cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Some Challenges Facing a Behaviorally-Informed Approach to the Directive on Unfair Commercial Practices

The directive on Unfair Commercial Practices seeks to protect consumers by prohibiting, inter alia, misleading practices, which are defined as practices that are likely to mislead the average consumer and thereby likely to cause him to take a transactional decision he would not have taken otherwise (directive 2005/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council). While determinations of what constitutes average consumer behavior, what misleads consumers, or how consumers make transactional decisions all can be made as a matter of law, based on anecdotal observations, intuitions or theoretical assumptions, an empirical behavioral foundation can put consumer law on firmer ground and increase its efficacy. The Commission in its 2009 guidance explicitly noted, in fact, that the directive sought to take into account knowledge of how consumers actually make decisions in the market, including behavioral economic insights (guidance on the implementation/Application of directive 2005/29/EC on Unfair Commercial Practices). Nevertheless, a closer evaluation of the behavioral literature shows that the task of incorporating behavioral findings in the application of the directive is more complex than it may initially appear. Consumer law should not ignore relevant research findings – empirical and theoretical – on consumer behavior, particularly those regarding systematic and predictable deviations from normative models of strict rationality that scholars have identified. At least at first blush, such findings suggest concerns for consumer law in some situations where the behavior of perfectly rational actors would not have been distorted, say, because relevant product information is readily available. Nonetheless, to apply these findings correctly, consumer law and policy must overcome a number of significant challenges. After offering some background on relevant behavioral findings, these remarks thus focus on two key challenges to a behaviorally-informed approach to the directive: (1) the material distortion challenge of determining which deviations from strict rationality indeed are errors that legitimately concern consumer law; and (2) the average consumer challenge of accounting for the complex effects of consumer laws on a behaviorally-heterogeneous population with a differential susceptibility to different commercial practices.
Mechanisms of excimer laser desorption and ablation from wide band-gap materials: the role of defects

In single crystal MgO, which is a wide bandgap, nominally transparent material, exposure to single pulses of 248 nm excimer laser radiation results in substantial interaction including extensive biaxial deformation and cleavage. We present evidence that achieving intense emission of atomic, molecular, and ionic particles depends on point defect production by laser-induced deformation and fracture. Defect production via dislocation motion yields orders of magnitude increases in laser vaporization, including neutral cluster formation. The field of moving atoms associated with a variety of dislocation structures (e.g., jogs) in turn produce point defects. We have developed new methods using the excimer laser itself to image the photoluminescence generated by these defects. In MgO, this results in a distinct 400 nm emission band which is due to clusters of oxygen vacancies occupied by electrons (F-centers). >
Words of Seduction, Lines of Resistance: Writing and Gender in Zheng Xi's Dream of Spring (1318)

This article contains a full, annotated translation of A Dream of Spring (Chunmeng lu), written in 1318 by Zheng Xi (1324 jinshi). In A Dream of Spring, Zheng Xi, despite being married, accepts a matchmaker's request to submit a poem to the family of Miss Wu. In the ensuing correspondence with Miss Wu, Zheng Xi uses his masculine literary prerogative to compromise her chastity, which she struggles to defend by the more stringent conventions of feminine composition. The analysis of this fourteenth-century story supplements studies of gendered subjects in the literature of the late Ming and Qing dynasties.
Identification of the start sites for the 1.9- and 1.4-kb rat transforming growth factor-β1 transcripts and their effect on translational efficiency

Abstract Three distinct transforming growth factor- β 1 (TGF- β 1) transcripts of 2.5, 1.9 and 1.4 kb have been described, but the start sites and functional significance of the shorter transcripts are unknown. Here, we have cloned and sequenced a rat genomic fragment encoding ∼1250 bases upstream of the start of the TGF- β 1 open reading frame. Using a combination of ribonuclease protection and 5′ RACE-PCR analysis, we have mapped the start sites for the two shorter TGF- β 1 transcripts in NRP152 cells, a rat prostatic epithelial cell line that expresses all three transcripts at high levels. The 1.4-kb mRNA starts 25 bases upstream of the initiator AUG, whereas the 1.9-kb mRNA has two start sites 366 and 401 bases upstream of the AUG. Polysome analysis of the NRP152 cells indicates that the 1.9-kb transcript is very efficiently translated, whereas the 2.5- and 1.4-kb transcripts appear to be poorly translated. Differential regulation of TGF- β 1 transcript size may therefore represent an important mechanism for regulating TGF- β 1 protein levels.
Regulation of chemosensory and GABAergic motor neuron development by the C. elegans Aristaless/Arx homolog alr-1

Mutations in the highly conserved Aristaless-related homeodomain protein ARX have been shown to underlie multiple forms of X-linked mental retardation. Arx knockout mice exhibit thinner cerebral cortices because of decreased neural precursor proliferation, and also exhibit defects in the differentiation and migration of GABAergic interneurons. However, the role of ARX in the observed behavioral and developmental abnormalities is unclear. The regulatory functions of individual homeodomain proteins and the networks in which they act are frequently highly conserved across species, although these networks may be deployed in different developmental contexts. In Drosophila, aristaless mutants exhibit defects in the development of terminal appendages, and Aristaless has been shown to function with the LIM-homeodomain protein LIM1 to regulate leg development. Here, we describe the role of the Aristaless/Arx homolog alr-1 in C. elegans. We show that alr-1 acts in a pathway with the LIM1 ortholog lin-11 to regulate the development of a subset of chemosensory neurons. Moreover, we demonstrate that the differentiation of a GABAergic motoneuron subtype is affected in alr-1 mutants, suggesting parallels with ARX functions in vertebrates. Investigating ALR-1 functions in C. elegans may yield insights into the role of this important protein in neuronal development and the etiology of mental retardation.
Some differences in intracellular distribution and properties of the chymotrypsin-like esterase activity of human and rabbit neutrophils.

Abstract The intracellular localization and properties of the chymotrypsin-like esterase activity ( N- acetyl - DL - phenlylalanine β- naphthyl esterase acitivity) of the rabbit peritoneal neutrophil has been studied and shown to differ from that of the human neutrophil. The major portion of the esterase activity in the rabbit neutrophil is in the 100 000 × g supernatant fraction with distinctly less activity in the lysosomal fraction. The 100 000 × g supernatant contained the highest relative specific activity of any of the subcellular fractions. Rabbit peripheral blood neutrophils gave the same distribution. The 100 000 × g supernatant esterase is 95% esterase 1 and 5% esterase 3, whereas, the lysosomal esterase is 78% esterase 1, 10–16% esterase 2 and 9% esterase 3 as defined by their ability to be inhibited by p -nitrophenyllethyl-5-chloropentylphosphonate. The 100 000 × g supernatant The 100 000 × g supernatant and lysosomal esterase activities further differ in their susceptibility to other inhibitors, their pH optima, ease of elution from DEAE and isoelectric points. Two molecular weight species of 174 000 and 70 000 were found in the 100 000 × g supernatant fraction and extracts of the lysosomal fraction but usually in differing proportions. In confirmation of others, essentially all of the chymotrypsin-like esterase activity ( N- acetyl - DL - phenlylalanine β- naphthyl esterase activity) of the human neutrophil is in the lysosomal fraction, unlike the rabbit cell. The human neutrophil esterase was less susceptible to inhibition by p -nitrophenylethyl-5-chloropentylphosphonate and diisopropylphosphofluoridate but more susceptible to soybean trypsin inhibitor than rabbit esterase activity. The pH optimum of the human neutrophil esterase differed from either the rabbit lysosomal or 100 000 × g supernatant esterase, as did the isoelectric point and molecular weights.
Expanding the Impression Management Model of Communication Channels: An Information Control Scale

According to O’Sullivan's (2000) impression management model of communication channels, individuals will prefer to use mediated channels rather than face-to-face conversation in face-threatening situations. Within his model, this trend is due to the channel features that allow for control over exchanged social information. The present paper extends O’Sullivan's model by explicating information control as a media affordance, arising from channel features and social skills, that enables an individual to regulate and restrict the flow of social information in an interaction, and present a scale to measure it. One dimension of the information control scale, expressive information control, positively predicted channel preference for recalled face-threatening situations. This effect remained after controlling for social anxiousness and power relations in relationships.
Simulated versus actual firms: a ratio interaction matrix comparison

This study demonstrates a method (of combining measures) designed to give a more integrated picture of the activities of a business enterprise. Business ratios were cast into an array of descriptive measures, then used for comparison between 21 simulated (in a computerized business game) and 20 actual U.S. firms. The ratio matrix appeared to facilitate an understanding of the interaction among the descriptive measures and in identifying similarities and differences between the two types of firms by showing a number of relationships on the same display.!n using the ratio matrix for analysis, fewer significant relationships were shown to exist within the actual companies than in the simulated firms. This was attributed to the likelihood of less structure in situations confronting real firms when compared to the contrived conditions with which simulated firms were designed. Advantages of the ratio matrix and limitations of its use are discussed.
Professionalization: A politics of identity

Traditionally, the profession of adult education has been defined in terms of applied technical expertise. This chapter proposes expanding that definition by forging occupational alliances, becoming reflective practitioners, and engaging more politically.
The consequences of poor communication during transitions from hospital to skilled nursing facility: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine how skilled nursing facility (SNF) nurses transition the care of individuals admitted from hospitals, the barriers they experience, and the outcomes associated with variation in the quality of transitions. DESIGN: Qualitative study using grounded dimensional analysis, focus groups, and in-depth interviews. SETTING: Five Wisconsin SNFs. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-seven registered nurses. MEASUREMENTS: Semistructured questions guided the focus group and individual interviews. RESULTS: SNF nurses rely heavily on written hospital discharge communication to transition individuals into the SNF effectively. Nurses cited multiple inadequacies of hospital discharge information, including regular problems with medication orders (including the lack of opioid prescriptions for pain), little psychosocial or functional history, and inaccurate information regarding current health status. These communication inadequacies necessitated repeated telephone clarifications, created care delays (including delays in pain control), increased SNF staff stress, frustrated individuals and family members, contributed directly to negative SNF facility image, and increased risk of rehospitalization. SNF nurses identified a specific list of information and components that they need to facilitate a safe, high-quality transition. CONCLUSION: Nurses note multiple deficiencies in hospital-to-SNF transitions, with poor quality discharge communication being identified as the major barrier to safe and effective transitions. This information should be used to refine and support the dissemination of evidencebased interventions that support transitions of care, including the Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers program. J Am Geriatr Soc 2013.
Changes in E2F complexes containing retinoblastoma protein family members and increased cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor activities during terminal differentiation of cardiomyocytes.

Cardiomyocyte terminal differentiation was examined by studying the interaction of retinoblastoma protein (pRb) family members with E2F during the developmental transition from 17-day fetal to 2-day neonatal. Additionally, the expression pattern of cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), and CDK inhibitors responsible for modulating the phosphorylation of pRb were studied. p107, pRb, and p130 are regulators of cellular proliferation, differentiation, and cell cycle exit and entry, respectively. The active, underphosphorylated form of these proteins targets the E2F family of transcriptional factors that play a critical role in the control of genes associated with DNA synthesis. Electromobility shift analyses demonstrated E2F complexed with p107 in proliferating fetal cardiomyocytes, whereas in 2-day neonatal cells, E2F was principally associated with p130 and a low level of pRb. At the 2-day neonatal stage, decreased protein levels were observed for cyclins D2, D3, and E, and CDK2 and CDK4. No changes were observed in the mRNA levels of the D-cyclins in neonatal cells; however, the transcripts for cyclins A and E and CDK4 were diminished. In skeletal myoblasts, differentiation is associated with induction of p21, a CDK inhibitor, by a MyoD-dependent pathway. Although heart cells lack MyoD, CDK assays demonstrated that the activity of CDKs 2, 4, and 6 were downregulated in 2-day neonatal cells, and CDC2 was increased. RT-PCR indicated that p21 mRNA was induced 1.4-, 2.0-, and 3.1-fold in the 2-day neonatal, 7-day neonatal, and adult stages, respectively, compared to the 17-day fetal stage. At the protein level, p21 also increased at the 2-day neonatal stage. Kinase inhibitory immunodepletion assays showed that CDK inhibitory activity was markedly increased in the 2-day neonate. Although mRNA levels of the p27 CDK inhibitor were unchanged, its protein level and inhibitory effect on CDK2 and CDK4 were increased. Thus, cardiomyocytes retain the capacity to proliferate until the early neonatal period when a series of changes occur, including a switch in pRb partners, a decrease in CDK levels and induction of CDK inhibitory activity, which is associated with terminal differentiation.
Lithium effects on adjunctive alcohol consumption. II: Effects of adding concurrent shock

Rats receiving chronic administration of lithium chloride (20 mEq/l) in their drinking water were tested for adjunctive alcohol (10% v/v) consumption in which temporally scheduled, noncontingent shock delivery was added following the establishment of food delivery-based adjunctive alcohol intake. The addition of shock to the eliciting schedule produced an initial reduction in alcohol consumption (Lithium subjects took longer to reach maximal suppression of drinking than did Controls), with a subsequent return to preshock levels for both groups. The reduction in alcohol consumption seen in control subjects following the discontinuation of food and shock delivery (extinction) was interpreted as suggesting that adding conflict/stress to established drinking conditions may facilitate subsequent extinction of that drinking behavior. Lithium subjects produced an initial suppression of drinking, with alcohol consumption returning to adjunctive levels by the end of the extinction series, suggesting that lithium decreases conflict/stress effects, that it impairs extinction processes, that it increases the reinforcing value of alcohol, or that it produces a combination of the three outcomes.
Hydrophilic interaction chromatography of seized drugs and related compounds with sub 2 μm particle columns

The use of hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) with sub 2 μm particle columns for the analysis of drugs and related compounds of forensic interest is described. This technique uses a high organic/low aqueous buffered mobile phase with a polar stationary phase, and is excellent for the separation of many of the charged solutes that are found in forensic drug exhibits. In this study, HILIC is investigated for 11 solutes of forensic interest, including weak bases, weak acids, and a neutral solute. In addition, for columns containing either ethylene bridged hybrid particles with or without an amide bonded phase, the effects of acetonitrile concentration, buffer type, buffer concentration, linear velocity, and sample concentration were studied. Based on these studies, HILIC with sub 2 μm particle columns can offer highly efficient, selective, and rapid isocratic separations of drugs and related compounds of forensic interest, with excellent peak shapes and low back pressures. This is in contrast to reverse phase chromatography (RPLC), where gradient elution is usually required, which can result in extensive overlap between acidic, neutral, and basic solutes. In addition, since HILIC exhibits a much greater loading capacity than RPLC, it could be a preferred technique for drug profiling. Furthermore, because high organic content mobile phases are highly amenable to mass spectrometric detection, the use of HILIC with tandem mass spectrometric detection for the analysis of seized drugs is described.
The rationalism in Anil Gupta's Empiricism and Experience

In these comments I briefly discuss three aspects of the empiricist account of the epistemic role of experience that Anil Gupta develops in his Empiricism and Experience. First, I discuss the motivations Gupta offers for the claim that the given in experience should be regarded as reliable. Second, I discuss two different ways of conceiving of the epistemic significance of the phenomenology of experience. And third, I discuss whether Gupta’s account is able to deliver the anti-skeptical results he intends it to. I close by suggesting that, once fully fleshed out, Gupta’s account is best understood in terms of the fusion of certain core ideas within both the empiricist and the rationalist traditions.
The Informing of Adult Education by Adult Development

Theory-building and research conducted in the field of human development can inform the process of adult education. Three broad perspectives of human development—stage theory, phasic approaches, and the combination of the two—are discussed in terms of the insight they can bring to the field of adult education. Works of major theorists in both fields are considered in order to highlight the discussion. Contrasts are drawn between the development and education of adolescents and of adults. General recommendations for adult education are made, and a call is issued for further strengthening the ties between the fields of human development and adult education.
BDD-based two-party trust sensitivity analysis for social networks

This paper presents a binary decision diagrams BDD-based algorithm for the trust sensitivity analysis in social networks. Trust is a crucial basis for interactions among parties in social networks. Based on trust scores of direct links between parties, the trust sensitivity analysis can help identify which direct links in the social network contributes the most to a trust relationship between two particular parties who are not directly connected in the network. Three different sensitivity measures including Birnbaum's measure, criticality importance factor, and structural importance measure are investigated and adapted for the two-party trust sensitivity analysis for social networks. Several examples are given to illustrate the application of the presented BDD-based method and sensitivity measures.
Effects of Formalin-Inactivated Respiratory Syncytial Virus (FI-RSV) in the Perinatal Lamb Model of RSV

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most frequent cause of bronchiolitis in infants and children worldwide. There are currently no licensed vaccines or effective antivirals. The lack of a vaccine is partly due to increased caution following the aftermath of a failed clinical trial of a formalin-inactivated RSV vaccine (FI-RSV) conducted in the 1960’s that led to enhanced disease, necessitating hospitalization of 80% of vaccine recipients and resulting in two fatalities. Perinatal lamb lungs are similar in size, structure and physiology to those of human infants and are susceptible to human strains of RSV that induce similar lesions as those observed in infected human infants. We sought to determine if perinatal lambs immunized with FI-RSV would develop key features of vaccine-enhanced disease. This was tested in colostrum-deprived lambs immunized at 3–5 days of age with FI-RSV followed two weeks later by RSV infection. The FI-RSV-vaccinated lambs exhibited several key features of RSV vaccine-enhanced disease, including reduced RSV titers in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung, and increased infiltration of peribronchiolar and perivascular lymphocytes compared to lambs either undergoing an acute RSV infection or naive controls; all features of RSV vaccine-enhanced disease. These results represent a first step proof-of-principle demonstration that the lamb can develop altered responses to RSV following FI-RSV vaccination. The lamb model may be useful for future mechanistic studies as well as the assessment of RSV vaccines designed for infants.
Tests of a new cloud treatment in an atmospheric general circulation model

In this study we present a new cloud treatment in an atmospheric climate model. The water (or ice) content of clouds is introduced as a prognostic variable, subject to both advective and diffusive transport. In the first phase of the study, the cloud water does not affect the radiative properties of clouds. We then find differences in precipitation and cloud fields, but little effect on the overall climate. In the second phase the cloud water determines the optical properties of clouds. This enhances the non-linear interactions between the model's dynamics and physical processes. As a third step the cloud fraction formulation is modified. Through these changes the model's radiative budget is brought quite close to the observed
HST/STIS observations and simulation of Io’s emission spectrum in Jupiter shadow: Probing Io’s Jupiter-facing eclipse atmosphere

Abstract We report the detection of SO 2 emission from Io in Jupiter’s shadow, peaking near 26 Rayleigh/A around 3150 A, and emission from its associated excitation–dissociation products, SO in the 2550 A band and S I in the 1800 and 1900 A multiplets. In addition, an unidentified emission spectrum was discovered between ∼4100 A and ∼5700 A, which appears to be a vibronic band. Its spectral lines are listed in neither the GEISA nor HITRAN database. The line spacing and wavelength regime are characteristic of molecular bending modes, which would imply a molecule with three or more atoms; e.g., SO 2 or S 2 O. Alternative candidates for this species are positive or negative ions of SO 2 and its daughter species. The wavelength-averaged intensity of this unidentified species is bracketed by intensities imaged through Galileo and Cassini filters when Io was in eclipse. Both the unidentified and SO 2 emission are brighter on Io’s NE half (in the Jovian system), which is the side closer to Jupiter, but the unidentified emission is more asymmetric, suggesting a connection with Io’s wake emission or with volcanic activity. Weakening of the emission intensity between the early eclipse-resolved spectra indicate partial atmospheric collapse due to freezeout of the atmospheric column and the decay of energetic photoelectrons. Specific plume activity is not well constrained through examination of the disk-averaged mid-ultraviolet (MUV) emission spectrum. Simulating the observations using laboratory data published for the electron impact cross sections of SO 2 indicates that this emission is consistent with dissociative excitation of SO 2 by thermal electrons in the Jovian plasma torus plus a minor non-thermal electron component. Owing to uncertainty in the density and mean energy of non-thermal electrons, the observations are insufficiently constrained to extract the temperature of the upstream electrons. Without any non-thermal electrons, the best fit upstream electron temperature is ∼10 eV; however, prior observations found the Jovian torus thermal electron temperature near Io to be 4–6 eV and thus a non-thermal component is required to reduce the best-fit simulated electron temperature. The upstream temperature of electrons mixed with a non-thermal component that produced agreement between the simulated and observed absolute peak intensities (at 2550 A and 3150 A) and their ratio, is Te = 5–6 eV with an accompanying non-thermal component of electrons that is 5% of the thermal density and has a mean electron energy of 35 eV.
PLATELET-FUNCTION STUDIES IN THE BERNARD-SOULIER SYNDROME*

Summary Studies of platelet function in four kindreds affected with the Bernard-Soulier Syndrome are summarized. Platelet aggregation induced by ADP and by dilute collagen suspensions was normal, but the increase in optical density and platelet “volume” that normally proceeds aggregation was lacking. Platelet aggregation by bovine fibrinogen was totally deficient, and the rate of aggregation by both ADP and collagen was abnormally rapid. The serum prothrombin time was abnormal, but other tests of platelet factor 3 activity were normal, as were estimates of platelet adhesiveness. The lack of initial platelet “swelling” and deficient bovine fibrinogen-induced platelet aggregation are heretofore unrecognized features of this disorder that may provide information as to the nature of the underlying abnormality.
Effect of temperature and humidity on formation, germination, and infectivity of conidia of Neozygites fresenii (Zygomycetes: neozygitaceae) from Aphis gossypii (Homoptera: aphididae)

Abstract The temporal pattern of sporulation, conidial discharge, and formation of capilliconidia of Neozygites fresenii (Zygomycetes: Neozygitaceae) from Aphis gossypii (Homoptera: Aphididae) cadavers was determined. Conidial discharge from aphid cadavers began approximately 1 hr after rehydration and was substantially complete within 5 hr. At 35°C or at 85% RH or less, infected aphid cadavers did not sporulate. Within 6 hr of discharge 93% of primary conidia held at 25°C and 100% RH germinated to form capilliconidia. Primary conidia were negatively affected by short exposure to low humidities; after 1-min exposure to 75% RH only 29.4% formed capilliconidia when subsequently exposed to 100% RH, whereas 76.2% formed capilliconidia when exposed continuously to 100% RH. When primary conidia were exposed to constant temperatures and relative humidities, approximately 90% formed capilliconidia at 95 or 100% RH at 20, 25, and 30°C, whereas at 89% RH at 20 or 25°C only 40.4 and 19.3% formed capilliconidia, respectively. Capilliconidia survived longer at lower humidities than primary conidia. Capilliconidia remained infective for 14 days at 75 or 100% RH at 20 and 25°C, infecting 34.1, 37.8, 16.0, and 7.9% of treated cotton aphids, respectively. Even when stored for 7 days at 56% RH and 20°C capilliconidia were able to infect 19.9% of treated aphids. Capilliconidia (87.7%) held at 100% RH for 11 days germinated to form tertiary capilliconidia.
Personal models of osteoarthritis and their relation to self-management activities and quality of life

We examined the personal models of osteoarthritis (OA) of 61 patients over 60 years of age. Models were elicited using a structured interview. Shared beliefs included perceiving OA as a serious, painful, chronic, and incurable condition that can be managed by recommended medical treatment. Considerable individual differences were found on six personal-model constructs: Symptoms, Seriousness, Cause, Control, Helpfulness of Treatment, and Negative Feelings about Treatment. The constructs of Symptoms and Seriousness were consistently related to a variety of important outcomes. For example, participants with higher scores on Symptoms and Seriousness reported higher levels of self-management (both concurrently and prospectively), reported more utilization of medical services, and experienced a poorer quality of life. The implications for the design of health-education materials and for patient-provider interactions are discussed.
Development of methods for the detection and quantification of 7α-dehydroxylating clostridia, Desulfovibrio vulgaris, Methanobrevibacter smithii, and Lactobacillus plantarum in human feces

Abstract Background Mounting evidence suggests a relationship between bacterial metabolism of certain dietary and endogenous factors and the development of colorectal cancer. Deoxycholic acid (DCA) is a well studied co-carcinogen and bio-transformation product of 7α-dehydroxylating Clostridia. H2S is a cytotoxic metabolite produced primarily by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). The production of methane indicates low levels of active SRB. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have received attention recently due to their putative anti-tumor properties. Method Human stool was spiked with pure cultures of bacteria and diluted in several enriched media. Each dilution titer was analyzed for the presence of the organism by PCR and biochemical assays. Duplicate stool aliquots were stored under various conditions for a 1 month period at −20 °C to test viability and detection. Results Growth and enumeration of each spiked organism was confirmed by PCR and biochemical assays. The combination of bead beating and chemical lysis steps produced the greatest DNA yields. PCR assays detected as low as 75 fg target DNA. The ability to detect Methanobrevibacter smithii, and Desulfovibrio vulgaris by either PCR or biochemical assay declined significantly after storage at −20 °C for 1 month. Conclusions Accurate detection and quantification of each bacterium using the described methods resulted when stool was processed immediately after collection. Storage of some members of the gut flora results in decrease in or loss of viability.
Oil spill recovery with magnetically retrievable sorbents preliminary performance report of MAG-1 a 24-foot magnetic type recovery vessel for light oils

A portable oil spill recovery vessel which incorporates magnetic principles for the retrieval process was completed in the spring (1977). Developed by the University of South Florida with support from the Florida Sea Grant Program and Gulf-Tampa Drydock Company, the concept adds a new dimension to sorbent recovery techniques. An integral part of the project was the laboratory research required to obtain the optimum formulation for a magnetically retrievable sorbent material. The following properties were considered to be most vital for the "ferrofoam" product: (1) High magnetic force to weight ratio. (2) Positive flotation on water. (3) Discriminative absorption of oil vs. water even after extended periods of use. (4) High percent of oil retention in saturated foam prior to wringing; low percent oil retention after wringing. (5) No significant loss of physical characteristics after continued wringing. (6) Harmless to marine life and ocean ecology. The optimization study was completed in August 1976 and work was then started to design and construct the necessary equipment to generate suitable amounts of the optimal product for use in tests with the recovery vessel. Details of "ferrofoam" production and of the test procedures employed to analyze the essential operational functions of the recovery unit are presented with the aid of photographs, figures and tables. Sorbent requirements, oil recovery rates, limitations and a cost to benefit analysis are discussed in detail.
Continued endothelial cell loss ten years after lens implantation.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of cataract extraction and lens implantation on the central corneal endothelium 10 years after surgery. Methods: The authors conducted a prospective study of 253 consecutive eyes that underwent cataract extraction with or without lens implantation by one surgeon from 1976 to 1982. Three types of lens implant were used during this period. The protocol included ophthalmic examinations and specular microscopy on all eyes preoperatively, and 2 months and 1, 3, 5, and 10 years postoperatively. Results: The 10-year analysis was conducted on 67 (26%) of the 253 total eyes. The remaining patients died (86 eyes [34%]), were unable to return 10 years later (93 eyes [37%]), or had secondary implants (5 eyes [2%]) or penetrating keratoplasty (2 eyes [1 %]). There were no statistically significant differences among the median 10year endothelial cell losses of 36% in 17 control cataract extractions without lens implantation (15 extracapsular and 2 intracapsular), 40% in 15 medallion iris suture implants, 32% in 28 transiridectomy clip implants, and 32% in 7 posterior chamber implants. The median exponential rate of chronic cell loss from 1 to 10 years after surgery was 2.5% per year, which did not differ significantly among the three implant groups or between the implants (2.4% per year) and controls (2.7% per year). The chronic cell loss rate was significantly higher (7.2% per year) in six eyes with cornea guttata, which was the only preoperative endothelial morphologic feature that was significantly associated with the chronic cell loss rate. Conclusions: Ten years after cataract extraction, eyes continued to lose endothelial cells from the central cornea at a rate of 2.5% per year, 2.5 to 8.0 times the rate in healthy unoperated eyes. The rate was not affected significantly by the presence of the three types of lens implants that the authors used. Postoperative eyes with cornea guttata continued to lose cells at more than twice this rate. Preoperative specular microscopy did not provide additional information helpful in predicting postoperative endothelial status or outcome.
Construction of marker-free transplastomic tobacco using the Cre- loxP site-specific recombination system

Incorporation of a selectable marker gene in the plastid genome is essential to uniformly alter the thousands of genome copies in a tobacco cell. When transformation is accomplished, however, the marker gene becomes undesirable. Here we describe plastid transformation vectors, the method of plastid transformation using tobacco leaves and alternative protocols for marker gene excision with the P1 bacteriophage Cre-loxP site-specific recombination system. Plastid vectors carry a marker gene flanked with directly oriented loxP sites and a gene of interest, which are introduced into plastids by the biolistic process. The transforming DNA integrates into the plastid genome by homologous recombination via plastid targeting sequences. Marker gene excision is accomplished by a plastid-targeted Cre protein expressed from a nuclear gene. Expression may be from an integrated gene introduced by Agrobacterium transformation (Transformation Protocol), by pollination (Pollination Protocol) or from a transient, non-integrated T-DNA (Transient Protocol). Transplastomic plants are obtained in about 3 months, yielding seed after 2 months. The time required to remove the plastid marker and nuclear genes and to obtain seed takes 10-16 months, depending on which protocol is used.
Outcomes of cytoreduction with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy: our experience at a midwest community hospital.

Abstract Background Most cytoreduction with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy procedures are performed at academic tertiary referral centers with numerous surgical oncology faculty. The objective of this study was to review the postoperative morbidity and mortality data of our institution, a large community hospital. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent cytoreduction with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy at a single institution. Two surgical oncologists performed all the procedures between May 2005 and June 2011. Results We retrospectively analyzed 57 patients. The most common pathology being treated was pseudomyxoma peritonei (34 of 57; 59.6%), followed by colorectal cancer (9 of 57; 15.8%). Other types of cancer included peritoneal mesothelioma and gastric adenocarcinoma. The average surgery time was 6.9 hours. Approximately 51% of patients suffered grade 3 or 4 morbidity and there were no perioperative mortalities. Conclusions Cytoreduction with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy can be performed at our institution with comparable outcomes as academic referral centers.
Anticonvulsant phosphorus analogs of GABA

The dimethyl (I), diethyl (II), and di-isopropyl (III) esters of 3-amino-phenylphosphonic acid and diethyl 2-acetamidophenylphosphate (IV) were tested for inhibition of seizures induced by maximal electroshock (MES) and subcutaneous pentylenetetrazol (Metrazol) (scMet) and for neurotoxicity. Compound I was further tested for inhibition of seizures induced by subcutaneous bicuculline (scBic) and picrotoxin (scPic). Protective indices (P.I.) were compared with those reported for valproic acid (VPA) against MES and scMet and, in the case of I, with VPA, ethosuximide, trimethadione, and phenobarbital (scBic and scPic). The P.I. values of I are comparable to those of trimethadione, equal to VPA against scMet, but higher by factors of 2.6, 1.8, and 1.3 against MES, scPic and scBic, respectively.
Eight-year climatology of nocturnal temperature and sodium density in the mesopause region (80 to 105 km) over Fort Collins, Co (41°N, 105°W)

Based on 417 nights of lidar observation between 1990 and 1999 at Fort Collins, CO (41°N, 105°W), we tabulate an eight-year composite of monthly mean temperatures and Na densities in the mesopause region, and plot the associated altitude/month contours. The maximum and minimum mean mesopause temperatures were 192 K at 101 km and 178 K at 85.5 km on the 294th and 164th days of the year, respectively. The maximum and minimum monthly mean layer temperatures between 83 and 105 km were 205.8 K and 188.8 K, respectively, in November and July. When the episodic warming that peaked in 1993 is removed, the mean temperatures are typically lowered by ∼4 K. Climatology supports a two-level thermal structure with mesopause occurring at higher altitudes in winter and lower altitudes in summer, and sharp transitions between them taking place in May and August. The maximum and minimum mean peak sodium densities were 4.88 × 109 m−3 at 91 km and 1.49 × 109 m−3 at 90 km on the 310th and 163rd days of the year, respectively.
Improving registration using active shape models and depth

The problem of registering multiple images taken of the same scene is particularly difficult in domains where different sensors are used to collect the information. Registration techniques are used to combine the independent information into a single image for further processing or for additional insight into the data. In video, sequential images are usually highly correlated, making registration simpler; the exception is when a new scene enters the viewfinder or when extreme camera movement results in large differences between sequential images. In these cases, far less information is available for registration. Using multiple sensors trained on the same scene is helpful; however, the precise relationship between the sensors must be obtained to compare the data spatially as well as temporally. In these cases, landmarks are often useful.
Poor sleep the night before an experimental stress task is associated with reduced cortisol reactivity in healthy women

Sleep disruption is a growing problem that may have serious health effects. As stress-induced increases in cortisol are thought to be a key adaptive process it is important to examine how this response is affected by sleep. The current study investigated the association of four sleep parameters (objective/subjectively measured sleep quality and quantity) and subsequent salivary cortisol reactivity (maximal change from baseline) to an experimental stressor in 53 healthy women. Objective actigraphy monitoring and self-report diaries were used to assess sleep. Results revealed that individuals with lower objective sleep quality (wake percentage during sleep) had a blunted response to the experimental stressor. No associations were found between cortisol reactivity and actigraphy-derived sleep quantity, or either of the self-reported sleep variables. Results are discussed with regard to the possible adverse health effects that may result from poor sleep quality and a blunted cortisol response to stress.
OVARIAN DEVELOPMENT IN OVERWINTERING PEAR PSYLLA, CACOPSYLLA PYRICOLA (HOMOPTERA: PSYLLIDAE): SEASONALITY AND EFFECTS OF PHOTOPERIOD

Effects of photoperiod, time of year, temperature, and an insect growth regulator (fenoxycarb) on ovarian development rate in overwintering pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola (Foerster), were determined. Winterform pear psylla were collected from the field at intervals between October and February, and reared at 20 °C and one of three treatments: short-day photoperiod, long-day photoperiod, or short-day photoperiod + fenoxycarb. Insects were then dissected at intervals to score ovarian development. Baseline scores (i.e., ovarian development in the field on date of collection) increased very slowly between October and February. By mid-February, only about 20% of insects in the field were categorized as having postdiapause status based upon ovarian development. In the laboratory, time required for insects to reach postdiapause status decreased between the October and February collection dates. Number of days necessary for 50% of the long-day insects to reach postdiapause status was approximately 2 weeks in October, 6 days in December, and 2 weeks in the October and December samples. Our results suggested that insects collected in January and February had completed diapause but that ovarian development was subsequently prevented in the field by low temperatures. Fenoxycarb caused rapid ovarian development even in October-collected insects; rate of development was only slightly more rapid in the February-treated psylla.
Progress in energy from microalgae: A review

Abstract Microalgae have great potential as renewable fuel sources, but a dire need exists for high-level academic and industrial research into their growth and bioprocessing. New algae strains that efficiently use CO2 and wastes as nutrients, novel oil extraction methods, and industrial-scale designs for fuel production are imperative for long-term energy sustainability. A particular challenge to research in this field is the transition from pilot studies to industrial operations, which often exposes algae cells and their products to hostile environments, reducing yields. Hence, a need exists to integrate algae cell engineering with predictive bioprocess engineering to ensure economic and environmental feasibility and minimize the number of full-scale trials that fail. This review provides a brief overview of biofuel production from microalgal biomass. It highlights the most promising microalgae species for different types of fuel, the proper choice of photobioreactor and process parameters, product extraction techniques, and the main biofuel products. The main goal of this paper is to promote research into energetically- and environmentally-favorable technologies via the development of better algal strains and separation, extraction, and conversion methods.
Satellite observations of aerosol transport from East Asia to the Arctic: three case studies

Abstract. Vertical profiles of aerosol extinction obtained with the CALIOP lidar onboard CALIPSO are used in conjunction with the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model and NOAA's HYSPLIT trajectory model to document three aerosol export events from East Asia to the Arctic in the year 2007. During each of these events CALIOP sampled the pollution plumes multiple times over periods of five to seven days. Midlatitude cyclones lifted the pollution to the free troposphere with net diabatic heating of ~5 °C day−1 and precipitation in this initial ascending stage. Rapid meridional transport to the Arctic took place at 3–7 km altitude, and was mediated by either a blocking high pressure system in the NW Pacific or a trough-ridge configuration. Once in the Arctic transport was nearly isentropic with slow subsidence and radiative cooling at a rate of 1–1.5 °C day−1. We find good agreement between modeled and observed plumes in terms of length, altitude, thickness and, within the measurement uncertainties, extinction coefficient. In one event the satellite algorithm misclassifies the aerosol layer as ice clouds as a result of the relatively high depolarization ratio (0.06), likely caused by a high dust component in the aerosol mixture. Using 500 hPa geopotential height anomalies for these three events along with eight other export events observed by CALIOP in 2007–2009, we develop a meteorological index that captures 40–60% of the variance of Asian transport events to the Arctic in winter and spring. Simulations with the GEOS-Chem model show that 6 major export events from Asia to the Arctic occur each year, on average. The maximum probability for such events is during March–June, with a secondary maximum in October–November. During these events, Asian pollution and dust aerosols account for 50–70% of the aerosol optical depth over the Siberian sector of the Arctic, compared to a mean background contribution of 33%.
Conceptual Study of Gondola Stabilization in a Balloon System

Pointing stabilization of a gondola carried by a stratospheric balloon is a challenging problem due to upper atmospheric winds and due to the multibody nature of the balloon system. The gondola provides a platform for a scientific experiment that requires point stabilization. The experiment apparatus is inside a capsule attached to the gondola base. The proposed actuator is a displacement mechanism that moves the capsule along the gondola base. The current paper presents a feasibility study of this concept. The flight dynamic model of the balloon system is formulated and analyzed, and a preliminary investigation of feasible control logic is presented and tested. Nomenclature A = system matrix B = control matrix b = length Cba = rotation matrix (a !b) CD = drag coefficient D = drag d = length F = force g = gravity acceleration I = moment of inertia I� = controller input K = kinetic energy K = stiffness matrix L� = length M = mass matrix m� = mass n = surface normal direction p = roll rate q = pitch rate R = control weight matrix R� = vectrix r = yaw rate S = state weight matrix T = torque t = time U = potential energy u = control vector V = velocity W = wind velocity X = state vector XI = balloon inertial coordinate YI = balloon inertial coordinate ZI = balloon inertial coordinate � = control displacement � = pitch angle � a = air density � � = length � = roll angle = yaw angle ! = angular velocity ! � = angular velocity matrix Subscripts B = balloon C = capsule G = gondola P = payload T = tether � = wild card Superscripts A=B = subscriptA relative to subscriptB � = time derivative in the inertial frame � = time derivative in the local frame