cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Culturally based design: embodying trans-surface interaction in rummy

We present culturally based design (CBD), a new paradigm for designing embodied natural user interaction (NUI) with digital information by drawing on customary ways that people use physical objects. CBD coalesces experiences, practices, and embodied mental models of pre-digital activities as a basis for the design of interactive systems. We apply CBD to address trans-surface interaction, the manipulation of information artifacts from one device to another. We develop Trans-Surface Rummy, because the game involves highly dynamic combinations of turn taking and non-linear out of turn play, while transferring information artifacts to and from private and social surfaces. Through the CBD process, we create the trans-surface wormhole, an embodied interface technique. We investigate the trans-surface wormhole's efficacy and other aspects of culturally based design with young students, and with elderly members of our local bridge club. We derive implications for the design of trans-surface interaction, and more broadly, from the process of CBD. We initiate a research agenda for trans-surface interaction.
Professional Specialization and Formal Operations: The Balance Task

Summary Piaget suggests that the emergence of formal operations during the adolescent years is tied increasingly to occupational specialization. To examine this hypothesis, the investigators administered the problem of equilibrium in a balance to 123 college male and female freshmen and seniors from four different pairs of academic majors. As predicted, science majors were more likely to demonstrate formal operations on this scientific problem than were nonscience majors. Performance was higher among seniors than among freshmen for science majors but not for nonscience majors. Results are interpreted as supporting Piaget's suggestion that performance on particular formal operational problems depends on familiarity with the problem's verbal content and on “vital interests.”
A perfect match: decoding employee engagement – Part I: Engaging cultures and leaders

Purpose – The purpose of this two‐part article is to introduce engagement and review key research on engagement‐related factors.Design/methodology/approach – The author conducted a literature search on employee engagement and pilot interviews with ten professionals.Findings – Environment, leadership, job, and individual factors are connected to employee engagement. Environmental engagement factors include congruency between organizational and individual values, the quality of the workplace relationships, and work‐life balance. Leadership engagement factors include vision and integrity. Job engagement factors include the meaningfulness of the job, itsw level of challenge, and the amount of control the employee has on the job. Finally, individual factors related to engagement include resilience, locus of control, active coping style, self‐esteem, neuroticism, and extraversion. The author suggests that the connections (or the match) between organizational, leadership, job, and individual characteristics is p...
A Fuzzy Cyber-Risk Analysis Model for Assessing Attacks on the Availability and Integrity of the Military Command and Control Systems

The increasing complexity in Military Command and Control (C2) systems has led to greater vulnerability due to system availability and integrity caused by internal vulnerabilities and external threats. Several studies have proposed measures of availability and integrity for the assets in the C2 systems using precise and certain measures (i.e., the exact number of attacks on the availability and the integrity, the number of countermeasures for the availability and integrity attacks, the effectiveness of the availability and integrity countermeasure in eliminating the threats, and the financial impact of each attack on the availability and integrity of the assets). However, these measures are often uncertain in real-world problems. The source of uncertainty can be vagueness or ambiguity. Fuzzy logic and fuzzy sets can represent vagueness and ambiguity by formalizing inaccuracies inherent in human decision-making. In this paper, the authors extend the risk assessment literature by including fuzzy measures for the number of attacks on the availability and the integrity, the number of countermeasures for the availability and integrity attacks, and the effectiveness of the availability and integrity countermeasure in eliminating these threats. They analyze the financial impact of each attack on the availability and integrity of the assets and propose a comprehensive cyber-risk assessment system for the Military C2 in the fuzzy environment.
An update on superoxide dismutase 1 in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive, degenerative disease of the voluntary motor system with a median survival of less than three years (Rowland, 1995; Munsat, 1988; Haverkamp et al., 1995; Norris et al., 1993). The median age of onset is 55 years (Rowland, 1995; Mulder et al., 1986). Symptoms of weakness and muscle atrophy typically begin asymmetrically and distally in one limb, and then appear to spread within the neuroaxis to involve contiguous groups of motor neurons (Mulder et al., 1986). The pathologic hallmark of the disease is degeneration in the corticospinal tracts and large motor neurons in the brainstem and spinal cord. Axonal degeneration with loss of myelinated fibers is seen in the peripheral nerves (Tandan and Bradley, 1985). The pathogenesis of sporadic ALS (SALS) is unknown.
Localization of the C-terminus of rat glutathione S-transferase A1-1: crystal structure of mutants W21F and W21F/F220Y.

Twelve C-terminal residues of human glutathione S-transferase A1-1 form a helix in the presence of glutathione-conjugate, or substrate alone, and partly cover the active site. According to X-ray structures, the helix is disordered in the absence of glutathione, but it is not known if it is helical and delocalized, or in a random-coil conformation. Mutation to a tyrosine of residue 220 within this helix was previously shown to affect the pKa of Tyr-9 at the active site, in the apo form of the enzyme, and it was proposed that an on-face hydrogen bond between Tyr-220 and Tyr-9 provided a means for affecting this pKa. In the current study, X-ray structures of the W21F and of the C-terminal mutation, W21F/F220Y, with glutathione sulfonate bound, show that the C-terminal helix is disordered (or delocalized) in the W21F crystal but is visible and ordered in a novel location, a crystal packing crevice, in one of three monomers in the W21F/F220Y crystal, and the proposed hydrogen bond is not formed. Fluorescence spectroscopy studies using an engineered F222W mutant show that the C-terminus remains delocalized in the absence of glutathione or when only the glutathione binding site is occupied, but is ordered and localized in the presence of substrate or conjugate, consistent with these and previous crystallographic studies. Proteins 2001;42:192–200. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
HANDBOOK OF SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION.William C. Ritchie & Tej K. Bhatia (Eds.). San Diego: Academic Press, 1996. Pp. vii + 758. $69.95 cloth.

Handbook of Second Language Acquisition is what its title suggests, a very thorough guide through the field of SLA. Indeed, the first chapter, an overview, is quite extensive in summarizing the history of SLA and the current issues in SLA. In addition to the lengthy overview, the handbook is divided into seven major sections: I. Research and theoretical issues in second language acquisition, II. Issues of maturation and modularity in second language acquisition, III. Second language speech and the influence of the first language, IV. Research methodology and applications, V. Modality and the linguistic environment in second language acquisition, VI. The neuropsychology of second language acquisition and use, and VII. Language contact and its consequences. These sections are thorough, well researched, and accessible. Section I includes one chapter by Gregg, which sets the tone and bias of the text with his claim that theoretical considerations that are central to SLA are those that address the issue of knowledge; that is, competence within the Chomskyan framework of Universal Grammar. Gregg makes it clear that he is not suggesting that other theories of acculturation or variation are uninteresting but rather that what is central to developing a theory of SLA is a theory that explains competence as the work done within the principles and parameter framework, not, for example, one that explains communicative competence. Section II, the core of the text, consists of six chapters on the various models, approaches, and frameworks of SLA. The first two chapters, by White and Flynn, support the principles and parameters framework for SLA and are followed by a well-reasoned challenge by Schachter.
Examination of Generational Differences in Household Apparel Expenditures

In light of the impact baby boomers continue to have on the American culture and marketplace, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between household apparel expenditures and age groups defined by generations while controlling for other household characteristics. Generations used in this study were the GI generation (1901 to 1932), the silent generation (1933 to 1945), the baby boom generation (1946 to 1964), Generation X (1965 to 1976), and Generation Y (1977 to 1987). Data from the 1998 Consumer Expenditure Survey were used to estimate expenditure equations for total household apparel as well as men's, women's, boys', girls', and infants' apparel. The results of this research indicate there are significant differences between baby boomers and other generations with respect to their household apparel expenditures. The results have both educational and marketing implications.
TIME ALLOCATION IN AN EXCHANGE-PRODUCTION PARADIGM

The three uses of one's time — leisure, nonmarket work, and market work — are affected by the availability of others' time for sale in the market. The paper integrates the supply of time and the demand for others' time by means of geometric models of exchange and production. Possible patterns of market work behavior are enriched by the incorporation of proportional and lump-sum transaction costs. The diversity of the results argues against indiscriminate reliance on institutional restrictions in explaining work decisions.
Temperament as a moderator of the relation between neighborhood and children's adjustment

Although proposed by bioecological models, there has been minimal empirical examination of whether children's individual differences moderate neighborhood effects on development. We used an urban community sample (8-12 years, N = 316) to examine interactions among neighborhood characteristics (problems and social organization) and children's temperament (fear, irritability and impulsivity) in predicting psychosocial adjustment. The main effects of neighborhood and temperament on outcomes were consistent with previous research. Findings show that development is challenging in disadvantaged neighborhoods whatever one's temperament, however, some effects of neighborhood were conditioned by temperament, particularly children's fear and irritability. Neighborhood problems were more strongly related to lower social competence for fearful and for less irritable children. Neighborhood problems were more strongly related to higher internalizing problems for low-fear children. Neighborhood social organization was more strongly related to greater social competence for low-fear children. Findings are discussed in relation to "diathesis-stress" and "differential responsiveness" models of temperament.
Atrial Fibrillation After Taser Exposure in a Previously Healthy Adolescent

We are reporting a previously healthy adolescent who developed atrial fibrillation after being tased. He has a structurally normal heart on echocardiogram, normal electrolyte level and thyroid function test results, and a urine toxicology screen positive for marijuana. The patient ultimately required external defibrillation to convert his cardiac rhythm to normal sinus rhythm and has had no recurrent arrhythmias since hospital discharge (approximately 1 year). This is the first reported case of atrial fibrillation developing after a Taser shot, occurring in an adolescent without other risk factors. This case illustrates the arrhythmogenic potential of a Taser in otherwise healthy young individuals, and further study of occurrence of Taser-induced arrhythmias is warranted.
Socioeconomic determinants of continuing functional disablement from chronic disease episodes.

Abstract Functional disablement of persons with chronic disease is a complex outcome shaped by a variety of medical and socioeconomic factors, including those influencing the competing risk of death from the disease. The increasingly important task of explaining trends in the functional health status of various populations requires more detailed knowledge about the respective roles of these disability determinants. This paper reports the results of an analysis of the determinants of continuing functional incapacity after an episode of heart disease. A proportional hazards regression model is used to estimate the relatives effects of socioeconomic and disease factors on the duration of work disablement and functional incapacitation of 976 surviving and nonsurviving patients hospitalized for presumptive myocardial infarction. The analysis shows that socioeconomic variables play a prominent role in disability outcomes, especially in work resumption. Evidence of aging effects on disability prevalence is also found.
Random Finite Subsets With Exponential Distributions

Let S denote the collection of all finite subsets of **. We define an operation on S that makes S into a positive semigroup with set inclusion as the associated partial order. Positive semigroups are the natural home for probability distributions with exponential properties, such as the memoryless and constant rate properties. We show that there are no exponential distributions on S, but that S can be partitioned into subsemigroups, each of which supports a one-parameter family of exponential distributions. We then find the distribution on S that is closest to exponential, in a certain sense. This work might have applications to the problem of selecting a finite sample from a countably infinite population in the most random way.
Estimating bulk values based on finite size scaling

Abstract We present a new method of evaluating the bulk values (thermodynamic values) of various physical quantities based on a formula of finite size scaling. This method enables one to extract accurate bulk values (BV) without using the large size of the lattice required in the traditional direct Monte Carlo measurement. We illustrate our method taking as example the 2 dimensional (2D) Ising model, and present BV of the correlation length (ξ∞) for the 2D O(3) model up to β = 2.4.
Total Hip Arthroplasty as an Overnight-Stay Procedure Using an Ambulatory Continuous Psoas Compartment Nerve Block: A Prospective Feasibility Study

Objective: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) results in severe postoperative pain requiring hospitalization to provide potent analgesia. Consequently, the average duration of hospitalization after THA in the United States is 4 to 5 days. This prospective study investigated the feasibility of converting THA into an overnight-stay procedure using a continuous psoas compartment nerve block provided at home with a portable infusion pump. Case Report: Preoperatively, patients undergoing THA had a psoas compartment perineural catheter placed. Postoperatively, perineural ropivacaine 0.2% was delivered through postoperative day (POD) 4. Patients were discharged home when they met specific, prospectively defined criteria, as early as POD 3 for the first phase and POD 1 for the second phase. Of the patients in the first phase (n = 7) who remained hospitalized for at least 3 postoperative nights, 5 met discharge criteria on POD 1 and the remainder on POD 2. Of the patients in phase 2 (n = 5), all but 1 met discharge criteria on POD 1 and 3 were discharged directly home on POD 1. Postoperative pain was well controlled, opioid requirements and sleep disturbances were minimal, and patient satisfaction high. Conclusions: These results suggest that for a subset of patients without major comorbidities, it is feasible to convert THA into an overnight-stay procedure using an ambulatory continuous psoas compartment nerve block as part of a multimodal analgesic regimen provided at home. Additional research is required to replicate these results in a controlled trial, define the appropriate subset of patients, and assess the incidence of complications associated with this practice before its mainstream use.
The contribution of NMDA and Non-NMDA receptors to the light-evoked input-output characteristics of retinal ganglion cells

Abstract To examine how light-evoked excitatory synaptic inputs to retinal ganglion cells are transformed into output patterns of activity, action potentials were recorded with cell-attached patch-clamp techniques, and then EPSCs and EPSPs were recorded from the same cell in the whole-cell configuration. AP7, an NMDA antagonist, reduced the light-evoked peak spike frequency 36% ± 21% (mean ± SD) and reduced the EPSC amplitude, indicating a major role for NMDA receptors in the light response. CNQX, a non-NMDA receptor antagonist, reduced the light-evoked peak spike frequency 28% ± 22%. CNQX also caused a voltage- and magnesium-dependent delay in spike onset. AP7 and CNQX, however, did not differ significantly in their effect on the EPSC time course, indicating that postsynaptic cellular properties are responsible for the delay observed in the presence of CNQX. These results show that the NMDA receptor contribution to the excitatory response is increased as the cell is depolarized from rest by non-NMDA input.
Psychological refractoriness and the organization of step-tracking responses

Three young men were given the step-tracking task of pushing a slider to either a near or a far target lamp as soon as one came on. Occasionally, the alternative lamp replaced the initial one after it had been on for 50 msec, calling for either curtailment or extension of the initial command. This net stimulus information led to the modifying of response on a majority of trials. Its first discernible effect occurred without any PR (psychological refractoriness) delay. In some cases, the response appeared to be influenced from its onset by the second signal. More often, modification appeared later. Typically, the response was inadequate relative to the new command, or distorted. Effects of the initial command evidently persisted, either in neural organization or in actual execution. Step-tracking responses are thus vulnerable, yet resistant to modification. It is reasonable that in continuous tracking the operator would avoid making effortful, inadequate modifications. Hence, his performance could be described asvoluntarily intermittent. The usual PR delay found on dual keypressing tasks cannot be attributed to limitations in capacity for identifying signals or even in “selecting” a response. It is suggested that the organizational process required for the first response interferes with another such process.
Molecular genetic studies of early breast cancer evolution

In the past few years there has been an explosion in the number of patients diagnosed with hyperplastic breast disease andin situ breast cancer. Based on epidemiological data, these morphologically defined lesions may be categorized as those with little malignant potential (e.g. typical hyperplasia or proliferative disease without atypia [PDWA]), those with significant malignant potential which may already be “initiated” (e.g. atypical ductal hyperplasia [ADH]), and early “transformed” lesions which are malignant but not yet invasive (e.g. ductal carcinomain situ [DCIS]). They may represent sequential evolutionary stages in the ontogeny of invasive breast cancer, with each morphologically defined stage resulting from accumulating genetic changes culminating in a transformed clonal lineage capable of invasion and metastasis. Using loss-of-heterozygosity (LOH) analysis, we are studying the genetic changes associated with these lesions in archival tissue samples. 50% (6/12) of the proliferative lesions (PDWA and ADH) and 80% of the DCIS shared their LOH patterns with more advanced lesions from the same breast, strongly supporting a precursor/product relationship between these lesions and the cancers they accompany.
Free malonaldehyde determination in tissues by high-performance liquid chromatography☆

Abstract A high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the quantification of free malonaldehyde (MA) in tissues. HPLC separation was performed using a TSK G1000 PW column (7.5-mm i.d. × 30 cm) with a mobile phase of 0.1 m Na3PO4 buffer, pH 8.0, at a flow rate of 0.6 ml/min. The eluant was monitored at 267 nm. Free MA in the tissue sample was separated and quantified in approximately 50 min. The lowest amount of MA that can be determined by this HPLC technique is approximately 1 ng per injection. This method was successfully applied to rat liver and beef, pork, and chicken muscle and was compared to the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) test. It was found to be more sensitive, accurate, and specific for the determination of free MA than the TBA method.
Active drag reduction using neural networks

This paper presents the application of a neural network controller to the problem of active drag reduction in a fully turbulent 3D fluid flow regime. The neural network learns a function nearly identical to an analytically derived control law. We then demonstrate the ability of a neural controller to maintain a drag-reduced flow in a fully turbulent fluid simulation. Finally we examine the amount of parameter variation that may be required for a physical implementation of such a neural controller.
Diffusive and convective deposition of aerosols in rising spherical bubbles with internal circulation

Abstract Aerosol transport due to Brownian and convective mechanisms in variable-radius spherical bubbles rising in a stagnant liquid is modeled. The modeling is based on the extension of Kronig & Brink's analysis of mass transfer in a bubble or droplet, and accounts for the coupling between the two aerosol transport mechanisms. Parametric calculations are performed for air and steam bubbles containing aqueous aerosols and rising in stagnant water, within parameter ranges where bubbles can remain spherical and non-oscillating, and Brownian and convective transport are the only dominant aerosol removal mechanisms. Is is shown that, within the aforementioned parameter range, Fuch's model for Brownian aerosol removal is inadequate.
The Discrete Fourier Transform, Part 1

This paper describes an implementation of the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) and the Inverse Discrete Fourier Transform (IDFT). We show how the computation of the DFT and IDFT may be performed in Java and show why such operations are typically considered slow. This is a multi-part paper, in part 2, we discuss a speed up of the DFT and IDFT using a class of algorithms known as the FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) and the IFFT (Inverse Fast Fourier Transform). Part 3 demonstrates the computation of the PSD (Power Spectral Density) and applications of the DFT and IDFT. The applications include filtering, windowing, pitch shifting and the spectral analysis of re-sampling.
Improving elevator call time responsiveness via an artificial neural network control mechanism

Elevator traffic comprises the movement of individuals from the floor from which they called the elevator to their destination floor. This project seeks to improve elevator call time responsiveness by utilizing the concept that traffic flows generally form definable patterns that can be used to predict future traffic flow behaviors. A feed-forward neural network-based control algorithm has been developed that can approximate elevator call patterns by learning to associate time of day with specific call locations. This algorithm was tested against fuzzy patterns of elevator calls in which the randomly generated calls were biased towards certain floors at certain times of day. When the average neural network controlled call times of 10 such fuzzy sets were compared to the typical scenario of the elevator returning to the first floor after each call, a 42% improvement in elevator call time responsiveness was observed. It is thereby suggested that a machine learning enabled-elevator control system could result in increased user satisfaction by reducing wait times by helping to ensure that the elevator is at the most likely place the elevator will be called from prior to an individual even pushing the call button. The utility of such an algorithm is likely further enhanced, however, by the fact that having the elevator in the most likely call location can also lead to significant energy savings in that the elevator will need to travel less to pick up prospective passengers.
A Route to Stable Interfaces Between Dissimilarly Doped Conjugated Polymers

A route to kinetically stable interfaces between dissimilarly doped conjugated polymers is proposed. The route relies on the use of internally compensated conjugated polymers to kinetically control interfacial redox chemistry. As a demonstration of the feasibility of the proposed route, the enhanced stability of an interface between an oxidatively doped, internally compensated poly(acetylene) and an undoped poly(acetylene) is reported.
Absolute rates of the carbon-carbon dioxide reaction

The etch-decoration transmission electron microscopy technique was used to measure the turnover frequencies of the C-CO2 reaction in the temperature range 600–900°C. The absolute rate constants of the elementary rate steps were determined, and were in reasonably good agreement with statistical theories. The rates on monolayer steps of graphite were higher than those on multilayer steps by approximately four orders of magnitude at 800°C, because the CO bond in the reaction intermediate is stronger by about 9 kcal/mol on the monolayer steps. The rates of vacancy formation in the lattice were also determined. The vacancies are formed by atomic oxygen dissociated from CO2.
LLVA: a low-level virtual instruction set architecture

A virtual instruction set architecture (V-ISA) implemented via a processor-specific software translation layer can provide great flexibility to processor designers. Recent examples such as Crusoe and DAISY, however, have used existing hardware instruction sets as virtual ISAs, which complicates translation and optimization. In fact, there has been little research on specific designs for a virtual ISA for processors. This paper proposes a novel virtual ISA (LLVA) and a translation strategy for implementing it on arbitrary hardware. The instruction set is typed, uses an infinite virtual register set in static single assignment form, and provides explicit control-flow and dataflow information, and yet uses low-level operations closely matched to traditional hardware. It includes novel mechanisms to allow more flexible optimization of native code, including a flexible exception model and minor constraints on self-modifying code. We propose a translation strategy that enables offline translation and transparent offline caching of native code and profile information, while remaining completely OS-independent. It also supports optimizations directly on the representation at install-time, runtime, and offline between executions. We show experimentally that despite its rich information content, virtual object code is comparable in size to native machine code, virtual instructions expand to only 2-4 ordinary hardware instructions on average, and simple translation costs under 1% of total execution time except for very short runs.
Mechanisms of Selectivity in Channels and Enzymes Studied with Interactive Molecular Dynamics

Interactive molecular dynamics, a new modeling tool for rapid investigation of the physical mechanisms of biological processes at the atomic level, is applied to study selectivity and regulation of the membrane channel protein GlpF and the enzyme glycerol kinase. These proteins facilitate the first two steps of Escherichia coli glycerol metabolism. Despite their different function and architecture the proteins are found to employ common mechanisms for substrate selectivity: an induced geometrical fit by structurally homologous binding sites and an induced rapid dipole moment reversal. Competition for hydrogen bonding sites with water in both proteins is critical for substrate motion. In glycerol kinase, it is shown that the proposed domain motion prevents competition with water, in turn regulating the binding of glycerol.
Knowledge and social practice in medieval Damascus, 1190-1350

Introduction 1. The a'yan of Damascus 2. Madrasas, the production of knowledge and the reproduction of elites 3. Mansabs and the knowledge of fitna 4. Social and cultural capital 5. Truth, error, and the struggle for social power Summary.
Acute angle-closure glaucoma caused by vitreous prolapse after neodymium:YAG posterior capsulotomy

We report the second known case of acute angle-closure glaucoma from vitreous prolapse after neodymium:YAG (Nd:YAG) laser posterior capsulotomy in a patient with a posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL). This is the first reported case to result in corneal decompensation that required penetrating keratoplasty. The rare complication of vitreous prolapse was unusual in this patient because of the presence of a posterior chamber IOL, a small 4.0 mm capsulotomy opening, and low (26 mJ) Nd:YAG laser energy.
The insulin/Akt signaling pathway is targeted by intracellular beta-amyloid

Intraneuronal beta-amyloid (Abeta(i)) accumulates early in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and inclusion body myositis. Several organelles, receptor molecules, homeostatic processes, and signal transduction components have been identified as sensitive to Abeta. Although prior studies implicate the insulin-PI3K-Akt signaling cascade, a specific step within this or any essential metabolic or survival pathway has not emerged as a molecular target. We tested the effect of Abeta42 on each component of this cascade. In AD brain, the association between PDK and Akt, phospho-Akt levels and its activity were all decreased relative to control. In cell culture, Abeta(i) expression inhibited both insulin-induced Akt phosphorylation and activity. In vitro experiments identified that beta-amyloid (Abeta), especially oligomer preparations, specifically interrupted the PDK-dependent activation of Akt. Abeta(i) also blocked the association between PDK and Akt in cell-based and in vitro experiments. Importantly, Abeta did not interrupt Akt or PI3K activities (once stimulated) nor did it affect more proximal signal events. These results offer a novel therapeutic strategy to neutralize Abeta-induced energy failure and neuronal death.
The economic value of freshwater inputs to an estuarine fishery

Abstract The health of many estuarine and coastal ecosystems depends on upstream hydrology; however, there is limited information on the economic effects of restricting freshwater flow to the coast. We investigate the role of freshwater inputs on the blue crab fishery in Georgia, USA. Blue crabs are known to respond to salinity changes in the estuaries in which they reside, and declining freshwater flow to the coast over the last 50 years is correlated with increases in average estuarine salinity and falling commercial harvests. A structural, bioeconomic model reveals freshwater inputs have significant effects on fishery outcomes. Simulations of a counterfactual minimum-flow standard for three different rivers, set at 25% of 50-year averages, suggest such a policy would result in measurable benefits for the fishery, improving profits by 35% ($1.7 million) during the period 2002–2012 in the three fishing areas for which data were available. Aggregating the necessary additional water releases to achieve this standard yields an approximate average value of water of between $1 and $7 per acre-foot.
The influence of exogenous cholesterol on hepatic lipid composition of the rat

Rats were fed diets containing cottonseed oil and/or cholesterol, cholic acid, methyl esters of long-chain fatty acids, and tocopherol. Livers, hearts, and aortas were examined histologically; liver lipids were fractionated by silicic acid chromatography; and the fatty acid composition of the sterol esters, triglycerides, and phospholipids was determined by gas-liquid chromatography. The degree of deposition of liver sterol esters seemed to be related to the availability of dietary fatty acids for esterification with exogenous cholesterol. No differences in sterol ester deposition were noted among the groups in which the dietary cholesterol was supplemented with methyl esters of fatty acids of different degrees of unsaturation. Fatty acid analysis revealed an accentuation by cholesterol feeding of the increase in monoenoic fatty acids and the decrease of linoleic and arachidonic acids characteristic of essential fatty acid deficiency. Two eicosatrienoic acids, occurring primarily in the phospholipids, were identified. The 5,8,11-eicosatrienoic acid appears to be related to essential fatty acid deficiency, whereas the 8,11,14-isomer is probably an intermediate in the conversion of linoleic to arachidonic acid and is increased when exogenous cholesterol induces an increased arachidonic acid synthesis.
Mechanical and Functional Behavior of High-Temperature Ni-Ti-Pt Shape Memory Alloys

A series of Ti-rich Ni-Ti-Pt ternary alloys with 13 to 18 at. pct Pt were processed by vacuum arc melting and characterized for their transformation behavior to identify shape memory alloys (SMA) that undergo transformation between 448 K and 498 K (175 °C and 225 °C) and achieve recoverable strain exceeding 2 pct. From this broader set of compositions, three alloys containing 15.5 to 16.5 at. pct Pt exhibited transformation temperatures in the vicinity of 473 K (200 °C), thus were targeted for more detailed characterization. Preliminary microstructural evaluation of these three compositions revealed a martensitic microstructure with small amounts of Ti2(Ni,Pt) particles. Room temperature mechanical testing gave a response characteristic of martensitic de-twinning followed by a typical work-hardening behavior to failure. Elevated mechanical testing, performed while the materials were in the austenitic state, revealed yield stresses of approximately 500 MPa and 3.5 pct elongation to failure. Thermal strain recovery characteristics were more carefully investigated with unbiased incremental strain-temperature tests across the 1 to 5 pct strain range, as well as cyclic strain-temperature tests at 3 pct strain. The unbiased shape recovery results indicated a complicated strain recovery path, dependent on prestrain level, but overall acceptable SMA behavior within the targeted temperature and recoverable strain range.
Generalized Change Agents and Innovativeness

This article analyzes the relationship between innovativeness and opinion leadership and the extent and character of generalized innovativeness. The data suggest these relationships vary with produ...
"Food Security" and "Food Sovereignty": What Frameworks Are Best Suited for Social Equity in Food Systems?

This paper contextualizes the discourses of "food security" and "food sovereignty" within the history of the global industrial food system and aims to increase understanding of these different discourses among food activists, and food justice activists in particular. The paper highlights some of the epistemological, methodological, and ethical challenges of defining, measuring, and alleviating food insecurity, using the U.S. as a case study. As suggested in the conclusion, social scientists must continue to engage with activists and through campus-community partnerships to help decipher the trade-offs and implications of employing different discursive frameworks.
A Study of Bisexual and Parthenogenetic Strains of Pycnoscelus surinamensis (Blattaria : Epilamprinae)

The bisexual strain of Pycnoscelus surinamensis from Hawaii differs biologically and morphologically from the parthenogenetic strain of P. surinamensis from Florida. The former does not successfully reproduce parthenogenetically, primarily because virgin females fail to retract their oothecae normally. Only seven out of several hundred virgin females of this strain succeeded in transferring their oothecae into their brood sacs, and none of these eggs hatched. About 70% of the mated females of this strain retracted their oothecae normally, and subsequently gave birth to male and female offspring. Virgin females of P. surinamensis from Florida reproduce parthenogenetically. Females of this parthenogenetic strain that were mated to males of the bisexual form showed reduced fertility, and, although many of them were found to have sperm in their spermathecae, all of their offspring were females—which is typical of the parthenogenetic form—and no male offspring were produced. There are statistically significant differences between females of the two strains in several linear measurements and in ratios based on these measurements.
Membrane currents and cholinergic regulation of K+ current in esophageal smooth muscle cells

The tight-seal whole cell recording technique with patch pipettes was used to study membrane currents of smooth muscle cells freshly dissociated from the esophagus of cats. Under voltage clamp with K+ in the pipette, depolarizing commands elicited an initial inward current followed by a transient outward current that peaked and then declined to reveal spontaneous outward currents (SOCs). SOCs were evident at -60 mV and more positive potentials. The reversal of SOCs at the K+ equilibrium potential and their suppression by tetraethylammonium chloride lead to the conclusion that they represent the activity of K+ channels. Acetylcholine (ACh) caused reversible contraction of these cells and had two successive effects on membrane currents, causing transient activation of K+ current followed by suppression of SOCs. Both of these effects were blocked by atropine. Consistent with these observations, in current clamp, ACh caused a transient hyperpolarization followed by depolarization. The inward current activated by depolarization was blocked by external Cd2+, consistent with the inward current being a voltage-activated calcium current. Two types of Ca2+ current could be distinguished on the basis of voltage-activation range, time course of inactivation and "run-down" during whole cell recording.
Comparison of three whole genome amplification methods for detection of genomic aberrations in single cells

Objective Detection of genomic copy number abnormalities in a single cell using array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) offers a promising non-invasive alternative for prenatal diagnosis. Our objective was to compare three commercially available whole-genome amplification (WGA) kits for their capacity to produce high quality DNA from single cells that is suitable for both molecular genotyping and array CGH. Methods We examined kit performance on unfixed, fixed and fixed/permeabilized lymphoblastoid cells. Molecular genotyping methods were used to evaluate the fidelity of amplified DNA for genomic profiling, while array CGH was used to assess copy number from single cells harboring trisomy 21, a DiGeorge syndrome deletion, a CMT1A duplication or a MECP2 duplication. Results Molecular genotyping was achieved from single cells but performance varied between WGA kits. Furthermore, we consistently detected a dosage difference in sex chromosomes for gender mismatched hybridizations and for chromosome 21 in trisomy 21 cells. The 2.5 Mb DiGeorge syndrome deletion was also detected using all three WGA platforms, whereas the 1.3 Mb CMT1A and the 0.6 Mb MECP2 duplications were not consistently detected. Conclusion These data suggest that single cell molecular genotyping and copy number analysis can be accomplished when WGA conditions are optimized. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multiple interaction types determine the impact of ant predation of caterpillars in a forest community

Direct and indirect effects of predators are highly variable in complex communities, and understanding the sources of this variation is a research priority in community ecology. Recent evidence indicates that herbivore community structure is a primary determinant of predation strength and its cascading impacts on plants. In this study, we use variation in herbivore community structure among plant species to experimentally test two hypotheses in a temperate forest food web. First, variation in the strength of predator effects, such as ant predation of caterpillars, is predicted to be density-dependent, exhibiting stronger effects when prey abundance is high (density-dependent predation hypothesis). Second, mutualistic interactions between ants and sap-feeding herbivores are expected to increase the abundance of predatory ants, strengthening predation effects on herbivores with cascading effects on host plants (keystone mutualism hypothesis). Using a large-scale predator exclusion experiment across eight dominant tree species, we tracked changes in insect density on 862 plants across two years, recording 2322 ants, 1062 sap-feeders, 5322 caterpillars, and quantifying herbivory on 199,338 leaves. In this experiment, density-dependent predation did not explain variation in the direct or indirect effects of ants on caterpillars and herbivory. In partial support of the keystone mutualism hypothesis, sap-feeders strengthened top-down effects of ants on caterpillars under some conditions. However, stronger ant predation of caterpillars did not lead to measurable trophic cascades on trees occupied by sap-feeders. Instead, the presence of sap-feeders was associated with increased per capita feeding damage by caterpillars, and this bottom-up effect attenuated the indirect effects of ants on host plants. These findings demonstrate that examining the multi-trophic impacts of mutualisms and predation in the context of the broader community can reveal patterns otherwise masked by compensatory interactions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Clearance of Platelet Microvesicles by Endothelium. the Role of Developmental Endothelial Locus–1 (Del-1)

Abstract Abstract 4303 Activation of platelets with certain agonists induces release of small submicron size membrane-enclosed compartments of platelet content called microvesicles. During microvesiculation, phosphatidylserine, an anionic phospholipid, moves from the inner to the outer leaflet of membrane bilayer accounting for the procoagulant effect of microvesicles. Microvesicles circulate in the blood with a short half-life of less than 5–10 minutes and the exposure of phosphatidylserine may mediate its rapid clearance. Developmental endothelial locus–1 (del-1) is a 52kDa glycoprotein secreted by endothelial cells. It contains three epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like repeats in amino terminus and two discoidin I-like domains in carboxy terminus, similar to the macrophage opsonin lactadherin. The second EGF like repeat contains the canonical Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motif that enables Del-1 to bind integrin αVβ3 and αVβ5. Here, we tested the role of Del-1 in endothelial uptake of platelet-derived microvesicles. In vitro, resting human umbilical vein endothelial cells engulf BODIPY-labeled phosphatidylserine expressing platelets microvesicles avidly. Evidence of uptake was obtained by confocal microscopy and by flow cytometry. Following uptake, the microvesicles were distributed throughout the cytoplasm of the endothelial cells. We quantified the internalization of fluorescent microvesicles by measuring the intracytoplasmic fluorescence associated with endothelial cells in a flow cytometer after quenching cell surface fluorescence with Trypan Blue. A monoclonal antibody to Del-1 inhibits (p=0.03) the uptake while exogenous Del-1 promotes the uptake by endothelial cells. Abciximab inhibited -dependent phagocytosis to about ∼40 % while under similar conditions an irrelevant control antibody had no effect (p=0.016). In addition, annexin A5 also inhibited the uptake of platelet-derived microvesicles by endothelial cells (p=0.002). These results show Del-1 mediates phosphatidylserine and integrin-dependent uptake of microvesicles by endothelial cells. To assess the in vivo significance, we infused BODIPY labeled platelet-derived microvesicles into the inferior vena cava of the mouse and harvested endothelial cells from the pulmonary circulation. Microvesicles were detected within the endothelial cells. In Del-1 deficient mice has impaired uptake of microvesicles compared wild type littermate controls (P=0.02). We also measured the levels of microvesicles six after administration lipopolysaccharide. Del-1 deficient mice have increased microvesicles compared to their littermate controls (p=0.02). These studies show a physiological role for Del-1 in the clearance of microvesicles by endothelium. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Tissular insemination of progenitor endothelial cells: the problem, and a suggested solution.

The contribution of circulating precursor endothelial cells (CPEC) to adult angiogenesis is now well established. However, the mechanism of their tissular engrafting remains poorly understood. The classical paradigm of “sprouting” cannot accommodate the main features of the CPEC-based angiogenic process. Additionally, vasculogenesis based on the differentiation of angioblasts, as defined in the embryonic stages, is not applicable to adult neo-vascularization either. In search for a solution to this dilemma, I suggest that the ability of monocytes/macrophages to produce tunnels, as effect of their protease-dependent migration in the extracellular matrices, is instrumental for the tissular insemination of CPEC. Here I present in vivo and in vitro experimental evidence for the existence of tunnels, and for their colonization by monocytes/macrophages and by other cells, including CPEC. As a paradigm of CPEC behavior, the tunneling model (in an extended sense) may also explain the propagation of the endothelium with arteriolar phenotype within the pre-existent downstream capillary network. Thus, the sprouting mechanism might be a valid explanation for the formation of new capillaries and venules, whereas CPEC would contribute mostly, if not exclusively, to the extension of arteriolar branches of microvasculature. Adult angiogenesis occurs therefore as a multifunctional process based on intercellular cooperation, in which there are involved endothelial cells (EC) or their precursors, as well as other cell types. In specific circumstances, the lumen (i.e. the tunnel) may occur before the “definitive” microvessel. Therefore the very notion of microvessel may need to be extended, to include the tunnels.
Growth Is Everywhere

Can you afford not to grow? This chapter says no. The first point of the chapter is that growth is imperative for any organization. Without growth, there is stagnation. Second, growth is a mindset, so any business can grow, even if it is a “commodity” business. Third, growth often springs from unexpected sources, so investing in the human capital of the organization can turbo-charge the organization’s growth engine. Fourth, growth invariably brings with it tensions, and coping effectively with these tensions can remove impediments to growth.