cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Freehand OCT with real-time lateral motion tracking

Freehand optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems without mechanical scanners can offer greater freedom to access and image sites of interest. However, the scanning velocity during freehand scan is irregular; therefore pseudo B-scan images obtained by stacking sequentially acquired A-scans have a non-uniform spatial sampling rate in the lateral dimension. In this study, we developed a speckle decorrelation method to estimate lateral displacement between sequentially acquired A-scans and used the information extracted from speckle analysis to correct the time-varying lateral scanning speed. We applied this method to a handheld OCT probe and performed calibration experiments to validate our model. Furthermore we demonstrated distortion-free, freehand OCT imaging of various samples including human tissue, in vivo .
Inactivation of Naturally Occurring Variants of Tobacco Mosaic Virus with Nitrous Acid

ALTHOUGH there is general agreement that mutant strains of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) may arise during oxidative de-animation of the ribonucleic acid by nitrous acid, this view has been held without conclusive evidence eliminating selection as a possible cause for the appearance of new strains. Soon after Gierer and Mundry1 announced the results of their experiments in which the mutagenesis of nitrous acid was implied, Bawden2 pointed out that their results did not, in fact, exclude the possibility of selection, and despite Mundry's counter-claims3, the issue has remained unsettled.
Cloning, chromosomal mapping, and expression of human fetal brain type I adenylyl cyclase.

The neural-specific calmodulin-sensitive adenylyl cyclase (type I), which was first cloned from bovine brain, has been implicated in learning and memory. The objective of this study was to clone and determine the chromosomal localization of human fetal brain type I adenylyl cyclase. A 3.8-kb cDNA clone was isolated that contained sequence coinciding with the 3{prime} end 2553 nucleotides of the bovine open reading frame. This clone shows 87% nucleotide and 92% translated amino acid sequence identity to the bovine clone. The most significant sequence differences were in the carboxy-terminal 100 amino acid residues. This region contains one of several possible calmodulin binding domains and the only putative cAMP-dependent protein kinase A phosphorylation site. A chimera was constructed that contained the 5{prime} half of the bovine type I adenylyl cyclase and the 3{prime} half of the human type I adenylyl cyclase. The activity of the chimeric gene product and its sensitivity to calmodulin and calcium were indistinguishable from those of the bovine type I adenylyl cyclase. In situ hybridization was used to localize the human type I adenylyl cyclase gene to the proximal portion of the short arm of chromosome 7. 36 refs., 4 figs.
Persistent depression of synaptic responses occurs in quisqualate sensitized hippocampal slices after exposure tol-aspartate-β-hydroxamate

Abstract Exposure of slices of rat hippocampus to quisqualic acid produces an enhanced sensitivity of neurons to depolarization by other excitatory amino acid analogues, particularly amino acid phosphonates. The phosphonates may act at extracellular sites, since their depolarizing effects are rapidly reversed by washout with phosphonate-free incubation medium. We now wish to report a novel class of excitatory amino acid analogues that induce a persistent depolarization that is not reversed by washout. Exposure of quisqualate-sensitized slices of rat hippocampus to 400 μM l -aspartate-β-hydroxamate for 8 min results in the complete depression of extracellular synaptic field potentials. This depression persists for at least 1 h after washout of the hydroxamate compound. Analogous compounds l -glutamate-γ-hydroxamate, d -aspartate-β-hydroxamate and the phosphonate derivative l -2-amino-3-phosphonopropanoic acid ( l -AP3) induce a similar but weaker persistent depression of the field potentials. Previous studies also demonstrated that exposure of hippocampal slices to l -α-aminoadipate blocks or reverses quisqualate sensitization, making the neurons unresponsive to depolarization by phosphonate compounds. We now report that L-a-aminoadipate also blocks or reverses the persistent depolarization of quisqualate-sensitized neurons which is induced by exposure to the hydroxamates or L-AP3.
Purification of a basic fibroblast growth factor-binding proteoglycan from bovine cardiac plasma membrane.

Abstract A heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) from bovine cardiac membrane was purified to homogeneity using either isoelectric focusing or anion-exchange chromatography, followed by affinity chromatography on immobilized basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Fractions were assayed for bFGF-binding activity using 125 I-bFGF as a probe. Purified proteoglycan ran as a broad band on SDS-PAGE, spanning an apparent molecular mass range of 100–200 kDa, and could be incorporated into liposomes. Digestion of radioiodinated proteoglycan with heparatinase yielded a product of 73 kDa, while digestion with chondroitinase ABC did not change the apparent molecular mass. Monoclonal antibody directed againts the ectodomain of another plasma membrane HSPG, syndecan, failed to recognize the purified cardiac proteoglycan on immunoblots. We conclude that adult bovine myocardium contains a membrane-associated bFGF-binding heparan sulfate proteoglycan containing little or no chondroitin sulfate and that this HSPG may be distinct from those of the syndecan family of heparan sulfate proteoglycans.
Centers of plant diversity and conservation of crop germ plasm: Safflower

Vavilov proposed three areas of origin for cultivated safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) (12). One in India (his Center II) was based on variability and ancient culture. A second, in Afghanistan (his Center III), was based on variability and proximity of wild species. A third area of origin, in Ethiopia (his Center VI), was assumed primarily from the presence of a wild safflower species in that area. Kupzow (10), following a detailed study in Russia of collections made in many areas, reached the same conclusions as Vavilov. Hanelt (4) and Ashri and Knowles (1) placed the center of origin in the Near East. Their opinion was based on the similarity of cultivated safflower to two closely related wild species: C. flavescens, found in Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon; and C. palaestinus, found in desert areas of western Iraq and southern Israel. This paper briefly surveys the diversity in cultivated safflower. Much of the variability was probably present long before Roman times, with all of it developing from a wild progenitor assumed to have strong branching, well developed spines on leaves and involucral bracts, heads about 12 mm in diameter, yellow flowers, obovate seeds with about 20% oil, and probably mostly self-incompatible. No attempt is made here to catalog the variability. Instead, we look at safflower centers to learn what is going on to reduce or to magnify variability.
Single- and five-worm infections of Echinostoma caproni (Trematoda) in the icr mouse

Abstract Twenty-nine (64%) of 44 ICR mice fed a single metacercarial cyst of Echinostoma caproni and all of 23 mice each fed five cysts were infected with ovigerous worms at necropsy 2–4 weeks post-infection. Each host fed five cysts had two to five worms at necropsy, and all worms were either paired or clustered. Distribution of worms in the small intestine was similar in single- and five-worm infections and all worms were located 17–20 cm anterior to the ileo-cecal valve. Both single and multiple worms produced eggs with fully-developed miracidia. The number of eggs per uterus in 2-week-old multiple worms was almost twice that of single worms. The body area of 3-and 4-week-old multiple worms was significantly greater than that of single worms of the same age.
MEAN AND VARIANCE OF THE FORWARD FIELDS PROPAGATED THROUGH 3D RANDOM INTERNAL WAVES WITH RAYLEIGHT-BORN SCATTERING

The mean and variance of the acoustic field forward propagated through an ocean waveguide containing random internal waves is modelled using a normal mode formulation [1] that takes into account the 3-D interaction of the acoustic field with medium inhomogeneities. The effects of dispersion, attenuation and redistribution of modal energy due to random multiple scattering in the forward azimuth are treated analytically. The inhomogeneous medium's scatter function density is modelled using the Rayleigh-Born approximation to Green's theorem to account for random fluctuations in density and compressibility caused by the internal waves. The generalized waveguide extinction theorem [2] is applied to determine the attenuation due to scattering from the internal wave inhomogeneities. Simulations for typical continental shelf environments quantitatively show how coherent and incoherent acoustic field intensities vary with range, depth and internal wave field properties
Strained-layer InGaAs-GaAs-AlGaAs buried-heterostructure lasers with nonabsorbing mirrors by selective-area MOCVD

Design, fabrication, and operation of strained-layer InGaAs-GaAs-AlGaAs buried-heterostructure (BH) lasers with nonabsorbing mirrors fabricated by selective-area epitaxy (SAE) are presented. The SAE-BH lasers with nonabsorbing mirrors operate at powers up to approximately 325 mW/facet (4 mu m wide output aperture), which is a >40% increase over conventional SAE-BH lasers.
Need for Cognition and Advertising: Understanding the Role of Personality Variables in Consumer Behavior

Three studies were conducted to examine the role of need for cognition on attitudes formed as a result of exposure to advertisements. Prior research on need for cognition has used only long messages, counterattitudinal topics, or employed instructions that specifically told participants to evaluate products. Results of our studies reveal that need for cognition also affects the processes of attitude change when no explicit evaluation instructions are provided and when exposures are to relatively short, unfamiliar advertising messages presented in either self-paced or externally controlled formats. Consistent with prior research, attitudes of high need for cognition individuals were based more on an evaluation of product attributes than were the attitudes of low need for cognition persons (Studies 1 and 2). In addition, the attitudes of low need for cognition individuals were based more on simple peripheral cues inherent in the ads than were the attitudes of high need for cognition persons (Study 3). Implications for the study of personality variables in consumer behavior are discussed.
Static Theory for Planar Ferromagnets and Antiferromagnets

Here we generalize the "BBH"-asymptotic analysis to a simplified mathematical model for the planar ferromagnets and antiferromagnets. To develop such a static theory is a necessary step for a rigorous mathematical justification of dynamical laws for the magnetic vortices formally derived in [1] and [2].
Anti-Communist Minorities in the US: Political Activism of Ethnic Refugees

Anti-Communist Minorities in the US: Political Activism of Ethnic Refugees IEVA ZAKE (ed.) New York, Palgrave Macmillan, 2009 ISBN: 978-0-230-60681-4 This collection of essays, edited by the sociol...
Autonomic, electroencephalographic, and myogenic activity accompanying startle and its habituation during mid-childhood

This study investigated (a) possible associations of the large individual variation in startle, with accompanying autonomic, central nervous system, and myogenic activities in a habituation paradigm ; and (b) the patterns of habituation of these variables. Startle blinks to 40 noise bursts, heart rate, alpha activity, and orbicularis oculi electromyographic (EMG) activity preceding and following each startle response were measured in 40 normal 7-11-year-old boys. Startle amplitude and its habituation were independent of association with either initial values or successive changes in the autonomic, alpha, and EMG activities ; whereas startle habituated, pre- and poststartle myogenic, alpha, and cardiac activities failed to habituate. Tonic cardiac activity was facilitated, suggesting sensitization of state, as proposed in the dual-process theory of habituation.
P30.09: Bladder varices: source of confusion for placenta accreta spectrum

performed at 36+3 weeks gestation under general anesthesia with central venous and arterial access in full anticipation of an intraoperative haemorrhage possibly necessitating peripartum hysterectomy. Following delivery of a healthy baby girl, the placenta was allowed to separate spontaneously and minimal blood loss occured. A tubal ligation was performed. She had an uneventful postoperative course and was discharged on day 4 following surgery. A morbidly adherent placenta occurs with an estimated incidence of one in 2500 pregnancies and is traditionally managed by elective caesarean hysterectomy, which carries significant risk for maternal morbidity and mortality, coupled with a loss of reproductive capacity. While many case reports are published on conservative management of this condition, a patient’s reproductive capacity following such management is uncertain and subsequent pregnancy outcomes are rarely reported. This case describes the excellent and encouraging outcome following conservative management of placenta praevia increta and highlights that this method, in selected cases, is a viable option for morbidity reduction and fertility preservation.
Synthesis and x-ray crystal structure of OsBr2(CNBut)4·2CH2Cl2

Abstract Reaction of (NH4)2OsBr6 with excess Na/Hg in THF in the presence of excess tBuNC yields trans-OsBr2(CNBut)4 in high yield. The bis-dichloromethane solvate crystallises from CH2Cl2 solutions and its X-ray crystal structure has been determined. Crystal data: C22H40Br2Cl4N4Os, M = 852.40, monoclinic, space group P21/c, a = 9.702(3) A, b = 10.143(5) A, c = 18.497(5) A, β = 104.28(3)°, U = 1764(1) A3, Z = 2 for Dc = 1.60 gcm−3. λ(MoKα) = 0.71069 A (graphite monochromator), μ(MoKα) = 65.44 cm−1, final R = 0.044, Rw = 0.056 from 1105 observed reflections (1777 measured).
For Apple Owners: A Four-Channel, Computer-Managed Physiograph for $600

For approximately $600, Apple IIe owners can purchase equipment for collecting physiological data. Electromyograph (EMG), galvanic skin response (GSR), skin temperature (TEMP), and heart rate (HR) data can be recorded at user-specified intervals, displayed on a monitor, saved to a disk, and printed on paper. The system is flexible, and has been used in classroom demonstrations, relaxation training, and student research projects.
Subgroups of IA automorphisms of a free group

Generators and defining relations for the group A n of automorphisms of a free group of rank n were derived by J . Nielsen [11]. For n = 2, this is a fairly easy task, but for n ~> 3 it requires very difficult combinatorial arguments which have not been simplified since the appearance of Nielsen's paper. In order to obtain an easier approach to the investigation of An and a bet ter understanding of its structure, it seems natural to s tudy its subgroups. For all n, the elements of An which induce the identical automorphism in the commutator quotient group Fn/F'~ form a normal subgroup K of An. Bachmuth [1] calls this the group of IA automorphisms of F n. Magnus [8] showed tha t this subgroup is generated by the automorphisms Ktj : ai ~ a ja i a i 1
The cooperative learner

Abstract The purpose of this article is to review a series of investigations conducted to assess the role that individual learner characteristics play in scripted cooperative learning. These results point to three general conclusions. First, individual differences have consistently been found to play an important role in determining the effectiveness of scripted cooperation. Students strong in cognitive skills, high in extroversion, and average in test anxiety appear to benefit most from this method. Second, the efficacy of this learning tool can be enhanced through the consideration of learner characteristics. For example, those low in cognitive abilities benefit most from scripted cooperation when paired with a partner who is strong in such skills. Third, Dansereau's (1986, 1988) CAMS model for group problem solving processes is largely supported by these results, in that three of the four components of the model (i.e., cognition, affect, and social processes) appear to have a significant impact in determining the effectiveness of cooperative learning, in terms of individual differences.
Libya's Revolution at Two Years: Perils and Achievements

More than two years after its Revolution, Libya is a country caught in the throes of troubling challenges – and remarkable achievements. Western commentary on its status often varies wildly, betwee...
Supramolecular assemblies of amphiphilic homopolymers.

Amphiphilic molecules self-assemble in solvents because of the differential solvation of the hydrophilic and lipophilic functionalities. Small-molecule surfactants have long been known to form micelles in water that can solubilize lipophilic guest molecules in their water-excluded interior. Polymeric surfactants based on block copolymers are also known to form several types of aggregates in water owing either to the mutual incompatibility of the blocks or better solvation of one of the blocks by the solvent. Incorporating amphiphilicity at smaller length scales in polymers would provide an avenue to capture the interesting properties of macromolecules and fine tune their supramolecular assemblies. To address this issue, we designed and synthesized amphiphilic homopolymers containing hydrophilic and lipophilic functionalities in the monomer. Such a polymer can be imagined to be a string of small-molecule surfactants tethered together such that the hydrophilic and lipophilic functionalities are located on o...
Comparison of various resin composite shades and layering technique with a shade guide.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to compare the final shade of different shades of composites (enamel shades) over a white backing (WB) and black backing (BB), and a layering technique (enamel over dentin composite) with the corresponding Vita Classical Shade tabs (VST). MATERIALS AND METHODS Composite disk specimens enamel (N = 5) shades B1, B2, A1, and A2, and dentin (N = 1) shades A1, A2, and A3 were made. The color of the VST B1, B2, A1, and A2, enamel shade disks, and layering composites of the same brand and different brands were assessed using a colorimeter over a WB and BB. The total color difference (DeltaE*(ab) = [(DeltaL*)(2) + (Deltaa*(ab))(2) + (Deltab*(ab))(2)](1/2)) between the VST and the corresponding resin composite was calculated. The results were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance/Tukey's test (p < 0.05). RESULTS Overall, the L*, a*, and b* values of the enamel composite shades were significantly different from the corresponding VST. Only a few layered composites matched the L*, a*, and b* of the keyed VST. Out of the 72 combinations, 20 (28%) resulted in DeltaE*(ab) below the 3.3 clinically perceptible limit. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Composite shades do not match well to the Vita shade guide tabs, even when the layering technique is used. As demonstrated in this study, only a few composites matched the corresponding Vita shade guide tabs. (J Esthet Restor Dent 22:114-126, 2010).
Advertising cadavers in the republic of letters: anatomical publications in the early modern Netherlands

This paper sketches how late seventeenth-century Dutch anatomists used printed publications to advertise their anatomical preparations, inventions and instructional technologies to an international clientele. It focuses on anatomists Frederik Ruysch (1638-1732) and Lodewijk de Bils (1624-69), inventors of two separate anatomical preparation methods for preserving cadavers and body parts in a lifelike state for decades or centuries. Ruysch's and de Bils's publications functioned as an 'advertisement' for their preparations. These printed volumes informed potential customers that anatomical preparations were aesthetically pleasing and scientifically important but did not divulge the trade secrets of the method of production. Thanks to this strategy of non-disclosure and advertisement, de Bils and Ruysch could create a well-working monopoly market of anatomical preparations. The 'advertising' rhetorics of anatomical publications highlight the potential dangers of equating the growth of print culture with the development of an open system of knowledge exchange.
Analysis of positions of substitution of O-carboxymethyl groups in partially O-carboxymethylated cellulose by the reductive-cleavage method

A method is described for the analysis of positions of substitution of O-carboxylated groups in commercial samples of O-carboxymethylcellulose. Sequential permethylation of the polymer and reductive cleavage gives eight products, which are analyzed as their O-acetyl derivatives by gas-liquid chromatography.
Laser depth-controlled precision machining of advanced ceramics

Development of advanced engineering materials, such as ceramics and their composites, CVD silicon carbide, silicon nitride, CVD diamond, etc.; has created many opportunities for their use in a number of applications. These materials offer attractive properties, including superior hardness, strength, wear and corrosion resistance, and electronic properties. However, conventional machining processes are inadequate to fabricate multi-dimensional, precision components from these materials. Lately, lasers have been shown to be very effective in machining these hard materials. In this paper, recent results of our work on depth controlled precision machining of commercially available ceramics using a diode pumped, pulsed Nd:YAG laser are presented. The effects of laser processing parameters: percentage spot overlap, machining speed, and number of layers removed on the depth of the machined groove and surface roughness are discussed.
An improved precook process for blue crab (Callinectes sapidus)

The normal precooking process used in industrial crab picking operations facilitates meat removal and reduces bacterial population. A precook process involving a depuration in 200 ppm chlorinated water followed by an 8-minute exposure to steam at 212F is discussed. Microbiological data comparing this process to the present industrial process (10 minutes at 250F) indicate equivalent bacterial reduction for the two methods. The depuration process alone resulted in bacterial reductions averaging 99%. Crabs treated in this manner, followed by an 8-minute steam at 212F resulted in greater meat yield, better organoleptic quality and acceptable microbiological levels in terms of public health standards.
MR imaging of pterygoid muscle inflammation

Abstract A case report of trismus after a dental procedure in evaluated by MR imaging. The medial and lateral pterygoid muscles showed inflammatory changes. Etiologies of trismus are reviewed.
Ink4a/Arf Regulation by let-7b and Hmga2: A Genetic Pathway Governing Stem Cell Aging

Stem cell self-renewal capacity declines with age. In a recent issue of Cell, Nishino and colleagues (2008) show that Hmga2 maintains neural stem cell (NSC) function in young mice through repression of the Ink4a/Arf locus; in contrast, during aging, elevated let-7b blocks Hmga2 and contributes to declining NSC function.
Psychodynamic aspects of learning disability: The passive-aggressive underachiever

Abstract The psychodynamic factors most commonly responsible for academic underachievement in adolescents include ( a ) a significant amount of underlying hostility, usually toward parents, that cannot be directly expressed; ( b ) concerns about rivalry with parents and siblings that lead to marked fears of failure or of success; and ( c ) a preference for passive-agresssive modes of coping with difficult situations. As elaborated and illustrated in this paper, learning difficulties determined by the combined impact of these psychodynamic factors constitute a fairly specific pattern of psychological disturbance that can be labeled passive-aggressive underachievement.
Coming to Terms with Pollution: The Language of Environmental Reform, 1865–1915

Before the Civil War, Americans rarely used the words "pollute" and "pollution" to refer to human degradation of the environment. Instead, the words spoke to violation, perversion, or corruption of moral standards. In 1841, according to Noah Webster, to "pollute" meant to defile, to make unclean, or to render unfit for sacred use; to taint with guilt; to profane; to use for carnal or idolatrous purposes; to corrupt by a mixture of ill, moral or physical; and to violate by illegal sexual intercourse. Throughout the nineteenth century, the word "pollution" commonly referred to the emission of semen during sleep.' Between 1865 and 1915, however, these two words began to assume meanings identified with more public concerns. By 1890, for example, the phrase "river pollution" was common in some circles, although even in 1915 Americans had no all-encompassing word for the contamination of water, air, or land. Hardly anyone used the term "air pollution" in its modern sense until the 1930s; when people wrote or spoke of "polluted air" in the second half of the nineteenth century, the term described the supposed contamination of the atmosphere by organic wastes, especially decaying excrement. "Foul miasmas," "sewer gas," "foetid emanations," "poisonous exhalations," "offensive effluvia," and "stench nuisances" all made the air dangerously impure. To describe what we now call air pollutioni.e., the gaseous, chemical, and metallic by-products of combustion and industrial processes-people usually talked of "the smoke nuisance." There were several variations of that term -"the smoke problem," "the smoke evil," even "the smoke plague." Occasionally, people also wrote or spoke about "noxious vapours." Similarly, Americans in late nineteenth century lacked a common word for the many pollutants of streams. Organic wastes, including such manufacturing by-products as dust from sawmills and offal from slaughterhouses, generally were called "pollution"; but people often used other phrases to describe the liquid wastes produced in oil refining, mining, metallurgy, and chemical manufacture. The most common were "trade wastes" and, especially after 1900, "industrial wastes." In some cases, however, people treated stream pollutants from industry as a subset of a broader category of
Vitamin K-dependent carboxylase: Increased activity in a hypoprothrombinemia state

Abstract Rat liver microsomes contain a vitamin K-dependent carboxylase activity that converts protein-bound glutamyl residues to γ-carboxy glutamyl residues. This activity has been studied utilizing low molecular weight peptides (peptide carboxylase) and endogenous microsomal precursor proteins (protein carboxylase) as substrates for the enzyme. Feeding rats a vitamin K-deficient diet or the administration of Warfarin, causes a 2- to 3-fold increase in these activities. The increase in peptide carboxylase activity is not dependent on the presence of increased amounts of prothrombin precursors in the microsomes and is more closely correlated with the degree of plasma hypoprothrombinemia than with the level of these precursors in the liver. The protein carboxylase activity appears to reflect the level of precursor substrates in the liver. The apparent induction of peptide carboxylase activity is not due to an alteration in affinity of the enzyme for its substrate. An apparent rapid turnover of the enzyme complicated the interpretation of experiments which utilized the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. The data were, however, consistent with the hypothesis that the increased activity measured represents a synthesis of an increased amount of enzyme rather than an activation of existing inhibited activity.
Solution representations and pedagogical representations in Chinese and U.S. classrooms

This study involved an investigation of the relationship between the kinds of solution representations Chinese and U.S. students use and the sorts of pedagogical representations Chinese and U.S. teachers use during instruction. The findings suggest that the representations teachers use influence the representations their students use and, hence, have an impact upon the students’ problem solving. One of the practical implications of the findings is that if students are given the opportunity to construct their own representations of mathematical concepts, rules, and relationships, they also should be encouraged to develop the ability to use symbolic representations, rather than to rely on concrete ones. In addition, the finding that the Chinese teachers in this study overwhelmingly used symbolic representations for the solutions of instructional tasks, whereas the U.S. teachers relied almost exclusively on verbal explanations and pictorial representations, indicates that pedagogical practice is constrained by social and cultural factors.
Cluster sorting in the interactive 3-D layout of chemical processing plants

Abstract An interactive computer program has been developed for the construction, storage and viewing of an electronic model of a chemical process plant. The geometric modeling techniques developed here allow plant components to be modeled as 3-D primitives using only information as to the type and geometric center (termed centroid) of each primitive. The hidden surface methodology employed uses this centroid as a key sorting parameter, thus eliminating the traditional, but extremely time consuming, practice of polygon sorting.
Calculating daytime mean relative air mass

Abstract Calculation of air mass (the atmospheric path length traversed by the sun's ray) is important for a physically-based accounting of solar radiation incident upon the Earth surface. This paper reports on an algorithm that uses solar zenith angle and daylength derived from latitude and solar declination to reproduce numerical solutions for daytime mean relative air mass otherwise available only in a graphic form.
Soil Effects of Beauveria bassiana on Pupal Populations of the Colorado Potato Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Soil applications of Beauveria bassiana were effective in controlling first- and second-generation Leptinotarsa decemlineata pupae, with a 74% reduction of the first generation and a 77% reduction of the second. The applications reduced adult emergence from pupation and increased postemergence mycosis. Conidia were superior to blastospores in reducing emergence, but produced no significant difference in postemergence mycosis. Soil isolations showed half the inocula present after 2 weeks.
High reliability virtual organizations: Co-adaptive technology and organizational structures in tsunami warning systems

Highly reliable organizations (HROs) are those organizations, which by nature or design, cannot or must not fail; the consequences of failure in such systems are usually catastrophic. Systems that combine the characteristics of highly reliable operations and distributed, virtual organizations are known as highly reliable virtual organizations (HRVOs)—distributed and electronically linked groups of organizations that excel in high-consequence settings. Tsunami warning systems (TWS) are one example of virtual organizations that operate under enormous expectations for reliability. Adaptive structuration theory suggests that, in complex systems, technology and organizational structures co-evolve, and users adapt technology to their needs, creating shared meaning about the role and utility of technology in various settings. In this article, we consider how the shared meaning that develops in the social shaping of technology in one HRVO, tsunami warning systems, contributes to reliability enhancement. Following Poole and DeSanctis [2000], this study is a structuration study in a particular context, exploring how structuration occurs, the conditions that influence it, and its consequences or outcomes. We begin by describing HRVOs and the co-adaptive roles that technology and organizational structures play in such organizations. We then describe a global tsunami warning system as an illustrative case of a globally distributed sociotechnical system for which use of technology and distributed organizational structures should enhance reliability. We describe how social media plays a role in adaptive structuration in tsunami warning systems, and then return to consider the nature of HRVOs and their characteristics, en route to identifying challenges in the co-adaptation of technology and organizational structures in highly reliable tsunami warning systems.
Investigation of red blood cells from α1,3-galactosyltransferase-knockout pigs for human blood transfusion

BACKGROUND: Pigs are a potential source of red blood cells (RBCs) for transfusion into humans, but the pre-sence of galactose-α1,3-galactose (Gal) epitopes on their surface, against which humans have anti-Gal, has been perceived as a major barrier. α1,3-Galactosyltransferase gene-knockout pigs, which do not express Gal epitopes on RBCs (Gal–/–), have recently become available. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In vitro, RBCs from Gal–/– pigs were exposed to sera from naive humans or baboons or from baboons previously sensitized to pig antigens; immunoglobulin binding was measured by flow cytometry, and cytotoxicity, by a hemolytic assay. In vivo, relatively small numbers of Gal–/– RBCs were transfused into two nonsensitized untreated baboons. The survival of pig RBCs was detected by flow cytometry. RESULTS: In vitro, binding of immunoglobulin (Ig) M from naive human or baboon sera was detected to Gal–/– RBCs but was significantly less than to Gal+/+ RBCs; IgG binding to Gal–/– RBCs was absent or minimal. Sera had minimal cytotoxicity to Gal–/– RBCs compared to Gal+/+ RBCs. Sensitized baboon sera demonstrated much higher IgG binding to Gal–/– RBCs and increased cytotoxicity, but again these were less than to Gal+/+ RBCs. In vivo, the transfusion of relatively small volumes of Gal–/– RBCs was followed by detection of the cells in the baboon's blood for only 5 minutes. CONCLUSION: Pig RBCs are rapidly phagocytosed from the primate circulation by a mechanism not involving anti-Gal.
How Useful Are Signals? a Micro-Structure Analysis

We analyze how the market processes a signaling event by studying a sample of self-tender offers, events often viewed as signals of firm value. By examining changes in the degree of informed trading, we find asymmetric information costs fall at announcement, remain low throughout the event, and increase at offer expiration. By 1 month following expiration, informed trading returns to a level not significantly different from that prior to the offer. Higher risk firms have significantly larger declines in information asymmetry during the offer. Increases in information asymmetry persist 1 month following expiration for firms with lower pre-offer informed trading.
Divergent behavior of the swash zone in response to different foreshore slopes and nearshore states

Abstract Ultrasonic distance sensors were used to measure changes in bed elevation to a resolution of ∼ 0.1 mm following individual swash excursions in the high-tide swash zone of an intermediate foreshore. Changes in bed elevation are related to depth-averaged Eularian swash velocities, estimated by assuming mass balance of the swash discharge also measured using the ultrasonic distance sensors. Early in the study (May 21–25, 2008), the alongshore uniform foreshore had a cross-shore slope of 0.18 and was fronted by a nearshore bar that forced wave breaking at low tide. Towards the end of the study (June 5–9, 2008), the foreshore had a slope of 0.12 and was fronted by a nearshore terrace that developed as the innermost bar migrated landward. Despite similar inshore wave heights and periods during these times, the steeper foreshore eroded by 0.69 m 3 m − 1 , while the more gently-sloped foreshore accreted by 0.21 m 3 m − 1 . The divergent behavior of the swash zone is attributed to the welding of the innermost bar to the foreshore creating a shallow nearshore terrace that saturated the inshore wave field. This in turn led to a faster uprush velocity that promoted the landward advection of sediment picked-up over the shallow terrace. It is argued that accretion in the upper swash zone was the result of a larger supply of sediment at the base of the foreshore, and a transformation of the wave field by the shallower depths of the welded feature. In this respect, swash hydrodynamics and morphological change can only be made if the swash zone is considered within the context of the broader nearshore state.
PCR-based gene targeting of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) locus in murine ES cells, a new and more cost-effective approach

Gene targeting by double homologous recombination in murine embryonic stem (ES) cells is a powerful tool used to study the cellular consequences of specific genetic mutations. A typical targeting construct consists of a neomycin phosphotransferase (neo) gene flanked by genomic DNA fragments that are homologous to sequences in the target chromosomal locus. Homologous DNA fragments are typically cloned from a murine genomic DNA library. Here we describe an alternative approach whereby the inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) gene locus is partially mapped and homologous DNA sequences obtained using a long-range PCR method. A 7 kb NOS2 amplicon is used to construct a targeting vector where theneo gene is flanked by PCR-derived homologous DNA sequences. The vector also includes a thymidine kinase (tk) negative-selectable marker gene. Following transfection into ES cells, the PCR-based targeting vector undergoes efficient homologous recombination into the NOS2 locus. Thus, PCR-based gene targeting can be a valuable alternative to the conventional cloning approach. It expedites the acquisition of homologous genomic DNA sequences and simplifies the construction of targeting plasmids by making use of defined cloning sites. This approach should result in substantial time and cost savings for appropriate homologous recombination projects.
Immediacy as an Influence on Supervisor-Subordinate Communication

This study explores the role of perceived immediacy in workplace communication. The study tested a model in which perceived immediacy mediated the relationships between supervisor immediate behaviors and subordinate job satisfaction, motivation, empowerment, and burnout. Statistically significant relationships were yielded among all variables, with negative relationships associated with burnout and positive relationships associated with all other variable combinations. The model as proposed failed, but a part of the model fit very well. The data are consistent with a simple causal string from supervisor immediate behaviors → perceived immediacy → subordinate burnout. Implications are discussed within.
Changes in brain gene expression after long-term sleep deprivation.

Long-term sleep deprivation in rats produces dramatic physiological changes including increase in energy expenditure, decrease in body weight, and death after 2–3 weeks. Despite several studies, the sleep deprivation syndrome remains largely unexplained. Here, to elucidate how prolonged sleep loss affects brain cells we used microarrays and screened the expression of > 26 000 transcripts in the cerebral cortex. Rats were sleep deprived using the disk-over-water method for 1 week. Seventy-five transcripts showed increased expression in these animals relative to controls that had been spontaneously awake or sleep deprived for a few hours. Most of them were induced as a result of chronic sleep loss and not non-specific effects of the disk stimulation. They include transcripts coding for several immunoglobulins, stress response proteins (macrophage inhibitor factor-related protein 14, heat-shock protein 27, α-B-crystallin), minoxidil sulfotransferase, globins and cortistatin. Twenty-eight transcripts decreased their expression in long-term sleep-deprived rats. Sixteen of them were specifically decreased as a result of chronic sleep loss, including those coding for type I procollagen and dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase. We also compared sleeping rats to short-term and long-term sleep-deprived rats, and found that acute and chronic sleep loss led to some differences at the molecular level. Several plasticity-related genes were strongly induced after acute sleep deprivation only, and several glial genes were down-regulated in both sleep deprivation conditions, but to a different extent. These findings suggest that sustained sleep loss may trigger a generalized inflammatory and stress response in the brain.
Corporate ethics statements: Current status and future prospects

This paper reports on a study of large U.S. based corporations concerning the status of formal ethics statements. Almost all responding firms (91%) have promulgated a formal code of ethics while one-half have published values statements and about one-third have a corporate credo. Analysis of these statements concentrated on to whom they are communicated; whether codes of ethics contain information pertinent to the industry, include sanctions for violations and provide specific guidance regarding gifts. Conclusions and implications for managers and researchers are drawn.
Religion and Medicalization: The Case of ADHD

As a medicalized condition, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) sparks considerable public controversy. Previous research has highlighted the importance of examining the factors that influence attitudes toward ADHD. This article examines an understudied factor, religion, and its relationship with ADHD attitudes. Using data from the 2002 General Social Survey National Stigma Study-Children, this research finds that compared to the rest of the population, evangelical Christians are less likely to view ADHD as a real disease and to believe children with ADHD should be treated with medication. Results also demonstrate that evangelicals are more likely to think doctors are overmedicating children with common behavior problems and to think medication prevents families from working out problems themselves. On the other hand, church attendance is unrelated to beliefs about ADHD treatment but is positively associated with thinking ADHD is a real disease. These findings add new insights to the existing literature on religion and medicalization.
Phenology and phylogenetic positioning of the Hawaiian endemic freshwater alga, Batrachospermum spermatiophorum (Rhodophyta, Batrachospermales)

SUMMARY The only known population of Batrachospermum spermatiophorum Vis et Sheath, located in a small stream on east Maui, Hawaii, was sampled from November 2001 to October 2002 to investigate its phenology. Additionally, the taxonomic status of the alga was examined. Phylogenetic analyses of the large subunit of the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rbcL) gene for B. spermatiophorum confirm its placement within the Section Contorta of the genus Batrachospermum. Comparisons with rbcL gene sequences for all other available Batrachospermum species, including 10 other members of the Section Contorta, illustrate that B. spermatiophorum is distinct in its rbcL nucleotide sequence and should be maintained as a separate species. The phenology of B. spermatiophorum differed from most studies of Batrachospermum reproduction in that the gametophytes were present year round, and no macroscopic chantran-sia stages were identified at any point during the present study. Maximum plant length was highest in the late fall and early winter months, while gametangial production peaked in February and March. Carposporophyte abundance rose sharply in July and August, and the percentage of carposporophytes producing carpospores was highest in late summer and early fall months. Although significant correlations were determined among stream conditions and among phenological characteristics, only pH was associated with several of the reproductive characters, which is unusual for studies of Batrachospermum phenology. Timing of sexual reproduction for all macroalgal community members in the stream site was not coordinated, with some reproducing year round and others more sporadically. The year-round presence of Batrachospermum gametophytes may be a result of a combination of smaller seasonal changes in cues such as day length and water temperature in the tropical environment than occur in temperate locations, and lack of extreme conditions that might inhibit the persistence of the gametophyte.
The structure of social networks and labour market success

I use data on the complete Facebook networks of university students to test Granovetter's weak-ties hypothesis. I am not able to detect a relationship between the structure of a student's Facebook network and the initial employment outcomes. At the same time, I cannot reject Granovetter's weak-ties hypothesis. This nonfinding is consistent with prior research based on surveys of job search methods. These studies present some evidence for a connection between the use of weak ties in the job search process and the employment outcomes, but the results are sometimes not robust.
Choosing to Enter or Avoid Diagnostic Social Situations

Three studies suggest that people control the nature of their relationships, in part, by choosing to enter (or avoid) situations providing feedback about other people's social interest. In Study 1, chronically avoidant individuals (but not others) preferred social options that would provide no information about other people's evaluations of them over social options that would, but did not prefer nondiagnostic situations more generally. In Study 2, chronically avoidant students (but not others) in a methods class preferred to have their teacher assign them to working groups (a nondiagnostic situation) over forming their own groups (a diagnostic situation). In Study 3, individuals experimentally primed to feel avoidant were less likely than those primed to feel secure to choose to receive feedback about how another person felt about them. Overall, the research suggests that choices of socially diagnostic versus socially nondiagnostic situations play an important role in guiding people's social relationships.
Probing in vivo metabolism by stable isotope labeling of storage lipids and proteins in developing Brassica napus embryos.

Developing embryos of Brassica napus accumulate both triacylglycerols and proteins as major storage reserves. To evaluate metabolic fluxes during embryo development, we have established conditions for stable isotope labeling of cultured embryos under steady-state conditions. Sucrose supplied via the endosperm is considered to be the main carbon and energy source for seed metabolism. However, in addition to 220 to 270 mmcarbohydrates (sucrose, glucose, and fructose), analysis of endosperm liquid revealed up to 70 mm amino acids as well as 6 to 15 mm malic acid. Therefore, a labeling approach with multiple carbon sources is a precondition to quantitatively reflect fluxes of central carbon metabolism in developing embryos. Mid-cotyledon stage B. napus embryos were dissected from plants and cultured for 15 d on a complex liquid medium containing 13 C-labeled carbohydrates. The 13 C enrichment of fatty acids and amino acids (after hydrolysis of the seed proteins) was determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Analysis of 13 C isotope isomers of labeled fatty acids and plastid-derived amino acids indicated that direct glycolysis provides at least 90% of precursors of plastid acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA). Unlabeled amino acids, when added to the growth medium, did not reduce incorporation of 13 C label into plastid-formed fatty acids, but substantially diluted 13 C label in seed protein. Approximately 30% of carbon in seed protein was derived from exogenous amino acids and as a consequence, the use of amino acids as a carbon source may have significant influence on the total carbon and energy balance in seed metabolism. 13 C label in the terminal acetate units of C 20 and C 22 fatty acids that derive from cytosolic acetyl-CoA was also significantly diluted by unlabeled amino acids. We conclude that cytosolic acetyl-CoA has a more complex biogenetic origin than plastidic acetyl-CoA. Malic acid in the growth medium did not dilute 13 C label incorporation into fatty acids or proteins and can be ruled out as a source of carbon for the major storage components of B. napus embryos.