cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Morphological responses of wheat to blue light

Blue light significantly increased tillering in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants grown at the same photosynthetic photon flux (PPF). Plants were grown under two levels of blue light (400-500 nm) in a controlled environment with continuous irradiation. Plants received either 50 micromoles m-2 s-1 of blue light or 2 micromoles m-2 s-1 blue light from filtered metal halide lamps at a total irradiance of 200 micromoles m-2 s-1 PPF (400-700 nm). Plants tillered an average of 25% more under the higher level of blue light. Blue light also caused a small, but consistent, increase in main culm development, measured as Haun stage. Leaf length was reduced by higher levels of blue light, while plant dry-mass was not significantly affected by blue light. Applying the principle of equivalent light action, the results suggest that tillering and leaf elongation are mediated by the blue-UV light receptor(s) because phytochrome photoequilibrium for each treatment were nearly identical.
Double-blind placebo-controlled trial of oral cromolyn in children with atopic dermatitis and documented food hypersensitivity

Ten children with challenge-proven egg hypersensitivity and atopic dermatitis were enrolled in a double-blind crossover trial of oral cromolyn sodium. After receiving up to 40 mg/kg/day of cromolyn or placebo for 1 week, patients underwent double-blind placebo-controlled oral food challenges. In the eight subjects who reacted to the food challenge, there was no significant difference in the amount of food allergen eliciting the positive response, the timing of onset until first subjective or objective symptoms developed, symptoms provoked, or the duration of the symptoms in either phase of the study. This study demonstrates no benefit in the treatment of children with atopic dermatitis and food hypersensitivity with oral cromolyn sodium.
Self-reinforced prepregs and laminates of a poly(phenylene oxide)—polystyrene alloy with a liquid crystalline polymer

Abstract Extruded prepregs of a blend of a poly(phenylene oxide) (PPO)—polystyrene (PS) alloy with a liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) have been prepared for various concentrations and with different extension ratios. These prepregs have then been compression moulded into laminates with two orientations of the prepregs in the laminate. In one case, 16 prepreg sheets have been placed in unidirectional orientation. In the other, the 16 sheets have been placed in such a way that each subsequent sheet was at a 45° angle with respect to the preceding sheet, thereby yielding a quasi-isotropic orientation. The laminates have been prepared for each extension ratio with different reduction ratios. The unidirectional laminates have been tested for the tensile strength and secant modulus in the machine direction and the transverse direction. The quasi-isotropic laminates have also been tested for mechanical properties. The mechanical properties of the laminates have been compared to the values obtained for injection moulded blends of the same materials. Prediction of the mechanical properties of the quasi-isotropic laminates have been carried out based on the values obtained for the unidirectional laminates tested in the machine and transverse directions. The mechanical properties of the quasi-isotropic laminates with high extension and reduction ratios are either comparable to or higher than those obtained for the injection moulded blends of the same concentration tested in the machine direction. The morphologies of the prepreg sheets with various extension ratios have been studied in order to determine the nature of the LCP fibres in the prepregs. The morphologies of the quasi-isotropic laminates with various LCP concentrations have also been studied in order to determine the effect of orientation of the LCP fibres in the laminates. The studies have shown that this novel processing technique enables the preparation of self-reinforced laminates of LCP—thermoplastic blends, with controlled anisotropy and enhanced mechanical properties, when compared with the corresponding injection moulded blends.
Catechol- O -methyltransferase haplotypes are associated with psychosis in Alzheimer disease

Psychotic symptoms in subjects with Alzheimer disease (AD with psychosis, AD+P) define a phenotype characterized by greater cognitive burden than in AD without psychosis. We have proposed that genes of small effect may contribute to the risk for expression of psychosis in multiple disorders, including AD. Recently, sex-differential association of a three-locus haplotype, including a G → A transition at codon 108/158 of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) resulting in a Val → Met substitution, has been reported to confer an increased risk for schizophrenia. The main objective of the study was to determine if COMT genetic variation is associated with risk of psychosis in AD, and included a case–control study of 373 individuals diagnosed with AD with, or without, psychosis. All subjects were characterized for alleles at the three loci associated with schizophrenia, RS737865, COMT G → A 108/158 (RS4680), and RS165599, and for a C/T transition adjacent to an estrogen response element (ERE6) in the COMT P2 promoter region. Both single locus and haplotype tests of association were conducted. Logit models were used to examine independent and interacting effects of alleles at the associated loci. All analyses were stratified by sex. In female subjects, RS4680 demonstrated a modest association with AD+P; RS737865 demonstrated a trend towards an association. There was a highly significant association of AD+P with the four-locus haplotype, which resulted from additive effects of alleles at RS4680 and ERE6 (or RS737865, as this locus was in almost absolute linkage disequilibrium (LD) with ERE6). In male subjects, no single locus test was significant, but there remained a strong association between AD+P and the four-locus haplotype. This association appeared to result from interaction of the ERE6/RS737865, RS4680, and RS165599 loci. Genetic variation in COMT is associated with AD+P, and thus appears to contribute to psychosis risk across disorders. Sex-differential associations of COMT with psychosis may result from variation at, or in LD with, ERE6. Examination of variation at ERE6 in subjects with schizophrenia, and further examination of the independent and additive effects of variations in COMT on gene expression, is warranted.
A dual control approach to optimal pricing

The optimal pricing policy of a monopolistic firm facing random demand and maximizing its expected profit over a period of several stages is considered. The demand function is assumed to be time invariant but unknown. A special case when the cost is certain and the demand is a linear function of the price is investigated. This is formulated as a stochastic control problem. It is found that when both the intercept and slope of the demand function are unknown, the optimal pricing policy does not correspond to optimal prices for each individual stage. Approximate methods are used to find the optimal policies. Simulation results are given.
Biochemical evidence for the requirement of continuous glucose therapy in young adults with type 1 glycogen storage disease.

To determine whether patients with GSD-1 need nocturnal glucose therapy after completing physical growth and development, studies were performed on two consecutive nights. On the first night uncooked cornstarch (UCS) was given at the calculated glucose production rate at 21:00 h and 02:00 h. On the second night UCS was given at 21:00 h but omitted at 02:00 h. Six GSD-1 patients, aged 17.2–20.9 years, previously treated with continuous glucose therapy were studied. Measurements were made of plasma glucose (PG), serum insulin, growth hormone, cortisol, plasma glucagon (n=4), and blood lactate at 30–60-min intervals. Serum uric acid, cholesterol, and triglycerides were measured at 21:00 h and 07:00 h, and serum FFA at 21:00 h, 02:00 h and 07:00 h on the first night and immediately before treatment for hypoglycaemia on the second night. For five hours after UCS at 21:00 h, mean PG, serum insulin and blood lactate concentrations were similar on the two nights. With UCS at 02:00 h, mean PG concentrations were ≥4.1 mmol/L from 02:00 to 07:00 h. Without UCS at 02:00 h, in all subjects PG concentrations fell to <2.5 mmol/L after 6.5–8.5 h and mean blood lactate concentration increased to 7.4±3.0 mmol/L. Young adults with GSD-1 developed hypoglycaemia and hyperlactataemia after a relatively brief period without exogenous glucose and, therefore, need to continue nocturnal glucose therapy to prevent fasting hypoglycaemia.
INTERACTION OF MULTIDENTATE COBALT(II)-CHELATE COMPLEXES WITH FERRICYANIDE ION. III. CoIIPDTA (1,2 PROPYLENEDIAMINETETRAACETIC ACID)

Abstract The intereaction of CoIIPDTA (PDTA=1,2-propylenediaminetetraacetic acid) and Fe(CN)6 3- is reported in accordance with the reaction scheme The values of K 1, k 1 and k 3 at 25°C, pH 5.00 and I=0.66 M(associated thermodynamic parameters follow in parentheses) are 637 M−1 (δH 10=−17.6 kcal/mole), 8×104 M−1 sec−1 and 3.17 × 10−3 sec−1 (δH3∗=26.5 kcal/mole and δS∗=14.5 cal/deg.-mole.) The binuclear cyanide bridged intermediate, I1, forms by displacement of an in-plane acetate group by Fe(CN)[sgrave] 3-. In the PDTA complex the reaction is believed to occur via the acetate group which is “remote” from the methyl group in the ethylenediamine ring. Rate and equilibria data are discussed in terms of the effects of this methyl group on the acetate group.
An Optical Fiber Proximity Sensor for Haptic Exploration

This paper presents the design of an optical fiber proximity sensor for haptic exploration with a robotic finger. The sensor uses emitter and receiver optical fiber pairs to measure the intensity of light reflected off surrounding objects in a 2-D workspace. We present the design and construction a 32-point sensor array mounted within a 36 mm diameter finger and describe software techniques to process data acquired by an inexpensive Web cam. We experimentally characterize the sensor performance and demonstrate applications for haptic exploration such as pre-contact velocity reduction and non-contact contour following based on object curvature.
Pre-Service Teachers and Mathematics: The Impact of Service-Learning on Teacher Preparation

In spite of repeated reform efforts, there is research and data that suggest that teachers lack the needed knowledge to successfully teach elementary mathematics. Some argue that teachers lack the needed content knowledge while other argue that a lack of confidence and practice are impacting teachers’ ability to successful teach mathematics. As a result of these issues, this paper looks at the impact of a service-learning experience on pre-service teachers’ confidence and preparation in the area of mathematics. The service-learning experience had a number of intended and unintended outcomes. As a result of the service-learning experience, pre-service teachers noted increased understanding, innovation and confidence in the area of mathematics.
A Novel, Nonclassical MHC Class I Molecule Specific to the Common Chimpanzee

All expressed human MHC class I genes ( HLA-A, -B, -C, -E, -F, and - G ) have functional orthologues in the MHC of the common chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes ). In contrast, a nonclassical MHC class I gene discovered in the chimpanzee is not present in humans or the other African ape species. In exons and more so in introns, this Patr-AL gene is similar to the expressed A locus in the orangutan, Popy-A, suggesting they are orthologous. Patr-AL / Popy-A last shared a common ancestor with the classical MHC-A locus >20 million years ago. Population analysis revealed little Patr-AL polymorphism: just three allotypes differing only at residues 52 and 91. Patr-AL is expressed in PBMC and B cell lines, but at low level compared with classical MHC class I. The Patr-AL polypeptide is unusually basic, but its glycosylation, association with β 2 -microglobulin, and antigenicity at the cell surface are like other MHC class I. No Patr-AL-mediated inhibition of polyclonal chimpanzee NK cells was detected. The Patr-AL gene is present in 50% of chimpanzee MHC haplotypes, correlating with presence of a 9.8-kb band in Southern blots. The flanking regions of Patr-AL contain repetitive/retroviral elements not flanking other class I genes. In sequenced HLA class I haplotypes, a similar element is present in the A*2901 haplotype but not the A*0201 or A*0301 haplotypes. This element, 6 kb downstream of A*2901, appears to be the relic of a human gene related to Patr-AL. Patr-AL has characteristics of a class I molecule of innate immunity with potential to provide common chimpanzees with responses unavailable to humans.
Study of green epoxy resins derived from renewable cinnamic acid and dipentene: synthesis, curing and properties

An epoxy based on cinnamic acid (Cin-epoxy) and an anhydride curing agent based on dipentene were prepared. Both products are liquids of low viscosity at room temperature. For the synthesis of the epoxy, cinnamic acid was first converted to a diacid by reacting with maleic anhydride via Friedel–Crafts reaction, followed by allylation of the carboxylic groups and subsequent epoxidation of the allyl double bonds. The curing agent was the Diels–Alder adduct of dipentene and maleic anhydride (DPMA). The chemical structures of Cin-epoxy and DPMA were confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, FT-IR and ESI-MS. Non-isothermal curing of Cin-epoxy was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In addition to DPMA, two commercial anhydrides were also used to cure Cin-epoxy and the curing reactivity and properties of cured resins were compared. Thermal mechanical properties and thermal stability of the cured epoxy resins were studied using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. Results showed that Cin-epoxy was slightly more reactive than the bisphenol A type epoxy DER 332 and displayed good dynamic mechanical properties and thermal stability.
Opposing Effects of Krüppel-like Factor 4 (Gut-Enriched Krüppel-like Factor) and Krüppel-like Factor 5 (Intestinal-Enriched Krüppel-like Factor) on the Promoter of the Krüppel-like Factor 4 Gene

KLF4 (Kruppel-like factor 4 or gut-enriched Kruppel-like factor, GKLF) and KLF5 (Kruppel-like factor 5 or intestinal-enriched Kruppel-like factor, IKLF) are two closely related members of the zinc finger-containing Kruppel-like factor family of transcription factors. Although both genes are expressed in the intestinal epithelium, their distributions are different: Klf4 is primarily expressed in the terminally differentiated villus cells while Klf5 is primarily in the proliferating crypt cells. Previous studies show that Klf4 is a negative regulator of cell proliferation and Klf5 is a positive regulator of cell proliferation. In this study, we demonstrate that Klf5 binds to a number of cis-DNA elements that have previously been shown to bind to Klf4. However, while Klf4 activates the promoter of its own gene, Klf5 suppresses the Klf4 promoter. Moreover, Klf5 abrogates the activating effect of Klf4 on the Klf4 promoter and Klf4 abrogates the inhibitory effect of Klf5 on the same promoter. An explanation of this competing effect is due to physical competition of the two proteins for binding to cognate DNA sequence. The complementary tissue localization of expression of Klf4 and Klf5 and the opposing effect of the two Klfs on the Klf4 promoter activity may provide a basis for the coordinated regulation of expression of the Klf4 gene in the intestinal epithelium.
Re-construing the relational-interdependent self-construal and its relationship with self-consistency

Abstract Our study sought to: (1) tie the relational self-construal to the nomological net of the interpersonal circumplex and (2) show that prior self-construal research confounded consistent with desirable descriptions of self and others. Undergraduates (n = 233) completed measures of relational self-construal, Machiavellianism, the interpersonal circumplex, self-consistency, and self-friend consistency. Contrary to past research, the relational self-construal only predicted socially desirable types of consistency and did not moderate the effect of self-consistency on well-being. The relational self-construal was located in the communal-and-unagentic region of the circumplex, directly opposite Machiavellianism, and the circumplex and Machiavellianism scales predicted consistency at least as well as the relational self-construal, thus raising questions about whether the relational self-construal refers to a novel explanatory construct.
Characterization of a colchicine receptor protein in rat epididymal adipose tissue

Abstract Colchicine was found to be taken up by adipose tissue and therein to bind to a soluble macromolecule not sedimented by centrifugation for 2 h at 100 000 × g . A similar binding occurred when soluble extracts of adipose tissue were incubated with colchicine. The binding reaction is temperature dependent and shows a pH optimum between 6.8 and 7.0. Double reciprocal plots of colchicine concentration versus amounts of colchicine bound to protein in the steady state disclosed an apparent K m of 0.250 to 1.5 ωM. The colchicine binding activity of soluble tissue extracts decreased when the extracts were incubated at 37°C. Addition of guanosine triphosphate and Mg 2+ retarded the loss of colchicine binding activity. The molecular weight of the colchicine complex was estimated to be 115 000 and its sedimentation coefficient 5.8 S. All of these characteristics are remarkably similar to those of the protein tubulin which has been isolated from other tissues. Since it is now well known that tubulin is a protein subunit of cytoplasmic microtubules, it is suggested that the previously reported metabolic effects of colchicine on adipose tissue result from the dissolution of microtubules by colchicine.
Failure of cap-rock seals as determined from mechanical stratigraphy, stress history, and tensile-failure analysis of exhumed analogs

The sedimentologic and tectonic histories of clastic cap rocks and their inherent mechanical properties control the nature of permeable fractures within them. The migration of fluid through mm- to cm-scale fracture networks can result in focused fluid flow allowing hydrocarbon production from unconventional reservoirs or compromising the seal integrity of fluid traps. To understand the nature and distribution of subsurface fluid-flow pathways through fracture networks in cap-rock seals we examine four exhumed Paleozoic and Mesozoic seal analogs in Utah. We combine these outcrop analyses with subsidence analysis, paleoloading histories, and rock-strength testing data in modified Mohr–Coulomb–Griffith analyses to evaluate the effects of differential stress and rock type on fracture mode. Relative to the underlying sandstone reservoirs, all four seal types are low-permeability, heterolithic sequences that show mineralized hydraulic-extension fractures, extensional-shear fractures, and shear fractures. Burial-history models suggest that the cap-rock seal analogs reached a maximum burial depth >4 km (2.5 mi) and experienced a lithostatic load of up to 110 MPa (15,954 psi). Median tensile strength from indirect mechanical tests ranges from 2.3 MPa (334 psi) in siltstone to 11.5 MPa (1668 psi) in calcareous shale. Analysis of the pore-fluid factor () through time shows changes in the expected failure mode (extensional shear or hydraulic extension), and that failure mode depends on a combination of mechanical rock properties and differential stress. As expected with increasing lithostatic load, the amount of overpressure that is required to induce failure increases but is also lithology dependent.
The Nasi of Narbonne: A Problem in Medieval Historiography1.

In his introduction to A Study of History, Toynbee observed that “in modern Western historical research, as in modern Western industry, the quantity and location of raw materials threaten to govern the lives of human beings.” In an inability to manufacture his own sources and yet with a reluctance to overlook any means for brightening an obscure picture of the past, the historian may at times allow insufficient evidence to support interpretations that gain acceptance merely for lack of anything better. Such an occupational hazard inevitably plagues all branches of historiography, but it is more prevalent in the efforts to unravel the mysteries of “darker” epochs, like those of Western Europe in the early Middle Ages. Not only does scanty source material limit the historian's treatment of this period, but the peculiar interests, motivations, and backgrounds of medieval writers restrict the legitimate use of the few documents which do exist. The medievalist's eye must be at once discerning and critical, careful not to overlook any evidence but wary so as not to misuse it, even if no other sources point to contradictory conclusions.
THE ROLE OF NEGOTIATION OBJECTS IN MANAGING MEANING ACROSS E-COLLABORATION SYSTEMS

This paper examines the ways in which negotiation objects – objects used for boundaryspanning, bridging, or brokering purposes – mediate productive breakdowns in collaboration across distributed organizational workgroups. Objects are increasingly displacing direct social relations in the mediation of distributed work. When collaboration between organizational groups is virtually-mediated, the "management of meaning" that used to be centralized in strategic managers is distributed. In collaborating around virtually-mediated knowledge objects, various groups compete to define the meanings attached to those objects, in order to define the importance and legitimacy of various forms of organizational knowledge and thus control organizational roles, structures, and processes. This study analyzes how representational, technical, and organizational resources provide a mediation of knowledge and influence between different work-groups and how different forms of negotiated mediation lead to the adaptation of the information systems that collaborating workgroups define and use in common. It examines the mediating role played by various forms of "negotiation object," to reach a new understanding of how e-collaboration systems evolve in practice.
The Education Task Group: Teaching Proposal Writing to Social Work Students

ABSTRACT The task group is an essential teaching tool in social work education. Further, task groups are central to this curriculum component designed to teach proposal-writing skills to social work students. This paper presents a model for education task groups and illustrates that model through discussion of a two-semester proposal writing assignment in the field seminar.
The effects of early socialization experiences on content mastery and outcomes: A mediational approach

Abstract This field study examined how early socialization experiences affect new employee mastery of socialization content and socialization outcomes. New employees reported the realism of their preentry knowledge and the helpfulness of socialization agents. A follow-up survey assessed mastery of socialization content along with role clarity, job satisfaction, and affective organizational commitment. The results, based on 194 new employees of a large educational institution and using structural equation modeling, were highly supportive of the hypotheses. Realism of preentry knowledge and agent helpfulness, the two indicators of early socialization experiences, were associated with greater role clarity, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. In addition, the mastery of specific socialization content dimensions, the often-assumed intervening processes, was explicitly shown to mediate those relationships. The specific patterns of mediation observed further advance our understanding of the relationships between new employee mastery of socialization content and the determinants and consequences of that mastery.
SPECIFICITY OF LIGHT ACTION IN TUBERCULOSIS

1. Definite evidence of specificity of action occurs throughout the spectrum. 2. The wave-length band lying between 320 and 380 millimicrons has been studied both clinically and experimentally. 3. Effects have been obtained which prove this band to be active. 4. The chief effect is an acceleration of the processes of repair which may or may not be specific for tuberculosis, but which is essential in the retention of function. It is an indirect effect, general rather than local. 5. The band between 320 and 380 millimicrons is found in all sunlight and in carbon arcs of twenty-five amperes or more using a carbon of known spectral distribution. 6. Heliotherapy in tuberculosis can be as effectively carried out in sea-level cities as elsewhere. 7. Longer exposures can be given if the erythema and tan-producing rays, 300 to 320 millimicrons, are of small quantity or absent. 8. Erythema and tan therefore are of no use as a basis of dosage given. 9. Dosage should be measured in all sun therapy, and the method of measuring such dosage is outlined. 10. Artificial sources of light containing the band between 320 and 380 millimicrons and comparatively free from the shorter wave lengths are very useful as sun substitutes.
The Natural History of Costa Rican Mammals

M. Wainwright 2002 [2003] The Natural History of Costa Rican Mammals, with a preface by O. Arias. Zona Tropical, S.A. 383 pp. + 38 plates. ISBN 0-9705678-1-2 price (paper), $25.95. This entertaining, clear, and fact-filled book might be classified as a hybrid between a field guide and a text on Costa Rican mammals. Its size precludes it from being an easy-to-transport pocket guide, but its depth and breadth more than make up for this. Containing an incredible wealth of information, The Natural History of Costa Rican Mammals is an excellent reference for serious naturalists, tour guides, educators, and researchers who teach or work in the tropics. Mark Wainwright is a nature guide and instructor for tropical ecology courses in Costa Rica, and has written and illustrated Costa Rican field identification pamphlets and children's books. He also is an accomplished illustrator, and this book contains more than 400 of his original illustrations. He has firsthand experience with a considerable number of Neotropical mammals, including kinkajous ( Potos flavus) that steal sugar water from his hummingbird feeders, agile olingos ( Bassaricyon gabbii) that occasionally catch and consume hummingbirds at the feeders, and the poorly-known climbing rat ( Tylomys watsoni) and vesper mouse ( Nyctomys sumichrasti) that are house pests at Monteverde. Wainwright's expertise and observations emphasize midsized and larger mammals, and, accordingly, those accounts are stronger …
A Vision Softly Creeping: Congressional Acquiescence and the Dormant Commerce Clause

The Supreme Court's dormant commerce clause doctrine, a body of jurisprudence as deep as it is despised, provides the strongest constitutional bulwark against hostile state regulation and taxation of the national economy. Academic critiques of the dormant commerce clause, typically rooted in the doctrine's lack of a firm textual basis in the Constitution, overlook the crucial role of Congress. Congress's persistent failure to repeal the dormant commerce clause is the singularly impressive feature of American constitutionalism's approach to protecting free trade. Though it has failed to win academic support, congressional silence provides at least an adequate and perhaps even a persuasive case for preserving the dormant commerce clause. As a general rule, Congress cannot override judicial interpretations of the Constitution merely by passing ordinary legislation. The dormant commerce clause is an important exception. Despite enjoying virtually unfettered discretion to override dormant commerce clause decisions, Congress has rarely used that power. Constitutional significance abides throughout: in order to evaluate the propriety of contemporary dormant commerce clause doctrine, we must assess not only Congress's power to override the courts, but also Congress's actual course of performance in the exercise of that power. I then examine the theoretical question of congressional competence. Congress's power to square state law with the commerce clause should not be compared with, but rather distinguished from, other constitutional doctrines that limit state and local authority over the national economy. A pair of supremacy clause doctrines - intergovernmental immunity and preemption - provide especially useful analogies. Finally, I take an unapologetically pragmatic view of congressional performance. The dormant commerce clause doctrine effectively treats the commerce clause as though it were an initial assignment of common law authority to the federal courts. Congress's persistent failure to reassign that authority to itself, to federal regulatory agencies, or to the states suggests that the federal courts have demonstrated reasonably sound judgment on issues of interstate trade and taxation. This meritorious history deserves constitutional respect. A pragmatic approach to constitutional law - one that treats questions of rights, privileges, duties, powers, and immunities as if they materially affected the well-being of real human beings - can happily accept the de facto ratification of the dormant commerce clause through congressional inaction.
Market Misvaluation and Merger Activity: What Do Managers' Insider Trades Tell Us?

This paper explores the link between stock market overvaluation and merger activity. I examine how managers recently traded in own company stock in their personal portfolios to infer whether they view their firm as overvalued or undervalued. I find that firms whose managers sold more recently are more likely to acquire other firms for stock and the subsequent mergers have negative and lower short-run and long-run abnormal returns. I also find that acquirer firm managers abnormally increase their selling of company stock before stock mergers but not before cash mergers. To the extent that managerial trading reflects overvaluation, my results can be interpreted as supporting the empirical predictions of models of misvaluation driven mergers.
Physiological Changes Associated With AAL-Toxin Induced Necrosis in Tomato

De novo synthesis and external binding of ethylene appear required for induction of necrosis in tomato caused by AAL-toxin, secreted by Alternaria alternata f.sp. lycopersici. In the presence of AAL-toxin both the ethylene action inhibitor, silver thiosulfate, and ethylene synthesis inhibitor, 1-aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG), reduced the amount of AAL-toxin-induced necrosis.
How Formerly Overweight and Obese Individuals Negotiate Disclosure of Their Weight Loss

Overweight and obese individuals frequently experience weight-based stigma, and reducing stigma is one reason people want to lose weight. However, research suggests even after individuals become a normal weight, knowledge of their old body size can result in stigma. Through interviews of 30 formerly overweight or obese individuals and the framework of Communication Privacy Management theory, this study found the vast majority of participants perceived more benefits from disclosing their larger identity than risks, regardless of weight-loss method. Participants revealed their weight loss in order to inspire others, build relationships, or hold themselves accountable. Conversely, a few participants concealed to protect their thinner identity (i.e., they feared stigma) or to avoid coming across as boastful. In contrast to previous studies, this investigation suggests most participants were not dissuaded from revealing their former body size due to a threat of residual stigma. Participants' disclosure was overwhelmingly met with encouraging and supportive responses.
Nature and evolution of arterial thrombus formation

Platelets have been recognized to play a key role in the initiation and propagation of an arterial thrombus. We devised an in-vivo canine model by which we can study both quantitatively and qualitatively the evolution of a platelet-rich thrombus in carotid and femoral arteries. By monitoring continuous blood flow, the initial adherence of platelets and subsequent growth of thrombus could be followed closely until complete occlusion of flow. Thrombi removed at different stages of development determined by changes in blood flow, were studied by histochemical and immunofluorescent methods, permitting the distinction between platelet, fibrin and cellular components. The following changes could be differentiated: early individually recognizable platelets as adherent masses; swollen platelets with loss of cell boundary; infiltrating leucocyte masses, early light fibrin strands extending into platelet masses; heavy fibrin deposits along with leucocyte and red cell masses. The effect on thrombus formation by various anticoagulants and by platelet inhibitory agents were studied showing their respective influence on the accumulation of platelets and fibrin. We also studied the thrombi removed successfully in patients from arterio-venous fistulae, reconstructive arterial bypasses, Cordis-Dow hollow fiber artificial kidneys and pulmonary emboli, and found similar patterns of platelet and fibrin relationship. We conclude that when thrombus formation takes place in vessels with high rate of blood flow, platelets occupied a dominant role.
New tools for the generation of E1- and/or E3-substituted adenoviral vectors

We have designed new vectors for the construction of recombinant adenoviruses containing expression cassettes in the E1 and/or E3 regions. Using a versatile set of restriction enzymes, the cassettes are cloned into small bacterial vectors and subsequently introduced into large plasmids containing the adenoviral sequences. Two positive selection markers facilitate the recovery of a cosmid containing a copy of the sequence of the recombinant adenovirus. The resulting cosmid is transfected into 293 or 911 cells in order to rescue the virus. Importantly, the method does not require any recombination event, either in E. coli or in mammalian cells. The entire procedure can generate viral plaques in 12 days.
Osmolyte concentration as an indicator of malt quality

This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that malt osmolyte concentrations can be used as an indicator of barley malt quality. Barley seeds of four six-row and four two-row genotypes were steeped and then germinated for 6 days at 20°C. At intervals of 24 hr over the germination regime, green malt from each cultivar was removed, kilned, and analyzed for osmolyte concentration (OC), malt extract (ME), diastatic power (DP), α-amylase activity, soluble/total protein (S/T), and β-glucan concentration. OC increased most rapidly from days one to three of germination. After 4 days, rates of increase in OC began to slow and, after 5 days of germination, OC had plateaued or declined. In all but three genotypes, ME followed a pattern similar to that of OC, but ME levels plateaued or declined approximately 1 day sooner than OC. This suggests that OC continues to measure storage compound degradation for a longer period than ME and could be a better indicator of malt modification than ME. ME and OC were significantly and positively correlated in davs one through four and day six (r = 0.740-0.942, P < 0.0001). For days two and three, OC correlated well with ME for all days (r = 0.740-0.942. P < 0.0001) and α-amylase activity for day two (r = 0.771, P < 0.0001). For day two. OC correlated well with days two through six for p-glucan concentration (r = -0.702 to -0.830, P < 0.0001). No significant correlations were found for DP and OC on any day. These data indicate that OC of malt produced at early time points in germination is a good indicator of several measures of the quality of malt produced at later time points in germination.
Redefining the Roles of Parents and Social Structure in the Educational Outcomes of Cambodian Young Adults

In this article, we examine the roles of Coleman’s social capital in university attendance among Cambodian young adults, utilizing grounded theory that includes in-depth interviews with 10 purposefully selected third-year university students. Results indicate that self-motivation, parental expectations, extended family assistance, mentors’ assistance, sibling inspirations, and social norms serve as student-acquired resources that facilitate university attendance. Under Coleman’s framework, numerous studies concentrate on the role of authoritative figures (e.g., parents or parents’ networks) in children’s developmental trajectories, viewing parents as sole distributors of resources to children whose outcomes depend on what they receive—in the absence of which, their positive developmental outcomes would be negated. This study, however, provides further evidence that children are capable of assisting each other, motivating themselves, and overcoming adverse social norms to help them advance academically, in...
Mössbauer, EPR, and modeling study of iron trafficking and regulation in Δccc1 and CCC1-up Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Strains lacking and overexpressing the vacuolar iron (Fe) importer CCC1 were characterized using Mossbauer and EPR spectroscopies. Vacuolar Fe import is impeded in Δccc1 cells and enhanced in CCC1-up cells, causing vacuolar Fe in these strains to decline and accumulate, respectively, relative to WT cells. Cytosolic Fe levels should behave oppositely. The Fe content of Δccc1 cells grown under low-Fe conditions was similar to that in WT cells. Most Fe was mitochondrial with some nonheme high spin (NHHS) FeII present. Δccc1 cells grown with increasing Fe concentration in the medium contained less total Fe, less vacuolar HS FeIII, and more NHHS FeII than in comparable WT cells. As the Fe concentration in the growth medium increased, the concentration of HS FeIII in Δccc1 cells increased to just 60% of WT levels, while NHHS FeII increased to twice WT levels, suggesting that the NHHS FeII was cytosolic. Δccc1 cells suffered more oxidative damage than WT cells, suggesting that the accumulated NHHS FeII promoted Fenton chemistry. The Fe concentration in CCC1-up cells was higher than in WT cells; the extra Fe was present as NHHS FeII and FeIII and as FeIII oxyhydroxide nanoparticles. These cells contained less mitochondrial Fe and exhibited less ROS damage than Δccc1 cells. CCC1-up cells were adenine-deficient on minimal medium; supplementing with adenine caused a decline of NHHS FeII suggesting that some of the NHHS FeII that accumulated in these cells was associated with adenine deficiency rather than the overexpression of CCC1. A mathematical model was developed that simulated changes in Fe distributions. Simulations suggested that only a modest proportion of the observed NHHS FeII in both strains was the cytosolic form of Fe that is sensed by the Fe import regulatory system. The remainder is probably generated by the reduction of the vacuolar NHHS FeIII species.
Fractal Prediction Model for Tangential Contact Damping of Joint Surface Considering Friction Factors and Its Simulation

In order to accurately consider the influence of micro-morphology on the joint surface,the "solid-gap-solid" contact model of joint surface is proposed.The fractal prediction model of the tangential contact damping of joint surface is established based on the "solid-gap-solid" contact model,contact fractal theory and the Hertz theory.And the influence of relevant parameters on the tangential contact damping is revealed with the research of numerical simulation.All the work provides the preparation for follow-up dynamic modeling and dynamic analysis of joint surface.Simulation results show that tangential contact damping of joint surface increases with the increase of real contact area,reduces with the increase of normal load of joint surface and tends to be constant with the increase of friction coefficient between the joint surfaces.Real contact area influences the location of the turning point of the cte*-μ(critical friction coefficient μc).With the increase of the real contact area,critical friction coefficient μc increases at the same time.Big differences exist between the contact behaviors with the different fractal dimension values,especially on both sides of the fractal dimension critical value(D=1.55).
On the Type, Advertisement Mode and Limitations of Modern Well-known Brands of of Shaanxi Province

Since 1930s, industry and commerce in Shaanxi Province sprang up quickly from its original backwardness. Under the join forces of various historical conditions, correspondingly, the well-known brands of industry and commerce in Shaanxi Province turned up in a large number. Generally, they can be classified into three types: zi sheng xing, i.e. the type of being born by themselves, lian yin xing, i.e. the type of being united by marriage, and kong jiang xing, i.e. the airborne type. Of these types each has its own advertisement mode. But, they still have all kinds of limitations, compared with those brands in Shanghai.
Soft-tissue reconstruction of the oral cavity

In our early experience with head and neck reconstruction, we evaluated our results mainly by the final contour of the mandible. With further experience, the bony reconstruction has become more and more accurate, and it is the intraoral soft-tissue reconstruction that poses the continued challenge. Better preoperative and postoperative evaluation will improve our operative planning, and our results will continue to improve. We must be able to compare our cases with those of other centers by appropriately categorizing deficits into specific structures removed to allow relevant comparison of results. We should no longer accept the simple view of the oral cavity deficit as a uniform soft-tissue loss that requires nothing more than closure. Nor can we continue to accept the evaluation of postoperative results of head and neck reconstruction by a simple external photograph; rather, this must be combined with a true visual and functional assessment of the oral cavity. In this way, the combined effort of head and neck surgeons will help to advance the cause of oral cavity reconstruction as rapidly as has occurred with reconstruction of the mandible.
PANTHER. Pattern ANalytics To support High-performance Exploitation and Reasoning.

Sandia has approached the analysis of big datasets with an integrated methodology that uses computer science, image processing, and human factors to exploit critical patterns and relationships in large datasets despite the variety and rapidity of information. The work is part of a three-year LDRD Grand Challenge called PANTHER (Pattern ANalytics To support High-performance Exploitation and Reasoning). To maximize data analysis capability, Sandia pursued scientific advances across three key technical domains: (1) geospatial-temporal feature extraction via image segmentation and classification; (2) geospatial-temporal analysis capabilities tailored to identify and process new signatures more efficiently; and (3) domain- relevant models of human perception and cognition informing the design of analytic systems. Our integrated results include advances in geographical information systems (GIS) in which we discover activity patterns in noisy, spatial-temporal datasets using geospatial-temporal semantic graphs. We employed computational geometry and machine learning to allow us to extract and predict spatial-temporal patterns and outliers from large aircraft and maritime trajectory datasets. We automatically extracted static and ephemeral features from real, noisy synthetic aperture radar imagery for ingestion into a geospatial-temporal semantic graph. We worked with analysts and investigated analytic workflows to (1) determine how experiential knowledge evolves and is deployed in high-demand, high-throughput more » visual search workflows, and (2) better understand visual search performance and attention. Through PANTHER, Sandia's fundamental rethinking of key aspects of geospatial data analysis permits the extraction of much richer information from large amounts of data. The project results enable analysts to examine mountains of historical and current data that would otherwise go untouched, while also gaining meaningful, measurable, and defensible insights into overlooked relationships and patterns. The capability is directly relevant to the nation's nonproliferation remote-sensing activities and has broad national security applications for military and intelligence- gathering organizations. « less
Trends in Transient Ischemic Attack Hospitalizations in the United States

Background Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a major predictor of subsequent stroke. No study has assessed nation‐wide trends in hospitalization for TIA in the United States. Methods and Results Temporal trends in hospitalization for TIA (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code 435.0–435.9) from 2000 to 2010 were assessed among adults aged ≥25 years using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Age‐, sex‐, and race/ethnic‐specific TIA hospitalization rates were calculated using the weighted number of hospitalizations as the numerator and the US population as the denominator. Age‐adjusted rates were standardized to the 2000 US Census population. From 2000 to 2010, age‐adjusted TIA hospitalization rates decreased from 118 to 83 per 100 000 (overall rate reduction, −29.7%). Age‐specific TIA hospitalization rates increased for individuals aged 24 to 44 years (10–11 per 100 000), but decreased for individuals aged 45 to 64 (74 to 65 per 100 000), 65 to 84 (398 to 245 per 100 000), and ≥85 years (900 to 619 per 100 000). Blacks had the highest age‐adjusted yearly hospitalization rates, followed by Hispanics and whites (124, 82, and 67 per 100 000 in 2010). Rates slightly increased for blacks, but decreased for Hispanics and whites. Compared to women, age‐adjusted TIA hospitalization rates were lower and declined more steeply in men (132 to 89 per 100 000 versus 134 to 97 per 100 000). Conclusions Although overall TIA hospitalizations have decreased in the United States, the reduction has been more pronounced among older individuals, men, whites, and Hispanics. These findings highlight the need to target risk‐factor control among women, blacks, and individuals aged <45 years.
The capillary bed offers the largest hemodynamic resistance to the cortical blood supply.

The cortical angioarchitecture is a key factor in controlling cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism. Difficulties in imaging the complex microanatomy of the cortex have so far restricted insigh...
Microstructure, Fatigue Behavior, and Failure Mechanisms of Direct Laser-Deposited Inconel 718

Inconel 718 is considered to be a superalloy with a series of superior properties such as high strength, creep resistance, and corrosion resistance at room and elevated temperatures. Additive manufacturing (AM) is particularly appealing to Inconel 718 because of its near-net-shape production capability for circumventing the poor machinability of this superalloy. Nevertheless, AM parts are prone to porosity, which is detrimental to their fatigue resistance. Thus, further understanding of their fatigue behavior is required before their widespread use in load-bearing applications. In this work, the microstructure and fatigue properties of AM Inconel 718, produced in a Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS™) system and heat treated with a standard heat treatment schedule, are evaluated at room temperature. Fully reversed strain controlled fatigue tests were performed on cylindrical specimens with straight gage sections at strain amplitudes ranging from 0.001 mm/mm to 0.01 mm/mm. The fracture surfaces of fatigue specimens were inspected with a scanning electron microscope. The results indicate that the employed heat treatment allowed the large, elongated grains and dendritic structure of the as-built material to break down into smaller, equiaxed grains, with some dendritic structures remaining between layers. The AM specimens were found to possess lower fatigue resistance than wrought Inconel 718, and this is primarily attributed to the presence of brittle metal-carbide/oxide inclusions or pores near their surface.