cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Degradation and persistence of gamma‐HCH and chlorpyrifos‐methyl in Ponderosa pine bark

Residues of gamma-HCH and chlorpyrifos-methyl in Ponderosa pine bark (Pinus ponderosa Laws.) were determined 7-300 days after spray treatment, by a rapid extraction method using ethyl acetate and sodium sulphate, and analysis by gasliquid chromatography using either an electron-capture or nitrogen-phosphorus detector. The residue data were fitted into a power curve equation, Y = axb, to determine the rates of insecticide disappearance. The half-life values (μg cm−2), as interpolated from the power curve, indicate that 50% disappearance occurred in 43 (± 9) days for gamma-HCH and 102 (± 26) days for chlorpyrifos-methyl. When half-life values, however, are computed from extrapolated initial deposits, 50% disappearance occurred in 6 (± 1) days for gamma-HCH and 15 (±4) days for chlorpyrifos-methyl.
Methylation of the retinoid response gene TIG1 in prostate cancer correlates with methylation of the retinoic acid receptor beta gene.

Methylation of CpG islands and associated gene silencing may lead to malignant progression, but the mechanisms of CpG island methylation in cancer are unknown. The tazarotene-induced gene 1 (TIG1), also known as retinoid acid (RA) receptor-responsive 1 gene was first identified as an RA-responsive gene and was shown to be downregulated in prostate cancer. Here, we show that this downregulation is caused by the methylation of the promoter and CpG island of TIG1. TIG1 was methylated in 26 of 50 (52%) primary prostate cancers, but was not methylated in normal tissues or benign hyperplasias. Three of four tumors that metastasized, five of six that were poorly differentiated and all that were assigned a Gleason score higher than 8 (7/7) were methylated in the promoter of TIG1. The samples with peripheral invasion were more frequently methylated (21/32, 66%) than tissues without peripheral invasion (5/18, 28%). In addition, Gleason 7–10 cancers (21/30, 70%) were significantly more frequently methylated compared with Gleason 4–6 cancers (4/18, 22%) (P<0.01). The retinoic acid receptor beta (RAR-beta) gene was frequently methylated as well (42/50, 84%). When TIG1 showed methylation, RAR-beta was also methylated (25/26 samples). In almost all samples where RAR-beta was not methylated, TIG1 was also in an unmethylated state (14/15 samples). The methylation of TIG1 and RAR-beta was positively correlated (r=0.35; P=0.017). It is possible that the methylation of the retinoid response gene TIG1 occurred in response to the methylation and inactivation of RAR-beta. These observations may contribute to our understanding of mechanistic events leading to CpG island methylation in cancer.
Locating Globalizations and Cultures

The investigation of globalization and culture is by no means a novel phenomenon on the agenda of the social sciences and humanities. What is new is the renewed and sustained intensity with which r...
Effect of cooking on microbiological flora of selected fresh, frozen and dehydrated potatoes

Frozen, dehydrated and refrigerated potato products taken directly from the package, and fresh potatoes washed and peeled contained microorganisms, ranging from very low counts for finish-cooked French Fried potatoes, Tots and Treats, to high counts for some brands of frozen, partially-cooked products. The organisms were mostly gram positive bacilli, although most products also contained flat sour spores and acidtolerant bacteria. There were no thermophilic anaerobes. If temperatures approached 90 C during cooking, all viable microorganisms were destroyed. No microorganisms could be demonstrated when these cooked products were held at 10 C for forty-eight hours, at 25 C or at 50 C for four hours. Cooking temperatures ranging from 50 to 70 C resulted in reduced numbers of microorganisms. Counts remained low during holding at 10 C for forty-eight hours and at 25 C or 50 C for four hours.
Reciprocal effects of splicing and polyadenylation on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 pre-mRNA processing

Abstract Insertion of a functional splicing cassette into a construct containing the HIV-1 poly(A) site followed by the adenovirus L3 poly(A) site results in both specific stimulation of 3′ end processing at the HIV-1 site and an increase in the steady-state levels of RNA processed at both sites. To further evaluate this influence of splicing on processing of the HIV-1 poly(A) site, defined mutations which alter or abolish splicing of the intron were made and analyzed for their effects on polyadenylation and steady-state levels of RNA. The data show that a point mutation at the 3′ splice site caused activation of a cryptic splice acceptor that is as efficient as the wild-type acceptor. Substitution of this mutant intron for the wild-type intron resulted in stimulation of the HIV-1 poly(A) site to levels equivalent to those caused by the wild-type intron. This mutant did not, however, have as great an effect on steady-state RNA levels as the wild-type intron. A second construct containing a mutated branch point and polypyrimidine tract resulted in abolishment of splicing and a decrease in both poly(A) site use and steady-state levels of RNA. These data demonstrate that the enhanced use of the HIV-1 poly(A) site is a direct result of the splicing reaction, and not merely due to the sequences that were inserted. The effect that poly(A) site strength has on splicing was also addressed. Using activation of the cryptic splice acceptor to indicate changes in splicing efficiency resulting from alterations in poly(A) site strength, it was determined that poly(A) site strength does have an effect on the efficiency of the splicing reaction.
Searching for therapy change principles: Are we there yet?

Abstract Over the past 30 years, the topic of psychotherapy integration has moved from a latent theme to a clear movement, and the commentaries made in this issue of Applied and Preventive Psychology document these changes. More than ever before, the field of psychotherapy has become increasingly interested in achieving a consensus. The question is becoming what, not who is correct. We are now better able to identify stages of change that cut across different orientations, as well as underlying principles of change. Still, we are not “there yet,” and need to confront the limitations stemming from an overvaluation of what is “new,” and to develop a common language with which to communicate what we know. It is also suggested that a two-way bridge between research and practice can represent the future of psychotherapy integration.
In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer

The technique of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer is explained, and nurses are given an overview of this new technique for treating infertility. The role of the nurse in each phase of the process is described, with emphasis on meeting the educational and emotional needs of couples.
Evaluating existing measures of health numeracy using item response theory

Abstract Objective To evaluate existing measures of health numeracy using item response theory (IRT). Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted. Participants completed assessments of health numeracy measures including the Lipkus expanded health numeracy scale (Lipkus), and the Medical Data Interpretation Test (MDIT). The Lipkus and MDIT were scaled with IRT utilizing the two-parameter logistic model. Results Three-hundred and fifty-nine (359) participants were surveyed. Classical test theory parameters and IRT scaling parameters of the numeracy measures found most items to be at least moderately discriminating. Modified versions of the Lipkus and MDIT were scaled after eliminating items with low discrimination, high difficulty parameters, and poor model fit. The modified versions demonstrated a good range of discrimination and difficulty as indicated by the test information functions. Conclusion An IRT analysis of the Lipkus and MDIT indicate that both health numeracy scales discriminate well across a range of ability. Practice implications Health numeracy skills are needed in order for patients to successfully participate in their medical care. The accurate assessment of health numeracy may help health care providers to tailor patient education interventions to the patient's level of understanding and ability. Item response theory scaling methods can be used to evaluate the discrimination and difficulty of individual items as well as the overall assessment.
Central modulation of gastric pressure by substance P: a comparison with glutamate and acetylcholine

Abstract We have sought to determine if changes in arterial and gastric pressure occured with selective chemical stimulation of the dorsomedial NTS. Substance P (SP) and l -glutamate ( l -glu), but not acetylcholine (ACh), elicited a dose-dependent decrease in tonic gastric pressure and inhibited gastric phasic activity. As previously reported, l -glu and ACh, but not SP elicited dose-dependent arterial hypotension. The data support a putative role for SP in visceral reflexes mediated by vagal nerves.
Post-Sandinista Ethnic Identities in Western Nicaragua

The meanings of the ethnic labels Indian and mestizo in Latin America are often treated as stable, bounded, and clearly marked by anthropologists, nationalists, and indigenous intellectuals alike. In Nicaragua, the post-Sandinista emergence of a discourse of indigenous identity in the western region, where successive state elites have considered that identity erased, underscores the dynamic mutability of both indigenous and mestizo ethnicities. This reconsideration derives from dialogue between anthropological analysis and an indigenous intellectual involved in organizing in the western region.
[30-year old patient with undefined anginal pain and subsequent cardiogenic shock].

Ein 30-jahriger Patient wurde wegen starkster stenokardieformer Schmerzen, die in geringerer Auspragung bereits seit 14 Tagen bestanden, in die Notaufnahme eingeliefert. Auf die Gabe von 2 Hub Nitrospray entwickelte sich unmittelbar ein kardiogener Schock. Im EKG fielen wechselnde schenkelblockartig deformierte QRS Komplexe auf. Eine fulminante Lungenembolie war bei normalen D-Dimeren und einem pO2 von 211 mmHg unter Beatmung mit 100% FiO2 unwahrscheinlich. Im orientierenden Ultraschall des Herzens zeigte sich eine Perikardtamponade und im Thorax-CT zusatzlich eine grose mediastinale Raumforderung, welche die rechte Pulmonalarterie subtotal komprimierte. Dies fuhrte in Verbindung mit der Vorlastsenkung durch das Nitrat zu einem kardiogenen Schock. Histologisch wurde ein lymphoblastisches T-NHL diagnostiziert, wobei Lymphoblasten auch im Perikardergus nachweisbar waren, so das ein Stadium IV B vorlag (bei gleichzeitig subfebrilen Temperaturen und Nachtschweisneigung). Nach Perikardpunktion und notfallmasiger Radiatio des mediastinalen Bulks war der Patient schnell hamodynamisch stabil. Der Ergus war nicht mehr nachweisbar und sistierte auch wahrend der nachfolgenden Chemotherapie. Bereits nach der ersten Induktionschemotherapie entsprechend dem T-ALL-Protokoll der multizentrischen BMFT ALL-Studie (05/93) wurde eine komplette Remission der Erkrankung erzielt. Alle weiteren Therapieabschnitte konnten ohne zeitliche Verzogerung durchgefuhrt werden. Bemerkenswert am vorgestellten Fall ist die Tatsache, das erst das Auftreten eines kardiogenen Schocks zur Diagnose fuhrte.
First-time computer graphics

FIRST-TIME COMPUTER GRAPHICS The computer graphics field is so new, and the options are changing so fast, that it requires a true Renaissance man or woman to keep abreast of everything. I found myself in the position of learning new skills as quickly as the software was developed and, within nine months, turning my learning around and teaching it to a classful of students. Because specific training was unavailable so soon after the software was developed, I found that I had to teach myself. I was first introduced to the software at the Cornell Graphics Center soon after it was introduced, and no one was familiar with its operation. I had to sit down with the manual and teach myself, not only the routines described in the documentation, but also how to use it in my personal style, to really use it for artwork. It became immediately obvious to me that the computer was really only a more sophisticated tool for me and my students to use, and that the sooner they learned to use it the better. My initial idea was to begin to use it in the beginning level courses, when all the other tools of art were introduced. Right along with the mat knife, the pencil and the T square, I wanted students to learn to use the computer. I envisioned doing similar projects using both computer and "by hand" methods, teaching "line" and "texture" in Design class and taking the Design class to the computer lab to try out additional examples. In Commerical Art, I wanted students to do a layout by conventional methods, then to bring one up on the computer and see how the time necessary to complete specific tasks varied. I also felt that if students were to compete in the job market with students who already had training in computer graphics, their portfolios would not be impressive and convincing unless computer skills were included.
Interface recombination velocity and diffusion constant in HI-LO and P/sup +//N GaAs junctions measured by a microwave technique

A noninvasive microwave technique was used to determine the recombination velocity at the n/n/sup +/ interface in GaAs grown by organometallic vapor-phase epitaxy. This recombination velocity was measured as a function of the n/sup +/-doping level and for a choice of dopants (sulfur and silicon) used for the n/sup +/-region. It is reported that the silicon-doped n/n/sup +/ interface is superior to the sulfur-doped n/n/sup +/ interface. Lower dark currents can be obtained for short base diodes with low interface recombination velocity. With long-lifetime material, there is considerable decrease in the dark current because of the resulting increased diffusion length. This technique was also used with p/sup +/-n junctions to obtain information about the diffusion constant in the n-region. This work is of special interest for high-efficiency solar cell applications. >
A Region in the Bacillus subtilis Transcription Factor Spo0A That Is Important for spoIIG Promoter Activation

Spo0A is a DNA binding protein in Bacillus subtilis required for the activation of spoIIG and other promoters at the onset of endospore formation. Activation of some of these promoters may involve interaction of Spo0A and the ςA subunit of RNA polymerase. Previous studies identified two single-amino-acid substitutions in ςA, K356E and H359R, that specifically impaired Spo0A-dependent transcription in vivo. Here we report the identification of an amino acid substitution in Spo0A (S231F) that suppressed the sporulation deficiency due to the H359R substitution in ςA. We also found that the S231F substitution partially restored use of the spoIIG promoter by the ςA H359R RNA polymerase in vitro. Alanine substitutions in the 231 region of Spo0A revealed an additional amino acid residue important for spoIIG promoter activation, I229. This amino acid substitution in Spo0A did not affect repression of abrB transcription, indicating that the alanine-substituted Spo0A was not defective in DNA binding. Moreover, the alanine-substituted Spo0A protein activated the spoIIA promoter; therefore, this region of Spo0A is probably not required for Spo0A-dependent, ςH-directed transcription. These and other results suggest that the region of Spo0A near position 229 is involved in ςA-dependent promoter activation.
Evolution of CDM halos and the Milky Way satellites

A cold dark matter halo big enough to host the Milky Way contains hundreds of subhalos massive enough to host dwarf galaxies. The difference to the much smaller observed number of satellite galaxies seems to be a problem for CDM. The galaxy number density profile and disk like configuration are also different form the total subhalo populations in CDM simulations. A number of different models of dwarf galaxy formation which are able to reproduce the right number of luminous subhalos have been proposed. Some of them also give the right radial distributions and make disk like configurations more probable. Additional information about the typical formation times and sites of dwarf galaxies can be found in the stellar halo of the Milky Way, i.e. from the stellar debris of tidally disrupted dwarfs. A stellar halo with a realistic concentration is obtained when most dwarfs form early (before redshift 10) in small halos (virial mass above $10^8$ solar masses). This mass scale found from simulations of dark matter structure formation coincides with the virial temperature of $10^4 K$ which is needed for efficient atomic cooling.
Subwavelength imaging opportunities with a non-magnetic slab lens

We describe the imaging properties of a non-magnetic slab lens without restrictions on material parameters. The best performance appears to be with an anisotropic slab that converts evanescent fields to propagating waves.
Bahamian ship graffiti

In the Age of Sail the Bahamas was on major routes between the Americas and Europe. Bahamians developed a way of life using their location to advantage. Ship graffiti are the first archaeological evidence of Bahamian shipping activity. The graffiti are unique in the region, being incised into a variety of stone surfaces, and probably other surfaces which have not survived. Images depict locally-built vessels such as sloops and schooners as well as larger, ocean-going ships. Graffiti locations are predominantly associated with people of African heritage and lower socio-economic status. Details suggest artists were familiar with ship construction and rigging. © 2006 The Author
Ferroportin and hepcidin: a new hope in diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy for breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy in women. The success of breast cancer treatment relies on the ability to detect the disease and correct molecular abnormalities at an early stage of disease development. A recent article describes a marked decrease in the levels of ferroportin in breast cancer. More importantly, the presented results demonstrate convincingly the incredible diagnostic and prognostic value of ferroportin and hepcidin gene expression in breast cancer and suggest that determination of these two molecular markers may be used as guidance toward individualized therapy for breast cancer patients.
Incidence and Nature of Adverse Events During Pediatric Sedation/Anesthesia for Procedures Outside the Operating Room: Report From the Pediatric Sedation Research Consortium

OBJECTIVE. We sought to use a large database of prospectively collected data on pediatric sedation and/or anesthesia for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to delineate the nature and the frequency of adverse events that are associated with sedation/anesthesia care for procedures that are performed outside the operating room in children. METHODS. Data were collected by the Pediatric Sedation Research Consortium, a collaborative group of 35 institutions that are dedicated to improving sedation/anesthesia care for children internationally. Members prospectively enrolled consecutive patients who were receiving sedation or anesthesia for procedures. Data on demographics, primary illness, coexisting illness, procedure performed, medications used, outcomes, airway interventions, and adverse events were collected and reported on a Web-based data collection tool. RESULTS. A total of 26 institutions submitted data on 30037 sedation/anesthesia encounters during the study period from July 1, 2004, to November 15, 2005. Serious adverse events were rare in the institutions involved in this study; there were no deaths. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was required once. Less serious events were more common with O2 desaturation below 90% for >30 seconds, occurring 157 times per 10000 sedations. Stridor and laryngospasm both occurred in 4.3 per 10000 sedations. Unexpected apnea, excessive secretions, and vomiting had frequencies of 24, 41.6, and 47.2 per 10000 encounters, respectively. CONCLUSIONS. Our data indicate that pediatric sedation/anesthesia for procedures outside the operating room is unlikely to yield serious adverse outcomes in a collection of institutions with highly motivated and organized sedation services. However, the safety of this practice depends on the systems9 ability to manage less serious events.
A multi-layer model for nonlinear internal wave propagation in shallow water

In this paper, a multi-layer model is developed for the purpose of studying nonlinear internal wave propagation in shallow water. The methodology employed in constructing the multi-layer model is similar to that used in deriving Boussinesq-type equations for surface gravity waves. It can also be viewed as an extension of the two-layer model developed by Choi & Camassa. The multi-layer model approximates the continuous density stratification by an -layer fluid system in which a constant density is assumed in each layer. This allows the model to investigate higher-mode internal waves. Furthermore, the model is capable of simulating large-amplitude internal waves up to the breaking point. However, the model is limited by the assumption that the total water depth is shallow in comparison with the wavelength of interest. Furthermore, the vertical vorticity must vanish, while the horizontal vorticity components are weak. Numerical examples for strongly nonlinear waves are compared with laboratory data and other numerical studies in a two-layer fluid system. Good agreement is observed. The generation and propagation of mode-1 and mode-2 internal waves and their interactions with bottom topography are also investigated.
Pilot study of an individually tailored educational program by mail to promote healthy weight in Chinese American children.

PURPOSE To test the feasibility and impact of an individually tailored educational intervention to promote healthy weight in Chinese American children (ages 8–10).
Turning single cells into microarrays by super-resolution barcoding.

In this review, we discuss a strategy to bring genomics and proteomics into single cells by super-resolution microscopy. The basis for this new approach are the following: given the 10 nm resolution of a super-resolution microscope and a typical cell with a size of (10 µm)^3, individual cells contain effectively 10^9 super-resolution pixels or bits of information. Most eukaryotic cells have 10^4 genes and cellular abundances of 10–100 copies per transcript. Thus, under a super-resolution microscope, an individual cell has 1000 times more pixel volume or information capacities than is needed to encode all transcripts within that cell. Individual species of mRNA can be uniquely identified by labeling them each with a distinct combination of fluorophores by fluorescence in situ hybridization. With at least 15 fluorophores available in super-resolution, hundreds of genes in can be barcoded with a three-color barcode (_3C_(15) = 455). These calculations suggest that by combining super-resolution microscopy and barcode labeling, single cells can be turned into informatics platforms denser than microarrays and that molecular species in individual cells can be profiled in a massively parallel fashion.
Epidemiology and prevention of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug effects in the gastrointestinal tract

Lesions of the gastric, duodenal and intestinal mucosae are found in large numbers of patients using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) ; however, no markers have yet been isolated to identify patients at risk for developing gastrointestinal problems or to predict which patients with lesions are at risk for developing catastrophic complications. There appears to be a poor correlation between the presence of ulcer disease and the appearance of symptoms while patients are using NSAIDs. The ideal treatment-namely, withdrawal from NSAIDS-may not always be practicable in patients who require the analgesic benefit of these otherwise generally innocuous agents. It is incumbent on the clinician to identify the agent most appropriate for the needs of the individual, and to supplement NSAID therapy, where appropriate, with a means of preventing or minimizing adverse effects. Four classes of drugs are used to prevent NSAID-related gastric mucosal damage : histamine (H 2 )-receptor antagonists (ranitidine, cimetidine, nizatidine, famotidine) ; gastric acid-pump inhibitor (omeprazole) ; barrier agent (sucralfate) ; and prostaglandin analogue (misoprostol). The current therapies (H 2 antagonists and barriers) have not lived up to their promise for preventing gastroduodenal erosion. Moreover, such protection as they provide is limited to the duodenal mucosa ; they afford no protection to the gastric mucosa. Preliminary data indicate that an acid pump inhibitor may be useful, but large-scale studies have yet to be reported. Acute and long-term studies of the prostaglandin analogue misoprostol have shown that this agent has an important role as an adjunctive therapy to prevent both gastric and duodenal ulceration due to NSAIDs.
Gene-Environment Interactions in Genome-Wide Association Studies: A Comparative Study of Tests Applied to Empirical Studies of Type 2 Diabetes

The question of which statistical approach is the most effective for investigating gene-environment (G-E) interactions in the context of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) remains unresolved. By using 2 case-control GWAS (the Nurses' Health Study, 1976-2006, and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, 1986-2006) of type 2 diabetes, the authors compared 5 tests for interactions: standard logistic regression-based case-control; case-only; semiparametric maximum-likelihood estimation of an empirical-Bayes shrinkage estimator; and 2-stage tests. The authors also compared 2 joint tests of genetic main effects and G-E interaction. Elevated body mass index was the exposure of interest and was modeled as a binary trait to avoid an inflated type I error rate that the authors observed when the main effect of continuous body mass index was misspecified. Although both the case-only and the semiparametric maximum-likelihood estimation approaches assume that the tested markers are independent of exposure in the general population, the authors did not observe any evidence of inflated type I error for these tests in their studies with 2,199 cases and 3,044 controls. Both joint tests detected markers with known marginal effects. Loci with the most significant G-E interactions using the standard, empirical-Bayes, and 2-stage tests were strongly correlated with the exposure among controls. Study findings suggest that methods exploiting G-E independence can be efficient and valid options for investigating G-E interactions in GWAS.
Use of syllable nuclei locations to improve ASR

This work presents the use of dynamic Bayesian networks (DBNs) to jointly estimate word position and word identity in an automatic speech recognition system. In particular, we have augmented a standard Hidden Markov Model (HMM) with counts and locations of syllable nuclei. Three experiments are presented here. The first uses oracle syllable counts, the second uses oracle syllable nuclei locations, and the third uses estimated (non-oracle) syllable nuclei locations. All results are presented on the 10 and 500 word tasks of the SVitch-board corpus. The oracle experiments give relative improvements ranging from 7.0% to 37.2%. When using estimated syllable nuclei a relative improvement of 3.1% is obtained on the 10 word task.
Anti-trafficking and its discontents: women's migrations and work in an Indian borderland

India's eastern border areas with Bangladesh has been the target of concerted anti-trafficking interventions for decades now, to stop human trafficking from Bangladesh into India transiting through these areas, and also of girls and women from these areas to other parts of the country. This article presents an ethnographic examination of such an anti-trafficking campaign in tandem with migrant women's responses to and negotiations of these influential interventions, as they live out its consequences in their migration experiences and upon return to their rural homes. In other words, this article asks, what is the social life of locally articulated anti-trafficking discourses? I argue that in this border area, women's work in general, and their migrations for work in particular, are framed by a prescriptive sexual morality that is structured by the prevalent gendered hierarchies of mobility and labour. By centring borderland women's narratives of migrant work and its consequences, this article shows that m...
Optimization by Direct Search: New Perspectives on Some Classical and Modern Methods ∗

Direct search methods are best known as unconstrained optimization techniques that do not explicitly use derivatives. Direct search methods were formally proposed and widely applied in the 1960s but fell out of favor with the mathematical optimization community by the early 1970s because they lacked coherent mathematical analysis. Nonetheless, users remained loyal to these methods, most of which were easy to program, some of which were reliable. In the past fifteen years, these methods have seen a revival due, in part, to the appearance of mathematical analysis, as well as to interest in parallel and distributed com- puting. This review begins by briefly summarizing the history of direct search methods and considering the special properties of problems for which they are well suited. Our focus then turns to a broad class of methods for which we provide a unifying framework that lends itself to a variety of convergence results. The underlying principles allow general- ization to handle bound constraints and linear constraints. We also discuss extensions to problems with nonlinear constraints.
Green microfluidic devices made of corn proteins

An alternative green microfluidic device made of zein, a prolamin of corn, can be utilized as a disposable environmentally friendly microchip especially in agriculture applications. Using standard soft lithography and stereo lithography techniques, we fabricated thin zein films with microfluidic chambers and channels. These were bonded to both a glass slide and another zein film. The zein film with microfluidic features bonds irreversibly with other surfaces by vapor-deposition of ethanol to create an adhesive layer resulting in very little or no trapped air and small shape distortion. Zein-zein and zein-glass microfluidic devices demonstrated sufficient strength to facilitate fluid flow in a complex microfluidic design that showed no leakage under high hydraulic pressure. Zein-glass microfluidic devices with serpentine mixing design showed successful fluid manipulation as a concentration gradient of Rhodamine B solution was generated. The ease of fabrication and bonding and the flexibility and moldability of zein offer attractive possibilities for microfluidic device design and manufacturing. These devices can include several unit operations with mixing being one of the most commonly used. The zein-based microfluidic devices, made entirely from a biopolymer from agricultural origin, offer alternative environmentally friendly material choices that are less dependent on limited petroleum based polymer resources.
Snare uvulectomy for upper airway resistance syndrome

Excessive soft tissue of the palate is found in patients with upper airway resistance syndrome. One method of treating the palate is with a uvulectomy using a hot snare. The modern technique of snare uvulectomy is described in detail.
Media Switching and Media Integration: An Examination of Instant Messaging and IP-Calling Practices

Research on email, voicemail, and instant messaging highlights the extent to which conversations often consist of multiple messages exchanged over a fairly extended period of time, using more than one communication medium. This research in progress explores the impact of increasing availability and integration of communication tools on media switching practices, which is the act of changing media in the course of a conversation. Specifically, the research outlined examines media switching, and the impact of media integration on it, through a multi-phase study of Instant Messaging and IP-Telephony practices. The study focuses on the effects of integrating Instant Messaging and IP-Telephony on media switching. In particular, the nature of media switching observed in the study is from Instant Messaging to other forms of media including telephone, face-to-face conversations, and email.
Cellular and molecular requirements for B lymphopoiesis.

At certain levels, the subject of B lymphocyte differentiation is no longer a mystery. Molecular biological approaches have helped explain the generation of antibody diversity as well as the mechanisms of immunoglobulin gene regulation1. Nevertheless, some areas still remain fruitful for investigation. The bone marrow is the bursal equivalent in adult mammals. This is the site where B lymphocyte differentiation begins from a putatitive multipotent hemopoietic stem cell. With cells of at least eight different hematopoeitic lineages all confined within a calcified matrix, attempts to address the bone marrow as an organ system have been difficult at best. However, recent advances in methodology have provided an experimental system for in vitro modeling of the bone marrow microenvironment. This paper will focus on the recently characterized “stromal” cells which support B lymphopoiesis and their potential relevance to physiologic and pathologic processes.
Data-Driven Engineering of Social Dynamics: Pattern Matching and Profit Maximization

In this paper, we define a new problem related to social media, namely, the data-driven engineering of social dynamics. More precisely, given a set of observations from the past, we aim at finding the best short-term intervention that can lead to predefined long-term outcomes. Toward this end, we propose a general formulation that covers two useful engineering tasks as special cases, namely, pattern matching and profit maximization. By incorporating a deep learning model, we derive a solution using convex relaxation and quadratic-programming transformation. Moreover, we propose a data-driven evaluation method in place of the expensive field experiments. Using a Twitter dataset, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our dynamics engineering approach for both pattern matching and profit maximization, and study the multifaceted interplay among several important factors of dynamics engineering, such as solution validity, pattern-matching accuracy, and intervention cost. Finally, the method we propose is general enough to work with multi-dimensional time series, so it can potentially be used in many other applications.
Hybrid algorithm for extracting accurate tracer position distribution in evanescent wave nano-velocimetry

Evanescent wave nano-velocimetry offers a unique three-dimensional measurement capability that allows for inferring tracer position distribution through the imaged particle intensities. Our previous study suggested that tracer polydispersity and failure to account for a near-wall tracer depletion layer would lead to compromised measurement accuracy. In this work, we report on a hybrid algorithm that converts the measured tracer intensities as a whole into their overall position distribution. The algorithm achieves a superior accuracy by using tracer size variation as a statistical analysis parameter.
They are in silence: Refugee women's narratives

THEY ARE IN SILENCE: REFUGEE WOMEN'S NARRATIVES Erin E. Herbert April 11, 2011 This work explores the personal narratives of a group refugee women recently resettled in Louisville, Kentucky, participating in the Family Center program at Kentucky Refugee Ministries. This research shows that both local and national refugee resettlement policies are complicit in the marginalization of refugee women. These policies falsely construct refugee women as a universalized "other," silencing the diverse experiences and needs of women resettled in the United States. In tum scholarship and an aid discourse that positions refugee women's employment as "supplementary" to male income is based on assumed social constructions of gender inconsistent with many refugee women's experiences both before and after resettlement. Yet, many of the discriminatory practices in refugee resettlement can be diminished by an incorporation of women's voices into the refugee aid discourse.
The blind side of addiction: A call for increased awareness of developmentally informed youth addiction scholarship

The etiology and pathogenesis of substance use disorders are of bio-psycho-socioecological origin. The emergence of addiction within a particular individual occurs when there is an encounter betwee...
Effects of Different Rates of Straw Mulching and Returning to Field on Soil Labile Organic Carbon and Carbon Pool Management Index

A field experiment(2007-2010) was conducted at the Heyang Dryland Farming Experimental Station in Shaanxi Province of China to determine the effects of straw mulch rates on soil labile organic matter(LOC),carbon management index(CMI) and spring maize(Zea mays L.) yield.Maize straw at rates of 0(CK),4500(S1),9000(S2) and 13500 kg/hm2(S3) was placed on field plots.The results indicated that soil organic carbon(TOC) content of S1,S2 and S3 treatments increased by 5.08%,14.12% and 28.03%,respectively,compared with the CK at 0-20 cm soil layer;the LOC content increased by 19.20%,44.02% and 23.50%,respectively;the CMI increased by 20.94%,46.86% and 50.21%,respectively.Spring maize yield was found significantly(P0.05) related to the LOC and CMI,while showed no significant correlations with the TOC.It was concluded that the LOC and CMI could reflect more rapidly and objectively the effects of different rates of straw mulch on soil carbon pool and maize yields more than TOC for the Weibei Dry Highland in China,besides,the treatment with 9000 kg/hm2 of straw mulch is preferable.
Measuring Microtubule Persistence Length Using a Microtubule Gliding Assay

The mechanical properties of microtubules have been an area of active research for the past two decades, in part because understanding the mechanics of individual microtubules contributes to modeling whole-cell rigidity and structure and hence to better understanding the processes underlying motility and transport. Moreover, the role of microtubule structure and microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) in microtubule stiffness remains unclear. In this chapter, we present a kinesin-driven microtubule gliding assay analysis of persistence length that is amenable to simultaneous variation of microtubule parameters such as length, structure, or MAP coverage and determination of persistence length. By combining sparse fluorescent labeling of individual microtubules with single particle tracking of individual fluorophores, microtubule gliding trajectories are tracked with nanometer-level precision. The fluctuations in these trajectories, due to thermal fluctuations in the microtubules themselves, are analyzed to extract the microtubule persistence length. In the following, we describe this gliding assay and analysis and discuss two example microtubule variables, length and diameter, in anticipation that the method may be of wide use for in vitro study of microtubule mechanical properties.
Law and the Borders of Belonging in the Long Nineteenth Century United States: Constructing a Universal Legal Person: Able White Manhood

The space of legal privilege all too often remains unmarked altogether or is incompletely sketched, the shadows cast by particular examples of subordination. Yet as the epigraphs to this chapter suggest, able white men understood, embraced, and defended their privilege and others’ subordination. Their words provide an entry into tracing the creation, the stakes, and the borders of the legal privilege held by able white men across the full sweep of the long nineteenth century. Their privilege was both positively marked in law and constructed through the subordination, ownership, marginalization, and exclusion of disabled persons, racialized others, and women. Law made full personhood and citizenship dependent on ability, race, and gender. It gave able white men claim to the land both in positive terms and by denying others’ rights to it. Collectively, personhood, citizenship, and their claim to the land allowed able white men to see themselves as the embodiment of the nation not simply at the founding, but across the long nineteenth century. Self-ownership and Citizenship The American Revolution effected a dramatic political transformation — the establishment of the first modern republic — but it was fought, like the Glorious Revolution that preceded it by a century, for the rights of propertied Englishmen as men. The political theory of liberalism and republicanism on which the revolution rested assumed inequality: in fact, depended on it.
Martialis Redivivus: Evaluating the Unexpected Classic The First J.P. Sullivan Annual Lecture in Classics, UCSB March 10, 1994

Pignus Amoris I begin with a pre -text. It is a short poem about intellectual hypocrisy which might have been written by Martial had he lived in southern California in the 1990's. Its author is in fact John Sullivan. The title of the poem is ‘Pop Sociologist’.
The Design of a 16mm Missile Camera

AbstractThis paper describes the programme of designing a camera for installation in guided missiles in terms of the general problem, the design objectives, the engineering approach, and the degree of success achieved.
Gas transport properties and characterization of UV crosslinked poly(phenylene oxide-co-arylene ether ketone) copolymers

Poly(phenylene oxide-co-arylene ether ketone) and poly(phenylene oxide-co-arylene ether ketone ketone) copolymers were prepared by polycondensation of a dihydroxyfunctional poly(2,6-dimethylphenylene oxide) oligomer with 4,4′-difluorobenzophenone or 1,3-bis(4-fluorobenzoyl)benzene and their properties were compared to a homopolymer from 2,2-bis(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethylphenyl)propane (tetramethylbisphenol A, TMBPA) and difluorobenzophenone. The polymers were cast into films, then crosslinked in the solid state with UV light with the wavelength of 365 nm at room temperature to form asymmetrically crosslinked thermoset membranes with high gel fractions. This approach offers a means for fabricating membrane films, fibers or composites, as well as tuning of gas transport properties through crosslinking in the solid state. Structural analysis via NMR, IR, and UV-vis spectroscopy confirmed the expected copolymer compositions and provided support for a free radical crosslinking reaction involving coupling between the aromatic ketone and labile benzylic methyl groups. Introduction of the ketone group resulted in a decrease in permeabilities, but an increase in selectivities for O2/N2 and CO2/CH4 gas pairs over unmodified PPO. Additionally upon crosslinking a large shift was observed in the gas properties of all the membranes, with permeability decreasing and the selectivity increasing for the O2/N2 and CO2/CH4 gas pairs.
Window-Shaping: 3D Design Ideation in Mixed Reality

We present, Window-Shaping, a mobile, markerless, mixed-reality (MR) interface for creative design ideation that allows for the direct creation of 3D shapes on and around physical objects. Using the sketch-and-inflate scheme, we present a design workflow where users can create dimensionally consistent and visually coherent 3D models by borrowing visual and dimensional attributes from existing physical objects.
The Thrombosed Hemodialysis Access

Vascular access is a lifeline for end-stage renal disease patients. The National Kidney Foundation-Kidney Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative (NKF-KDOQI) published practice guidelines that recommend all patients with stage IV or stage V chronic kidney disease to undergo fistula creation [1]. The guidelines also included an order of preference for AV access procedures in order to preserve viable access sites. The recommendations are based on autogenous fistulas having a superior patency than prosthetic grafts and tunneled catheters, as well as fewer complications and repeat interventions. Despite these recommendations, dialysis access fails and re-intervention is needed [2, 3]. While there are often signs that an access is failing, there are many options for both avoiding and treating the access failure as it occurs.
Moral Rights in the US: Still in Need of a Guardian Ad Litem

Over ten years ago in the Cardozo Arts and Entertainment Law Journal, I inquired whether authors’ “moral rights” had come of (digital) age in the US. Ever-hopeful at that time, I suggested that then-recent legislation enacted to enable the copyright law to respond to the challenges of digital media might, in addition to its principal goal of securing digital markets for works of authorship, also provide new means to protect authors’ interests in receiving attribution for their works and in safeguarding their integrity. The intervening years’ developments, however, indicate that, far from achieving their majority, US authors’ moral rights remain in their infancy, still in need of a guardian ad litem. Nor is it clear what legal institution can assume that role. Judicial interpretation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act underscores that text’s limited utility as a legal basis for attribution rights. Moreover, the US Supreme Court’s 2003 decision in Dastar v Twentieth-Century Fox has probably left authors worse off, because the Court removed recourse to the Lanham Trademarks Act as a source of attribution (and perhaps, integrity) rights. If statutes and caselaw afford no general basis of moral rights, might the convergence of contract law and digital communications yield agreements, private in form but public in impact, that collectively approximate attribution and integrity rights? This assessment of developments in moral rights in the U.S. since 2001 will first analyze the caselaw construing section 1202 of the DMCA, which prohibits removal or alteration of “copyright management information.” It will next summarize the damage Dastar has done to the development of moral rights. Finally, I will consider the extent to which online contracts and practices may supply an effective basis for the assertion of attribution and integrity rights. De facto implementation of attribution rights through digital watermarking and other means of incorporating authorship information in connection with the communication of digital copies or performances of work make possible the recognition of many levels of creative contributions, but without a legal obligation to credit creators, it is unclear whether authorship information will remain connected to the copies of their works. Regarding integrity rights, respect for the work as the author created it may, in the absence of enforceable legal or contract norms, yield to online users’ preference for “remix.” In that light, an alternative moral right of the author, proposed by Prof. Jessica Litman, and recounted in the previous AELJ essay, to compel comparison of the altered version with the original by obliging the modifying user to link back to it, is better than nothing. But, without a legal obligation to disclose alterations or link back to the original, the prospects for even this weakened integrity right do not presage imminent adolescence, much less a vigorous adulthood, for moral rights in the US.