cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Onset of Long Electrical Discharges in Clean Air

Understanding of the propagation of electrical discharges leading to a stepped leader process requires knowledge of discharge mechanisms that can operate over long distances in the absence of metal electrodes. However, as normally studied in the laboratory, the different stages in a long air discharge are known to be strongly influenced by the metallic properties of the electrodes used. This study reports on the formation and propagation of discharges that avoid the use of metal surfaces. It is shown that local thermalization of a section of the discharge region in the air, is a prerequisite for the propagation of ionization over distances of the order of 0.1 m. Lack of thermalization leads to charge redistributions that lower the electric stress and stop the discharge. Conversely, the thermalization process inherently produces impulse high voltage waves with rise times in the order of 10 nsec. These waves result in further ionization that extends the range of the discharge. Using water and polyester surfaces, it is shown that the procurement of a critical electron density required for thermalization is controlled not directly by the local electric field but by the availability of charge from regions located outside the channel that becomes thermalized. The critical thermalization condition of 1023m−3 electrons is verified using oscilloscope recordings of the current in the discharge in conjunction with the ignition of propane-air mixtures. The technique is approximate but much easier than time-resolved spectroscopic observation of the discharge.
Modern technologies of fabrication and testing of large convex secondary mirrors

Modern large telescopes such as TAO, LSST, TMT and EELT require 0.9m-4m monolithic convex secondary mirrors. The fabrication and testing of these large convex secondary mirrors of astronomical telescopes is getting challenging as the aperture of the mirror is getting bigger. The biggest challenge to fabricate these large convex aspheric mirrors is to measure the surface figure to a few nanometers, while maintaining the testing and fabrication cycle to be efficient to minimize the downtime. For the last a couple of decades there was huge advancement in the metrology and fabrication of large aspheric secondary mirrors. College of Optical Sciences in the University Arizona developed a full fabrication and metrology process with extremely high accuracy and efficiency for manufacturing the large convex secondary mirrors. In this paper modern metrology systems including Swing-Arm Optical Coordinate Measuring System (SOCMM) which is comparable to Interferometry and a Sub-aperture stitching interferometry scalable to a several meters have been presented. Also a Computer Controlled Fabrication Process which produces extremely fine surface figure and finish has been demonstrated. These most recent development has been applied to the fabrication and testing of 0.9m aspheric convex secondary mirror for the Tokyo Atacama Observatory’s 6.5m telescope and the result has been presented.
Undergraduate Experiences of Division I Athlete Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Graduates

Employing the conceptual model developed by Comeaux and Harrison (Coll Stud Aff J 30(1):75–87, 2011), this study explored the undergraduate experience of Division I athlete STEM graduates. Data collection involved 17 in-depth interviews with former athletes at two research-intensive, public institutions. Results revealed that pre-college characteristics, involvement in purposeful STEM-related activities, and sport participation, as well as academic support and guidance within athletic departments, play important roles in shaping the experiences of athletes who earn STEM degrees. Implications for student affairs professionals, faculty, and others who frequently interact with college athletes and are committed to creating more equitable educational environments are discussed.
On the Road to AM

The advantages offered by additive manufacturing intersect a wide range of industries, occupations, and potential users. This chapter provides various scenarios of the artist, student, inventor, business owner, engineer, or technology manager describing how additive manufacturing can combine with their skills, capabilities, and interests to assist the reader to place themselves within the context of this new technology. This chapter provides an introductory overview of the types and capabilities of current additive manufacturing systems that can best meet your application. A discussion of market and technology drivers asks key questions to assist the reader in clearly defining their needs and how the advantages or limitations of AM technology can drive the decision of whether or not to adopt AM technology. Questions are presented to address considerations such as material cost savings, energy and time efficiencies, and conversely what legacy drivers can impede the reader’s adoption of AM. Additive manufacturing of metal exists at the confluence of multiple diverse technologies with a language of terms borrowed from each. The reader is introduced to these terms and with the high level overview provided by this chapter, prepared to build an understanding of those technologies and materials fundamental to AM metal processing.
Experimental Study of Geopolymer Synthesized with Class F Fly Ash and Low-Calcium Slag

AbstractThis paper presents an experimental study on geopolymer synthesized with class F fly ash (FA) and low-calcium slag (SG). Geopolymer specimens were produced using FA and SG at different rela...
Poor poor dumb mouths, and bid them speak for me: Theorizing the use of personas in practice

Although personas are commonly used to represent users in design, their rhetorical function has been little explored. In this article, the authors theorize personas’ rhetorical function as ventrilo...
Comparison of the Spectral-Temporally Modulated Ripple Test With the Arizona Biomedical Institute Sentence Test in Cochlear Implant Users.

Objectives Although speech perception is the gold standard for measuring cochlear implant (CI) users' performance, speech perception tests often require extensive adaptation to obtain accurate results, particularly after large changes in maps. Spectral ripple tests, which measure spectral resolution, are an alternate measure that has been shown to correlate with speech perception. A modified spectral ripple test, the spectral-temporally modulated ripple test (SMRT) has recently been developed, and the objective of this study was to compare speech perception and performance on the SMRT for a heterogeneous population of unilateral CI users, bilateral CI users, and bimodal users. Design Twenty-five CI users (eight using unilateral CIs, nine using bilateral CIs, and eight using a CI and a hearing aid) were tested on the Arizona Biomedical Institute Sentence Test (AzBio) with a +8 dB signal to noise ratio, and on the SMRT. All participants were tested with their clinical programs. Results There was a significant correlation between SMRT and AzBio performance. After a practice block, an improvement of one ripple per octave for SMRT corresponded to an improvement of 12.1% for AzBio. Additionally, there was no significant difference in slope or intercept between any of the CI populations. Conclusion The results indicate that performance on the SMRT correlates with speech recognition in noise when measured across unilateral, bilateral, and bimodal CI populations. These results suggest that SMRT scores are strongly associated with speech recognition in noise ability in experienced CI users. Further studies should focus on increasing both the size and diversity of the tested participants, and on determining whether the SMRT technique can be used for early predictions of long-term speech scores, or for evaluating differences among different stimulation strategies or parameter settings.
Insights from Exploration of Engaging Technologies to Teach Reading and Writing: Story Baker

To engage children in learning to write, we spent several years exploring tools designed to engage children in creating and viewing stories. Our central focus was the automatic generation of animations. Tools included a digital stylus for writing and sketching, and in some cases simple robots and tangible, digitally-recognized objects. In pilot studies, children found the prototypes engaging. In 2007, a decision not to develop new hardware was made, but at today’s greatly reduced tablet cost and with more capable touch and pen technology, these experiments could inspire further research and development.
Advanced patient transfer assist device with intuitive interaction control.

This research aims to improve patient transfers by developing a new type of advanced robotic assist device. It has multiple actuated degrees of freedom and a powered steerable base to maximize mane...
Simulation Programming: Quick Start

As a first step toward more sophisticated simulation programming, this chapter presents a VBA simulation of the TTF example in Chap. 1. It also provides a gentle introduction to some important simulation concepts, and a brief overview of VBA, leaving the details to Chap. 4. Good reference texts on VBA as used for simulation and modeling are Elizandro and Taha [2008] and Albright [2007].
Leisure, Sociology of

The sociology of leisure is concerned with the development of leisure as a separate category of social action as a consequence of industrialization. Work and leisure were not clearly distinguishable in the premodern West where lives were lived more holistically. As ‘nonwork,’ leisure is entwined with studies of the organization, time, and place of work. Leisure studies are concerned with the consumption of leisure activities, with the ways in which culture shapes leisure practices, and the role of gender, age, class, and other social characteristics on the amount and character of leisure.
Taking Stock and Looking Forward – An Outsider’s Perspective on the Insider Threat

Despite considerable work over the last decade, the research community has made little overall progress in solving or even reducing the insider threat. This conclusion stems not from lack of research quality but rather from lack of a framework to understand exactly what problem we are trying to solve. In this chapter I suggest that there are some fundamental questions relating to the insider threat that either have not been posed, or have been posed without sufficient rigor to motivate work towards meaningful solutions. Among these questions are:
Der Europarat und die EMRK

Der Europarat fust, wie in der Organisationenubersicht ausgefuhrt, auf einem volkerrechtlichen Vertrag europaischer Staaten. Leicht und oft wird der Europarat mit dem Ministerrat der Europaischen Union verwechselt. Der Ministerrat ist ein Organ der EU und hat mit dem Europarat rein gar nichts zu tun.
Multiple Bilateral Apocrine Cystadenomas of the Lower Eyelids: Light and Electron Microscopic Studies

An 88-year-old man presented with 13 apocrine cystadenomas of both lower eyelids of at least 10 years' duration. The cysts were remarkable for possessing a superior dome of either creamy or yellowish material (probably reflecting the lipid-rich decapitation secretion), surmounting a clearer fluid inferiorly, as well as for being restricted to the eyelid margins where the glands of Moll are located. Light microscopy disclosed a double-layered cuboidal cellular lining, which focally became more plump or hobnailed, exhibited apical decapitation secretion, and was occasionally thrown into papillary folds. Electron microscopy demonstrated cellular debris and segments of interrupted plasmalemmas within the cystic cavity, intercellular widenings constituting canaliculi, cytoplasmic election-dense secretory granules, flocculent mucous vacuoles, and swirls of smooth-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum. Basal cells were focally interspersed between the secretory cells and the basement membrane, and occasionally manifested spotty myofilamentary differentiation. These findings are supportive of an origin of the lesions from the secretory rather than the ductal portion of the glands of Moll. They corroborate conclusions drawn from dermatologic investigations that the cysts are an essentially proliferative process as opposed to the result of passive ductal dilatation.
Current Issues in Behavior Modification with Mentally Retarded Persons

The treatment and education of mentally retarded individuals has changed considerably over the years, alternating between compassionate concern and neglect and ridicule (Gearhart & Litton, 1975). Although residential institutions for mentally retarded persons in the United States were initially conceived for the purpose of treatment and education, a custodial-care orientation emerged early in the twentieth century, and, as a consequence, treatment and educational programs virtually disappeared. It was not until the 1950s that a growing concern for mentally retarded persons led to social change. In 1952, the National Association for Retarded Children (NARC, now called the Association for Retarded Citizens) was formed through the efforts of parents of mentally retarded children. Subsequently, the NARC and its state and local member units catalyzed community agencies into developing services for mentally retarded persons and provided, when necessary, direct services. Concurrent with this type of development, public enlightenment and awareness about mental retardation increased. The 1960s and 1970s were times of moral indignation, during which man’s inhumanity to man was exposed in such books as Christmas in Purgatory (Blatt & Kaplan, 1966). During the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, a national effort began to address the needs of mentally retarded persons and the problems associated with mental retardation. As a consequence of these social and political concerns, an educational movement occurred, as movements to normalize, educate, and treat, and secure civil rights for mentally retarded persons gained impetus.
Goodness-of-fit Tests for Continuous-time Stationary Processes

The paper considers the following problem of hypotheses testing: based on a finite realization {X(t)}, 0 ≤ t ≤ T of a zero mean real-valued mean square continuous stationary Gaussian process X(t), t ϵ R, construct goodness-of-fit tests for testing a hypothesis H0 that the hypothetical spectral density of the process X(t) has the specified form. We show that in the case where the hypothetical spectral density of X(t) does not depend on unknown parameters (the hypothesis H0 is simple), then the suggested test statistic has a chi-square distribution. In the case where the hypothesis H0 is composite, that is, the hypothetical spectral density of X(t) depends on an unknown p–dimensional vector parameter, we choose an appropriate estimator for unknown parameter and describe the limiting distribution of the test statistic, which is similar to that of obtained by Chernov and Lehman in the case of independent observations. The testing procedure works both for short- and long-memory models.
Comprehensive Assessment of Didactic Curriculum and Career Interest in Infectious Diseases Among Graduating United States Pharmacy Students.

Author(s): Jeffres, Meghan N; Biehle, Lauren R; MacDougall, Conan | Abstract: BackgroundThe growing need for clinicians with antimicrobial stewardship (AS) skills has resulted in an examination of educational methods for pharmacy and medical learners. This study explores characteristics associated with student assessment of didactic infectious diseases (ID) education quality and variables associated with a career interest in ID and/or AS.MethodsInfectious diseases faculty from US pharmacy schools were sent a 15-question survey in September 2017. Faculty members e-mailed the survey link to graduating pharmacy students.ResultsParticipants from 29 pharmacy schools, representing 21 states, resulted in 537 student responses. Quality of ID didactic education was rated as Very Good by 41%, Good by 40%, Acceptable by 14%, and Poor by 4% of participants. The mean number of faculty-provided learning resources differed by quality rating and was significantly associated with perceived educational needs. Infectious diseases was identified as a career interest by 29% of students. These students more frequently rated their ID didactic education as Very Good (52% vs 37%, P l .01) and were more likely to become interested in ID during or after it was taught in pharmacy school (39% vs 21%, P l .01).ConclusionsIn this cohort of graduating pharmacy students, the perceived quality of didactic ID education was associated with a career interest in ID and/or AS. Factors associated with quality of education were quantity and quality of faculty-provided resources. Increasing the quality of the didactic ID curriculum has potential to increase interest in ID/AS careers among pharmacy students.
Structure and activity of lipid bilayer within a membrane-protein transporter.

Membrane proteins function in native cell membranes, but extraction into isolated particles is needed for many biochemical and structural analyses. Commonly used detergent-extraction methods destroy naturally associated lipid bilayers. Here, we devised a detergent-free method for preparing cell-membrane nanoparticles to study the multidrug exporter AcrB, by cryo-EM at 3.2-A resolution. We discovered a remarkably well-organized lipid-bilayer structure associated with transmembrane domains of the AcrB trimer. This bilayer patch comprises 24 lipid molecules; inner leaflet chains are packed in a hexagonal array, whereas the outer leaflet has highly irregular but ordered packing. Protein side chains interact with both leaflets and participate in the hexagonal pattern. We suggest that the lipid bilayer supports and harmonizes peristaltic motions through AcrB trimers. In AcrB D407A, a putative proton-relay mutant, lipid bilayer buttresses protein interactions lost in crystal structures after detergent-solubilization. Our detergent-free system preserves lipid–protein interactions for visualization and should be broadly applicable.
33 Year Old Man with Growths on His Fingers

A 33-year-old man presents for evaluation of several growths on his fingers in the last year. It began as one lesion and subsequently he has noticed four more. They are occasionally itchy or painful, and have not responded to over-the-counter treatments, including 40 % salicylic acid plaster or “freeze off” therapies. He denies any other medical problems, medications, or drug allergies.
Toward Automated Vehicle Teleoperation: Vision, Opportunities, and Challenges

Recently, vehicle teleoperation (remote driving) has been gaining momentum in the industry and is playing an important role in helping self-driving cars navigate through tricky situations they cannot handle on their own. Today, vehicle teleoperation relies fully on human teleoperators. Future teleoperation systems, powered by artificial intelligence and advanced networks, such as 5G, can potentially allow a subset of the automated driving intelligence to be off-loaded from the vehicle into the cloud. Over time, the growing level of remote driving automation can enable new automated driving solutions that are not feasible today. This article presents a vision of such intelligent teleoperation and discusses its benefits and challenges.
Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine

Low back and neck pain are common and result in significant patient disability and health care expenditure. When conservative treatment fails or worrisome clinical findings are present, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the imaging modality of choice to assess the cause and complicating features of spine pain. There are many potential aetiologies of spine pain with similar clinical presentation, including degenerative changes, infection, and insufficiency and pathologic fractures. MRI allows for the differentiation of these sources of spine pain and potential complicating features, permitting the appropriate direction of therapy.
Spatial-Temporal Functional Mapping Combined With Cortico-Cortical Evoked Potentials in Predicting Cortical Stimulation Results

Functional human brain mapping is commonly performed during invasive monitoring with intracranial electroencephalographic (iEEG) electrodes prior to resective surgery for drug- resistant epilepsy. The current gold standard, electrocortical stimulation mapping (ESM), is time -consuming, sometimes elicits pain, and often induces after discharges or seizures. Moreover, there is a risk of overestimating eloquent areas due to propagation of the effects of stimulation to a broader network of language cortex. Passive iEEG spatial-temporal functional mapping (STFM) has recently emerged as a potential alternative to ESM. However, investigators have observed less correspondence between STFM and ESM maps of language than between their maps of motor function. We hypothesized that incongruities between ESM and STFM of language function may arise due to propagation of the effects of ESM to cortical areas having strong effective connectivity with the site of stimulation. We evaluated five patients who underwent invasive monitoring for seizure localization, whose language areas were identified using ESM. All patients performed a battery of language tasks during passive iEEG recordings. To estimate the effective connectivity of stimulation sites with a broader network of task-activated cortical sites, we measured cortico-cortical evoked potentials (CCEPs) elicited across all recording sites by single-pulse electrical stimulation at sites where ESM was performed at other times. With the combination of high gamma power as well as CCEPs results, we trained a logistic regression model to predict ESM results at individual electrode pairs. The average accuracy of the classifier using both STFM and CCEPs results combined was 87.7%, significantly higher than the one using STFM alone (71.8%), indicating that the correspondence between STFM and ESM results is greater when effective connectivity between ESM stimulation sites and task-activated sites is taken into consideration. These findings, though based on a small number of subjects to date, provide preliminary support for the hypothesis that incongruities between ESM and STFM may arise in part from propagation of stimulation effects to a broader network of cortical language sites activated by language tasks, and suggest that more studies, with larger numbers of patients, are needed to understand the utility of both mapping techniques in clinical practice.
Identification of Microbiological Activities in Wet Flue Gas Desulfurization Systems.

Thermoelectric power generation from coal requires large amounts of water, much of which is used for wet flue gas desulfurization (wFGD) systems that minimize sulfur emissions, and consequently, acid rain. The microbial communities in wFGDs and throughout thermoelectric power plants can influence system performance, waste processing, and the long term stewardship of residual wastes. Any microorganisms that survive in wFGD slurries must tolerate high total dissolved solids concentrations (TDS) and temperatures (50 – 60 °C), but the inocula for wFGDs are typically from fresh surface waters (e.g. lakes or rivers) of low TDS and temperatures, and whose activity might be limited under the physicochemically extreme conditions of the wFGD. To determine the extents of microbiological activities in wFGDs, we examined the microbial activities and communities associated with three wFGDs. O2 consumption rates of three wFGD slurries were optimal at 55 °C, and living cells could be detected microscopically, indicating that living and active communities of organisms were present in the wFGD and could metabolize at the high temperature of the wFGD. A 16S rRNA gene-based survey revealed that the wFGD-associated microbial communities included taxa attributable to both thermophilic and mesophilic lineages. Metatranscriptomic analysis of one of the wFGDs indicated an abundance of active Burholderiaceae and several Gammaproteobacteria, and production of transcripts associated with carbohydrate metabolism, osmotic stress response, as well as phage, prophages and transposable elements. These results illustrate that microbial activities can be sustained in physicochemically extreme wFGDs, and these activities may influence the performance and environmental impacts of thermoelectric power plants.
Molecular control of Drosophila circadian rhythms

The ubiquity of circadian rhythms testifies to their adaptive significance. Studies in Drosophila melanogaster have greatly advanced the understanding of circadian rhythms at molecular level. To date, at least seven genes in Drosophila have been described and shown to participate in transcription–translation based feedback loops that comprise the central oscillator controlling overt circadian behaviors. Many of these genes have functional homologues in mammals. There has also been recent progress in describing, at the molecular level, how temporal information from the environment is conveyed to the central oscillator, and how, in turn, that information is conveyed to the rest of the organism. Along with he recent explosion in the understanding of the molecular underpinnings of the clock, it has also been observed that the work described in this chapter is applicable to other systems. Period ( per ), timeless ( tim ), dClock ( dClk ), cycle ( cyc ), doubltime ( dbt ), and cryptochrome ( cry ) all have homologues in the mammalian system, many of them functional counterparts. There are 3 mammalian per homologues that cycle with a circadian rhythm and function as negative elements in a feedback loop. Mammalian Clock and cyc can heterodimerize and activate transcription from E-boxes, and tau (mammalian dbt ) has been shown to phosphorylate the mper proteins in vitro . There are some important differences between the mammalian and Drosophila systems. The two known mammalian cry homologues do not mediate circadian photoreception, but instead, appear to have a role as negative elements in the feedback loop, and are required for behavioral rhythmicity. tim's role in the mammalian system is still unknown; although, in contrast with Drosophila, tim is essential for embryonic development. Light sensitivity does not appear to be mediated by a light sensitive protein, but rather via photic induction of the mper RNAs. In addition to the molecular conservation seen in animals, the mechanism of the transcription–translation based negative feedback loop is found across the phyla in cyanobacteria, fungi, and plants.
The local food movement, public-private partnerships, and food system resiliency

Concentration and consolidation in production, distribution, and retailing have arguably reduced the diversity of US food supply and distribution channels, thus introducing vulnerabilities into the food system. This paper addresses the question of what can be done to make the system more resilient to shocks that can disrupt food supplies. We suggest that the interest connected to the local food movement extant in a wide-ranging set of public and private groups, as well as among a widening base of consumers, creates a unique opportunity to strengthen food system resiliency. We specifically focus on the supply and distribution systems of supermarket retailers. Supermarkets are major drivers of the modern food system, with US and global consolidation positioning grocery retailers as both oligopolistic sellers and oligopsonistic buyers of food. We discuss the opportunities and challenges to diversifying supermarket procurement and distribution through localization and suggest that such a shift can be most successful if it is facilitated by public-private partnerships to foster system-level change. We provide an example of one such public-private partnership in the context of the work of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (a collaboration between two North Carolina land grant universities) which has partnered with a regional supermarket chain to facilitate and promote the sourcing of local products. The substantive activities of the partnership—capacity-building training for growers and buyers, networking and peer-learning activities and site tours, support for MBA research teams and undergraduate internships, and piloting and subsequent evaluation of novel distributional techniques—are ones that can be enacted by researchers, instructors, and advocates in partnership with supermarkets and other food businesses to build more resilient systems of food procurement and distribution. Discussion of the project provides tangible examples of how public and private entities holding shared interests in local agriculture can partner as part of a holistic approach to diversifying and strengthening the food system.
Responses of lateral geniculate neurons that survive long-term visual cortex damage in kittens and adult cats

Damage to visual cortex (areas 17–19) in kittens or adult cats produces severe retrograde degeneration of neurons in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). However, some neurons survive in otherwise degenerated portions of the LGN after a visual cortex lesion at any age. Previous studies have shown that there are well-defined differences in potential retinal inputs, soma size, synaptic connections, outputs, and physiological properties of output targets of the surviving LGN cells in cats that received visual cortex damage at different ages. The present experiment investigated the relationships between these differences and the responses of surviving LGN neurons to visual stimulation. Recordings were made from surviving neurons in the degenerated A- and C-layers of the LGN in cats that had received a visual cortex lesion on the day of birth, at 8 weeks of age, or as adults (survival was 11.5–36 months). Normal adult cats were studied for comparison. The visual receptive field was mapped, and tests were carried out to classify each cell as X, Y, or W. In addition, quantitative methods were used to assess response amplitude, strength of receptive-field surround inhibition, spatial-frequency tuning to drifting or counterphased sine-wave gratings, and response to nondominant-eye stimulation for each cell. We found that surviving cells in all LGN layers respond to light, have normal receptive-field organization, and have normal eye dominance following a lesion at any age tested. In addition, gross retinotopic organization of the LGN is normal. However, 2 main abnormalities were observed following a lesion at all 3 ages. First, there is a reduction in the percentage of X cells in the A layers, from 62% in normal LGNs to about 15% in degenerated LGNs. Second, many surviving cells in both the A- and C-layers have abnormally large receptive-field centers. Other differences that were observed between normal A-layer cells and surviving A-layer cells could be attributed to the loss of X cells. These results indicate that cells within a structure that shows severe retrograde degeneration after brain damage can maintain relatively normal function and can take part in potentially important residual neural pathways. Previous studies indicate that these residual pathways can show both anatomical and physiological compensation for the brain damage, and the present findings bear on the consequences and mechanisms of this compensation.
38 High osmolarity at early culture stage improves in vitro development of pre-implantation porcine nuclear transfer embryos

Fragmentation occurs during early developmental stage of electrically activated oocytes and nuclear transfer (NT) embryos, and it might be the cause of the low developmental rate of pre-implantation porcine nuclear transfer embryos. The present study was conducted to investigate whether addition of sugars such as sorbitol and sucrose suppresses fragmentation and supports the development of NT embryos. Oocytes derived from a local abattoir were matured for 42–44 h and enucleated. Fetal fibroblast cells were obtained from a Day 35 porcine fetus. Parthenogenetically activated oocytes or NT embryos were cultured in PZM-3 for 6 days, or in PZM-3 supplemented with sorbitol or sucrose for 2 days and then cultured in PZM-3 for the remaining 4 days. The osmolarity of PZM-3, PZM-3 supplemented with 0.05 M or 0.1 M sorbitol, and PZM-3 with 0.05 M sucrose was 269 ± 6.31, 316 ± 3.13, 362 ± 4.37 and 315 ± 5.03 mOsm, respectively. When the parthogenotes were cultured in PZM-3 supplemented with 0.05 M sorbitol or sucrose for the first 2 days and then cultured in PZM-3 without sugar, a significantly higher (P < 0.05) cleavage rate and blastocyst rate was observed. Interestingly, sugar addition into PZM-3 at early culture stage for 2 days reduced the fragmentation rate compared to the rate in PZM-3 without sugar. In NT embryos, sugar addition into PZM-3 significantly (P < 0.05) increased the cleavage rate (67.6 ± 5.80 vs. 77.3 ± 3.03) and developmental rate to the blastocyst stage (10.2 ± 0.79 vs. 19.4 ± 1.77). There was no significant difference between treatments for the number of nuclei in the blastocysts. In addition the fragmentation rate in sugar-supplemented PZM-3 was reduced compared to that in PZM-3 without sugar (26.1 ± 4.30 vs. 14.5 ± 1.74). In conclusion, the increased osmolarity of PZM-3 with sugar supplementation at an early developmental stage for 48 h could increase the cleavage and developmental rate to the blastocyst stage by reducing the fragmentation rate.
Placing Blame Where Blame is Due: The Culpability of Illegal Armed Groups and Narcotraffickers in Colombia’s Environmental and Human Rights Catastrophes

Environmental devastation of man-made origin threaten some of the most sensitive regions of Colombia, where the biodiversity found there is among the most unique in the world. Deforestation due to the cultivation and processing of coca and opium, the collateral damage to the environment from drug interdiction and eradication programs, and the slash and burn agriculture practiced by farmers involved in drug production and displaced indigenous groups forced out of their homelands by drug traffickers have had a drastic impact on Colombia’s precious national resources. The spillover effect of drug trafficking has also impacted sensitive environments in neighboring states, as well. For too long, the illegal armed groups and narcotraffickers causing the environmental devastation have gone without being held accountable for their damaging practices, and the inability of the Colombian government to confront drug-related environmental damage has resulted in increased stress on Colombia biodiversity and indigenous territories. This article examines the impact of drug cultivation and processing on the Colombian environment, the laws and enforcement capacity of the nation to fight it, and looks at how the nation and the international community can curtail the loss of more of Colombia’s natural treasures.
Choice set definition issues in a Kuhn-Tucker model of recreation demand

Much of the literature on choice sets has focused on how alternative specifications of market scope and site definition impact site selection models and the resulting welfare estimates per choice occasion. In this paper, choice set definition issues are investigated using the Kuhn-Tucker model, which integrates the site selection and participation decisions in a unified and utility theoretic framework. This allows us to consider the impact that alternative site set definitions may have on both where individuals recreate and the numbers of trips they take. Using data from the 1997 Iowa Wetlands Survey we examine the effects on estimates and welfare measures of choice sets representing various levels of site aggregation and market scope. We find that significant differences in welfare measures arise from changing choice set definitions.
Isolation and Purification of the Photoreceptor Pigment Associated with Phototaxis in Dictyostelium discoideum

Abstract A pigment protein which undergoes a reversible light-induced absorbance change was purified about 2000-fold from cells of the phototactic cellular slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum. The photoresponsive pigment was solubilized by sonication of the mitochondrial fraction, and purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and centrifugation in sucrose gradients. The absorption spectrum of the photoresponsive pigment, which shows a strong band at 430 nm and two broad low extinction bands in the 550- to 590-nm region, is consistent with the action spectrum of phototaxis. Thus, this pigment appears to be the photoreceptor pigment for phototaxis in pseudoplasmodia of D. discoideum.
West nile virus ligands from alternative reading frame proteins are revealed by class I HLA

Aim Class I human leukocyte antigens alert the cellular immune system of infections by presenting peptides derived from viral proteins on the surface of infected cells. Viruses are capable of encoding alternative reading frame (ARF) proteins, and such proteins have only been partially characterized for existence and function. West Nile virus (WNV) encodes an ARF protein (NS1’) and possibly other ARF proteins. Here we use high throughput ligand analysis to characterize the class I HLA of WNV infected cells in order to identify peptides that originate from WNV ARF proteins. Methods Epithelial cells expressing different soluble HLA-A and HLA-B class I molecules were cultured in bioreactors and infected with WNV. HLA/peptide complexes were harvested from WNV infected cells, peptides were eluted from affinity-purified HLA, and two-dimensional LC/MS produced spectra were searched against a WNV ARF database using PEAKS proteomics software. The sequence identity of each WNV ARF peptide was confirmed by comparing the MS2 fragmentation of the eluted experimental ARF peptide with a corresponding synthetic peptide. Results We were able to identify and confirm 4 NS1’ derived peptides presented by HLA-A*01:01 and HLA-A∗24:02. Interestingly we were also able to discover a peptide, from a novel ARF WNV protein presented by HLA-B*35:01. This protein is likely a 21 amino acid long C-terminal extension of NS5 and is presumed to be the result of a +1 frame shift, 38 base pair upstream from the polyprotein stop codon. This viral protein/peptide is of unknown function. Conclusions We demonstrate that different HLA class I molecules present peptides from the NS1’ protein that is created as a result of ribosomal frameshifting during viral replication. In addition, we show the first evidence of presence of another ARF protein that is produced after WNV infection. How these ligands impact the immune responses toward infected cells remains to be resolved.
How long is too long: the safe use of maintenance bevacizumab in advanced-stage NSCLC

The ECOG 4599 trial showed that adding bevacizumab to standard-of-care chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel prolongs progression-free survival and overall survival when compared with chemotherapy alone in advanced-stage non-small-cell lung cancer patients. One of the questions raised by the trial was how long could patients safely remain on maintenance therapy with the agent given its cumulative association with hypertension and proteinuria. The longest reported maintenance duration a patient has been on the antiangiogenic is 50 months after which it was discontinued due to grade III proteinuria. We report a case series of three patients, one who safely continues on bevacizumab after 74 months, who did not experience cumulative dose-associated worsening hypertension and proteinuria. We hope to suggest with their cases, along with a survey of patients in existing literature, that the agent may represent a prolonged treatment option in advanced-stage non-small-cell lung cancer patients.
Constituent coordination in Lexical-Functional Grammar

This paper outlines a theory of constituent coordination for Lexical-Functional Grammar. On this theory LFG's flat, unstructured sets are used as the functional representation of coordinate constructions. Function-application is extended to sets by treating a set formally as the generalization of its functional elements. This causes properties attributed externally to a coordinate structure to be uniformly distributed across its elements, without requiring additional grammatical specifications.
Situation assessment and prediction in intelligence domains

We discuss a user-friendly system containing an operational suite of tools that support intelligence data processing, data visualization, historical analysis, situation assessment and predictive analysis. The tools facilitate the study of events as a function of time to determine situational patterns. To support this analysis, the system has various data displays (e.g., timelines, maps charts, and tables) a historical event database, query capabilities, and expert system tools. The expert system tools analyze temporal information, predict future events, and explain decisions visually and textually. The tools are currently installed in several military commands and intelligence agencies supporting analysis ranging from strategic C3 to counter drug.
Emergent polarization structure in spectral lines from rotating stars of spectral type B

The emergent polarization structure within spectral lines from rapidly rotating stars of spectral type B5V has been computed for the Mgii 4481 A doublet and Hγ for several angles of inclination and for rotational speeds of 0.5 and 0.9 of the critical rotational speed. It is found in this study that the emergent polarization within the Mgii 4481 A doublet is currently unobservable with modern polarimeters. However, the polarization within Hγ should be observable.
The Speed-Optimality of Reichenbach's Straight Rule of Induction

L'A. etudie la rapidite optimale de la regle stricte d'induction etablie par H. Reichenbach, qui se voit concurrencee par deux autres methodes d'induction dite asymptotique, definies d'une part par la convergence de la regle d'induction vers la limite de la verite -si une telle limite existe- limitant la frequence d'un certain type de resultat considere dans une certaine sequence d'evenements, et par l'absence de rapidite optimale d'autre part, selon laquelle la methode inductive devrait atteindre la verite le plus vite possible
Real-Time Nonuniformity Correction For Focal Plane Arrays Using 12-Bit Digital Electronics

The element-to-element variations caused by DC offset and responsivity non-uniformities of infrared focal plane arrays used in staring imaging systems must be reduced in order to achieve the desired performance. This paper discusses the design and performance of digital electronics for non-uniformity correction based on a two-temperature calibration technique. Unique features of the system include 12-bit dynamic range, compact size, a single arithmetic processor and microsequencer control with several levels of pipelining to provide flexible operation. The current configuration operates with arrays as large as 64x64 with data rates up to 60 Hz per frame. Data will be presented on noise characteristics and the effectiveness of offset and responsivity corrections. The usefulness of this system for evaluating focal plane arrays is demonstrated using an infrared CID.
Wyners common information for continuous random variables - A lossy source coding interpretation

Wyners common information can be easily generalized for continuous random variables. We provide an operational meaning for such generalization using the Gray-Wyner network with lossy source coding. Specifically, a Gray-Wyner network consists of one encoder and two decoders. A sequence of independent copies of a pair of random variables (X, Y) ∼ p(x, y) is encoded into three messages, one of them is a common input to both decoders. The two decoders attempt to reconstruct the two sequences respectively subject to individual distortion constraints. We show that Wyners common information equals the smallest common message rate when the total rate is arbitrarily close to the rate-distortion function with joint decoding. A surprising observation is that such equality holds independent of the values of distortion constraints as long as the distortions are less than certain thresholds. An interpretation for such thresholds is given for the symmetric case.
Stability of supercurrents in cylindrical films of tin

Using pulsed currents of 80-nsec duration the stability of supercurrents in cylindrical films with current return through the center has been investigated. It is found that the voltage along the film rises with timet approximately asV = a[1 − erf(t′/2(t − c))1/2] where the time constantt′ is an exponentially decreasing function ofi(1 + 420/d)/(1 −(T/Tc)4). Herei is the current through the sample,d the thickness of the film in angstroms, andT/Tc the reduced temperature. Comparison with older data by Mydosh and Meissner and by Hagedorn indicates that it is indeed the currenti, rather than the current densityJ, which determinest′. It is suggested that the instability is of the nature of those investigated by Kramer and by Fink and Presson for currents in a superconducting surface sheath.
How critical can clinical anthropology be

In recent years a dialogue has occurred between critical medical anthropologists and clinical anthropologists about the possibility of developing a critical clinical anthropology. Although critical medical anthropology aims to merge theory and praxis, I argue that achieving this goal in a biomedical clinical setting will be extremely difficult if not impossible. In pursuing their commitment to social action, critical medical anthropologists need to establish connections with other groups including: labor unions, ethnic minorities, women's organizations, environmentalists, and self-help groups, in the struggle to create a healthy society.
A simple technique to remove a large object from the rectum.

suction created in the colon with attempted extraction.We report on two patients with large rectal foreign bodies that we were able to successfully and easily remove through a transanal approach by injecting air into the rectum and the sigmoid colon. Technique for removing a rubber ball A37-year-oldmanintroducedastringofthreerubberballs (diameter of 6 cm each) into his rectum a few hours before coming to the emergency room.When he pulled them out the string broke and one of the balls was retained in the rectum. He had no complaint of anorectal or abdominal pain. Abdominal films confirmed a round ball in the low rectum. There was no evidence of extraluminal air. The objectcouldbeeasilyfeltjustabuttingtheupperanalcanal. The patient was taken to the operating room. He was placed in the lithotomy position under general anesthesia. With gentle and gradual dilatation of the anal canal, the surgeon’s hand could be introduced into the rectum. The entireballcouldbegraspedwithfingers.Anattempttopull out the ball was met with a strong counter suction force. A #18 Foley catheter was inserted into the rectum. The ball could not be extracted until 60 mL of air was injected into
Deficiency in the ALS2 gene does not affect the motor neuron degeneration in SOD1G93A transgenic mice

Dysfunction of the ALS2 gene has been linked to one form of juvenile onset autosomal recessive amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Previous in vitro studies suggest that over-expression of ALS2 protects cells from mutant Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1)-induced cytotoxicity. To test whether ALS2 plays a protective role against mutant SOD1-mediated motor neuron degeneration in vivo, we examined the progression of motor neuron disease in SOD1 G93A mice on an ALS2 null background. Our data suggest that deficiency in the ALS2 gene does not affect the pathogenesis of SOD1 G93A mice.
Enantioselective Reductive Coupling of Alkynes and α-Keto Aldehydes via Rhodium-Catalyzed Hydrogenation: An Approach to Bryostatin Substructures

Hydrogen-mediated reductive coupling of glyoxal 2 and 1,3-enyne 3 provides α-hydroxy ketone 4 in 70% yield and 91% enantiomeric excess. Notably, the benzylic ether and diene side chain of 4 remain intact under the conditions of hydrogen-mediated coupling. In four steps, α-hydroxy ketone 4 is converted to pyrans 8 and 9, which embody key structural features of the bryostatin recognition domain.