cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic Expression during Early Mouse Development

As described in our earlier review (Magnuson and Epstein, 1981), preimplantation mammalian development is characterized by a complex but integrated continuum of changes in the synthesis of macromolecules (also recently reviewed by G. Schultz, 1986). As a result, embryos acquire properties that are different from those of embryos of earlier stages, and blastomeres within the same embryo eventually come to differ from one another. The developmental program that leads to the formation of the blastocyst, with its two differentiated cell types, the trophectoderm and inner cell mass, is actually initiated during the growth phase of oogenesis with the synthesis of significant quantities of RNA and protein (reviewed by Bachvarova, 1985; R. Schultz, 1986). Many of these macromolecules are carried through fertilization to the embryonic 2-cell stage, at which time the embryonic genome is activated in the mouse. The purpose of this chapter is to summarize the evidence concerning the gene expression that is necessary for early development. Our discussion, which updates our earlier review, will be restricted to oogenesis and to the first 5 days of post-fertilization mouse development, up to and including the time of initiation of implantation.
Intensity-specific effects of acute exercise on human memory function: considerations for the timing of exercise and the type of memory.

Background: The purpose of this review was to evaluate whether acute exercise intensities have unique effects on memory function, and whether this is influenced by memory type as well as the temporality of the acute exercise bout.Methods: A systematic review was employed, using several databases (PubMed, PsychInfo,Sports Discus, Google Scholar, Embase).Results: In total, 9 articles met the study criteria. All 9 studies evaluated either working memory capacity or episodic-related memory function. The main findings across these studies were 1) when acute exercise occurs before the memory task, high-intensity exercise may be less favorable for working memory but may favor episodic memory; 2) when acute exercise occurs during the memory task, high-intensity exercise may be less favorable for working memory capacity; and 3) high-intensity exercise may not associate with long-term memory function when it occurs shortly after memory encoding.Conclusion: The relationship between acute exercise and memory is complex and may vary based on the intensity of exercise, the temporality of exercise, and the memory type evaluated.
Gracenote Fair-Use jukebox

We have seen online "reserve" systems for professors to allow students to view copyrighted written works, so why not apply this to music? Currently the Union College library allows students to check out CDs or listen to them in a designated lab. This is neither copyright-safe since students have easy access to CD burners, nor is it cost-efficient as CDs are not a durable media and are more vulnerable to data loss than a book. Recent copyright laws like the Digital Millennium Copyright Act have placed heavy restrictions on what is legal and illegal whilst dealing with digital multimedia. What allows professors to share copyrighted works with their class is the doctrine of "Fair-Use". Academia has special exemptions to the restrictive copyright laws that allow students to view copyrighted works for scholarly and critical purposes. Though the exemptions exist, one must be very careful that the copyrighted works stay within the class room environment; this is to ensure that the Fair-Use doctrine applies.
Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right: Journalists’ Perceptions and Usage of Press Releases

Exploring reputation and organizational communication, this study tests how journalists perceive press releases containing grammatical errors. Journalists (n = 118) read a press release with or without errors from an existing or unknown company. Journalists ranked the press releases without errors more favorably, regardless of their perceptions of the company. Additionally, press releases from the existing company were ranked more favorably than those from the unknown one, regardless of errors. Notably, there were no interaction effects, which suggests that reputation cannot overcome negative error effects and that polished writing cannot overcome negative corporate perception effects. Implications for the public relations–journalism relationship are discussed, as is the legitimacy of using unknown organizations when testing reputation via experiments.
The Phenomenology of Experiencing Oneself Online: Critical Dimensions of Identity and Language Use in Virtual Spaces

The emerging arrays of online environments readily accessible constitute primary settings through which routine constructions of identity are curated through the use of second language (L2) as a tool of social interaction and self-identification in virtual networks. Little is known, however, about the effects of such virtual experiences on the learners’ perception of themselves as L2 speakers. This lack of research attention to the psychological contexts of such experiences has resulted in a paucity of knowledge about what motivates L2 learners to construct and negotiate their speaker positions in virtual social spaces. This chapter proposes to conceptualize virtual social experience in phenomenological terms; that is, as a subjectively lived life moment that carries personal meaning and significance for further individual development.
The Concept of “The Impact of a Choice (or Natural Event) on Economic Efficiency”

This chapter analyzes the “correct” definition of the concept of “the impact of a choice or natural event on economic efficiency.” Sect. 1.1 argues that definitions of this type of concept should be evaluated by their conformity to professional and popular understanding and their ability to contribute to the analyses in which they will be used. Section 1.2 articulates, elaborates on, and attempts to justify a monetized equivalent-variation-oriented definition of “the impact of a choice on economic efficiency” that it argues best satisfies these criteria. According to this definition, a choice’s impact on economic efficiency equals the difference between the number of dollars that would on appropriate assumptions I articulate and justify have to be transferred to its beneficiaries to leave them as well-off as the choice would leave them and the number of dollars whose withdrawal from the choice’s losers would on appropriate assumptions leave them as poorly-off as the choice would leave them.
Self consistent approaches for the gyroklystron and the gyrotwystron

In the first calculation, the optimization of gyroklystron efficiency is investigated by employing a two-step procedure. As a first step, the prebuncher is analyzed using a small signal approximation, since the cavity(ies) here serve mainly to modulate slightly the velocities of the electrons, which will be bunched in the field-free drift section(s). It is found that the electrons entering the energy extraction cavity can be characterized entirely by only two dimensionless parameters: a bunching parameter q and a relative phase ψ. The numerical simulation of the extraction cavity, based on the nonlinear pendulum equations describing the interaction between the electrons and the rf field, supplemented by the initial conditions specified by q and ψ, constitutes the second step. The final result of this two-step analysis is the efficiency, η ⊥opt optimized with respect to q ψ and the magnetic detuning parameter Δ. This efficiency depends only on the normalized cavity length μ and the normalized rf field F of the energy extraction section. The efficiency as well as the conditions required to attain this optimum (q op , Δ opt , and ψ opt ) are presented as contour plots on the (F, μ) plane and can be used efficiently to design gyroklystons of any frequency and output power.
Simulation-based uptraining improves provider comfort in the management of critically ill patients with COVID-19.

Abstract Purpose The COVID-19 surge required the deployment of large numbers of non-intensive care providers to assist in the management of the critically ill. Institutions took a variety of approaches to “uptraining” such providers though studies describing methods and effectiveness are lacking. Materials and methods One hundred and seventy-five providers underwent a 3 h simulation-based session focused on management of shock, mechanical ventilation, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and critical care ultrasound. All participants were sent surveys to assess their comfort with various aspects of critical care following return to their usual work environments. Results One hundred and eight providers of 175 (62%) completed the survey. Overall, 104/108 responders (96%) felt training either significantly or somewhat improved their knowledge in the management of ICU patients. Responders felt most comfortable in the management of hypoxemia in intubated patients and the management of ventilated patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (93% strongly agree or agree, and 86% strongly agree or agree, respectively). Fewer responders felt more comfortable using focused echocardiography (70% strongly agree or agree) and lung ultrasonography in following progression of COVID-19 (76% strongly agree or agree). Conclusions Simulation-based training improved provider comfort in the management of critically ill patients with COVID-19.
Modeling Settlement Bargaining with Algorithmic Game Theory

Past computational models of settlement bargaining have lacked explicit game theoretic foundations. Algorithmic game theory, however, offers techniques that can nd perfect Bayesian equilibria even where closed-form mathematical solutions may be intractable. Some recent mathematical models tackle two-sided asymmetric information, including evidentiary signals models, in which the judgment is a sum of both shared and independent private information, and correlated signals models, in which both parties receive noisy signals about the same information. To relax assumptions inherent in these models, this paper employs several progressively more complicated techniques, including iterative elimination of dominated alternatives, no regret learning, and counterfactual regret minimization. Although these algorithms are not guaranteed to produce Nash equilibria in general-sum games like litigation, they nonetheless succeed in producing either exact or close approximate equilibria on discrete versions of the corresponding mathematical models. A single algorithmic game theory model can incorporate a number of features that state-of-the-art mathematical models cannot handle simultaneously, such as two-sided correlated signals of both liability and damages, risk aversion, and options to concede.
Flow Rectification in Loopy Network Models of Bird Lungs

We demonstrate flow rectification, valveless pumping, or alternating to direct current (AC-to-DC) conversion in macroscale fluidic networks with loops. Inspired by the unique anatomy of bird lungs and the phenomenon of directed airflow throughout the respiration cycle, we hypothesize, test, and validate that multiloop networks exhibit persistent circulation or DC flows when subject to oscillatory or AC forcing at high Reynolds numbers. Experiments reveal that disproportionately stronger circulation is generated for higher frequencies and amplitudes of the imposed oscillations, and this nonlinear response is corroborated by numerical simulations. Visualizations show that flow separation and vortex shedding at network junctions serve the valving function of directing current with appropriate timing in the oscillation cycle. These findings suggest strategies for controlling inertial flows through network topology and junction connectivity.
Expanding to bulk: scale and the challenge of posthuman ethics in Moby-Dick

Posthumanist theory has stressed the fictionality of accounts of human exceptionality and has viewed humans as particular sorts of things in a non-hierarchical relation with the universe of things....
82 – Use of Oral Contraceptives for Contraception

This chapter discusses the discovery and evolution of oral contraceptives along with their formulations, efficacy studies, indications, benefits, and associated risks. The oral contraceptive pill is one of the most well studied medications in women and is certainly one of the largest health care interventions for reproductive-aged women. Combination oral contraceptives contain both, estrogen and progestin in each tablet. Although combined estrogen-progestin oral contraceptives most effectively interfere with ovulation, the progestin-only minipill offers an estrogen-free alternative. Progestin's contraceptive effect is more dependent on its ability to thin the endometrium, to thicken the cervical mucus, and possibly interfere with tubal transport. Oral contraceptives are indicated for the prevention of pregnancy and offer a safe, reliable, effective, and reversible method of contraception. Over the past 40 years of use, many unanticipated benefits have been noted. Health benefits related to preventing pregnancy include reducing the need for abortion and surgical sterilization, reducing the risk of ectopic pregnancy, and decreasing maternal mortality. Other health benefits include reduction in the rates of pelvic inflammatory disease, uterine and ovarian cancer, and anemia. Several studies have examined the association of oral contraceptives use with various types of cardiovascular risks, such as thromboembolism, ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and breast cancer risks.
The Development of the Anterior Olfactory Nucleus of Human Fetuses

Publisher Summary Nucleus olfactorius anterior was identified first in human embryos approximately less than eight weeks of menstrual age (22.2 mm CR). At this time a primordial pars medialis, a pars lateralis, and a pars ventralis are recognizable. By eight and a half weeks, a primordial pars dorsalis has appeared and by nine weeks a true pars dorsalis is in continuity with the cell layer constituting the neopallial cortex. By nine and a half weeks of menstrual age, the olfactory bulbs are elongating and the olfactory crus is sufficiently developed such that the anterior olfactory nucleus is seen completely surrounding the olfactory ventricle in a single section. With the frontal growth of the hemispheres, the olfactory bulbs are compressed. These changes result in decreasing the anteroposterior extent of pars dorsalis as the neopallial cortex extends farther anteriorly at later ages. Early in its development (by eight weeks) some portions of the anterior olfactory nucleus demonstrate differences in the various parts, even though the constituent cells are not enough developed so that Nissl substance is identifiable. These differences are largely due to cellular arrangement, but to a much lesser degree depend on the size of the cell nuclei.
Clinical research in metastatic prostate cancer: a focus on impact and value.

KEY POINTSSeveral therapies targeting the androgen receptor and other pathways have improved survival and quality of life for patients with metastatic prostate cancer.Many costly therapeutic clinic...
Spatial corrections for pulsed-neutron reactivity measurements.

AbstractFor pulsed-neutron experiments performed in a subcritical reactor, the reactivity obtained from the area-ratio method is sensitive to detector positions. The spatial effects are induced by the presence of both the prompt neutron harmonics and the delayed neutron harmonics in the reactor. The traditional kinetics distortion factor is only limited to correcting the spatial effects caused by the fundamental prompt-α mode. In this paper, we derive spatial correction factors fp and fd to account for spatial effects induced by the prompt neutron harmonics and the delayed neutron harmonics, respectively. Our numerical simulations with the FX2-TH time-dependent multigroup diffusion code indicate that the high-order prompt neutron harmonics lead to significant spatial effects and cannot be neglected in calculating the spatial correction factors. The prompt spatial correction factor fp can be simply determined by the ratio of the normalized detector responses corresponding to the fundamental k-mode and the ...
Breeding potential of candidate breeders for the US Demo power plant

The US Demo will utilize either liquid metal (LM) or solid breeder (SB) for tritium breeding. A prime goal for the breeder is to provide tritium self-sufficiency that ensures the self-sustaining operation of the Demo plant. Neutronics analysis have been performed for 20 breeders to examine their ability to breed tritium and multiply the neutron energy. A few promising LM (Li and Li/sub 17/Pb/sub 83/) and SB (Li/sub 2/O and Li/sub 2/TiO/sub 3/) were selected for further analysis to illustrate the impact on breeding of the candidate low activation structures (V, SiC, and FS) and neutron multipliers (Be, Be/sub 2/C, BeO, and Pb). Among the various breeders considered in the analysis, lithium provides the highest breeding followed by lithium lead, then Li/sub 2/O. The study has concluded that Li and Li/sub 17/Pb/sub 83/ have the potential for tritium self-sufficiency without a neutron multiplier. Solid breeders will most likely require a neutron multiplier to achieve net breeding in realistic designs. All structures degrade the breeding and enhance the energy multiplication, except SiC which degrades both. Vanadium has the least impact on the breeding of LM and SB, followed by FS and SiC, except for Li/sub 17/Pb/sub 83/. All multipliers significantly enhance the SB breeding, except BeO, and the SB energy multiplication, except Pb. Besides neutronics performance, other features of LM and SB will be key factors in selecting the Demo materials.
In Vitro Alterations of the Product Distribution of the Fatty Acid Synthetase from Mycobacterium phlei

Abstract The spectrum of fatty acids produced by the fatty acid synthetase complex of Mycobacterium phlei under several conditions has been examined. The observed pattern is always bimodal, consisting of palmitate and tetracosanoate as the two principal products and of lesser amounts of myristate, stearate, arachidate, and behenate. However, the relative proportions of the shorter chain acids (C14 to C18) to longer chain acids (C20 to C24) can be varied over a wide range. Such alterations can occur either with or without changes in the over-all rate of synthesis. Raising the acetyl-CoA to malonyl-CoA ratio from 0.4 (8 µm acetyl-CoA) to 150 (3 mm acetyl-CoA) increases the percentage of shorter chain acids from 12% to 87%. The addition of mycobacterial 3-O-methylmannose containing polysaccharide (MMP) or 6-Omethylglucose containing polysaccharide (MGLP) at standard assay conditions (300 µm acetyl-CoA) causes a similar shift from a low (25%) to a high (85%) proportion of shorter chain acids, concurrent with a 5- to 10-fold increase in the rate of over-all synthesis. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) has the same effect on the fatty acid pattern as MMP or MGLP (70% shorter chain acids at 1 mg of BSA per ml) but does not stimulate over-all synthesis. The effect of free CoA depends on the concentration of both the coenzyme and of acetyl-CoA. At 50 µm acetyl-CoA and CoA concentrations up to 100 µm, the formation of short chain acids is favored, whereas at higher CoA concentrations there is a shift toward the longer (C20 to C24) acids. M. phlei palmitoyl thioesterase when added to the standard assay system (300 µm acetylCoA) roughly doubles the proportion of short chain acids but does not affect the over-all rate of synthesis. To account for the widely varying fatty acid patterns in response to experimental conditions, it is proposed that fatty acyl chains (C16 and C18) either enzyme bound or accumulating as free CoA derivatives regulate the over-all rate of synthesis, perhaps by feed-back inhibition. Reagents that lower the levels of free or enzyme bound C16-CoA (or C18-CoA) will therefore affect the synthetic rate, the product distribution or both. They may do so by competition (high concentrations of acetyl-CoA), by complexing acyl-CoA (MMP, MGLP and BSA), or by thioester hydrolysis (palmitoyl thioesterase). Explanations are offered for the ability of the polysaccharides and the failure of BSA to stimulate over-all synthesis.
Immunology in the clinic review series: focus on type 1 diabetes and viruses: the role of viruses in type 1 diabetes: a difficult dilemma

Convincing evidence now indicates that viruses are associated with type 1 diabetes (T1D) development and progression. Human enteroviruses (HEV) have emerged as prime suspects, based on detection frequencies around clinical onset in patients and their ability to rapidly hyperglycaemia trigger in the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse. Whether or not HEV can truly cause islet autoimmunity or, rather, act by accelerating ongoing insulitis remains a matter of debate. In view of the disease's globally rising incidence it is hypothesized that improved hygiene standards may reduce the immune system's ability to appropriately respond to viral infections. Arguments in favour of and against viral infections as major aetiological factors in T1D will be discussed in conjunction with potential pathological scenarios. More profound insights into the intricate relationship between viruses and their autoimmunity-prone host may lead ultimately to opportunities for early intervention through immune modulation or vaccination.
In Brief: Large-scale carbon sequestration projects

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced on 9 October the first three large-scale carbon sequestration projects in the United States. The three projects Plains Carbon Dioxide Reduction Partnership, Southeast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership, and Southwest Regional Partnership for Carbon Sequestration double the number of large-volume carbon storage demonstrations in operation worldwide. DOE plans to invest $197 million over 10 years, subject to annual appropriations from Congress, for the projects, which are the first of several sequestration demonstration projects planned through DOE's Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships.
Temporality and Illness: A Phenomenological Perspective

In ordinary living, we are absorbed in the routine of our days, focused on objects that momentarily hold our attention, on tasks that must be done, and on a host of other activities that distract, delight, and sometimes disturb us. In the midst of this busy engagement, we scarcely give a thought to time. True, calendars are ubiquitous in our lives — How many days are left before Christmas? When does spring break begin? — and we consult our watches in anticipation of an appointment with the doctor or glance at the clock to see whether it is time to take our medicine. This common attending to time, however, is largely oblivious to the myriad ways in which time permeates our experience. All of the tasks and objects and activities that form the stuff of our daily lives are soaked with time. Collectively, they form the realm of temporality; and our consciousness of them, whatever else it may be, is timeconsciousness. We ourselves are not only beings in time but beings whose very fabric, mental and physical, is temporal. We compare our consciousness to a stream, and we know and feel that our bodies age. Both we, and the world we experience, are temporal through and through, though this remains, for the most part, veiled from us.
R/B Enteric Differential System for Identification of Enterobacteriaceae

The R/B Enteric Differential System for identifying enteric bacteria has been evaluated with 451 “unknown” cultures from the stock culture collection of the Center for Disease Control. An average of 89.6% of these cultures were correctly identified by the R/B system, when used as recommended by the manufacturer but without the assistance of serology. This percentage ranged, however, from 47% for Klebsiella to 100% for Serratia and Providencia. Of 11 groups or genera of Enterobacteriaceae tested, only three (Enterobacter, Serratia, and Providencia) were identified with 95% or better accuracy. Four groups (Arizona, Citrobacter, Escherichia, and Salmonella) attained 90 to 95% accuracy of identification, and three groups (Edwardsiella, Proteus, and Shigella) scored between 85 and 90% accuracy. We recommend the R/B system as a screening device which is reasonably successful in grouping bacteria but not as a substitute for more exacting conventional procedures.
Transesophageal echocardiography and stroke

Only coronary artery disease and cancer kill more people than stroke in the United States. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is a semi-invasive ultrasound cardiac imaging technique that provides superior anatomic detail as well as functional information. Searching for a cause of cerebral ischemia is the most common indication for TEE in cardiac ultrasound laboratories. Although TEE is not superior to transthoracic imaging for identifying all sources of cardiac embolism, its ability to more sensitively detect atrial septal aneurysm, patent foramen ovale, and aortic atheroma has been well described in recent years. Care must be exercised in using TEE to identify suspected cardiac sources of embolism, as potential etiologies described in the literature are not equally established by rigorous clinical trials. Confidence level in cause and effect for any cardiac pathology identified must be factored into therapeutic decisions.
Sulfite-sensitive solvent/polymeric-membrane electrode based on bis(diethyldithiocarbamato)mercury(II)

SUMMARY A new solvent/polymeric-membrane electrode which exhibits significant potentiometric response toward sulfite ion in the 1 X 1O-6-1 X 10m3 M range is described. The membrane is prepared by incorporation of neutral bis(diethyldithiocarbamato)mercury(II) in a thin film of plasticized poly (vinyl chloride). In sharp contrast to classical Hofmeister behavior, the resulting membrane displays little or no response to a wide range of anions (log K$ < - 4, i being sulfite) including sulfate, nitrate, nitrite, chloride, perchlorate, salicylate, and alkylsulfonates. Bromide and thiocyanate are moderate interferents, while significant response to iodide, thiosulfate, and sulfide is observed. These selectivity data, along with other response characteristics of the membrane, are used to postulate the mechanism by which the electrode responds to sulfite. Preliminary studies demonstrate that the electrode can be used in conjunction with an outer gas-permeable membrane for highly selective detection of total sulfite species in the form of sulfur dioxide.
A Study of N-Nitrosoamide-Mediated Friedel−Crafts Type Benzylation of Benzene−Toluene and Benzene−Anisole1a

Nitrogen-separated carbocation−carboxylate ion pairs were employed as sources of carbocations in the alkylation of aromatic compounds. The N-nitrosoamide approach to these nitrogenous-molecule-separated ion pairs is an excellent alternative to the standard acid-catalyzed Friedel−Crafts approach for studies of the alkylation because of the following variables: high reactivity of the electrophile, stability of the products, strict kinetic control, homogeneity, lack of overalkylation, straightforward chemistry, and good product balance. In deaminative benzylations of benzene−toluene and anisole−benzene mixtures, the values of kX/kB and % meta isomer are significantly different from those observed in the standard benzylations in a manner that indicates the deaminative electrophiles are more reactive than those generated by the standard Friedel−Crafts approach. The reactions show a direct proportionality between inter- and intramolecular selectivities and thus follow the Brown selectivity relationship (BSR). ...
Ion channels in human THP-1 monocytes.

The THP-1 human monocytic leukemia cell line is a useful model of macrophage differentiation. Patch clamp methods were used to identify five types of ion channels in undifferentiated THP-1 monocytes. (i) Delayed rectifier K+ current, IDR, was activated by depolarization to potentials positive to −50 mV, inactivated with a time constant of several hundred msec, and recovered from inactivation with a time constant ∼21 sec. IDR was inhibited by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), tetraethylammonium (TEA+), and potently by charybdotoxin (ChTX). (ii) Ca-activated K+ current (ISK) dominated whole-cell currents in cells studied with 3–10 μm [Ca2+]i. ISK was at most weakly voltage-dependent, with reduced conductance at large positive potentials, and was inhibited by ChTX and weakly by TEA+, Cs+, and Ba2+, but not 4-AP or apamin. Block by Cs+ and Ba2+ was enhanced by hyperpolarization. (iii) Nonselective cation current, Icat, appeared at voltages above +20 mV. Little time-dependence was observed, and a panel of channel blockers was without effect. (iv) Chloride current, ICl, was present early in experiments, but disappeared with time. (v) Voltage-activated H+ selective current is described in detail in a companion paper (DeCoursey & Cherny, 1996. J. Membrane Biol.152:2). The ion channels in THP-1 cells are compared with channels described in other macrophage-related cells. Profound changes in ion channel expression that occur during differentiation of THP-1 cells are described in a companion paper (DeCoursey et al., 1996. J. Membrane Biol.152:2).
Feedstocks for fuels and chemicals from algae: Treatment of crude bio-oil over HZSM-5

Crude bio-oil produced from hydrothermal liquefaction of Nannochloropsis sp was reacted over HZSM-5 catalyst with high pressure H2. The effects of reaction temperature (400–500 °C), reaction time (0.5–4 h), and catalyst loading (5–50 wt.%) on the composition and yields of the oil and gas products were determined. Treatment greatly reduced the heteroatom (N, O, and S) content in the oil. S was reduced to below detection limits (< 0.1 wt.%) at all reaction conditions investigated. The lowest N/C ratio achieved is about 25% of the original N/C ratio in the crude bio-oil. The O/C ratio of the oil treated at 450 and 500 °C was an order of magnitude lower than that in the crude bio-oil. The carbon content of the oil increased at all reaction conditions investigated, but the H/C ratios of the oils treated at 450 and 500 °C fell below that of the crude bio-oil due to their high aromatic content and the migration of H atoms into the gaseous products. This study demonstrates the opportunities to engineer the composition of the products that emerge from this catalytic treatment of the crude bio-oil. Catalytic processing at 400 °C produced a paraffinic oil that was 95 wt.% C and H and retained 87% of the energy content of the crude bio-oil. This product would be useful as a feedstock for liquid transportation fuels. Catalytic processing at 500 °C, on the other hand, produced a freely flowing liquid mixture composed of aromatic hydrocarbons in 44 wt.% yield along with a hydrocarbon gas stream in 19 wt.% yield. These products, which could be useful as feedstocks for industrial chemicals, contained 70% of the carbon originally present in the crude bio-oil.
Common Sense and Pragmatism: Reid and Peirce on the Justification of First Principles

This paper elucidates the pragmatist elements of Thomas Reid's approach to the justification of first principles by reference to Charles S. Peirce. Peirce argues that first principles are justified by their surviving a process of ‘self-criticism’, in which we come to appreciate that we cannot bring ourselves to doubt these principles, in addition to the foundational role they play in inquiries. The evidence Reid allows first principles bears resemblance to surviving the process of self-criticism. I then argue that this evidence allows Reid and Peirce a way out of the dilemma between dogmatism and skepticism regarding the justification of such principles, insofar as they are epistemically, and not solely practically, justified.
Ingestion control in growing ruminant animals by the components of cell-wall constituents.

Abstract The ad libitum intake by growing Jersey steers of seventeen forages (16 orchardgrass, 1 alfalfa) harvested during 1964 and 1965 involved 109 observations (67 individual, 42 preference). The daily mean dry matter intake by steers fed individually ranged from 254 to 366g per W 0.54 . First harvests were ingested at slower rates than aftermaths; alfalfa was found to give a greater intake than all grasses; and as date of harvest was delayed, consumption declined. Ingestion choices (preference studies) of the grasses were inversely related to harvest dates or regrowth interval for both first and aftermath forages. Alfalfa was consumed by steers in preference to all grasses. When dry matter intake (g) was expressed per W 0.54 for 109 observations, it was significantly (P
Image sensor with 20-nm resolution based on uniformly redundant arrays

In this paper we present an image sensor based on uniformly redundant arrays that have customizable pixel resolution below 20 nm. This sensor has applications in lithography tools that produce image intensities that cannot be resolved by conventional CCDs.
Five steps to effective test development

Effective test development requires a systematic, detail-oriented approach based on sound theoretical educational measurement principles. This paper discusses test development procedures or steps that typically must be accomplished in the development of most medical school assessments. Following these steps for effective test development tends to maximize validity evidence for the intended test score interpretation. These five-steps are presented as a framework, which test developers may find useful in organizing their approach to the many tasks commonly associated with test development – starting with detailed planning in Step 1, carrying through to discussions of content definition and delineation, and to creating test items. Test development consists of a series of interrelated activities, many of which depend on some prior step or steps. Careful planning and execution of a detailed plan leads to tests that more validly measure examinee ability or achievement in the well-defined content domain of interest. Adherence to this plan provides validity evidence from multiple sources. Each of the stages in the planning and development of a test is important to good measurement. Keywords: Assessment; Medical education; Test development. Revista HUPE, Rio de Janeiro, 2014;13(4):79-83 doi: 10.12957/rhupe.2014.13961
Cautions, common sense, and rationale for the electron microscopy laboratory

This paper is a condensation of precautions, general information, and common-sense tips designed to assist students in electron microscopy. Although not all circumstances are included and many of the recommendations are common sense, this handout has proven invaluable to beginners in two different multiuser electron microscopy facilities. When integrated by discussion and testing into the initial training period, this information will save the neophyte, lab manager, and others working in a multiuser facility untold hours of frustration, of wasted time, effort, and supplies, and of exposure to the myriad environmental hazards inherent in the performance of electron microscopy. The rationale for these suggestions is included, enhancing problem-solving in situations not covered directly in this presentation.
932-83 Contribution of Gi-protein Effects to β-Adrenoceptor Desensitisation in Single Ventricular Myocytes from Aged Guinea-pig Heart

We have characterised the age-related changes of contractility and β-adrenoceptorfunction in isolated cardiac myocytes from guinea-pigs. Pertussis toxin treatment was used to determine the contribution of Gi effects to the change in sensitivity to β-adrenoceptor stimulation. Myocytes were isolated from either adult animals from 2 weeks to 14 week of age, where body-weight increases linearly with age, or senescent ones aged between 53–;65 weeks. There was some indication of a decrease in contractility in maximum Ca 2+ with age, with significant differences between a young ( ≤ 04 weeks, weight l 400 g) and aged ( ≥ 8 weeks, weight g 600 g) group in contraction amplitude (% shortening) or contraction and relaxation velocities. This decline was continued into senescence, and ANOVA showed a significant difference between the three groups for percentage shortening (12.2 ± 0.9%, young, n = 31; 9.5 ± 0.6%, n = 28 aged; 6.7 ± 0.8%, n = 6, senescent; P = 0.005), and contraction or relaxation velocities (P l 0.001). There was a more pronounced decline with age for maximum contraction amplitude in isoproterenol (11.8 ± 0.7%. n = 30, young; 7.9 ± 0.5%, n = 28, aged and 5.5 ± 1.1%, n = 6, senescent; P l 0.001) and the isoproterenol/Ca 2+ ratio was reduced (P l 002). The EC50 value for isoproterenol was similar in young (1.7 ± 0.4 nM) and aged (1.6 ± 0.8 nM) animals, but significantly higher in senescent (16.8 ± 6 nM) (P l 0.05. ANOVA). Pertussis toxin treatment decreased the EC50 in all groups, but the effect was most pronounced for senescent animals. The final EC50 values in toxin-treated cells were 0.22 ± 0.11 nM (young), 0.19 ± 0.08 nM (aged) and 0.12 ± 0.01 nM (senescent): these were not significantly different. A general decrease in contractility of the myocyte occurs as the animal ages, but the effect is more pronounced for β-adrenoceptor stimulation than for high Ca 2+ , consistent with a specific lesion in the adenylate cyclase related pathway. The ability of pertussis treatment to equalise EC50 values for isoproterenol between the groups suggests that an increase in activity of Gi contributes to the reduced β-adrenoceptor sensitivity in senescent animals.
Modeling coagulation kinetics incorporating fractal theories: comparison with observed data.

There are currently four possible approaches in modeling coagulation kinetics: the traditional Euclidean rectilinear; the Euclidean curvilinear; the fractal rectilinear; and the fractal curvilinear. The fractal model includes the Euclidean case as a subset. The primary purpose of this research is to investigate which of the rectilinear models among these best predicts the evolution of experimental observed particle size distribution (PSD). Using a fractal rectilinear model previously developed by the authors, model predictions were compared with a series of observed PSD data obtained from estuarine sediment particles in a 2 m settling column, where the average velocity gradient (G) was 20 or 40 s � 1 . Nonlinear parameter estimation was performed to estimate two free parameters for the fractal model (the fractal dimension, DF; and the collision efficiency factor, a), and one free parameter (the collision efficiency factor, a) for the Euclidean model. Compared with the observed PSD, the simulation showed that the fractal rectilinear model was best, and that this model fit better for the larger size particles. The estimated DF was between 2.6 and 3.0. The research demonstrated that the a’s have multiple values for the same observed data, depending on the coagulation model used. This finding is significant because a is currently used as a single value based on the conventional Euclidean rectilinear model. r 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Size dependence of the luminescence spectra and dynamics of Eu3+:Y2O3 nanocrystals

Abstract We report the optical spectra and lifetimes of nanocrystalline Eu3+ : Y2O3 as a function of particle diameter from 15 to 7 nm. As the particle size decreases, the spectra show increased line broadening and the emergence of a disordered phase. The 7-nm sample also contains cubic-phase material in addition to the monoclinic phase that is usually produced by the gas-phase-condensation synthesis. The 5 D 0 lifetimes increase by more than a factor of two when the particle size decreases from approximately 15–7 nm, with the decay transients becoming non-single exponential for the 13-nm and smaller particles.
The neuroleptic malignant syndrome: review and report of three cases.

Abstract The neuroleptic malignant syndrome is a potentially fatal complication of neuroleptic therapy. Reports of the syndrome and its treatment are reviewed. We describe our recent experience in three patients with this syndrome in which we were unable to obtain consistent therapeutic responses. We hypothesize that this syndrome is secondary to a functional dopaminergic deficit.
Examination of the specificity of tumor cell derived exosomes with tumor cells in vitro.

Abstract Small endogenous vesicles called exosomes are beginning to be explored as drug delivery vehicles. The in vivo targets of exosomes are poorly understood; however, they are believed to be important in cell-to-cell communication and may play a prominent role in cancer metastasis. We aimed to elucidate whether cancer derived exosomes can be used as drug delivery vehicles that innately target tumors over normal tissue. Our in vitro results suggest that while there is some specificity towards cancer cells over “immortalized” cells, it is unclear if the difference is sufficient to achieve precise in vivo targeting. Additionally, we found that exosomes associate with their cellular targets to a significantly greater extent (> 10-fold) than liposomes of a similar size. Studies on the association of liposomes mimicking the unique lipid content of exosomes revealed that the lipid composition contributes significantly to cellular adherence/internalization. Cleavage of exosome surface proteins yielded exosomes exhibiting reduced association with their cellular targets, demonstrating the importance of proteins in binding/internalization. Furthermore, although acidic conditions are known to augment the metastatic potential of tumors, we found that cells cultured at low pH released exosomes with significantly less potential for cellular association than cells cultured at physiological pH.
Saint-Venant elasticity solutions of a tip-loaded anisotropic cantilevered beam with an elliptical section

The Saint-Venant displacement distributions are developed, based upon the theory of elasticity, for a tip-loaded homogeneous cantilever beam having an elliptical cross-section and rectilinear anisotropy. These distributions are found by integrating the strain distributions, where the local in-plane deformation and out-of-plane warping of the cross-section are exactly determined. A definition of the “anisotropic shear center” is presented by extending the classical definition for isotropic beams. The additional transverse beam displacement associated with shear deformation is determined for applied extension and flexure loads. Numerical results are presented, which show (1) the anisotropic shear center location is linearly dependent upon beam length and can be located outside the cross-section, (2) shear deformation can be negative for certain beam aspect ratios and material definitions, so that the inclusion of shear deformation can make the beam stiffer, as opposed to more flexible, and (3) the local in-plane cross-section deformations, out-of-plane cross-section warping, and the transverse shear stress distributions bear no resemblance to their isotropic counterparts.
The European Corn Borer, Pyrausta Nubilalis (Hubn.), and Its Principal Host Plant Ii. the Influence of Nutritional Factors on Larval Establishment and Development on the Corn Plant

The problem of identifying the factors underlying the host plant relationships of phytophagous insects is made up of many interrelated facets. Although there is a voluminous body of literature on the subject of insect-host plant relationships, there is a paucity of precise information. This situation has been caused by the various contributing aspects not having been adequately isolated for experimental analysis. Insect-plant adaptations are of sufficient biological and practical importance to merit more study than has been devoted to them in the past.
Exploring Potential Spatial-Temporal Links Between Fluvial Geomorphology and Nutrient-Periphyton Dynamics in Streams Using Simulation Models

Understanding stream ecosystem processes necessitates an awareness of not only the physical, chemical, and biological systems, but also how these separate systems interact with each other. Using a nutrient retention and periphyton growth model coupled to a dynamic geomorphic template, we explore the potential role of channel shape, slope, and sediment texture on downstream nutrient retention, and attempt to determine if physical changes alone can drive or influence changes in nutrient-periphyton dynamics. The overall model results suggest there is a strong potential control of both nutrient retention and periphyton biomass by channel morphology. For example, with constant biochemical process rates, geomorphic variations alone could alter spatial distribution of nutrient retention over a 4-km study reach by between 11 percent and 52 percent. These results suggest channel geomorphology has a potentially strong influence on both nutrient retention and basal food sources in streams.
Mechanical resonance dispersion in polytetrafluorethylene rods in transverse vibration

Polytetrafluorethylene rods in transverse vibration exhibit sharp non-harmonic resonances when subjected to a static tensile stress during vibration. The extent and location of the resonances are critically dependent on the exact static stress state and history of the rods. Rods under no external tension have no anomalous behavior in the range 100 to 2000 cps, but under static tension varying from 1.5×105 to 3.0×106 dynes/cm2 (2.2 to 44 psi) sharp resonances appear in the vicinity of 400 cps. The mechanical resonance dispersions in complex shear compliance previously reported byFitzgerald are thus substantiated by the present work. The failure of certain other investigators to observe the dispersion in polytetrafluorethylene is attributed to the fact that insufficient attention was paid to the static stress conditions in their tests.
Reduced incidence of upper gastrointestinal ulcer complications with the COX‐2 selective inhibitor, valdecoxib

Summary Aim : In a predefined analysis, data were pooled from eight blinded, randomized, controlled trials, and separately from three long-term, open-label trials to determine the rate of upper gastrointestinal ulcer complications with the cyclo-oxygenase-2 selective inhibitor, valdecoxib, vs. non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Methods : In randomized, controlled trials, 7434 osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis patients received placebo (n = 973), valdecoxib 5–80 mg daily (n =4362), or a non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (naproxen, ibuprofen or diclofenac; n =2099) for 12–26 weeks. In long-term, open-label trials, 2871 patients received valdecoxib 10–80 mg daily for up to 1 year. All potential events were reviewed by a blinded, independent review committee based on a priori definitions of ulcer complications (perforations, obstructions, bleeds). Results : In randomized, controlled trials, 19 of 955 potential events were adjudicated to be ulcer complications. Valdecoxib was associated with a significantly lower ulcer complication rate than non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (0.68% vs. 1.96%, all patients; 0.29% vs. 2.08%, non-aspirin users; P < 0.05). In long-term, open-label trials, seven of 310 potential events were adjudicated to be ulcer complications; the annualized incidence for valdecoxib was 0.39% (seven of 1791 patient-years) for all patients and 0.2% (three of 1472 patient-years) for non-aspirin users. Conclusions : Valdecoxib, including above recommended doses, is associated with a significantly lower rate of upper gastrointestinal ulcer complications than therapeutic doses of non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.