cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cell death in rat and mouse embryos exposed to methanol in whole embryo culture

Methanol induces developmental toxicity in rats and mice producing exencephaly, cleft palate, cervical skeletal defects, reduced body weight, and increased embryo/fetal death. Exposure to methanol in whole embryo culture also induces developmental retardation, dysmorphogenesis, and embryo lethality. In the present study, cultured rat and mouse embryos were exposed to methanol and subsequently observed for morphological effects and increased cell death using modified Feulgen staining which allowed nuclei throughout the embryo to be examined in situ. Growth and developmental scores were reduced by methanol in both rat and mouse embryos and the mouse embryos were affected at lower concentrations when compared to the rat. Methanol increased cell death in specific regions of both rat and mouse embryos, including the forebrain, the visceral arches, otic and optic placodes. These regions form derivatives which manifest morphological abnormalities following exposure in vivo. Methanol did not increase cell death in the neuroepithelium or neural folds and neural tube defects cannot be explained by excess cell death. The results of this study suggest that increased cell death in specific regions of the exposed embryos has a role in producing cranial malformations, abnormalities of the eye and ear, and cleft palate.
Thermosetting polymers from cationic copolymerization of tung oil: Synthesis and characterization

The cationic copolymerization of tung oil with the divinylbenzene comonomer initiated by boron trifluoride diethyl etherate produces promising plastics. The gel times are largely dependent on the relative composition and the reaction conditions and vary from a few seconds to 1 h. Controlled reactions producing homogeneous materials can be obtained by (1) lowering the reaction temperature or (2) decreasing the initiator concentration to less than 1 wt % or (3) adding a certain amount of a less reactive oil, such as soybean oil, low saturation soybean oil (LoSatSoy), or conjugated LoSatSoy to the reaction. The resulting polymers are rigid and dark brown in color. The weight % of the starting materials converted to the crosslinked polymer is ∼85–98% as determined by Soxhlet extraction with methylene chloride. The structure of the bulk product is that of a crosslinked polymer network plasticized by a small amount of low molecular weight oil. The chemical composition of the bulk polymers varies with the original composition of the tung oil system. Dynamic mechanical analysis shows that the resulting products are typical thermosetting polymers with densely crosslinked structures. The modulus of the plastics is approximately 2.0 × 109 Pa at room temperature. One broad glass transition is observed at approximately 100°C. Thermogravimetric analysis shows that the tung oil polymers are thermally stable below 200°C with a 10% weight loss in air around 430°C. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 78: 1044–1056, 2000
The Economics of Drug Control Policies

The major findings of this analysis are four-fold:(1) It is both possible and appropriate to examine the economic effects of drug law enforcement within the context of supply and demand analysis.(2) Supply restricting enforcement is usually undesirable because it will increase the price of the drug in question and consequently increase criminal activities. Because the demand function for drugs such as heroin approaches infinite price elasticity, supply restricting enforcement will not greatly decrease the quantity consumed.(3) Demand-restricting enforcement activities (education, rehabilitation, substitute drugs) are preferable from an a priori standpoint because they will decrease both the quantity consumed and the drug price. Lesser amounts of crime will result.(4) A system where drugs may be obtained from appropriate medical sources legally has desirable results in terms of lowering the price of the drug and lessening criminal activity. But the tolerance phenomenon and the questionable applicability of...
Appearance Discrimination in Employment: Legal and Ethical Implications of “Lookism” and “Lookphobia”

Purpose – The article aims to provide a discussion of societal norms concerning “attractiveness,” the existence of appearance discrimination in employment, the presence of “preferring the pretty”, and then the authors examine important civil rights laws that relate to such forms of discrimination. Finally, the authors apply ethical theories to determine whether such discrimination can be seen as moral or immoral.Design/methodology/approach – It is a legal paper which covers all the laws related to discrimination based on look. Court cases and Americans laws related to this concept are reviewed and critically discussed.Findings – The paper finds that appearance‐based discrimination is not illegal in the USA so long as it does not violate civil rights laws.Research limitations/implications – This research is limited to Federal and State laws in the USA and may not be relevant in other countries as the local laws might vary.Practical implications – Managers and employees can protect themselves in the workpla...
Genome-Wide Sequencing for Prenatal Detection of Fetal Single-Gene Disorders

New sequencing methods capable of rapidly analyzing the genome at increasing resolution have transformed diagnosis of single-gene or oligogenic genetic disorders in pediatric and adult medicine. Targeted tests, consisting of disease-focused multigene panels and diagnostic exome sequencing to interrogate the sequence of the coding regions of nearly all genes, are now clinically offered when there is suspicion for an undiagnosed genetic disorder or cancer in children and adults. Implementation of diagnostic exome and genome sequencing tests on invasively and noninvasively obtained fetal DNA samples for prenatal genetic diagnosis is also being explored. We predict that they will become more widely integrated into prenatal care in the near future. Providers must prepare for the practical, ethical, and societal dilemmas that accompany the capacity to generate and analyze large amounts of genetic information about the fetus during pregnancy.
Rates of evolution on the time scale of the evolutionary process

A generational time scale, involving change from one generation to the next, is the time scale of evolution by natural selection. Microevolutionary and macroevolutionary patterns reflect this process on longer time scales. Rates of evolution are most efficiently expressed in haldane units, H, in standard deviations per generation, indexed by the log of the time interval. Rates from replicated selection experiments and simulations have rate-interval [RI] and log rate-log interval [LRI] scaling relations enabling directional, stationary, and random time series to be distinguished. Empirical microevolutionary and macroevolutionary data exhibit stationary scaling, but point to generational rates of evolution (H0) conservatively on the order of 0.2 standard deviations per generation on the time scale of the evolutionary process. This paradox of long-term stationary scaling and short-term high rates of change can be explained by considering the shape of an heuristic time-form evolutionary lattice. Cenozoic mammals occupy a lattice that is about four orders of magnitude longer in time than it has ever been wide in form. The evolutionary process is dynamic but operates within relatively narrow morphological constraints compared to the time available for change.
Teaching engineering concepts and principles through technology education

The author establishes a foundation for and recommends the expansion of the teaching of engineering concepts for all students in the schools, grades pre-K through 12. He further recommends that the engineering profession forge an alliance with the school discipline of technology education as the delivering agent for this effort. If this is to become a reality, both the engineering profession and technology education must work collaboratively to develop the intellectual content for this effort along with the quality standards to assure its acceptance and success. >
The Impact of Body-Scaled Information on Reaching

Background Environmental and task modifications are powerful methods used to affect action in rehabilitation and are frequently used by therapists. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine and quantify the relationship between hand size (person characteristics) and object size (environmental characteristics) and the effect of this relationship on the emergent reaching patterns for children and adults with typical development. Design This was a cross-sectional prospective study. Methods Seventeen children and 20 adults participated and were required to reach and grasp 10 pairs of cubes of different sizes. The dimensionless ratios were calculated by dividing the cube size by the aperture between index finger and thumb to quantify emergent reach and grasp patterns. A critical ratio was used to establish the shift from a 1-handed to an exclusive 2-handed reach pattern. Results The results demonstrated no significant difference in the mean critical ratios between the 2 groups. However, a 2-handed reach was used more frequently than a 1-handed reach at a significantly smaller ratio for children in comparison with adults. Limitations The relational metrics between the cube and hand are only one contribution to the emergent reaching and grasping patterns. Conclusions Children had more variability of reaching patterns than adults. A personal constraint, such as experience, and a task constraint of accuracy may account for the variability. The results encourage further research on body-scaled information for individuals with different personal constraints (eg, children with cerebral palsy) and the impact of body-scaled information on emergent actions.
Thymocyte development is normal in CTLA-4-deficient mice.

Recent studies indicate that CTLA-4 interaction with B7 ligands transduces an inhibitory signal to T lymphocytes. Mice homozygous for a null mutation in CTLA-4 have provided the most dramatic example of the functional importance of CTLA-4 in vivo. These animals develop a fatal lymphoproliferative disorder and were reported to have an increase in CD4+ and CD8+ thymocytes and CD4−CD8− thymocytes, and a decrease in CD4+CD8+ thymocytes. Based on these observations, it was proposed that CTLA-4 is necessary for normal thymocyte development. In this study, CTLA-4-deficient mice carrying an insertional mutation into exon 3 of the ctla-4 gene were generated. Although these mice display a lymphoproliferative disorder similar to previous reports, there was no alteration in the thymocyte profiles when the parathymic lymph nodes were excluded from the thymi. Further, thymocyte development was normal throughout ontogeny and in neonates, and there was no increase in thymocyte production. Finally, T cell antigen receptor signaling, as assessed by proximal and distal events, was not altered in thymocytes from CTLA-4−/− animals. Collectively, these results clearly demonstrate that the abnormal T cell expansion in the CTLA-4-deficient mice is not due to altered thymocyte development and suggest that the apparent altered thymic phenotype previously described was due to the inclusion of parathymic lymph nodes and, in visibly ill animals, to the infiltration of the thymus by activated peripheral T cells. Thus it appears that CTLA-4 is primarily involved in the regulation of peripheral T cell activation.
The chemistry of oxazoles and oxazolines in foods

This review attempts to present and discuss the current status of oxazoles and oxazolines relative to foods. Special emphasis is placed on their occurrences in foods, sensory properties, isolation and synthesis techniques, and pathways of formation in foods and related model systems.
Epidural Corticosteroid Injections as a Possible Cause of Menorrhagia: A Case Report

A 47-year-old female was referred for evaluation of chronic lower back pain. A magnetic resonance imaging of her lumbar spine revealed a broad-based disc herniation at L4–L5 with bilateral neural foraminal narrowing. A decision was made to treat her with bilateral L4–5 transforaminal epidural steroid injections. Following moderate pain relief, the procedure was repeated. Several days after each injection, the patient experienced unusually heavy and painful menstrual bleeding. We postulate that the introduction of exogenous corticosteroids directly into the neuraxial space can initiate a negative feedback loop on the hypothalamic–pituitary–ovarian axis. As a result, this may lead to decreased levels of circulating hormones, resulting in episodes of menorrhagia in the premenopausal population.
Factors Contributing to Motor Impairment and Recovery after Stroke

The goal of the present study was to examine factors affecting motor impairment and recovery in a primate model of cortical infarction. Microelectrode stimulation techniques were used to delineate the hand representation in the primary motor cortex (M1). Microinfarcts affecting approximately 30% of the hand representation were made by electrocoagulation of surface vessels. Electrophysiologic procedures were repeated at 1 month after the infarct to examine changes in motor map topography. Before the infarct, and at approximately 1 week (early period) and 1 month (late period) after the infarct, manual performance was assessed on a reach-and-retrieval task that required skilled use of the digits. Contrary to the expected outcome, early impairment was inversely related to the amount of digit representation destroyed by the infarct. That is, animals with less involvement of the M1 digit area demonstrated the greatest motor deficit in the early postinfarct period. In addition, improvement in motor performance between early and late postinfarct periods was directly related to a decrease in the extent of the digit + wrist/forearm area in the final postinfarct map. These results suggest that specific aspects of motor-map remodeling are expressions of adaptive mechanisms that underlie functional recovery after stroke. Further, they suggest that the adaptive mechanisms underlying postinjury recovery differ in detail from those that operate in normal motor learning. The potential role of compensatory mechanisms in these phenomena is discussed.
Learning nonparametric policies by imitation

A long cherished goal in artificial intelligence has been the ability to endow a robot with the capacity to learn and generalize skills from watching a human teacher. Such an ability to learn by imitation has remained hard to achieve due to a number of factors, including the problem of learning in high-dimensional spaces and the problem of uncertainty. In this paper, we propose a new probabilistic approach to the problem of teaching a high degree-of-freedom robot (in particular, a humanoid robot) flexible and generalizable skills via imitation of a human teacher. The robot uses inference in a graphical model to learn sensor-based dynamics and infer a stable plan from a teacherpsilas demonstration of an action. The novel contribution of this work is a method for learning a nonparametric policy which generalizes a fixed action plan to operate over a continuous space of task variation. A notable feature of the approach is that it does not require any knowledge of the physics of the robot or the environment. By leveraging advances in probabilistic inference and Gaussian process regression, the method produces a nonparametric policy for sensor-based feedback control in continuous state and action spaces. We present experimental and simulation results using a Fujitsu HOAP-2 humanoid robot demonstrating imitation-based learning of a task involving lifting objects of different weights from a single human demonstration.
Implicational Universals and Interrogative Structures in the Interlanguage of ESL Learners

The validity of two implicational universals regarding constituent order in questions is tested in the English speech of 14 native speakers of Japanese, Korean, and Turkish. The interlanguage evidence is found to be generally supportive of the two universals. Some fundamental methodological problems are discussed which are attendant upon testing universals not only in interlanguages but in linguistic systems of any kind.
Identification of optimal location for power system stabilizers

A novel approach is presented to identify the optimal location for power-system stabilizers (PSS). The approach is based on the sensitivity of the eigenvalues, specifically the modes to be shifted, with respect to the control gains. This allows for the identification of the generators which mostly affect the poorly damped modes. A second algorithm is developed to determine the control gain matrix. >
New Lint Cleaner to Reduce Fiber Waste

Several cleaning machines are required to prepare cotton for marketing. One of those machines, the saw-type lint cleaner, improves the appearance of ginned lint by removing foreign matter, motes, cottonseed, and other undesirable material, but it also removes as much or more good fiber as it does undesirable material. One stage of lint cleaning typically removes about 9.1 kg (20 lbs) of material. An experimental lint cleaner (ELC) designed to reduce the loss of good fiber and maintain fiber quality in the bale was developed, patented, and field tested. Studies to validate the operational characteristics of the ELC were conducted at a research facility and a commercial gin. Results at the research gin indicated that about 2.72 kg (6 lbs) of additional good fiber was retained by the ELC compared with standard Sixteen D and 24D lint cleaner models, and there were no significant differences in fiber properties measured from high volume instrumentation (HVI) or the Advanced Fiber Information System (AFIS). The ELC operated for two full seasons at a commercial gin without operational problems and processed about 10,000 bales. HVI and AFIS parameters of the baled lint from the ELC equaled or exceeded those of the standard lint cleaner.
Lifetime Reproduction of Flammulated Owls in Colorado

ABSTRACT We investigated lifetime reproductive success (LRS) of 22 male and 46 female adult Flammulated Owls (Otus flammeolus) in Colorado from 1981–2003. Sexual differences in LRS were at least partially attributable to incomplete breeding histories of females, due to females having a higher estimated emigration rate from the study area than males. The mean number of lifetime breeding attempts for males was 3.4 ± 0.6 (SE; range = 1–12), and for females it was 1.9 ± 0.3 (range = 1–8). Adjusted for emigration beyond the study area, the estimated mean number of lifetime breeding attempts was 3.6 for males and 2.5 for females. The mean number of lifetime successful breeding attempts (fledging at least one owlet) was similar to lifetime breeding attempts for each sex, reflecting the fact that 84% (85 of 101) of all breeding attempts were successful. Breeding lifespan was correlated with lifetime reproduction for both sexes. Males tended nests that produced 6.9 ± 1.2 fledglings over 4.3 ± 0.8 yr, while fem...
Evaluating and Reporting the Immunogenicity Impacts for Biological Products—a Clinical Pharmacology Perspective

Immunogenicity assessment is important for biological products due to potential impacts of immunogenicity on safety and efficacy. We reviewed the prescribing information and the FDA’s clinical pharmacology review of 121 approved biological products for evaluating and reporting of immunogenicity data. Of the 121 products, 89% (n = 108) reported the incidence of immunogenicity and 49% (n = 59) reported immunogenicity impact on efficacy. However, only 26% (n = 31) reported whether the immunogenicity affected pharmacokinetics. A subset of 16 products reported effects of anti-drug antibodies (ADA) on both systemic clearance and efficacy; 8 of 16 products had increased systemic clearance coinciding with reduced efficacy, and 6 of 16 products had no changes in either clearance or efficacy. Factors contributing to infrequent reporting of the ADA effect on exposure and methods for determining the effect of ADA on exposure are summarized. Measuring ADA and drug concentrations concurrently over time enables the evaluation of ADA impact on pharmacokinetics. Within-subject comparison of concentration data (before vs. after ADA formation) is a useful alternative to between-subject (ADA+ vs. ADA−) comparison when sample size is limited or when the majority of subjects developed ADA. The biological complexity of immune responses presents challenges to quantifying the ADA impact on pharmacokinetics using model-based methods. Our findings support that pharmacokinetic exposure is more sensitive than efficacy endpoints for evaluating ADA effects. A decrease in drug concentration due to formation of ADA during treatment can serve as an early indicator for potential reduced efficacy occurring at a later time.
Experimental optimization of parallel and interdigitated PEMFC flow-field channel geometry

Abstract Flow field design remains an important research topic in the pursuit of higher energy density and increased stability in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) systems. Many PEMFC manufactures have reduced channel feature dimensions considerably to enhance catalyst layer reactant delivery as well as to reduce overall stack volume. This work examines experimentally a wide range (250 μm–1 mm) of critical cathode bipolar plate channel dimensions such as channel/land width, and channel depth and their impact on cell performance at various conditions. Both interdigitated (convection dominated) and parallel (diffusion dominated) flow fields were examined, to shed light on how the two designs scale. Further, the results are normalized with respect to pumping power as well as key diffusion and convective lengths to find an optimal configuration. The results show an ideal hydraulic diameter for net system power density to be approximately 0.4 mm for a stoichiometry of 1.5 anode & 2.0 cathode. Higher stoichiometries tended to have maximum net power densities at higher hydraulic diameters. The statistical analysis found that the most important parameter for parallel flow fields on both raw power and limiting current density is the channel/land width. For interdigitated flow fields, the most important parameter on raw power and limiting current density is the stoichiometry. This work will provide the cell designers with a quick guide to optimize the design parameters of the parallel and interdigitated flow field.
Enhancement of acquired resistance in murine candidiasis by Bordetella pertussis vaccine

The injection of mice with Bordetella pertussis vaccine produces resistance to toxic challenge doses of Candida albicans. Studies with a saline extract of B. pertussis cells indicated that the protective factor for C. albicans may be the same as that for the homologous B. pertussis system. The pertussis vaccine and Salmonella enteritidis lipopolysaccharide given in combination did not elicit a more significant level of protection than the individual components. No protection by any method could be demonstrated in mice receiving the smallest challenge doses.
Service System Innovation

Service innovation has been discussed by many authors, but usually not from a system perspective. Recent literature about service systems and service innovation stresses multi-partner commercial offerings, ecosystems of interacting suppliers and consumers, globalization, and the changing nature of advanced economies. Interesting as these large-scale topics are, discussions at that level tend to overlook operational and organizational issues that service innovators must address in order to create or improve specific, localized systems that deliver services to internal and/or external customers.
Evaluating high-performance computers: Research Articles

Comparisons of high-performance computers based on their peak floating point performance are common but seldom useful when comparing performance on real workloads. Factors that influence sustained performance extend beyond a system's floating-point units, and real applications exercise machines in complex and diverse ways. Even when it is possible to compare systems based on their performance, other considerations affect which machine is best for a given organization. These include the cost, the facilities requirements (power, floorspace, etc.), the programming model, the existing code base, and so on. This paper describes some of the important measures for evaluating high-performance computers. We present data for many of these metrics based on our experience at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and we compare them with published information on the Earth Simulator. We argue that evaluating systems involves far more than comparing benchmarks and acquisition costs. We show that evaluating systems often involves complex choices among a variety of factors that influence the value of a supercomputer to an organization, and that the high-end computing community should view cost/performance comparisons of different architectures with skepticism. Published in 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the U.S.A.
A model lightning safety policy for athletics.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this paper is to present a model policy on lightning safety for athletic trainers. BACKGROUND Among college athletic programs in the United States there is a serious lack of written policy on lightning safety. Available evidence shows that most National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I institutions, even though they are located in high lightning activity areas of the country, do not have formal, written lightning safety policies. CLINICAL ADVANTAGES/ RECOMMENDATIONS The policy presented herein, which is at the forefront of such policies, is the lightning safety policy written as part of a policies and procedures manual for the division of sports medicine at a public NCAA Division I university. This is a policy based on practicality that utilizes the "flash-to- bang" method for determining the distance of lightning activity from the observer. The policy begins with the importance of prevention, including the daily monitoring of weather reports. The policy defines a "safe shelter" and specifies the chain of command for determining who removes a team or individuals from an athletic site in the event of dangerous lightning activity.
Blackface Abolition and the New Slave Narrative

Since the 1990s, survivors of forced labor have been authoring first-person narratives that consciously and unconsciously reiterate the tropes and conventions of the nineteenth-century American slave narrative. These “new slave narratives” typically conform to the generic tendencies of the traditional slave narratives and serve similar activist purposes. Some of the most popular of the narratives have taken a particular political turn in the post-9/11 context, however, as neoliberal political agendas and anti-Muslim sentiments come to dominate the form and content of many of the African narratives that have been produced. This paper identifies a “blackface abolitionist” trend, in which the first-person testimonies of formerly enslaved Africans is co-opted by some politically motivated white American abolitionists to play a black masquerade, in which they adorn themselves with the suffering of enslaved Africans to thinly veil the self-exonerating and self-defensive crusade politics that motivate their engagement in anti-slavery work.
Analysis of Epidemiological Satus Among Residents in Dalian

Objective To analyze epidemiological satus and characteristics of HBV among residents in Dalian.To evaluate the effect of Hepatitis B vaccines added to national children immunization program,so as to provide scientific basis for the government to make measures to prevent Hepatitis B further.Methods Using stratified random sampling method,in the 11 districts,a total of 680 serum samples were collected and devided into six age groups(0～,1～,2～,5～,10～and15～) according to《WS299-2008 Hepatitis B diagnostic criteria and treatment principles》.By Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay(ELISA),HBsAg,anti-HBs,anti-HBc,HBeAg and anti-HBe were detected.Results The carrier rates of HBsAg,anti-HBs,anti-HBc,HBeAg and anti-HBe were 7.11%,58.82%,24.56%,0.15%and 2.94%.Conclusion The carrier rate of HBsAg in whole population was 1.18%,and the carrier rate of HBsAg in 5-years-old was 0.59%,which has completed the objectives of《2006-2010 Hepatitis B prevention and control planning》.The results of bringing hepatitis B vaccine into national immunization program are obvious.
Quantitation of Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability

The rate of uptake of most hydrophilic solutes into brain is limited by transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB).11,97 The barrier between blood and brain extracellular fluid is located at the cerebral capillary endothelium, whereas the barrier between blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is located at the choroid plexus epithelium and the arachnoid membrane (Fig. 1). Morphologic evidence has established that the barrier at each site is formed by a single layer of cells that are joined by tight junctions (zonulae occludens).15,102 The cerebral capillaries, which comprise more than 95% of the total surface area of the BBB, represent the principal route for the entry of most solutes into the central nervous system (CNS).
Tranexamic Acid Update in Trauma

Following results from the CRASH-2 trial, tranexamic acid (TXA) gained considerable interest for the treatment of hemorrhage in trauma patients. Although TXA is effective at reducing mortality in patients presenting within 3 hours of injury, optimal dosing, timing of administration, mechanism, and pharmacokinetics require further elucidation. The concept of fibrinolysis shutdown in hemorrhagic trauma patients has prompted discussion of real-time viscoelastic testing and its potential role for appropriate patient selection. The results of ongoing clinical trials will help establish high-quality evidence for optimal incorporation of TXA in mature trauma networks in the United States and abroad.
Sistema social de Kirat do Nepal – mini estudo empírico com referência especial à Kirat-Limbu

This study is focused on socio-system of Kirat people of Nepal. To study the socio-system of whole Kirat people of Nepal is very much vague content area by nature. So, introduction, history and demography of Kirat people of Nepal is comprised wholly, then, the study is narrowed down to only Kirat-Limbu. Focusing to Kirat-Limbu, this study deals the family structure, family system along with social concept and practice including birth to death rite and rituals, food habits, provisions of social system in Mundhum. This study also tries to indicate contrastive areas between social system of Mundhum and family laws of Nepal, drawing the conclusion.
Predatory blue crabs induce stronger nonconsumptive effects in eastern oysters Crassostrea virginica than scavenging blue crabs

By influencing critical prey traits such as foraging or habitat selection, predators can affect entire ecosystems, but the nature of cues that trigger prey reactions to predators are not well understood. Predators may scavenge to supplement their energetic needs and scavenging frequency may vary among individuals within a species due to preferences and prey availability. Yet prey reactions to consumers that are primarily scavengers versus those that are active foragers have not been investigated, even though variation in prey reactions to scavengers or predators might influence cascading nonconsumptive effects in food webs. Oysters Crassostrea virginica react to crab predators by growing stronger shells. We exposed oysters to exudates from crabs fed live oysters or fed aged oyster tissue to simulate scavenging, and to controls without crab cues. Oysters grew stronger shells when exposed to either crab exudate, but their shells were significantly stronger when crabs were fed live oysters. The stronger response to predators than scavengers could be due to inherent differences in diet cues representative of reduced risk in the presence of scavengers or to degradation of conspecific alarm cues in aged treatments, which may mask risk from potential predators subsisting by scavenging.
Patient-Centered Perioperative Care for a Victim of Military Sexual Trauma

ABSTRACT Introduction: The patient population seen in our nation's Veterans Affairs Healthcare system is increasingly female and an alarming percentage of our veterans, male and female alike, report a history of military sexual trauma (MST), which is associated with an increased burden of morbidities including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse. The experience of surgery can produce symptoms of PTSD in a clinically significant percentage of patients. This article describes the challenges of achieving a patient-centered perioperative care plan in the case of a female veteran who suffers from PTSD as a result of MST. Methods: We provide a brief background on the changing demographics of our nation's veterans, a review of MST and patient-centered care, and a description of the interdisciplinary care plan created and implemented for our patient. We note how this care model employs key elements of the Perioperative Surgical Home Model as developed by the American Society of Anesthesiolog...
Optical tolerances for the PICTURE-C mission: error budget for electric field conjugation, beam walk, surface scatter, and polarization aberration

The Planetary Imaging Concept Testbed Using a Recoverable Experiment - Coronagraph (PICTURE-C) mission will directly image debris disks and exozodiacal dust around nearby stars from a high-altitude balloon using a vector vortex coronagraph. Four leakage sources owing to the optical fabrication tolerances and optical coatings are: electric field conjugation (EFC) residuals, beam walk on the secondary and tertiary mirrors, optical surface scattering, and polarization aberration. Simulations and analysis of these four leakage sources for the PICTUREC optical design are presented here.
Acute In Vivo Analysis of ATP Release in Rat Kidneys in Response to Changes of Renal Perfusion Pressure

Background ATP and derivatives are recognized to be essential agents of paracrine signaling. It was reported that ATP is an important regulator of the pressure‐natriuresis mechanism. Information on the sources of ATP, the mechanisms of its release, and its relationship to blood pressure has been limited by the inability to precisely measure dynamic changes in intrarenal ATP levels in vivo. Methods and Results Newly developed amperometric biosensors were used to assess alterations in cortical ATP concentrations in response to changes in renal perfusion pressure (RPP) in anesthetized Sprague–Dawley rats. RPP was monitored via the carotid artery; ligations around the celiac/superior mesenteric arteries and the distal aorta were used for manipulation of RPP. Biosensors were acutely implanted in the renal cortex for assessment of ATP. Rise of RPP activated diuresis/natriuresis processes, which were associated with elevated ATP. The increases in cortical ATP concentrations were in the physiological range (1–3 μmol/L) and would be capable of activating most of the purinergic receptors. There was a linear correlation with every 1‐mm Hg rise in RPP resulting in a 70‐nmol/L increase in ATP. Furthermore, this elevation of RPP was accompanied by a 2.5‐fold increase in urinary H 2 O 2 . Conclusions Changes in RPP directly correlate with renal sodium excretion and the elevation of cortical ATP. Given the known effects of ATP on regulation of glomerular filtration and tubular transport, the data support a role for ATP release in the rapid natriuretic responses to acute increases in RPP.
Computational Implications of a Serotonin-Sensitive Region of Axonal Membrane On a Dual Function Motor Neuron

Experiments on the Lateral Gastric (LG) motor neuron of the crab stomatogastric ganglion demonstrate a serotonin-sensitive region of the axonal membrane. This serotonin-sensitive region becomes a spike initiation site and propagates action potentials antidromically into the integrating regions of the stomatogastric ganglion where they do not ordinarily evoke transmitter release. A compartmental model of the neuron which includes a serotonin-sensitive slow inward current on the axon successfully simulates the physiological data. A mathematical study of axonal membranes that include slow currents provides insight into the mechanisms by which spike initiation zones can travel as waves down axons that contain slow currents.
Management — A Public Service

The nature of management has often been discussed and analyzed in the countries of the Western world. Comparing the different points of view we will find out that there is, generally speaking, only one aspect which may be called a trait common to all national sciences involved. It can be simply formulated as follows: A businessman and a manager are primarily interested in making money, getting a profit — and nothing else. It is an answer given by people who may not be trained or educated at all in our fields relying upon the Rule-of-Thumb Method as a guide to their activities. It may be true, however, that this is a large group often being the majority.
Hydroformylation and Related Additions of Carbon Monoxide to Alkenes and Alkynes

The hydroformylation reaction — the addition of dihydrogen and carbon monoxide to an alkene or alkyne to produce an aldehyde — is one of the most important industrial chemical reactions. It is remarkable in that it converts simple, inexpensive starting materials into useful products. A new carbon–carbon bond is formed along with a very useful and reactive functionality.
Brightness alters Heidelberg retinal flowmeter measurements in an in vitro model.

PURPOSE. The Heidelberg Retinal Flowmeter (HRF), a laser Doppler flowmetry device. has captured interest as a research and clinical tool for measurement of ocular blood flow. Concerns remain about the range and accuracy of the values that it reports. METHODS. An in vitro blood-flow model was constructed to provide well-controlled laminar flow through a glass capillary for assessment by HRF. A change in material behind the glass capillary was used to simulate changing brightness conditions between eyes. RESULTS. Velocities reported by the HRF correlated linearly to true velocities below 8.8 mm/sec. Beyond 8.8 mm/sec, HRF readings fluctuated randomly. True velocity and HRF reported velocities were highly correlated, with r = 0.967 (P < 0.001) from 0.0 mm/sec to 2.7 mm/sec mean velocity using a light background, and r = 0.900 (P < 0.001) from 2.7 mm/sec to 8.8 mm/sec using a darker background. However, a large change in the y-intercept occurred in the calibration curve with the background change. CONCLUSIONS. The HRF may report velocities inaccurately because of varying brightness in the fundus. In the present experiment, a darker background produced an overreporting of velocities. An offset, possibly introduced by a noise correction routine, apparently contributed to the inaccuracies of the HRF measurements. Such offsets vary with local and global brightness. Therefore, HRF measurements may be error prone when comparing eyes. When used to track perfusion in a single eye over time, meaningful comparison may be possible if meticulous care is taken to align vessels and intensity controls to achieve a similar level of noise correction between measurements.
Study of the properties of thin Li films and their relationship with He plasmas using ion beam analysis in the DIONISOS experiment.

Plasma facing component (PFC) conditioning dramatically affects plasma performance in magnetic confinement fusion experiments. Lithium (Li) has been used in several machines to condition PFC with subsequent improvements to plasma performance. Multiple studies have investigated the interactions of Li with deuterium (D) and oxygen (O) in order to ascertain the mechanisms behind the enhanced plasma performance. Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) is a useful tool to interrogate PFC surfaces as they interact with plasmas. Dynamics of ion implantation and sputtering of surfaces (DIONISOS) is a linear plasma device, capable of generating discharges with fluxes ∼1021 m−2 s−1 and Te ∼6 eV, coupled to an ion accelerator. DIONISOS is capable of analyzing samples using Elastic Recoil Detection (ERD) and Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS) during plasma exposures. The facility has been equipped with a Li deposition system for evaporation of thin coatings on different substrates. The evaporator enables real time ERD and RBS measurements of deposition and erosion of Li coatings on different substrates and the interaction of the Li with the vacuum and plasma. Considerations for ERD, e.g., ion species, energy, and data acquisition frequency, are presented. This work is the basis for further investigation of He, H, and D retention in solid and liquid Li.
Content validity of the PROMIS® pediatric family relationships measure for children with chronic illness

Families play a critical role in supporting the health and well-being of children with chronic illnesses, who face a lifetime of responsibility for self-management of their condition. Our goal was to investigate whether the novel Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System® (PROMIS®) Pediatric Family Relationships measure, developed primarily within the general pediatric population, reflects the experiences of family relationships for chronically ill children and their parents. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with children (aged 8–17) with common chronic conditions: asthma (n = 6), type 1 diabetes (n = 5), or sickle cell disease (n = 5), and separately with one of their parents (n = 16). Interviews were recorded, and two team members independently coded the written transcripts facilitated by Nvivo 10. The systematic content analysis used a combination of: 1) pre-specified themes corresponding to the six facets of the domain identified during measure development and reflected in the content of the items (i.e., Sense of Family; Love and Caring; Value and Acceptance; Trust, Dependability, and Support; Communication; Enjoyment), as well as 2) open-coding, allowing participants to define important concepts (i.e., disease impact). Family relationships were conceptualized in a similar way to the general population, as evidenced by child and parent responses to open-ended questions about family relationships and to specific probes that corresponded with the item content in the Family Relationship 8-item short form. Children spontaneously discussed the impact of their disease on family relationships less often than parents did. Although participants described how living with a chronic illness positively and negatively impacted aspects of family relationships, nearly all participants believed their responses to the PROMIS® Family Relationships items would not change if they (or their child) did not have a chronic illness. Among a sample of families of children with one of 3 chronic illnesses, participants described family relationships in a way that was consistent with the facets of the PROMIS® Family Relationship domain. This study adds to the content validity of the measure for children with chronic illness.
Rhetorical contours of violent frames and the production of discursive violence

In this essay, I analyze print news coverage concerning the feminicides in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, which some legal advocates-activists position as a crime against humanity. Such a classi...
Improved Snow Drift Relations

AbstractDrift loads on roofs are arguably the most important snow load from a structural engineering perspective in the US, as they are the governing load for most cases of snow related structural ...
Noninvasive Treatment Approach of Radial Pseudoaneurysm.

Transradial approach for cardiac catheterization is a viable alternative to transfemoral approach given its ease of access, lessened complication risk, and post procedural comfort for patients. Radial pseudoaneurysm presents as a rare complication in less than 1% of these procedures. The use of external compression banding is an approach that shows promise as a noninvasive attempt towards resolving this complication. However, it has been documented in very few reports. We describe a case of an 82-year-old woman who underwent transradial approach to cardiac catheterization, and developed a radial pseudoaneurysm following the procedure as confirmed by Doppler ultrasonography. We used compressive banding as a technique to attempt to resolve this radial pseudoaneurysm. Following a strict protocol of pneumatic banding, repeat ultrasonography revealed complete resolution of radial pseudoaneurysm. This case highlights a potentially noninvasive technique that could serve as a first-line approach towards resolving this rare phenomenon. Cardiol Res. 2019;10(2):131-134 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/cr850
Simultaneous detection of chromosomal aneuploidy and a monogenic disease by next-generation sequencing with linkage analysis

Introduction Mutations giving rise to single gene disorders (SGD) are currently directly detected in PGD-M using PCR and Sanger sequencing. However, amplification failures, allelic drop-out (ADO), mosaicism and contamination limits PGT precision and diagnostic efficiency. The current approaches for PGT-M generally uses standard panels pre-designed for each disease. The present study applied whole genome amplification (WGA) of biopsied trophectoderm cells and concurrent next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) haplotyping on an Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine (PGM) with the aim of customized testing for each family. Material and Methods Exome sequencing data of a consanguineous family applying for ART (mother, father and child), who give their informed consent, was used to establish the haplotype of the thalassemia gene locus-based on informative SNPs by using the VcfTools and R software. A total of 88 loci containing 116 SNPs located 2 Mb upstream and 2 Mb downstream of the beta globin gene locus (HBB) were selected for NGS-based SNP haplotyping. These loci were then submitted to a primer design website ( www.ampliseq.com ; Thermo Fisher Scientific). The WGA products of three embryos generated during the IVF cycle of the couple and which were diagnosed as aneuploid and genomic DNA of the child were used for the Amplicon Library Preparation (using Ion AmpliSeq™ Library kits) for PGT-M and in parallel for PGT-A. To validate the SNP-based haplotype, a STR markers’-based haplotype was also established. Results The SNP-based haplotypes of the tested embryos and of the child were successfully constructed by NGS with linkage analysis, using GeneHunter v2.15 software. Out of the three embryos tested with family customized PGT-M panel, the first embryo was found to be haploidentical with the child for the HBB locus. The second embryo shared only the paternal allele, whereas the third embryo was carrying the other parental alleles when compared to the child's alleles. These haplotypes were also verified by classical STR marker-based haplotyping. Read depth of amplicons ranged between 70 and 6800. The parallel PGS diagnoses of the three embryos were identical with the original diagnoses of the respective embryos. The variations of SNP call rates and read depths of the trophectoderm samples were correlated with library concentrations. Conclusions In conclusion, this approach allows for a successful simultaneous detection of chromosomal aneuploidy and a monogenic disease by NGS with linkage analysis. Especially in but not limited to consanguineous families, establishing family-specific gene panels for PGT-M maximizes allelic information with a minimum number of SNPs without the need for direct mutation testing thus lowering the cost of testing per embryo.