cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
User Anonymity on Twitter

A novel machine-based classifier system leverages Twitter user anonymity patterns and their correlation to content sensitivity to automatically identify accounts that tweet sensitive content. Anonymity's role in society and the nuances and complexity of content sensitivity are confirmed.
Hyperbolic metamaterials for dispersion-assisted directional light emission

A novel method is presented to outcouple high spatial frequency (large-k) waves from hyperbolic metamaterials (HMMs) without the use of a grating. This approach relies exclusively on dispersion engineering, and enables preferential power extraction from the top or from the side of a HMM. Multilayer (ML) HMMs are shown to be better suited for lateral outcoupling, while nanowire HMMs are the most convenient choice for top outcoupling. A 6-fold increase in laterally extracted power is predicted for a dipole–HMM system with a Ag/Si ML operating at λ = 530 nm, when metallic filling ratio is changed from an unoptimized to the optimized one. This new design concept supports the cost-effective mass production of high-speed HMM optical transmitters.
Abstract 27: Leptin Reduces Food Intake but Fails to Raise Blood Pressure In Mice With Deficiency of Insulin Receptor Substrate (IRS2) In the Entire Brain or Specifically in Pomc Neurons

Insulin receptor substrate (IRS2) is one of three major leptin receptor signaling pathways. However, its role in mediating the chronic effects of leptin on appetite, blood pressure and glucose regulation is unclear. In the present study we tested whether deletion of IRS2 in the whole brain or specifically in proopiomelanocortin (Pomc) neurons attenuates the chronic cardiovascular and metabolic responses to leptin. Mice with IRS2 deletion in the entire brain (IRS2 flox/flox /Nestin-Cre, n=7), specifically in Pomc neurons (IRS2 flox/flox /Pomc-Cre, n=7) and control IRS2 flox/flox mice (n=9) were instrumented with telemetry probes for measurement of 24-hr mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) and venous catheters for saline or leptin infusions. After a 5-day control period, mice received leptin infusion (2 μg/kg/min, iv) for 7 days. Compared to IRS2 flox/flox , IRS2 flox/flox /Pomc-Cre mice had similar body weight and food intake (33±1 vs 35±1g and 3.6±0.5 vs 3.8±0.2 g/day) and higher MAP and HR (110±2 vs 102±2 mmHg and 641±9 vs 616±5 bpm). IRS2 flox/flox /Nestin-Cre mice were heavier (38±1.5 g), had increased food intake (4.5±1.0 g/day), and higher MAP and HR (108±1.5 mmHg and 659±9.0 bpm) compared to control mice. Leptin infusion for 7 days in control IRS2 flox/flox mice gradually increased MAP by 5 mmHg despite decreasing food intake by 31%. In contrast, leptin infusion did not change MAP in IRS2 flox/flox /Nestin-Cre and IRS2 flox/flox /Pomc-Cre mice. The anorexic effect of leptin, however, was not attenuated in IRS2 flox/flox /Pomc-Cre or IRS2 flox/flox /Nestin-Cre mice (-35% and -34%, respectively). In addition, deletion of IRS2 in the whole brain or Pomc neurons did not impair the ability of leptin to reduce plasma glucose levels (IRS2 flox/flox : 170±15 to 130±12; IRS2 flox/flox /Pomc-Cre: 180±20 to 150±15; IRS2 flox/flox /Nestin-Cre: 160±10 to 131±20 mg/dL) These results indicate that activation of IRS2 signaling in the CNS, and particularly in Pomc neurons, is essential for the long-term actions of leptin to raise MAP and HR but not for its anorexic or antidiabetic effects. (NHLBI-PO1HL51971/ AHA SDG5680016)
The Quantified Self and Physical Therapy: The Application of Motion Sensing Technologies

The quantified self and in particular motion sensing applications have the potential to advance the practice of physical therapy by allowing a patient themselves and/or their physical therapist to measure the patient's performance in carrying out prescribed rehabilitation exercises. As the patient carries out such exercises at home they have the potential to measure, quantify and record their performance and progress digitally. This information can also be provided to the physical therapist, either asynchronously or in real-time. In this review paper we address the latest developments and research in relation to how such motion sensing technologies can support the quantified self in the domain of physical therapy including emerging directions.
Repeated exposure to 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone and cocaine produces locomotor sensitization with minimal effects on brain monoamines

Abstract Synthetic cathinones, known as “bath salts” on the illicit drug market, pose a significant public health concern. 3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), one of several popular constituents of illicit bath salts, produces similar pharmacological actions to cocaine, albeit with greater potency and efficacy. The present study sought to characterize behavioral and neurochemical effects of repeated exposure to MDPV alone and in combination with cocaine. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to one the following four treatments, administered once daily for seven days: 1 mg/kg MDPV, 5 mg/kg cocaine, 1 mg/kg MDPV +5 mg/kg cocaine, or saline. Locomotor activity was assessed for 1 h immediately before and 1 h immediately after injections on days 1 and 6. Brains were harvested 20 min after the final injection on day 7 and brain tissue punches were obtained to determine monoamine content within the anterior striatum, medial prefrontal cortex, and nucleus accumbens using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Drug-induced increases in horizontal activity were significantly greater on treatment day 6 compared to treatment day 1 in all three drug treatment groups in comparison to the saline control group. MDPV produced significantly higher increases in activity compared to either saline or cocaine, although concurrent treatment with MDPV and cocaine produced sub-additive effects. Neurochemical analyses provided no evidence of alterations in total monoamine content following repeated administration of MDPV, cocaine, or the MDPV + COC mixture. Further investigations targeting possible changes in DA receptor sensitivity following repeated exposure to MDPV may help elucidate the mechanistic changes responsible for MDPV-induced behavioral sensitization. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled ‘Designer Drugs and Legal Highs.’
Pictorial essay: imaging findings following Y90 radiation segmentectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Transarterial radioembolization is a novel therapy that has gained rapid clinical acceptance for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Segmental radioembolization [also termed radiation segmentectomy (RS)] is a technique that can deliver high doses (> 190 Gy) of radiation selectively to the hepatic segment(s) containing the tumor. The aim of this comprehensive review is to provide an illustrative summary of the most relevant imaging findings encountered after radiation segmentectomy. A 62-patient cohort of Child-Pugh A patients with solitary HCC < 5 cm in size was identified. A comprehensive retrospective imaging review was done by interventional radiology staff at our institution. Important imaging findings were reported and illustrated in a descriptive account. For the purposes of completeness, specific patients outside our initial cohort with unique educational imaging features that also underwent segmentectomy were included in this pictorial essay. This review shows that response assessment after RS requires a learning curve with common drawbacks that can lead to false-positive interpretations and secondary unnecessary treatments. It is important to recognize that treatment responses and pathological changes both are time dependent. Findings such as benign geographical enhancement and initial benign pathological enhancement can easily be misinterpreted. Capsular retraction and segmental atrophy are some other examples of unique post-RS response that are not seen in any other treatment.
Abstract 13480: High Resolution MRI for Characterization of Inflammation within Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Background: Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) with focal inflammation have been reported to grow 3 times faster than those without. Ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) particles can ide...
The Spiritual Influence of Grandparents

Though grandparents hope to influence the new generation, to pass on their values, understanding, wisdom, and faith, little empirical evidence exists that reveals if (or how) grandparents actually ...
Radiation and Optics in Dielectric Media

Maxwell’s discovery of the equations of electromagnetism is one of the greatest triumphs of the scientific method, and one of the great unifications. Not only were electricity and magnetism shown to be two aspects of a single phenomenon, but physical optics was included as well. In this chapter we discuss the radiative solutions of Maxwells equations in charge-free regions. We show how these solutions have bearing on the refraction, reflection, and diffraction of light, and also show how energy and momentum are carried by the electromagnetic field.
Prelude The Alphard form and Verification Issues

This section presents a brief, informal introduction to the Alphard form, the linguistic mechanism we use to define abstractions. Our purpose is primarily to relate the mechanism to its goals, not to explicate it fully; the details are given in the papers that make up this volume.
Super Toxic Analytical Glovebox System (STAGS)

The U.S. Army has been directed to dispose of the stockpile of unitary chemical weapons by Public Law 99–145 and subsequent amendments. The chemical weapons stockpile consists primarily of the agents VX, HD, and GB, which are contained in a variety of munitions and bulk containers. These chemical agents are distributed among eight sites in the continental United States (CONUS), as well as at Johnston Atoll in the Pacific Ocean awaiting a distruction method and approval.
Transarterial radioembolization with yttrium-90 of unresectable primary hepatic malignancy in children.

Background Primary malignant liver tumors are rare, accounting for 1% to 2% of all childhood cancers. When chemotherapy fails, transarterial radioembolization with yttrium-90 (TARE-Y90) may offer an alternative therapy as a bridge to surgical resection or liver transplant or for palliation. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of 10 pediatric patients with histologically confirmed primary liver malignancy who received treatment with TARE-Y90. Results The median age at treatment was 5.5 years (range, 2-18 years). Median patient survival from initial diagnosis was 12.5 months (range, 10-28 months), and median patient survival after TARE-Y90 was 4 months (range, 2-20 months). Retreatment was well tolerated in three of 10 patients, with these patients demonstrating the longest survival times (range, 17-20 months). One patient was transplanted 6 weeks after TARE-Y90. By RECIST 1.1 criteria of all target lesions, eight of nine patients had stable disease, and one of nine had progressive disease. By mRECIST criteria (requiring postcontrast arterial phase imaging), two of seven patients had a partial response, four of seven had stable disease, and one of seven had progressive disease. Conclusion TARE-Y90 of unresectable primary liver malignancy is both technically feasible and demonstrates an anticancer effect, and retreatment is well tolerated. TARE-Y90 could be considered as adjunctive therapy in pediatric patients with unresectable hepatic malignancies and could be used as a bridge to surgical resection or liver transplant. More research is required to determine the efficacy of this treatment in children and to define the clinical scenarios where benefit is likely to be optimized.
Attention, Externalizing, and Internalizing Problems of Youth Exposed to Parental Incarceration

Few studies have examined the effects of parental incarceration (PI) on outcomes above and beyond other risk and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The objectives of this study were to (1) the a...
Janus v AFSCME, Council 31: Judges Will Haunt You in the Second Gilded Age

This essay examines the United States Supreme Court’s 2018 decision in Janus v AFSCME, Council 31, which concluded that agency shop provisions violate the First Amendment rights of public sector workers who are not union members but receive the fruits of the representation. This decision reversed over 40 years of precedent and imposed “right to work” as a new federal constitutional mandate, fulfilling the dream of anti-union forces since the first Gilded Age.The essay begins with a brief history of the open shop movement and the development of the agency shop as a constitutionally permissible form of union security in the private and public sectors. It then describes how an activist Supreme Court majority undermined the constitutionality of the agency shop, which set the stage for the Janus decision. The essay summarizes the majority and dissenting opinions in Janus, and describes how unions, employers, and some state legislatures are responding to the decision’s immediate impact.
Utilizing a Music Listening Technique in Inpatient Psychiatric Group Counseling

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this article is to describe and illustrate through a hypothetical case example how counselors can utilize an expressive arts technique called music listening in inpatient psy...
Electronic transport and phonon properties of maximally disordered alloys: From binaries to high-entropy alloys

Recent discoveries of multicomponent concentrated solid-solution alloys hold promise for enhanced properties—such as enhanced mechanical properties, radiation tolerance, high temperature strength, corrosion resistance and some novel functional properties, provide a new strategy for alloy design using extreme disorder. Yet, deep understanding of these intriguing properties is complicated by the very effects of disorder that make them interesting. All the desirable properties of these alloys ultimately originate from the disorder-induced properties of underlying electronic structure, lattice dynamics, and thermodynamics. Therefore, understanding the disorder-induced fundamental physical properties is prerequisite for the science-based design of this class of alloys for practical applications. Here, we elucidate the role of extreme (maximal) substitutional disorder plays in the fundamental physics of disordered alloys and review the recently developed theoretical methodologies in modeling the basic physical properties, particularly electronic structure, magnetism, electrical transport, and lattice vibrations in multicomponent concentrated solid-solution alloys.
Where Truth Lies: Digital Culture and Documentary Media after 9/11

This boldly original book traces the evolution of documentary film and photography as they migrated onto digital platforms during the first decades of the twenty-first century. Kris Fallon examines the emergence of several key media forms—social networking and crowdsourcing, video games and virtual environments, big data and data visualization—and demonstrates the formative influence of political conflict and the documentary film tradition on their evolution and cultural integration. Focusing on particular moments of political rupture, Fallon argues that ideological rifts inspired the adoption and adaptation of newly available technologies to encourage social mobilization and political action, a function performed for much of the previous century by independent documentary film. Positioning documentary film and digital media side by side in the political sphere, Fallon asserts that “truth” now lies in a new set of media forms and discursive practices that implicitly shape the documentation of everything from widespread cultural spectacles like wars and presidential elections to more invisible or isolated phenomena like the Abu Ghraib torture scandal or the “fake news” debates of 2016. “Looking at a unique and intriguing set of ‘hybrid media,’ Fallon convincingly makes a claim about a change in the form of new media, one linking politics, aesthetics, and technology.” ALEXANDRA JUHASZ, Brooklyn College, CUNY “Where Truth Lies does the difficult and much-needed work of unpacking how the documentary impulse is shifting in the digital age, both through the profound influence of digital aesthetics and computational thinking and through the ways traditional documentary is infusing digital expression.” JENNIFER MALKOWSKI, author of Dying in Full Detail: Mortality and Digital Documentary KRIS FALLON is Assistant Professor of Cinema and Digital Media at the University of California, Davis.
Abdominal Distention and Emesis in a Term Neonate.

Abstract Background Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a gastrointestinal emergency characterized by ischemic necrosis of the intestinal mucosa, leading to bacterial translocation and pneumatosis of the bowel wall. Although there are numerous studies on clinical presentations of preterm NEC, approximately 10–15% of cases occur in full-term neonates. Nearly 10% of all infants with NEC will develop a rapidly progressive and fatal form of the disease called NEC totalis. Case Report A 24-day-old term male infant presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with emesis. The infant was ill-appearing with a tense abdomen and had significant tachycardia and hypotension. The patient was immediately volume resuscitated and started on empiric antibiotics. Initial radiographs revealed no evidence of bowel obstruction or pneumatosis. Pediatric Surgery was consulted, and upper gastrointestinal and abdominal computed tomography scans were obtained, which were nondiagnostic. The patient was taken to the operating room for an exploratory laparotomy after continued clinical deterioration and was diagnosed with NEC totalis and passed away within 6 days. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? This case demonstrates an uncommon presentation of NEC in an otherwise healthy term neonate without any known risk factors. The diagnosis of NEC is challenging because imaging studies may be inconclusive, particularly early in the clinical course. Regardless of the etiology, all infants who present to the ED with signs and symptoms of severe gastrointestinal distress should be treated with basic emergency care, including rapid fluid resuscitation, empiric antibiotics, bowel decompression, and early surgical consultation.
Chest Pain Evaluation in the Emergency Department: Risk Scores and High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin.

As many as 10 million patients present annually to the emergency department in the USA with symptoms concerning for acute myocardial infarction. The use of risk scores for patients with chest pain or equivalent without ST-segment elevation on the electrocardiogram. The adaptation in the USA of high sensitivity troponin assays requires rethinking of how to best optimize troponin testing within a risk score. Patients are risk stratified using a combination of validated risk scores, biomarkers, and both noninvasive and invasive testing. The advent of high-sensitivity troponins has served to augment existing risk scores in the identification of low-risk patients for early discharge, as well as led to the introduction of new rapid rule-out protocols by which acute myocardial infarction can be excluded by biomarker evaluation more quickly. The emergence of machine learning algorithms may further enhance provider’s ability to quickly diagnose or exclude myocardial infarction in the emergency department. The addition of high sensitive troponin assays to established emergency department risk scores is providing new opportunities to improve the timeliness and accuracy of the evaluation of patients presenting with a possible myocardial infarction. Utilizing the time between troponin measures as a variable combined with clinical risk factors with new algorithms may further serve to improve diagnostic accuracy.
After the Rice Frontier: Producing State and Ethnic Territory in Northwest Myanmar

Scholarship on resource frontiers has often privileged moments of discovery and sites of spectacular infrastructure and extraction. Yet smallholders can alter socio-ecological landscapes in ways th...
Beyond brood: the potential impacts of insect growth disruptors on the long-term health and performance of honey bee colonies

Honey bees are valued pollinators of agricultural crops, and heavy losses reported by beekeepers have spurred efforts to identify causes. As social insects, threats to honey bees should be assessed by evaluating the effects of stress on the long-term health and productivity of the entire colony. Insect growth disruptors are a class of pesticides encountered by honey bees that target pathways involved in insect development, reproduction, and behavior, and they have been shown to affect critical aspects of all three in honey bees. Therefore, it is imperative that their risks to honey bees be thoroughly evaluated. This review describes the effects of insect growth disruptors on honey bees at the individual and colony levels, highlighting hazards associated with different chemistries, and addresses their potential impacts on the longevity of colonies. Finally, recommendations for the direction of future research to identify strategies to mitigate effects are prescribed.
Adaptive perfusion: An in vitro release test (IVRT) for complex drug products

In this work, adaptive perfusion, a pressure-driven separation method based on the principle of tangential flow filtration (TFF) was developed for investigating the rate and extent of drug release from drug products containing particulates, such as emulsions, suspensions, liposomes, drug-protein complexes. The TFF filters were pre-conditioned with unique conditioning solutions and processes to improve the fiber reproducibility and robustness. The adaptive perfusion method achieved size-based separation of the particulates with simultaneous analysis of the released drug as well as remaining drug. By contrast to conventional dialysis methods, the adaptive perfusion method can be used to measure the rate and extent of the drug release from drug solution, drug loaded micelles and nanoemulsions via adjustment of the filter molecular weight cutoff, feed flow rate or back-pressure. Notably, the adaptive perfusion method provided discriminatory drug release profiles for drug in solution, in micelles, and in small, medium, and large globule size nanoemulsions. The drug release profile obtained using adaptive perfusion method was found significantly faster (e.g., minutes rather than hours) and higher (e.g., >60%) than the release obtained using dialysis method. The IVRT method presented here is free from the constraints of rate-limiting factors, such as diffusion through dialysis membrane, and has potential to be extended further to examine the impact of manufacturing process on drug distribution and release characteristics of other challenging complex drug products.
The Science of Forest Science

Science is a many-faceted enterprise, hence it may be studied from a number of perspectives. Of course, not all perspectives can be examined simultaneously. Narrowing the view, as I do here, may give the erroneous impression that perspectives not in focus are unimportant or less important. This is not my feeling. Some views of science have received lots of attention; others, little. In this book I will pay attention to a more logical and semantic perspective of science.
Phage Growth and Deoxyribonucleic Acid Synthesis in Escherichia coli Infected by a Thymine-Requiring Bacteriophage

Mathews, Christopher K. (Yale University, New Haven, Conn.). Phage growth and deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis in Escherichia coli infected by a thymine-requiring bacteriophage. J. Bacteriol. 90:648–652. 1965.—Cultures of Escherichia coli B infected with a mutant strain of phage T4 which cannot induce the formation of thymidylate synthetase produce deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) at about two-thirds the rate of cultures infected with the parent strain. Under certain conditions the yield of viable phage observed with the mutant is one-third of that brought about by the wild-type strain. Addition of thymine increases both DNA synthesis and phage production in cells infected by the mutant. It is suggested that the ability to induce thymidylate synthetase formation in infected cells confers a selective advantage on the wild-type strain.
Statistically Analyzing Execution Variance for Soft Real-Time Applications

Certain high-performance applications like multimedia and gaming have performance requirements beyond reducing program execution time. These applications have repetitive components whose desired performance characteristics are more naturally expressed using soft real-time theory with its probabilistic guarantees. However, for large complex gaming and multimedia applications, programmers typically avoid real-time constructs as they significantly constrain how the programmer can express functionality. Instead, such applications are developed as monolithic programs using conventional languages like C/C++. Here the soft real-time behavior of the application becomes an emergent quality rather than being enforced by design. Programmers must then tweak parameters/algorithms until the application's soft real-time behavior becomes acceptable. There are currently no analysis techniques that directly extract the soft real-time execution characteristics of monolithic applications written without the use of real-time constructs. We introduce a domain-agnostic profiling methodology that identifies program execution-contexts whose variant behavior most significantly affects the soft real-time characteristics of the application.
Role of DNA base excision repair in the mutability and virulence of Streptococcus mutans

The oral pathogen, Streptococcus mutans, possesses inducible DNA repair defences for protection against pH fluctuations and production of reactive oxygen metabolites such as hydrogen peroxide (H(2) O(2) ), which are present in the oral cavity. DNA base excision repair (BER) has a critical role in genome maintenance by preventing the accumulation of mutations associated with environmental factors and normal products of cellular metabolism. In this study, we examined the consequences of compromising the DNA glycosylases (Fpg and MutY) and endonucleases (Smx and Smn) of the BER pathway and their relative role in adaptation and virulence. Enzymatic characterization of the BER system showed that it protects the organism against the effects of the highly mutagenic lesion, 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanine (8-oxo-dG). S. mutans strains lacking a functional Fpg, MutY or Smn showed elevated spontaneous mutation frequencies; and, these mutator phenotypes correlated with the ability of the strains to survive killing by acid and oxidative agents. In addition, in the Galleria mellonella virulence model, strains of S. mutans deficient in Fpg, MutY and Smn showed increased virulence as compared with the parent strain. Our results suggest that, for S. mutans, mutator phenotypes, due to loss of BER enzymes, may confer an advantage to virulence of the organism.
Risk Management in Software Development

Risk management's importance to software development is greater now than ever before. The importance stems from the growing role software plays in delivering value to customers. As we move to a knowledge economy, software embodies the knowledge that brings value. Software applications have become larger, more complex, more susceptible to attack and unanticipated interactions. They are being called on to solve problems for which solutions may not be possible; either the knowledge doesn't yet exist to solve the problem or a reliable solution doesn't exist (Charette, ; Neumann,). This trend is coupled with a growing liability. Although Y2K was for most a nonevent, many people cried for accountability in the event of catastrophe and made elaborate preparations. This is especially true for software applications in the e-commerce, banking, health, safety, aviation, and nuclear industries. The volatility that drives risk in software development is now predominantly from outside the software development process. It comes from the business arena, not the software one. It is not enough to ensure requirements traceability or configuration control. In a knowledge economy, the basis for competition is knowledge and the delivery vehicle is software. Although this article focuses on software risk management, software risk management is not a standalone or unique process but must be integrated with other system, project and organizational management processes to be effective. Software development risks can be categorized according to the domain of the application produced. Although the risks differ from domain to domain, the risks are systemic to developments within any particular domain. The purpose of the risk management process is to identify risks and make decisions regarding them on individual projects. It is one of a variety of techniques software projects use to manage risk. Although the specific actions taken to manage these risks are specific to the risk, the process for identifying and making decisions to manage them must be systematic and requires three elements to make it effective. Functional behavior is the key element in achieving effective risk management. Implementing and honing a repeatable process and making available adequate sources of knowledge, while necessary, cannot by itself change behavior. All three of these elements will be discussed relative to the process. In order to manage risk effectively, a formal process is required. Keywords: domains; software risk; risk management process; identifying risk; sources of information; key decision analysis; taxonomies; domain specific techniques; analyzing risk; impact estimation; probability tables; probability; prioritizing risk; isorisk chart; comparison ranking; timeframe; tolerance; risk control; tools; communications; enabling; life-cycle; capability maturity models
CHROMOSOME STUDIES IN COMPOSITAE

A B S T R A C T Original chromosome observations, including number, from meiotic preparations from 65 collections representing 57 species in 43 genera of Compositae are reported. Of these, eight are first reports. Meiotic irregularities were noted in several species; pollen stainabilities are given for these. Observations that differ from earlier reports are discussed. CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS toward understanding patterns of chromosomal relationships in some groups of Compositae has been made, but many species remain unknown or poorly known cytologically. In an earlier paper (Strother, 1972), I briefly discussed the value of accumulating chromosomal observations and cited appropriate references. This paper is a further contribution toward better understanding of evolutionary mechanisms and taxonomic relationships among Compositae. In this paper, I follow my earlier format, which allows economical presentation of observations and discussions without redundancy of tables plus narrative. Many of the observations reported here confirm earlier reports listed in cumulative indices edited by Fedorov (1969) or Moore (1973; 1974); these are listed without discussion. For collections in which irregularities were observed or for which my observation(s) differ from published reports, additional comments are given.
The Effects of Tributyltin Within a Thalassia Seagrass Ecosystem

Flow-through seagrass core microcosms were used to examine responses of species and processes to a logarithmic gradient of dosing with14C-labeled tributyltin-chloride (TBT-CI). Experiments involved delivery of TBT-CI to the water column of replicate cores of a treatment (n=16) once per week; one-half of the cores were sacrificed after 3 wk of dosing, the others were dosed for 6 wk. Initial water column concentrations for the three treatments averaged 0.205, 2.23, and 22.21 μg I−1, expressed as the TBT+ cation, but these concentrations dropped rapidly. Retained14C tracer, an estimate of total organotin species, was distributed to sediments, plants, and other biological tissues, all of whose tracer concentrations increased with time. Measures to indicate responses of both autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms were made; in general, treatment effects were demonstrable statistically only at the highest dose level. Accumulation of chlorophyll and biomass on glass slides was highest when suspended for the entire experiment in the water of the highest treatment; this unexpected result was perhaps an indirect effect related to reduced grazing activity in the microcosms. The highest dose of TBT-CI resulted in virtual population mortality of a few macrobenthic species and decreased loss of plant material in litter bags, both demonstrated within the first 3 wk of dosing. Reduced litter loss was coincident with mortality of an amphipod (Cymadusa compta) capable of shredding plant material, and a causal relation between the two effects is plausible. Thus, if concentrated to similar levels in aThalassia bed, TBT+ may have direct species-level effects and process-level effects, potentially causing ecosystem change via disruption of a species-process linkage influential in seagrass detrital food web dynamics.
Photoluminescence quenching of tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum thin films at interfaces with metal oxide films of different conductivities

We report a comprehensive study of photoluminescence (PL) quenching of tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum $({\text{Alq}}_{3})$ at interfaces with thin films of tin oxide $({\text{SnO}}_{2})$ using both steady-state and time-resolved measurements. Quenching of excitons generated in the ${\text{Alq}}_{3}$ layer increased with increased conductivity of the ${\text{SnO}}_{2}$ films, which we relate with the presence of nonradiative energy transfer from excitons in ${\text{Alq}}_{3}$ to transitions in ${\text{SnO}}_{2}$. In addition, due to the semitransparency of ${\text{SnO}}_{2}$, the effects of optical interference on the steady-state PL quenching of ${\text{Alq}}_{3}$ are determined. We demonstrate that without accounting for the interference effects in the excitation, the extracted exciton diffusion length $({L}_{d})$ in ${\text{Alq}}_{3}$ is in the range of 10--20 nm. However, when using a numerical model to account for the optical interference effects, we find that ${L}_{d}$ is in the range of 5--9 nm, which agrees with ${L}_{d}$ extracted from time-resolved measurements (4--6 nm). We conclude that time-resolved measurements are least affected by optical interference, yielding the most accurate measurement of ${L}_{d}$.
Dietary pyrrolizidine (Senecio) alkaloids and tissue distribution of copper and vitamin A in broiler chickens.

Abstract The effect of feeding a diet containing 5% tansy ragwort (TR) (Senecio jacobaea), a poisonous plant containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA), on the blood and liver levels of copper, zinc, iron and vitamin A in broiler chicks was examined. Serum and liver copper and liver iron concentrations were increased in chicks fed a diet with 5% TR, while serum and liver zinc and vitamin A decreased. When PA were removed from the diet, partial restoration of normal serum vitamin A level occurred, indicating that the ability to mobilize liver vitamin A is not irreversibly inhibited by PA. The decline in serum vitamin A occurred by 8 days of TR feeding with a concurrent decline in growth rate. When chicks were fed a diet high in vitamin A (25 000 IU/kg), followed by a basal diet containing TR, serum vitamin A levels were significantly (P
Computational investigation of van der Pauw structures for MEMS pressure sensors

This research aims at replacing the conventional filament type resistor piezoresistive sensor with a square conductor with four electrical contacts. The four-contact conductor, popularly known as van der Pauw (VDP) structure, is a test structure widely used for measuring resistivity of arbitrarily shaped samples of constant thickness. Over the years, many researchers have extended the original ideas to develop a variety of approaches for evaluating the resistivities of both isotropic and anisotropic materials using VDP type structures. When used as pressure sensors, VDP devices have the potential to obviate some of the limitations of resistor based sensors. In this paper, finite difference and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) methods have been used to model a square VDP structure under biaxial stress condition. The FEA method was also used to model a serpentine filament resistor. It is observed that the sensitivity of VDP based sensor is more than three times higher than the conventional filament type sensor. In addition, this sensor is seen to have no drift while measuring normalized resistance change difference (NRCD). The sensor is also size independent. Thus, the sensor can be made very small without losing its sensitivity with no drifting issues. As the future applications of MEMS focus on integrating various sensing devices in a small area to reduce weight and cost, an alternative small-size piezotransducer will be beneficial for such future applications.
Clonally Related Cells Are Restricted to Organ Boundaries Early in the Development of the Chicken Gut to Form Compartment Boundaries

The gut organs are all derived from a simple, undifferentiated, linear gut tube. We analyzed the lineage relationships of cells derived from this gut tube in chicken embryos, determining where the progeny of a single cell are located within the gut. We find that daughter cells derived from a single progenitor can populate both the gizzard (chicken stomach) and the small intestine early in development, but that clonally related cells are restricted to a single organ by stage 12. We also find that clonally related cells can populate different mesodermal layers within the radial axis of the gut throughout all of the stages tested in these experiments. Many genes that have organ-specific expression patterns within the gut have been isolated. The onset of these restricted expression patterns correlates with the time that clonal boundaries appear to form, suggesting that these genes might be involved in the establishment of compartment boundaries, which prevent cells on one side of the boundary from intermingling with cells on the other side of the boundary.
Thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy for benign and malignant disease: lessons learned from 46 consecutive procedures.

Abstract Background Transhiatal and transthoracic esophagectomy are common approaches for esophageal resection. The literature is limited regarding the combined thoracoscopic and laparoscopic approach to esophagectomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of combined thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy for the treatment of benign and malignant esophageal disease. Study design We performed a retrospective chart review of 46 consecutive minimally invasive esophagectomies performed between August 1998 and September 2002. Indications for esophagectomy were carcinoma (n = 38), Barrett's esophagus with high-grade dysplasia (n = 3), and recalcitrant stricture (n = 5). Of 38 patients with carcinoma 23 (61%) had neoadjuvant therapy. The main outcome measures were operative time, blood loss, length of intensive care unit and hospital stay, conversion rate, morbidity, mortality, pathology, disease recurrence, and survival. Results Approaches to esophagectomy were thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy (n = 41), thoracoscopic and laparoscopic Ivor Lewis resection (n = 3), abdominal only laparoscopic esophagogastrectomy (n = 1), and hand-assisted laparoscopic transhiatal esophagectomy (n = 1). Minimally invasive esophagectomy was successfully completed in 45 (97.8%) of 46 patients. The mean operative time was 350 ± 75 minutes and the mean blood loss was 279 ± 184 mL. The median length of intensive care unit stay was 2 days and median length of stay was 8 days. Major complications occurred in 17.4% of patients and minor complications occurred in 10.8%. Late complications were seen in 26.1% of patients. The overall mortality was 4.3%. Among the 38 patients who underwent esophagectomy for cancer the 3-year survival was 57%. In a mean followup of 26 months there was no trocar site or neck wound recurrences. Conclusions A thoracoscopic and laparoscopic approach to esophagectomy is technically feasible and safe for the treatment of benign and malignant esophageal disease. With a mean followup of 26 months thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy appears to be an oncologically acceptable surgical approach for the treatment of esophageal cancer.
Adiabatic wall focusing of intense ion beams for the ignition of thermonuclear microexplosions

It is shown that an intense can beam can be adiabatically and spherically symmetric focused onto a center of convergence by a Prandtl-Meyer flow inside a curved concave wall. The method can be extended to more than one wall and several beams and can be applied to the ignition of thermonuclear microexplosions.
A high-yielding synthesis of allyl glycosides from peracetylated glycosyl donors

Abstract β-Configured peracetylated sugars are often used as easily accessible glycosyl donors that are typically activated with common Lewis acids such as boron trifluoride or trimethylsilyltrifluoromethane sulfonate. Often these glycosylations occur with unsatisfactory yields due to incomplete reactions or extensive byproduct formation, primarily as a result of loss of an additional acetyl group generating partially unprotected glycosides. Here we report a simple glycosylation–reacetylation protocol for the generation of predominantly β-configured peracetylated allyl glucoside, -galactoside, -lactoside, and -maltoside with substantially improved reaction yields.
Gene Patents: Perspective from the Clinic and the Laboratory

How could something you consider personal and essential to your unique identity, such as your genetic make-up, become commodified? There are precedents for treating blood and tissue samples containing genetic information as commodities. When researchers, institutions and companies consider samples to be commodities, they do not seek to determine the wishes of the patients and their families with regard to sample use, because they may seek to profit from the genetic material in the samples by obtaining patents on the genes. Patient advocacy groups and some governments have challenged gene patents, and have even sought controlling interests in them. Patient advocacy groups and professional organizations supported an attempt to overturn gene patents in the case, Association of Molecular Pathology, et al. v. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, et al. (American Civil Liberties Union 2011). When the Supreme Court handed down its ruling on June 13, 20131 (Supreme Court of the United States 2013), it struck down pa...
2-D computer simulations of segmented penetrators impacting semi-infinite steel targets

Abstract It has been shown that penetrator efficiency, i.e. the ratio of penetration to penetrator length (P/L), increases as the ratio of the penetrator length to diameter decreases (L/D). This suggests a long rod penetrator divided in several smaller length segments separated at a distance should improve performance when performance is measured in terms of total penetration. Numerical simulations are presented examining the performance of A. C. Charters' 7 segment 18 g kinetic energy penetrator at normal impact against a semi-infinite T4340 steel target. The two dimensional simulations compare the effects of the spacers used in Charters' penetrator with a similar penetrator without spacers; compare the performance of equivalent mass and diameter and equivalent mass and length monolithic penetrators to that of their segmented counterpart at velocities of 3.0, 3.4 and 4.0 km/s; examine the effects on performance of spacing-to-diameter ratio; and examine the use of penetration efficiency as a measure of the performance of segmented penetrators.
Toward a Reconciliation of the Bureaucratic and Democratic Ethos

This article attempts to reconcile the dominant ethical frameworks in public administration: the bureaucratic ethos and the democratic ethos. To do so, the article begins by recasting the debate between the two ethos as a modern-day manifestation of the historic and ongoing debate between utilitarian and deontological ethics. It next shows how the principle of the universalizability of ethical rules can be derived from both utilitarian and deontological theory. Finally, it shows how the principle of universalizability can be used to reconcile the two ethos in the context of the public interest.
Matching: Its Acquisition and Generalization.

Choice typically is studied by exposing organisms to concurrent variable-interval schedules in which not only responses controlled by stimuli on the key are acquired but also switching responses and likely other operants as well. In the present research, discriminated key-pecking responses in pigeons were first acquired using a multiple schedule that minimized the reinforcement of switching operants. Then, choice was assessed during concurrent-probe periods in which pairs of discriminative stimuli were presented concurrently. Upon initial exposure to concurrently presented stimuli, choice approximated exclusive preference for the alternative associated with the higher reinforcement frequency. Concurrent schedules were then implemented that gave increasingly greater opportunities for switching operants to be conditioned. As these operants were acquired, the relation of relative response frequency to relative reinforcement frequency converged toward a matching relation. An account of matching with concurrent schedules is proposed in which responding exclusively to the discriminative stimulus associated with the higher reinforcement frequency declines as the concurrent stimuli become more similar and other operants-notably switching-are acquired and generalize to stimuli from both alternatives. The concerted effect of these processes fosters an approximate matching relation in commonly used concurrent procedures.
Nonconversion of 5,11,14-eicosatrienoic into arachidonic acid by rats

Methyl ester of [U-14C]5,11,14-20∶3 was administered to essential fatty acid deficient rats. In contrast to a report by Takagi, it was found that the trienoic acid was not converted into arachidonic acid.
A Laboratory Technique for Measuring Dielectric Properties of Core Samples at Ultrahigh Frequencies

Description d'une installation automatique de laboratoire de mesure precise des proprietes dielectriques d'echantillons de carottes a tres hautes frequences
A computer-assisted system for productivity management

Abstract A number of productivity measurement systems have been developed in the last decade. However, these systems lack the capability to make inferences on total productivity index or partial productivity indices. Further, these systems ignore the planning phase and evaluation phase which are equally important as the measurement phase. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to develop a computerized productivity management system ( cpms ) to plan, measure, and evaluate the productivity of a manufacturing company. The system consists of three modules and is developed under d base iv and Quick basic environments. The productivity planning module allocates the available resources to achieve the maximum productivity. The productivity measurement module measures the difference between the expected productivity and the actual productivity. The productivity evaluation module evaluates all the computing results and finds out which operational units can not meet their goals and then tries to improve them. Although cmps should be accurate since it is integrated from proven methods, the system is still evaluated by comparing the actual productivity from a manufacturing company with the suggested productivity from cpms . The results indicate that the suggested productivity is very close to the actual data. The total productivity will be increased by 10%, the partial productivity will be increased by about 15%, and the cost saved for one resource can be increased up to 48% of cmps is implemented.