cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A revision of generic concepts of living members in the subfamily Acetabularieae (Dasycladaceae, Dasycladales) based on scanning electron microscopy

Abstract Five species within the three genera Acetabularia Lamouroux, Chalmasia Solms-Laubach and Acicularia d'Archiac were examined by light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for distinctive taxonomic features. Statistical data on stalk lengths, cap diameters, ray numbers per cap and cyst numbers per ray have indicated that these characteristics are too variable for species recognition. However, scanning electron microscopy has revealed that the corona superior on the upper surface of the cap and the corona inferior on the lower side do exhibit species-specific morphologies. A reclassification of the living forms within the subfamily Acetabularieae is proposed based on the presence or absence of an inferior corona. This revision reduces the living species Acicularia schenckii to synonomy with Acetabularia, based on the presence of both an inferior and superior corona. The genus Polyphysa Lamouroux characterized by the lack of an inferior corona is raised from synonomy with Acetabularia and includes ...
Evidence for a polyclonal etiology of palmar fibromatosis

X chromosome inactivation patterns at the androgen receptor locus were evaluated to determine clonality in microdissected lesional tissue and in leukocytes from 2 women with Dupuytren's disease. The tissue from both patients generated a polyclonal pattern of X chromosome inactivation of the human androgen receptor gene. This finding supports a polyclonal reactive process as the underlying etiology for palmar fibromatosis.
Workers and employers in Japan : the Japanese employment relations system

The Description for this book, Workers and Employers in Japan: The Japanese Employment Relations System, will be forthcoming.
Enhanced spectral discrimination through the exploitation of interface effects in photon dose data.

The convolution/superposition algorithm for computing dose from photon beams in radiation therapy planning requires knowledge of the energy spectrum. The algorithm can compute the dose for a polyenergetic beam as the weighted sum of the individual dose contributions from monoenergetic beams. In this study we exploit interface effects apparent in the dose distributions to discriminate among spectra of high energyphoton beams. We have studied the sensitivity of the depth dose distribution to the energy components using a hypothetical beam for various field sizes and depths in water and water–lung–water media. Six theoretical spectra were simulated. We compared depth dose data from these spectra using three quantitative measures which are inherently free of normalization ambiguities: for homogeneous water, the ratio D 20 /D 10 and a logarithmic derivative in the buildup region LD build-up and for inhomogeneous lung/water, the lung correction factor (CF). It was found that the ability of both the CF and the LD build-up tests to discriminate between the various theoretical spectra were superior to that of the D 20 /D 10 test. This discriminating power of the CF test decreases with increasing field size due to restored electronic equilibrium. The CF test, though, has some advantages over the LD build-up test since it is less prone to electron contamination issues and numerical errors. A practical example with a 15 MV photon beam illustrates the process. Consequently, we suggest that as part of a beam-commissioning methodology, designated electronic disequilibrium test cases be implemented in unambiguously determining the correct energy spectrum to be used.
Altered sterol synthesis and its relationship to fluid-phase endocytosis in a macrophage cell line P388D1.

In a previous study glucocorticoids have been shown to depress the rate of fluid-phase endocytosis in a macrophage cell line, P388D1. This effect was observed when either fluorescein-labeled dextran or horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was used to measure endocytosis. In this report the relationship between cholesterol synthesis and endocytosis was examined in light of the ability of glucocorticoids to inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis. Two known inhibitors of cholesterol biosynthesis, ML-236B and 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-OH), were compared with dexamethasone (dex) for the ability to suppress endocytosis in cells grown in media supplemented with either 10% whole or delipidized neonatal bovine serum (NBS). In 10% whole serum all inhibitors reduced the uptake of HRP after 12 h incubation. Dexamethasone (1 μM) suppressed endocytosis by 30% whereas 25-OH (2.5 μM) and ML-236B (11.6 μM) inhibited by 38 and 52%, respectively. Supplementation of the growth medium with mevalonolactone (3.4 mM) prevented the inhibition of endocytosis by ML-236B. In contrast, mevalonolactone supplementation did not prevent either dex or 25-OH from suppressing endocytosis. The same pattern of results was obtained when cultures were grown in delipidized NBS. After 4 h all inhibitors caused a decrease in amount of [14C]acetate incorporated into both nonsaponifiable lipids and digitonin precipitable sterols. Although dex inhibited cholesterol biosynthesis, total cellular cholesterol was unaffected by dex treatment after 24 h incubation. It is suggested that in addition to suppressing mevalonate synthesis, 25-OH, and by analogy dex, may act at some metabolic site(s) distal to the formation of mevalonate.
Spectroscopic Studies of the Effect of Ligand Donor Strength on the Fe−NO Bond in Intradiol Dioxygenases

The geometric and electronic structure of NO bound to reduced protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase and its substrate (3,4-dihydroxybenzoate, PCA) complex have been examined by X-ray absorption (XAS), UV−vis absorption (Abs), magnetic circular dichroism (MCD), and variable temperature variable field (VTVH) MCD spectroscopies. The results are compared to those previously published on model complexes described as {FeNO}7 systems in which an S = 5/2 ferric center is antiferromagnetically coupled to an S = 1 NO-. XAS pre-edge analysis indicates that the Fe−NO units in FeIIIPCD{NO-} and FeIIIPCD{PCA,NO-} lack the greatly increased pre-edge intensity representative of most {FeNO}7 model sites. Furthermore, from extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis, the FeIIIPCD{NO-} and FeIIIPCD{PCA,NO-} active sites are shown to have an Fe−NO distance of at least 1.91 A, ≈0.2 A greater than those found in the model complexes. The weakened Fe−NO bond is consistent with the overall lengthening of the bond lengths ...
Evidence for aggregation center induction by the ionophore A23187 in the cellular slime mold Polysphondylium violaceum.

Abstract A thin glass fiber coated with the ionophore A23187 placed among preaggregation amoebae of Polysphondylium violaceum will induce numerous aggregation centers along the fiber. Both calcium and magnesium ions appear to be involved in this induction. A23187 is aiso seen to disrupt the normal cell streaming process by producing secondary centers in the aggregation streams.
Prospective evaluation of outcomes and predictors of mortality in patients with hepatopulmonary syndrome undergoing liver transplantation

The hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) occurs in a subgroup of patients with cirrhosis and results from intrapulmonary vasodilatation, which may cause significant hypoxemia. Liver transplantation has emerged as a therapeutic option for patients with HPS based on retrospective case series and reports. However, morbidity and mortality appear to be increased after transplantation for HPS, and no prospective studies evaluating clinical features that may predict poor surgical outcome are available. Therefore, we prospectively evaluated the utility of the degree of hypoxemia, the arterial oxygen response to 100% oxygen administration, and the macroaggregated albumin (MAA) scan quantification of intrapulmonary shunting as predictors for outcome after liver transplantation. Our cohort consisted of 24 patients with cirrhosis and HPS who underwent liver transplantation over a 5-year period at 2 transplant centers who were followed at least 1 year after transplantation. All patients underwent preoperative evaluation for HPS with standardized methods. Seven patients (29%) died postoperatively, 5 of cardiorespiratory complications. All deaths occurred within 10 weeks after transplantation. A preoperative arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) of ≤ 50 mm Hg alone or in combination with a MAA shunt fraction ≥ 20% were the strongest predictors of postoperative mortality. In conclusion, we found that mortality is increased after liver transplantation for HPS, particularly in patients with more severe hypoxemia and significant intrapulmonary shunting. Preoperative testing for the severity of HPS can be used to stratify patients according to the risk for postoperative mortality. (HEPATOLOGY 2003;37:192-197.)
Drag-and-drop refactoring: intuitive and efficient program transformation

Refactoring is a disciplined technique for restructuring code to improve its readability and maintainability. Almost all modern integrated development environments (IDEs) offer built-in support for automated refactoring tools. However, the user interface for refactoring tools has remained largely unchanged from the menu and dialog approach introduced in the Smalltalk Refactoring Browser, the first automated refactoring tool, more than a decade ago. As the number of supported refactorings and their options increase, invoking and configuring these tools through the traditional methods have become increasingly unintuitive and inefficient. The contribution of this paper is a novel approach that eliminates the use of menus and dialogs altogether. We streamline the invocation and configuration process through direct manipulation of program elements via drag-and-drop. We implemented and evaluated this approach in our tool, Drag-and-Drop Refactoring (DNDRefactoring), which supports up to 12 of 23 refactorings in the Eclipse IDE. Empirical evaluation through surveys and controlled user studies demonstrates that our approach is intuitive, more efficient, and less error-prone compared to traditional methods available in IDEs today. Our results bolster the need for researchers and tool developers to rethink the design of future refactoring tools.
Career Goals of College Women and Men and Perceived Achievement-Related Encouragement:

Encouragements and discouragements for achievement-related behavior were reported in an interview setting by three groups of college seniors: Career women (n = 20), career men (n = 20), and traditional women (n = 19). Career women reported significantly more encouragement from teachers, family members (except parents), and significant others of the opposite sex than did either career men or traditional women. Career women also reported more encouragement from-counselors and friends, while career men reported more encouragement from parents; however, these differences were not significant. Career women reported a significantly higher grade point average than either of the other groups. Implications of the results for the achievement behavior of women and men are considered.
Sorptive Textile Systems Containing Activated Carbon Fibers

Activated carton fabrics and yarns were shown to effectively sorb gases, vapors, and dissolved solids. Fabrics pre pared by Arons and Macnair (phenotic precursor) and Maggs (viscose precursor) were the most activated of all the materials studied. The yarns had a lower activity but probably can be improved to have comparahly high sorption capacity. Other materials studied included permeable textile systems made by mechanically reinforcing carbon fabrics and yarns with stronger materials. For example, selected fabrics were laminated or quilted between two other fabric layers while the yarns were knitted or woven with other yarns.
Vascular injuries in knee dislocations: the role of physical examination in determining the need for arteriography.

Background: Popliteal artery injury is frequently associated with knee dislocation following blunt trauma, an injury that is being seen with increasing frequency. The primary purpose of the present study was to evaluate the use of physical examination to determine the need for arteriography in a large series of patients with knee dislocation. The secondary purpose was to evaluate the correlation between physical examination findings and clinically important vascular injury in the subgroup of patients who underwent arteriography. Methods: One hundred and thirty consecutive patients (138 knees) who had sustained an acute multiligamentous knee injury were evaluated at our level-1 trauma center between August 1996 and May 2002 and were included in a prospective outcome study. Four patients (four knees) were lost to follow-up, leaving 126 patients (134 knees) available for inclusion in the study. The results of the physical examination of the vascular status of the extremities were used to determine the need for arteriography. The mean duration of follow-up was nineteen months (range, eight to forty-eight months). Physical examination findings, magnetic resonance imaging findings, and surgical findings were combined to determine the extent of ligamentous damage. Results: Nine patients had flow-limiting popliteal artery damage, for an overall prevalence of 7%. Ten patients had abnormal findings on physical examination, with one patient having a false-positive result and nine having a true-positive result. The knee dislocations in the nine patients with popliteal artery damage were classified, according to the Wascher modification of the Schenck system, as KD-III (one knee), KD-IV (seven knees), and KD-V (one knee). Conclusions: Selective arteriography based on serial physical examinations is a safe and prudent policy following knee dislocation. There is a strong correlation between the results of physical examination and the need for arteriography. Increased vigilance may be justified in the case of a patient with a KD-IV dislocation, for whom serial examinations should continue for at least forty-eight hours. Level of Evidence: Diagnostic study, Level II-1 (development of diagnostic criteria on basis of consecutive patients [with universally applied reference “gold” standard]). See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
GENERATING THEORY, TOURISM, AND “WORLD HERITAGE” IN INDONESIA: ETHICAL QUANDARIES FOR ANTHROPOLOGISTS IN AN ERA OF TOURIST MANIAD

This article is broadly concerned with the unique ethical quandaries anthropologists face when conducting research in touristic milieus, as well as the ethical dilemmas that ensue once we have left the field and are engaged in constructing theoretically informed portraits of the communities we researched. Specifically, drawing on experiences in two contrasting Indonesian field settings (Tana Toraja and Alor), I explore the ways in which contemporary anthropological theories about culture, identity, and identity politics can collide with local perceptions and local tourism-generating aspirations, placing researchers in potentially problematic ethical terrain.
Impact of workload partitionability on the performance of coupling architectures for transaction processing

The authors present an analytical study on the robustness (in terms of performance) of three coupling architectures for transaction processing, namely, shared nothing (SN), shared disk (SD), and shared intermediate memory (SIM), where a shared intermediate level of memory, which is at the next level to the main memory in the storage hierarchy, is introduced. Affinity clustering of workload, which attempts to partition the transactions into affinity clusters according to their database reference patterns, can be used to reduce the coupling degradation under the different architectures. However, partitioning the workload based on affinity and at the same time balancing the load in each cluster is a difficult task, and sometimes cannot be achieved. The authors investigate the impact of affinity clustering on the performance of these three different architectures under various types of workloads. >
Subresolution assist features in extreme ultraviolet lithography

Lithographic critical dimension (CD) printing variability can be easily captured with a CD uniformity measurement; however, minimizing the variability is a challenging task that requires manipulation of many variables. Contact hole variability has a direct impact on device performance, while via variability affects metal area scaling and design. Subresolution assist features (SRAFs) have been used in the past to improve lithographic printing variability. SRAFs enhance the image log slope of nearby features but are not intended to print themselves. The role of SRAFs in extreme ultraviolet is explored here.
PKI-based security for peer-to-peer information sharing

Freeflow of information is the feature that has made peer-to-peer information sharing applications popular. However, this very feature holds back the acceptance of these applications by the corporate and scientific communities. In these communities it is important to provide confidentiality and integrity of communication and to enforce access control to shared resources. We present a collection of security mechanisms that can be used to satisfy these security requirements. Our solutions are based on established and proven security techniques and we utilize existing technologies when possible. As a proof of concept, we have developed an information sharing system, called scishare, which integrates a number of these security mechanisms to provide a secure environment for information sharing. This system will allow a broader set of user communities to benefit from peer-to-peer information sharing.
The legal regime of the Mekong River: a look back and some proposals for the way ahead

In 1957, the four lower Mekong River states jointly organized the development of the basin and established a legal regime that has spanned five decades of cooperation. In 1995, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam concluded the Agreement on the Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin and formed the Mekong River Commission, which has been lauded as the most progressive of river institutions and a model for the world. At the core of the 1995 Mekong Agreement is the concept of sustainable development. Guided by this sustainable development paradigm, the Lower Mekong River Basin states attempt to balance the maintenance of water quantity with protection of water quality, and agree to cooperate and use the Mekong's water resources in a manner in which the river system's environmental conditions and ecological balance are conserved and maintained. However, development of the Mekong and its tributaries has rendered the efficacy of the Mekong legal regime to support holistic water resources management questionable. More than ten years of experience has shown that there are aspects of the 1995 Mekong Agreement that should be strengthened in order to secure the environmental, economic and social benefits that it promises.
Encoding Processes in the Production of Multiple-Goal Messages.

It is commonly recognized that interpersonal messages function in the service of multiple social goals. Despite this, relatively little is known of the encoding processes underlying the production of such messages. One possible account of these encoding processes is found in action assembly theory. This article explicates the production of multiple-goal messages from the perspective of action assembly theory and reports an experimental investigation of this account. In this study, the speech of participants assigned the task of pursuing multiple social goals was contrasted with that of people assigned a single task. Consistent with the theory, the results revealed that participants pursuing multiple goals had longer onset latencies than their counterparts given a single goal. Similarly, multiple goals were associated with greater pause/phonation ratios after the onset of speech. The effects of opportunity for advance message preparation were also examined. As expected, participants given the opportunity for advance planning exhibited shorter response latencies than those who spoke spontaneously. In keeping with previous research in this area, filled-pause rate was not significantly affected by either number of goals or the opportunity for advance preparation.
Autism spectrum disorder and Klinefelter syndrome.

Autism is a severe handicapping disorder of early childhood characterized by a distinct pattern of social and communication impairment with rigid ritualistic interests. In about 10–25% of cases, it is associated with known medical conditions. Population-based studies of autism have found that Klinefelter’s syndrome (KS), a common chromosome abnormality, is sometimes associated with autism. However, few detailed case descriptions of patients with KS and autism have not been published. In this paper, we describe the occurrence of autistic features in two cases of Klinefelter syndrome, one with the typical XXY karyotype and the other with the XXYY variant. Autistic features may be more common in persons with Klinefelter syndrome than generally believed. We propose that all patients with KS should be screened for the presence of autism.
Constructions of the SbEC-DbED and DbEC codes, and their applications

Error control codes are now successfully applied to memory systems in order to enhance the system reliability. Among the error control codes, the distance-4 codes and the distance-5 codes are two of the most important classes of error control codes in the computer applications. For example, these two types of codes can be used to construct Error-Locating codes which have been applied to identify the faulty module for fault isolation and reconfiguration in fault-tolerant computer systems. The well known constructions for these two types of codes mere proposed by Chen [1986]. In this paper, we propose new construction schemes and decoding schemes for these two types of codes. The proposed constructions are able to improve the code lengths of Chen's codes, and the proposed decoding schemes are efficient.
The mouse waved-2 phenotype results from a point mutation in the EGF receptor tyrosine kinase.

Mice harboring the waved-1 {wa-1) and waved-2 {wa-2) mutations exhibit skin and eye abnormalities that are strikingly similar to those of TGF-a-deficient mice, and wa-1 and TGF-a were recently shown to be allelic. Because the wa-2 mutation was mapped previously to the vicinity of the EGF/TGF-a receptor (EGFR) gene on mouse chromosome 11, we hypothesized that the wa-2 phenotype might result from a defect in either the expression or activity of EGFR, or both. In the present report, we show that EGFR mRNA and protein of normal size are expressed in wa-2 liver and skin at levels that are comparable to those in the corresponding normal tissues, and that the ability of wa-2 EGFR to bind ligand is unaltered. However, ligand-dependent autophosphorylation of wa-2 EGFR is diminished 5- to 10-fold in vitro, and the ability of wa-2 EGFR to phosphorylate an exogenous substrate is reduced by >90% compared with that of the control receptor. EGF-induced tyrosine phosphorylation, including that of EGFR itself, is also diminished in skin, particularly at lower doses of exogenous EGF. To establish the nature of the wa-2 mutation, we determined the nucleotide sequence of the coding region of normal and wa-2 murine EGFR cDNAs. A comparison of these sequences revealed a single-nucleotide transversion resulting in the substitution of a glycine for a conserved valine residue near the amino terminus of the tyrosine kinase domain. The importance of this mutation was confirmed by showing that its introduction into an otherwise normal EGFR markedly reduced the receptor's tyrosine kinase activity in transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells. Finally, in situ hybridization analysis demonstrated expression of EGFR predominantly in the outer root sheath of active hair follicles in neonatal mice. As we previously localized TGF-a mRNA to the inner root sheath, this pattern of EGFR expression is consistent with the effect of the wa-2 mutation on hair structure, and together with our previous characterization of TGF-a-deficient mice, reveals a critical role for signaling by this ligand/receptor system in skin.
Influence of program inputs on the selection of garbage collectors

Many studies have shown that the best performer among a set of garbage collectors tends to be different for different applications. Researchers have proposed application-specific selection of garbage collectors. In this work, we concentrate on a second dimension of the problem: the influence of program inputs on the selection of garbage collectors.We collect tens to hundreds of inputs for a set of Java benchmarks, and measure their performance on Jikes RVM with different heap sizes and garbage collectors. A rigorous statistical analysis produces four-fold insights. First, inputs influence the relative performance of garbage collectors significantly, causing large variations to the top set of garbage collectors across inputs. Profiling one or few runs is thus inadequate for selecting the garbage collector that works well for most inputs. Second, when the heap size ratio is fixed, one or two types of garbage collectors are enough to stimulate the top performance of the program on all inputs. Third, for some programs, the heap size ratio significantly affects the relative performance of different types of garbage collectors. For the selection of garbage collectors on those programs, it is necessary to have a cross-input predictive model that predicts the minimum possible heap size of the execution on an arbitrary input. Finally, based on regression techniques, we demonstrate the predictability of the minimum possible heap size, indicating the potential feasibility of the input-specific selection of garbage collectors.
Fancy Meeting You Here: Pioneers of the Concept Album

The introduction of the long-playing record in 1948 was the most aesthetically significant technological change in the century of the recorded music disc. The new format challenged record producers and recording artists of the 1950s to group sets of songs into marketable wholes and led to a first generation of concept albums that predate more celebrated examples by rock bands from the 1960s. Two strategies used to unify concept albums in the 1950s stand out. The first brought together performers unlikely to collaborate in the world of live music making. The second strategy featured well-known singers in songwriter-or performer-centered albums of songs from the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s recorded in contemporary musical styles. Recording artists discussed include Fred Astaire, Ella Fitzgerald, and Rosemary Clooney, among others.
Partition constant and volume of distribution as predictors of clinical efficacy of lipid rescue for toxicological emergencies

Context. Lipid infusion is useful in reversing cardiac toxicity of local anesthetics, and recent reports indicate it may be useful in resuscitation from toxicity induced by a variety of other drugs. While the mechanism behind the utility of lipid rescue remains to be fully elucidated, the predominant effect appears to be creation of a “lipid sink”. Objective. Determine whether the extraction of drugs by lipid, and hence the clinical efficacy of lipid rescue in toxicological emergencies can be predicted by specific drug properties. Materials and methods. Each drug investigated was added individually to human drug-free serum. Intralipid® was added to this drug-containing serum, shaken and then incubated at 37°C. The lipid was removed by ultracentrifugation and the concentration of drug remaining in the serum was measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Results. In this in vitro model, the ability of lipid emulsion to bind a drug was largely dependent upon the drug's lipid partition constant. Additio...
Does American Religion Have a Center

Undoubtedly, there are many centers to American religion-many topoi around which the wide-ranging multitude of historical developments associated with American religion might be seen to coalesce. Among the several that spring to mind-commitment to family, gender negotiation, concern for religious experience, freedom, conscience, millennial eschatology, respect for the Bible, social reform, desire for salvation (and there must be numerous others beyond my ken)-I see the myth of the Puritans as a good candidate for premier topos. In recommending it as a central category for organizing multiple forms and dimensions of American religion, I do not mean to draw attention to the Puritans in the exactitude of their historical
Regional analysis of MODIS satellite greenness trends for ecosystems of interior Alaska

Trends in the growing season Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) time-series were analyzed for the time period from 2000 to 2010 to understand landscape-level patterns of vegetation change in ecosystems of interior Alaska. The analysis compared data-sets for Alaska vegetation cover types, wetland cover classes, wildfire boundaries since the 1940s, permafrost type, and elevation to identify the most likely combination of factors driving regional changes in habitat quality and ecosystem productivity. Approximately 48% of all ecosystem areas in interior Alaska were detected with significant (p < 0.05) positive or negative MODIS growing season EVI trends from 2000 to 2010. Three-quarters of these ecosystem areas (nearly 110,000 km2) were detected with significant positive growing season EVI trends. The vast majority of interior Alaska area detected with significant positive growing season EVI trends was classified as upland shrub cover, although non-forested w...
Asynchronous integration with phantom meshes

Asynchronous variational integration of layered contact models provides a framework for robust collision handling, correct physical behavior, and guaranteed eventual resolution of even the most difficult contact problems. Yet, even for low-contact scenarios, this approach is significantly slower compared to its less robust alternatives---often due to handling of stiff elastic forces in an explicit framework. We propose a method that retains the guarantees, but allows for variational implicit integration of some of the forces, while maintaining asynchronous integration needed for contact handling. Our method uses phantom meshes for calculations with stiff forces, which are then coupled to the original mesh through constraints. We use the augmented discrete Lagrangian of the constrained system to derive a variational integrator with the desired conservation properties.
Weaving Ropes with the Desert Fathers: (Re)Inventing Rhetorical Theory as Silence and Listening

Not until the past decade have communication scholars begun to depict silence as rhetoric (Bennett, 2006; Clair, 1998; Glenn, 2004; Kalamaris, 1994). Building upon recent theoretical development and definition of silence as rhetoric within a theoretical and didactic framework, this paper illustrates silence and listening as rhetoric in its origination with the monastic community of the Desert Fathers, while acknowledging it as a basic contemplative and ascetic practice in many ancient religions. Development of this concept was expressed by the following questions: How does the Desert Fathers’s concept of silence and listening contribute to a modern understanding of rhetorical communication theory? How does their concept of silence and listening conflict with modern presentations of contemporary evangelical worship? The work’s contributions include insight into the ancient Desert community’s use of silence and listening as rhetoric since it takes a theoretical approach to silence and symbols as rhetoric, t...
A turbulence intensity similarity distribution for evaluating the performance of a small wind turbine in turbulent wind regimes

Field tests on a Skystream wind turbine in a turbulent environment were used to study the impacts of turbulence intensity on power performance. The objective of the study was to examine the influence of turbulence intensity on the deviations in power output from their published power curves, commonly experienced by small wind turbines, such that more accurate predictions in performance can be made for future small wind projects. One-minute averaged data was used to explore the distribution of turbulence intensities experienced in several wind speed bins. It was found that the resulting turbulence intensity distributions have a similar distribution across these wind speeds and thus it was compared to four common statistical distributions. A goodness of fit study was conducted finding a gamma distribution was the best fit. This finding constitutes a more elegant approach to empirically adjusting power curves for turbulence intensity than has been suggested by previous studies.
The Impromptu Gauntlet: An Experiential Strategy for Developing Lasting Communication Skills.

Typical business communication courses provide significantly more opportunities for students to hone their skills in writing compared with speaking. This article outlines an impromptu speech assign...
A rapid method for extraction of membrane-plate grown fungal cultures

(1988). A Rapid Method for Extraction of Membrane-Plate Grown Fungal Cultures. Mycologia: Vol. 80, No. 2, pp. 247-249.
Angiotensin II-Producing Enzyme III From Acidified Serum of Nephrectomized Dogs

A highly active angiotensin-producing enzyme (enzyme III) was obtained from the serum of bilaterally nephrectomized dogs by acid treatment and ammonium sulfate fractionation. An inactive precursor (proenzyme III) was converted to enzyme III during prolonged storage (or by treatment with acid or with cathepsin G or by incubation at 38 degrees C as described in the following paper). Enzyme III reacted maximally at pH 7.7 and it produced up to 400 ng of angiotensin II/mL serum/h (i.e., amounts 4000 times higher than that generated by the endogenous renin present in serum after bilateral nephrectomy). Enzyme III produced angiotensin II at identical rates when either dog angiotensinogen or angiotensin I was used as substrate, but the rate was 710 times higher with synthetic tetradecapeptide renin substrate. Enzyme III is not identical to renin, cathepsin G, tonin, enzyme I, enzyme II, the calcium-dependent angiotensin I-converting enzyme, or the calcium-independent carboxy peptidase, which acts by sequential cleavage of angiotensin I. Enzyme III was inhibited by alpha-1-antitrypsin, diisopropyl fluorophosphate, and lima bean trypsin inhibitor (hence it is a serine proteinase). It was not inhibited by Captopril, Teprotide, or Enalapril. It had been reported previously that cathepsin G released from neutrophil granulocytes, by producing high local concentrations of angiotensin II, may provide a mobile means for modulating blood flow in tissue microvasculature during the inflammatory response. The present study offers a new, additional pathway, by enzyme III, for a similar rapid formation of angiotensin II from serum protein substrate or angiotensin I.
Ph.D. Forum Abstract: Accurate and Robust Low-Cost GNSS Localization

While the use of the Global Positioning System provides a natural choice for sensor network localization, the high-accuracy requirements of certain applications prevent the use of low-cost GPS hardware as part of their localization solution. Low cost GPS hardware provides poor accuracy when used in isolation, but the sharing of measurement data between a network of common GPS receivers provides an opportunity to mitigate errors and provide a sub-meter localization solution. The goal of this work is to develop such a system by creating robust techniques that are resilient to outliers and other error sources encountered in the real-world
Interaction of chlorpromazine with brain microtubule subunit protein.

Chlorpromazine at concentrations which approximate apparent physiological concentrations interacts reversibly with brain microtubule subunit protein in vitro and, in so doing, inhibits the rate of reassembly of microtubules and the binding of colchicine by the protein. It also causes dissassembly of microtubules formed in the absence of the drug. These results appear to provide a molecular explanation for inhibition by chlorpromazine of fast axonal transport of proteins in vitro in frog sciatic nerve, and provide a fresh clue as to the primary mechanism for the psychotropic effect of this drug.
Microstructure and small-scale size effects in plasticity of individual phases of Al0.7CoCrFeNi High Entropy alloy

High Entropy alloys (HEAs) are solid solution alloys containing five or more principal elements in equal or near equal atomic percent (at %). We synthesized Al_(0.7)CoCrFeNi HEA by vacuum arc melting and homogenized it at 1250 °C for 50 h. The microstructure shows the presence of two phases: the Body-Centered Cubic (BCC: A2+B2) and the Face-Centered Cubic (FCC). Using the Focused Ion Beam, we fabricated single-crystalline cylindrical nano-pillars from each phase within individual grains in the Al_(0.7)CoCrFeNi HEA. These nano-pillars had diameters ranging from 400 nm to 2 μm and were oriented in the [324] direction for the FCC phase and in the [001] direction for the BCC phase. Uniaxial compression experiments revealed that the yield strength is 2.2 GPa for the 400 nm diameter samples in the BCC phase and 1.2 GPa for the equivalent diameter samples in the FCC phase. We observed the presence of a size-effect in both phases, with smaller pillars having substantially greater strengths compared with bulk and with larger-sized samples. The size-effect power exponent for the BCC phase was −0.28, which is lower than that of most pure BCC metals, and the FCC phase had the exponent of −0.66, equivalent to most pure FCC metals. We discuss these results in the framework of nano-scale plasticity and the intrinsic lattice resistance through the interplay of the internal (microstructural) and external (dimensional) size effects.
Role of the galt contrasuppressor T cell circuit in isotype-specific immunoregulation.

Contrasuppression has been shown to be an important regulatory mechanism where mediation of T helper (Th) and T suppressor (Ts) cell activities are balanced in order to maintain appropriate immune responses in the host. In this regard, the functions of T contrasuppressor (Tes)cells have been described in a number of experimental systems including the enhancement of in vitro anti-sheep erythrocyte (SRBC) responses, the adoptive transfer of contact sensitivity to hapten, the regulation of B cell responses to type 3 pneumococcal polysaccharide and in the abrogation of systemic unresponsiveness (1–5). Effector Tes cells in these systems share the phenotypic characteristics of being Lyt-1+”, -2− and I-J+, and binding to Vicia villosa lectin (6).
Preventing Criminal Recidivism Through Mental Health and Criminal Justice Collaboration

Criminal justice system involvement is common among persons with serious mental illness in community treatment settings. Various intervention strategies are used to prevent criminal recidivism among justice-involved individuals, including mental health courts, specialty probation, and conditional release programs. Despite differences in these approaches, most involve the use of legal leverage to promote treatment adherence. Evidence supporting the effectiveness of leverage-based interventions at preventing criminal recidivism is mixed, however, with some studies suggesting that involving criminal justice authorities in mental health treatment can increase recidivism rates. The effectiveness of interventions that utilize legal leverage is likely to depend on several factors, including the ability of mental health and criminal justice staff to work together. Collaboration is widely acknowledged as essential in managing justice-involved individuals, yet fundamental differences in goals, values, and methods e...
Matching to Improve Balance in Covariate Distributions

INTRODUCTION In observational studies, the researcher has no control over the assignment of the treatment to units. This lack of control makes such studies inherently more sensitive and controversial than evaluations based on randomized assignment, where biases can be eliminated automatically, at least in expectation, through design, and as a result, for example, p-values can be assigned to sharp null hypotheses without relying on additional assumptions. Nevertheless, even in observational studies, one can carry out what we like to call a design phase during which researchers can construct a sample such that, within this selected sample, inferences are more robust and credible. We refer to this as a design phase because, just like in the design phase of a randomized study, it precedes the phase of the study during which the outcome data are analyzed. In this design phase, researchers can select a sample where the treatment and control samples are more balanced than in the original full sample. Balance here refers to the similarity of the marginal (generally multivariate) covariate distributions in the two treatment arms. This balance is not to be confused with the covariate balance conditional on the true propensity score that we discussed in the previous chapter. The latter holds, in expectation, by definition. An extreme case of imbalance occurs when the ranges of data values of the two covariate distributions by treatment differ, and as a result there are regions of covariate values that are observed in only one of the two treatment arms. More typical, even if the ranges of data values of the covariate distributions in the two treatment arms are identical, there may be substantial differences in the shapes of the covariate distributions by treatment status. In a completely randomized experiment, the two covariate distributions are exactly balanced, in expectation. In that case, many different estimators – for example, simple treatment-control average differences, covariance-adjusted average differences, as well as many different model-based methods – tend to give similar point estimates of causal effects when sample sizes are at least moderately large.
The Shilla Growth Guidance Technique

To correct spinal deformity and harness the natural growth of a child’s spine, the Shilla growth guidance system has been developed. With more than 10 years of experience with this system, the author (developer) describes the best method for insertion of the Shilla device. Radiographic images aid in the placement of apical screws that fixate to the rod, and with mobility gained from spinal osteotomies, the apex is corrected to neutral in all planes and fused. Growing screws placed through the muscle with the aid of C-arm imagery are attached to the rod in such a way as to permit the continued control of spinal growth. The use of a provisional, convex rod allows for the first step in correction, followed by a sagittal-contoured concave rod placement, which is left long at both ends. A permanent convex rod replaces the provisional rod, which is removed. This is then followed by a derotational maneuver and the locking of 2 rods together with a crosslink. Wound closure begins with suture of the muscle and fascia over the implants to the midline.
Experimental evidence that a large raptor can detect and replace heavily damaged flight feathers long before their scheduled moult dates

Because many species of large birds must remain capable of flight during moult and breeding, complete replacement of all flight feathers often takes two or more years, with the result that their plumage normally includes many faded, worn and sometimes even broken feathers. It seems adaptive for such birds to have the ability to quickly replace severely damaged feathers. In search of such a feather replacement mechanism, we cut rectrices on a captive Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos and found that feathers cut in their first year of use were replaced, on average, after 11.4 months, whereas uncut feathers before and during the experiment were moulted, on average, after 24 months of use. Feather cutting advanced moult, on average, in excess of a year and thereby demonstrates the existence of a previously undescribed neurophysiological mechanism for preferentially replacing damaged feathers.
The Role of a Miniopen Thoracoscopic-assisted Approach in the Management of Burst Fractures Involving the Thoracolumbar Junction

Thoracoscopic spinal surgery is a minimally invasive open endoscopic approach to the anterior thoracolumbar spine for decompression and stabilization. It offers an alternative to open thoracotomy for thoracolumbar burst fractures, anterior spinal cord decompression, and spinal reconstruction with interbody and anterolateral plate instrumentation for restoration of biomechanical stability and alignment. Posterior instrumentation may not sufficiently stabilize a significantly disrupted anterior load-bearing spinal column, and the high access morbidity of open procedures is of significant concern. The adoption by spine surgeons of minimally invasive thoracoscopic techniques used by thoracic surgeons has expanded to include treatment of most anterior thoracolumbar disorders.
Potential of Angeli’s Salt To Reduce Nitric Oxide Scavenging in Hemolysis.

Since cell-free hemoglobin (Hb) scavenges nitric oxide (NO) more effectively than that encapsulated in the red blood cell (RBC), hemolysis reduces NO bioavailability with pathological consequences in sickle cell disease and other hemolytic anemias, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, thalassemia intermedia, malaria, and cardiopulomonary bypass. The ability of the cell-free Hb to scavenge NO is reduced when the Hb is converted from its oxygenated form (HbO2) to its oxidized form, methemoglobin (MetHb). We show that Angeli’s salt (AS) can convert two OxyHb to two MetHb molecules through its release of nitroxyl (HNO). AS also further converts the MetHb to less potentially oxidative forms: nitrite bound MetHb and iron-nitrosyl hemoglobin. We also show that, due to the fast reactivity of HNO with Hb (like NO), AS preferentially reacts with cell-free rather than RBC encapsulated Hb. In conditions simulating sickle cell crisis, within six minutes, AS converted 45 ± 12% of cell-free Hb to non-NO scavenging forms (MetHb and iron-nitrosyl Hb) and only converted 0.4 ± 0.3% of RBC encapsulated Hb (n=3). Similar preferential reactivity was observed under other physiologically relevant conditions. We conclude that, as AS preferentially reacts with cell-free Hb compared to RBC encapsulated Hb, converting it to species that do not effectively scavenge NO, it is has promise as a treatment for increasing NO biavailability in conditions associated with hemolysis.
Atomic, molecular, and ionic interactions

Advances in understanding the fundamental properties of atoms, molecules and ions constitute a large portion of the 1970 literature on dielectrics. This chapter presents only those papers which make a significant contribution in these areas of dielectric phenomena either through a theoretical analysis or experimental data directed toward a theoretical understanding. Papers that would be more appropriately discussed under the specific titles of other chapters have been omitted.
Unraveling Vocabulary Learning: Reader and Item-Level Predictors of Vocabulary Learning Within Comprehension Instruction for Fifth and Sixth Graders

ABSTRACTThis study explores reader, word, and learning activity characteristics related to vocabulary learning for 202 fifth and sixth graders (N = 118 and 84, respectively) learning 16 words. Three measures of word knowledge were used: multiple-choice definition knowledge, self-report of meaning knowledge, and production of morphologically related words. Results indicate that significant vocabulary learning occurred on each measure and that certain words were easier to learn for certain types of readers. Controlling for other predictors in the model, reader characteristics like morphological awareness, reading comprehension, and language background were significant predictors of vocabulary learning, but not word reading fluency. Also, word characteristics like morphological family size and opaqueness were significant predictors of word difficulty but not number of morphemes or frequency of the word or root-word or affix. Controlling for other predictors in the model, morphological learning activities sup...