cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A study of genetic diversity among host-specific populations of the witchweed Striga hermonthica ( Scrophulariaceae ) in Africa

Striga hermonthica is a root hemiparasite that attacks onlyGramineae, includingSorghum and millet for which it is a principal cause of lowered yield. Enzyme electrophoresis was used to investigate genetic diversity inStriga hermonthica and to determine the level of differentiation between host-specialized populations. Nine genetic loci coding eight enzymes were interpreted and data obtained from three populations: oneSorghum-adapted population from Sudan and two populations from Burkina Faso, oneSorghum-adapted and the other millet-adapted. Levels of polymorphism were similarly high in all three populations (P=0.625, A=2.6−2.8, H=0.293−0.401). Genotypic frequencies at most loci conformed to Hardy-Weinberg expectations in each population, consistent with outcrossing as predicted from previous studies of floral biology. Occasional heterozygote deficiencies were probably the result of Wahlund effect. The mean value of FST over the three populations was 0.068, indicating a slight to moderate level of genetic differentiation among the populations. The two Burkina Faso populations were more closely related (S=0.940, D=0.006) than either was to the Sudan population, suggesting that geographic separation is more important than host specialization in contributing to population differentiation. TheSorghum-adapted population was slightly closer to the Burkina FasoSorghum-adapted population (S=0.873, D=0.047) than to Burkina Faso millet-adapted population (S=0.851, D=0.074). The absence of substantial genetic divergence between host-specific populations ofStriga could result either from recent evolution of host-specialized strains or from strong selection for physiological specialization in the face of substantial gene flow between the populations.
Multispacecraft observations of interplanetary shocks: Nonplanarity and energetic particles

Numerical simulations of the evolution of interplanetary shocks exhibit growth of distortions of the shock front and nonuniformity of energetic particles from place to place near the shock surface. In this work we use multispacecraft (ACE, Wind, IMP 8, Geotail, Interball-Tail, SOHO, and Genesis) observations near Earth to search for such effects. On scales of 10 5 to 10 6 km, most of the 26 shocks studied were inconsistent with planar structures or with spherical structures with a radius of 1 AU. The average local radius of curvature was ∼3 x 10 6 km. There were also differences in the intensities and time profiles of energetic particle fluxes seen at both ACE and Wind.
Using remote sensing to quantify albedo of roofs in seven California cities, Part 2: Results and application to climate modeling

Abstract The albedo of a roof determines the fraction of incoming sunlight that is reflected, which affects heat transfer into the building and exchange of energy between the built environment and the atmosphere. While the albedo of individual roofs can be easily measured, roof albedo at the city scale is unknown. In this paper we characterize the albedos of roofs in seven cities in California: Los Angeles, Long Beach, Bakersfield, San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, and San Diego. The fraction of urban area covered by roofs ranged by city from 10% to 25%. City-wide average roof albedo ranged from 0.17 ± 0.08 to 0.20 ± 0.11 (mean ± standard deviation) for five of the cities; values were higher in Sacramento (0.24 ± 0.11) and San Diego (0.29 ± 0.15). Buildings with small roofs were found to constitute a large fraction of city roof area and to have low mean albedos. This suggests that efforts to increase urban albedo through the use of reflective roofs should include small roofs, which are presumably mostly residential. Roof albedos derived for Bakersfield were used in a regional climate model (Weather Research and Forecasting Model) to estimate temperature changes attainable by converting the current stock of roofs to “cool” high albedo roofs. It was found that seasonal mean afternoon (15:00 LST) temperatures could be reduced by up to 0.2 °C during both the summer and winter. Changes in precipitation were not significant at the 95% confidence level.
Impact of Dexamethasone Responsiveness on Long Term Outcome in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma

Dexamethasone (Dex), alone or in combination, is commonly used for treating multiple myeloma. Dex as single agent for initial therapy of myeloma results in overall response rates of 50-60%. It is unclear whether steroid responsiveness reflects any biological characteristic that impacts long-term outcome. We studied a cohort of 182 patients with newly diagnosed myeloma seen between March 1998 and June 2007, initially treated with single-agent Dex for at least 4 weeks. The median age at diagnosis was 63 years (range, 39-81) and the median estimated survival was 55 months. At a median duration of therapy of 15 weeks, 91(50%) patients had a partial response or better, 80 (44%) had less than partial response and the remaining (6%) patients were not evaluable. The median overall survival from diagnosis for the responders was 75 months compared to 71 months for remaining patients, p=0.6. There was no correlation between baseline disease characteristics and Dex responsiveness. While overall survival was longer for the 130 (70%) patients who proceeded to an autologous stem cell transplant, no correlation was found between survival and Dex responsiveness among either group. Among this cohort of patients with myeloma, failure to respond to single agent steroid did not have an adverse impact on eventual outcome.
Joseph Soloveitchik and Immanuel Kant's Mitzvah-Aesthetic

In the following pages, I will address the relationship between Jewish thought and aesthetics by bringing Joseph Soloveitchik into conversation with Immanuel Kant, whose Critique of Judgment remains an imposing monument in the history of philosophical aesthetics. While Buber and Rosenzweig may have been more accomplished aesthetes, Soloveitchik's aesthetic proves closer to Kant's own. In particular, I draw upon the latter's distinction between the beautiful and the sublime and the notion of a form of indeterminate purposiveness without determinate purpose. I will relate these three figures to Soloveitcchik's understanding of halakhah and to the ideal of performing commandments for their own sake (li-shemah). The model of mitzvah advanced by this comparison is quintessentially modern: an autonomous, self-contained, formal system that does not (immediately) point to extraneous goods, such as spiritual enlightenment, personal morality, or social ethics. The good presupposed by this system proves first and foremost “aesthetic.” That is, immanent to the system. Supererogatory goods enter into the picture only afterward as second-order effects.
Multivariate gradual switching systems and the stability of US meat demands: a Bayesian analysis

Abstract A multivariate gradual switching system with stochastic cross-equation constraints is utilized within the framework of Bayesian inferential procedures to consider the stability of an almost ideal demand system (AIDS) for meats. Results confirm the existence of a significant structural change which was initiated in 1961 and was not completed until after 1983. Elasticity estimates reveal an increased sensitivity of beef demand to changes in its own price and in prices of pork and poultry and a decreased sensitivity of poultry demand to changes in its own price in the post-shift regime. The income elasticities for poultry and fish display dramatic changes while income elasticities for other meats remain fairly stable. The changing expenditure elasticities suggest that poultry and fish have gone from being inferior commodities prior to the shift to superior (luxury) commodities after the shift. The timing and nature of the shift is consistent with structural changes which may have arisen from increased consumption of processed convenience-type poultry products, and from nutritional concerns which may have shifted demand away from red meats toward poultry and fish.
Dispersed 5S RNA genes in N. crassa: Structure, expression and evolution

The 5S RNA genes (5S genes) in N. crassa are not tandemly arranged or tightly clustered as in other eucaryotes that have been examined. 55 RNA or cloned 5S DNA hybridizes to at least 30 different restriction fragments of Neurospora DNA. Of 34 5S DNA clones examined, each contains a single 5S gene. Saturation hybridization analyses indicate that there are about 100 copies of 5S genes in the genome of this organism. We have partially or completely sequenced the 5S region of 15 clones. Both identical and highly divergent 5S coding regions were found. Nine are of one type (alpha). The other six include four different types (beta, beta', gamma and delta) which differ from each other and from the alpha genes to various degrees. Eleven of 15 genes have distinct flanking regions. Analysis of Neurospora 5S RNA showed that it consists of one principal species which matches the alpha-type gene sequence. Additional 5S species corresponding to the less abundant 5S gene types were also detected. The pattern of nucleotide substitutions between the predicted Neurospora 5S RNAs and between these and S. cerevisiae 5S RNA suggests that a particular 5S RNA secondary structure occurs in vivo and is conserved.
Fluorescent probes of acetylcholine binding sites--indicators of drug action in Schistosoma mansoni.

Abstract Dimethyl DNS-chol (DDNS), a dansylated analog of acetylcholine, binds with specific sites in Schistosoma mansoni. This treatment provides fluorescent labeling of well-defined areas within the organism. It is believed that these regions of fluorescence reflect areas receiving cholinergic innervation; these regions might include both nervous and non-nervous (effector) tissue, and the DDNS binding sites might include both prejunctional amd postjunctional acetylcholine binding sites. Hycanthone (Hyc), an antischistosomal drug, blocks this labeling by DDNS. Atropine and other known antagonists of acetylcholine also prevent DDNS fluorescent labeling. Measurements of somatic motor activity demonstrate that Hyc and DDNS partially block the paralytic effects of the cholinomimetic drug carbamylcholine on S. mansoni. These data further support the hypothesis that Hyc is an anticholinergic agent, and show that DDNS may be useful as a histochemical label in studies involving structures receiving cholinergic innervation.
Shelf-life of lite syrup after opening and storage at room or refrigerated temperature.

The shelf-life of lite syrup after opening and storage at room temperature (25-27C) or refrigerated (4-5C) was studied to determine the physical, chemical and microbiological changes in the product with time. Bottles of lite syrup were sampled at time 0 (initial opening) and during storage at days 7, 21, 28, 60, 90, 150, and 180. Color, water activity, pH, moisture content, viscosity, and °Brix were determined. Microbial analyses included coliform, standard, and yeast and mold plate counts. Color, water activity, pH, and moisture content did not change during 180 days of storage. Viscosity and °Brix values dropped with time, and microbial counts remained insignificant (p>0.05). Overall, lite syrup stored 180 days at room temperature (25-27C) was comparable in quality to that stored at refrigerated (4-5C) temperature.
The city out of breath: Jacobean city comedy and the odors of restraint

By examining two popular Jacobean city comedies, The Puritan (1606–1607) and Westward Ho (1604–1605), this article proposes that the rich lexicon of smells, outlining or residing within interior built spaces in each play, becomes a precarious signifier of restrictive forces of material expansion that at once challenge and build upon the more intimate nature of Jacobean private theaters. In so doing, it further argues that in early Stuart performances, references to smells not only were meant to evoke the materiality of stage and the bodies of actors and spectators, but significantly expanded drama's means of incorporating and probing into the material foundations of city life. The two plays also suggest that while Jacobean satirical drama employed odors to communicate concerns about London's restrictive conditions of living, it also used select venues to target ‘odor-conscious’ spectators who were more likely to respond to such fears.
SU-FF-I-18: A Comparison of NCRP 147 CT Shielding Methods

Purpose: The NCRP report 147 describes two methods to calculate the shielding, one using a scattered fraction of the CTDI, and another using the scatter plot supplied by the manufacturer. The two methods are used to calculate shielding for a model CT suite, and the results compared. The calculation complexity and gantry attenuation are major differences. Method and Materials: The scatter fraction method only requires the CTDI, which is supplied by the manufacturer or available at IMPACTscan. The scatter plot needs to be adjusted to the room scale and overlayed. Results: The scatter fraction was simple but no consideration for attenuation of the gantry is made. The scatter plot gives the best information for the radiation near the ganrty.
The concentration of antibiotic in fresh-frozen bone graft

We investigated the antibiotic concentration in fresh-frozen femoral head allografts harvested from two groups of living donors. Ten samples were collected from patients with osteoarthritis of the hip and ten from those with a fracture of the neck of the femur scheduled for primary arthroplasty. Cefazolin (1 g) was administered as a pre-operative prophylactic antibiotic. After storage at -80°C for two weeks the pattern of release of cefazolin from morsellised femoral heads was evaluated by an in vitro broth elution assay using high-performance liquid chromatography. The bioactivity of the bone was further determined with an agar disc diffusion and standardised tube dilution bioassay. The results indicated that the fresh-frozen femoral heads contained cefazolin. The morsellised bone released cefazolin for up to four days. The concentration of cefazolin was significantly higher in the heads from patients with osteoarthritis of the hip than in those with a fracture. Also, in bioassays the bone showed inhibitory effects against bacteria. We concluded that allografts of morsellised bone from the femoral head harvested from patients undergoing arthroplasty of the hip contained cefazolin, which had been administered pre-operatively and they exhibited inhibitory effects against bacteria in vitro.
All-pairs computations on many-core graphics processors

Developing high-performance applications on emerging multi- and many-core architectures requires efficient mapping techniques and architecture-specific tuning methodologies to realize performance closer to their peak compute capability and memory bandwidth. In this paper, we develop architecture-aware methods to accelerate all-pairs computations on many-core graphics processors. Pairwise computations occur frequently in numerous application areas in scientific computing. While they appear easy to parallelize due to the independence of computing each pairwise interaction from all others, development of techniques to address multi-layered memory hierarchies, mapping within the restrictions imposed by the small and low-latency on-chip memories, striking the right balanced between concurrency, reuse and memory traffic etc., are crucial to obtain high-performance. We present a hierarchical decomposition scheme for GPUs based on decomposition of the output matrix and input data. We demonstrate that a careful tuning of the involved set of decomposition parameters is essential to achieve high efficiency on the GPUs. We also compare the performance of our strategies with an implementation on the STI Cell processor as well as multi-core CPU parallelizations using OpenMP and Intel Threading Building Blocks.
Behavior of relaxation plasmas near emitting electrodes

Abstract The transport of charged particles in a thermionic plasma near an emitting electrode is studied in two regions: a collisionles sheath region and a non-LTE ionization region. The division of these two regions is shown to be closely related to the magnitude of two quantities, the Debye length L D and the relaxation length R , which gives the characteristic distance an ion diffuses before the rate of recombination becomes important. The spatial profiles of the electron density and potential are determined analytically and the potential drop and the electron density in the sheath are determined by properly joining the solutions in the ionization and sheath regions. It is found that by taking the ion and electrical emissions from the emitted into consideration the well-known Bohm's criterion is not a necessary condition to ensure a stable matching of the solutions from these two regions. The significance of the present theoretical model as applied to thermionic convertors is discussed.
CARRIER FUNCTION IN ANTI-HAPTEN IMMUNE RESPONSES : II. SPECIFIC PROPERTIES OF CARRIER CELLS CAPABLE OF ENHANCING ANTI-HAPTEN ANTIBODY RESPONSES

Transfer of live lymphoid cells from BGG-immunized strain 2 guinea pigs into syngeneic animals primed with DNP-OVA prepares the recipients for a markedly enhanced secondary anti-DNP antibody response upon challenge with DNP-BGG. This phenomenon has been demonstrated when the recipients were challenged 1 day after cell transfer, but it was considerably more striking when an interval of 6 days was allowed between transfer of cells and challenge with antigen. As demonstrated in the preceding paper (6), BGG preimmunization enhanced anti-DNP antibody responses to challenge with DNP-BGG. An analysis of the characteristics of substances to which preimmunization was effective in enhancing subsequent anti-hapten responses was made. It was shown that preimmunization of strain 13 guinea pigs with a copolymer of glutamic acid and lysine (GL), to which these animals are genetically unable to accord an immune response, failed to prepare them for an enhanced anti-DNP response to DNP-GL. Tolerance to BGG specifically abrogated the capacity of subsequent BGG immunization to prepare DNP-OVA primed rabbits for an enhanced anti-DNP response to DNP-BGG. Sensitization of animals to haptens by preimmunization with hapten-protein conjugates failed to prepare them for enhanced primary or secondary antibody responses to other determinants associated with that hapten on a different carrier. These studies indicate that the enhancing effect of carrier preimmunization reflects a cooperative interaction between lymphoid cells specific for carrier and cells specialized for haptenic determinants. Furthermore, the capacity of a substance to behave as a carrier requires more than its possession of a variety of antigenic determinants.
Seismological Report on the 6 August 2007 Crandall Canyon Mine Collapse in Utah

At 2:48 a.m. local time (MDT; 08:48 UTC) on 6 August 2007, a major collapse occurred in the Crandall Canyon coal mine in east-central Utah. This collapse resulted in the deaths of six miners who were working underground in the area of the collapse. Ten days later, a much smaller collapse in this mine killed three rescue workers and injured six others (Stricklin 2007). A local magnitude ( ML ) 3.9 seismic event occurred at approximately the same time and place as the Crandall Canyon Mine collapse. Seismological evidence summarized in this paper and in a companion paper by Ford et al. (2008, this issue of SRL ) indicates that most of the seismic wave energy in this event was generated by the mine collapse and not by a naturally occurring earthquake. The ML 3.9 event was preceded and followed by numerous smaller ( ML ≤ 2.5) seismic events in the same area, most of which are probably mining-related as well. These events include an ML 1.6 shock associated with the coal burst that killed the three rescuers. For convenience, we will refer to the ML 3.9 event as the Crandall Canyon Mine “main shock” and to the events that followed it as “aftershocks,” even though these terms are normally used for naturally occurring earthquakes. There is a high-quality data set for the Crandall Canyon Mine seismic events from surrounding stations of the University of Utah regional seismic network, a five-station temporary network that we deployed in the mine area after the 6 August collapse, the National Science Foundation EarthScope Transportable Array, and other networks. In this paper, we analyze the seismological data for the Crandall Canyon Mine main shock and for preceding events and aftershocks in order to gain a better understanding of these events and …
Intact insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I receptor signaling is required for growth hormone effects on skeletal muscle growth and function in vivo

GH and IGF-I are potent regulators of muscle growth and function. Although IGF-I is known to mediate many of the effects of GH, it is not yet clear whether all effects of GH are completely dependent on the IGF-I system. To evaluate the biological effects of the GH/IGF-I axis on muscle growth, we administrated recombinant human GH to mice, which lack IGF-I function specifically in skeletal muscle, due to the overexpression of a dominant-negative IGF-I receptor in this tissue (MKR mice). GH treatment significantly increased the levels of hepatic IGF-I mRNA and serum IGF-I levels in both wild-type (WT) and MKR mice. These GH-induced effects were paralleled by increases in body weight and in the weights of most GH-responsive organs in both groups of mice. Interestingly, unlike WT mice, GH treatment had no effect on skeletal muscle weight in MKR mice. GH treatment failed to reverse the impaired muscle function in MKR mice. Furthermore, MKR mice exhibited no effects of GH on the cross-sectional area of myofibers and the proliferation of satellite cells. Taken together, these data suggest that the in vivo effects of GH on muscle mass and strength are primarily mediated by activation of the IGF-I receptor.
Bio-based poly(vinyl ether)s and their application as alkyd-type surface coatings

Novel bio-based poly(vinyl ether) copolymers derived from soybean oil and menthol were produced by cationic polymerization and investigated for application as alkyd-type surface coatings. Compared to conventional alkyd resins, which are produced by high temperature melt condensation polymerization, the bio-based poly(vinyl ether)s were thought to provide several advantages. These advantages include milder, more energy efficient polymer synthesis, elimination of issues associated with gelation during polymer synthesis, production of polymers with well-defined composition and relatively narrow molecular weight distribution, and elimination of film formation and physical property issues associated with entrained monomers, dimers, trimers, etc. As expected, incorporation of the tri-substituted cycloaliphatic groups derived from menthol pendent to the poly(vinyl ether) polymer backbone significantly increased the glass transition temperature and mechanical properties of crosslinked networks produced by autoxidation. Overall, the results of the study suggest a high potential for these novel copolymers with high bio-based content to be used for alkyd-type coatings.
Evaluation of aerosol spray and intramuscular injection of bacteriophage to treat an Escherichia coli respiratory infection

Two studies were conducted to determine the efficacy of either aerosol or i.m. injection of bacteriophage to treat an Escherichia coli respiratory infection in broiler chickens. An additional two studies were conducted to enumerate the bacteriophage in the blood of birds at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 24, and 48 h after being sprayed or injected i.m. with bacteriophage. Five birds were bled at each period. In study 1, there were 10 treatments with three replicate pens of 10 birds. The treatments consisted of an untreated control, heat-killed bacteriophage spray, active bacteriophage spray, E. coli challenge at 7 d of age, and E. coli challenge followed by spraying the birds with heat-killed bacteriophage or active bacteriophage at 2, 24, or 48 h after challenge. In study 2 there were 11 treatments with three replicate pens of 10 birds per pen. The treatments were untreated controls, birds injected i.m. in the thigh with heat-killed or active bacteriophage, E. coli challenge at 7 d of age, PBS challenge, E. coli challenge followed by injection of heat-killed or active bacteriophage immediately after challenge or at 24 or 48 h after challenge. In both studies the E. coli challenge consisted of injecting 10(4) cfu into the thoracic air sac. Treatment of this severe E. coli infection with the bacteriophage aerosol spray significantly reduced mortality from 50 to 20% when given immediately after the challenge but had little treatment efficacy when administered 24 or 48 h after challenge. The i.m. injection of bacteriophage significantly reduced mortality from 53 to 17%, 46 to 10%, and 44 to 20% when given immediately, 24, or 48 h after challenge, respectively. Only a few birds sprayed with bacteriophage had detectable bacteriophage in their blood with an average of 96 pfu/mL 1 h after bacteriophage administration, and no bacteriophage was detected 24 and 48 h after bacteriophage administration. All birds injected i.m. with bacteriophage had detectable levels of bacteriophage in their blood at levels of 10(4) pfu/mL of blood up to 6 h after bacteriophage administration, and four of the five birds had detectable bacteriophage in their blood at an average level of 70 pfu/mL of blood 24 h after bacteriophage administration. The relative inefficiency of the spray treatment to the i.m. injection treatment may be due to the inability to get bacteriophage into the blood at high concentrations when the birds are sprayed versus the consistent high titers achieved with the i.m. injection of bacteriophage. These data provide support to the concept that bacteriophage may be an effective alternative to antibiotics in animal production when they are administered in a way that delivers high titers of the bacteriophage to the critical site of the bacterial infection.
Selectively Protected Disaccharide Building Blocks for Modular Synthesis of Heparin Fragments

A modular approach for the synthesis of heparin fragments is described. Levulinoyl esters were employed to protect those hydroxy groups intended to be sulfated in the final product, while acetyl esters and benzyl ethers were used as the permanent protecting groups. A highly efficient chemoenzymatic reaction sequence was used for the deprotection of an O-sulfated fragment, while the final stage of the synthesis entailed a selective oxidation of a primary alcohol of a glucoside with TEMPO/NaOCl to give a glucuronic acid moiety. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2002)
Establishment of Drosophila imaginal precursor cells is controlled by the Arrowhead gene

Metamorphosis in Drosophila melanogaster requires synchronization of numerous developmental events that occur in isolated imaginal precursor tissues. The imaginal primordia are established during embryonic stages and are quiescent for much of larval life. The Arrowhead gene is necessary for establishment of proper numbers of cells within a subset of imaginal precursor tissues. Loss-of-function mutations in Arrowhead reduce the number of abdominal histoblasts and salivary gland imaginal ring cells before the proliferative stages of their development. The number of abdominal histoblasts in mutant animals is approximately half that of wild-type, as might result from failure of a single early division of these cells. A neomorphic Arrowhead allele results in the specific loss of the retinal precursors by the early third instar, before they have begun to differentiate. Since Arrowhead mutations affect only subsets of imaginal tissue, there must be distinctions in the developmental regulation of different imaginal precursors. Arrowhead may be part of a regulatory pathway responsible for establishing the proper number of abdominal histoblasts and salivary gland imaginal ring cells. The neomorphic Arrowhead allele, which may cause misexpression of the Arrowhead gene in the eye-antenna imaginal disc, interferes with the establishment or proliferation of retinal precursor cells.
The Languages of Healing: Linked by a Common Thread

Abstract Though separated by different millennia, languages, levels of scientific advancement, and views of human physiology, both prehistoric and modern cultures have expressed concepts of evaluating and treating human illness that have remarkable overlap with those of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). These similarities suggest these healing traditions likely are expressing a common, fundamental aspect of human anatomy and/or physiology. Prehistoric, ancient Egyptian, TCM, Mayan, myofascial pain, and myofascial meridian concepts of health and healing are discussed. Anatomical, clinical, and physiologic evidence is presented that suggests neuroanatomy is likely the common thread that unites these ancient and modern healing concepts. These findings should lead to an increased understanding of the anatomical and physiologic substrates of the beneficial clinical effects of acupuncture in treating pain and visceral disorders. This, in turn, should lead to novel, safer treatment techniques that combine mode...
Bond-operator theory of doped antiferromagnets: From Mott insulators with bond-centered charge order to superconductors with nodal fermions

The ground states and excitations of two-dimensional insulating and doped Mott insulators are described by a bond-operator formalism. While the method represents the degrees of freedom of an arbitrary antiferromagnet exactly, it is especially suited to systems in which there is a natural pairing of sites into bonds, as in states with spontaneous or explicit spin-Peierls order (or bond-centered charge order). In the undoped insulator, as discussed previously, we obtain both paramagnetic and magnetically ordered states. We describe the evolution of superconducting order in the ground state with increasing doping---at low doping, the superconductivity is weak, can coexist with magnetic order, and there are no gapless spin-1/2 fermionic excitations; at high doping, the magnetic order is absent and we obtain a BCS d-wave superconductor with gapless spin-1/2 nodal fermions. We present the critical theory describing the onset of these nodal fermionic excitations. We discuss the evolution of the spin spectrum and obtain regimes where a spin-1 exciton contributes a sharp resonance in the dynamic spin susceptibility. We also discuss the experimental consequences of low-energy, dynamically fluctuating spin-Peierls order in an isotropic ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{2}$ plane---we compute consequences for the damping and dispersion of an optical phonon involving primarily the O ions and compare the results with recent neutron scattering measurements of phonon spectra.
Special Section on Touching the 3rd Dimension: Adapting user interfaces for gestural interaction with the flexible action and articulated skeleton toolkit

We present the Flexible Action and Articulated Skeleton Toolkit (FAAST), a middleware software framework for integrating full-body interaction with virtual environments, video games, and other user interfaces. This toolkit provides a complete end-to-end solution that includes a graphical user interface for custom gesture creation, sensor configuration, skeletal tracking, action recognition, and a variety of output mechanisms to control third party applications, allowing virtually any PC application to be repurposed for gestural control even if it does not explicit support input from motion sensors. To facilitate intuitive and transparent gesture design, we define a syntax for representing human gestures using rule sets that correspond to the basic spatial and temporal components of an action. These individual rules form primitives that, although conceptually simple on their own, can be combined both simultaneously and in sequence to form sophisticated gestural interactions. In addition to presenting the system architecture and our approach for representing and designing gestural interactions, we also describe two case studies that evaluated the use of FAAST for controlling first-person video games and improving the accessibility of computing interfaces for individuals with motor impairments. Thus, this work represents an important step toward making gestural interaction more accessible for practitioners, researchers, and hobbyists alike.
Allocation of organic material and energy to the holdfast, stipe, and fronds in Postelsia palmaeformis (Phaeophyta: Laminariales) on the California coast

Postelsia palmaeformis were collected from the lower intertidal at Pigeon Point, California, USA, in May 1987, and the proximate composition and allocation of energy to the various body components were determined. The holdfast and stipe have a proximate composition (% dry weight) of ca. 40% ash, 5.3% protein, 1% lipid, 2% soluble carbohydrate, and 55% insoluble carbohydrate. The fronds have a proximate composition of ca. 25% ash, 6.5% protein, 2% lipid, 3% soluble carbohydrate, and 65% insoluble carbohydrate. The energetic level was ca. 12 kJ g-1 dry wt and ca. 19 kJ g-1 ash-free dry wt. The relative proportion of three plant components varied, comprising 26, 39, and 35% wet wt and 20, 42, and 38% kJ for the holdfast, stipe, and fronds, respectively. A plant with a basal stipe diameter of 33 mm contains 114 g wet wt and 266 kJ. The maximal density found in May 1987 was 826 plants, 49 301 g wet wt, and 106 157 kJ m-2.P. palmaeformis differs in these characteristics from another intertidal pheophyte,Durvillaea antarctica, that is found in a high-energy intertidal zone.
Duality and consumption decisions under income and price risk

Abstract This paper uses duality to provide an analysis of compensated and uncompensated decisions under income and/or price risk. We focus on a two-good model, in which the individual maximizes expected utility subject to a stochastic budget constraint. A Slutsky equation is derived that decomposes the derivative of the optimal decision function with respect to any parameter in the model into an income effect and a substitution effect. The total effect of an increase in risk is controlled by the generalized preference intensity, while the compensated effect of an increase in risk is controlled by the generalized risk premium developed in the literature on aversion to one risk in the presence of another.
ESOL Educators and the Experience of Visual Literacy

One approach to teacher education courses for professionals in ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) prioritizes language as the central mode of communication. I argue, however, that it is visual thinking on which language learning is based (Arnheim, 1969; Barry, 1997); for this reason, visual literacy must be equally integral to, if not prioritized in, the training of ESOL teachers. I make this argument, in part, with reference to the literature on visual thinking and visual literacy and, in part, through the description of an approach to teacher educa tion that engaged education professionals in exploring the meaning of language and culture through visual media. In other words, I endeavor to ask, and to suggest answers to, the following question: Does visual literacy have a role in the teaching and learning of language?
Police Culture and the Perpetuation of the Officer Shuffle: The Paradox of Life behind “The Blue Wall”:

A rich and well documented body of research continues to indicate U.S. citizens have long voiced concerns about The Blue Wall and the self-regulating nature of police work. Of little concern has been a phenomenon referred to as the officer shuffle, a practice by which discredited officers are allowed to remain in police work merely by moving from one department to another. The focus of this study is the paradox that defines The Blue Wall for those serving behind its walls. While much research exists regarding police work and law enforcement in general, to date no studies exist that examine the effects of the officer shuffle on those working beside the one who has moved from one department to another due to prior acts of misconduct. This ethnographic study, based in St. Louis and the ninety-one surrounding municipalities, examines just that. In so doing it draws from the work of legal scholars who have suggested mechanisms for ending the nationwide officer shuffle. But, the findings emanating from interviews with, and observations of, local police officers lead to additional suggestions for change in the existing laws that currently guide the hiring practices among those in law enforcement. The information and findings presented here derive from those most affected by the officer shuffle—those in law enforcement who find themselves working side-by-side with the gypsy cop who sustains and maintains the officer shuffle. While The Blue Wall promotes loyalty among officers, those who fear the presence of the gypsy cop express difficulty in honoring that long held tradition. Herein lies the paradox of The Blue Wall.
Empowering Women—A Series of Articles About the Surge in and Fragmentation of Mid-20th-Century American Feminist Theory: Article 1: Radical Notions

This article series examines the initial surge and ultimate fragmentation of second-wave feminist theory. The analysis reveals that, apparently unbeknownst to the theorists themselves, two primary types of “empowerment” appeared in their writings: empowerment of the autonomous self and empowerment of the relational self. Within these primary types, there are diverse understandings of “empowerment” that are based on varied but adamant notions of what it should accomplish. This first article, “Radical Notions,” discusses the implications of arguments within radical feminist theory. Rather than attempting to understand the reasons for their differences, at least some of them engaged in arguments about what constituted being a “real” radical feminist and attempted to ostracize those who did not fit the proscribed mold.
Chromosomal Double-Strand Breaks Induce Gene Conversion at High Frequency in Mammalian Cells

Double-strand breaks (DSBs) stimulate chromosomal and extrachromosomal recombination and gene targeting. Transcription also stimulates spontaneous recombination by an unknown mechanism. We used Saccharomyces cerevisiae I-SceI to stimulate recombination between neo direct repeats in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell chromosomal DNA. One neo allele was controlled by the dexamethasone-inducible mouse mammary tumor virus promoter and inactivated by an insertion containing an I-SceI site at which DSBs were introduced in vivo. The other neo allele lacked a promoter but carried 12 phenotypically silent single-base mutations that create restriction sites (restriction fragment length polymorphisms). This system allowed us to generate detailed conversion tract spectra for recipient alleles transcribed at high or low levels. Transient in vivo expression of I-SceI increased homologous recombination 2,000- to 10,000-fold, yielding recombinants at frequencies as high as 1%. Strikingly, 97% of these products arose by gene conversion. Most products had short, bidirectional conversion tracts, and in all cases, donor neo alleles (i.e., those not suffering a DSB) remained unchanged, indicating that conversion was fully nonreciprocal. DSBs in exogenous DNA are usually repaired by end joining requiring little or no homology or by nonconservative homologous recombination (single-strand annealing). In contrast, we show that chromosomal DSBs are efficiently repaired via conservative homologous recombination, principally gene conversion without associated crossing over. For DSB-induced events, similar recombination frequencies and conversion tract spectra were found under conditions of low and high transcription. Thus, transcription does not further stimulate DSB-induced recombination, nor does it appear to affect the mechanism(s) by which DSBs induce gene conversion.
Marketing your technical communication skills: one approach

Summary form only given. The author provides encouragement for those wanting to set up their own technical-communication-related business. She notes that the technical communication field encompasses graphic artists, ghost writers, publishers, and photographers, among others. She suggests that most of these vocations can be successfully marketed by using special development tools. >
The Malleability of Environmentalism

In this article, we predict and find that self-perceptions of environmentalism are changed by subtle manipulations of context and, in turn, affect environmental behavior. In Study 1, we found that people exhibit greater positive assessments of their environmental behaviors (1) in the context of denying harm to the environment than in the context of claiming to help the environment, and (2) in situations where behaviors are evaluated subjectively than in situations where behaviors are evaluated more objectively. In Study 2, we explored the relationship between self-perceptions of environmentalism and environmental behaviors. Our data suggest that environmentally friendly behaviors may be promoted by leading people to perceive themselves as good environmentalists.
The Effect of 21st Century Military Service on Civilian Labor and Educational Outcomes

I estimate the effect of military service during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars on civilian labor and educational outcomes using several empirical methodologies including sibling fixed effects and propensity score matching. Since military occupations and training have changed significantly in the past few decades, these effects may be different than those found in previous studies on veterans of earlier theaters. I find that veteran status increases civilian wages by approximately ten percent for minorities but has little or no effect on whites in this regard. Veterans of all demographic groups are found to be equally employable and equally as satisfied with their civilian occupation as non-veterans. For females and minorities, veteran status substantially increases the likelihood one attempts college. These veterans are found to be more apt to pursue and obtain a two year (associate’s) degree instead of a four year (bachelor’s) degree. Lastly, I find mixed evidence that veteran status increases the likelihood of public sector employment.
Afferent-hair cell connectivity as a possible source of spike train irregularity in turtle vestibular bouton afferents

Vestibular afferents have been categorized as “regular” or “irregular” depending on the variability of their spike trains [1,2]. It is thought that the difference in regularity among afferents results from differences in the types of voltage-dependent conductances present in the cell. For example afferents may differ in their complements of potassium A, D, and M currents or in currents that produce a small vs. prominent afterhyperpolarization (AHP) [3-5]. Because bouton afferents from turtle utricle vary widely in morphology depending on their location in the utricle, we sought to determine if afferent morphology might also play a role in spike train irregularity. Although we found that morphology itself is not a factor in determining spike train variability, we did find that spike train variability can be affected by afferent/hair cell connectivity. Morphological reconstructions of bouton afferents from the lateral extrastriolar (LES), striola, juxtastriola and medial extrastriolar (MES) regions of turtle utricle were done with Neurolucida. Models based on these reconstructions were constructed for 16 afferents. Voltage-dependent conductance distributions in different regions (axon, soma, terminal arbor, varicosities, nodes, myelin) were identical in each cell model. Given the locations of synapses in the terminal arbor and the density of hair cells in each region, we were able to estimate the number of synapses formed between individual hair cells and an afferent. In the LES, striola and juxtastriola most synapses on an afferent were formed with unique hair cells, whereas in the MES single hair cells more often made multiple synapses with an afferent. To determine the effect of this difference in connectivity we modeled Poisson release from hair cells to synapses in the terminal arbor to generate spike trains. The coefficient of variation (cv) as a function of interspike interval (ISI) was calculated to estimate spike train variability with different average release rates. We found that cv as a function of ISI was nearly identical for LES, striola and juxtastriola afferents, but was the same for MES afferents only if connectivity in the MES was assumed to be one afferent synapse per hair cell. However, cv was much larger when the MES afferents were modeled with multiple synapses between an afferent and a hair cell, as calculated from synaptic location and hair cell density. To see if we could make an LES afferent more irregular, we modified connectivity to have more multiple synapses between individual hair cells and the afferent. As predicted, cv increased. These results suggest that afferent-hair cell connectivity may be a source of spike train irregularity. Given the large number of multiple contacts between a calyx and its presynaptic hair cell, we expect that connectivity contributes to spike train variability in calyx-bearing (calyx and dimorph) afferents.
“The Bigger, the Better”: Challenges in Portraying a Positive Fat Character in Weeds

The author examines the presence of fat stigmatization as well as body acceptance in the hit television Showtime program, Weeds. Through exploring the construction of the character Isabelle Hodes, it is apparent that Weeds works to create a fat-positive character. However, the show's writers also depict several fat-shaming elements when constructing the narrative; fat stigmatization is made most apparent through the dynamic between Isabelle and her mother, Celia. Using textual analysis, the author focuses on the success and failures of fat-positive imagery employed by the television show.
Determinants of Urban Energy Use: Density and Urban Form

With a particular focus on urban energy use, this study investigates the implications of mixed usehigh-density development in a small urban community to curb sprawl in terms of the relationship of urban form and urban density. Every building as a part of the urban core not only affects the urban form but also modifies density, microclimate, and energy use. These relationships are location specific. The interconnected nature of these physical, spatial and environmental characteristics is untangled by investigating individual building form and functions as well as their relationship with other buildings as a function of urban spatiality and density. The first part of this paper explores the potential for increased urban density employing Ralph Knowles' seminal Solar Envelope Concept. The second part investigates the relationship between development density and urban energy use intensity. The microclimatic modificationsof increased density development are then compared with the existing urban form and their impacts on energy use are studied employing a simulation approach. In conclusion, the suitability of energy implications of a mixed-use development as a part of urban form and density are suggested. The outcome of this investigation provides insights on building and urban form, achievable density and urban energy needs. This research is relevant to the community and local government that will decide on a new development paradigm. This study also provides a platform for future integration of the socio-economic aspects of introducing high-rise, high-density developments.