cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Skeptical Origins of Husserl’s Transcendental Phenomenology

This paper demonstrates that two signature methodological concepts in Husserl’s transcendental phenomenology, the epoche and the phenomenological reduction, derive from his reflections on the history and significance of epistemological skepticism in the Western tradition. Drawing on his Lectures on Logic and Epistemology (Hua XXIV) from the Winter semester of 1906–07, it is argued that Husserl derives his conception of the fundamental task of transcendental philosophy from his reading of a novel skeptical challenge posed by David Hume’s philosophy—a kind of skeptical challenge that Husserl did not recognize in his earlier treatments of Hume. On Husserl’s revised reading, Hume promotes a certain kind of philosophical “despair” (Verzweiflung) or, as it may be called today, “quietism” as the only possible response to the traditional problems of epistemology stemming back to the ancient skeptics. Husserl’s criticism of Hume’s quietism is presented. And Husserl’s reading of Descartes’s cogito as the first decisive uncovering of the limits of epistemological skepticism in the Western tradition is shown to be the source of two key elements of Husserl’s positive alternative to Humean epistemological quietism, which ultimately become the heart of a novel conception of critical transcendental philosophy. These two key elements are the phenomenological epoche and phenomenological reduction. Husserl’s arguments are presented for the claim that these are essential parts of any epistemological program that can answer traditional skeptical challenges.
Interleukin-6 supplementation improves post-transfer embryonic and fetal development of in vitro-produced bovine embryos.

Abstract The use of in vitro produced embryos in dairy and beef cattle has increased in recent years, but compromised post-transfer pregnancy success prevents producers from capturing all the benefits this technology can provide. This study explored whether supplementing interleukin-6 (IL6) during in vitro embryo development influences post-transfer development of the embryo-proper, fetus and placenta during early gestation in cattle. Slaughterhouse-derived cumulus oocyte complexes underwent IVM (day −1) and IVF (day 0). On day 5 post-fertilization, embryos were treated with either 0 (CONT) or 100 ng/mL recombinant bovine IL6. No difference in blastocyst formation was detected on day 7.5 post-fertilization, but an increase (P
17-DMAG targets the NF-κB family of proteins to induce apoptosis in CLL: clinical implications of HSP90 inhibition

The HSP90 client: chaperone interaction stabilizes several important enzymes and anti-apoptotic proteins, and pharmacologic inhibition of HSP90 results in rapid client protein degradation. Therefore HSP90 inhibition is an attractive therapeutic approach when this protein is active, a phenotype commonly observed in transformed but not normal cells. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells, it has been previously shown that HSP90 is in the activated form. However, pre-clinical studies with HSP90 inhibitors such as 17-AAG demonstrated depletion of only a subset of client proteins and very modest tumor cytotoxicity. Herein, we describe another HSP90 inhibitor, 17-DMAG, that is cytotoxic to CLL but not normal lymphocytes. Treatment with 17-DMAG leads to depletion of the HSP90 client protein IKK, resulting in diminished NF-κB p50/p65 DNA binding, decreased NF-κB target gene transcription, and caspase dependent apoptosis. The ability of 17-DMAG to function as an NF-κB inhibitor is of great interest clinically, as few currently available CLL drugs target this transcription factor. Therefore, in order to determine the in vivo effect of 17-DMAG treatment in CLL, we used a TCL1-SCID transplant mouse model. Treatment with 17-DMAG significantly decreased the white blood cell count and prolonged the survival of these mice. Based on these results, we conclude that 17-DMAG antagonizes NF-κB signaling pathways, leads to the decrease in several survival proteins in CLL, and therefore represents a novel therapy warranting further clinical pursuit in this and other B cell lymphoproliferative disorders.
Gender Differences in the Associations Between Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, and Perceived Stress Reactivity

Research has demonstrated that excessive stress reactivity responses are associated with the development of cardiovascular disease and psychopathology. Thus, it is important to identify potential protective factors, such as trait mindfulness or trait self-compassion, that may buffer against excessive stress reactivity. Undergraduate college students (n = 137) completed online self-report measures related to trait mindfulness and trait self-compassion, overall stress reactivity, and several subtypes of stress reactivity (i.e., prolonged reactivity, reactivity to work overload, reactivity to social evaluation, reactivity to social conflict, and reactivity to failure). Multiple regressions were employed with overall stress reactivity and subtypes of stress reactivity as the outcome variables. After controlling for gender and state stress, self-compassion was significantly negatively associated with perceived stress reactivity (ΔR2 = .12), as was mindfulness (ΔR2 = .04). Post hoc analyses also demonstrated that self-compassion accounted for significant variance across all but one type of stress reactivity, and it accounted for more variance than mindfulness for most stress reactivity types. Gender emerged as a significant moderator of the association between self-compassion and reactivity to social evaluation, such that the negative association between self-compassion and reactivity to social evaluation was stronger for women than for men. Results warrant future investigations into whether self-compassion interventions can reduce stress reactivity, particularly since existing research demonstrates that self-compassion can be cultivated and thus is modifiable.
National grain policies: The international dimension

Abstract Government intervention in the pricing and marketing of grains has led to increased use of restrictive trade practices to preserve domestic price levels and ensure orderly marketing of domestically produced and imported grain. The author examines this relationship between domestic agricultural and trade policies of a selected group of grain importing and exporting countries. The article suggests that, because of the strong link between domestic and trade policies, it will be difficult to reduce trade restrictions in international grain markets in future trade negotiations.
Moral Identity in Early Modern English Literature

Acknowledgements Introduction: English Protestant moral theory and regeneration 1. Guilt, shame, and moral character in early modern English theology and Sir Philip Sidney's Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia 2. The three orders of nature, grace, and law in Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene, Book II 3. Conformist and puritan moral theory: from Richard Hooker's natural law theory to Richard Sibbes's ethical occasion 4. The elect body in pain: Godly fear and sanctification in John Donne's poetry and prose 5. Absent neighbors in George Herbert's 'The Church', or why Agape becomes Caritas in English Protestant devotional poetry 6. Moral pragmatism in the theology of John Milton and his contemporaries Epilogue: theorizing early modern moral selfhood Notes Index.
Strategic Planning for Enterprise Mobility: A Readiness-Centric Approach

Strategic planning for information and communication technologies (ICT) has been a topic of significant interest to both researchers and practitioners. However, the issues pertaining to emerging ICT have remained largely undeveloped. This article examines what enterprises must consider when planning for emerging ICT, with a particular focus on enterprise mobility solutions. Integrating firm-level theories from the strategic management, information technology adoption, and business transformation literature, we develop a framework that conceptualizes the overall implementation decision. We identify four motivating areas that drive adoptions of mobile ICT and reduce overall implementation risk: (1) justified business value, (2) strategic alignment, (3) reasonable cost/economics, and (4) an acceptable level of enterprise readiness. We discuss the importance of each of these areas, introduce and develop a multi-dimensional model of the relatively unexplored concept of enterprise readiness for mobility, and present findings from a global expert study. The article provides important theoretical and managerial insights to the strategic planning process and aids with the investment justification of mobile business solutions.
EBR-II Transient Operation and Test Capabilities

Experimental fuel pins intended for eventual use in LMFBR’s have been irradiated for many years in fast test reactors around the world. A wealth of data has been obtained on their performance under steady-state conditions, and fuel-pin performance codes have been developed to predict their behavior.1,2 In parallel, safety tests of fuel pins to explore behavior under accident conditions have been performed in transient reactors like TREAT in the US, and CABRI in France. These two types of testing generally have had different aims and have tended to produce results which are not reconcilable with a common modeling code, such as a LIFE3 or COMETHE, 4 in the middle ground between normal and off-normal conditions.
Endogenous ligand for an orphan receptor

The nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) can be activated pharmacologically by fibrate drugs, lowering triglycerides and raising high-density lipoprotein. However, until recently, the endogenous ligand of PPARα had been unknown. A new study reports the identity of a physiologically relevant endogenous PPARα ligand as a phospholipid that is dependent upon a nutritionally responsive enzyme, fatty acid synthase. Mass spectrometry identified this phospholipid as 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphocholine (16/18-GPC) and as the endogenous ligand of PPARα. In vivo experiments involving portal vein infusion of 16/18-GPC induced PPARα-dependent expression of the fatty acid metabolism genes acyl CoA oxidase and carnitine palmitoyl transferase.
Tongue strength and alternate motion rates in normal and dysarthric subjects

Tongue strength and alternate motion rates were measured in 50 normal subjects and in 18 subjects who had different neuropathologic types of dysarthria. The dysarthric subjects did not differ significantly from one another on any of the test measures. However, as a group they differed significantly from their normal counterparts in that they demonstrated weaker tongue strength, reduced and unsustained levels of maximum tongue strength effort, and slower alternate motion rates. Clinical implications are discussed.
Bitter Harvest: FDR, Presidential Power and the Growth of the Presidential Branch

Part I. Presidential Power and Presidential Staff: Concepts and Controversies: Introduction: the fruits of his labor? FDR and the growth of the presidential branch 1. Bitter harvest: the presidential branch and the Iran-Contra Affair Part II. From Cabinet to Presidential Government, 1933-1939: 2. Creating the resource gap: bargaining costs and the first New Deal, 1933-1935 3. The President needs help: the Brownlow Committee frames the Roosevelt Response Part III. Testing the System: The War Years 1939-1945: 4. Preparing for war: economic mobilization 5. Managing war production 6. FDR and the rise of the National Security Bureaucracy 7. The Commander-in-Chief Part IV. Lessons and Considerations: 8. Competitive adhocracy: the principles and theoretical implications of FDR's staff use Epilogue: Roosevelt Redux?: a research agenda Bibliography.
The overcrowded emergency department: a comparison of staff perceptions.

Objectives To study perceptions of physicians and nursing staff about real-time demands and capacity of an emergency department (ED). To use ED data to calculate proposed demand ratios called Real-time Emergency Analysis of Demand Indicators (READI) scores. To compare the READI scores with ED staff perceptions of demand and capacity. Methods This prospective study used a computerized clinical management system to provide data about ED demand and capacity. Physicians and staff charge nurses were surveyed about perceptions of ED demand and capacity. Results were compared with mathematical READI scores, which are proposed to objectively assess ED demand. Kappa scores were used to measure intrarater reliability between the physicians' and charge nurses' assessment of demand and between the staff assessments and the READI scores. Results Kappa scores of the perception of excess demand were as follows: between two physician groups, kappa = 0.392; between one physician group and charge nurses, kappa = 0.453; and between a second physician group and charge nurses, kappa = 0.243. Comparing respondents who indicated that demand had or had not exceeded capacity, one of the READI ratios, the Bed Ratio, showed a significant difference in mean, 0.245 (95% confidence interval = 0.153 to 0.336), between groups. Conclusions Real-time data may be used to predict ED demand and resource needs. Subjective assessment of excess ED demand did not correlate between physician groups or between physicians and charge nurses. Although there was a trend toward predicting excess demand with one of the READI scores, these scores did not correlate to staff perceptions.
Chlorine initiated oxidation studies of hydrochlorofluorocarbons: Results for HCFC-123 (CF3CHCl2) and HCFC-141b (CFCl2CH3)

Oxidation reactions of the proposed CFC substitutes HCFC-123 (CF3CHCl2) and HCFC-141b (CFCl2CH3) have been studied in the laboratory using long-path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The air oxidation of the HCFCs was initiated by the photolysis of Cl2 forming Cl atoms that abstract H atoms from the HCFC. CF3C(O)Cl was the only carbon containing compound observed in the infrared spectrum of the products of the HCFC-123/Cl2 irradiations and its yield was approximately one. The product data are consistent with formation of CF3C(O)Cl by Cl elimination of the intermediate halogenated alkoxy radical CF3CCl2O. The Cl-initiated oxidation of HCFC-141b led to the formation of CO and C(O)FCl. The product data are consistent with a 1 : 1 relationship between C(O)FCl formed and HCFC-141b reacted. Product data were compatible with both decomposition by cleavage of the C−C bond of the radical CFCl2CH2O leading to the prompt generation of C(O)FCl and reaction of the radical with O2 forming the two carbon halogenated aldehyde CFCl2CH(O), which in the presence of Cl was likely oxidized to C(O)FCl. An approximate method was developed in which the ratio was extracted from analysis of the time evolution of HCFC-141b, C(O)FCl, and CO. The data suggest that the contributions are comparable.
Electron microscopic studies on fate of erythroblast ribosomes.

Electron microscopic observations are reported which demonstrate that ribosomes are extruded during the final stages of maturation in erythroid cells of rats and guinea pigs. Concentration of ribosomes in the cytoplasm, formation of a membrane bounded vesicle containing these ribosomes and extrusion of the vesicle are described and discussed.
Conserved amino acid sequence domains in alpha-amylases from plants, mammals, and bacteria

Although alpha-amylases from mammals, plants, and bacteria have common functions, the amino acid sequences of enzymes from these three, evolutionarily distant groups of organisms are not known to share common homologies, and active sites have not been identified. Here I demonstrate that there are three sequence domains common to all alpha-amylases that are aligned and spaced at similar intervals along the length of each protein. The first domain in the barley enzymes appears to contain a calcium binding site. These common domains may represent important functional regions, perhaps the active sites.
Fatty acid composition of the neutral lipids and individual phospholipids of muscle of cold-stressed arctic mice

Fatty acids of the individual phospholipids and total neutral lipid fractions in skeletal muscle of three species of Arctic mice were identified and quantitated after the mice had been classified as control, cold-sensitive or cold-resistant. The results indicate that some species increase the percentage of unsaturated fatty acids as an apparent result of cold exposure and some species do not. A common finding for all cold-sensitive mice was a significant increase in 14∶0 in phosphatidic acid when compared to cold-resistant and control animals. Hypotheses are presented in an attempt to explain this finding.
A neurokinin 1 receptor antagonist decreases adhesion reformation after laparoscopic lysis of adhesions in a rat model of adhesion formation

Up to 94% of patients experience fibrous adhesions after abdominal surgery, and a significant number of these patients require a second operation for open or laparoscopic lysis of adhesions (LOA). The authors have previously shown that inhibition of the binding of tachykinin ligands to the neurokinin 1 receptor (NK-1R) using the neurokinin 1 receptor antagonist (NK-1RA) CJ-12,255 decreases primary adhesion formation and upregulates the peritoneal fibrinolytic system in a rat model. Whereas most studies have focused on the prevention of primary adhesions, few have addressed adhesion reformation after LOA. This study aimed to determine the effects of NK-1RA administration on adhesion reformation and peritoneal fibrinolytic activity after laparoscopic LOA. Adhesions were induced in 31 rats using our previously described ischemic button model. The rats underwent laparoscopy 7 days later, during which adhesions were scored and lysed followed by administration of the NK-1RA or saline. Then 7 days after LOA, 23 rats were killed and adhesions were scored. Eight rats also were killed 24 h after the LOA to obtain peritoneal tissue and fluid, which were analyzed for tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) mRNA expression and peritoneal fibrinolytic activity by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and bioassay, respectively. At laparoscopy, 79% ± 3% of the buttons formed adhesions. In the saline-administered control animals, 42% ± 3.2% of the buttons reformed adhesions after LOA (p < 0.05), whereas in the animals that received the NK-1RA, 18.2% ± 3.5% of the buttons reformed adhesions (p < 0.05). As compared with control animals, NK-1RA administration increased tPA mRNA levels by 38% and fibrinolytic activity sixfold (p < 0.05; 7.0 ± 2.1 U/ml vs 1.2 ± 0.54 U/ml). When administered during laparoscopic LOA, an NK-1RA significantly upregulates peritoneal fibrinolytic activity and decreases adhesion reformation.
Detection and Sizing of Small Particles in an Open Cavity Gas Laser

The open cavity of a He–Ne gas laser oscillating at 632.8 μm was used to detect and size aerosol particles. This was done for two transverse modes of the laser, the TEM00 and TEM01*. Plots of particle extinction loss vs laser power are shown to agree with the theory for an inhomogeneously broadened line under the condition of small saturated gain per pass. The TEM01*, doughnut, mode is shown to be preferable for use in an operational instrument. Extrapolation of the measurement to particles smaller than the wavelength of the laser radiation is discussed.
A New Genus of Trichostrongylid Worms from the Kangaroo

In the upper part of the small intestine of a Bennett's kangaroo, Macropus bennetti, there was found many parasitic worms which, although closely related to Nematodirus, differ from members of this genus sufficiently to warrant separation into a distinct genus.
Cues used by house finches for detecting methiocarb-treated grapes

Abstract Laboratory tests were conducted to determine how house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) detect and avoid bunches of grapes treated with the repellent methiocarb and to determine whether the presence of a visual tag paired with methiocarb-treated bunches facilitates this detection and avoidance. Individually caged birds were offered one untreated and one treated grape bunch during a series of 2 h preference feeding trials, and each bird's total consumption and its preference for the treated bunch were measured. When the positions of the treated and untreated bunches were alternated during successive feeding trials, house finches took just as much from the methiocarb-treated bunch as from the untreated bunch, but their total consumption declined. When the positions of the treated and untreated bunches were kept constant, total consumption initially declined but increased again to pretreatment levels as the birds learned to feed from the non-treated bunch. Consumption from the grape bunch on the side of the cage where the birds had previously encountered the repellent remained low even after methiocarb treatments ended. The visual tag had little effect on either total consumption or grape bunch preference. The implications of these findings for controlling bird damage to ripening grapes are discussed.
Hepatitis Vaccination and Infection Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men who Attend Gyms in New York City

The authors examined hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination rates, hepatitis infection, and health care access in a gym-attending sample of 311 gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) in New York City. Overall, 69% reported having been vaccinated for HAV and 70% reported having been vaccinated for HBV. Multivariate models were used to identify predictors of HAV and HBV vaccination, and younger men, HIV-positive men, and men who had access to a doctor or clinic were more likely to be vaccinated than older men, HIV-negative men, and men without access to a doctor or clinic. Men with health insurance coverage were more likely to have received HBV vaccination than men without coverage. Findings indicate that there is still a significant proportion of unvaccinated men in our sample.
The implications of disharmonious assemblages for Pleistocene extinctions

Abstract The terms disharmonious or intermingled are applied to Pleistocene faunas that contain associations of species that are now allopatric. The apparently conflicting environmental implications of these faunas can be reconciled by postulating that the climate at the time these faunas existed was more equable than the present one. Associations of species of this kind are a ubiquitous feature of Pleistocene faunas in all parts of the world where adequate data are available. They imply a higher diversity of habitats which, in many instances, may be the result of the relatively greater control on the biota by locally more variable factors such as soils and topography. These associations have implications for the causes of the late Pleistocene extinctions in that their disappearance is coincident in time with the extinction event. The implication that these associations indicate a higher habitat diversity suggests that the extinction is linked to a reduction of habitat diversity at the end of the Pleistocene.
GEODYN: A Geological Formation/Drillstring Dynamics Computer Program

This paper describes the initial development phase of a finite element computer program, GEODYN, capable of simulating the three-dimensional transient dynamic response of a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bit interacting with a non-uniform formation. The ability of GEODYN to simulate response variations attributable to hole size, hole bottom surface shapes, and formation material non-uniformities is demonstrated. Planned developmental phases will address the detailed response of a bottom-hole assembly (BHA), a drill ahead (rock penetration and removal) simulation, and ultimately, the response of the entire string.
Monitoring Groundwater for Pesticides at Selected Mixing/Loading Sites in Arkansas

Groundwater monitoring studies have been conducted in recent years to survey contamination due to pesticides, yet few have addressed wells where pesticides are mixed, loaded, or rinsed. Beginning in 1990, a monitoring study conducted over a 2-year period included five collections at each of 16 mixer/loader locations to assess any pesticide and nitrate contamination. At sites in 11 counties, samples for pesticide analysis were extracted with solid-phase extraction (SPE) disks. Samples were screened using gas chromatography-electron capture detection (ECD) and high-performance liquid chromatography-UV detection (LCUV) for 17 pesticides commonly used in Arkansas. Detections were confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (MS) or co-chromatography. Fourteen samples revealed atrazine (1 detection), cyanazine (4), parathion-methyl (2), metolachlor (2), norflurazon (1), pendimethalin (1), propanil (2), or trifluralin (1) at eight locations during the 2-year study. Two detections of parathion-methyl and one detection of trifluralin were above the Lifetime Health Advisory Level (LHAL) of 2 μg L -1 . Data suggested a high correlation between pesticide used and pesticide detected at sites sampled. Three wells contained NO 3 -N concentrations of 10 mg L-' or higher, but these did not correlate with pesticide concentrations. The pesticide's proximity to the wells during mixing, rinsing, or loading was considered to be a greater influence on temporary contamination of groundwater than chemical or site-specific characteristics.
Near-road multipollutant profiles: associations between volatile organic compounds and a tracer gas surrogate near a busy highway.

This research characterizes associations between multiple pollutants in the near-road environment attributed to a roadway line source. It also examines the use of a tracer gas as a surrogate of mobile source pollutants. Air samples were collected in summa canisters along a 300 m transect normal to a highway in Raleigh, North Carolina for five sampling periods spanning four days. Samples were subsequently measured for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using an electron capture gas chromatograph. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) was released from a finite line source adjacent to the roadway for two of the sampling periods, collected in the canisters and measured with the VOCs. Associations between each VOC, and between VOCs and the tracer, were quantified with Pearson correlation coefficients to assess the consistency of the multi-pollutant dispersion profiles, and assess the tracer as a potential surrogate for mobile source pollutants. As expected, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and m,p- and o-xylenes (collectiv...
Inside an agent

When we discuss agent-based system construction with software developers or ask students to implement common agent architectures using object-oriented techniques, we find that it is not trivial for them to create an elegant system design from the standard presentation of these architectures in textbooks or research papers. To better communicate our interpretation of popular agent architectures, we draw UML (Unified Modeling Language) diagrams to guide an implementer's design. However, before we describe these diagrams, we need to review some basic features of agents. The paper considers an architecture showing a simple agent interacting with an environment. The agent senses its environment, uses what it senses to choose an action, and then performs the action through its effectors. Sensory input can include received messages, and action can be the sending of messages. To construct an agent, we need a more detailed understanding of how it functions. In particular, if we are to build one using conventional object-oriented analysis and design techniques, we should know in what ways an agent is more than just a simple object.
Kinetochore-to-pole connections during prometaphase of the meiotic divisions in Urechis eggs

Abstract Electron microscope observations of kinetochores and chromosomal spindle filaments during prometaphase of the meiotic divisions in eggs of Urechis caupo are presented. In the first meiotic division, sister kinetochores lie close together on the same side of the chromosome. By prometaphase of the second meiotic division, sister kinetochores have separated and moved to opposite sides of the chromosome. In early prometaphase of the first meiotic division, the kinetochore region of one member of a chromosome-pair may have connections to both poles, or only to one pole. In early prometaphase of the second meiotic division, sister kinetochores may be connected to the same pole or to opposite poles. A single kinetochore may have connections to both poles simultaneously. These observations strongly support Ostergren's “orientation-by-pulling” hypothesis, by showing that (i) initial kinetochore-to-pole connections are made at random; (ii) the precise orientation of chromosomes by metaphase is brought about through the loss of some kinetochore-to-pole connections, and the stabilization of others; and (iii) the difference between meiosis and mitosis with respect to chromatid distribution is correlated with a difference in the structure of the kinetochore region.
RNA hydrolysis by Cu(II) complexes: Toward synthetic ribonucleases and ribozymes

We wish to develop reagents for the sequence-specific cleavage of RNA by non-oxidative mechanisms. The molecules we have devised may be described as synthetic ribozymes, and comprise a molecular recognition agent (such as single-stranded DNA) and an RNA hydrolysis agent. Their potential applications include antiviral or antifungal therapy, and they were designed as first-generation catalytic antisense DNA drugs for the control of gene expression. We provide a brief review of the principles of the antisense method, a discussion of the importance (for in vivo applications) of hydrolytic cleavage as an alternative to oxidative degradation of nucleic acids, and a discussion of our synthetic and mechanistic efforts toward synthetic ribozymes.
SHOOT APICAL MERISTEM: A SUSTAINABLE EXPLANT FOR GENETIC TRANSFORMATION OF CEREAL CROPS

Immature zygotic embryo has been the widely used explant source to develop embryogenic callus lines, cell suspensions and protoplasts for transformation of cereal crops including maize, wheat, rice, oat, barley, sorghum, and millet. However, the lack of competence of immature embryos in certain elite lines is still a barrier to routine production of transgenic cereal crops in certain commercial cultivars. In addition, a great deal of effort is required to produce immature embryos, manipulate cultures of immature embryos or their cell suspensions, and cryopreserve cultures for further use. In addition, undifferentiated cells may have reduced regenerability after a few months of in vitro culture. Alternative explants and regeneration systems for efficient transformation of cereal crops are needed to avoid or reduce the above limitations. During the past decade, scientists have successfully manipulated the shoot apical meristems from seedlings of maize, oat, sorghum, millet, wheat, and barley in an effort to develop a less genotype-dependent and efficient cereal regeneration system that can be maintained in vitro for long periods of time without the need for cryopreservation. Furthermore, apical meristem regeneration systems were used to stably transform maize, wheat, rice, oat, barley, sorghum, and millet.
Facilitating improved writing among students through directed peer review

This study contributes to scant empirical investigation of peer critique of writing among heterogeneously grouped native and nonnative speakers of English, now commonplace in higher education. This...
Biomechanical optimization of a model particulate composite for orthopaedic applications

Abstract Particulate composites are a potential solution to the need for an injectable, biocompatible, resorbable material that could be used to reinforce fractures and defects in bone and temporarily to stabilize porous ingrowth prostheses. We have developed a model system for producing and testing particulate composites to determine if mechanical properties suitable for orthopaedic applications can be achieved. The experiments used bovine cortical bone and various forms of hydroxyapatite for the particulate phase and a collagen and particulate reinforce gelatin-resorcinol-formaldehyde (G-R-F) adhesive for the matrix phase. Using unconfined compression testing, we measured the effects of variation in particulate type, size, shape, and volume fraction on the material properties of the particulate composites. We found that compressive strengths greater than 10 MPa and compressive moduli greater than 100 MPa could be achieved in this model system. Rough and irregular particulates exhibited higher compressive strengths and moduli than smooth and spherical particulates. Mechanical properties were largely independent of particulate size in the range of 125-850 microns diameter. This model system suggests that, with the development of new biocompatible matrix materials, particulate composites with mechanical properties suitable for orthopaedic applications can be achieved.
306 Concomitant Tricuspid Valve Procedure Reduces Right Ventricular Failure after Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) Implantation

Concomitant Tricuspid Valve Procedure Reduces Right Ventricular Failure after Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) Implantation V. Piacentino III, A.M. Ganapathi, M. Stafford-Smith, C.B. Patel, A. Barbas, A.J. Lodge, A.A. Simeone, J.G. Rogers, C.A. Milano. Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC; Cardiothoracic Anesthesia, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC; Cardiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC.
Activated macrophages selectively bind both normal and neoplastic lymphoblasts but not quiescent lymphocytes

Abstract We have previously reported that macrophage-mediated tumoricidal activity could be inhibited when activated macrophages were simultaneously presented with resistant normal cells. This appeared to be the consequence of a competition for binding sites on activated macrophages. We now report that macrophages which have been activated in vitro with macrophage activating factor bind both normal and malignant lymphoblasts but not quiescent normal lymphocytes. In addition, mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes but not unstimulated lymphocytes inhibit binding of tumor cells. While binding of either tumor cells or normal lymphoblasts to activated macrophages is saturable, the binding of quiescent lymphocytes to either activated or unactivated macrophages did not exhibit this feature. These results indicate that activated macrophages selectively recognize normal lymphoblasts by binding such cells to surface membrane sites which are the same as those involved in mediating tumor cytolysis. Because normal lymphoblasts are resistant to lysis, selective binding alone is not sufficient to account for selectivity in macrophage tumoricidal activity.
Routines and rituals: Opportunities for participation in family health

Family routines and rituals offer the opportunity to fully participate in family health. “Family health” is defined as the ways in which the household, as a whole, engages in daily activities to promote the well-being of its members and is emotionally invested in the maintenance of health over time. Routines and rituals provide the settings for family health. Empirical support for the importance of routines and rituals is provided from studies aimed at examining medical adherence, mealtime interactions, and nighttime waking in children with chronic health conditions. Implications for practice and policy are provided.
TASK-3, a New Member of the Tandem Pore K+ Channel Family

Abstract We have isolated from the rat cerebellum cDNA library a complementary DNA encoding a new member of the tandem pore K+ channel family. Its amino acid sequence shares 54% identity with that of TASK-1, but less than 30% with those of TASK-2 and other tandem pore K+ channels (TWIK, TREK, TRAAK). Therefore, the new clone was named TASK-3. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that TASK-3 mRNA is expressed in many rat tissues including brain, kidney, liver, lung, colon, stomach, spleen, testis, and skeletal muscle, and at very low levels in the heart and small intestine. When expressed in COS-7 cells, TASK-3 exhibited a time-independent, noninactivating K+-selective current. Single-channel conductance was 27 pS at −60 mV and 17 pS at 60 mV in symmetrical 140 mm KCl. TASK-3 current was highly sensitive to changes in extracellular pH (pHo), a hallmark of the TASK family of K+channels. Thus, a change in pHo from 7.2 to 6.4 and 6.0 decreased TASK-3 current by 74 and 96%, respectively. Mutation of histidine at position 98 to aspartate abolished pHosensitivity. TASK-3 was blocked by barium (57%, 3 mm), quinidine (37%, 100 μm), and lidocaine (62%, 1 mm). Thus, TASK-3 is a new member of the acid-sensing K+ channel subfamily (TASK).
Anxiety sensitivity and menstrual cycle reactivity: Psychophysiological and self-report differences☆

Abstract The role of anxiety sensitivity in the etiology and maintenance of various anxiety disorders has received increased attention over the past decade. To date, no studies have empirically addressed the relationship between anxiety sensitivity, physiological reactivity, and self-reports of anxiety symptomatology across the menstrual cycle. In this study, high- and low-anxiety sensitivity women in either the premenstrual or intermenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle completed questionnaires and listened to anxiety and neutral scenes while psychophysiological data were collected. In addition, mood ratings were obtained at baseline and after scene presentations. High anxiety sensitivity sitivity participants scored higher on measures of anxiety, depression, and menstrual distress than low anxiety sensitivity females. Premenstrually, high anxiety sensitivity females exhibited greater skin conductance response frequency and magnitude to the anxiety scenes compared to the other three groups. Similar results were obtained when initial levels of state anxiety and panic history were controlled for statistically. Furthermore, high anxiety sensitivity females reported more anxiety and depressed mood following presentation of anxiety scenes. Implications of these results for the mediation of menstrual cycle timing and anxiety sensitivity hypotheses are discussed.
Community Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Refugees and Asylees in Miami‐Dade and Broward Counties: An Analysis for the International Rescue Committee

This paper presents the findings of a research project on knowledge and attitudes about refugees and “asylees” in two South Florida counties. The project was a collaboration between the International Rescue Committee (IRC), an international NGO that assists refugees and asylees with resettlement in the United States and other countries, and four graduate students in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Florida International University in Miami. South Florida receives large numbers of refugees and asylees, principally from Latin America and the Caribbean, and the IRC was interested in finding out more about the knowledge and attitudes in the community about refugees and asylees for the purpose of planning a possible public education campaign and fund-raising efforts. A survey was administered to 280 people in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. Analysis of the findings shows that the community does not have a clear understanding of the differences between refugees, asylees, and immigrants. The respondents did not have an understanding of refugees and asylees as people who have fled political or religious persecution in their countries of origin, with the exception of refugees from Cuba. However, they generally had a favorable opinion of refugees and asylees.Other findings led to recommendations for public education and fund-raising and suggestions for future research.
Effect of interchange instability on magnetic reconnection

Abstract. We present here the results of a study of interacting magnetic fields that involves a force normal to the reconnection layer. In the presence of such force, the reconnection layer becomes unstable to interchange disturbances. The interchange instability results in formation of tongues of heated plasma that leaves the reconnection layer through its wide surface rather than through its narrow ends, as is the case in traditional magnetic reconnection models. This plasma flow out of the reconnection layer facilitates the removal of plasma from the layer and leads to fast reconnection. The proposed mechanism provides fast reconnection of interacting magnetic fields and does not depend on the thickness of the reconnection layer. This instability explains the strong turbulence and bidirectional streaming of plasma that is directed toward and away from the reconnection layer that is observed frequently above reconnection layers. The force normal to the reconnection layer also accelerates the removal of plasma islands appearing in the reconnection layer during turbulent reconnection. In the presence of this force normal to the reconnection layer, these islands are removed from the reconnection layer by the "buoyancy force", as happens in the case of interchange instability that arises due to the polarization electric field generated at the boundaries of the islands.
Inter fractional variability of breathing phase definition as determined by fiducial location.

Reconstruction of four-dimensional (4D) imaging typically requires an externally measurable surrogate to represent the real-time relative phase of respiration. A common method is to use a reflective marker on the external surface of the patient which moves with respiration and can be tracked in real time. The location of the marker is often chosen to maximize the observable motion, though this location may not be at the region of interest. We evaluate the importance of infrared (IR) marker placement location on breathing phase definition for the purpose of respiratory gating and 4D computed tomography (CT) image reconstruction. Data were collected for ten patients enrolled on an approved IRB protocol. Real-time position data were collected during CT imaging and daily treatments for two external IR reflective markers: one placed near the xyphoid and another at the approximate location of the treatment isocenter. Motion traces from the markers were compared using cross-correlation coefficient and by estimating the relative respiratory phase, based on either marker, as would be used for 4D-CT reconstruction. Cross-correlation analysis revealed differences in the motion waveform, as well as phase differences, both of which were variable between patients as well as day to day for the same patient. Estimatedmore » relative phases from each marker were compared by the percentage amount of time the estimated phase for each marker was different, binned based on increments of 10% of a full cycle. For all collected data combined, the frequency with which breathing phase mismatch led to different bin allocation in steps of 10% was as follows: T{sub 010%}=65.1%, T{sub 1020%}=25.3%, T{sub 2030%}=7.8%, T{sub 3040%}=1.5% and T{sub 4050%}=0.4%. Based on ten images per cycle, this indicates that 4D reconstructions would be influenced, depending on which marker was used, by at least 1 bin 34.9% of the time. This number was noticeably higher for some patients; the maximum was 71% of the time for one patient of ten. In conclusion, the respiratory amplitude and relative phase depend significantly on the location of the IR marker used to monitor respiration. For some patients the xyphoid and isocentric markers may be completely out of phase. More importantly, this relationship varies day to day, suggesting that a single marker may be inadequate for the purposes of respiratory gating.« less
Comparative Study of Certain Aciduric Organisms of Intestinal and Dental Origin.

ConclusionThe present comparative study seems to the writer to warrant the conclusion that the tooth organisms discussed here’ constitute a type entirely separate from B. acidoplzilus of the intestinal tract.
Free-standing terahertz metamaterial fabricated via injection molding

We demonstrate a technique of fabricating freestanding all-metal two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) terahertz metamaterials through injection molding of gallium, a metal that melts at temperatures slightly above room temperature. To obtain free-standing metamaterials, two polydimethylsiloxance (PDMS) molds are created using conventional soft lithography, reversibly bonded through van der Waals forces, and then peeled away after gallium is injected and solidified. We demonstrate three different approaches for creating 3D metamaterials: a multilayer stack, a manually folded structure and a directly injection molded 3D structure. The transmission properties of these devices are measured using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy.
Two-dimensional heavy fermions on the strongly correlated boundaries of Kondo topological insulators

Samarium hexaboride $({\mathrm{SmB}}_{6})$, a representative Kondo insulator, has been characterized recently as a likely topological insulator. It is also a material with strong electron correlations, evident by the temperature dependence of its band gap and the existence of a nearly flat collective mode whose energy lies within the band gap. Similar strong correlations can affect or even destabilize the two-dimensional metallic state of topological origin at the crystal boundary. Here we construct the minimal lattice model of the correlated boundary of topological Kondo insulators, and make phenomenological predictions for its possible ground states. Depending on the microscopic properties of the interface between the topological Kondo material and a conventional insulator, the boundary metal can exhibit a varied degree of hybridization between the $d$ and $f$ orbitals of the rare-earth element, yielding a rich two-dimensional heavy-fermion phenomenology. A pronounced participation of the $f$ orbitals is expected to create a heavy-fermion Dirac metal, possibly unstable to a spin density wave, electron localization, or even superconductivity. The opposite limit of ``localized magnetic moments'' helped by the partial Kondo screening on the crystal boundary can bring about a non-Fermi liquid of $d$ electrons that exhibits two-dimensional quantum electrodynamics, or other unconventional states. In addition, ultrathin films made from topological Kondo insulators could open the possibility of creating exotic incompressible quantum liquids with non-Abelian fractional excitations, whose dynamics shaped by the strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling resembles that of fractional quantum Hall systems.
Ethnography and education: An uneasy union?

Green, Judith and Cynthia Wallat, eds. Ethnography and Language in Educational Settings. Norwood, NJ: Ablex, 1981. xviii + 356 pp. $32.50 cloth; $16.50 paper.
“How Do You Know Unless You Look?”: Brain Imaging, Biopower and Practical Neuroscience

Brain imaging is a persuasive visual rhetoric by which neuroscience is articulated as relevant to the construction and maintenance of desirable selves. In this essay, I describe how “brain-based self-help” literature disseminates neuroscientific vocabularies to public audiences. In this genre, brain images are an authoritative visual resource for translating neuroscience into a comprehensive program for living. I use Foucault’s discussion of biopower to describe the ways in which brain-based self-help literature enables self-constitution in a biosocial age where health is a central means of communicating personal worth, social value and political order. The implications of this continuous self-fashioning are not limited to the personal realm but have important political consequences.
Fragile-X Chromosome Associated With Primary Learning Disability

Abstract The occurrence of a fragile site in the X chromosome, associated with X-linked mental retardation and, occasionally, autism, has been labeled Fragile-X Syndrome. This case study describes a patient with a documented, specific learning disability in association with the Fragile-X chromosome. He has a family history of two retarded first cousins, one of whom also has diagnosed Fragile-X syndrome. This single case study suggests that there may be an association of the Fragile-X abnormality with dyslexia or primary learning disability, suggesting a genetic etiology for primary dyslexia.