cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
β1-integrin-ligand disengagement induces in vitro capillary tube disruption mediated by p38 MAPK activity

Background. Disrupting cell-matrix interactions may lead to capillary injury as seen in sepsis and transplant rejection. Previously, we demonstrated capillary disruption mediated by β1-integrin-ligand disengagement. We now determine whether p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathways are involved in this capillary injury. Methods. Endothelial capillaries on Matrigel were preincubated with a p38 MAPK inhibitor (SB203580), ERK pathway inhibitor (PD98059), or dimethyl sulfoxide. Subsequently, a β1-integrin blocking (P5D2) or an irrelevant antibody was added. After 24 hours, capillary integrity was quantified as capillary intersections/well. Antibody-treated cell lysates then were immunoprecipitated with either a phospho-p38 MAPK or phospho-ERK1/2 antibody. Kinase activity was measured with ATF-2 and Elk-1 fusion proteins as substrates for p38 MAPK and ERK, respectively, followed by Western blotting. Results. P5D2 disrupted capillary tubes. Increased p38 MAPK activity at 8 hours and ERK activity at 2 and 8 hours were seen in P5D2-treated lysates. Preincubation with SB203580, but not with PD98059 or DSMO, significantly reduced capillary tube disruption. Conclusions. The β1-integrin-ligand disengagement resulted in capillary disruption and stimulated p38 MAPK and ERK activity. In spite of activation of both pathways, the p38 MAPK but not the ERK pathway inhibitor prevented β1-integrin antibody effects. Inhibiting p38 MAPK may mitigate capillary injury associated with sepsis and transplant rejection. (Surgery 2003;134:164-8.)
Old and new objects in Fairbairnian and American relational theory

In this paper we explore a few points emphasized by both Fairbairn and American Relational Theory related to conceptualizations of the new and old object and the implications for working in the analytic situation. Underlying much of our discussion is the belief that there are useful tensions between, on the one hand, Fairbairn's emphasis on our attachment to bad and old objects and refractory clinging to these bad objects in the face of receiving something new, and, on the other, a construal of a push or willingness toward integrating externality and newness of objects (e.g., Winnicott, 1969; Benjamin, 1988). American Relational models which explore complexities of interaction augment an understanding of Fairbairn's formulations of why we hold on to old objects. Fairbairn's theory also offers ways of understanding aspects of repetition, even, and sometimes especially, in trying to provide new experience.
Stability, immunogenicity and expression of foreign antigens in bacterial vaccine vectors.

Abstract The use of attenuated strains of Salmonella as vaccine vectors frequently involves the introduction of heterologous antigens on recombinant plasmids. To overcome the problem of plasmid instability, we have integrated the gene that codes for a potential immunogen into the chromosome of a gaIE mutant of Salmonella typhimurium . Comparative in vitro and in vivo studies were conducted between the strain carrying the gene chromosomally integrated and an isogenic strain carrying the same gene on a multicopy plasmid. Levels of expression of the foreign antigen were significantly lower when the antigen was expressed from the chromosome than when it was expressed from the plasmid. The in vivo maintenance of the genes coding for antigen expression was determined on organisms recovered from spleen, liver and Peyer's patches of orally inoculated mice. By 24 h postinoculation, the majority of tissue isolates from the plasmid-containing strain had lost the plasmid and the ability to synthesize the antigen. By contrast, 100% of the recovered cointegrate isolates retained the ability to express the antigen throughout the 21 days of the experiment. Significantly, humoral and mucosal antibody levels against the antigen were greater when the antigen was expressed from the plasmid stabilized by the presence of the antibiotic than when the antigen was expressed from the chromosome. These observations indicate that the most important event for the development of an immune response against a foreign antigen delivered by these vectors may be the initial amount of antigen that primes the gut-associated lymphoid tissue and not persistence of the vector in tissues.
Hypertension in Infantile Polycystic Renal Disease The Importance of Early Recognition and Treatment of Severe Hypertension in Polycystic Renal Disease

Two infants with polycystic renal disease and severe hyperten sion had studies of renal function and antihypertensive therapy. One infant with adequate renal function died with uncontrolled hypertenson. The second infant's blood pressure approached normal; now three and one-half years of age, he is thriving.
Notes towards a professional ethics for psychiatry.

Objective: The uniqueness of psychiatry calls for a unique ethics. By identifying the features distinguishing psychiatry as medical and social practice, this article seeks to illustrate the methodology by which that ethics can be derived and to determine what kind of a framework and focus such an ethics requires.Method: The author is an analytically trained philosopher and employs the method of conceptual analysis.Results: At least three characteristics are suggested by the features which taken together constitute psychiatry's uniqueness: an ethical framework accommodating character, a rubric for acknowledging boundary violations, and an emphasis on gender.Conclusions: The larger task of formulating the substance and details of that unique ethics is the next step.
Modelling the tradeoff between postponement capacity and forecast accuracy

The ability to offer rapid delivery of a wide variety of customised products requires companies to maintain high levels of product inventories to quickly respond to customer demands. One alternative for reducing final product inventories while providing the required customer service level is delayed product differentiation, known as postponement. This strategy, however, can result in significant costs of increasing capacity at the postponement stage. Another alternative is to improve forecast accuracy, resulting in costs associated with more sophisticated forecasting methodologies. In this study we model the costs associated with each alternative and the resulting reductions in inventory levels, while maintaining a constant service level. We illustrate the interaction between these variables using a numerical example motivated by our work with a local manufacturer of non-durable household goods. Our findings show that large cost differences can exist between the two strategies, and that these costs play a...
Compact radio source density and precision spacecraft tracking

Compact radio sources are routinely used as reference calibrators in VLBI observations of radio sources to accurately determine the latter's position. Similar techniques have been developed over the years to determine the position of spacecrafts with remarkable accuracy at the level of a few nano-radians. We have carried out measurements at the DSN (Deep Space Network) that show great promise to further improve the accuracy below one nano-radian by removing many sources of calibration errors. This level of improvement is achieved by taking advantage of calibrators that are within one degree of the radio source. However, such improvement can be counted on only if there are sufficient numbers of compact radio sources near the position of the spacecraft. Over the last two years, we have carried out small surveys of the sky with the VLA and subsequently with the VLBA to empirically determine the compact radio source density at 8 GHz for sources with flux density above 1 mJy. We will report the results of the latest observations and their implication for precision spacecraft astrometry.
Process modeling in machining. Part II: validation and applications of the determined flow stress data

Abstract The flow stress data, determined in Part I of the present study, is validated by using it as an input to the finite element method and analytical based computer programs to predict process variables in metal cutting. The predicted process variables in two-dimensional orthogonal turning and three-dimensional face milling operations, are compared with the published experimental data and the results of experiments conducted in the present work. The majority of the predictions have been found to be in reasonable agreement with the measured results. The comparisons have been discussed and, in the case of unsatisfactory agreement, the reasons for inaccurate predictions are reviewed. The flow stress data of AISI H13 tool steel (46 HRC), determined in Part I is used in this study to investigate the influence of edge preparation on forces in the cutting and feed directions, tool stresses and cutting temperatures. It has been concluded that the hone-radius edge with a hone radius of 0.1 mm provides the maximum resistance to chipping and the chamfered edge (20°×0.1 mm) has the minimum flank and crater wears for the conditions used in the present study.
Influence of pore pressure on velocity in low-porosity sandstone: Implications for time-lapse feasibility and pore-pressure study

As seismic data quality improves, time-lapse seismic data is increasingly being called upon to interpret and predict changes during reservoir development and production. Since pressure change is a major component of reservoir change during production, a thorough understanding of the influence of pore pressure on seismic velocity is critical. Laboratory measurements show that differential pressure (overburden minus fluid pressure) does not adequately determine the actual reservoir conditions. Changes in fluid pressure are found to have an additional effect on the physical properties of rocks. The effective-stress coefficient n is used to quantify the effect of pore pressure compared to confining pressure on rock properties. However, the current practice in time-lapse feasibility studies, reservoir-pressure inversion and pore-pressure prediction is to assume that n = 1. Laboratory measurements, reported in both this and previous research show that n can be significantly less than unity for low-porosity rocks and that it varies with porosity, rock texture and wave type. We report the results of ultrasonic experiments to estimate n for low-porosity sandstones with and without microcracks. Our results show that, for P-waves, n is as low as 0.4 at a differential pressure of 20 MPa (about 3000 psi) for a low-porosity sandstone. Thus, in pore-pressure inversion, an assumption of n = 1 would lead to a 150% underestimation of the pore pressure. Comparison of the effective-stress coefficient for fractured and unfractured samples suggests that the presence of microfractures increases the sensitivity of P-wave velocity to pore pressure, and therefore the effective-stress coefficient. Our results show that the effective-stress coefficient decreases with the differential pressure, with a higher differential pressure resulting in a lower effective-stress coefficient. While the effective-stress coefficient for P-wave velocity can be significantly less than unity, it is close to one for S-waves.
Clinical oncology and cell differentiation.

The patient with cancer is a product of abnormal cell differentiation. To be able to control or cure cancer, fundamental research in cell differentiation and the subsequent understanding of the development of neoplasia can lead to concepts for methods of destruction of abnormal cells.
The relationship between undergraduates' epistemological beliefs, reflective judgment, and their information-seeking behavior

During the fall 2001 semester 15 first-year undergraduates were interviewed about their information-seeking behavior. Undergraduates completed a short-answer questionnaire, the Measure of Epistemological Reflection, measuring their epistemological beliefs and searched the Web and an online public access catalog using tasks from the Reflective Judgment Interview that assessed their reflective judgment level. Undergraduates talked aloud while searching digital environments about the decisions they were making about the information they encountered while transaction analyses software (Lotus ScreenCam) recorded both their search moves and their decision-making through verbal protocol analysis. Analyses included examining the relationship between undergraduates' epistemological beliefs and reflective judgment and how they searched for information in these digital environments. Results indicated that there was a relationship between epistemological beliefs and reflective judgment and information-seeking behavior. Undergraduates' at higher stages of epistemological development exhibited the ability to handle conflicting information sources and to recognize authoritative information sources.
Possible mechanisms of screw loosening of rigid sternal fixation

The goal of this study was to compare the performance of cancellous and cortical screws for plate and screw fixation of the sternum. Pelvic bone plates were fixated to osteoporotic sternum in both unicortical and bicortical configurations and then loaded transversely (0–50N at 2Hz) for 15,000 cycles. The resulting plate displacement was measured continuously. In the first 10 cycles bicortical screw purchase demonstrated less loosening (p=0.015), while differences between screw type was insignificant. After the 15,000 cycles, cortical screws had less loosening (p=0.039) than cancellous, while the number of cortices fixated was insignificant to loosening. These initial findings indicate that both number of cortices fixated and type of screw are both important in designing and optimized system for sternal fixation. It appears that the cortical shell regions allow more screw purchase than the osteoporotic cancellous regions, while bicortical screw purchase appears to minimize the loosening of the screws.
The 1912 Election Campaign in the Cities of Bilad Al- Sham

In a region which has witnessed so many violent seizures of power, violations of constitutional legality, and myriad varieties of dictatorship over the past few decades, it is often easy to forget that many parts of the Middle East enjoyed elements of democracy, including freedom of speech and assembly, a free press, and hotly contested elections, as far back as the late Ottoman period.
Production and global transport of Titan’s sand particles

Previous authors have suggested that Titan’s individual sand particles form by either sintering or by lithification and erosion. We suggest two new mechanisms for the production of Titan’s organic sand particles that would occur within bodies of liquid: flocculation and evaporitic precipitation. Such production mechanisms would suggest discrete sand sources in dry lakebeds. We search for such sources, but find no convincing candidates with the present Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer coverage. As a result we propose that Titan’s equatorial dunes may represent a single, global sand sea with west-to-east transport providing sources and sinks for sand in each interconnected basin. The sand might then be transported around Xanadu by fast-moving Barchan dune chains and/or fluvial transport in transient riverbeds. A river at the Xanadu/Shangri-La border could explain the sharp edge of the sand sea there, much like the Kuiseb River stops the Namib Sand Sea in southwest Africa on Earth. Future missions could use the composition of Titan’s sands to constrain the global hydrocarbon cycle.
Density Scaling of the Structural and Johari−Goldstein Secondary Relaxations in Poly(methyl methacrylate)

Dielectric spectra were obtained on a low molecular weight poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) over a range of temperatures (331 < T (K) < 386) at pressures approaching 0.8 GPa. The α relaxation times...
African Resistance and Center Party Recalcitrance in the Reichstag Colonial Debates of 1905/06

On May 26, 1906, as German chancellor Bernhard von Bulow rested on the North Sea coast recuperating from a recent physical collapse, his administration suffered a resounding triple defeat in the Reichstag at the hands of his hitherto indispensable Catholic political partners in the Center party. In the course of a single day, the Centrists rejected the military justification for a railroad in wartorn Southwest Africa, ruled out further government compensation for settler losses in the Herero and Nama Uprisings, and then blocked the elevation of the Colonial Department of the Foreign Office to the status of an independent imperial office. Moreover, the intense interest of Kaiser Wilhelm II in the passage of each of these colonial measures rendered the Center's decisive contribution to the rout acutely embarrassing for the chancellor. Faced seven months later with a similar Centrist refusal to authorize more than twenty of the latest twenty-nine million marks toward suppression of the Nama, Bulow would then dissolve the Reichstag, putting a definitive end to nearly a decade of government-Center parliamentary cooperation.
Singularity Detection from Autocovariance via Wavelet Packets

We use the eigenvalues of a version of the autocovariance matrix to recognize directions at which the Fourier transform of a function is slowly decreasing, which provides us with a technique to detect singularities in images. In very high dimensions, we show how the wavelet packet best-basis algorithm can be used to compute these eigenvalues approximately, at relatively low computational complexity.
The touch of telesurgery: a philosophical perspective

This article raises philosophical issues concerning the relationship between the body and technology in contemporary telesurgery research. The article focuses on two technical concepts—simulation a...
Neural tuning of human face processing

Within the first 6 mo of life, our vision improves many times over and continues to improve during childhood (1). During these early years, we encounter multiple and varied sensory experiences, whose overall patterns can differ considerably between individuals. For example, some of us grow up among a large social group with many races and languages, whereas others grow within a smaller, more uniform cohort. Nevertheless, despite the multitude of environments in which we are raised, there is a surprising convergence in our behavioral capacities. One such capacity is recognizing individual faces. Like other visual skills, face recognition requires experience. Although we have a reasonable idea of when our perception of faces gets refined behaviorally and even some of its neural correlates (2, 3), we don’t really know the mechanisms by which experience tunes our face-processing circuits. Part of the problem, of course, is that one cannot do perturbation experiments in humans as we would with an animal model system (4). A new electrophysiology study by Roder et al. (5) capitalizes on a naturally occurring experiment: a unique clinical population of individuals born blind because of cataracts, who then later have their sight restored following cataract removal (5). The study revealed that the neural signature for face processing is present in these individuals but not sufficiently tuned by experience.
Communication Optimization Beyond MPI

The Message Passing Interface (MPI) is the de-facto standard for parallel processing on high-performance computing systems. As a result, significant research effort has been spent on optimizing the performance of MPI implementations. However, MPI's specific semantics can limit performance when using modern networks with Remote DMA capabilities. We propose a compiler-assisted approach to optimization of MPI-based applications by transforming MPI calls to a one-sided (as opposed to message passing) communication model. In this paper we present a research plan for developing new optimizations using this approach, then show preliminary results with up to a 40% increase in bandwidth over MPI by using a simpler one-sided communication model.
The Administration of United Nations Operational Programs

The emergence of the United Nations as an operational instrumentality, managing a worldwide field establishment, has been one of the unanticipated consequences of the San Francisco Charter system. Notwithstanding the broad character of the economic and social mandate contained in Chapters IX and X of the UN Charter, there is little evidence that extensive field programs under the aegis of the UN itself were then envisaged. The United Nations Relief and Reha(bilitation Administration (UNRRA), well under way in I945, was designed to meet what was thought by most to be only a temporary situation. Nor was the other far-flung "field" agency, the International Refugee Organization (IRO), expected to form a permanent part of the machinery of the Organization. Even though the text of the Charter includes no direct reference to the establishment of field programs, the terms of its permissive and hortatory provisions in the economic, social, and health and welfare domain can easily be construed as authority to inaugurate programs of direct technical aid to Member States.2 As early as I948, two steps taken by the Organization heralded
Comparison of Data Sampling Approaches for Imbalanced Bioinformatics Data

Class imbalance is a frequent problem found in bioinformatics datasets. Unfortunately, the minority class is usually also the class of interest. One of the methods to improve this situation is data sampling. There are a number of dierent data sampling methods, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, which makes choosing one a dicult prospect. In our work we compare three data sampling techniques (Random Undersampling, Random Oversampling, and SMOTE) on six bioinformatics datasets with varying levels of class imbalance. Additionally, we apply two dierent classiers to the problem (5-NN and SVM), and use feature selection to reduce our datasets to 25 features prior to applying sampling. Our results show that there is very little dierence between the data sampling techniques, although Random Undersampling is the most frequent top performing data sampling technique for both of our classiers. We also performed statistical analysis which conrms that there is no statistical dierence between the techniques. Therefore, our recommendation is to use Random Undersampling when choosing a data sampling technique, because it is less computationally expensive to implement than SMOTE and it also reduces the size of the dataset, which will improve subsequent computational costs without sacricing classication performance.
The Biological Basis of Cancer: Cancer-associated genes

Introduction Over the past twenty years, more than a hundred genes have been identified that can convert nontumorigenic tissue-cultured test cells from rodent cell lines to a transformed phenotype, that is, foci of piled-up and crisscrossed cells that grow in soft agar and form tumors when explanted into immunocompromised rodents. These dominant transforming genes, or oncogenes, encode proteins involved in signal transduction or cell cycle regulation and affect a variety of normal cellular functions, including apoptosis, proliferation, cell differentiation, and adhesion. When overexpressed or structurally altered by point mutation, deletion, or fusion, most oncogenic proteins selectively induce the proliferation of cells that express them. More recently, studies of families predisposed to specific types of cancers have yielded a growing number of recessive tumor suppressor genes. Loss of suppressor function by deletion or point mutation of both gene copies allows cells to proliferate unregulated or with reduced restraints. The discovery of both oncogenes and suppressor genes has proven pivotal in our understanding of the mechanisms of carcinogenesis by allowing scientists to focus on the genetic targets of carcinogens and thus finally link the details of carcinogen activation, adduct formation and repair, and neoplastic conversion and metastasis with definable molecular events. Furthermore, targeting of these genes with drugs that modulate their function has already led to effective therapies for human cancers.
Examining the Factors Affecting Corporate Image from Social Networking Fan Page Usage Using the Elaboration Likelihood Model

As an intangible asset, corporate image is both key to earning profits and an important indicator of business' success. Several studies have examined the factors affecting corporate image, suggesting both emotional (e.g., feelings or impression) and functional (e.g., quality of products) components. While this body of research has examined corporate image, the present study measures corporate image from a communications perspective by employing social networking sites (SNS) and its fan page subscribers. Testing this study's hypotheses using an elaboration likelihood model (ELM) as a theoretical lens and using structural equation modeling (SEM) method, the authors invited Facebook users who subscribe to fan pages to answer survey questions. Research findings reveal that page subscribers rely on less cognitive routes of information processing to perceive an informative posting, thereby impacting corporate image. We also discuss the implications and limitations of this research.
Snapshot hyperspectral imaging

Hyperspectral imaging associates a densely sampled spectral signature with each pixel in an imager’s field of view. The collected image data are in the form of a three-dimensional data set, i.e., an image cube. The image cube is also referred to as a hypercube or an object cube.
Histology and morphology of the female reproductive tract of Ochotona princeps.

Female pikas were collected from Mount Evans, Colorado. Weights of reproductive organs were recorded and the tissues were examined histologically and correlated with the specific phase of reproduction of the animal. From March through May, follicular growth, ovarian weight, and uterine weight indicated a probable estrogen response to increasing photoperiod, via the hypothalamicpituitary axis. The onset of behavioral estrus in May also correlated with probable estrogen increases. Formation of corpora lutea was identified in early June and was associated with increased vascularization of the uterus and the appearance of fetuses. Animals with resorbing fetuses possessed abnormal corpora lutea, suggesting a characteristic progesterone supported pregnancy. A striking difference between pikas and other lagomorphs, such as Oryctolagus cuniculus , was the functional corpora lutea during lactation. Histology of the oviduct and uterus were basically similar to that of Oryctolagus . Preimplantation fetal loss was low, indicating a high degree of reproductive efficiency.
Platelet Aggregation and Release Triggered by Antibody to Platelet Factor 4 (PF4)

SummaryAntibodies to PF4 were prepared in rabbits injected with highly purified human or pig PF4 preparations. Anti-human PF4 (AHPF4) caused aggregation of human platelets in plasma or in washed suspension. Anti-pig PF4 (APPF4) antibody caused aggregation of washed pig platelets. Slight cross reaction between the two species was observed. The aggregation was accompanied by the platelet release reaction, however, platelet lysis was not evident even on addition of complement. Aggregation could be blocked by prostaglandin E1, EDTA, potato apyrase, purified or crude PF4 and heparin. It is believed that platelet aggregation and the subsequent release reaction are triggered by the interaction of antibody with PF4 antigen on or in platelets.
Near-Infrared Temporal Focusing Microscopy with Quantum Dot Fluorophores

The tissue penetration depth of temporal focusing is increased by utilizing longer excitation wavelengths combined with quantum dots possessing extremely high two-photon cross-sections. Cerebral vasculature is imaged in a mouse brain in vivo.
Clinical Application of Immunologic Techniques to the Diagnosis of Lymphoproliferative and Immunodeficiency Disorders

Advances in the science of immunol ogy have resulted in a progressive in crease in immunologic markers that can be used to identify major lymphocyte populations, specific functional lymphocyte subpopulations, and histiocytes. Although in the past much of this technology was l imited to research institutions, the commercial availability of highquality monospecific antisera has greatly expanded the number of laboratories that can apply these techniques. Immunologic characteristics can be used in conjunct ion with standard morphologic evaluation to distinguish neoplastic from nonneoplastic disorders, to identify the stage of maturation at which the cells are " f r ozen " in neoplastic lymphoprol i ferative processes, and to identify the mature lymphocyte subset f rom which the lymphoproliferative disorder is derived. Immunologic techniques can also be used to define the specific site wi th in the B and T lymphocyte systems at which there is a failure of development or abnormal development in immunodef i ciency states. Specific immunologic properties of cells are useful in predicting prognosis and determining therapeutic measures in such diseases as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL), and immunodeficiency diseases (ID). Immunologic marker studies are also valuable in the early detection of ALL relapse in blood and cerebrospinal f lu id, before morphologic evidence of relapse is apparent." This article reviews basic techniques in immunology, wi th emphasis on their application to diagnosis.
Simultaneous determination of three kinds of fumonisin contaminants in corn by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Objective:A new approach for simple and rapid simultaneous determination of 3 kinds of fumonisin contaminants in corn by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry is described.Methods:Homogenized samples were sequentially extracted by 50%(v/v) of acetonitrile aqueous solution,SPE clean-up with MultiSep211 FUM columns,centrifuge,evaporate,re-dissolve and filtration.Then injected,the analytes were separated by UPLC BEH C18 column(50 mm×2.1 mm I.D.,1.7 μm),and eluted with 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile /methanol(50+50).The method is spiked with standard for quantitative analysis.Results:The LOQ of selected analytes ranged from 0.45 to 3.08 μg/kg,which was lower than the criteria of EU,USA and other countries on the determination of the minimum limiting level of Fumonisin in foods including baby foods and corn.Meanwhile,reasonable recoveries(80.9%～97.0%) of them were also demonstrated in different spiked levels.Conclusion:This quantitative method has many advantages including simple pretreatment,rapid determination and high sensitivity,which could be applied to the determination and quantification of Fumonisin contaminants in maize.Meanwhile,the method successfully fulfilled the minimum limiting level requests from various countries.
An integrally-designed, flexible polysulfide host for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries with stabilized lithium-metal anode

Abstract Fast capacity degradation and low sulfur loading hamper lithium-sulfur batteries from practical application. We present here a flexible and robust paper electrode consisting of carbon nanotubes (CNT) and activated carbon nanofibers (ACNF) loaded with MnO2 nanosheets to serve as an efficient sulfur host for Li/dissolved polysulfide batteries. This integrally-designed flexible host facilitates high sulfur loading, improves sulfur utilization, and suppresses effectively the parasitic shuttle. Accordingly, the Li/dissolved polysulfide cells with high sulfur loading exhibit a high-rate capacity of 780 mAh g−1 at 2 C rate and a high capacity retention of 64% over 300 cycles, demonstrating great promise for practical applications of Li-S batteries. In addition, a stable lithium-metal anode resulting from the suppressed shuttle effect is also proved to contribute significantly to the promising cycling performance.
The effect of the removal of the endolymphatic duct and sac anlage upon organogenesis of the mammalian inner ear "in vitro": a preliminary report.

Preliminary observations of the effect of surgical excision of the endolymphatic duct and sac anlage in normal mouse embryo inner ear embryogenesis “in vitro” are reported. Otocysts of twelfth and thirteenth gestation day mouse embryos were grown in organ culture for 9 and 8 days respectively. The organ culture specimens of each gestational age group were further divided into otocysts with intact endolymphatic duct and sac anlages and otocysts that had their endolymphatic duct and sac anlages surgically excised prior to explantation. The resultant histological quantification of inner ear embryogenesis did not reveal any significant differences in morphogenesis, histodifferentiation of inner ear sensory structures or presence of endolymphatic hydrops in any of the organ culture specimens. It was concluded that in the system studied the absence of the endolymphatic duct and sac anlage did not have an effect on the organogenesis of the inner ear with the exception of the resultant lack of development of an endolymphatic duct and sac.
Statistical Methods for Thermal Index Estimation Based on Accelerated Destructive Degradation Test Data

Accelerated destructive degradation test (ADDT) is a technique that is commonly used by industries to access material’s long-term properties. In many applications, the accelerating variable is temperature. In such cases, a thermal index (TI) is used to indicate the strength of the material. For example, a TI of 200 ∘C may be interpreted as the material can be expected to maintain a specific property at a temperature of 200 ∘C for 100,000 h. A material with a higher TI possesses a stronger resistance to thermal damage. In literature, there are three methods available to estimate the TI based on ADDT data, which are the traditional method based on the least-squares approach, the parametric method, and the semiparametric method. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive review of the three methods and illustrate how the TI can be estimated based on different models. We also conduct comprehensive simulation studies to show the properties of different methods. We provide thorough discussions on the pros and cons of each method. The comparisons and discussion in this chapter can be useful for practitioners and future industrial standards.
CUSTOMARY LAW ARBITRATION AND IGBO METAPHYSICS IN PROVIDING A PEACEFUL PLANET

Custom is the culture, belief, arts, way of life and social organization of a particular country or group of people. It is also music, literature, thought as a group [1] . The social organization of a particular country or group of people is regulated by certain rules or regulations. In all human interactions, there must be conflicts associated with it and these differences are best settled or resolved through arbitration in a judicial manner which affords peace to planet. The resolution of these differences between the parties could be achieved by these parties agreeing and consenting to and submitting to arbitration before the elders and the chiefs of the town or village. Igbo Metaphysics is an anthrop of the Igbo's and their culture, which is the sum total of the attainments and the activities of any specific period, race or people including their implements, handicrafts, language and story. Metaphysics is the systematic study or sciences of the first principles of being and of knowledge, the doctrine of the essential nature and fundamental relations of all that is real [2] . Metaphysics is also a branch of philosophy that deals with nature of existence, truth and knowledge [3] . [1] Oxfords Advanced Learner's Dictionary, International Student's Edition, Oxford University Press, Eighth e d, 2010 , p.157. [2] The New International Webster's Comprehensive Dictionary, Encyclopedic Edition, Trident Press International.p.800. [3] Oxfords Advanced Learner's Dictionary, International Student's Edition, Oxford University Press, Eighth e d 2010, p.931.
Microscopic Origin of Electron Transport Properties and Ultrascalability of Amorphous Phase Change Material Germanium Telluride

The electron transport in prototypical amorphous ( ${a}$ -) phase change material (PCM) germanium telluride is investigated using density functional theory, ab initio molecular dynamics, nonequilibriumGreen’s function, and quantum hydrodynamics. It is found that the measured peculiar electron transport properties of ${a}$ -PCM are governed by bias-dependent dynamics of local current swirls, which originate from defects-induced electron backscattering and localization. The microscopic balance between defects-induced electron localization and field-induced electron delocalization is the origin of the linear, exponential, and S-shape snapback current–voltage curve shapes. It is revealed that the threshold switching is a manifestation of quantum percolation. It is shown that the local current swirls are well confined in A-scale, leading to the promising single-digit nanometer scalability of related device technologies.
Phase Response Curves (PRCs)

Phase response curves (PRCs) describe how neurons respond to brief, transient input pulses.
Professional Norms and Race in the North American Video Game Industry

This article examines North American (i.e., Canada and the United States) video game developers’ understanding of race, how they construct narratives when they include characters of different races...
Differential effects of changes in spectral irradiance on photoacclimation, primary productivity and growth in Rhodomonas salina (Cryptophyceae) and Skeletonema costatum (Bacillariophyceae) in simulated blackwater environments.

The underwater light field in blackwater environments is strongly skewed toward the red end of the electromagnetic spectrum due to blue light absorption by colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM). Exposure of phytoplankton to full spectrum irradiance occurs only when cells are mixed up to the surface. We studied the potential effects of mixing-induced changes in spectral irradiance on photoacclimation, primary productivity and growth in cultures of the cryptophyte Rhodomonas salina and the diatom Skeletonema costatum. We found that these taxa have very different photoacclimation strategies. While S. costatum showed classical complementary chromatic adaption, R. salina showed inverse chromatic adaptation, a strategy previously unknown in the cryptophytes. Transfer of R. salina to periodic full spectrum light (PFSL) significantly enhanced growth rate (μ) by 1.8 times and primary productivity from 0.88 to 1.35 mg C · (mg Chl-1 ) · h-1 . Overall, R. salina was less dependent on PFSL than was S. costatum, showing higher μ and net primary productivity rates. In the high-CDOM simulation, carbon metabolism of the diatom was impaired, leading to suppression of growth rate, short-term 14 C uptake and net primary production. Upon transfer to PFSL, μ of the diatom increased by up to 3-fold and carbon fixation from 2.4 to 6.0 mg C · (mg Chl-1 ) · h-1 . Thus, a lack of PFSL differentially impairs primarily CO2 -fixation and/or carbon metabolism, which, in turn, may determine which phytoplankton dominate the community in blackwater habitats and may therefore influence the structure and function of these ecosystems.
Evidence for First-Order Charge Recombination in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Charge recombination between electrons injected into TiO2 (TiO2(e–)s) and acceptors at the dye-sensitized electrolyte interface have been quantified by measurement of the open-circuit photovoltage, VOC, as a function of the incident photon flux. Literature reports indicate that the order of the reaction with respect to TiO2(e–)s is less than unity, typically 0.5–0.85. Herein, an alternative model is proposed and tested that incorporates a characteristic temperature T0 to model the density of acceptor states and photon flux-dependent TiO2(e–) lifetimes to account for shorter lifetimes at higher concentrations. Tests of this model with standard dye-sensitized solar cells based on the ditetrabutylammonium salt of cis-Ru(dcb)2(NCS)2 (N719, where dcb is 4,4′-(CO2H)2-2,2′-bipyridine) sensitizers in iodide/iodine acetonitrile electrolytes under 0.1–5 sun illumination revealed a reaction that is first-order in TiO2(e–)s with T0 = 1150 K. The first-order reactivity is consistent with an underlying TiIV/III redox r...
Effects of changes in alternative prey densities on predation of drifting lake sturgeon larvae (Acipenser fulvescens)

Predator–prey interactions including prey switching, predator swamping, and size-selectivity are important in maintaining multi-species systems. In fishes, early life stages are often recruitment b...
Being or Non-Being

This chapter discusses four characteristics; namely, origination, duration, change and destruction. Being (yu) in this context refers to origiantion and duration, and non-being (wu) refers to change and destruction. Nāgārjuna argues that these four characteristics cannot be established. He also wants to assert that the teachings given by the Buddha cannot be grasped by an interplay of concepts, such as being and non-being or existence and non-existence.
THE IMPORTANCE OF CALCIUM IN THE REGULATION OF EDRF SYNTHESIS IN THE PULMONARY VASCULATURE

The vascular endothelium and smooth muscle exist in close apposition yet they have opposing responses to stimuli which increase free cytosolic calcium concentration, [Ca2+]i. Stimuli which increase [Ca2+]i in the endothelium initiate synthesis of vasodilators, such as prostacyclin and nitric oxide; increases in [Ca2+]i elicits vasoconstriction of smooth muscle. The net response to a stimulus which elevates [Ca2+]i in both the endothelium and smooth muscle is the sum of these divergent responses. This chapter focuses on the central role of the Ca2+ ion in regulating the synthesis of endothelial derived relaxing factor (EDRF), which is nitric oxide (NO) or a related substance. The importance of both intra- and extra-cellular Ca2+ to EDRF/NO synthesis is supported by the observation that agents which cause EDRF synthesis increase endothelial [Ca2+]i 1–5. Although elevation of intracellular [Ca2+]i activates NO synthase, a continued influx of Ca2+ is necessary to sustain endothelium-dependent vasodilatation 1. The chapter begins with a description of the NO hypothesis emphasizing the role of Ca2+ in the initiation and sustenance of NO synthesis. While endothelial [Ca2+]i is an important signal for NO synthesis, changes in cytosolic calcium also initiate synthesis of other endogenous vasodilators (e.g. endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) and prostacyclin). The importance of age, species and vessel type in determining the diverse means by which the endothelium modulates vascular tone is considered, using the differences between EDRF in the pulmonary and systemic circuits as a paradigm. This is followed by a discussion of the regulation of Ca2+ influx into endothelial cells, emphasizing the importance of endothelial membrane potential as a determinant of the electrochemical gradient for Ca2+ influx. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the techniques for, and value of, measuring endothelial [Ca2+]i using fluorescent fura microscopy. Examples of the value of this technique in detennining mechanisms of endothelium dependent vasodilatation in the pulmonary circulation are provided.
Organic Public Engagement with Nanotechnology: Advantages and Challenges

Using recent advances in the study of human behavior to consider how people understand and perceive nanotechnology provides us with a richer and more actionable set of insights into public perceptions of this exciting emerging technology. At the same time, using public perceptions of nanotechnology to explore the potential of new methods of studying human behavior provides us with a case study in the power of these techniques. It demonstrates their capacity to produce insights that are not only more valid and have a greater capacity to explain human perception and action but also more useful to people who need to communicate with publics about new technologies and set regulations for those technologies.
Western Diet and Cognitive Impairment

Epidemiological studies indicate that Western diet intake, and the weight gain and obesity that it promotes, are associated not only with late-life dementia, but also with poorer cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control across the lifespan. In addition, rodents maintained on a Western diet are impaired on hippocampal-dependent inhibitory learning and memory tasks and exhibit increased blood–brain barrier permeability, hippocampal inflammation, and decreased hippocampal neurogenesis and plasticity. Interference with neuroendocrine signaling may also contribute to hippocampal dysfunction. As a consequence of these types of undesirable effects, Western diet intake may initiate a vicious cycle of progressive weight gain and cognitive decline. That is, consuming this diet induces hippocampal pathologies, which impair the ability to suppress retrieval of food-related memories. This impairment could promote further, and ultimately excessive, intake of the Western diet, leading to increasing weight gain and deteriorating cognitive functioning.
Photosynthetic Pigment Organization in Membranes of Eucartotic Plants

Chlorophyll a in higher plants and green algae is non-covalently bound to at least three different intrinsic membrane proteins [1]. Two of these Chl-protein complexes (PSI & PSII) contain the reaction centers respectively for photosystems I and II where energy conversion occurs, and a third type of complex (LHC) serves in a light-harvesting or antenna capacity by absorbing and transferring light energy to that Chl a which is closer to the reaction centers. The absorption and fluorescence emission spectra of Chl a in each of the complexes are different [2], indicating unique arrangements between Chl a and different polypeptides.
Friction in Partially Lubricated Conjunctions

The problem formulation of the partially lubricated conjunction is formulated by assuming that two moving (rolling) bodies with smooth surfaces made of the same elastic material are lubricated by a Rivlin type of incompressible, non-Newtonian viscous fluid under isothermal conditions. The fluid film thickness is considered to be several orders smaller than the contact size and the geometry of the solid surfaces. The slippage and adhesion mechanisms of friction are taken into account in direct contacts. The solid surfaces are assumed to experience an external compressive. Under these assumptions the solid surfaces can be replaced by two contacting elastic half-spaces. The problem is reduced to a system of alternating nonlinear integral-differential Reynolds and integral (describing contact interactions between elastic bodies) equations and of inequalities valid in the conjunction. The inlet boundary is considered to be known and located near the boundary of the Hertzian contact zone. The location of the exit boundary must be determined during the problem solution, as well as the number of internal contact boundaries separating the dry and lubricated subregions of the conjunction. Continuity conditions for friction (dry and fluid) stresses on the internal boundaries are formulated. The theoretical analysis of a partially lubricated contact is given for the case where side leakage is small relative to flow in the direction of motion. With this assumption, asymptotic methods can be successfully applied. The specific features of the friction in partially lubricated conjunctions (i.e., the location and magnitude of dry and lubricated regions, slippage, friction stresses, and pressure) are found to be mainly dependent on the boundary configuration of the conjunction inlet. The average influence of regions of the conjunction separated by fluid film and experiencing direct contact is described by a statistical approach. Specific requirements for lubricant viscosity behavior in very thin films and near conjunction boundaries are formulated. It is shown that for starved lubrication and mixed friction conditions the film thickness is directly proportional to a positive power of the distance between the inlet point and the input Hertzian boundary of a dry contact. It is also shown that the friction force is greater under partial lubrication than under fluid film lubrication and becomes greater as the dry friction region enlarges.