cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The physiology of salinity tolerance in larvae of two species of Culex mosquitoes: the role of compatible solutes.

We investigated the physiological basis for differences in salinity tolerance ranges in mosquito larvae of the genus Culex. We examined the response of larvae of C. quinquefasciatus, a freshwater obligate, and C. tarsalis, a euryhaline osmoconformer, following transfer from fresh water to 34% sea water. Hemolymph Na(+) and Cl(−) levels increased similarly in both species, indicating that ion regulation does not differ under these conditions. C. quinquefasciatus responded to increased environmental salinity with increased hemolymph levels of serine, but suffered a significant reduction in levels of trehalose. C. tarsalis responded to increased environmental salinity with increased hemolymph levels of both proline and trehalose. When C. tarsalis larvae were held in 64% sea water, which C. quinquefasciatus larvae cannot tolerate, hemolymph proline and trehalose were accumulated approximately 50-fold and twofold, respectively, relative to freshwater values. We found that proline serves as both an intra- and extracellular compatible solute in C. tarsalis, the first such circumstance documented in an animal in response to increased environmental salinity. Analyses of the acute responses of the two species to an increase in salinity (from 30% to 50% sea water) indicate that larvae of C. tarsalis are able to volume-regulate via drinking and to attenuate increases in hemolymph NaCl concentration using unknown mechanisms during large, rapid increases in salinity.
Generation of the Chapman-Enskog Distribution

A pair of simple, efficient, and robust algorithms for generating random velocities sampled from the Chapman?Enskog distribution is presented.
The analysis of longitudinal, multilevel data

Abstract School effects are dynamic effects which occur within multilevel, hierarchical organizational structures. Their dynamic character is essential both because school effects modify children's growth and because the schools that produce them are changing. Their multilevel, hierarchical character is crucial because such effects occur only when policies and practices implemented at the school level affect learning measured at the pupil level. Nevertheless, quantitative research on the effects of schools has rarely reflected these two key characteristics. Because of recent advances in statistical methods, however, it is now possible to combine longitudinal and multilevel designs in ways that prove extremely revealing about the importance and stability of school effects. This chapter presents two examples from recent research which illustrate the potential for new insights from such studies.
Impaired up-regulation of CD25 on CD4+ T cells in IFN-γ knockout mice is associated with progression of myocarditis to heart failure

Inflammation has been recognized increasingly as a critical pathologic component of a number of heart diseases. A mouse model of autoimmune myocarditis was developed to study the role of immune mediators in the development of cardiac dysfunction. We have found previously that IFN-gamma deficiency promotes inflammation in murine myocarditis. It has been unclear, however, how IFN-gamma deficiency in myocarditis affects cardiac function and what underlying immune mechanisms are responsible for these effects. In this work, we show that IFN-gamma knockout (KO) mice have more pronounced systolic and diastolic dysfunction and greater frequency of progression to dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure compared with WT mice. Cardiac dysfunction in the KO mice is associated with the expansion of activated (CD44(high)) CD3+ T cells due to reduced apoptosis of CD4+, but not CD8+, T cells. CD4+ T cells in the KO mice show impaired up-regulation of CD25 upon activation, resulting in the expansion of CD4+CD44+CD25- T cells and their infiltration into the heart. CD4+CD25- T cells are less apoptosis-prone compared with the CD25+ population, and their infiltration into the heart is associated with greater severity of myocarditis. We conclude that IFN-gamma deficiency in autoimmune myocarditis is associated with preferential expansion of CD4+CD44+CD25- T cells resulting in increased cardiac inflammation. An exaggerated inflammatory response in IFN-gamma KO mice causes cardiac dysfunction, leading to dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure.
Synthesis and Characterization of Organosilicon Sheet and Tube Polymers

The synthesis and characterization of some organosilicon sheet and tube polymers derived from silicates are described. The sheet silicates used are apophyllite (KCa4Si8O20(F,OH)·8H2O), kenyaite (Na2Si22O45·9H2O), magadiite (Na2Si14O29·7H2O), and silinaite (NaLiSi2O5·2H2O). The tube silicate used is K2CuSi4O10. The organosilicon sheet and tube polymers are made by silylation of sheet or tube silicates using a variety of nonfunctional and functional silylating agents. The formula of representative sheet and tube polymers made by silylation with trimethylchlorosilane is [((CH3)3SiO)x(HO)1-xSiO1.5]n. The alkenyl-functional sheet and tube polymers are further elaborated by using hydrosilylation. The formula of representative sheet and tube polymers made by hydrosilylation of vinyldimethylsiloxy polymers with pentamethyldisiloxane is [((CH3)3SiO(CH3)2Si(CH2)2(CH3)2SiO)x(HO)1-xSiO1.5]n. The polymers are characterized by FTIR, XRD, XPS, SEM, and solid state 29Si NMR. The characterization data demonstrate that ≈60...
Double Victory: A Multicultural History of America in World War II

Americas entry into World War II made comrades-in-arms of men and women from every region and every walk of life, united in the battle for freedom and against fascism. It is no small irony, historian Ronald Takaki observes, that the armed struggle for democracy abroad was accompanied by a disregard for our nations declaration that all men are created equal in the form of institutional racism of many kinds, from the segregation of African American units to the imprisonment of Japanese Americans and the refusal to grant asylum to Jewish refugees. In Double Victory, Takaki examines the many contributions of Americas minorities to the war effort, celebrating the work of Mexican farm laborers and Anglo women welders, of Navajo code talkers and Filipino foot soldiers, who proclaimed themselves to be men, not houseboys, of Chinese American combat nurses and Asian Indian gunners. These men and women, Takaki writes, made extraordinary sacrifices in their battle against enemies without and enemies within. Although their efforts were not always appreciated at the time, they helped set in motion the struggle for civil rights that would explode two decades later. Takakis book is a welcome and much needed entry in the recent literature on the World War II era, and it merits the widest possible audience. --Gregory McNamee
Unit of Luminous Flux: Mario Botta's Centre Dürrenmatt Neuchâtel

This paper examines the Centre Durrenmatt Neuchâtel (CDN), which opened in 2000, as the site of a ‘dialogue’ between the ideas and practice of Switzerland's best-known Italian-speaking architect and designer, Mario Botta (1943–), and the country's best-known German-speaking playwright, Friedrich Durrenmatt (1921–1990). The CDN becomes a double portrait of two Swiss artists, separated by parole but not Sprache. Both felt peripheral to Swiss society, yet each was a product of the cantonal principle of strong regionalism aerated by the Federation's facilitation of cosmopolitanism aligned in an environmental ecology that literally and figuratively mixed their respective media: the concrete for the ephemeral (Durrenmatt) and luminous fluidity for the concrete (Botta). The central thesis is that the CDN inducts the visitor in a role of active participation and exchange in an atmosphere of transcendental logic and, ultimately, however ironically, optimism. A visitor to the CDN becomes part of a theatrical event ...
Dactylogyrus robisoni n. sp. (Monogenoidea: Dactylogyridae) from the Bluehead Shiner, Pteronotropis hubbsi (Bailey and Robison), 1978 (Pisces: Cyprinidae)

Abstract Dactylogyrus robisoni n. sp. is described from the bluehead shiner, Pteronotropis hubbsi (Bailey and Robison), 1978, in Arkansas, U.S.A. Dactylogyrus robisoni is morphologically most similar to Dactylogyrus moorei Monaco and Mizelle, 1955, and Dactylogyrus ornatus Rogers, 1967, by possessing a long, slender, often sinuous copulatory accessory piece. The accessory piece of D. robisoni differs from those of the other 2 species by lacking a medial ramus and terminating in an elongate bulb.
Cortical glucose metabolism in Parkinson's disease without dementia

There have been several reports of decreased regional cerebral metabolic rates for glucose (rCMRglc) in Parkinson's disease (PD), although others find no differences between PD patients and controls. Differences in the cognitive status of the PD patients may account for some of these inconsistencies. We report the results of a PET study using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) to measure rCMRglc in eight nondemented PD patients, six of whom were receiving dopaminergic medications, and eight age-matched control subjects. We scanned one tomographic level through the temporal lobes that included both temporal neocortex and mesial temporal cortex, and one tomographic level through the basal ganglia that included frontal and parietal cortex. Previously determined rate constants and an operational equation were used to determine rCMRglc. On average, rCMRglc values were 23% below control values for all regions studied, with the greatest differences in posterior brain regions (visual association cortex, primary visual cortex, and parietal cortex) and thalamus. These results indicate that PD patients may show neocortical hypometabolism, especially in posterior brain regions, in the absence of any demonstrable cognitive deficits.
Castration and training in a spatial task alter the number of immature neurons in the hippocampus of male mice

New neurons are generated in the granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus (GCL) throughout adulthood. This process is modulated by many environmental and neurochemical factors. We previously observed that castrated mice, compared to sham-operated mice, perform poorly in the delayed matching to place water-maze task (DMTP). In this study, we quantified the number of doublecortin expressing (DCX+) immature neurons and Ki-67 expressing (Ki-67+) proliferating progenitors in mice previously tested in a spatial DMTP task, a nonspatial DMTP, or that received equivalent amounts of handling only. Regardless of DMTP training experience, castration reduced immature neuron number in the GCL but had no effect on proliferating progenitors. Compared to handling only, visible DMTP training reduced the immature neuron number, but hidden DMTP training had no effect. Castration did not alter these environmental effects. Finally, performance on the spatial DMTP task did not correlate with immature neuron number. In addition, while the number of immature neurons was strongly reduced following cranial irradiation with (137)Cs, this treatment did not affect spatial DMTP performance. Thus, in mice, castration disrupts spatial memory and reduces immature neuron number, but there is no strong link between these effects.
Legibility of Urban Highway Traffic Signs Using New Retroreflective Materials

Abstract Unlighted highway signs, which use newly developed retroreflective materials, were installed along the major expressway in an urban area by the local department of transportation. Photometric measurements of the signs were used to assess their legibility applying the relative visual performance model, in comparison to lighted signs, con‐ forming to recommended illumination practices. The calculated visibility of the measured unlighted signs was similar to that of the signs equipped with exterior sign illumination. The practical significance and limitations of the relative visual performance approach are discussed.
The DSM diagnostic criteria for fetishism.

The historical definitions of sexual Fetishism are reviewed. Prior to the advent of DSM-III-R (American Psychiatric Association, 1987), Fetishism was typically operationally described as persistent preferential sexual arousal in association with non-living objects, an over-inclusive focus on (typically non-sexual) body parts (e.g., feet, hands) and body secretions. In the DSM-III-R, Partialism, an “exclusive focus on part of the body,” was cleaved from Fetishism and added to the Paraphilia Not Otherwise Specified category. The current literature reviewed suggests that Partialism and Fetishism are related, can be co-associated, and are non-exclusive domains of sexual behavior. The author suggests that since the advent and elaboration of the clinical significance criterion (Criterion B) for designating a psychiatric disorder in DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994), a diagnostic distinction between Partialism and Fetishism is no longer clinically meaningful or necessary. It is recommended that the diagnostic Criterion A for Fetishism be modified to reflect the reintegration of Partialism and that a fetishistic focus on non-sexual body parts be a specifier of Fetishism.
Tensile properties of tungsten-3.6% rhenium-0.4% hafnium carbide above 0.5 Tm

In recent years, there has been a renewal of interest in the development of tungsten-base alloys and fibers as future aerospace propulsion and space power systems place over increasing demands on materials with high-temperature capability. For example, tungsten-base alloys are expected to be used as emitter materials in a future space power system and tungsten fiber-reinforced composites are being developed for future aerospace systems. Among various alloying elements for tungsten, rhenium has been found to be one of the most effective alloying elements because the addition of rhenium to tungsten increases not only high-temperature strength but low-temperature ductility. It has been reported that the optimum concentration of rhenium in tungsten is about 4 at.% or greater than 20 at.% to provide optimum ductilizing effect. In order to improve high-temperature strength, second-phase strengthening has also been utilized in the development of tungsten-base alloys. Among various potential second-phase particles, hafnium carbide (HfC) was found to be one of the most effective particles to improve high-temperature strength of tungsten because of its high melting temperature and thermodynamic stability. The main objective of the present paper is to report the tensile properties of a W-3.6 at.% Re-0.4 mol % HfC alloy for a widemore » temperature range above 0.5 T/sub m/ (melting temperature in Kelvin) and examine the strengthening effect of HfC.« less
Hydrogen production from ethanol in presence of water over cerium and nickel mixed oxides

Abstract Hydrogen production from ethanol in the presence of water (H 2 O/C 2 H 5 OH = 3) was investigated over cerium nickel CeNi x O y (0 x ≤ 5) mixed oxide catalysts. The influence of different parameters was analysed, such as reaction temperature, Ni content and in situ pre-treatment in H 2 . While an ethanol conversion of 100% is reached at 400 °C, a stable activity i.e. ethanol conversion and H 2 selectivity can be obtained at very low temperature (200 °C) when the solid is previously in situ treated in H 2 in a temperature range between 200 and 300 °C. After such a treatment, the solids studied are hydrogen reservoirs, called oxyhydrides, with the presence of hydrogen species of hydride nature in the anionic vacancies of the solid. Different physicochemical techniques were used to characterize the catalysts. Depending on the composition and metal loading, a solid solution and/or a highly dispersed nickel oxide in ceria can be obtained. Correlations among the species present in the solid, and the catalytic performances are discussed, an active site based on the formation of anionic vacancies and a mechanism involving a heterolytic abstraction of a hydride species from ethanol are proposed.
First Report of Lolium latent virus in Ryegrass in the United States

Initial reports of the presence of Lolium latent virus (LLV) in Lolium perenne L. and L. multiflorum Lam. breeding clones in Germany, the Netherlands, France (2), and recently the United Kingdom (3,4; described as Ryegrass latent virus prior to identification as LLV) prompted us to evaluate clonally propagated Lolium plants from the United States. Four genetically distinct plants (viz., MF22, MF48, MF125, and MF132) that have been maintained clonally for 5 years from a Lolium perenne × L. multiflorum hybrid population established in the United States exhibited either no symptoms or mild chlorotic flecking that coalesced to form chlorotic to necrotic streaking on the leaves. All four clonal plants tested positive using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with the Potexvirus group PCR test (Agdia, Inc., Elkhart, IN), whereas all clones but MF48 tested positive using the Potyvirus group PCR test (Agdia, Inc.). No amplicons were obtained when the same plants were tested for tobamovirus, c...
Posterior vertebral column resection for VATER/VACTERL associated spinal deformity: a case report.

The VATER/VACTERL association is a syndrome notable for congenital vertebral malformations, anal atresia, cardiovascular anomalies, tracheoesophageal fistula, esophageal atresia, and renal or limb malformations. Vertebral malformations may include the entire spectrum of congenital spinal deformities, including kyphosis, as was seen in this case. A 14-year-old girl presented to our institution with severe rigid sagittal deformity in the thoracolumbar spine that had recurred following three prior spinal fusion surgeries: the first posterior only, the second anterior and posterior, and the third a posterior only proximal extension. These surgeries were performed to control progressive kyphosis from a complex failure of segmentation that resulted in a 66° kyphosis from T11 to L3 by the time she was 9 years old. Our evaluation revealed solid arthrodesis from the most recent procedures with resultant sagittal imbalance, and surgical options to restore balance included anterior and posterior revision spinal fusion with osteotomies, multiple posterior extension osteotomies with circumferential spine fusion, and posterior vertebral column resection with circumferential spine fusion. She was advised that multiple posterior extension osteotomies would likely be insufficient to restore sagittal balance in the setting of solid arthrodesis from anterior and posterior surgery, and that the posterior-only vertebral column resection would provide results equivalent to revision anterior and posterior surgery, without the morbidity of the anterior approach. She successfully underwent posterior vertebrectomy and circumferential spinal fusion with instrumentation and is doing well 2 years postoperatively. Severe rigid sagittal deformity can be effectively managed with a posterior-only surgical approach, vertebrectomy, and circumferential spinal fusion with instrumentation.
Performance Changes Following Correction Of Visual Difficulties In Geriatric Mental Hospital Patients

Anyone who is familiar with problems of visual care is aware that the range of accommodation decreases with age so that a time comes, usually in the forties, when the near-point of clear vision has receded to such an extent that near tasks cannot be efficiently or comfortably maintained without the aid of glasses. If cataract develops, increased refractive power of the lens may permit clearer vision at near range without the aid of glasses, substituting a requirement for distance correction to obtain clearer vision for far seeing.
Equity risk premium and insecure property rights

How much of the equity risk premium puzzle can be attributed to the insecure property rights of shareholders? This paper develops a version of the CCAPM with insecure property rights (stochastic taxes). The model implies that the current expected equity premium can be reconciled with a coefficient of relative risk aversion of 3.76, thus resolving a substantial part of the equity premium puzzle.
Simulation of cDNA microarrays via a parameterized random signal model.

cDNA microarrays provide simultaneous expression mea- surements for thousands of genes that are the result of processing images to recover the average signal intensity from a spot composed of pixels covering the area upon which the cDNA detector has been put down. The accuracy of the signal measurement depends on using an appropriate algorithm to process the images. This includes deter- mining spot locations and processing the data in such a way as to take into account spot geometry, background noise, and various kinds of noise that degrade the signal. This paper presents a stochastic model for microarray images. There are over 20 model parameters, each governed by a probability distribution, that control the signal intensity, spot geometry, spot drift, background effects, and the many kinds of noise that affect microarray images owing to the manner in which they are formed. The model can be used to analyze the performance of image algorithms designed to measure the true signal intensity be- cause the ground truth (signal intensity) for each spot is known. The levels of foreground noise, background noise, and spot distortion can be set, and algorithms can be evaluated under varying conditions.
Relationship and variation of qPCR and culturable enterococci estimates in ambient surface waters are predictable.

The quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method provides rapid estimates of fecal indicator bacteria densities that have been indicated to be useful in the assessment of water quality. Primarily because this method provides faster results than standard culture-based methods, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is currently considering its use as a basis for revised ambient water quality criteria. In anticipation of this possibility, we sought to examine the relationship between qPCR-based and culture-based estimates of enterococci in surface waters. Using data from several research groups, we compared enterococci estimates by the two methods in water samples collected from 37 sites across the United States. A consistent linear pattern in the relationship between cell equivalents (CCE), based on the qPCR method, and colony-forming units (CFU), based on the traditional culturable method, was significant (P < 0.05) at most sites. A linearly decreasing variance of CCE with increasing CFU levels ...
Effect of preparation for colonoscopy on fluid and electrolyte balance.

In a prospective evaluation of the effect of bowel preparation for 50 colonoscopic examinations, patients lost an average of 2.1 pounds. Of the serum constituents measured, only the change in serum sodium was statistically significant. The short-term weight decline was attributed to loss of body water, probably from the extravascular compartment. Because of rapid shifts in body fluids that may occur, preparation for colonoscopy should be carried out with caution in patients with cardiopulmonary disorders.
Measurement of absolute rates for multiphoton ionization of atomic hydrogen at 248 nm

We present measurements of absolute rates for multiphoton ionization of the ground state of atomic hydrogen by a linearly polarized, subpicosecond KrF laser at a wavelength of 248 nm. The irradiance was varied from 3{times}10{sup 12} to 2{times}10{sup 14} W/cm{sup 2}, and three above-threshold-ionization peaks were observed. The measured rate for total electron production was less than that predicted by Floquet theory (S.-I. Chu and J. Cooper, Phys. Rev. A 32, 2769 (1985)) and perturbation calculations (S. V. Khristenko and S. I. Vetchinkin, Opt. Specktrosk. 40, 417 (1976)), but significantly higher than calculated by the Reiss (Phys. Rev. A 22, 1786 (1980)) and Keldysh (Sov. Phys.---JETP 20, 1307 (1965)) methods using Volkov final states.
Ultrastructure of Diplonema ambulator larsen & patterson (euglenozoa) and its relationship to Isonema.

Summary The fine structure of a small phagotrophic protist, Diplonema ambulator , associated with deteriorating leaves of some species of the common fresh-water aquarium plant, Cryptocoryne is described. The organisms bear two short flagella which arise subapically and have a flexible cell surface often exhibiting pronounced changes in shape. Under the plasma membrane is a single layer of interconnected microtubules. Adjacent to the microtubules is a peripheral reticulate mitochondrion with plate-like cristae and numerous dense beaded inclusions. A large complex microtubular-based feeding apparatus extending to the cell surface is surrounded by several food vacuoles. Because the organism fits the light microscopic description of the genus Diplonema and has ultrastructural features attributable to Isonema we recommend that these taxa be regarded as synonymous and that existing species of Isonema be transferred to the genus Diplonema .
Alternate forms of the associated Legendre functions for use in geomagnetic modeling.

An inconvenience attending traditional use of associated Legendre functions in global modeling is that the functions are not separable with respect to the two indices (order and degree). In 1973 Merilees suggested a way to avoid the problem by showing that associated Legendre functions of order m and degree m+k can be expressed in terms of elementary functions asPmm+k(θ)=sinm(θ)∑ki=0amkicos(iθ)where amki, the constants to be determined, are somewhat analogous to Fourier coefficients. Merilees noted that there are several advantages to using this form, but he also raises a question of precision for degree and order greater than 25. This note calls attention to some possible gains in time savings and accuracy in geomagnetic modeling based upon this form. For this purpose, expansions of associated Legendre polynomials in terms of sines and cosines of multiple angles are displayed up to degree and order 10. Examples are also given explaining how some surface spherical harmonics can be transformed into true Fourier series for selected polar great circle paths.
SAMPLE SIZE FOR THE EXACT CONDITIONAL TEST UNDER INVERSE SAMPLING

Inverse sampling is a sampling design in which one continues sampling subjects until one obtains a predetermined number of index subjects. This paper derives a procedure for calculation of the minimum required number of index subjects on the basis of the exact conditional test under inverse sampling. This paper studies quantitatively the effect on power calculations of the number of index subjects. To facilitate use of inverse sampling in study designs, this paper further provides a table that summarizes, in a variety of situations, the minimum required number of index subjects for powers equal to 0.90 and 0.80 at 0.05-level. It also includes a discussion on use of the approximation sample size formula derived on the basis of a variance-stabilizing transformation and large sample theory.
Procedures for efficiently producing high-quality fecundity data on a small budget

Abstract Though fecundity estimation has typically been very time consuming, efficient methods have recently been developed. Building on these developments, we describe procedures for efficiently producing precise, accurate, fecundity estimates for highly fecund Atlantic cod, using a low-cost laboratory setup. Capturing images with a standard flatbed scanner and analyzing them with free image analysis software (total equipment cost ≈ $100) we were able to process individual samples in as little as 5 min. We show a strong relationship between mean oocyte diameter (range 200–900 μm) and oocyte density ( r 2 = 0.971, n = 50), and thus are able to estimate fecundity using gravimetric and auto-diametric methods. Testing the precision of the auto-diametric method we find estimates produced by both methods to be highly correlated ( r 2 = 0.961, n = 26). The success of these methods should assure fisheries scientists that fecundity estimation is no longer the daunting task it once was, and catalyze further production of fecundity data.
Hysteroscopic extraction of a vaginal foreign body in a child

A 3.5-year-old girl had a persistent, foul-smelling, blood-tinged vaginal discharge. She was initially treated for recurrent and persistent vulvovaginitis, which resulted in no improvement. Vaginoscopy revealed an intravaginal foreign body, which was removed successfully by hysteroscopy. We believe hysteroscopy is safe, convenient, effective, and easy to perform, even in a child.
Subsoil root activity in tree-based cropping systems

An increasing number of studies indicate that (i) nutrient and water resources can be abundant in the subsoil and (ii) trees have deep root systems that can possibly reach these resources. It is less clear whether subsoil resources are actually improving water and nutrient status of tree-based cropping systems and whether they are significantly increasing crop production and yield. To answer such a question, the distribution of nutrient and water uptake by trees needs to be quantified. So-called ‘root activity distributions’ give valuable information about actual subsoil use by trees whereas studies on root length or mass distributions do not often correlate with uptake distributions. Despite the usually lower relative root activity in the subsoil compared to the topsoil per unit soil, the large volume of subsoil in comparison to mostly shallow topsoil is an important resource for crop nutrient and water uptake. The present study compares published root activity distributions using the model Activity=A max(1−k depth). The obtained regression constants k of 0.91–0.99 determined in this publication reflect the values computed by an earlier published survey for root biomass ranging from tundra to those of temperate forest biomes. Thus, tree crops can have shallow root activity and 75% of their total root activity in the first 0.1 m of soil, or very deep root activity with more than 90% below 0.1 m. Neither environmental factors (i.e., climate and soil properties available from these publications) nor plant species explain differences of root activity distributions with depth. The deepest root activity is found for fruit trees such as citrus, guava and mango Shaded crops such as coffee and cacao tend to have shallower root activity than fruit trees. Monocots including oil palm, coconut or banana have root activity that can be both deep and shallow. Regional and temporal variations of subsoil root activity for the same tree species are significant and generally larger than differences between species. Root activity patterns of tree crops appear to be sufficiently flexible to allow for subsoil resource use. Consequently, management such as pruning, fertilization, liming and irrigation are shown to significantly affect subsoil root activity.
Development of cell-active non-peptidyl inhibitors of cysteine cathepsins

Cysteine cathepsins are an important class of enzymes that coordinate a variety of important cellular processes, and are implicated in various types of human diseases. However, small molecule inhibitors that are cell-permeable and non-peptidyl in nature are scarcely available. Herein the synthesis and development of sulfonyloxiranes as covalent inhibitors of cysteine cathepsins are reported. From a library of compounds, compound 5 is identified as a selective inhibitor of cysteine cathepsins. Live cell imaging and immunocytochemistry of metastatic human breast carcinoma MDA-MB-231 cells document the efficacy of compound 5 in inhibiting cysteine cathepsin activity in living cells. A cell-motility assay demonstrates that compound 5 is effective in mitigating the cell-migratory potential of highly metastatic breast carcinoma MDA-MB-231 cells.
A comparison of electromyography of gluteus medius and maximus in subjects with and without chronic ankle instability during two functional exercises

Abstract Objective To determine how gluteus medius (Gmed) and maximus (Gmax) activate during closed-chain functional rehabilitative exercises in those with and without chronic ankle instability (CAI). Design Cohort study. Subjects performed ten repetitions of a rotational lunge and single-leg rotational squat while surface electromyography was used to collect mean muscle activity of the Gmed and Gmax. Main outcome measures Mean electromyography activity of the Gmed and Gmax at maximum excursion was compared between Groups and Exercises using a separate 2-way repeated measures analysis of variance design for each muscle. Setting University biomechanics lab. Participants Nine healthy (8F, 1M) and nine CAI subjects (8F, 1M) Results For Gmax activation, there was a statistically significant Group by Exercise interaction ( F 3,48 = 4.84, p = 0.043). A Scheffe's post-hoc test revealed that during the rotational squat, the CAI group had significantly lower Gmax activation (51.1 ± 31.0%) than the healthy group (78.6 ± 44.8%). There were no statistically significant findings for the Gmed. In the healthy group, the Gmax produced significantly higher activation during rotational squat (78.6 ± 44.8%) compared to the rotational lunge (57.6 ± 31.9%). Conclusion Because the CAI group had significantly less Gmax activation than the healthy group during the rotational squat at the point of maximum excursion, and because the rotational squat showed significantly higher Gmax activation compared to the rotational lunge, it may be important for clinicians to implement the rotational squat during rehabilitation for those with CAI. Future prospective and intervention research involving hip musculature in those with CAI is recommended.
Movements of out-migrating late-fall run Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) smolts through the San Francisco Bay Estuary

One thousand late-fall run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) hatchery reared smolts were fitted with ultrasonic coded tags over a two-year period (in 2009 and 2010) and released in the Sacramento River. We tracked their outmigration movements from Benicia Bridge to the Golden Gate. Smolts transited the Bay rapidly in 2 to 4 days, yet also made repeated upstream movements, coinciding with incoming tidal flows. Most smolts were detected in deep, channelized portions of the Bay. Some smolts were detected at nearshore, shallow sites such as marinas, or up tributaries, yet these fish generally returned to the main channel and continued their outmigration. The results suggest that the smolts perceive little benefit to remaining in estuarine waters, and therefore actively attempt to reach the ocean in as short a time as possible, rather than being transported passively by flows.
585: Identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms of ERVWE1 in placental DNA by pyrosequencing

PLACENTAL DNA BY PYROSEQUENCING BRIAN WAGNER, JACK LENZ, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Obstetrics & Gynecology, New Hyde Park, New York, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Molecular Genetics, Bronx, New York OBJECTIVE: 8% of the human genome is retroviral DNA, most of which is degenerate. Nonetheless, the envelope protein (ERVWE1) of one endogenous retrovirus (HERV-W) functions in cytotrophoblast fusion to form syncytiotrophoblasts. At least five different haplotypes (alleles) of ERVWE1 exist in humans with one to two unique amino acids per haplotype. We hypothesize that these may have modest functional differences that might be associated with placental diseases. Therefore, we developed assays to identify the SNPs underlying the ERVWE1 haplotypes and initiated studies of their ethnic distribution and disease association. STUDY DESIGN: To distinguish the ERVWE1 locus from the dozens of other HERV-W loci in the human genome, we developed a two-stage PCR approach followed by pyrosequencing to identify the five known alleles (VRSS, VRnS, VqnS, aRSS, VqSf). Samples from control, preeclampsia and/or fetal growth restriction ( 5%) were collected and used for DNA preparation after IRB approval and patient consent. RESULTS: An examination of Biaka, Mbuti, European, Druze, Nasioi, Chinese and Mayan blood DNA samples (pooled from five individuals in each group) resulted in identification of a potentially new haplotype (VqSS Druze). In addition, the ratio of the two most common haplotypes (VRSS and VRnS) varied considerably in different groups. An initial small set of placental DNAs from individual, ethnically diverse patients revealed that the VRSS and VRnS haplotypes were, as expected, the most common. CONCLUSION: Despite the repeated nature of HERV-W, the ERVWE1 locus can be accurately genotyped. Frequencies of the two most common ERVWE1 haplotypes varied considerably in genetically diverse humans, emphasizing the importance of using ethnically matched controls in studying these haplotypes. A potential novel haplotype was identified. Due to its sudden arrival, relatively short residence in the genome of the human lineage ( 23 million years), and genetic variability, ERVWE1 warrants further study as a candidate contributor to placental diseases.
A mechanism for efficient debugging of parallel programs

This paper addresses the design and implementation of an integrated debugging system for parallel programs running on shared memory multi-processors (SMMP). We describe the use of flowback analysis to provide information on causal relationships between events in a program's execution without re-executing the program for debugging. We introduce a mechanism called incremental tracing that, by using semantic analyses of the debugged program, makes the flowback analysis practical with only a small amount of trace generated during execution. We extend flowback analysis to apply to parallel programs and describe a method to detect race conditions in the interactions of the co-operating processes.
Urban and Indigenous: The Challenges of being a Native American in the City

The United States is home to more than 4 million Native Americans, the majority of whom live in urban areas. Urban Native Americans often experience significant social, health, and economic problems while having access to substantially fewer Native-specific resources than their reservation-based counterparts. They also face challenges with access to tribal services and political processes, as well as identity-sustaining cultural resources. This article describes the urban nature of many contemporary Native American communities. Examples from various urban Native American communities highlight the challenges faced by urban Native people, as well as creative initiatives developed to serve this population. This paper draws on and synthesizes the literature on contemporary urban Native communities, thus providing needed information for service providers and researchers working in these communities.
Periodic image effects in dislocation modelling

The use of periodic boundary conditions for modelling crystal dislocations is predicated on one’s ability to handle the inevitable image effects. This communication deals with an often overlooked mathematical subtlety involved indealin g with the periodic dislocationarrays, that is conditional convergence of the lattice sums of image fields. By analysing the origin of conditional convergence and the numerical artefacts associated with it, we establish a mathematically consistent and numerically efficient procedure for regularization of the lattice sums and the corresponding image fields. The regularized solutions are free from the artefacts caused by conditional convergence and regain periodicity and translational invariance of the periodic supercells. Unlike the other existing methods, our approach is applicable to general anisotropic elasticity and arbitrary dislocation arrangements. The capabilities of this general methodology are demonstrated by application to a variety of situations encountered in atomistic and continuum modelling of crystal dislocations. The applications include introduction of dislocations in the periodic supercell for subsequent atomistic simulations, atomistic calculations of the core energies and the Peierls stress and continuum dislocation dynamics simulations in three dimensions.
Effects of citrate, heparin and cation supplementation on mortality and egg production of laboratory‐reared horn flies

. The effects of the blood anticoagulants sodium citrate and sodium heparin on horn fly, Haematobia irritans L., egg production were tested. Sodium citrate was added to freshly collected bovine blood to give final concentrations of 5-100mM while sodium heparin was used in concentrations of 10–70 USP units/ml blood. Small cages containing five male and ten female newly emerged laboratory-reared horn flies were maintained for 8–10 days on these blood samples, and mortality and egg production recorded daily. Results showed that as blood citrate concentration was increased, egg production decreased logarithmically. At sodium citrate concentrations of 50 mM and above, severe impacts on egg production and adult horn fly survival occurred. Although no dose-related response of egg production to increasing heparin concentrations was noted, the 25 USP units heparin/ml blood treatments gave the largest egg production, yielding approximately 28% more eggs than any other treatment. Since citrate is a known chelator of divalent metal cations, the effects of supplemental cation additions to citrated blood were tested for their ability to reverse the egg production decrease seen at 50 mM sodium citrate. Blood samples containing 50mM sodium citrate were supplemented with CaCl2, calcium lactate, CuCl2, cupric acetate, FeCl3, ferric citrate, MgCl2, magnesium acetate, MnCl2, ZnSO4, EGTA or EGTA plus calcium lactate, each at 1 mM except EGTA which was used at 2.5 mM. The magnesium acetate supplement and the combination of calcium lactate plus EGTA resulted in a statistically significant increase in egg production (P< 0.05).
A scientometric prediction of the discovery of the first potentially habitable planet with a mass similar to Earth.

Background The search for a habitable extrasolar planet has long interested scientists, but only recently have the tools become available to search for such planets. In the past decades, the number of known extrasolar planets has ballooned into the hundreds, and with it, the expectation that the discovery of the first Earth-like extrasolar planet is not far off. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, we develop a novel metric of habitability for discovered planets and use this to arrive at a prediction for when the first habitable planet will be discovered. Using a bootstrap analysis of currently discovered exoplanets, we predict the discovery of the first Earth-like planet to be announced in the first half of 2011, with the likeliest date being early May 2011. Conclusions/Significance Our predictions, using only the properties of previously discovered exoplanets, accord well with external estimates for the discovery of the first potentially habitable extrasolar planet and highlight the the usefulness of predictive scientometric techniques to understand the pace of scientific discovery in many fields.
Facilitating discovery on the private web using dataset digests

Whereas strategies for discovering content on the surface web are commonplace, similar strategies for the private web are non-existent. In this paper, we first establish a general framework for advertising the existence of private web resources that subsumes many existing summarisation strategies, and is based on succinct statistical summaries (which we call digests). We then investigate the trade-off between the data owners' desires to minimise disclosure of sensitive information and the searchers' desires to minimise query error, demonstrating that our techniques are superior to using k-anonymity for that purpose. Finally, we show that our techniques for summarisation do, in fact, make it possible to discover private web data resources.
Who is in whose pocket? Director compensation, board independence, and barriers to effective monitoring

Abstract We use a bargaining framework to examine empirically the relations between director compensation and board-of-director independence. Our evidence suggests that independent directors have a bargaining advantage over the CEO that results in compensation more closely aligned with shareholders’ objectives. Firms with more outsiders on their boards award directors more equity-based compensation. When the CEO's power over the board increases, compensation provides weaker incentives to monitor. Firms with more inside directors and with entrenched CEOs use less equity-based pay. Furthermore, firms with entrenched CEOs and CEOs who also chair the board are less likely to replace cash pay with equity.
Characterization of an Elastically Stretchable Microelectrode Array and Its Application to Neural Field Potential Recordings

Elastically stretchable microelectrode arrays (SMEAs) were fabricated, and their functionality was tested by recording field potentials from neural tissue. The SMEA includes 11 microelectrodes, each with a recording area of 100 × 200 μm and a reference electrode. The microelectrodes were fabricated by depositing and patterning thin-film gold conductors on the elastomeric substrate poly(dimethylsiloxane). A photopatternable silicone was used to encapsulate the microelectrodes and pattern vias for electrical contact. The recording sites of the microelectrodes were electroplated with platinum black to reduce the impedance of the electrode/electrolyte interface. Spontaneous and stimulus-evoked activity was recorded from hippocampal slices placed on an array that was biaxially stretched up to 13.3%. No appreciable difference in microelectrode properties was detected before and after stretching, demonstrating that the microelectrodes can be stretched reversibly.
A Bispectral Method for Cloud Parameter Determination

Abstract A technique is presented for determining cloud heights and amounts through the use of simultaneous. infrared and visible satellite radiance data. A set of simultaneous equations are developed which solve for cloud-top temperature (Tcld) and cloud amount (Acld) within the geometric field of view of the sensor. The cloud height is determined by comparing Tcld to upper air soundings, An error analysis is also presented showing the accuracy that can he obtained in Tcld and Acld when uncertainties exist in the measured visible and infrared radiances and in the assumptions required. Actual satellite measurements taken from the NOAA Scanning Radiometer (SR) are input into the technique and run for three specific geographical locations during several seasons where ground-based cloud observations are available. Results show an rms error in cloud amount of 0.2 and in cloud height of 0.5 km for a 75 km×75 km area for all cloud types except cirrus. For this case we have developed alternate solutions which ac...
Calibration of microprocessor performance models

Microprocessor designers use performance models to predict performance and guide their design decisions. Experimental results in the article highlight the significant effort required to achieve a truly cycle-accurate performance model and the necessity for systematic validation of performance models to ensure their accuracy and usefulness.