cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of fresh and cryopreserved Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) semen and its seminal plasma chemical constituents

Semen was collected by electroejaculation from four Siberian tigers. The cells were separated from the seminal plasma by centrifugation, extended in TEST-yolk buffer with 4% glycerol and frozen for a Sephadex filtration assay. The seminal plasma was analyzed for chemical constituents and characteristics. There were significant differences between tigers for volume, cell concentration, pre- and post-thaw motility, total cells, percent live/normal cells, pH, specific gravity, albumin, alkaline phosphate, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, total protein, urea nitrogen, potassium, chloride, carbon dioxide and glucose. There were no differences between tigers for total live cells, osmotic pressure, acid phosphatase, sodium, phosphorus, calcium, or creatinine. There were significant differences between months only for pre-freeze motility, albumin, chloride, carbon dioxide, and calcium. The differences in seminal plasma chemistry may be useful for semen quality evaluation after successful breeding techniques have been developed. As the data base of information concerning the reproductive physiology of tigers increases, application of advanced technologies may become a reality.
Case Report: Cardiotoxic Calcemia

The effects of hypercalcemia on the heart and the resulting alterations of the electrocardiogram are well established. However, there are only rare reports of arrhythmias caused by hypercalcemia in primary hyperparathyroidism. This article describes a case of severe hypercalcemia secondary to hyperparathyroidism causing tachy-brady syndrome.
Home-based injury prevention practices used by mothers of Mexican descent living in San Antonio, TX

PURPOSE: To describe the home-based injury prevention practices used by low-income mothers of Mexican descent with their preschool children. DESIGN AND SAMPLE: A descriptive qualitative study with convenience sampling of mothers (n=9) who are of Mexican descent and have preschool children. METHOD: Data collection consisted of ethnographic interviews supplemented by focused home observations. RESULTS: 2 themes emerged from the data: the spectrum of physical proximity and the use of injury prevention technology. The spectrum of physical proximity reflected the degree of physical closeness (i.e., supervising children, watching children closely, and being after children) that the mothers used to manage injury risk in their children. Children who were perceived as curious or restless, or too young were judged by the mothers as being prone to injury and requiring more maternal physical closeness. The participants used the injury prevention technology recommended by the experts despite their limited economic resources. However, this group of mothers used the spectrum of physical proximity as the main tool to prevent child injuries in their home. CONCLUSION: These findings provide an insight into the attitudes and behaviors of low-income, Mexican mothers toward injury prevention in the home. Awareness of these attitudes and behaviors will allow for the creation of interventions that take into account this maternal perspective. Language: en
Capability of LHC to discover supersymmetry with $ \sqrt {s} = 7\;{\text{TeV}} $ and 1 fb−1

We examine the capability of the CERN Large Hadron Collider to discovery supersymmetry (SUSY) with energy $ \sqrt {s} = 7\;{\text{TeV}} $ and integrated luminosity of about 1 fb−1. Our results are presented within the paradigm minimal supergravity model (mSUGRA or CMSSM). Using a 6-dimensional grid of cuts for optimization of signal to background — including missing E T — we find for $ {m_{\tilde{g}}} \sim {m_{\tilde{q}}} $ an LHC reach of $ {m_{\tilde{g}}} $ ~ 800, 950, 1100 and 1200 GeV for 0.1, 0.3, 1 and 2 fb−1, respectively. For $ {m_{\tilde{g}}} \ll {m_{\tilde{q}}} $ , the reach is instead near $ {m_{\tilde{g}}} $ ~ 480, 540, 620 and 700 GeV, for the same integrated luminosities. We also examine the LHC reach in the case of very low integrated luminosity where missing E T may not be viable. We focus on the multi-muon, multi-lepton (including electrons) and dijet signals. Although the LHC reach without E T miss is considerably lower in these cases, it is still substantial: for 0.3 fb−1, the dijet reach in terms of gluino mass is up to 600 GeV for very low m 0, while the dilepton reach is to gluino masses of ∼500 GeV over a range of m 0 values.
Cardiokymography during exercise testing: A new device for the detection of coronary artery disease and left ventricular wall motion abnormalities

Abstract The cardiokymograph (CKG) is a device that has been shown to reflect left ventricular (LV) wall motion abnormalities. Its accuracy in detecting coronary artery disease (CAD) during treadmill exercise testing was assessed in 204 consecutive patients undergoing coronary arteriography. Of the 188 patients with a technically adequate CKG, 146 (78%) had significant CAD. The sensitivity and specificity were similar for both the exercise electrocardiogram (ECG) (66% and 86%, respectively) and the exercise CKG (73% and 95%, respectively). An abnormal exercise CKG was significantly more common In patients with 3-vessel CAD than in those with 1-vessel disease (97% versus 52%, respectively;p
Health-related quality of life during the first year after traumatic brain injury.

Objectives To document health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to examine the relationship between TBI severity and HRQOL during the first year after injury. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Four pediatric level I trauma centers. Patients Children with TBI (n = 330). Main Exposure Traumatic brain injury. Main Outcome Measures A primary caregiver completed telephone interviews at baseline, 3 months, and 12 months to measure the child's HRQOL using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. The HRQOL outcomes were modeled as a function of injury, patient characteristics, and family characteristics using longitudinal, multivariable regression. Results A considerable proportion of children had impaired HRQOL at 3 months (42% of children) and 12 months (40% of children) after injury. Multiple dimensions of HRQOL were negatively affected among children with moderate or severe TBI (decrease of 3.7 to 17.6) ( P P P Conclusions Moderate or severe TBI resulted in measurable declines in children's HRQOL after injury. Injury-related factors impacted HRQOL more compared with patient and family characteristics during the first year after injury.
Hegel's Theory of Freedom

Hegel's theory of freedom is complex and sweeping, and while most interpreters of Hegel will readily agree that it is the centerpiece of his political philosophy, perhaps also of his social philosophy and philosophy of history, they will just as readily disagree about what exactly the theory claims. Such interpretive disagreements have fueled, in large part, the resurgence of interest in Hegelian philosophy over the last few decades.
The influence of freeze duration on postfreeze recovery by caterpillars of Pyrrharctia isabella (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae): when is survival enough to qualify as recovery?

The effects of freeze exposure at −4.5°C for as long as 6 weeks on long-term postfreeze survival and body fluid composition were investigated in caterpillars (woolly bears) of the arctiid moth Pyrrharctia isabella. Woolly bears routinely survived the initial postfreeze period with little difference between the 1-week (100%) and 6-week (95%) freeze treatments. Caterpillars in the latter treatment, however, reached the pupal stage almost one half as often as woolly bears in the 1-week freeze treatment. The success rate for adult emergence was not different for pupae from the two treatments (ca. 50%). Woolly bears responded to cold acclimation by accumulating glycerol to levels exceeding 300 mM although this was not augmented by extending the acclimation period to 6 weeks. There was a significant (P<0.05) rise in hemolymph [K+] during the first week of the freeze (23.4–37.8 mM), which then remained stable over the remainder of the 6-week freeze period. Hemolymph [Na+] did not change from the prefreeze level over the course of the freeze treatment. Body water content showed a modest rise during the course of the freeze treatment but the underlying cause for this change was uncertain. Prolonged freeze exposure had a major impact on long-term survival of the woolly bears but this was not reflected by any instability in body fluid composition. Moreover, short-term recovery was not an effective indicator of the tolerance of P. isabella caterpillars to prolonged freezing. J. Exp. Zool. 305A, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Seasonal wetlands on the Lake Wales Ridge, Florida: does a relict seed bank persist despite long term disturbance?

Wetlands maintain biodiversity and provide numerous ecosystem services, so the pressure to perform successful restoration consequently is high. However, restoration projects rarely include an in-depth assessment of wetland potential for recovery, and restoration techniques may not be tailored to site-specific concerns. This study examined the seed bank of disturbed wetlands slotted for hydrologic, but not vegetation, restoration to determine if a seed bank comparable to that of nearby undisturbed wetlands persisted despite long-term anthropogenic disturbance. We compared the aboveground vegetation and seed bank compositions under drained, drawdown, and flooded conditions between undisturbed and historically ditched (“disturbed”) wetlands. Disturbed and undisturbed wetlands shared fewer than 30 % of total aboveground species. While undisturbed wetlands were dominated by graminoids, disturbed wetlands had greater cover of forbs. The seed banks of disturbed wetlands had high species diversity, but their composition was dissimilar to that of nearby undisturbed wetlands. In total, the seed banks of both disturbance histories germinated 56 species; drained conditions had the fewest germinants while flooded conditions had the most. Germinant richness was significantly affected by disturbance, moisture, and their interaction; evenness was significantly affected by moisture, and Shannon diversity by disturbance. Because the seed bank of disturbed wetlands included many fast-growing wetland plants, passive vegetation restoration and active hydrologic restoration may result in wetlands overgrown with weedy species and with fewer conservative wetland plants. An understanding of the capacity for seed banks to re-vegetate wetlands post-restoration and approximate undisturbed wetlands is crucial to the overall success of restoration projects.
Operations Research in Education

Paul Grambsch in inviting me to speak to you this noon probably assumed that because my background was engineering physics I was knowledgeable of the field of operations research. Let me quickly dispel any such illusion for the rest of you. I am strictly a seat of the pants pilot in the company of those who, through mathematical modeling techniques attempt to provide for informed judgments about courses of action in complex systems. I hope word of my confession does not have too wide a circulation among my colleagues who will regard it as a confirmation of their worst suspicions.
Characterization of the Ca2+‐ and Mg2+‐Dependent ATPases in Electrophorus Electroplax Microsomes

Electrophorus electroplax microsomes were examined for Ca2+- and Mg2+-dependent ATPase activity. In addition to the previously reported low-affinity ATPase, a high-affinity (Ca2+,Mg2+)-ATPase was found. At low ATP and Mg2+ concentrations (200 microM or less), the high-affinity (Ca2+,Mg2+)-ATPase exhibits an activity of 18 nmol Pi mg-1 min-1 with 0.58 microM Ca2+. At higher ATP concentrations (3 mM), the low-affinity Ca2+-ATPase predominates, with an activity of 28 nmol Pi mg-1 min-1 with 1 mM Ca2+. In addition, Mg2+ can also activate the low-affinity ATPase (18 nmol Pi mg-1 min-1). The high-affinity ATPase hydrolyzes ATP at a greater rate than it does GTP, ITP, or UTP and is insensitive to ouabain, oligomycin, or dicyclohexylcarbodiimide inhibition. The high-affinity enzyme is inhibited by vanadate, trifluoperazine, and N-ethylmaleimide. Added calmodulin does not significantly stimulate enzyme activity; rinsing the microsomes with EGTA does not confer calmodulin sensitivity. Thus the high-affinity ATPase from electroplax microsomes is similar to the (Ca2+,Mg2+)-ATPase reported to be associated with Ca2+ transport, based on its affinity for calcium and its response to inhibitors. The low-affinity enzyme hydrolyzes all tested nucleoside triphosphates, as well as diphosphates, but not AMP. Vanadate and N-ethylmaleimide do not inhibit the low-affinity enzymes. The low-affinity enzyme reflects a nonspecific nucleoside triphosphatase, probably an ectoenzyme.
New Opportunities in Personal Network Data Collection

One of the central challenges of ego-centric or personal social network research is the quantity and quality of data that is required from research participants. In general, collecting data about increasingly larger ego-centric networks places an increasing burden on respondents. However, the recent development and increasing ubiquity of web applications that rely on social graphs present interesting new opportunities and challenges for data collection efforts. This chapter addresses this emerging context for social research, and reports the results of an experimental evaluation of an online computer-assisted self interview (CASI) survey tool called PASN (Propitious Aggregation of Social Networks). Personal networks acquired via the PASN tool were found to be larger and more diverse than those produced using standard survey methods, yet required significantly lower time investments from participants. The implications of new methods such as PASN for social network research are discussed, along with considerations and recommendations for future research.
Measuring Helping Behavior Across Cultures

This chapter focuses on some of the special challenges and difficulties in conducting crosscultural research. In particular, it describes some of the problems my colleagues and I have faced in our own research: a series of studies in which helpfulness toward strangers was assessed in 36 cities across the United States and 23 large cities around the world. We conducted independent field experiments in each city to measure helping in various situations, such as seeing if passersby would alert a pedestrian who dropped a pen, offer help to a pedestrian with a hurt leg trying to reach a pile of dropped magazines, assist a blind person to cross the street and retrieve a lost letter. The results of these studies are discussed, including some ways they exemplify both what can be learned from cross-cultural research and the "noise" or uncertainties one can expect to encounter in this learning process. Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. This article is available in Online Readings in Psychology and Culture: http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/orpc/vol5/iss3/2
A “Post-Gay” Era? Media Gaystreaming, Homonormativity, and the Politics of LGBT Integration

Logo, a U.S. network that launched in 2005 as an explicitly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) channel, has been implementing a rebranding strategy that it labels gaystreaming. Drawing from Logo's internal documents and interviews with Logo staff, I situate the development, discourses, and effects of gaystreaming against LGBT content elsewhere, shifts toward multiplatform programming, and LGBT mainstreaming. Alongside industrial changes in media production, the goal of attracting heterosexual women, imagined to share particular affinities with gay men, has been the key to driving Logo toward taste- and style-based reality programming. Although Logo's Web sites currently offer broader content than the channel, overall gaystreaming has remarginalized queer subjects whom Logo's earlier programming partially addressed, comprising a homonormativity predicated on discourses of consumerism, progress, and integration.
Xenopus axis formation: induction of goosecoid by injected Xwnt-8 and activin mRNAs

In this study, we compare the effects of three mRNAs-goosecoid, activin and Xwnt-8- that are able to induce partial or complete secondary axes when injected into Xenopus embryos. Xwnt-8 injection produces complete secondary axes including head structures whereas activin and goosecoid injection produce partial secondary axes at high frequency that lack head structures anterior to the auditory vesicle and often lack notochord. Xwnt-8 can activate goosecoid only in the deep marginal zone, i.e., in the region in which this organizer-specific homeobox gene is normally expressed on the dorsal side. Activin B mRNA, however, can turn on goosecoid in all regions of the embryo. We also tested the capacity of these gene products to restore axis formation in embryos in which the cortical rotation was blocked by UV irradiation. Whereas Xwnt-8 gives complete rescue of anterior structures, both goosecoid and activin give partial rescue. Rescued axes including hindbrain structures up to level of the auditory vesicle can be obtained at high frequency even in the absence of notochord structures. The possible functions of Wnt-like and activin-like signals and of the goosecoid homeobox gene, and their order of action in the formation of Spemann's organizer are discussed.
GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE IN PATIENTS WITH COLUMNAR-LINED ESOPHAGUS

Columnar-lined esophagus or Barrett's esophagus is closely associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease. Animal and human studies have shown not only acid but duodenogastroesophageal reflux acting in synergy with acid causes the most esophageal injury. Patients with Barrett's esophagus manifest typical and atypical symptoms of reflux. Ten percent to 25%, however, have clinically silent reflux. Early diagnosis is essential for this disease as it is a risk factor for the development of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.
Oral calcitriol and calcium: Efficient therapy for uremic hyperparathyroidism

Oral calcitriol and calcium: An efficient therapy for uremic hyperparathyroidism. Therapy with orally administered calcitriol often does not adequately control the biochemical manifestations of secondary hyperparathyroidism in uremic patients. This may be due to inadequate serum concentrations of 1,25(OH) 2 vitamin D and/or to insufficient dietary calcium supplementation. In the present study, therefore, we examined the effect on parathyroid function of calcitriol and calcium carbonate, administered orally, in doses sufficient to normalize the serum 1,25(OH) 2 vitamin D and calcium concentrations. After nine months of combined therapy, marked suppression of immunoreactive PTH occurred in the absence of hypercalcemia. Furthermore, prolonged therapy resulted in additional suppression of the PTH concentrations comparable in magnitude to that reported following intravenous calcitriol therapy and was associated with a mild degree of hypercalcemia similar to that which occurs with intravenous therapy. Euparathy-roidism was achieved in 25% of the patients by 15 months of treatment. In conclusion, secondary hyperparathyroidism can be effectively controlled with combined oral therapy without significant hypercalcemia in selected patients with end-stage renal failure. This salutary effect may result from direct actions of 1,25(OH) 2 D on the parathyroid gland and/or gastrointestinal tract, or from an overall action of combined treatment to restore calcium homeostasis.
Large scale climate oscillations and mesoscale surface meteorological variability in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin

Summary The “water wars” between Alabama, Georgia, and Florida over water restrictions and allocation in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin (ACF) stem, in part, from the occurrence of several droughts in the 1980s, the dramatic increase in water use in the northern basin around Atlanta, and increased agricultural usage in the central basin. This study examines relationships between available surface climatological variables connected to evapotranspiration and climatic oscillations using canonical correlation analysis (CCA). Canonical loadings and cross loadings from CCA are evaluated in two tests using temperature and precipitation data and four climate oscillations – the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), and Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). In the first test, the six-month Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and all four seasons of the four climate oscillations from every subbasin in the ACF are evaluated, revealing relationships mostly with the AMO and NAO, and primarily with temperatures. In order to focus more on precipitation and the variance among the different temporal scales of the SPI, Test Two looks at the relationship between all four SPI variations and all four seasons of the climate oscillations from the extreme northern and southern subbasins. Test Two shows the twenty-four month SPI has the largest loadings and variance explained, which may be contributed to the longer frequencies in the AMO and PDO. The southern part of the basin is largely influenced by SOI, while the northern subbasin the AMO and PDO. Concurrent relationships between the same season of the climate oscillation and meteorological variable confirm previously researched directions of the relationships between the oscillation and precipitation or temperature in both Test One and Test Two.
Gene therapy of hypercholesterolemic disorders

Gene therapy in its simplest form is the treatment of genetic disease by the introduction of normal (nondefective) genes. In several hypercholesterolemic disorders, the defective genes have been identified, and animal models are available in which to test the efficacy of gene therapy. Two such disorders, familial hypercholesterolemia (low density lipoprotein receptor deficiency) and apolipoprotein E deficiency (a form of type III hyperlipoproteinemia), are being investigated as paradigms of lipoprotein metabolism. Recent work using these two model systems highlights the therapeutic potential, as well as the drawbacks, of the current state of gene therapy.
The development of a solid state transceiver for an active element ground based L-Band phased array radar

In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s advances in silicon bipolar technology demonstrated the potential for solid-state active element phased arrays. To gain the solid-state advantages of rapid start, high reliability and lower life cycle cost a program called Camel was initiated to build an L-Band array radar. The transmit/receive module was to be developed at Texas Instruments. The architecture of the power amplifier and the low noise receiver sharing a common phase shifter at the input and a ferrite circulator at the output with digital control of the switching and the phase shifter persists in transceiver modules today. This presentation will describe the technical choices made in these early efforts and the difficulties and surprises that these early solid-state microwave engineers faced. Based on the Camel program a program for a large ground based active element L-Band array was initiated but subsequently terminated.
Response of Breath-Alcohol Analyzers to Acetone: Further Studies

Seven quantitative evidential breath-alcohol analyzers In three categories of analytical principle were tested for response to dynamically generated vapor acetone concentrations of 3, 100, 150, 350, and 600/~g/L and to alcohol-acetone vapor mixtures of 0.10 g alcohol/210 L and 350 or 600/~g acetone/L. No significant interference by acetone at any of these concentrations was found In four of the tested instruments. Two devices employing single wavelength infrared spectrometry displayed no unacceptable responses to acetone in concentrations to 350 t~g/L, and one device employing solid-state (Taguchl) sensing was found to be significantly sensitive to acetone at the two highest tested concentrations. Except for the latter device, response to acetone of those instruments tested is not considered to be a significant problem In breath-alcohol analysis for traffic law enforcement or other purposes.
Phase Behavior of Aqueous Mixtures of Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide (CTAB) and Sodium Octyl Sulfate (SOS)

The phase behavior and aggregate morphology of mixtures of the oppositely charged surfactants cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium octyl sulfate (SOS) are explored with cryotransmission electron microscopy, quasielastic light scattering, and surface tensiometry. Differences in the lengths of the two hydrophobic chains stabilize vesicles relative to other microstructures (e.g., liquid crystalline and precipitate phases), and vesicles form spontaneously over a wide range of compositions in both CTAB-rich and SOS-rich solutions. Bilayer properties of the vesicles depend on the ratio of CTAB to SOS, with CTAB-rich bilayers stiffer than SOS-rich ones. We observe two modes of microstructural transition between micelles and vesicles. The first transition, between rodlike micelles and vesicles, is first order, and so there is macroscopic phase separation. This transition occurs in CTAB-rich solutions and in SOS-rich solutions at higher surfactant concentrations. In the second transition mode, mixtures...
Religion, identity, and state in modern Islam

L'ouvrage d'Abdullah al-Ahsan, Ummah or Nation? Identity Crisis in Contemporary Muslim Society, propose quelques theses interessantes. La colonisation et l'occidentalisation ont bouleverse les principes fondamentaux de l'umma musulmane. Le nationalisme, produit de la colonisation, menace de remplacer l'identite musulmane universelle par la nation comme dans le cas de la Turquie de Kemal. Afin de comprendre ces bouleversements, l'intelligentsia musulmane s'attache a l'histoire de l'Europe et de l'Islam. Cette intelligentsia decide en dernier ressort de son engagement en faveur de l'umma ou du nationalisme
DualRTT: detecting spurious timeouts in wireless mobile environments

Retransmission ambiguity, arising from delay spikes in a wireless mobile environment, results in poor TCP performance. Eifel improves the performance of TCP by using the timestamp option, which requires additional header bytes, resulting in increased overhead in bandwidth constrained wireless networks. Moreover, the destination needs to support the timestamp option. In this paper, we propose a new algorithm, called DualRTT, which increases the performance of TCP in the presence of delay spikes, without requiring any additional header bytes. It requires changes only at the sender, and hence is easier to deploy in the existing Internet infrastructure. It also does not require the destination to support the TCP timestamp option. Results show that DualRTT increases the performance of TCP, and also achieves a higher transport layer efficiency than previous algorithms.
Local Time Stepping with Automatic Adaptation for the DSMC Method

This publication describes an approach for using a local time step within the DSMC method and an algorithm for the automatic adaptation of this time step to allow an appropriate resolution of the local collision frequency and a control of the collision probabilities. The procedure is straightforward and can easily be incorporated into existing packages. Generally, a significant reduction of execution times can be observed, especially in flow fields with large variations in collision frequency.
Neurovascular Island Pedicle—Extension in Usage

1. With traumatic loss of the terminal volar pad of a thumb or index digit, the neurovascular island pedicle can serve as an immediate or secondary replacement in preference to a free graft or cross-finger pedicle. 2. A thumb reconstruction with pedicle covering alone has disadvantages of non-critical sensation and susceptibility to ulceration. Improved functional results are obtained when critical sensation and durability are secured by a neurovascular island flap. This supplemental measure sanctions the reconstruction of a thumb by pedicle and bone-graft procedures.
Early results from a diagnostic 1.3 cm survey of massive young protostars

We have used the recently-upgraded Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (JVLA) to conduct a K-band (~24 GHz) study of 22 massive young stellar objects in 1.3 cm continuum and a comprehensive set of diagnostic lines. This survey is unique in that it samples a wide range of massive star formation signposts simultaneously for the first time. In this proceeding we present preliminary results for the 11 sources in the 2-4 kpc distance bin. We detect compact NH3 cores in all of the fields, with many showing emission up through the (6,6) transition. Maser emission in the 25 GHz CH3OH ladder is present in 7 of 11 sources. We also detect non-thermal emission in the NH3 (3,3) transition in 7 of 11 sources.
The Radioresponse of the Central Nervous System: A Dynamic Process

Abstract Tofilon, P.J. and Fike, J.R. The Radioresponse of the Central Nervous System: A Dynamic Process. Radiation continues to be a major treatment modality for tumors located within and close to the central nervous system (CNS). Consequently, alleviating or protecting against radiation-induced CNS injury would be of benefit in cancer treatment. However, the rational development of such interventional strategies will depend on a more complete understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the development of this form of normal tissue injury. Whereas the vasculature and the oligodendrocyte lineage have traditionally been considered the primary radiation targets in the CNS, in this review we suggest that other phenotypes as well as critical cellular interactions may also be involved in determining the radiore[chsponse of the CNS. Furthermore, based on the assumption that the CNS has a limited repertoire of responses to injury, the reaction of the CNS to other types of insults is used as a framework for m...
A catalogue of the ants of Paraguay (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The ant communities of the Parana River drainage in South America have spawned several major invasive species and a number of cosmopolitan tramp species, including the fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren and the Argentine ant Linepithema humile (Mayr). Paraguay sits at the center of the Parana drainage but hosts one of the most poorly-documented ant faunas in the Neotropics, imposing a taxonomic impediment to ant studies in the region. In order to establish a baseline of knowledge about Paraguay’s myrmecofauna, I surveyed nineteen entomological collections and the published literature for records of Paraguayan ants. The resulting catalogue lists 541 ant species, 423 of which could be associated with available names. The Chao-2 estimate of species richness, calculated from the incidence of uniques and doubletons, estimates that the total ant species richness for Paraguay is 698 +/35, suggesting that the catalogue is about 80% complete and more than 100 species remain to be discovered. The Paraguayan ant fauna is characterized by many typical Neotropical elements but shows low endemism, an elevated diversity of attine ants, and only six non-native species. No new taxa are described here, but 40 taxonomic changes are introduced to clean antiquated trinomials from the fauna. The history of Paraguayan myrmecology is discussed, and a reference list is provided for species-level identifications.
Beyond Words to Mathematical Content: assessing English Learners in the Mathematics Classroom

In the U.S., approximately 4.5 million (9.3%) students enrolled in K–12 public schools are labeled English learners [NCES 2002]. In California, during the 2000–2001 school year 1.5 million (25%) K–12 public school students were labeled as having limited English language skills [Tafoya 2002]. For numerous reasons, the instructional needs of this large population warrant serious consideration. Assessment is particularly important for English learners because there is a history of inadequate assessment of this student population. LaCelle-Peterson and Rivera [1994] write that English learners “historically have suffered from disproportionate assignment to lower curriculum tracks on the basis of inappropriate assessment and as a result, from over referral to special education [Cummins 1984; Duran 1989; Ortiz and Wilkinson 1990; Wilkinson and Ortiz 1986].” Previous work in assessment has described practices that can improve the accuracy of assessment for this population [LaCelle-Peterson and Rivera 1994]. Assessment activities should match the language of assessment with language of instruction and “include measures of content knowledge assessed through the medium of the language or languages in which the material was taught.” Assessments should be flexible in terms of modes (oral and written) and length of time for completing tasks. Assessments should track content learning through
José Antonio Amaya. Enrique Umaña Barragán. Ciencia y política en la Nueva Granada. Bogotá: Maremágnum, 2014. 104 páginas

Con la presente biografia, Jose Antonio Amaya, profesor de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia, continua su riguroso esfuerzo por conocer el desempeno de Jose Celestino Mutis y sus colaboradores en el desarrollo de la historia natural en el Nuevo Reino de Granada. Naturalmente, cada biografia es una oportunidad unica para analizar viejos y nuevos problemas. En este caso, la vida de Enrique Umana, uno de los nombres menos estudiados de la Expedicion Botanica, sirve de excusa ideal para analizar, al menos dos procesos; el primero bien abordado en el libro y el segundo prometido en su continuacion: 1) La formacion y los trabajos cientificos de una generacion que, al margen de una fracasada centralizacion metropolitana de la ciencia neogranadina, estaba llamada a suceder —?y desafiar?— a Mutis; y 2) La heterodoxia politica de los miembros de la Expedicion, pues Umana paso de ser un ferviente revolucionario de la generacion de 1794, a ser un naturalista y hacendado con tintes realistas que logro superar, a la Talleyrand , los 20 anos de turbulencia politica que se desencadeno en 1810.
The serologic diagnosis of extracutaneous sporotrichosis.

The diagnosis of extracutaneous sporotrichosis often presents a serious problem. This disease often mimics other mycotic and bacterial infections. A simply prepared complement-fixation antigen was developed and examined by screening a large number of known cases of sporotrichosis. This proved to be very useful and specific for the serologic diagnosis of extracutaneous sporotrichosis. No false positive reactions were observed when the antigen was allowed to react with sera from patients having other mycotic infections. The simplicity of the preparation and the specificity of the antigen allows it to be used in the hospital laboratory for rapid, accurate diagnosis of a rather atypical sporotrichosis.
Challenges and Methods in the Quantification of Design Errors and Solution Elements

To error-proof the design process, tools such as Design Process Failure Modes and Effects Analysis and Project Quality Function Deployment mitigate risk through thorough understanding of the consequences of both the process-level errors that can occur and the solution elements that mitigate them. However, the quantification of design errors and prioritization of other elements are complicated by the temporal and spatial distance of the decisions from the end-result. This paper discusses measures for design elements in the context of process-based analysis, including the design errors, tasks, and project resources. The Risk Priority Number is the standard measure of criticality of failure modes and their effects. However, alternatives to the traditional RPN have emerged in forms such as expected and life-cycle cost as well as QFD-based techniques. The paper explores the benefits and challenges of these traditional and new measures and concludes with a discussion into converting between the measures.© 2004 ASME
Microwave Resonator Techniques for Sorting Dielectric Objects

Microwave resonators have been found to be sensitive devices for sorting dielectric objects of irregular shapes according to their volumes, for detecting voids inside objects of similar shape or for determining moisture content in objects of varying volumes. Fundamental principles of operation as well as experimental results are discussed in the paper.
Methods for Induction of Capacitation and the Acrosome Reaction of Stallion Spermatozoa

A brief description of some of the changes that sperm undergo during capacitation and the acrosome are reviewed. Methods for evaluating both capacitation and the acrosome reaction in stallion sperm are discussed. Finally, the results of current methodologies for capacitating stallion sperm and inducing the acrosome in vitro are presented.
Fluctuations of Hyperglycemia and Insulin Sensitivity Are Linked to Menstrual Cycle Phases in Women With T1D.

Background:Factors influencing glycemic variability in type 1 diabetes (T1D) may play a significant role in the refinement of closed loop insulin administration. Phase of menstrual cycle is one suc...
Preoperative statin use is not associated with improvement in survival after glioblastoma surgery

Abstract Cohort studies have suggested that the use of statins is associated with decreased risk of glioma formation and mortality. Here, a cohort of patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) was analyzed to further investigate associations between preoperative use of statins and recurrence, and progression free and overall survival. Patients who had surgery for GBM (N = 284) were followed up for a median of 18.1 months. Seventy-eight patients were taking statins preoperatively while the rest were not. Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for several covariates of interest were applied before and after propensity score matching. Compared with statin users, those not taking the lipid-lowering drugs had similar progression free survival before (hazard ratio [HR] 0.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70–1.26; p = 0.68) and after propensity score matching (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.67–1.35; p = 0.68). Mortality was similar between both groups of patients before (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.70–1.22; p = 0.73) and after propensity score matching (HR 1.13, 95% CI 0.78–1.64; p = 0.49). Age and dexamethasone use were independent prognostic factors of survival. Contrary to previously published evidence, this study could not find an association between preoperative statin use and longer survival in GBM patients. Due to the small number of patients and retrospective nature of the study, further work is needed to understand the role of perioperative statins in GBM patients.
Does Collectivism Inhibit Individual Creativity?: The Effects of Collectivism and Perceived Diversity on Individual Creativity and Satisfaction in Virtual Ideation Teams

One particular problem CSCW and HCI scholars have sought to address through the design of collaborative systems is the issues associated with diversity and creativity. Diversity can promote creativity by exposing individuals to different perspectives and at the same time make it difficult for teams to leverage their differences to be more creative. This paper asserts that through the promotion of cooperation, collectivism will help ideation team members overcome the challenges associated with diversity and promote creativity. To examine this assertion, we conducted an experimental study involving 107 individuals in 33 idea-generation teams. Collectivism was promoted through priming. The results confirm our assertion: collectivism created conditions that facilitated creativity when teams were high in perceived diversity. Collectivism also facilitated more satisfaction among teammates by offsetting negative perceptions of diversity. These results offer new insights on collectivism, perceived diversity and creativity.
Rational design of aptazyme riboswitches for efficient control of gene expression in mammalian cells

Efforts to control mammalian gene expression with ligand-responsive riboswitches have been hindered by lack of a general method for generating efficient switches in mammalian systems. Here we describe a rational-design approach that enables rapid development of efficient cis-acting aptazyme riboswitches. We identified communication-module characteristics associated with aptazyme functionality through analysis of a 32-aptazyme test panel. We then developed a scoring system that predicts an aptazymes's activity by integrating three characteristics of communication-module bases: hydrogen bonding, base stacking, and distance to the enzymatic core. We validated the power and generality of this approach by designing aptazymes responsive to three distinct ligands, each with markedly wider dynamic ranges than any previously reported. These aptayzmes efficiently regulated adeno-associated virus (AAV)-vectored transgene expression in cultured mammalian cells and mice, highlighting one application of these broadly usable regulatory switches. Our approach enables efficient, protein-independent control of gene expression by a range of small molecules.
Networked liabilities: Transnational authority in a world of transnational business:

The proliferation of production networks and cross-border contracting is frequently cited as empowering globally active corporations to skirt, and shape, national regulations. While scholars often ...
Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Suspended Particle Characteristics and Composition in Navigation Pool 19 of the Upper Mississippi River

Suspended particles are an essential component of large rivers influencing channel geomorphology, biogeochemical cycling of nutrients, and food web resources. The Upper Mississippi River is a large floodplain river that exhibits pronounced spatiotemporal variation in environmental conditions and biota, providing an ideal environment for investigating dynamics of suspended particles in large river ecosystems. Here we investigated two questions: (i) How do suspended particle characteristics (e.g. size and morphology) vary temporally and spatially? and (ii) What environmental variables have the strongest association with particle characteristics? Water sampling was conducted in June, August, and September of 2013 and 2014 in Navigation Pool 19 of the Upper Mississippi River. A FlowCAM® (Flow Cytometer and Microscope) particle imaging system was used to enumerate and measure particles 53–300 μm in diameter for size and shape characteristics (e.g. volume, elongation, and symmetry). Suspended particle characteristics varied considerably over space and time and were strongly associated with discharge and concentrations of nitrate + nitrite (NO₃ ⁻) and soluble reactive phosphorus. Particle characteristics in backwaters were distinct from those in other habitats for most of the study period, likely due to reduced hydrologic connectivity and higher biotic production in backwaters. During low discharge, phytoplankton and zooplankton made up relatively greater proportions of the observed particles. Concurrently during low discharge, concentrations of chlorophyll, volatile suspended solids, and total phosphorus were higher. Our results suggest that there are complex interactions among space, time, discharge, and other environmental variables (e.g. water nutrients), which drive suspended particle dynamics in large rivers. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Phase II Enzymes

Functionalization reaction catalyzed by a phase I enzyme incorporates a functional group to a foreign compound, resulting in the formation of an intermediate metabolite. Many intermediates contain highly reactive chemical groups, which have the potential to react with cellular components (proteins, lipids, and DNA). The continuous presence of chemically active intermediates can lead to adverse health effects and various disease conditions. In detoxification process, intermediate metabolites undergo phase II metabolism to form highly hydrophilic and less reactive compounds, facilitating their excretion from the body through urine or bile. A foreign compound that already possesses a functional group can bypass phase I metabolism and directly take part in phase II metabolism before being eliminated from the body. Unlike phase I enzymes serving for activation metabolism, phase II enzymes deactivate and detoxify foreign compounds and are referred to as detoxification enzymes.
Racial and gender disparities in therapy and outcomes of squamous cell cancer of the anus.

691Background: Squamous cell carcinoma of the anus (SCCA) is one of the few cancers with a rising incidence in the United States. We aimed to characterize race and gender-based disparities in receipt of therapy, and overall survival (OS) of SCCA using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Methods: Cases of locoregional SCCA diagnosed between 2000-2012 in the SEER database were included. Demographics, tumor characteristics, therapy and outcomes were extracted. Primary end point was OS. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were constructed to test factors associated with OS. Data were reported as hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). SAS version 9.4 was used for analysis. Results: We identified 7882 cases of locoregional SCCA, median age 58 years, 61.2% women, 86.3% white. A majority of patients (82.3%) received radiation therapy; with the lowest rate in black males (76.7%) and highest in white females (86.1%). The median OS was 135 months, a...
The Idealism of Endymion

Chapter 3 explores the sumptuously Elizabethan Endymion for its testimony that Keats, in the aftermath of Poems (1817), already wanted to distance himself from the Cockney circle, although less from Leigh Hunt than from Percy Bysshe Shelley. The chapter begins by reading the philosophical speculations employed in Endymion and outlined in Keats’s letters as his systematic critique of Shelley’s poetic idealism. It ends by focusing on the poem’s treatment of love: the political liberation of love staged in Endymion’s rehabilitation of Glaucus, and the failure of love intimated by the poem’s enervated conclusion.
Chapter 9 – Creativity Is Influenced by Domain, Creative Self-Efficacy, Mindset, Self-Efficacy, and Self-Esteem

Abstract In this chapter, we examined the relationship between self-perceived creativity, creative performance, and other measures of the self. Past work has shown that global creative self-efficacy was more strongly related to personality or past creative accomplishments than current performance on creative tasks [Pretz, J. E., & McCollum, V. A. (2014). Self-perceptions of creativity do not always reflect actual creative performance. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 8, 227–236]. Here we report two follow-up studies further exploring the relationship between self-perceptions and performance. Study 1 showed that the validity of self-perceptions of creativity varies by domain. In Study 2, we explored how creative self-perceptions are associated with related constructs including general self-efficacy, self-esteem, and creative mindset. We concluded that self-perceptions of creativity are more accurate for the students interested in arts, humanities, and social sciences. Furthermore, we concluded that creative self-efficacy is more strongly associated with actual creative performance than with general self-efficacy. Self-esteem was found to be associated with higher levels of fluency but not originality on a divergent thinking task.
Les coulisses et le sixième sens, ou l’invisible au théâtre

This article proposes to examine extra-sensorial tendencies in the theatre, the (third) eye that looks towards hidden, (para)theatrical spaces and phenomena. It begins by asserting the primordial role of the wings in the contemporary popular imagination, while underlining their absence from the theoretical corpus, even that questioning the spatial and experiential limits of performance. Then, through a number of examples taken from the historical development of the French theater, the study demonstrates how attention is consistently drawn towards invisible aspects situated offstage, thereby inciting the audience to further hone a sixth sense so as to fully grasp the performance.