cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Methods for Determination of Glass Transitions in Seeds

When the non-freezeable (bound, amorphous, vitreous) water of pea or soybean embryos is examined by dielectric methods, three state transitions can be observed. The lowest occurs at the glass transition temperature (Tg) of pure amorphous water, is invariant with water content and is probably associated with crystal defects and other interfaces. The second, at about -60°C, is dependent upon water content and probably reflects rotational mobility of side chains (β-transition). It can be seen by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) as well, but the energies are too small to detect by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The third is the glass transition, which reflects the increase in diffusional mobility in the sample. The increase in fluidity can be measured by DMA and the increase in heat capacity of water is detectable by DSC. This is the transition that has been associated with changes in seed storage stability. Heretofore, DSC has been the method of choice because of its availability, familiarity and its ease of operation and interpretation. However, at low sample water contents, DSC signals become small and diffuse and the assignment of Tg becomes difficult. Because DMA is the most sensitive to local motion, it provides the most credible information on changes in sample viscosity that occur during glass transition. We have recently examined embryos in the Perkin-Elmer DMA-7 and found that DMA provides richer data for these studies than does DSC.
A millimeter wavelength radiation source using a dual grating resonator

A novel means of producing coherent radiation by passing an electron through a dual-grating resonator is presented, The observed radiation is in accordance with the Smith-Purcell dispersion relation for a single grating. Feedback is provided by a second grating. Experiments carried out at beam energies from 30-55 keV produced radiation at wavelengths from 6 to 0.75 mm. Power measurement were used to clarify the grating beam interaction, Indications are that operation could be easily extended to shorter wavelengths to provide an inexpensive and compact radiation source in the far-infrared. >
Helminth Parasites in Six Species of Shorebirds (Charadrii) from the Coast of Belize

Thirteen species of helminth parasites were recovered from six species of charadriid shorebirds (Aves: Charadriiformes) from Belize: the ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres, the snowy plover, Charadrius alexandrinus, the semipalmated plover, C. semipalmatus, the killdeer, C. vociferus, the white-rumped sandpiper, Calidris fuscicollis, and the black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola. Cestode species were predominant (N = 8), followed by trematode species (N = 3) and acanthocephala (N = 2). The trematode, Paramaritremopsis solielangi infected four of the six species of hosts. The cestodes, Nadejdolepis litoralis and N. paranitidulans infected three and two host species respectively. Helminth parasite species were contagious (clumped) and not evenly distributed among hosts. Twelve of the 13 species were generalists. The one specialist Microphallus kinsellae was recovered from one C. fuscicollis. Three of the four types of feeding guilds were present and in approximately the same number. All but M. kinsellae have been reported from other species of hosts, mostly from Eurasia and North America.
Balancing uniqueness and assimilation in computer-mediated groups

The goal of the current study is to investigate how the augmented visual similarity and individuation can influence group identification process in computer-mediated groups. In investigating this topic, this study relies on the assumption that human beings need to meet two competing motivations - assimilation motivation and uniqueness motivation - at the same time. An experiment using virtual self-representations showed that uniform virtual appearance, whatever form it may take, encouraged group identification. However, uniform appearance did not increase assimilation within computer-mediated groups all the time, because uniform appearance made individuals perceive a strong threat to their uniqueness and became less willing to agree with others as a way to restore their uniqueness. On the contrary, people might have pandered to their uniqueness motivation from being represented by excessively idiosyncratic visual cues. As a way to boost up the other motivation, assimilation motivation, they tried to find any cue that can bond themselves with others even amongst differences in their visual representations.
Fenestration of Extracardiac Fontan and Reversal of Protein-Losing Enteropathy: Case Report

We describe a patient with protein-losing enteropathy who presented 6 months after undergoing a modified Fontan operation. After failing to respond to medical therapy, the Fontan tunnel was fenestrated by catheter intervention with immediate improvement and resolution of hypoproteinemia and enteric protein loss.
Supporting Secure and Resilient Inland Waterways

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's National Infrastructure Protection Program presents sector-specific planning objectives for protecting the nation's critical infrastructure and key resources. In concert with this objective, researchers at the University of Arkansas and Rutgers University are developing a prototype decision support system that integrates geographic information systems and freight movement models to provide a framework for cargo prioritization and off-loading during a sudden catastrophic closure of the national inland waterway. The project seeks to develop (a) a fundamental understanding of the resiliency of inland waterway transportation systems and the inter-dependence within and between transportation system components and (b) a decision system that will allow public and private parties to respond quickly to catastrophic waterway events. Researchers reviewed public data, published literature, and aerial imagery to ascertain terminal characteristics indicative of a potential for...
PLANNING AND THE INTERGENERATIONAL COMMUNITY: Balancing the Needs of the Young and the Old in American Communities

: Current federal policies have favored the resource needs of the elderly over the needs of child rearing families and children. Yet, federal policies are only part of the story. Can healthy intergenerational communities become a reality ? Is it possible for municipalities to help restore some balance in meeting the resource needs of the young and the old? The purpose of this article is to evaluate municipal land use, planning and zoning policies and the roles they play in meeting the needs of children and the elderly in contemporary American communities. Data collected in a nationwide zoning survey will be used to support the argument that communities are doing little to respond to the changing needs of child rearing and elderly families. The article concludes with a discussion of change strategies that could help make healthy intergenerational communities a reality.
Effects of antiepileptic drugs on lipids, homocysteine, and C‐reactive protein

Objective: The widely prescribed anticonvulsants phenytoin and carbamazepine are potent inducers of cytochrome P450 enzymes, which are involved in cholesterol synthesis. We sought to determine whether these drugs have an effect on cholesterol and other serological markers of vascular risk. Methods: We recruited 34 epilepsy patients taking carbamazepine or phenytoin in monotherapy whose physicians had elected to change treatment to one of the noninducing anticonvulsants lamotrigine or levetiracetam. Fasting blood samples were obtained both before and 6 weeks after the switch to measure serum lipid fractions, lipoprotein(a), C-reactive protein, and homocysteine. A comparator group of 16 healthy subjects underwent the same serial studies. Results: In the epilepsy patients, switch from either phenytoin or carbamazepine produced significant declines in total cholesterol (24.8mg/dl), atherogenic (non–high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol (19.9mg/dl), triglycerides (47.1mg/dl) (all p 0.0001), and C-reactive protein (31.4%; p 0.027). Patients who stopped taking carbamazepine also had a 31.2% decline in lipoprotein(a) level ( p 0.0004), whereas those taken off phenytoin had a decrease in homocysteine level (1.7mol/L; p 0.005). All of these changes were significant when compared with those seen in healthy subjects ( p 0.05). Results were similar whether patients were switched to lamotrigine or levetiracetam. Interpretation: Switching epilepsy patients from the enzyme-inducers carbamazepine or phenytoin to the noninducing drugs levetiracetam or lamotrigine produces rapid and clinically significant amelioration in several serological markers of vascular risk. These findings suggest that phenytoin and carbamazepine may substantially increase the risk for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. Ann Neurol 2009;65:448 – 456 Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are utilized extensively in the general population. A recent large survey of ambulatory practice data demonstrated that an AED was mentioned at more than 13% of outpatient healthcare visits in the United States in 2003 to 2004, a proportion that approaches that of penicillins or corticosteroids. 1
Abnormal brain connectivity in children after early severe socioemotional deprivation: a diffusion tensor imaging study.

OBJECTIVES. We previously reported that children who were subjected to early socioemotional deprivation in Romanian orphanages showed glucose hypometabolism in limbic and paralimbic structures, including the orbital frontal gyrus, infralimbic prefrontal cortex, hippocampus/amygdala, lateral temporal cortex, and the brainstem. The present study used diffusion tensor imaging tractography to examine the integrity of white matter tracts that connect these brain regions. METHODS. Fractional anisotropy and apparent diffusion coefficient for uncinate fasciculus, stria terminalis, fornix, and cingulum were measured in 7 right-handed children (5 girls and 2 boys; mean age: 9.7 ± 2.6 years) with a history of early severe socioemotional deprivation in Eastern European orphanages and compared with similar measurements in 7 right-handed normal children (4 girls and 3 boys; mean age: 10.7 ± 2.8 years). RESULTS. Neuropsychological assessment of the orphans verified the relatively mild specific cognitive impairment and impulsivity consistent with previous studies of children who were adopted from Romanian orphanages. Fractional anisotropy values in the left uncinate fasciculus were decreased significantly in the early deprivation group compared with control subjects. Apparent diffusion coefficient values for the early deprivation group tended to be greater than that in control subjects in all of the tracts measured, without reaching statistical significance. CONCLUSION. Our study demonstrates in children who experienced socioemotional deprivation a structural change in the left uncinate fasciculus that partly may underlie the cognitive, socioemotional, and behavioral difficulties that commonly are observed in these children.
Clonal polymorphisms of outer membrane protein OspB of Borrelia burgdorferi.

The outer membrane protein OspB of Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme borreliosis agent, differs in relative molecular weight (Mr) among strains. To determine whether antigenic variation occurs in B. burgdorferi, a cell population of the human isolate HB19 was cloned first by being diluted in broth and then by being plated on agar medium. Several clones were obtained and characterized by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, in situ protease treatment, and Western (immunoblot), Southern, and Northern (RNA) blot analyses. Variants featuring OspB proteins that differed in Mrs and in reactivities with monoclonal antibodies were found. One variant made increased amounts of a 21,000-molecular-weight protein (21K protein) in addition to normal amounts of a 33K OspB protein. Another variant did not produce an OspB protein at all but did express an 18.5K protein. Both the 18.5K and 21K proteins were susceptible in situ to trypsin and were bound by a monoclonal antibody directed against the OspB of strain HB19. There were no differences in the Southern and Northern blot analyses of the different variants. The results led to the following conclusions. (i) Clonal polymorphisms in the surface protein OspB occurred in B. burgdorferi. (ii) Hitherto uncharacterized 18.5K and 21K proteins were protease susceptible, antigenically related to OspB, and apparently produced in greater amounts when an OspB either was not produced or was altered in structure. (iii) The OspB variations, including its absence from cells, were not accounted for by major DNA rearrangements or failure of transcription of the ospB gene. Images
Dioctyl sulfosuccinate analysis in near-shore Gulf of Mexico water by direct-injection liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Dioctyl sulfosuccinate (DOSS) was a major component of the dispersants most used in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill incident response. This analytical method quantifies salt water DOSS concentrations to a reporting limit of 20 μg/L, which was below the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA) 40 μg/L DOSS Aquatic Life Benchmark. DOSS in Gulf of Mexico water samples were analyzed by direct-injection reversed-phase liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Sample preparation with 50% acetonitrile (ACN) enabled quantitative transfer of DOSS and increased DOSS response 20-fold by reducing aggregation. This increased sensitivity enabled the detection of a confirmatory transition over the calibration range of 10-200 μg/L. U.S. EPA Region 5 and Region 6 laboratories analyzed hundreds of near-shore surface Gulf of Mexico water samples, none contained more than the 20 ppb reporting limit. The matrix spike DOSS/deuterated surrogate (DOSS-D34) correlation of determination varied with mobile phase modifier (ammonium formate R(2)=0.95 and formic acid R(2)=0.27). Using ammonium formate, DOSS-D34 accurately measured DOSS matrix effect. The near-shore sodium concentrations varied more than 10,000-fold, but were not strongly correlated with DOSS recovery. DOSS detection by LC-MS/MS enabled rapid analysis which was valuable in guiding incident response.
New results on integrated adaptive filtering and CFAR processing

The authors examine the detection performance of the GLR (generalized likelihood ratio) algorithm in nonhomogeneous/nonstationary clutter environments which lead to nonidentical distribution of secondary (training) data. For two common types of nonhomogeneity, i.e., the so-called signal contamination and clutter edge, the asymptotic detection performance is derived and compared to simulation. These asymptotic results are relatively simple to use and predict the GLR performance in nonhomogeneous environments quite well. The GLR performance loss due to the nonhomogeneity is also evaluated. It is found that the generalized angle between the desired and contaminating signals plays a very important role in the study of the effect of the signal contamination. It is also found that the performance degradation due to the clutter edge relies largely on the clutter spectrum spread and target-clutter Doppler separation. >
Calcineurin mediates the angiotensin II-induced aldosterone synthesis in the adrenal glands by up-regulation of transcription of the CYP11B2 gene

Aldosterone synthesis in the zona glomerulosa of the adrenal gland is catalysed by aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2). The CYP11B2 expression is induced by angiotensin II (Ang II), mediated by increase of intracellular Ca 2+ level. Since calcineurin (CN) is an important mediator activated by Ca 2+ , we investigated the issue of whether CN is involved in the Ang II-induced CYP11B2 expression in human adrenocortical H295R cells. First, CN inhibitors, cyclosporine A (CysA) and tacrolimus (FK506) inhibited the Ang II-induced elevation of CYP11B2 mRNA level. Second, enforced expression of a constitutively active CN increased the CYP11B2 mRNA level. Third, depletion of CN by siRNA technique blocked the Ang II-induced elevation of CYP11B2 mRNA level. Fourth, in reporter assays using a luciferase gene connected to a 5′-flanking region (from −134 to +43 bp) of the hCYP11B2 gene, both CysA and FK506 inhibited the Ang II-mediated up-regulation of luciferase activity. Finally, activation of CN in living H295R cells following the Ang II treatment was confirmed using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based sensor. Taken together, we conclude that CN mediates the Ang II-induced aldosterone synthesis through up-regulation of the CYP11B2 transcription.
Seismological investigations at The Geysers geothermal field

Two short (4 and 6 day) recording periods at The Geysers geothermal field provided useful data on two large refraction explosions and numerous microearthquakes. The vapor-dominated reservoir appears to be characterized by regionally anomalous high P- and S-wave velocities and low attenuation, but the anomaly seems to decrease, possibly reversing, with depth. Microearthquakes occur in a diffuse pattern, with no indication of dominant throughgoing faults and an absence of activity in the main production zone. Mechanisms are generally consistent with northeast-southwest compression. Occurrence rates indicate a slightly high incidence of smaller magnitude shocks. It is possible that the microearthquake activity is related to an expanding steam zone. While the present anomalies appear to delineate the reservoir, it is not certain that they would have been detectable during exploration prior to large-scale exploitation of the field.
Erroneous Model Field Representations in Multiple Pseudoproxy Studies: Corrections and Implications*

Pseudoproxy experiments evaluatestatistical methods used to reconstruct climatefields from paleoclimatic proxies during the Common Era. These experiments typically employ output from millennial simulations by general circulation models (GCMs). It is demonstrated that multiple published pseudoproxy studies have used erroneously processed GCM surface temperature fields: the NCAR Community Climate System Model (CCSM), version 1.4, field was incorrectly oriented geographically and the GKSS ECHO-g FOR1 field was corrupted by a hemispheric-scale smoothing in the Western Hemisphere. These problems are not associated with the original model simulations; they instead arose because of incorrect processing of the model data for the pseudoproxy experiments. The consequences of these problems are evaluated for the studies in which the incorrect fields were used. Some quantitative results are invalidated by the findings: these include all experiments that used the corrupted ECHO-g field and those aspects of previous CCSM experiments that
“Postmodernism,” Politics, and Pigs

Book Symposium on Gary Steiner's Animals and the Limits of Postmodernism . New York: Columbia University Press, 2013. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
Using multiple remote sensing perspectives to identify and attribute land surface dynamics in Central Asia 2001–2013

Abstract To understand the land surface changes that Central Asia experienced between 2001 and 2013, we applied a non-parametric change analysis method to the standard vegetation indices (NDVI and EVI), as well as to the MODIS Tasseled Cap indices Brightness, Greenness and Wetness. In addition, we evaluated the MODIS nighttime and daytime land surface temperature products and the MODIS evapotranspiration product. We compared the change results by country, land cover type, and anthropogenic biome, and we also evaluated the results according to an index of human influence (HII). We found that EVI, NDVI and Tasseled Cap Greenness reveal very similar changes (r > 0.8), while there was a much lower correlation between the vegetation indices and results based on other portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Thus, we found it informative to expand the analysis beyond the optical and near infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, into the thermal regions. We found that the majority of the changes occurred in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, while Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan appeared more stable during this period. The observed changes were attributable to a combination of anthropogenic changes and weather effects. For example, changes in crop type south of the Aral Sea were revealed as increases in vegetation indices but declines in evapotranspiration, resulting from a shift from cotton to wheat. Across Kazakhstan large patches of negative vegetation changes, combined with increasing temperatures and declines in evapotranspiration were attributable to persistent droughts. Generally, we found that most browning of vegetation occurred in areas with lower human influence (except for areas with very high human influence) and most greening of the vegetation occurred in the areas with intermediate human influence. The use of multiple indicators of significant trends improved trend interpretation and attribution of proximate causes.
A Mixed Methods Study of Pre-­service Teachers’ Attitudes toward LGBTQ Themed Literature

While many of studies provide valuable insights into teachers’ attitudes toward LGBTQ curricula, more research is needed that examines pre-service teachers’ attitudes toward LGBTQ themed texts. The results from the type of research reported on in this article could assist teacher preparation programs to develop coursework intended to increase the willingness of pre-service teachers to use LGBTQ themed young adult literature in the classroom.
The Stability of the Canadian Flexible Exchange Rate, 1950-1962

Canada had a flexible exchange rate from October 2, 1950, to May 2, 1962. Many observers have commented on the stability of the Canadian exchange rate during this period and have discussed the significance of the Canadian experience for the general debate on fixed v. flexible exchange rates. The purpose of this article is not to enter this debate directly, but rather to document the facts on stability and to examine two possible reasons for it. Using daily data on the US/Canadian exchange rate, measures of the stability of the rate are presented in section I. In section II tests of the hypothesis that speculators were a stabilizing force are conducted, and an affirmative conclusion reached. Finally, in section III the argument is made that much of the stability may have been a result of the generally parallel courses of the Canadian and United States economies in the years from 1950 to 1962.
Left heart and arterial baroreceptors interact in control of plasma vasopressin, renin, and cortisol in awake dogs

Arterial hypotension induced by constriction of the ascending aorta (AA) causes increases in left atrial pressure (LAP) and plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), but no change in plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP), plasma renin activity (PRA), or cortisol. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that the rise in left heart pressure during constriction of the AA suppressed the stimulation of AVP, renin, and cortisol secretion in response to arterial hypotension. Dogs were prepared with inflatable cuffs around the AA, the pulmonary artery (PA), and the thoracic inferior vena cava (IVC) and with catheters in the left and right atria and abdominal aorta. In one series of experiments, the AA was constricted to lower mean arterial pressure (MAP) 10 or 20% below control for 15 min. Then, either the PA or the IVC was constricted to bring LAP back to control levels but without altering the degree of arterial hypotension. Constriction of the AA alone led to significant increases in LAP and plasma ANP but no change in plasma AVP, cortisol, or PRA. Reducing LAP to control levels by constriction of either the PA or IVC led to significant and similar increases in plasma AVP, cortisol, and PRA. Plasma ANP fell significantly 10 min after LAP was normalized by constriction of the IVC but not when LAP was normalized by constriction of the PA, because PA constriction caused a significant rise in right atrial pressure that stimulated ANP secretion. The increases in plasma AVP and PRA after normalizing LAP by constriction of the PA were compared with the increases obtained during identical falls in MAP induced by constriction of the IVC alone, a maneuver that lowers LAP below control. The increases in plasma AVP in the two conditions were identical, indicating that the stimulation of left heart baroreceptors alone can account for the suppression of AVP secretion in response to unloading arterial baroreceptors. In contrast, there was a greater rise in PRA during hypotension caused by constriction of the IVC alone compared with the condition in which LAP was normalized but plasma ANP remained elevated. This suggests that increased left heart pressure inhibits renin secretion in response to arterial hypotension by reflex mechanisms and by increased plasma ANP concentration.
Beyond the Law: War and Enemy Status

INTRODUCTION On September 11, 2001, the United States suffered shocking terroristic attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Most agree that the attacks were perpetrated by Osama bin Laden and some of his al Qaeda followers and that these same nonstate actors had been behind previous attacks on the U.S.S. Cole and U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. On October 7, 2001, the United States used massive military force in self-defense against such ongoing processes of armed attack by bin Laden and members of al Qaeda in Afghanistan. At that time, the United States also used massive military force against members of the armed forces of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. This upgraded an ongoing belligerency or international armed conflict in Afghanistan between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance and triggered application of the laws of war with respect to U.S. military responses in the Afghan theater of war. By November 13, 2001, President Bush had made the erroneous claim that the September 11 attacks were acts of international terrorism of such an intensity as to create “a state of armed conflict” and that they amounted to acts of “war” by bin Laden and his followers. The Bush administration also argued that it had a right to detain any member of al Qaeda and other persons allegedly posing threats to national security without trial as “enemy” or “unlawful” combatants whether or not they were captured inside Afghanistan or in connection with the October 7 war with the Taliban.
Healthy Lifestyle Characteristics and Their Joint Association With Cardiovascular Disease Biomarkers in US Adults

Abstract Objective To estimate the prevalence of healthy lifestyle characteristics and to examine the association between different combinations of healthy lifestyle characteristics and cardiovascular disease biomarkers. Patients and Methods The prevalence of healthy lifestyle characteristics was estimated for the US adult population (N=4745) using 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data for the following parameters: being sufficiently active (accelerometer), eating a healthy diet (Healthy Eating Index based on 24-hour recalls), being a nonsmoker (serum cotinine level), and having a recommended body fat percentage (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry). Cardiovascular biomarkers included mean arterial pressure, C-reactive protein, white blood cells (WBCs), total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol to HDL-C ratio, fasting low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting triglycerides, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, insulin resistance, hemoglobin A1c, and homocysteine. The study was conducted from August 15, 2013, through January 5, 2016. Results Only 2.7% (95% CI, 1.9%-3.4%) of all adults had all 4 healthy lifestyle characteristics. Participants with 3 or 4 compared with 0 healthy lifestyle characteristics had more favorable biomarker levels except for mean arterial blood pressure, fasting glucose, and hemoglobin A1c. Having at least 1 or 2 compared with 0 healthy lifestyle characteristics was favorably associated with C-reactive protein, WBCs, HDL-C, total cholesterol, and homocysteine. For HDL-C and total cholesterol, the strongest correlate was body fat percentage. For homocysteine, a healthy diet and not smoking were strong correlates; for WBCs, diet was not a strong correlate. Conclusion Although multiple healthy lifestyle characteristics are important, specific health characteristics may be more important for particular cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Mortality salience increases language style matching and well-being

AbstractThe present research examined whether people imitate the language style of others (i.e., the use of function words) as a form of liking when mortality concerns are salient. In Study 1, participants answered questions about death or public speaking and then engaged in an instant messaging conversation with a confederate. In Study 2, participant pairs verbally discussed a news article about increasing homicide rates or the rise in academic pressure. Next, everyone completed measures of self-esteem, life satisfaction, and relationship need satisfaction. The results revealed that, in comparison to the control conditions, participants exhibited greater language style matching (LSM) following reminders of death (Studies 1 & 2). Further, mediational analyses showed that higher LSM after mortality salience was associated with better psychological and social well-being (Study 2). Although the threat of death has been shown to make people more hostile and disparaging toward dissimilar others, the present wo...
Copy Number Variation Contributes to Sporadic and Familial Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms and Dissections

1. Prakash SK, LeMaire SA, Guo DC, Russell L, Regalado ES, Golabbakhsh H, Johnson RJ, Safi HJ, Estrera AL, Coselli JS, Bray MS, Leal SM, Milewicz DM, Belmont JW. Rare copy number variants disrupt genes regulating vascular smooth muscle cell adhesion and contractility in sporadic thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections. Am J Hum Genet. 2010;87(6):743–756. PMID: 21092924. ### Study Hypothesis The genetic origins of thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections (TAAD) are relatively unknown. Twenty percent of cases have similarly affected family members, but genes previously identified for familial TAAD have exhibited reduced penetrance and variable severity. The genes previously implicated in familial TAAD ( ACTA2 , MYH11 , TGFBR1 , TGFBR2 ) have all been found to be involved in vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) contractility and adhesion. Copy number variations (CNVs) have been found previously to increase risk of several multifactorial diseases, such as autism and schizophrenia. The authors hypothesized that rare structural variants could contribute to risk of TAAD, and that such …
Effect of 17-hydroxy-11-dehydrocorticosterone (compound E) and of ACTH on arthus reaction and antibody formation in the rabbit.

Summary1. The effects of compound E and ACTH on experimental hypersensitivity of the Arthus type and on antibody production in the rabbit are described. Both compound E and ACTH inhibited sensitization to repeated intracutaneous injections of crystalline egg albumin. Moreover the inhibition produced by compound E was much greater than that obtained with ACTH; with compound E sensitization was almost completely prevented in all of the 8 animals tested.2. The data indicate that the inhibitory effect of compound E and ACTH on the development of the Arthus state results from the ability of these hormones to suppress antibody formation. As shown by antibody nitrogen determinations, compound E and ACTH suppressed antibody formation by an average of 100 and 50% respectively.3. In contrast to their striking effect on the production of the active Arthus reaction, compound E and ACTH had no effect on the passive local Arthus reaction, when antibody is supplied to the animal. Thus, the capacity of the animal to reac...
Donor and recipient selection for islet transplantation

Today there are approximately 130 million people with diabetes, and the incidence is rising among all age groups. Insulin treatment can maintain the functionality necessary to keep these patients alive, but it cannot prevent the evolution of the disease. Clinical islet transplantation offers the pro
Effects of hadacidin on human tumors grown in eggs and rats.

SummaryFour transplantable human tumors (H. Ep. 3, H.S. 1, . Ad. 1 and A-42) were gorwn on the CAM of chick embryos and used to determine the anti-tumor potential of hadacidin. In testing samples of hadacidin, there was consistent anti-tumor activity. When a comparison among the tumor types of their response to hadacidin was made, A-42 appeared to be consistently more sensitive to hadacidin than were the other types of tumors. Using two different routes of administration, intraperitoneal and per os, hadacidin inhibited the growth of H.S. 1 in the x-irradiated and cortisone treated rat. The positive results obtained in the mammalian host are further indications of the antitumor potentials of hadacidin.
Rehearsals of genocide in South Africa: thinking with and beyond Francis Nyamnjoh and Michael Neocosmos

How do we know when a state is rehearsing genocide? This question has been answered in spectacular fashion in contemporary Africa: the veiled language of the Biafran war in Nigeria, which masked mass murder; the state-sponsored near-annihilation of the Tutsis within 100 days in Rwanda; the unbridled love for power by Islamic militias in Somalia that has rendered the country stateless; and the violation of Darfurians with impunity in Sudan. Such obvious cases make Africa appear to be a place where anything that can go wrong will destroy social norms overnight. Such instances also mask the violations of humanity occurring in neoliberal democracies such as South Africa. For example, the xenophobic attacks on resident black Africans from elsewhere are the product of the revived neurosis of separate development in the aftermath of 1994. South Africa's black middle class condones xenophobia and colludes in the state's failure to deliver real independence to the masses of unemployed South African blacks. Many of...
Teaching the American History Survey at the Opening of the Twenty-First Century: A Round Table Discussion

In our inaugural foray as editors of the "Textbooks and Teaching" section, we focus on the teaching of the American history survey, the task that probably has the broadest impact of any professional service regularly performed by readers of this journal. Last summer we hosted a "virtual round table" using e-mail and an electronic listserv as our modes of communication. Over the course of five weeks, eleven participants exchanged views on the means and ends of teaching the survey. What follows is a condensed and consolidated version of this provocative on-line conversation.
Effect of N-gamma-phenylpropyl-N-benzyloxy acetamide (W-1372) on experimental atherosclerosis in rabbits.

SummaryThe effect of N-γ-phenylpropyl-N-benzyloxy acetamide (W-1372) upon the establishment and progression of atheromata in cholesterol-fed rabbits has been investigated. At a level of 2% in the diet W-1372 inhibits weight gain and does not affect serum cholesterol levels but raises serum triglyceride levels. Liver cholesterol levels are significantly lower in rabbits fed W-1372. The average atheromata in the aortic arch and thoracic aorta of rabbits fed an atherogenic regimen augmented with 2% W-1372 are significantly lower than those observed in controls. When W-1372 (2%) is fed to rabbits with preestablished atheromata for 2 months, the exacerbation of severity of lesions is reduced when compared to controls. Atheromata in the aortic arch are 11% less severe and in the thoracic aorta 30% less severe.
Network sensor health problem

Abstract Many existing studies on the sensor health problem determine an individual sensor’s health status based on the statistical characteristics of collected data by the sensor. In this research, we study the sensor health problem at the network level, which is referred to as the network sensor health problem. First, based on the conservation principle of daily flows in a network, we separate all links into base links and non-base links, such that the flows on the latter can be calculated from those on the former. In reality, the network flow conservation principle can be violated due to the existence of unhealthy sensors. Then we define the least inconsistent base set of links as those that minimize the sum of squares of the differences between observed and calculated flows on non-base links. But such least inconsistent base sets may not be unique in a general road network. Finally we define the health index of an individual sensor as the frequency that it appears in all of the least inconsistent base sets. Intuitively, a lower health index suggests that the corresponding sensor is more likely to be unhealthy. We present the brute force method to find all least inconsistent base sets and calculate the health indices. We also propose a greedy search algorithm to calculate the approximate health indices more efficiently. We solve the network sensor health problem for a real-world example with 16 nodes and 30 links, among which 18 links are monitored with loop detectors. Using daily traffic count data from the Caltrans Performance Measurement System (PeMS) database, we use both the brute-force and greedy search methods to calculate the health indices for all the sensors. We find that all the four sensors flagged as unhealthy (high value) by PeMS have the lowest health indices. This confirms that a sensor with a lower health index is more likely to be unhealthy. Therefore, we can use such health indices to determine the relative reliability of different sensors’ data and prioritize the maintenance of sensors.
Ultrasound. An aid in the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy.

Abstract Compound sector scanning has been employed in 39 cases of suspected ectopic pregnancy. In 21 of these, where the diagnosis was confirmed at operation, there was a 23.8 per cent negative error by sonogram. In 18 cases where the postoperative diagnosis was other than ectopic pregnancy, there was a positive sonographic error of 27.7 per cent. The over-all error was 25.6 per cent. The major diagnostic criteria were uterine enlargement with diffuse amorphous intrauterine echoes. An irregular, fairly diffuse extrauterine mass was a contributory diagnostic aid. Standardization of techniques and improved definition by the equipment should improve the diagnostic accuracy.
Initiating a Hypothetical Upgrade to Magnecules with Topological Deformation Order Parameters for Spontaneous Superfluidic Gauge Symmetry Breaking

In this preliminary work, we propose a hypothesis and launch a procedural upgrade to magnecules by equipping these new iso-chemical creatures with topological deformation order parameters (OP) of fractional statistics to encode the spontaneous superfluidic gauge symmetry breaking (which we expect to be restored at the iso-topic level), correlated helices with long range order, and wave-packet wave-functions for the electron toroidal polarizations. For this initial "base case", we consider a single magnecular bond between dual inter-locked protium atoms in a magnecule. The results of this equipment support our hypothesis and are significant because the OP configuration arms us with an extra degree of freedom for encoding a magnecule's states and transitions; this may enable us to further decode and comprehend the underlying physical mechanisms and features associated with these state-of-the-art magnecular bonds for direct industrial application. Hence, these outcomes should be subjected to additional stringent examination and improvement.
Visual Pigment Kinetics and Adaptation in Fundus Albipunctatus

Most nightblinding disorders are characterized by elevated scotopic thresholds, irrespective of the time in darkness. In some instances, however, rod sensitivity returns after a prolonged period of dark adaptation. One such variant is fundus albipunctatus in which both the cone and rod branches of the dark adaptation curve are grossly abnormal but final thresholds are normal.
Hierarchical Intermittent Respiratory Testing in the Intensive Care Unit

In opening a conference which centres on computers in critical care and pulmonary medicine, it seems appropriate to focus a presentation on the three segments of the name: computers, critical care, and pulmonary. For testing of pulmonary function to be effective in the intensive care unit, it must provide meaningful information within a few minutes of performing a test. Using the available sensors for analysis of pulmonary function, the primary unprocessed signals are of very limited use. Even blood gases need calculations of derived values. Pulmonary testing and monitoring in the intensive care unit have lagged behind cardiovascular monitoring and testing because of this need for signal processing and analysis. For immediate report of results in as simple a measure as spirometry, a computer is essential.
Technology Assessment: Evaluating Personal Transportation Technologies

A hierarchical decision model was applied to the problem of consumer choice among single-person transportation technologies. Criteria and sub-criteria were pulled from literature and similar studies to objectively compare the vehicles. Pairwise comparison was used to rank the weights of each criteria and sub-criteria across four different cultural states: the USA, South Africa, India, and Kenya. For the USA the highest ranked criteria were economic and practicality, for South Africa safety and economic, for India safety, and for Kenya practicality. The lowest weight for all countries was for public use regulations. All countries preferred the simple human-powered bicycle to any more advanced technology. This data could be used to inform product development or marketing decisions within each country.
Art making, good governance and sustainable extra-terrestrial communities

In conditions of extreme adversity in space, resilient communities and robust organisations will only develop and perpetuate if people live communally. Of specific relevance to hardy extra-terrestrial societies who value collective long-term growth is the promotion of daily art practice, as art making can contribute to social cohesion, improve one’s quality of life, inhibit alienation and keep the imagination alive. Through an understanding of the possibilities for everyday creativity in an extra-terrestrial setting, the participatory activities that engender it and the structures that may enhance or constrain it, this paper explores how art practices might activate and sustain individuals, organisational cultures and communities in frontier societies off-Earth. First-hand contact with a small art based organisation is examined through an alliance formed within my visual art practice: in the past five years I’ve collaborated with Cameron Noble, an artist from Arts Project Australia, a small community-driven organisation that manages an open studio and gallery for artists with disabilities. Analysis confirms that embedded within the philosophies surrounding the artist studio at Arts Project, are the strategies and structures for good governance of future societies in space, particularly in relation to notions of capacity, development, leadership, diversity, inclusion, ethics and risk. This paper suggests a few simple, best practice guidelines as useful for organisations and communities and applicable to the governance of artists and non-artists working creatively in extra-terrestrial micro-societies. Further, beyond frameworks of need and deficit, it proposes that art making should be mandated and funded as a necessary part of existence for every person living in anomalous settings in frontier settlements far from Earth, set apart from leisure and entertainment and as a part of daily extra-terrestrial life.
Computer Analysis of Thallium-201/Technetium-99m Parathyroid Images

Objective: There is a lack of concensus regarding the analysis of 201TI/99mTc dual-isotope subtraction parathyroid images. We retrospectively evaluated two computer subtraction methods for the ability to increase the certainty of localization of parathyroid adenomas when compared to camera images only. Methods: We evaluated 20 parathyroid studies using three sets of images: digital camera images (TI survey, TI pinhole and Tc pinhole of 100K counts each); a simple subtraction image of the Tc pinhole from the TI pinhole without background subtraction or normalization; and multiple subtractions of 60, 80, 100, 120 and 140% of the background-subtracted Tc pinhole image from the background-subtracted, normalized TI pinhole image. Results: Simple subtraction decreased the certainty of adenoma localization as often as it increased it. Multiple subtractions increased the certainty in three cases and never decreased it. The sensitivities of the three techniques were calculated to be 84% for both camera images and simple subtraction and 90% for multiple subtraction. Conclusion: If computer subtraction is desired to increase the certainty of diagnosis, it should be performed with multiple subtractions of the Tc pinhole image from the TI pinhole image, as described in this paper.
Reproducibility of quantifying tracer uptake with PET/CT for evaluation of response to therapy

We present a study of the variability in quantifying tracer uptake in PET/CT, which is important for evaluation of response to therapy. Variability unrelated to response must be assessed to determine the threshold change required for declaring patient response to therapy. This study assessed systemic variability by repeatedly imaging a phantom filled with long half-life Germanium-68 in a solid epoxy matrix. Circular Region Of Interest (ROI) analyses with 10-mm diameters measured maximum and average activities of 10- to 37-mm diameter spheres. Three sets of repeated scans were acquired using a GE DSTE-16 PET/CT: (1) with a stationary phantom, (2) with sequential axial shifts of 0.5-mm between scans, and (3) with random repositioning between scans, also called 'coffee-break' repeat scans. For the stationary phantom scans the standard deviations for mean and maximum absolute Recovery Coefficients (RC) ranged from 0.9% to 4.3% depending on the methods of acquisition and reconstruction. In all cases similar results were observed for both analytic and iterative reconstruction methods. All standard deviations for maximum and average values for 2D acquisitions were significantly higher than those calculated from 3D acquisitions with 7-mm smoothing (p les 0.005). For the sequential axial shifted scans activity measurements did not demonstrate a systemic change corresponding to detector spacing. For the random repositioning scans, the standard deviations for maximum and average RCs were 2.9% and 2.4% averaged over all sphere diameters, compared to 2.4% and 1.4% for the stationary phantom with the same acquisition and reconstruction. Random axial repositioning scans acquired via a Siemens Biograph-16 Hi-REZ yielded similar results after the standard deviations were adjusted to compensate for differences in total counts acquired. These results suggest it is possible to account for the sources of variability in serial PET scans that are unrelated to response to therapy.