highly reactive aggregate

Abstract The objective of this work was to study the effect of ground clay brick on mitigating the Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR) in mortar bars prepared with highly reactive aggregates. To evaluate the potential of ground crushed clay brick to mitigate ASR distress in mortar, mortar bars and mortar cubes were cast with combination of different dosages of ground clay brick (partial replacement of portland cement). The pozzolanic reactivity of ground clay brick was also evaluated using strength activity index test. In addition, the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and the Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) were conducted to evaluate the microstructure and location of the ASR gel and its chemical composition. The results from this study indicated satisfactory level of pozzolanic reactivity when cement was partially replacement by the ground clay brick. Also, it was found that replacing 25% of cement with ground clay brick (by weight) could significantly decrease the ASR expansion by 67% at the age of 14 days. However, this study suggested that the compressive strength values of the specimens containing higher dosages of ground crushed brick (i.e. 50% replacement level) were significantly lower than that of the control specimens.
Manufacturing Procedures and Microbiological Aspects of Parakari, A Novel Fermented Beverage of the Wapisiana Amerindians of Guyana

The alcoholic beverage parakari, a unique fermentation product of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) by the Wapisiana of Guyana, involves the use of a starch-hydrolyzing (amylolytic) mold (Rhizopus sp., Mucoraceae, Zygomycota) followed by a solid-state ethanol fermentation. A detailed study was made of the parakari manufacturing process in the Wapisiana village of Aishalton, South Rupununi, Guyana. Thirty steps were involved in parakari manufacture and these exhibited a high degree of sophistication, including the use of specific cassava varieties, control of culture temperature, and boosting of inoculum potential with purified starch additives. During the fermentation process, changes in glucose content, pH, taste, smell, and culture characteristics were reported for the fermenting mash. Parakari is the only known example of an indigenous New World fermentation that utilizes an amylolytic mold. Manufacture of parakari is analogous to similar dual fermentations of the Orient, yet independently derived.
Field Investigation of Selective Withdrawal

A field investigation of the steady-state thickness and extent of a withdrawal layer in a stratified reservoir is reported. Existing theory indicated that, throughout the study period, the withdrawal layer was in a steady state in the regime governed by a balance between buoyancy and viscous forces. A natural salt tracer in the water enabled estimates of the mean withdrawal layer thickness, δ, over a 10-km (6.2-mile) length upstream from the sink for two different time periods. To achieve good agreement between theoretical predictions and field measurements it was necessary to postulate transport coefficients of momentum approximately ten times the molecular value. Comparisons with model simulations over the same time period suggest an effective average Prandtl number of 20 in the hypolimnion.
Felicity Conditions for the Circumstantial Ad Hominem : The Case of Bush v. Gore

The circumstantial ad hominem, unlike the abusive variety, attacks a particular person by showing that his or her argument is inconsistent with his or her prior positions or circumstances. The difference between valid and fallacious uses of this form of argument is illustrated through analysis of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case of Bush v. Gore, which effectively halted the manual recount of disputed ballots in 2000 and effectively awarded the presidential election to George W. Bush. In its commission of the circumstantial ad hominem, the Court acted improperly. Broader implications for the use of this form of argument are recommended.
The Two-Sided Cells of the Affine Weyl Group of Type Ãn

Recently, J. Y. Shi [4] determined the left cells (in the sense of [1]) of the affine Weyl group of type An; he has also obtained some partial results on the two-sided cells, which imply, in particular, that their number is at most equal to the number of partitions of n. In this paper we shall complete the results of Shi by proving the conjecture in [2,3.6] on the two-sided cells which implies in particular that the number of two-sided cells is exactly the number of partitions of n. The new ingredient in the proof is the function a(w) on an affine Weyl group which has been introduced in [3]. In the first three sections of this paper we shall recall the definition of a(w) and describe its connection with Gelfand-Kirillov dimension. In Section 4, we describe, following Vogan, an analogue of the notion of left cell, which we call left V-cell; in Section 5 we prove a finiteness theorem for the left V-cells of affine Weyl groups. Sections 6, 7 are concerned with affine Weyl groups of type An.
An Efficient Ionizer for Polarized H- Formation

An ionizer is under development for a polarized H-source based on the resonant charge exchange reaction H?°+D- H?-+D°. The H?° beam passes through the center of a magnetron surface-plasma source having an annular geometry, where it crosses a high current (~0.5 A), 200 eV D-beam. Calculations predict an H°H?- ionization efficiency of ~ 7%, 1 more than an order of magnitude higher than that obtained on present ground state atomic beam sources. In initial experiments using an unpolarized H° beam, H- currents in excess of 100 ?A have been measured. While the ionization efficiency is now only about the same as other methods (Cs beam, for example), the results are encouraging since it appears that by injecting positive ions to improve the space-charge neutralization, and by improving the extraction optics, considerable gains in intensity will be made. We will then use this ionizer with a polarized H' beam, and measure the polarization of the resulting H-beam. If no depolarization is observed this ionizer will be combined with an atomic beam, cooled to 5-6 K, 2 to give a polarized H- beam expected to be in the milliampere range for use in the AGS.
Stability of Yttrium Barium Cuprate in Molten Salts

Low critical current density is an important factor limiting utilization of YBa2Cu307−x in bulk conductor and power storage applications. The two factors that reduce critical current are the insulating nature of the grain boundaries and the anisotropic current conduction which favors the a−b plane rather than the c-direction in the orthorhombic crystal structure1,2. Fabrication of highly oriented polycrystalline bodies that approach single crystal properties would substantially alleviate the later concern. Conventional ceramic processing usually produces randomly oriented grains so special procedures are required to fabricate “grain oriented” ceramics.
Active extravasation of gadolinium-based contrast agent into the subdural space following lumbar puncture

A 38year-old male presented with cauda equina syndrome following multiple lumbar puncture attempts. Lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a subdural hematoma and an area of apparent contrast enhancement in the spinal canal on sagittal post-contrast images. Axial post-contrast images obtained seven minutes later demonstrated an increase in size and change in shape of the region of apparent contrast enhancement, indicating active extravasation of the contrast agent. This is the first reported case of active extravasation of gadolinium-based contrast agent in the spine.
Effect of nocturnal atrial demand cardiac pacing on diurnal hemodynamic patterns

Heart rate (HR), stroke volume (SV), intra-arterial blood pressure, and central venous pressure were recorded on a beat-to-beat basis, 18 h/day (1800–1200 h the following day), for approximately 2 ...
Characterization of the Al/RuO 2 interface upon thermal annealing

We have characterized the Al/RuO 2 interface after annealing at temperatures in the range 450° C-550° C for durations up to several hours by backscattering spectrometry, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, and electrical four point probe measurement of specially designed structures. The electrical measurement yields the specific contact resistance of the interface by applying a transmission line type model developped for this purpose. An interfacial aluminum-oxygen polycrystalline compound is shown to grow with annealing temperature and duration, with a concurrent reduction of a thin layer of RuO 2 . However, the specific contact resistance between Al and RuO 2 is found to decrease with annealing duration at 500°C. This last result indicates that the interfacial reaction does not lead to an insulating interface as could have been expected if the growth were pure and dense A1 2 O 3 .
miR-124 Regulates the Phase of Drosophila Circadian Locomotor Behavior

Animals use circadian rhythms to anticipate daily environmental changes. Circadian clocks have a profound effect on behavior. In Drosophila , for example, brain pacemaker neurons dictate that flies are mostly active at dawn and dusk. miRNAs are small, regulatory RNAs (≈22 nt) that play important roles in posttranscriptional regulation. Here, we identify miR-124 as an important regulator of Drosophila circadian locomotor rhythms. Under constant darkness, flies lacking miR-124 ( miR-124 KO ) have a dramatically advanced circadian behavior phase. However, whereas a phase defect is usually caused by a change in the period of the circadian pacemaker, this is not the case in miR-124 KO flies. Moreover, the phase of the circadian pacemaker in the clock neurons that control rhythmic locomotion is not altered either. Therefore, miR-124 modulates the output of circadian clock neurons rather than controlling their molecular pacemaker. Circadian phase is also advanced under temperature cycles, but a light/dark cycle partially corrects the defects in miR-124 KO flie s. Indeed, miR-124 KO shows a normal evening phase under the latter conditions, but morning behavioral activity is suppressed. In summary, miR-124 controls diurnal activity and determines the phase of circadian locomotor behavior without affecting circadian pacemaker function. It thus provides a potent entry point to elucidate the mechanisms by which the phase of circadian behavior is determined. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In animals, molecular circadian clocks control the timing of behavioral activities to optimize them with the day/night cycle. This is critical for their fitness and survival. The mechanisms by which the phase of circadian behaviors is determined downstream of the molecular pacemakers are not yet well understood. Recent studies indicate that miRNAs are important regulators of circadian outputs. We found that miR-124 shapes diurnal behavioral activity and has a striking impact on the phase of circadian locomotor behavior. Surprisingly, the period and phase of the neural circadian pacemakers driving locomotor rhythms are unaffected. Therefore, miR-124 is a critical modulator of the circadian output pathways that control circadian behavioral rhythms.
Gonadotoxicity of Cancer Therapies in Pediatric and Reproductive-Age Males

The male reproductive tract is highly susceptible to the toxic effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, which may damage the testes directly as well as disrupt the endocrine axis by altering Leydig cell function. Approximately 1 in every 5,000 young males is at risk for infertility due to their cancer treatment. Both prepubertal and pubertal testes are vulnerable to cytotoxic agents used in cancer therapy, and the alkylating agents often used to treat pediatric cancers are highly gonadotoxic. Alkylating agents that are known to cause infertility include busulfan, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, and procarbazine. With regard to radiation therapy, even very low doses—either due to scatter or from direct irradiation—can cause significant impairment of testicular function. Assessment of the effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy on testicular maturation and function in male cancer patients is an important part of care and involves pubertal staging, plasma hormone analysis, and semen analysis. It is essential for oncologists to consider the potential impacts of cancer treatment on fertility and provide their patients options to preserve fertility, prior to initiating chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
Quality control testing of cables for accelerator magnets

A large number of cables have been tested for the CBA, HERA, and SSC Projects. The short sample test procedures and apparatus are reviewed. A simple rule for estimating cable performance from measurements on strands taken from the cable is described. By using this “rule of thumb” cable vendors can make reliable estimates without having to invest in the substantial equipment required for full cable testing. Extracted strand tests should be checked periodically by full scale tests on complete cables.
Proposed caudal appendage classification system; spinal cord tethering associated with sacrococcygeal eversion

The most commonly used classification system for caudal appendages (aka human tails) dates from the 1980s and classifies appendages (tails) as either true tails or pseudotails. Advances in neuroimaging since the 1980s, however, as well as an ever-increasing number of reported cases, have made this system outdated. Sacrococcygeal eversion is a condition in which the distal sacral and coccygeal vertebrae are curved in a retroverted rather than anteverted direction. It can give rise to one type of caudal appendage. Sacrococcygeal eversion has never been associated with spinal cord tethering in any previously published reports. We reviewed all cases of caudal appendage encountered by pediatric neurosurgeons at Children’s Hospital Colorado since 2000 in which the appendage would be classified as a true tail by the most commonly used system mentioned above. We also reviewed cases of sacrococcygeal eversion encountered since 2000 by the same group of pediatric neurosurgeons. We searched the hospital electronic medical record system for additional appendages using the terms “caudal appendage” and “persistent human tail.” We found 9 “true” tails (as classified by the most commonly used system). All 9 were associated with tethering or possible tethering of the spinal cord and 6 were associated with a low-lying conus medullaris. There were 8 cases of sacrococcygeal eversion, including 2 associated with Apert or Pfeiffer syndrome and fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) mutations; these have previously been reported. There was a single case of sacrococcygeal eversion associated with Goldenhar or Turner syndrome; the former was associated with a potentially tethering lesion. Four cases of sacrococcygeal eversion not associated with any known syndrome were also found; two of these were associated with tethering or potentially tethering lesions. Most so-called true tails are likely cutaneous markers for spinal dysraphism and spinal cord tethering and are not remnants of the embryonic human tail. Sacrococcygeal eversion can be associated with spinal cord tethering. Based on our cases, and on review of the literature, we devised a five-category classification system for caudal appendages: (1) soft-tissue caudal appendages, (2) bony caudal appendages, (3) bony caudal prominences, (4) true tails, and (5) “other” caudal appendages.
Dynamics of Contention: WHAT ARE THEY SHOUTING ABOUT?

“On thinking of the events that have happened since the beginning of the week,” confided Parisian bookseller Simeon-Prosper Hardy to his journal on July 17, 1789, “it is hard to recover from one's astonishment” (BN Fr 6687 [Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, Fonds Francais, no. 6687]). It had, indeed, been quite a week in Paris; that week's pages of Hardy's neatly penned journal contain extraordinarily vivid portraits of contentious politics. No such tumults had shaken Paris since the Fronde of 1648–1653. From the time when the Third Estate's representatives to the Estates General in Versailles declared themselves a national assembly on June 17, detachments of royal troops had been gathering around the Paris region. On several occasions, however, whole companies had refused to use their arms against civilians or had even joined in popular attacks on troops that remained loyal to the king. By early July, signs of great division were appearing within the regime. When the king dismissed popular finance minister Jacques Necker on July 11, mass marches and gatherings began to overflow Parisian streets. That night people sacked tollgates on the city's perimeter, then danced around the ruins. During the next few days, electoral assemblies, their provisional committees, and their hastily formed militias began running much of Paris. Meanwhile, bands of Parisians broke into prisons and other public buildings, freeing prisoners, seizing arms, and taking away provender stored within.
Changes in Frontal EEG Coherence across Infancy Predict Cognitive Abilities at Age 3: The Mediating Role of Attentional Control.

Theoretical perspectives of cognitive development have maintained that functional integration of the prefrontal cortex across infancy underlies the emergence of attentional control and higher cognitive abilities in early childhood. To investigate these proposed relations, we tested whether functional integration of prefrontal regions across the second half of the first year predicted observed cognitive performance in early childhood 1 year prior indirectly through observed attentional control (N = 300). Results indicated that greater change in left-but not right-frontal EEG coherence between 5 and 10 months was positively associated with attentional control, cognitive flexibility, receptive language, and behavioral inhibitory control. Specifically, a larger increase in coherence between left frontal regions was positively associated with accuracy on a visual search task at Age 2, and visual search accuracy was positively associated with receptive vocabulary, performance on a set-shifting task (DCCS), and delay of gratification at Age 3. Finally, the indirect effects from the change in left frontal EEG coherence to 3-year cognitive flexibility, receptive language, and behavioral inhibitory control were significant, suggesting that internally controlled attention is a mechanism through which early neural maturation influences children's cognitive development. (PsycINFO Database Record
Addressing Criteria in the Development of a New 4-H Foods Project

As youth and society changes, 4-H projects must change and adapt. Make it with Mixes, a 4-H curriculum, provides a new way of looking at food preparation. It may be one of the first state foods projects created without an emphasis on “from scratch” cooking or baking. Aimed at beginning 4-H members, ages 9 to 13, the project teaches cooking skills with the aid of commercial mixes. However, the main focus of the project is on making comparisons between food labels, costs per serving, and recognizing quality food products. Science and mathematics activities are also incorporated into the curriculum. This article discusses the organization, criteria and strategies used to create this new foods project.
Vertically integrated flow in stratified aquifers

Abstract We present a set of continuous discharge potentials that can be used to determine the vertically integrated flow in stratified aquifers. The method applies to cases where the boundaries are vertical and either the hydraulic head is given, or the boundary is a seepage face, or the integrated discharge is given. The approach is valid for cases of given recharge through the upper and/or lower boundaries of the aquifer. The method is valid for any values of hydraulic conductivity; there are no limitations of the contrast for the method to be valid. The flows in the strata may be either confined or unconfined, and locally perched conditions may exist, but the effect of capillarity is not included. The hydraulic head is determined by applying the Dupuit-Forchheimer approximation. The main advantage of the approach is that very complex conditions in stratified aquifer systems, including locally perched conditions and extremely complex flow systems can be treated in a relatively straight forward approach by considering only the vertically integrated flow rates. The approach is particularly useful for assessing groundwater sustainability, as a model to be constructed prior to developing a fully three-dimensional numerical model.
Evidence for two populations of hair bundles in the sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis

Cytochalasin D (CD) was employed to disrupt F-actin within stereocilia of anemone hair bundles. CD treatment decreases the abundance of hair bundles (by 85%) while significantly impairing predation. The remaining hair bundles are 'CD-resistant.' Surprisingly, the morphology and F-actin content of resistant hair bundles are comparable to those of untreated controls. However, the resistant hair bundles fail to respond normally to the N-acetylated sugar, NANA, by elongating. Instead, they remain at resting length. Immediately after CD treatment, when only CD-resistant hair bundles are present, nematocyst discharge is normal into targets touched to tentacles in the absence of vibrations (i.e., baseline) but fails to increase normally in the presence of nearby vibrations at 56Hz, a key frequency. After CD treatment, the abundance of hair bundles recovers to control levels within three hours. At 2h after CD treatment, when CD-resistant and CD-sensitive hair bundles are both present, but a full-recovery is not yet complete, somewhat enhanced discharge of nematocysts occurs into targets touched to tentacles in the presence of nearby vibrations at 56Hz (at least as compared to the response of CD-treated animals to contact with test probes in the absence of vibrations). Additionally, at 2h after CD-treatment, prey capture recovers to normal. Thus, two populations of hair bundles may be present on tentacles of sea anemones: those that are CD-resistant and those that are CD-sensitive. The functions of these hair bundles may be distinct.
Ocular toxoplasmosis: a global reassessment. Part II: disease manifestations and management.

Abstract Purpose To update clinical information about ocular toxoplasmosis. Part II reviews the spectrum of disease manifestations and factors that influence severity of disease. Implications for disease management are discussed. Design Literature review. Methods Selected articles from the medical literature, information from several recent scientific meetings, and the author's personal experiences were reviewed critically in preparation for the LX Edward Jackson Memorial Lecture. Results The appearance of toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis lesions varies with duration of active retinal infection and intensity of inflammation. Severe ocular disease occurs in immunocompromised hosts. Older patients who are recently infected with Toxoplasma gondii may have a higher prevalence of ocular involvement and more severe ocular disease because of altered host defenses. Most disease-producing isolates of T. gondii belong to one of three clonal lineages (types I, II, III); type I has been associated with severe disease in both animals and human beings. Many observational studies suggest a benefit of short-term antimicrobial therapy for toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis in immunocompetent patients, although the efficacy of these treatments has not been proven in randomized clinical trials. Intermittent trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole treatment was associated with fewer recurrences than placebo during a 20-month randomized clinical trial. Conclusions Variations in disease characteristics may be related to host, parasite, or environmental factors. The genotype of the infecting parasite appears to be an important determinant of disease severity in immunocompetent patients. Secondary prophylaxis may reduce the rate of recurrences in high-risk patients. A better clinical understanding of ocular toxoplasmosis can lead to more effective prevention and treatment strategies.
The Forensic Implications of Liposuction: A Review:

Liposuction continues to be one of the most popular cosmetic procedures in developed cultures worldwide. Since a 1999 report describing five liposuction-related deaths in New York City, three of wh...
Assessing Militarised Responses to Transnational Organised Crime

Organised crime continues to plague society. Although we know much more about it, how it functions, who is involved and why it persists, we are still no closer towards eradicating it. Policymakers are beginning to understand that any response needs to be multifaceted, dynamic and persistent; however, they continue to search for an elusive silver bullet. Despite the growing diversity of our organised crime–response toolbox, military solutions continue to be widely prioritised. Perhaps it is the quick wins, the direct pursuit of criminals or the outright show of force that creates the impression that action is being taken. Nevertheless, these responses are not always the most suitable.
Reaction: Chemistry Driven by the Harsh Space Environment

Dr. Bill Farrell is a plasma physicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. He is a co-investigator on the Cassini mission to Saturn and the Parker Solar Probe mission. He is also principal investigator of the DREAM2 Center for Space Environments (http://ssed.gsfc.nasa.gov/dream/), which examines the exosphere formation, radiation effects, and plasma interactions of the Moon and other airless bodies. Dr. Farrell has authored or co-authored over 200 journal articles on various aspects of space science, including the hydroxylation at the Moon, the curious plasma effects within the Enceladus plume, and the possibility of electricity generated in Martian dust devils.
Melioidosis in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean

Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis, an endemic disease in tropical areas around the world. Cumulative human cases have demonstrated that melioidosis is prevalent and increasingly recognized in the American continent. Even though the first reports of melioidosis in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean Islands date back to the late 1940s, the potential of the disease as a public health concern in the region has not been fully appreciated. Unfortunately, recent studies predicting the global distribution of the disease and the demonstration of melioidosis endemicity in Puerto Rico have not increased recognition of the disease by health professionals in this region. Furthermore, a lack of both diagnostic capacity and awareness of the disease has resulted in a limited number of studies that have attempted to accurately determine its prevalence and geographical distribution. In this review, a summary of reported cases in the countries of this region are presented, as well as recommendations to increase the diagnosis and awareness of the disease as an important public health problem in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean islands.
Toward the Deeper Understanding of Price and Purchase Intention Relationship:The Role of Price Fairness, Consumer Vanity, and Consumer Brand Familiarity Level

Most marketing practices assume that consumers will buy when price is low. However, this negative relationship may not hold true all the time. Incorporating equity theory and Veblen's theory of the leisure class, the purposes of this study are 1) to confirm whether or not the perceived price-willingness to purchase relationship is negative, 2) to investigate the effects of two moderators (i.e., perceived price fairness and consumer vanity) on the relationship between perceived price and willingness to purchase, and 3) to compare how the moderating effects differ by high and low brand familiarity contexts.
Heat-Shock Response as a Possible Model for (Patho)physiological Stress in Endothelial Cells

The cells of most eukaryotes and prokaryotes respond to metabolic perturbations by the induction of a set of proteins termed the “stress” or “heat-shock proteins” (HSP).3,78 These stress proteins appear in all organisms and have been most intensely studied during and after heat treatment.3,78 Although functionally uncharacterized, a search for regulatory mechanisms controlling the expression of HSP at the cellular, biochemical, and molecular levels has begun to shed some light on their possible function in cells experiencing hyperthermia and physiological stress