cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of flooding on water relations and growth of Theobroma cacao var. catongo seedlings

SummarySoil flooding induced stomatal closure and lowered the transpiration rate of Theobroma cacao var. catongo seedlings within 2 h. The early stomatal closure was not associated with leaf dehydration. Subsequent responses to flooding included inhibition of leaf formation and expansion, reduction in dry weight increment and in relative growth rates of leaves, stems and roots (with root growth reduced most), height growth and stem diameter growth. In addition, flooding was followed by leaf epinasty, extensive decay of roots, and formation of hypertrophied lenticels and adventitious roots on submerged stems. The effects of flooding differed quantitatively on dry weight increment and on the relative growth rates of leaves, stems and roots. Flooding the soil in a controlled-environment chamber inhibited seedling growth more than flooding in a greenhouse. The greatly lowered root:shoot ratio of flooded seedlings indicated that drought tolerance of seedlings will be reduced after the flood waters recede becau...
Law and the Questions and Answers of Workplace Mobilization

RESPONSE to Nicole Hallett, From the Picket Line to the Courtroom: A Labor Organizing Privilege to Protect Workers, 39 N.Y.U. Rev. L. & Soc. Change 475 (2015).
Not in My Atlantic Yards: Examining Netroots’ Role in Eminent Domain Reform

This Note uses the Atlantic Yards project as a case study in post-Kelo use of eminent domain. Part I will outline the role of Kelo in reshaping the debate around eminent domain. Part II will examine the history and controversy surrounding Atlantic Yards and illustrate how, despite significant Internet-facilitated community activism, the absence of a legal mechanism prevented landowners from affecting any change in the outcome of Forest City Ratner's $4.9 billion commercial and residential development plan in Brooklyn, New York. Finally, Part III will look at traditional methods for public forums in land use and propose a new format to elicit and accommodate public participation in land use decisions. It will argue that advances in technology and the proliferation of the Internet have increased community connectivity, involvement, and transparency and can be used to streamline the public-hearing process. Statutory reform that incorporates these advances can appease both sides of the eminent domain reform debate and create a more efficient and democratic system of land use.
Long-term results of repair of incomplete persistent atrioventricular canal.

We evaluated the late results following repair of otherwise anatomically uncomplicated incomplete persistent atrioventricular canal in 39 consecutive operative survivors who underwent operation at our institution prior to 1976. Average follow-up was 12 years. Postoperative cardiac catheterization was performed in 35 patients (90%) at an average of 11 months after operation. Seven (20%) had residual mitral regurgitation with elevated mean pulmonary arterial wedge or left atrial pressures with abnormal v waves. Regurgitation was mild to moderate (pulmonary artery wedge or left atrial pressure 12 to 15 mm Hg) in five and severe (pulmonary artery wedge pressure over 20 mm Hg) in two patients. Clinically significant arrhythmias including complete heart block, sudden death, nodal rhythm, and chronic atrial fibrillation occurred in seven patients (18%). Two patients have required reoperation for mitral regurgitation. Five have clinically recognizable mild-to-moderate mitral regurgitation controlled with medical management; 25 patients are asymptomatic at current evaluation. Estimated actuarial survival rate at 13 years is 88% ± 6%, with an actuarial survival free of reoperation of 82% ± 6%. However, actuarial survival free of any late complication including late death, reoperation, serious arrhythmia, or mitral regurgitation is only 52% ± 10% at 13 years.
Vodka Politics: Alcohol, Autocracy, and the Secret History of the Russian State. By Mark Lawrence Schrad. (Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2014. Pp. xvii, 492. $35.00.)

This is a curious book. It purports to be an explanation of the problem of alcoholism in Russia and that nation's current demographic crisis. Political scientist Mark Schrad's thesis is that Russia...
Digital holography wavefront sensing in the pupil-plane recording geometry for distributed-volume atmospheric aberrations

Digital holography in the pupil-plane recording geometry shows promise as a wavefront sensor for use in adaptive-optics systems. Because current wavefront sensors suffer from decreased performance in the presence of turbulence and thermal blooming, there is a need for a more robust wavefront sensor in such distributed-volume atmospheric conditions. Digital holography fulfills this roll by accurately estimating the wrapped phase of the complex optical field after propagation through the atmosphere to the pupil plane of an optical system. This paper examines wave-optics simulations of spherical-wave propagation through both turbulence and thermal blooming; it also quantifies the performance of digital holography as a wavefront sensor by generating field-estimated Strehl ratios as a function of the number of pixels in the detector array, the Rytov number, and the Fried coherence diameter. Altogether the results indicate that digital holography wavefront sensing in the pupil-plane recording geometry is a valid and accurate method for estimating the wrapped phase of the complex optical field in the presence of distributed-volume atmospheric aberrations.
Human Agentic Theories and the Development of Self-Determination

Self-determination theories are housed within theories of human agentic behavior. Human agency refers to the sense of personal empowerment involving both knowing and having what it takes to achieve goals. Human agentic theories share the meta-theoretical view that organismic aspirations drive human behaviors. An organismic perspective of self-determination portrays people as active contributors to, or “authors” of their behavior, where behavior is defined in terms of self-regulated and goal-directed actions. This chapter will review the major theories of human agentic behavior and will examine the role of self-determination in each.
Measuring I/O Performance of Lustre and the Temporary File System for Tradespace Applications on HPC Systems

Tradespace analysis is an important part of design and modeling simulations in the military, in which thousands of design parameters are made available for detecting potential areas for performance enhancement in expensive equipment such as combat and transport vehicles. In pursuit of larger, more accurate tradespaces, engineers port existing serial design and evaluation codes onto ERDC's supercomputers. This results in a significant number of producer-consumer, file-mediated codes running simultaneously on Lustre, the distributed file system underlying our HPC systems. In this paper, we compare the performance of Lustre to Linux tmpfs, a shared memory file system that was designed for interprocess data transfer within a single node. Our results suggest that when conducting many file I/O operations in close succession, tmpfs offers tremendous speedup over Lustre-controlled disk storage. For tradespace applications, our results lend credence to a strategy of scheduling and organizing disparate codes in such a way to leverage tmpfs. We believe our results will help guide engineers at other national labs and scientists without HPC expertise to more easily port their I/O heavy serial codes to HPC systems.
Multistability of cantilever MEMS/NEMS switches induced by electrostatic and surface forces

Abstract MEMS/NEMS switches are used in a variety of portable electronics and RF telecommunications systems. MEMS/NEMS switches are ideally bi-stable, with one ON and one OFF state and a reliable switching between the two induced by electrical actuation. Presented herein is an exploration into non-ideal behavior, i.e. tri-stability, and parametric sensitivity of a generalization of cantilever MEMS/NEMS switches. The representative system model employs multiphysics features based on Euler–Bernoulli beam theory, parallel plate capacitance for electrostatics, and a Lennard-Jones form of surface interaction. The geometry, material properties, and surface features of the device are condensed into just a few dimensionless quantities, creating a parameter space of low enough dimensionality to provide accessible representations of all system equilibria within physically relevant ranges. Analysis of this system model offers insight regarding conditions necessary for bi- and tri-stability in such systems, which are crucial for informing studies on switching dynamics and various device performance metrics.
Factors Influencing Participation in Clinical Trials: Emergency Medicine vs. Other Specialties.

Introduction Although there has been considerable research investigating the factors that influence patients’ decisions to participate in clinical research, there are few data as to how these factors apply to Emergency Medicine (EM) research. This study’s purpose was to investigate factors that influence EM patients’ decisions to participate in clinical trials and whether these factors differ from those of other medical specialties. Methods A survey was distributed in EM, Family Medicine (FM), Infectious Disease (ID) and Obstetrics/Gynecology (OB/GYN) outpatient waiting areas. Those eligible for inclusion were patients 18 years of age or older and able to complete the survey without assistance. All responses were on a five-point Likert scale of “0-4” with “4” representing the factor with greatest significance to the respondent. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to identify differences in participants’ responses. Results A total of 2,893 eligible subjects were approached; 1,841 surveys were included in the final analysis. Statistically significant differences (p≤0.009) were found for eight of the ten motivating factors between EM and one or more of the other specialties. EM respondents were less likely than their colleagues in other specialties to rate their relationship with their doctor or their doctor’s reputation as an important motivational factor. EM’s ranking of “how well the research was explained” and whether “the knowledge learned would benefit others” as their top two motivating factors was similar across specialties. All nine barriers showed statistically significant differences (p≤0.008), between EM and one or more other specialties. Participants from all specialties indicated “risk of unknown side-effects” as their strongest barrier. Among the six resources assessed that help patients decide whether to participate in a clinical trial, only one scored statistically significantly different for EM (p<0.001). EM patients ranked “having all material provided in my own language” as the most helpful resource. Conclusions There are significant differences between EM patients and those of other specialties in the factors that influence them to participate in clinical research. Providing material in patients’ own language, explaining the study well and elucidating how their participation might benefit others in the future may help improve enrollment in EM-based clinical trials.
Putzer's Algorithm for eAt via the Laplace Transform

SummaryA method due to E. J. Putzer computes the matrix exponential eAt for an n × n matrix A without transforming A to Jordan canonical form. A variation of Putzer's algorithm is presented. This approach is based on an algorithmically produced formula for the resolvent matrix (sI - A) -1 that is combined with simple Laplace transform formulas to give a formula, similar to Putzer's, for eAt.
Noise and Noise Reduction in Supersonic Jets

This paper describes a novel noise reduction method for supersonic jets. It involves the injection of relatively small amounts of air into the diverging section of a convergent-divergent nozzle. The air is injected through a series of injectors that are aligned axially. The injected air diverts the jet core flow and forms “fluid inserts.” These inserts have the same effect as hard-walled corrugated seals, but can be modified by changes to the injector pressure ratios. The inserts change the effective area ratio of the nozzle and can enable the jet to operate closer to an on-design condition. This has the effect of weakening the shock cell structures in the jet and reducing the broadband shock-associated noise. In addition, streamwise vortices are generated that break up the large-scale turbulent structures in the jet and result in a reduction in the supersonic mixing noise in the peak noise radiation direction. Experiments are described that examine the levels of noise reduction achieved by the fluid inserts. The effects of the number and azimuthal distribution of the inserts are examined. The effect of a change of experimental scale from small to moderate model sizes is also given. Noise reductions in the peak noise direction of up to 6 dB are obtained and broadband shock-associated noise is reduced. Ongoing plans and open questions are also discussed.
Perceived Informativity and Referential Effects of Contrast in Adjectivally Modified NPs

Referential Effects of Contrast (RECs) involving reference resolution of adjectivally modified NPs (e.g., the tall glass) have been attributed to pragmatic reasoning based on the informativity of modification (Sedivy et al. Cognition, 71(2):109–147, 1999; Sedivy, Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 32(1):3–23, 2003; Sedivy, Approaches to studying world-situated language use: Bridging the language-as-product and language-as-action traditions, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, pp. 345–364, 2004, a.o.). Recently, it has been claimed that informativity alone cannot account for all the attested interactions between adjectival meaning and context and that factors related to efficiency in the search of a referent also play an important role (Rubio-Fernandez, Frontiers in Psychology, 7(153), 2016). Building on Aparicio et al. (Proceedings of Semantics and Linguistic Theory, vol. 25, 2015), this paper demonstrates that perceived informativity plays an important role in RECs, but lexical semantic properties of different adjective classes are also relevant. We present results from a Visual World eye-tracking study which shows that adjective classes differ in whether they introduce RECs, and results from an offline judgment task which show that this difference correlates to some extent with the perceived informativity of members of these classes. Color adjectives, relative adjectives and maximum standard absolute adjectives were rated as overinformative when used as modifiers in the absence of contrast, and gave rise to RECs; minimum standard absolute adjectives were not rated as overinformative when used as modifiers in the absence of contrast, and did not give rise to RECs. Taken together, our results show that perceived informativity plays an important role in RECs. We also discuss additional differences between the adjective classes which suggest that differences in lexical semantics can further contribute to differences in RECs.
Managed mental health care: a home grown product.

Public non-profit mental health services the Mentally Ill (NAMI) found that 70% of businesses agreed with the concept of parhave been the last entities in health care to be affected by the managed care revoluity. Thirty-two percent of businesses surveyed have already made changes in order tion. Managed care companies have been greatly concerned that services to the to comply, and another 43% said they were in the process of complying. Only mentally ill involve unpredictable costs. This fear is driven, in part, by the preva2% thus far have sought a waiver, and only 1% in the survey intend to drop their menlence of severe and persistent mental illness, along with legislation in most states tal health coverage. Maryland has reported to the National that entitles severely mentally ill persons, through Medicaid entitlements, to receive Institute of Mental Health (1998) that the total medical premium has decreased by as much mental health service as is deemed medically necessary. Concomi0.2% following compliance with the parity law. After Minnesota had been under partantly, data are beginning to show that fears about unpredictable costs are unity for 1 year, Blue Cross/Blue Shield reduced the premium for small businesses founded in states that have begun to introduce mental health parity. The Mental from 6 to 5%. North Carolina implemented parity in 1992, and has seen a decrease in Health Parity Act of 1996 requires annual and lifetime benefits for mental illness that mental health payments, as a percentage of total health payments, from 6.4 to 3.4% (a are on a par with those offered by employers. Employers are exempt if they have 50 47% reduction). Clearly, these results have been achieved through careful manageor fewer employees and/or if the benefit raises health premiums more than 1%. ment of mental health resources. In spite of these successes, the public A survey by the National Alliance for mental health system has been slow to change. Supported by mental health tax dollars in most large urban centers, nonWalter Smitson, Ph.D., is President and CEO of profit mental health and substance abuse Central Clinic, Cincinnati, and is Professor in agencies have long guarded their individthe Department of Psychiatry, University of Cinual turfs, and have effectively resisted efcinnati College of Medicine. forts to enter the domain of painful Address for correspondence: Walter S. Smitson, Ph.D., Central Clinic, 3259 Elland Ave., change. Instead, many agency executives Cincinnati, OH 45229-2801. and their boards have often developed
Ultrafine microsphere particles of zirconium titanate produced by homogeneous dielectric-tuning coprecipitation

Zirconium titanates are widely used in electrical (common microwave dielectrics) and optical devices as well as in bifunctional catalysis and structural ceramics. In this paper, ultrafine amorphous solid microsphere precursor particles of zirconium titanate (Zr x Ti1 − x O2) with possibly tailored intraparticle nanostructure (i.e., nanosized pores) were synthesized by a “dielectric-tuning” solution coprecipitation method, in which inorganic salts were dissolved in a simple water-alcohol mixture and homogeneous nucleation and growth of particles were then induced by heating at temperatures below 100°C. Near-monodispersed particles were obtained. Particle sizes (nanometers to a few micrometers in diameter) were controlled by adjusting the process parameters such as salt concentration, alcohol-to-water volume ratio, temperature, and heating time. Nanosphere particles were produced with a rapid microwave heating nucleation-control scheme. Transmission electron microscopic analysis of each individual microsphere indicates that uniform nanostructures (a few nanometers in pore size) as well as compositional homogeneity (in terms of the Zr/Ti ratio) have been obtained inside each amorphous microsphere. In situhigh-temperature X-ray diffraction data show that no phase segregation was observed in as-preprared microspheres and the transition from amorphous to the single-crystalline ZrTiO4phase occurred around 650°C for a composition of Zr/Ti = 1. Interestingly, thermal analysis (DTA/TGA) data indicate that the solution synthesis condition seems to affect the crystallization activation energy and onset temperature, which varies from 530 to 680°C.
Effect of monensin and monensin and tylosin combination on feed intake variation of feedlot steers.

A trial involving four commercial feedlots and an individual feeding trial evaluated the effect of monensin and monensin/tylosin on intake variation and deaths from digestive disorders. Four commercial feedlots in Texas and Colorado fed 2,904 yearling crossbred steers (340 kg) high-grain diets containing approximately 82% grain, 8% silage and alfalfa hay, 4% fat, and 6% supplement (DM basis). Steers were allotted randomly to one of three monensin/tylosin levels: 1) no monensin or tylosin (control); 2) 22 mg/kg of monensin and 11 mg/kg of tylosin; or 3) 33 mg/kg of monensin and 11 mg/kg of tylosin. Monensin/tylosin reduced DMI (P < .05) and improved ADG (P < .05) and feed efficiency (P < .01). Intake variation associated with dry matter offered per pen was not different among treatments. In the individual feeding trial, feeding 27 mg/kg of monensin reduced (P < .10) DMI variation during grain adaptation and during d 57 to 70 and d 97 to 110 compared with the control (no monensin) diet. The magnitude of intake variance was 5 to 10 times greater with individually fed steers than with steers fed in the commercial feedlot pens. When the DMI of the individually fed steers were averaged and treated as a pen of steers, DMI variance was reduced drastically and was not different between treatments. We interpret these data to indicate that monensin and monensin/tylosin reduce feed intake variation among individual steers within a pen of steers. Pen means mask individual animal variation to the point that it is difficult to detect treatment differences.
Habitat type and structure affect trap capture success of an invasive snake across variable densities

Detection represents an important limitation of accurately estimating population size, abundance, and habitat suitability for wildlife, which can be especially true for cryptic animals. Moreover, for reptiles, juveniles are often less likely to be detected than later life stages. In the case of invasive species, preventing false negatives early in the invasion process can be critical for improving outcomes of control measures. We evaluated habitat structure in relation to catch per unit effort (CPUE) and mean size of trapped invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) on Guam. We used a 5‐ha enclosure containing a known, closed population of brown treesnakes to identify key habitat variables that related to CPUE and mean size of trapped snakes over six years. We then tested the relationship of those variables to CPUE and mean size of trapped snakes at three sites with suppressed snake populations as a proxy for low‐density populations anticipated to occur during early detection of invasive populations. We found that a coarse measure of habitat structure represented by three forest types correlated with trap detections, as well as finer measures of habitat structure, such as distance to nearest branch and the type of trap support structure used. On average, smaller snakes were captured in traps placed higher in the tree canopy. Some, but not all, habitat variables identified as predictive of CPUE and mean size within the enclosed population pre‐suppression were also predictive at the snake‐suppressed (low‐density proxy) sites. Habitat structure around the sampling unit (a trap) affected detection probability and the size of detected individuals independently of the demographic structure of the population. Measuring wildlife‐habitat relationships of invaders in their novel environments may be one method to improve early detection during invasive species management.
Effectiveness of crack sealing in reducing the rate of pavement deterioration

Cracks in highway and airfield pavements pose safety challenges because they can lead to serious surface defects that impair the operations of aircraft or automobiles that use these pavements. It i...
Facebook and a Farm Crisis: FFA and Online Agricultural Advocacy

Following the March 2017 wildfire devastation in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, local chapters of the National FFA Organization actively engaged on social media to advocate for public response to the crisis. Twenty-three public Facebook posts from FFA chapters and affiliates demonstrate members’ engagement with agricultural issues in the United States, disrupting the generalization that young adults are disconnected from civic affairs. However, while Facebook served as an important platform for members’ ag-vocacy in the wake of the crisis, FFA chapter posts contain embedded traditional rural literacies, which are reflected in members’ collective identification with existing supporters of agricultural communities. While FFA chapters had the potential to advocate to a broad readership, the posts reveal the chapters’ way of reading the crisis and writing a response to it with an insular narrative. As a result, Facebook posts that target only limited audiences and/or appeal to readers with exclusionary collective identification result in the failure of entities, such as local FFA chapters, to capitalize on Facebook’s full potential as an advocacy tool to inform and engage large public audiences.
Event-Driven Analysis of Crowd Dynamics in the Black Lives Matter Online Social Movement

Online social movements (OSMs) play a key role in promoting democracy in modern society. Most online activism is largely driven by critical offline events. Among many studies investigating collective behavior in OSMs, few has explored the interaction between crowd dynamics and their offline context. Here, focusing on the Black Lives Matter OSM and utilizing an event-driven approach on a dataset of 36 million tweets and thousands of offline events, we study how different types of offline events-police violence and heightened protests-influence crowd behavior over time. We find that police violence events and protests play important roles in the recruitment process. Moreover, by analyzing the re-participation dynamics and patterns of social interactions, we find that, in the long term, users who joined the movement during police violence events and protests show significantly more commitment than those who joined during other times. However, users recruited during other times are more committed to the movement than the other two groups in the short term. Furthermore, we observe that social ties formed during police violence events are more likely to be sustained over time than those formed during other times. Contrarily, ties formed during protests are the least likely to be maintained. Altogether, our results shed light on the impact of bursting events on the recruitment, retention, and communication patterns of collective behavior in the Black Lives Matter OSM.
Organization and development of combined medical-psychiatric units: Part 2

Abstract In Part 2 of a two-part series, the authors continue to discuss a systematic approach to the organization and development of combined medical-psychiatric units. Part 1 covered selection and admission of patients, architectural and physical environment of the unit, diagnostic and medical therapeutic modalities that should be provided, the therapeutic milieu, and the roles and relationships of different mental health professionals. Part 2 examines the selection and training of nursing staff, composition of the psychiatric staff and quality assurance, the psychiatrist-internist relationship and provision of medical coverage, the role of the medical director, administrative interfaces, and financial issues.
Utilitarianism and Replaceability or Are Animals Expendable

In her very interesting paper, “Peter Singer on Expendability,” L. A. Kemmerer re-examines Peter Singer’s utilitarian argument implying that some being are replaceable and the implications of this argument for the issue of treating animals. I attempt to defend Singer, and more generally utilitarianism (including the principle of replaceability), against these objections. I argue that, given a utilitarian outlook, some animals are indeed replaceable. But I also argue that few animals are replaceable in practice. Stefan Sencerz Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi stefan.sencerz@tamucc.edu
Psychological reactance impacts ratings of pediatrician vaccine-related communication quality, perceived vaccine safety, and vaccination priority among U.S. parents.

Physician communication surrounding vaccination is important in driving patient compliance with schedules and recommendations, but patient psychological factors suggest that communication strategie...
The therapeutic effects of vitamin C on lung cancer cells.

e18523 Background: In this in-vitro study, we determined the effects of vitamin C (Ascorbic acid), an essential vitamin, on two different lung cancer cell lines (H358 – Bronchioalveolar Carcinoma a...
Novel Administration of Clofazimine for the Treatment of Mycobacterium avium Infection

Clofazimine has demonstrated in vitro activity against many nontuberculous mycobacteria. We present the case of a woman with cystic fibrosis who developed disseminated macrolide-resistant Mycobacterium avium infection following lung transplantation treated in part with clofazimine. We describe the novel administration of clofazimine via gastrostomy tube.
Correlation of cerebellar granular layer autolysis with ante-mortem systemic acid-base status.

Research in neuroscience relies heavily upon postmortem human brain tissue. Cerebellar granular layer autolysis (GLA) is a surrogate marker for the quality of such tissue and suitability for molecular analysis. GLA is associated with reduced brain tissue pH. The aim of this study was to assess correlation of GLA with premortem systemic acid–base status. This is a retrospective study in which 62 consecutive adult autopsy cases were included. Sections of cerebellum were reviewed microscopically for presence of GLA. Autolysis was graded as negative, grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3. Medical records were reviewed for arterial blood gas analysis. Postmortem interval was recorded. 23 of 62 cases showed GLA. Of the 23 patients with autolysis, 22 were acidotic and 1 was alkalotic. Of these 23 cases, 15 had metabolic acidosis, 4 had respiratory acidosis, 3 had combined acidosis and 1 had respiratory alkalosis. There was no statistically significant difference in postmortem interval between the two groups. 10 cases with grade 3 autolysis had mean pH of 7.13, 7 cases with grade 2 autolysis had mean pH of 7.23 and in 6 cases with grade 1 autolysis the mean pH was 7.2. Overall, the mean pH in patients with GLA was 7.19, and in the non-autolytic cases the mean pH was 7.28 (P < 0.05). There was no correlation between the degree of acidosis and severity of autolysis. GLA is associated with premortem systemic acidosis, and premortem systemic alkalosis is associated with the absence of GLA. Premortem acid–base status may serve as an additional quality indicator for assessment of tissue for research.
In vitro Models of the Blood–Brain Barrier: Tools in Translational Medicine

Medical progress has historically depended on scientific discoveries. Until recently, science was driven by technological advancements that, once translated to the clinic, fostered new treatments and interventions. More recently, technology-driven medical progress has often outpaced laboratory research. For example, intravascular devices, pacemakers for the heart and brain, spinal cord stimulators, and surgical robots are used routinely to treat a variety of diseases. The rapid expansion of science into ever more advanced molecular and genetic mechanisms of disease has often distanced laboratory-based research from day-to-day clinical realities which remain based on evidence and outcomes. A recognized reason for this hiatus is the lack of laboratory tools that recapitulate the clinical reality faced by physicians and surgeons. To overcome this, the NIH and FDA have in the recent past joined forces to support the development of a “human-on-a-chip” which will allow research scientists to perform experiments on a realistic replica when testing the effectiveness of novel experimental therapies. The development of a "human-on-a-chip" rests on the capacity to grow in vitro various organs-on-a-chip, connected with appropriate vascular supplies and nerves, and our ability to measure and perform experiments on these virtually invisible organs. One of the tissue structures to be scaled down on a chip is the human blood-brain barrier. This review gives a historical perspective on in vitro models of the BBB and summarizes the most recent 3D models which attempt to fill the gap between research modeling and patient care. We also present a summary of how these in vitro models of the BBB can be applied to study human brain diseases and their treatments. We have chosen NeuroAIDS, COVID-19, Multiple Sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease as examples of in vitro model application to neurological disorders. Major insight pertaining to these illnesses as a consequence of more profound understanding of the BBB can reveal new avenues for the development of diagnostics, more efficient therapies, and definitive clarity of disease etiology and pathological progression.
A rare cause of platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome in a young female due to persistent left superior vena cava

Platypnea-Orthodeoxia syndrome (POS) is a rare clinical syndrome characterized by shortness of breath in the upright position that is relieved with supine positioning. We present a rare case of persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) draining into the left atrium causing a right-to-left shunt and subsequent POS. A 30-year-old female with a past medical history of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, congenital Long QT syndrome and a left-sided dual chamber implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) presented with dyspnea and lightheadedness. Prior to presentation, the patient underwent a left-sided ICD extraction due to ICD lead infection and re-implantation from the right side through the cephalic vein. After further investigation, it was concluded that the PLSVC resulted in a physiological right-to-left shunting causing POS, with resolution of her symptoms after surgical ligation. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of PLSVC presenting with POS without anatomical intracardiac shunts following iatrogenic right superior vena cava (RSVC) obstruction.
In vitro determinants of e-cig aerosol condensate bioavailability and toxicity: Influence of cell culture parameters and utility of a normalized dose metric in e-cigarette studies

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) have a strong foothold in the marketplace as a product to replace tobacco cigarette usage. Despite many researchers investigating the use of e-cigs and possible health issues, there is still controversy concerning how to evaluate and use e-cig condensates. Therefore, to identify factors that influence in vitro e-cig studies, we examined parameters that can impact experimental outcomes. We generated high wattage e-cig aerosol condensate (ECAC) to determine reproducible conditions to evaluate ECAC with respect to cellular survival. Cytotoxicity of ECAC was independent of serum conditions. However, cytotoxicity of ECAC is altered by treatment duration and by physical factors, including cell seeding density and volume of ECAC used. In addition, interactions between ECAC components and cells, as well as the culture vessel surface, diminish the bioavailability of ECAC components in vitro and altered the results obtained. Moreover, the cell seeding density changes reactive oxygen species production in response to ECAC exposure. Our data indicated that normalized ECAC doses (ECAC weight per cell) better reflect the toxicity of ECAC than nominal doses (ECAC percentage). These results provide factors for researchers to consider in the design of in vitro experiments using ECAC.
Solenidial Transposition in Pimeliaphilus (Acari, Pterygosomatidae) and Its Potential Systematic Significance

In the development of Acari from larva to adult, there is a progressive increase in the total number of setae on the body and the appendages. There is also a definite pattern of increase: certain setae are added at each molt. In oligotrichous forms, these setae can be named or numbered. Grandjean (1964) summarized his extensive observations on the ontogeny of chaetotactic patterns in the solenidia of the Oribatei, and showed that these patterns have systematic significance in many cases, at least at supraspecific levels.
The Genuine Teachers of This Art: Rhetorical Education in Antiquity, by Jeffrey Walker

With turns pictorial and spatial, somatic and sonic, scholarly movements in rhetoric resemble the epicycles of the Ptolemaic universe: they keep rhetoric fixed in the center while allowing for moti...
Star formation in infrared bright and infrared faint starburst interacting galaxies.

Short wavelength IUE spectra of Arp 248b and UGC 8315N are combined with optical spectra and interpreted using a combination of spectrum synthesis and spectral diagnostics to place constraints on the massive star populations of the central regions of these galaxies and to deduce information about the star formation histories in the last 10(exp 8) years. The authors find that both galaxies have substantial fractions of their optical light coming from massive stars and that Arp 248b may be dominated in the UV by WR stars. The UV spectra are dominated by radiation from evolved massive stars and the authors place and age on the burst in Arp 248b of a few tens of millions of years.
Electronically controlled long leg brace

Long leg braces are prescribed for those incapable of ambulation due to quadriceps insufficiency or paralysis. These designs lock the knee joint and require the user to adopt an unnatural and energy inefficient gait. A self-contained, electronically controlled brace system has been designed and tested which allows knee flexion during the swing phase of gait, but restricts flexion during the stance, or weight-bearing, phase. Laboratory test results comparing this new brace system and a standard locked Knee-Ankle-Foot-Orthosis show that knee flexion/extension kinematics are improved and that oxygen consumption rates are reduced.
Legal Liability for Dam Failures

Although major dams are not designed or intended to fail, the unexpected may occur with tragic consequences. In the unlikely event of such a tragedy, the legal system has a full panoply of remedies available to compensate the victims and their families for the losses incurred. While each state is a separate jurisdiction free to adopt its own legal rules, regulations and theories of relief, the states will generally utilize the common-law theories of negligence and strict liability in awarding relief. Many steps can be taken to minimize the risks of failure.Potential damages include the traditional common law compensatory awards for loss of life/wrongful death, personal injury, loss of earnings, medical expenses, emotional distress, and property damages. There is also an additional risk of punitive damages being awarded if defendant's wrongful conduct is viewed as intentional, egregious, willful, wanton or reckless.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy is accurate and prognostic in head and neck melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has emerged as a widely used staging procedure for cutaneous melanoma. However, debate remains around the accuracy and prognostic implications of SLNB for cutaneous melanoma arising in the head and neck, as previous reports have demonstrated inferior results to those in nonhead and neck regions. Through the largest single-institution series of head and neck melanoma patients, the authors set out to demonstrate that SLNB accuracy and prognostic value in the head and neck region are comparable to other sites. METHODS: A prospectively collected database was queried for cutaneous head and neck melanoma patients who underwent SLNB at the University of Michigan between 1997 and 2007. Primary endpoints included SLNB result, time to recurrence, site of recurrence, and date and cause of death. Multivariate models were constructed for analyses. RESULTS: Three hundred fifty-three patients were identified. A sentinel lymph node was identified in 352 of 353 patients (99.7%). Sixty-nine of the 353 (19.6%) patients had a positive SLNB. Seventeen of 68 patients (25%) undergoing completion lymphadenectomy after a positive SLNB result had at least 1 additional positive nonsentinel lymph node. Patients with local control and a negative SLNB failed regionally in 4.2% of cases. Multivariate analysis revealed positive SLNB status to be the most prognostic clinicopathologic predictor of poor outcome; hazard ratio was 4.23 for SLNB status and recurrence-free survival (P < .0001) and 3.33 for overall survival (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: SLNB is accurate and its results are of prognostic importance for head and neck melanoma patients. Cancer 2012;. © 2011 American Cancer Society.
Programming network components using NetPebbles: an early report

A network-centric application developer faces a number of challenges, including distributed program design, efficient remote object access, software reuse, and program deployment issues. This level of complexity hinders the developer's ability to focus on the application logic. NetPebbles removes this complexity from the developer through a network-component based scripting environment where remote object access and program deployment are transparent to the developer. In Net-Pebbles, a developer selects needed network components from a distributed catalog, and then writes a script invoking its methods as if the components are local. When the script is launched, the run-time determines the component sites in the network and transparently moves the script as needed. Using three simple examples with different data flow patterns, we show that the NetPebbles approach is superior to the traditional client/server systems and mobile agent technologies because a scripting language is easy to use, it requires less code, and the distributed systems complexity is hidden from the programmer. This paper is an early report on the NetPebbles project, describing the motivation, design, prototype implementation, and the experiments using the NetPebbles approach.
Preliminary experimental X-space color MPI

Previous work has explored the effects of nanoparticle relaxation from the system matrix and x-space reconstruction points of view [1-8]. Here we demonstrate how relaxation can be used to “colorize” an image based on relaxation mechanisms using x-space reconstruction [9] and a pixel-wise linear model.
The Mission of the Portuguese Augustinians to Persia and Beyond (1602–1747)

The European missionary presence in Safavid Iran may not have been as consequential as the operations of especially the Jesuits in early modern China or India, but it is nevertheless highly signifi...
CYCLIC ADENOSINE MONOPHOSPHATE ANTAGONISM OF MORPHINE ANALGESIA

The administration of cyclic adenosine 39, 59-monophosphate (cAMP) intracerebrally or intravenously antagonized morphine analgesia in nontolerant and tolerant mice. The cAMP surrogates dibutyryl cAMP, a phosphodiesterase-resistant cAMP analog, and theophylline, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, acted in a similar manner. The antagonism of morphine effects by all three compounds persisted for at least 24 hours and may have lasted for 48 hours. Elevation of brain biogenic amines by monoamine oxidase inhibition with pargyline reversed the antagonistic effects of cAMP on morphine analgesia. Increasing brain dopamine with l-dopa did not prevent cAMP antagonism of morphine analgesia. Increasing brain serotonin with tryptophan not only failed to reverse the effect of cAMP, but also appeared to enhance the cAMP response. However, elevation of norepinephrine with dihydroxyphenylserine did reverse the antagonistic effect of cAMP. It is concluded, therefore, that norepinephrine is more important for the reversal of cAMP antagonism of morphine analgesia than either dopamine or serotonin.
Distinguishing between GABA A Receptors Responsible for Tonic and Phasic Conductances

Cell-to-cell communication in the mammalian nervous system does not solely involve direct synaptic transmission. There is considerable evidence for a type of communication between neurons through chemical means that lies somewhere between the rapid synaptic information transfer and the relatively non-specific neuroendocrine secretion. Here I review some of the experimental evidence accumulated for the GABA system indicating that GABAA receptor-gated Cl-channels localized at synapses differ significantly from those found extrasynaptically. These two types of GABAA receptor are involved in generating distinctly different conductances. Thus, the development and search for pharmacological agents specifically aimed at selectively altering synaptic and extrasynaptic GABAA conductances is within reach, and is expected to provide novel insights into the regulation of neuronal excitability.
Solid‐Liquid Reactions in the System Si3N4–β‐SiAlON–Y3Al5O12

Solid-liquid equilibria in the system Si, Al, Y/N, O were determined for the compatibility triangle bounded by the [beta]-SiAlON solid-solution line and the compound Y[sub 3]Al[sub 5]O[sub 12]. X-ray diffraction was used to determine the crystalline phases present in the equilibrated, rapidly cooled specimens. The liquid phase was quantified with volume fraction measurements performed on scanning electron micrographs. The solid-liquid tie lines at 1,650 and 1,750 C were established from lattice parameters of the [beta]-SiAlON phase and from the amount of liquid phase in equilibrium with the crystalline solid. The liquid phase was crystallized to verify the location of the starting composition.
Novel method for TEM characterization of deformation under nanoindents in nanolayered materials

Abstract Arrays of dislocations and faults have been imaged beneath wedge nanoindents in a W/NbN nanolaminate. Dislocations generated within the W layers crossed the nitride layer as a partial trailing a stacking fault. The gross deformation of the indent was accommodated by slip alone, leaving the lattice unrotated beneath the indent.
RECOMBINATION LUMINESCENCE QUENCHING OF NONSTOICHIOMETRIC CDS CLUSTERS BY TRIVALENT LANTHANIDE IONS

Abstract The recombination luminescence of CdS clusters characterized by different particle size distributions, based on Eg values, and different stoichiometries is quenched to a different extent by Ln3+/Ln2+ ions. Electron acceptors with redox potentials less negative than that of CdS (eCB−) quench the recombination luminescence of CdS effectively. However, if the redox potential of the acceptor differs greatly from that of CdS, larger CdS clusters are quenched more effectively than smaller ones leading to blue-shifted recombination luminescence. Preliminary results indicate that the electron transfer process depends upon the extent of nonstoichiometry in the cluster.
On product integration of certain generalized operator-valued functions

A product integral solution of the abstract evolution equation u′ ( t ) = H I ( t ) u ( t ) is obtained in the event that H I ( t ) belongs to a class of generalized operator-valued functions involving singular perturbations in the interaction representation ( H I ( t ) = ie − itH 0 Ve itH 0 , where H 0 is a power of (− Δ ) 1/2 in L 2 ( R n ), and V is a suitable distribution).
PERFORMANCE OF DOMESTIC AND DOMESTIC X WILD CROSSES OF CHANNEL CATFISH IN TWO WATER TEMPERATURES1

Domestic x Domestic, Domestic x Wild, and Wild x Wild channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) were paired in individual spawning pens and subsequent egg masses were artificially incubated. Domesticated catfish originated from 5 different hatcheries located in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi and since 1974 had undergone selective breeding for 2 generations for multiple traits. Wild catfish were collected from Carlyle and Shelbyville reservoirs in Illinois and were transferred to Tifton, Georgia, for this study. None of the 8 Wild x Wild pairs spawned in captivity, but the 8 Wild ♂ x Domestic ♀ and the 8 Domestic ♂ x Wild ♀ produced 3 and 6 egg masses, respectively. The fry hatched from each of the 14 egg masses (5 from Domestic x Domestic) were standardized to 2 tanks of 500 fish each at 4 weeks of age where one tank received 22°C well water and the other 28°C from 4–12 weeks. The fish from both tanks were grown in a constant 22°C water temperature from 12–40 weeks. The objective was to produce crossbreds superior to both parents in growth and survival in 22°C well water. An increment of 6°C in water temperature for a period of 8 weeks increased body weights of both straightbred and crossbred catfish by 100%. Domestic x Domestic catfish outperformed the Domestic x Wild crossbreds in both temperature regimes. These results suggest a stronger need for growth improvement through selective breeding of channel catfish than crossbreeding with wild strains.