cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Global transboundry disease politics: The OIE perspective

Reviewed in this paper are the steps for listing or de-listing of an aquatic animal disease, the current list of OIE listed aquatic animal diseases, and the reporting requirements for listed diseases by member countries. The current OIE listed aquatic animal diseases includes two diseases of amphibians, nine of fish, seven of mollusks, and eight of crustaceans. Of interest is the difference in importance of the listed diseases in each of the four groups of aquatic animals. In mollusks, parasitic diseases dominate the list, while in fish and crustaceans virus diseases are dominant. Whether a listed disease is due to a virus, fungus, bacterium or a parasite, the occurrence of the disease may adversely affect international trade among trading partners that have, or do not have, the listed disease. By its very nature, the international trade in terrestrial animals and aquatic animals, and their products, is influenced by national and international politics. When the occurrence of an OIE listed or emerging disease becomes an issue between trading partners, trade restrictions may be put in place and disputes are often a consequence. The World Trade Organization named the OIE as the reference body for animal health as it relates to international trade. This action recognized the 88 year history of the work by the OIE in disease control, listing of diseases, the development of the terrestrial and aquatic codes and the diagnostic manuals, and the prompt notification of members by the OIE of the occurrence of listed diseases. The intent of the WTO with this action was likely to minimize disease related trade disputes brought before the WTO.
Influence of gibberellic acid on carrot growth and severity of Alternaria leaf blight

Applications of gibberellic acid (GA) to carrot foliage consistently reduced the percentage of leaf area affected by Alternaria dauci compared with nontreated plants. The degree of leaf blight reduction with two applications of GA was similar to that achieved with four applications of the fungicide iprodione. At the rates examined (GA at 2.5 to 250 mg/liter), foliage dry weights were generally increased by GA. Although root weight was significantly reduced by rates of 250 mg/liter, applications of lower rates (40 mg/liter or less) reduced leaf blight severity without affecting root quality. Applications of GA usually resulted in plants with longer leaves, wider petioles, and a more upright growth habit. In one trial, leaf length and petiole diameter increased linearly with increasing rates (20, 30, and 40 mg/liter). When applied twice at 30 mg/liter, GA did not affect cuticle, epidermal, or leaf thickness. In general, the initial timing of two applications of 20 to 40 mg/liter (4, 6, or 8 weeks after plant emergence) did not influence the effects of GA. However, in one trial, there was a greater incidence of core separation from the root cortex when 40 mg/liter was applied initially at 4 weeks. GA at 30 mg/liter slightly but significantly decreased inner root color in one of two trials.
Peralkaline ash flow tuffs and calderas of the McDermitt Volcanic Field, southeast Oregon and north central Nevada

The McDermitt volcanic field covers an area of 20,000 km2 in southeastern Oregon and northwestern Nevada and consists of seven large-volume ash flow sheets that vented from 16.1 to 15 Ma ago. The volcanic field is characterized by peralkaline, high-silica rhyolite, and all but one of the sheets are comendites. The ash flow field overlies a 1.5-km-thick section of Miocene Steens volcanic series and Steens Basalt, indicating a minimum age of 16.1 Ma for the Steens Basalt. The Orevada rift, a 200-km-long NNW-striking structure, developed just prior to eruption of the mafic lavas. Each ash flow sheet resulted in the formation of a large collapse caldera along the Orevada rift. The center of the volcanic field is dominated by four overlapping and nested calderas; satellitic to these are three additional calderas. The areas adjacent to the incipient calderas subsided during ash flow eruption. Thickening of the ash flow sheets, monoclinal warping outside the caldera ring fault, and tilting in toward the caldera of blocks bounded by curvilinear faults all indicate regional subsidence prior to caldera collapse. The McDermitt caldera complex is highly mineralized; it contains ore deposits of Hg, Sb, Cs, Li, and U. The peralkaline tuffs have high contents of these elements and were the source rocks from which metals were leached by hydrothermal systems developed during the last stage of caldera-related volcanism.
Transconduit puncture for catheter ablation of atrial tachycardia in a patient with extracardiac Fontan palliation

The Fontan palliation and its variants are the most widely used and accepted approach to regulate pulmonary blood flow and relieve cyanosis in patients with single ventricle physiology1. First generation Fontan procedures involved connection of the right atrium (RA) to the pulmonary artery (PA). However, this frequently caused RA dilation, sluggish RA flow, atrial fibrosis, and was associated with a high incidence of atrial arrhythmias2,3. Exclusion of most or all of the RA decreases the incidence of atrial arrhythmias; therefore, the Fontan procedure evolved by establishing a total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC) by way of either the lateral tunnel (an intra-atrial tunnel) or the extra-cardiac Fontan4,5. Patients who underwent first generation RA-PA Fontan surgery with subsequent development of atrial arrhythmias may benefit from surgical conversion to TCPC with concomitant arrhythmia surgery6,7. Despite significant reduction in arrhythmia burden, a sub-group of patients still develop recurrent arrhythmias8. The extra-cardiac Fontan consists of an IVC to PA conduit and direct connection of the SVC to the PA. Being completely outside the heart, it is thought to have less arrhythmic sequelae9; however, the conduit being made of stiff Gore-Tex, it also precludes access into the heart. This report outlines an approach to catheter ablation in a patient with extra-cardiac Fontan palliation where the heart was accessed via the conduit.
Leveling the Organizational Playing Field—Virtually A Meta-Analysis of Experimental Research Assessing the Impact of Group Support System Use on Member Influence Behaviors

One of the most heralded features of group support systems (GSSs) is their ability to democratize group processes. Through minimizing barriers to communication, GSSs are proposed to create greater opportunities for member influence than those created in groups meeting face-to-face. To test this notion, a meta-analysis was conducted examining the aggregate impact of GSS use on six influence variables across 48 experiments. Results indicate that groups using a GSS experience greater participation and influence equality, generate a larger amount of unique ideas, and experience less member dominance than do groups meeting face-to-face. The impact of GSS use on decision shifts is moderated by the national culture of participants. The implications of these findings for research on GSS use are examined, and directions for future research are offered.
Inexcitability of the Brainbridge, McDowall and Harrison Reflexes

Abstract : The Bainbri ge, McDowall and Harrison reflexes were not elicited by central venous hypertension, hypervolemia or tachyrrhea in 32 closed-chested intact, carotid-sinus baroreceptors denervated and vagotomized dogs. Localized caval and right atrial distention and perfusion did not induce reflex cardiac acceleration. The heart accommodated to increased filling by augmenting stroke volume. Arterial pressure was changed only in relation to cardiac output. Respiration was not affected. (Author)
On the failure mode transitions in polycarbonate under dynamic mixed-mode loading

Abstract Polycarbonate is known to exhibit rate dependent inelastic behavior. In the present work, it is shown that under predominantly mode II loading, superposed with a hydrostatic compressive stress field, the rate dependence manifests itself in interesting failure mode transitions from ductile to brittle to ductile again. The second transition is quite unusual and is examined in light of the hydrostatic compression and thermal softening of the material.
THE EFFECT OF FURNACE ATMOSPHERES ON THE QUALITY OF CERTAIN TYPES OF GLAZES1

A research sponsored by the American Gas Association was begun at Rutgers University in January, 1929. One phase of this research is the determination of the effect of furnace atmospheres on glazes, By maintaining carefully controlled conditions all variables were eliminated except that of atmosphere. Tests were made in many atmospheres using several different glazes. These atmospheres were formed either of the individual products of combustion, of combinations of gases which simulated actual furnace conditions, or of the products of combustion of city gas.
An empirical study of web site navigation structures' impacts on web site usability

Web sites are intended to facilitate knowledge acquisition, often in the interest of supporting decision making. Based on a taxonomy of factors influencing Web site usability, hypotheses are developed about usability of alternative navigation structures. These hypotheses are tested via experiments that measure user performance in accomplishing knowledge acquisition tasks and user perceptions of usability. Two rounds of experimentation are performed for both simple and relatively complex task sets. Results show that a usage-oriented hierarchy or a combined hierarchy is a navigation structure associated with significantly higher usability than subject-oriented hierarchies, for both simple and relatively complex knowledge acquisition tasks.
WE-D-18A-02: Performance Evaluation of Automatic Exposure Control (AEC) Across 12 Clinical CT Systems

Purpose: Automatic exposure control (AEC) is not typically evaluated or monitored in CT quality assurance programs. The purpose of this study was to develop/evaluate a new AEC testing platform for the clinical physics program at our institution, and characterize AEC performance across different CT systems. Methods: The Mercury Phantom comprises three tapered and four uniform regions of polyethylene(16, 23, 30, and 37 cm in diameter); each region includes four inserts: air, Polystyrene, Acrylic, and Teflon. The phantom was imaged using AEC and a fixed tube current technique across 12 clinical CT scanners. Those included five Siemens Somatom Definition Flash, four GE Discovery CT750HD, and three GE Lightspeed VCT systems. A custom MATLAB software package provided MTF, NPS, and detectability indices for each diameter section of the phantom. Detectability indices were used to evaluate the relationship between AEC setting, patient size, and image quality. The magnitude of the power of a best fit exponential curve to the detectability indices and phantom diameter was used as a measure of AEC strength. Results were compared within/across scanner models, and as baseline values for comparison with future system performance testing. Results: For each scanner model, the percent difference in expected image quality and AEC setting was under 3%(+/−2%). The average decrease in detectability between the small and large diameter phantom sections for the Siemens Flash, GE CT750, and GE VCT was 99%(+/−10%), 42%(+/−25%), and 33%(+/−41%), respectively. The value signifying AEC strength was 0.051(+/−13%), 0.019(+/−18%), and 0.018(+/−26%), for the Siemens Flash, GE CT750, and GE VCT models, respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrated a practical approach to test the AEC performance of clinical CT systems at a large academic medical center. The quantification and evaluation of AEC performance should be included in acceptance testing and in annual physics testing of clinical CT systems.
Managing a trois: a study of a multi-user drawing tool in distributed design work

A multi-user drawing tool was used by participants in a distributed design exercise conducted in a multi-media working environment. The goal of the study was to explore how observations from our earlier studies of shared drawing in two-person design activity would hold up when three participants worked together. Additionally, the study provided opportunities to contrast video/audio connections with audio-only connections and to discover new behaviors that emerge in the use of new technologies. Participants successfully used the shared drawing system with no observed difficulties attributable to the addition of a third user. Audio-only connections appeared to adequately suppofi this work activity, but details of the participants' interactions in the exercise raised questions that deserve further study. Finally, observations suggest that drawing tools such as the one reported here may offer support for alternative forms of participation in collaborative work.
The retraction algorithm for factoring banded symmetric matrices

Let A be an n × n symmetric matrix of bandwidth 2m + 1. The matrix need not be positive definite. In this paper we will present an algorithm for factoring A which preserves symmetry and the band structure and limits element growth in the factorization. With this factorization one may solve a linear system with A as the coefficient matrix and determine the inertia of A, the number of positive, negative, and zero eigenvalues of A. The algorithm requires between 1/2nm2 and 5/4nm2 multiplications and at most (2m + 1)n locations compared to non-symmetric Gaussian elimination which requires between nm2 and 2nm2 multiplications and at most (3m + 1)n locations. Our algorithm reduces A to block diagonal form with 1 × 1 and 2 × 2 blocks on the diagonal. When pivoting for stability and subsequent transformations produce non-zero elements outside the original band, column/row transformations are used to retract the bandwidth. To decrease the operation count and the necessary storage, we use the fact that the correction outside the band is rank-1 and invert the process, applying the transformations that would restore the bandwidth first, followed by a modified correction. This paper contains an element growth analysis and a computational comparison with LAPACKs non-symmetric band routines and the Snap-back code of Irony and Toledo. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Scattering by a sphere with an anisotropic impedance boundary condition: Mie series solution and uniqueness conditions

The Mie series solution for the scattered field of a sphere with an anisotropic impedance boundary condition (IBC) is derived along with the corresponding scattering cross section. Conditions on the impedance that ensure a unique solution for the scattered field are derived. The anisotropic IBC is derived for a material with an anisotropic electric permittivity and a large anisotropic conductivity. For the special case of an isotropic IBC, a method is presented for testing whether any given impedance leads to a unique solution for the scattered field, and it is shown that, for every incident wave frequency and mode number l, there are exactly two values of the impedance for which the scattered field is not unique.
Nucleus-Specific Importin Alpha Proteins and Nucleoporins Regulate Protein Import and Nuclear Division in the Binucleate Tetrahymena thermophila

The ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, having both germ line micronuclei and somatic macronuclei, must possess a specialized nucleocytoplasmic transport system to import proteins into the correct nucleus. To understand how Tetrahymena can target proteins to distinct nuclei, we first characterized FG repeat-containing nucleoporins and found that micro- and macronuclei utilize unique subsets of these proteins. This finding implicates these proteins in the differential permeability of the two nuclei and implies that nuclear pores with discrete specificities are assembled within a single cell. To identify the import machineries that interact with these different pores, we characterized the large families of karyopherin homologs encoded within the genome. Localization studies of 13 putative importin (imp) alpha- and 11 imp beta-like proteins revealed that imp alpha-like proteins are nucleus specific--nine localized to the germ line micronucleus--but that most imp beta-like proteins localized to both types of nuclei. These data suggest that micronucleus-specific proteins are transported by specific imp alpha adapters. The different imp alpha proteins exhibit substantial sequence divergence and do not appear to be simply redundant in function. Disruption of the IMA10 gene encoding an imp alpha-like protein that accumulates in dividing micronuclei results in nuclear division defects and lethality. Thus, nucleus-specific protein import and nuclear function in Tetrahymena are regulated by diverse, specialized karyopherins.
The WIZARD Trial as a Case Study of Flexible Clinical Trial Design

The design of a randomized, controlled, confirmatory efficacy clinical trial is influenced by multiple competing factors, including ethical, scientific, economic, and regulatory interests. Design elements, including choice of end points, study duration, and interim monitoring plans, need to be adapted to specific circumstances. The Weekly Intervention With Zithromax for Atherosclerosis and Its Related Disorders (WIZARD) study design was initially intended to meet the sponsor's scientific goals while being subject to practical constraints. In response to changing circumstances, modifications to the study design were required. The WIZARD trial demonstrates the substantial flexibility in the design and conduct of group-sequential randomized trials not only during the design stage but also after the trial is under way, effectively satisfying evolving and competing demands while preserving the statistical and scientific validity of the study.
Sustained-release naltrexone formulations for the treatment of alcohol and opioid dependence

Naltrexone, an opioid receptor antagonist, is effective in the treatment of alcohol and opioid dependence. An important limitation of the use of oral naltrexone is the lack of efficacy among patients who do not consistently take the medication. The advent of a sustained-release naltrexone addresses the problem of noncompliance. Naltrexone can be compounded into microcapsules that can be injected or implanted, producing a clinical response lasting from 30 days to several months. Several randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials demonstrate that sustained-release naltrexone is safe and effective for the treatment of both alcohol and opioid dependence. Sustained-release formulations of naltrexone may offer several advantages over its oral formulation with respect to medication compliance, pharmacokinetics, side effect profile and ease of use. Recently, one formulation of sustained-release naltrexone received approval from the US FDA and offers a new option for addiction treatment.
Topological Model for the Viscosity of Multicomponent Glass-Forming Liquids

Topological constraint theory holds the key to understanding the temperature and composition dependence of the dynamics of glass-forming liquids. Unfortunately, existing analytical models currently do not apply to multicomponent industrial glasses. Moreover, models that are strictly empirical in nature fail to provide insight into the underlying physical trends and cannot extrapolate beyond the compositional ranges used for fitting of their parameters. In this paper, we present a phenomenological model offering an improved description of the composition and temperature dependence of the shear viscosity of multicomponent liquids. The model has a clear physical foundation based on the temperature dependence of the network constraints with only two empirical fitting parameters per oxide component. The model predicts the isokom temperatures of 7141 viscosity measurements for 760 different compositions with a root-mean-square error of only 6.55 K.
Lung cancer in octogenarians: factors affecting long-term survival following resection.

Objective: To identify factors associated with long-term survival following pulmonary resection for lung cancer in patients 80 years of age or older. Methods: The medical records of all patients 80 years, who underwent pulmonary resection for lung cancer from 1985 to 2002, were reviewed. Results: There were 294 patients (192 men, 102 women). Median age was 82 years (range 80—94 years). Overall 1-, 2-, and 5-year survival was 80%, 62%, and 34%, respectively. Histologic subtype, diabetes, renal insufficiency, prior myocardial infarction, congestive heart failureorstrokewerenotsignificantlyassociatedwithdifferencesin5-yearsurvival.Femalegenderwasassociatedwithincreasedsurvival(36.2% vs 32.7% at 5 years, p = 0.04). Extent of preoperative forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) limitation did not influence survival. However, there were no 5-year survivors amongst patients with dyspnea as their presenting chief complaint, whereas there was a 35% 5-year survival in patients presenting without dyspnea (p < 0.001). Five-year survival by pathologic stage was IA, 48%; IB, 39%; IIA, 17%; IIB, 23%; IIIA, 9%; and IIIB, 0% (p < 0.001). Five-year survivalofpatientsundergoinga lobectomy was42%versus11%forpneumonectomy (p < 0.001).Conclusions: Meaningful long-term survival is obtainable in elderly patients undergoing surgical resection for lung cancer. Careful patient evaluation and selection is necessary to identify patients who will benefit most from resection. Shorter survival was observed in male patients and those presenting with dyspnea. As could be expected, survival was also dependent on extent of resection and initial pathologic stage. # 2007 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Changes in Parent, Sibling, and Peer Support During the Transition to Young Adulthood

Longitudinal trajectories of parent, sibling, and peer support during the transition to young adulthood were compared among 600 participants (51.1% female) from Asian, European, and Latin American backgrounds. Participants completed questionnaires at 12th grade, 2 and 4 years after high school. Results indicated that parent support increased across this period for participants from European backgrounds but remained stable for participants from Asian and Latin American backgrounds. Peer and sibling support remained relatively stable. Supports had specific implications for self-esteem and depressive mood. On average, young adults with higher levels of support reported greater expectations to reciprocate support within the family. Together, these findings highlight the changing dynamics of family and friends during the transition to young adulthood.
Site-specific analysis of gene expression in early osteoarthritis using the Pond-Nuki model in dogs

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive and debilitating disease that often develops from a focal lesion and may take years to clinically manifest to a complete loss of joint structure and function. Currently, there is not a cure for OA, but early diagnosis and initiation of treatment may dramatically improve the prognosis and quality of life for affected individuals. This study was designed to determine the feasibility of analyzing changes in gene expression of articular cartilage using the Pond-Nuki model two weeks after ACL-transection in dogs, and to characterize the changes observed at this time point. The ACL of four dogs was completely transected arthroscopically, and the contralateral limb was used as the non-operated control. After two weeks the dogs were euthanatized and tissues harvested from the tibial plateau and femoral condyles of both limbs. Two dogs were used for histologic analysis and Mankin scoring. From the other two dogs the surface of the femoral condyle and tibial plateau were divided into four regions each, and tissues were harvested from each region for biochemical (GAG and HP) and gene expression analysis. Significant changes in gene expression were determined using REST-XL, and Mann-Whitney rank sum test was used to analyze biochemical data. Significance was set at (p < 0.05). Significant differences were not observed between ACL-X and control limbs for Mankin scores or GAG and HP tissue content. Further, damage to the tissue was not observed grossly by India ink staining. However, significant changes in gene expression were observed between ACL-X and control tissues from each region analyzed, and indicate that a unique regional gene expression profile for impending ACL-X induced joint pathology may be identified in future studies. The data obtained from this study lend credence to the research approach and model for the characterization of OA, and the identification and validation of future diagnostic modalities. Further, the changes observed in this study may reflect the earliest changes in AC reported during the development of OA, and may signify pathologic changes within a stage of disease that is potentially reversible.
Asteropeia and Physena (Caryophyllales): A case study in comparative wood anatomy

Abstract Previous analyses of Asteropeia and Physena have not compared the wood anatomy of these genera to those of Caryophyllales s.l. Molecular evidence shows that the two genera form a clade that is a sister group of the core Caryophyllales. Synapomorphies of the Asteropeia—Physena clade include small circular alternate pits on vessels, presence of vasicentric tracheids plus fiber-tracheids, presence of abaxial-confluent plus diffuse axial parenchyma, and presence of predominantly uniseriate rays. These features are analyzed with respect to habit and ecology of the two genera. Solitary vessels, present in both genera, are related to the presence of vasicentric tracheids. Autapomorphies in the two genera seem related to adaptations by Physena as a shrub of moderately dry habitats (e.g., narrower vessel elements, abundant vasicentric tracheids, square to erect cells in rays) as compared to alternate character expressions that seem related to the arboreal habit and humid forest ecology of Asteropeia. The ...
Suppression of UGA codon by a tryptophan tRNA.

Abstract Tryptophan tRNA isolated from a UGA suppressor (Su UGA + ) strain of Escherichia coli , CAJ64, has been partially purified on a benzoylated DEAE-cellulose column. When added to an in vitro system this tRNA was able to suppress a UGA mutation in the phage-specific polymerase of a mutant of bacteriophage f2 (op 9). Tryptophan tRNA obtained from an Su − strain did not cause suppression, nor did tRNA from the Su UGA + strain which had undergone a similar purification process but was enriched for tyrosine or phenylalanine acceptor activity. The suppressing tRNA was further fractionated and the suppressor activity correlated with tryptophan acceptor activity. We conclude that the suppressor tRNA species in E. coli CAJ64 is a tryptophan tRNA. The UGA mutant is known to be leaky. In order to facilitate the suppressor assay, use was made of an extract prepared from an Su − str r strain in which residual synthesis of polymerase stimulated by op 9 RNA was markedly reduced. We have demonstrated by mixing experiments that it is the ribosome fraction in the str r extract which is responsible for the observed streptomycin effect.
Actively Learning Object Names Across Ambiguous Situations

Previous research shows that people can use the co-occurrence of words and objects in ambiguous situations (i.e., containing multiple words and objects) to learn word meanings during a brief passive training period (Yu & Smith, 2007). However, learners in the world are not completely passive but can affect how their environment is structured by moving their heads, eyes, and even objects. These actions can indicate attention to a language teacher, who may then be more likely to name the attended objects. Using a novel active learning paradigm in which learners choose which four objects they would like to see named on each successive trial, this study asks whether active learning is superior to passive learning in a cross-situational word learning context. Finding that learners perform better in active learning, we investigate the strategies and discover that most learners use immediate repetition to disambiguate pairings. Unexpectedly, we find that learners who repeat only one pair per trial—an easy way to infer this pair—perform worse than those who repeat multiple pairs per trial. Using a working memory extension to an associative model of word learning with uncertainty and familiarity biases, we investigate individual differences that correlate with these assorted strategies.
Microphysical Observations of Tropical Clouds

Abstract The results from airborne in situ sampling of convective tropical storms in the Amazon and Kwajalein are presented. Three cases from the Amazon and two from Kwajalein are compared and provide examples of the much larger dataset that was obtained from field campaigns in these two regions during 1999. The strength of the updraft was a major factor in determining the microphysical characteristics of hydrometeors. Weak updrafts exhibited a well-developed warm rain process by the time droplets had reached the freezing level. Stronger updrafts (>5 m s−1) contained smaller droplets or ice particles at cloud midlevels than regions with the weaker updrafts. Significant supercooled liquid water was found only at temperatures warmer than −12°C, although traces of liquid water were observed at temperatures as cold as −18°C. In deep stratiform anvil regions, aggregation was observed to be a major growth mechanism. These clouds did not contain appreciable amounts of supercooled water. Clouds with similar updra...
Conservation challenges of a sink: the viability of an isolated population of the Snowy Plover

Source-sink dynamics are easily overlooked when formulating recovery objectives for threatened species. This could lead to unrealistic criteria imposed on sink populations, which in turn might restrict an entire metapopulation from being delisted. Therefore, an understanding of the viability of subpopulations within the context of a metapopulation is needed to develop appropriate recovery objectives. Consequently, we used 11 years of mark-recapture, productivity, and movement data to analyse the viability of a small, geographically isolated population of the Snowy Plover Charadrius nivosus, a shorebird listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Simulations confirmed that the focal population in northern California is a sink that relies upon immigrants from neighbouring populations. Furthermore, these source populations will increase within the next 50 years and are likely to achieve the delisting requirements. However, the northern California population is unlikely to reach the delisting criteria given the current vital rate estimations. Management scenarios demonstrated that lethal predator removal and reducing human disturbance facilitate population recovery and may partially alleviate the reliance upon immigration. However, the use of nest exclosures reduced population growth because they are known to compromise adult survival. These results highlight the importance of maintaining viable source populations and re-evaluating the recovery objectives of metapopulations with active sinks.
Agrobacterium -mediated transformation of black cherry for flowering control and insect resistance

Black cherry is one of the most valuable hardwood species for cabinetry, furniture, and veneer. The goal of this study was to develop transgenic black cherry plants with reproductive sterility and enhanced insect resistance. Black cherry TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (PsTFL1) was overexpressed under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter in black cherry via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, as a strategy for gene containment. PsTFL1 is a homolog of Arabidopsis TFL1 which is known to play a key role in regulating flowering time by counteracting with FLOWERING LOCUS T and repressing the transcription of the floral-related genes. The elevated expression level of PsTFL1 was proven to be able to significantly delay flowering and cause abnormal floral structure which led to sterility in Arabidopsis. Therefore, the overexpression of PsTFL1 was expected to induce the similar phenotype in black cherry to achieve reproductive sterility. To enhance insect resistance in black cherry, the black cherry endogenous genes encoding prunasin hydrolase isoform 3 (PH3) and mandelonitrile lyase isoform 4 (MDL4) were inserted into black cherry under the control of the phloem-specific promoter rolC or the CaMV 35S promoter. The two enzymes catalyze the hydrolysis of prunasin to mandelonitrile and the dissociation of mandelonitrile to hydrogen cyanide (HCN), respectively, and the overexpression of PH3 or MDL4 might accelerate the release of toxic HCN and lead to an effective protection from cambial-mining insects. Three independent transgenic lines of 35S::PsTFL1, three of rolC::MDL4-FLAG, two of rolC::PH3-FLAG, and eight of 35S::MDL4-FLAG were obtained. The integration of transgenes and the copy number of neomycin phosphotransferase were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis. The mRNA levels of PsTFL1, MDL4, and PH3 were examined by real-time qPCR and were compared to the wild-type. The expression level of PsTFL1 in the three 35S::PsTFL1 lines were 3.7–5.8-times higher than that of the wild-type. However, the mRNA level of MDL4 in the 35S::MDL4-FLAG lines and rolC::MDL4-FLAG lines, and the mRNA level of PH3 in the rolC::PH3-FLAG lines showed no significant change indicating that transgene silencing was induced. Western blot analysis was carried out using anti-FLAG antibody to detect the FLAG-tagged PH3 in the transgenic line that had slightly increased mRNA level of PH3, but no signal was detected.
CONTINUITY OF PSYCHROPHILIC AND MESOPHILIC GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS IN THE GENUS ARTHROBACTER

Roth, Norman G. (Whirlpool Corp., St. Joseph, Mich.) and Robert B. Wheaton. Continuity of psychrophilic and mesophilic growth characteristics in the genus Arthrobacter. J. Bacteriol. 83:551–555. 1962.—The effect of temperature on growth of seven members of the genus Arthrobacter was determined at 0, 7, 20, 30, and 37 C. In general, no sharp cutoff point was observed between growth-temperature requirements of psychrophilic and mesophilic bacteria. There appeared to be a continuous gradation among members of this genus in ability to initiate and maintain growth at 0 C. The total number of generations produced was not greatly affected by incubation temperature, provided that growth occurred. However, the time required to attain maximal growth was greatest at psychrophilic temperatures.
Expression of p16INK4a as a biomarker of T-cell aging in HIV-infected patients prior to and during antiretroviral therapy

The p16(INK4a) tumor suppressor gene is a mediator of cellular senescence and has been suggested to be a biomarker of 'molecular' age in several tissues including T cells. To determine the association of both active and suppressed HIV infection with T-cell aging, T-cell p16(INK4a) expression was compared between 60 HIV+ suppressed subjects, 23 HIV+ untreated subjects, and 18 contemporaneously collected HIV-negative controls, as well as 148 HIV-negative historical samples. Expression did not correlate with chronologic age in untreated HIV+ patients, consistent with an effect of active HIV replication on p16(INK4a) expression. In patients on cART with suppressed viral loads, however, p16(INK4a) levels were similar to uninfected controls and correlated with chronologic age, with a trend toward an inverse correlation with CD4 count. These data show that p16(INK4a) is a reliable biomarker of T-cell aging in HIV+ patients with suppressed viral loads and suggest that poor CD4 cell recovery on cART may be associated with increased T-cell expression of p16(INK4a), a marker of cellular senescence.
Segregation of Ga in Ge and InSb in GaSb

Axial and radial segregation of (i) Ga in Ge and (ii) InSb in GaSb has been evaluated in crystals grown by the submerged heater method. The values of di!usion coe$cients obtained by "tting the Tiller’s equation to the initial transients in composition are signi"cantly lower than the values in the literature, obtained by using shear cells with capillaries. ( 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Design and analysis of a CMOS SOS/SOI receiver for a radiation hard computer

Summary form only given. The design of a clock receiver with a high-capacitance output drive that required special layout considerations to obtain a high-speed input protection network is discussed. The receiver layout used a crossing poly pattern to reduce thermal hot spots and improve reliability. Also, the design ground rules for pulse current loading on the small-cross-section clock interconnect metallization lines were related to the DC current rating. Finally, by applying a weak forward bias to the body of the NFET of a ratioed CMOS inverter, it was possible to realize a more ideal TTL buffer with respect to switch point and temperature characteristics. >
Enhancing the classification accuracy of IP geolocation

The ability to localize Internet hosts is appealing for a range of applications from online advertising to localizing cyber attacks. Recently, measurement-based approaches have been proposed to accurately identify the location of Internet hosts. These approaches typically produce erroneous results due to measurement errors. In this paper, we propose an Enhanced Learning Classifier approach for estimating the geolocation of Internet hosts with increased accuracy. Our approach extends an exisiting machine learning based approach by extracting six features from network measurements and implementing a new landmark selection policy. These enhancements allow us to mitigate problems with measurement errors and reduces average error distance in estimating location of Internet hosts. To demonstrate the accuracy of our approach, we evaluate the performance on network routers using ping measurements from PlanetLab nodes with known geographic placement. Our results demonstrate that our approach improves average accuracy by geolocating internet hosts 100 miles closer to the true geographic location versus prior measurement-based approaches.
Measuring pain: An introspective look at introspection

The measurement of pain depends upon subjective reports, but we know very little about how research subjects or pain patients produce self-reported judgments. Representationalist assumptions dominate the field of pain research and lead to the critical conjecture that the person in pain examines the contents of consciousness before making a report about the sensory or affective magnitude of pain experience as well as about its nature. Most studies to date have investigated what Fechner termed "outer psychophysics": the relationship between characteristics of an external stimulus and the magnitude and nature of pain experience. In contrast, Fechner originally envisioned that "inner psychophysics" should investigate the relationship between physiological states and subjective experience. Despite the lack of established research tradition, inner psychophysics has a potential utility in elucidating underlying mechanisms for the production of phenomenal self-report. We illustrate this, using causal modeling analyses of the accuracy of self-reported pain ratings from our laboratory. We submit that the results are inconsistent with representationalist assumptions. Converging trends from several domains of consciousness studies seem to suggest that we need to abandon the unquestioned doctrine of representationalism and search for a more viable framework for understanding the generation of subjective self-report.
Origin of the adakite–high-Nb basalt association and its implications for postsubduction magmatism in Baja California, Mexico

Constraining the origin of the adakite–high-Nb basalt (HNB) association in Baja California, Mexico, is critical to a better understanding of global arc magmatism. Currently the preferred explanation for the close spatial and temporal association of the two rock suites is through melting of the basaltic portion of the subducted Farallon-Cocos plate, thus providing support for the slab-melting origin of adakites elsewhere. Moreover, a tectono-magmatic model involving the production of both adakite and HNB from slab melts offers a comprehensive explanation for the origin of the atypical, arc-related, postsubduction magmatism in Baja California. This paper proposes alternative models for the origin of HNB and postsubduction magmatism in Baja California, wherein the unusual geologic setting of western Mexico and westward movement of North America permitted the influx of Pacific asthenosphere beneath the adjacent Gulf of California after the cessation of subduction. Unlike the previous tectono-magmatic model, the new models propose that the asthenosphere provided a direct source for postsubduction tholeiitic and rare alkali magmas that were erupted in Baja California as tholeiites and HNB, respectively. Fractional crystallization of some of the HNB magmas plus assimilation of tholeiitic materials produced Nb-enriched basalts (NEB). The influx of Pacific asthenosphere after the cessation of subduction also provided thermal energy to melt the mafic lower Baja California crust, producing adakite rocks, and the preexist-ing metasomatized mantle wedge, producing bajaites and calc-alkaline magmas.
Nuclear DNA Content Estimates in Green Algal Lineages: Chlorophyta and Streptophyta

† Background and Aims Consensus higher-level molecular phylogenies present a compelling case that an ancient divergence separates eukaryotic green algae into two major monophyletic lineages, Chlorophyta and Streptophyta, and a residuum of green algae, which have been referred to prasinophytes or micromonadophytes. Nuclear DNA content estimates have been published for less than 1% of the described green algal members of Chlorophyta, which includes multicellular green marine algae and freshwater flagellates (e.g. Chlamydomonas and Volvox). The present investigation summarizes the state of our knowledge and adds substantially to our database of C-values, especially for the streptophyte charophycean lineage which is the sister group of the land plants. A recent list of 2C nuclear DNA contents for isolates and species of green algae is expanded by 72 to 157. † Methods The DNA-localizing fluorochrome DAPI (4 0 ,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) and red blood cell (chicken erythrocytes) standard were used to estimate 2C values with static microspectrophotometry. † Key Results In Chlorophyta, including Chlorophyceae, Prasinophyceae, Trebouxiophyceae and Ulvophyceae, 2C DNA estimates range from 0.01 to 5.8 pg. Nuclear DNA content variation trends are noted and discussed for specific problematic taxon pairs, including Ulotrichales‐Ulvales, and Cladophorales‐Siphonocladales. For Streptophyta, 2C nuclear DNA contents range from 0. 2t o 6.4 pg, excluding the highly polyploid Charales and Desmidiales, which have genome sizes of up to 14.8 and 46.8 pg, respectively. Nuclear DNA content data for Streptophyta superimposed on a contemporary molecular phylogeny indicate that early diverging lineages, including some members of Chlorokybales, Coleochaetales and Klebsormidiales, have genomes as small as 0.1‐0.5 pg. It is proposed that the streptophyte ancestral nuclear genome common to both the charophyte and the embryophyte lineages can be characterized as 1C ¼ 0.2 pg and 1n ¼ 6. † Conclusions These data will help pre-screen candidate species for the on-going construction of bacterial artificial chromosome nuclear genome libraries for land plant ancestors. Data for the prasinophyte Mesostigma are of particular interest as this alga reportedly most closely resembles the ‘ancestral green flagellate’. Both mechanistic and ecological processes are discussed that could have produced the observed C-value increase of .100-fold in the charophyte green algae whereas the ancestral genome was conserved in the embryophytes.
Persistence of the Host-Selective Toxin Ptr ToxB in the Apoplast

The necrotrophic fungus Pyrenophora tritici-repentis is responsible for the disease tan spot of wheat. Ptr ToxB (ToxB), a proteinaceous host-selective toxin, is one of the effectors secreted by P. tritici-repentis. ToxB induces chlorosis in toxin-sensitive wheat cultivars and displays characteristics common to apoplastic effectors. We addressed the hypothesis that ToxB exerts its activity extracellularly. Our data indicate that hydraulic pressure applied in the apoplast following ToxB infiltration can displace ToxB-induced symptoms. In addition, treatment with a proteolytic cocktail following toxin infiltration results in reduction of symptom development and indicates that ToxB requires at least 8 h in planta to induce maximum symptom development. In vitro assays demonstrate that apoplastic fluids extracted from toxin-sensitive and -insensitive wheat cultivars cannot degrade ToxB. Additionally, ToxB can be reisolated from apoplastic fluid after toxin infiltration. Furthermore, localization studies of fluo...
A Characterization of the Burr Type III and Type XII Distributions through the Method of Percentiles and the Spearman Correlation

A characterization of Burr Type III and Type XII distributions based on the method of percentiles (MOP) is introduced and contrasted with the method of (conventional) moments (MOM) in the context o...
The Effect of Superior Placement of the Acetabular Component on the Rate of Loosening after Total Hip Arthroplasty. Long-Term Results in Patients Who Have Crowe Type-II Congenital Dysplasia of the Hip*

A method for measurement of the true acetabular region and the approximate femoral head center as well as a classification consisting of four zones for assessment of the acetabular position of the acetabular cup were used to analyze the results of primary total hip arthroplasty with cement in 117 patients (145 hips). All patients had Crowe type-II congenital dysplasia of the hip. The mean age at the time of the arthroplasty was fifty-one years (range, fifteen to seventy-six years), and the mean duration of follow-up was fourteen years (range, two to twenty-two years). The initial position of the acetabular cup outside of the true acetabular region and outside of zone 1 (inferior and medial) was associated with an increase in the rates of loosening (p < 0.05) and revision (p < 0.04) of the femoral components. Cups that initially were more than fifteen millimeters superior to the approximate femoral head center, without lateral displacement, were associated with an increased rate of loosening (p < 0.001) and of revision (p < 0.04) of the femoral components as well as with an increased rate of loosening (p < 0.002) and of revision (p < 0.01) of the acetabular components. These findings suggest that superior positioning of the acetabular component, even without lateral displacement, leads to increased rates of loosening of the femoral and acetabular components. An attempt should be made to position the acetabular component in or near the true acetabular region.
Metformin associated with better cardiovascular outcomes than other glycaemic therapies

A question exists as to whether the outcome of glycaemic treatment of diabetes varies with the agent used; speculation surrounds whether metformin might be preferable to other treatments. Ghotbi and colleagues performed an epidemiological analysis of 8192 obese patients with diabetes at increased cardiovascular risk participating in the Sibutramine Cardiovascular OUTcomes (SCOUT) trial. Mortality and a combined cardiovascular outcome of non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, resuscitation after cardiac arrest or cardiovascular death were compared among those receiving one of the following interventions: no pharmacological glycaemic treatment, metformin monotherapy, insulin monotherapy, sulfonylurea monotherapy, metformin plus sulfonylurea and metformin plus insulin. Each group consisted of approximately 1000–1500 participants, randomised to either sibutramine or control (the main purpose of the trial) and followed up to 6 years. The authors performed …