cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stimulus characteristics of an agonistic display of the hermit crab (Calcinus tibicen)

Abstract Models were presented to specimens of Calcinus tibicen in an effort to determine the essential characteristics of one agonistic display, the double ambulatory raise. The responses of the crabs indicated that to be effective the model must incorporate a (1) horizontal (2) line, with an (3) enlarged portion (4) near the centre and (5) white tips on the (6) ends of the line. Magnitude of aggressiveness of the model was influenced strongly by the amount of separation of the white tips.
Resolution of high energy extremely heavy cosmic rays in plastic detectors

Abstract Measurements of etch pit length in Lexan plastic sheets along the trajectory of a nucleus ( Z = 78, E >; 3 GeV/nucleon) that penetrated a 10.2 g/cm 2 stack without interacting attest to the reliability of the response of Lexan to highly relativistic extremely heavy nuclei. For events whose velocity is known to be > 0.9 c , it is possible to identify nuclei with Z ≳70 using only a few sheets of Lexan.
Exciton percolation III. Stochastic and coherent migration in binary and ternary random lattices.

'Bau naphthalene exciton dynamics in an isotopic and chemically mixed crystal, which by itself is supposed to mimic the exciton transport in the photosynthetic units of green plants. Physically reasonable parameters, trends and limits are discussed. Also, an analytical solution is derived and tested for a physically reasonable limit of semicoherent motion in a perfect lattice. The ramification of this work on bioexciton transfer is discussed, especially concerning the light harvesting units in green plants. It leads to a simple minded model that rationalized the ratio of antenna to active-center molecules. Our most important result is that incoherent exciton transfer, i.e. simple random walk, is the most efficient process for significantly heterogeneous aggregates.
Genetic testing for colon cancer among African-Americans in North Carolina.

Abstract Objective. To describe attitudes and correlates of intention to take a genetic test for colon cancer in a population-based sample of African-Americans. Methods. African-Americans (n = 658), age 18–70, in North Carolina completed an 11-page questionnaire between June–October 2003 that assessed attitudes (familiarity, perceived benefits and risks, anxiety, and confidentiality) and intention to take a genetic test for colon cancer and various participant characteristics. Results. Respondents expressed favorable attitudes and high intention regarding genetic testing for colon cancer: 87% would definitely/probably take a genetic test, although only 42% had read/heard a lot or some about genetic testing. Most agreed that genetic test results should be available to healthcare providers (79%) but not to health insurers (62%) or employers (82%). About a third were concerned that genetic testing could lead to discrimination. Correlates of intention differed by sex. Perceived benefits were significantly positively associated with intention among all respondents. However, being married (OR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.2, 3.7), doctor as the main source of health information (OR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.4, 3.9), and colon cancer family history (OR = 4.3, 95% CI: 1.6, 11.6) were significant only for women; some college education (OR = 4.1, 95% CI: 1.7, 9.7), importance of sharing test results with relatives (OR = 5.5, 95% CI: 1.6, 18.7), and colon cancer screening history (OR = 3.4, 95% CI: 1.6, 7.5) were only significant for men. Conclusions. Respondents expressed high interest in genetic testing for colon cancer risk, although confidentiality of test results is a concern. Guidelines and policies for genetic testing specific to African-Americans should be established and future research should examine the prevalence of genetic testing.
Raman spectra of various phases of the liquid-crystalline material, p-azoxyanisole

Abstract A careful study of the Raman spectra of p-azoxyanisole has revealed new bands which change markedly among the various phases. Evidence is presented that indicates the existence of different molecular conformations in the nematic and isotropic states.
Evaluation of polyimide films as adhesives

A commercially available LARC-TPI film and an experimentally prepared film of LARC-TPI with 5 mol pct of 4,4-prime-oxydianiline (ODA), designated as LARC-TPI/ODA, were evaluated as thermoplastic adhesive films for bonding Ti-6Al-4V. Lap shear strength was used to evaluate the materials as adhesives. They were characterized after fracture by determining the glass transition temperature, T(g). The mode of failure is also reported. Thermal exposure at 240 C for 500 and 1000 h and a 72-h water-boil were conducted on lap shear specimens prepared with the two adhesive films. Lap shear tests were conducted at room temperature, 177 C, 204 C, and 232 C before and after exposures.
A note on air quality in high pressure systems

Abstract The O3, SO4 and TSP distribution and the visibility distribution are studied in a moving high pressure system in the eastern United States. It is shown that as the high pressure system moved into the region, the air pollution concentrations on the back side, relative to the direction of motion of the system, increased rapidly. The visibility had decreased significantly on the back side, but was extremely good on the front side.
Integrated, marginal, and resilient: race, class, and the diverse experiences of white first‐generation college students

While first‐generation college students are ‘at risk’, the majority do persist. Using in‐depth interviews with 28 white college students I ask: How do white, first‐generation, working‐class students understand their college experiences, especially in terms of their academic, social, and cultural adjustment? Moreover, what kinds of factors seem to help or hinder their adjustment to college life? I discovered three patterns of adjustment among these students: (1) about half expressed few feelings of marginality and appeared well integrated into campus life; (2) one quarter experienced persistent and debilitating marginality; and (3) another quarter overcame their feelings of marginality en route to becoming socially and academically engaged on campus, with some transforming their feelings of marginality into motivation for social change. I argue that these variations can be understood by looking at how working‐class students’ economic resources may function as an asset, while their whiteness may function al...
A tabu search algorithm for the multi-stage parallel machine problem with limited buffer capacities

Abstract We investigate the problem of scheduling N jobs on parallel machines in L successive stages with limited buffer capacities between stages. The primary objective is to find a schedule that would minimize the makespan. This problem is shown to be NP -hard in the strong sense. We develop a tabu search algorithm for this problem in which the search is limited to the space of permutation vectors of size N . This vector represents the order in which the given set of jobs are performed in the first stage, and we propose a procedure to construct a complete schedule associated with every permutation vector. We conduct an extensive computational experiment using randomly generated instances with different structures and different buffer capacities. We also solve several specific instances of the problem from the open literature. All empirical evidence suggest that the proposed algorithm is an effective method for solving this problem.
Dynamic interaction of prostaglandin and norepinephrine in the formation of adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate in human and rabbit platelets

Abstract Various factors governing dynamic changes in the intracellular level of adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) in response to hormonal stimulation have been studied in human and rabbit platelets. Cyclic AMP formation was measured by prelabeling the ATP in the cells with [3H]adenine; platelets were incubated with [3H]adenine which was taken up by the cells and converted to [3H]ATP which served as a substrate for adenyl cyclase. In intact platelets, prostaglandin E1 caused a rapid increase in the levels of cyclic AMP, reaching a peak within seconds. This effect of prostaglandin E1 was observed in the absence of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor, theophylline; in the presence of theophylline (2·10−3M), the peak accumulation of cyclic AMP was doubled. The platelet adenyl cyclase system was temperature dependent. As the temperature was lowered, the peak level of cyclic AMP obtained on incubation with prostaglandin E1 was reduced. It is possible that temperature may influence both the binding of prostaglandin E1 to the receptor as well as the enzyme systems involved in the synthesis and degradation of cyclic AMP. Norepinephrine not only inhibited the stimulant effect of prostaglandin E1 on cyclic AMP formation, but also caused a rapid, dose-dependent decrease in cyclic AMP levels that had been elevated by prior incubation of the platelets with prostaglandin E1. The norepinephrine-induced decline in cyclic AMP levels was reduced but not prevented by theophylline. These data suggest that norepinephrine may lower cyclic AMP levels by inhibiting cyclic AMP formation and by activation of the degradative enzyme, cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase. Changes in cyclic [3H]AMP levels induced by prostaglandin E1 were compared with the changes in the endogenous cyclic AMP in the same cells and were found to be similar.
The Kinetics of Vitamin D3 in the Osteoblastic Cell

Experimental evidence is presented on the translocation of vitamin D metabolite, 1,25-(OH)2D3, from the membrane to the nucleus in osteoblast progenitor cells. A mathematical model permitting traversal of the cytoplasm at either a fixed velocity or by diffusion is formulated in order to determine whether transport along the cytoskeletal tracks is more consistent with the observed spatial-temporal distribution than diffusion, and it is so found. The model includes reactions in the nucleus involving D3 to form other compounds, such as protegerin, and thus also makes predictions of the concentrations of these compounds in various regions of the cell.
Probabilistic Structural Mechanics Analysis of the Degraded Davis-Besse RPV Head

The Heavy-Section Steel Technology (HSST) Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) performed a probabilistic structural mechanics (PSM) analysis of the damaged Davis Besse reactor pressure vessel head in support of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s ongoing forensic investigations. This paper presents a summary of the results of that PSM analysis, including a description of the Davis-Besse wastage-area damage model, the technical basis for the model, and the results of sensitivity studies based on a cladding capacity analysis (CCA) and an Accident Sequence Precursor (ASP) investigation of the wastage cavity. A companion paper describes the HSST experimental program carried out at ORNL in parallel with the PSM analysis.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Automated Measurement and Gaging Using Industrial Robots

This paper describes a current research which involves the development of a special end effector and the necessary algorithms to perform inspection and gaging tasks using tactile sensing. The special end effector, which has a mechanical probe performs these operations by using adaptive contact and continuous measurement of forces to determine the locations and the dimensions of the holes to be inspected. This will provide a flexible and relatively inexpensive means of inspection when extremely high accuracies are not desired.
The pH-Dependent Primary Photoreactions of Ochratoxin A

Steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopies are used to elucidate the primary photoprocesses following the excitation of ochratoxin A (OTA), its dechlorinated derivative ochratoxin B (OTB), and O-methyl ether of OTA (MOA). The excited-state dynamics of OTA and OTB depend on the protonation of the isocoumarin moiety. Fluorescence spectra of the protonated forms reveal anomalously large Stokes shifts that are attributed to the enol tautomer formed via an intramolecular excited-state proton transfer. No evidence for “normal” emission of the keto form of OTA and OTB is found even in aqueous solutions. MOA, which lacks a proton on the phenol moiety and exists, therefore, only in the keto form, exhibits weak fluorescence with a substantially smaller Stokes shift. The deprotonated species show relatively strong emission typical for phenolate anions. OTA decomposes slowly upon UV irradiation in aqueous solutions. The photoreaction quantum yield varies significantly with solution pH and O2 concentration. The hig...
Silver: an intelligent video editor

Silver is an authoring tool that allows novice users to edit digital video. A variety of AI techniques provide high-level metadata from the audio signal and video, including shot boundaries and a time-synchronized transcript. Silver uses this metadata to provide multiple, synchronized views of the content, including transcript, tree outline and hierarchical timeline views. These interface components are used to organize and edit the source material. The user can drag and drop representative frames or directly cut and paste in any view, including the transcript. Our work now focuses on supporting intelligent selection when there is a disparity between audio and video boundaries.
Interleukin‐1β selectively increases substance P release and augments the ascending phase of the peristaltic reflex

Exposure of muscle strips to interleukin (IL)-1beta stimulates substance P (SP) expression, suggesting a link between IL-1beta and the increase in SP expression during intestinal inflammation. The present study examined whether the SP expression induced by IL-1beta is reflected by enhanced SP release and SP-mediated reflex activity. Exposure of innervated longitudinal colonic muscle strips to IL-1beta for 8 h increased SP synthesis in, and greater SP release from excitatory motor neurones in response to KCl or electrical field stimulation (EFS), and enhanced longitudinal muscle contraction in response to EFS. IL-1 Ra and IL-1beta antibody blocked IL-1beta-induced increase in SP release and muscle contraction. Neither vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) nor somatostatin release was increased. The increase in SP release was reflected in enhanced circular muscle contraction in response to stretch. VIP-mediated descending relaxation of circular muscle was not affected. The selective increase in ascending contraction induced by exposure to IL-1beta was blocked by IL-1 Ra or IL-1beta antibody. We conclude that the selective increase in SP expression induced by IL-1beta in excitatory motor neurones is reflected by enhanced SP release and longitudinal muscle contraction in response to EFS, and enhanced SP release and circular muscle contraction during the ascending phase of the peristaltic reflex.
Factor structure and clinical correlates of the Food Thought Suppression Inventory within treatment seeking obese women with binge eating disorder.

Prior research on the relations among eating behaviors and thought suppression is limited to a measure of general thought suppression, the White Bear Suppression Inventory. To address this limitation, researchers recently validated the Food Thought Suppression Inventory (FTSI). Analyses using this measure suggest that food thought suppression is distinct from and is more predictive of eating disorder psychopathology than is general thought suppression. The FTSI, however, has not yet been validated in clinical samples. The purpose of the current study is to examine the factor structure and clinical correlates of the FTSI within treatment seeking obese women with binge eating disorder (BED; N = 128). Analyses revealed a valid and reliable one-factor measure of food thought suppression that was related to higher levels of eating and general psychopathology. The findings provide evidence for the use of the FTSI with obese women with BED. Future research should examine the psychometric properties of the FTSI within larger and more diverse samples.
Glucose dehydrogenase of Bacillus megaterium KM. Coupling of the cytoplasmic enzyme with membrane-bound cytochromes.

Abstract 1. 1. The oxidation of glucose by O2 catalyzed by lysed-cell preparations of Bacillus megaterium KM involves the entire complement of respiratory pigments present in the cell membrane; difference spectra indicate complete reduction of the cytochromes on adding a combination of glucose plus NAD+. 2. 2. The initial step of glucose oxidation occurs in the soluble fraction of the bacterial cell and requires NAD+ or NADP+ as coenzyme. Pyridine nucleotide reduction with either coenzyme is observed in the presence of dialyzed soluble fraction only when substrate is added. Spectral studies of concentrated solutions of the dialyzed soluble fraction indicate total reduction of a flavin component on the addition of only glucose. 3. 3. Lysed protoplast preparations show a negligible respiration rate compared to the rate catalyzed by intact cells. Supplementation with glucose plus NAD+ increases the rate of O2 uptake to a significant fraction of the respiration of intact cells. The data support the conclusion that in this organism, free glucose is oxidized directly via a soluble NAD-linked glucose dehydrogenase (which may involve the participation of a functional endogenous flavin component) coupled to the electron-transport chain of cytochromes.
Evidence for fascin cross-links between the actin filaments in coelomocyte filopodia

Abstract Coelomocyte filopodia are composed primarily of actin and a 57000 D protein, which is antigenically related to the actin cross-linking protein found in needles produced in vitro from extracts of sea urchin oocytes. In this report we present electron micrographs of the filopodia which show longitudinal striations corresponding to bundled, F-actin filaments and transverse bands corresponding to a cross-linking protein. The periodicities of the spacings are 90 and 130 A respectively. Interestingly, the filaments in the filopodia are less well ordered than those in needles, probably as a result of the speed with which the filopodia are assembled in the transforming coelomocytes. These results indicate that the well ordered needles are a good in vitro model for important in vivo structures.
Impact of the Medicare Modernization Act on Low-Income Persons

The authors measured the impact of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 on medication expenditures by low-income Medicare recipients who qualify for pharmaceutical company assistance for obtainin...
Immunotherapeutic Approaches for Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of dementia worldwide and is an emerging global epidemic. It is characterized by an imbalance between production and clearance of amyloid β (Aβ) and tau proteins. Oligomeric forms of Aβ and tau are believed to be the most toxic. Dramatic results from AD animal models showed great promise for active and passive immune therapies targeting Aβ. However, there is very limited evidence in human studies of the clinical benefits from these approaches. Immunotherapies targeting only tau pathology have had some success but are limited so far to mouse models. The majority of current methods is based on immunological targeting of a self-protein; hence, benefits need to be balanced against risks of stimulating excessive autoimmune toxic inflammation. For greater efficacy the next generation of vaccines needs to focus more on concurrently targeting all the intermediate toxic conformers of oligomeric Aβ and tau species.
Measuring Dynamic Kidney Function in an Undergraduate Physiology Laboratory.

Most undergraduate physiology laboratories are very limited in how they treat renal physiology. It is common to find teaching laboratories equipped with the capability for high-resolution digital r...
Sense and Nonsense in Metabolic Control of Reproduction

An exciting synergistic interaction occurs among researchers working at the interface of reproductive biology and energy homeostasis. Reproductive biologists benefit from the theories, experimental designs, and methodologies used by experts on energy homeostasis while they bring context and meaning to the study of energy homeostasis. There is a growing recognition that identification of candidate genes for obesity is little more than meaningless reductionism unless those genes and their expression are placed in a developmental, environmental, and evolutionary context. Reproductive biology provides this context because metabolic energy is the most important factor that controls reproductive success and gonadal hormones affect energy intake, storage, and expenditure. Reproductive hormone secretion changes during development, and reproductive success is key to evolutionary adaptation, the process that most likely molded the mechanisms that control energy balance. It is likely that by viewing energy intake, storage, and expenditure in the context of reproductive success, we will gain insight into human obesity, eating disorders, diabetes, and other pathologies related to fuel homeostasis. This review emphasizes the metabolic hypothesis: a sensory system monitors the availability of oxidizable metabolic fuels and orchestrates behavioral motivation to optimize reproductive success in environments where energy availability fluctuates or is unpredictable.
Discovering the electronic circuit diagram of life: structural relationships among transition metal binding sites in oxidoreductases

Oxidoreductases play a central role in catalysing enzymatic electron-transfer reactions across the tree of life. To first order, the equilibrium thermodynamic properties of these proteins are governed by protein folds associated with specific transition metals and ligands at the active site. A global analysis of holoenzyme structures and functions suggests that there are fewer than approximately 500 fundamental oxidoreductases, which can be further clustered into 35 unique groups. These catalysts evolved in prokaryotes early in the Earth's history and are largely responsible for the emergence of non-equilibrium biogeochemical cycles on the planet's surface. Although the evolutionary history of the amino acid sequences in the oxidoreductases is very difficult to reconstruct due to gene duplication and horizontal gene transfer, the evolution of the folds in the catalytic sites can potentially be used to infer the history of these enzymes. Using a novel, yet simple analysis of the secondary structures associated with the ligands in oxidoreductases, we developed a structural phylogeny of these enzymes. The results of this ‘composome’ analysis suggest an early split from a basal set of a small group of proteins dominated by loop structures into two families of oxidoreductases, one dominated by α-helices and the second by β-sheets. The structural evolutionary patterns in both clades trace redox gradients and increased hydrogen bond energy in the active sites. The overall pattern suggests that the evolution of the oxidoreductases led to decreased entropy in the transition metal folds over approximately 2.5 billion years, allowing the enzymes to use increasingly oxidized substrates with high specificity.
Food allergies affect growth in children.

Food allergy-associated elimination diets may place children at risk for impaired growth compared to their peers, especially with elimination of > 2 foods and/or milk.
Comparing static fading with adaptive fading to independent problem solving: The impact on the achievement and attitudes of high school students learning electrical circuit analysis

This study compared conventional static fading, where the problem solving responsibility of the learner increases at a fixed sequence, with a novel adaptive fading design in which the learner assumes more problem solving responsibility only if her or his previous solution attempt is successful. This study was conducted in the engineering knowledge domain of introductory electrical circuit analysis with high school students. A 2 (static or adaptive fading) � 2 (lower or higher academic ability) Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) yielded a significant main effect on retention and transfer performance: with adaptive fading the participants scored significantly higher on retention and transfer than with static fading, while not requiring more learning time or learning material.
A Tighter Piecewise Linear Approximation of Quadratic Cost Curves for Unit Commitment Problems

This letter provides a tighter piecewise linear approximation of generating units' quadratic cost curves (QCCs) for unit commitment (UC) problems. In order to facilitate the UC optimization process with efficient mixed-integer linear programing (MILP) solvers, QCCs are piecewise linearized for converting the original mixed-integer quadratic programming (MIQP) problem into an MILP problem. Traditionally, QCCs are piecewise linearized by evenly dividing the entire real power region into segments. This letter discusses a rigorous segment partition method for obtaining a set of optimal segment points by minimizing the difference between chord and arc lengths, in order to derive a tighter piecewise linear approximation of QCCs and, in turn, a better UC solution as compared to the equipartition method. Numerical test results show the effectiveness of the proposed method on a tighter piecewise linear approximation for better UC solutions.
Computed tomography findings mimicking appendicitis as a manifestation of colorectal cancer

The primary computed tomography (CT) signs of appendicitis can also be seen with other inflammatory or neoplastic processes. We report on two cases in which appendiceal dilatation and peri-appendiceal fluid or stranding were the dominant imaging manifestations of colorectal carcinoma in the ascending colon. This study highlights the need to closely examine the ascending colon in patients with a suspected CT diagnosis of acute appendicitis, since these findings may be secondary to an inconspicuous colorectal carcinoma.
ADHD and Poor Motor Performance from a Family Genetic Perspective.

Abstract Background Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is frequently accompanied by motor problems (MPs). We investigated a possible shared etiology between the two traits in the Dutch sample of the International Multicenter ADHD Genetics study comprising 275 children with ADHD and their affected or unaffected sibling and 146 unrelated control children. Methods Exploratory data analysis and bivariate structural equation modeling were used to estimate the familiality of MP rated by parents (Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire [DCD-Q]) or teachers (Groningen Motor Observation Scale [GMO]) and to determine the familial and environmental correlation between MP and ADHD. Furthermore, the nature of the familiality was explored by studying the siblings of ADHD-affected children. Results The ADHD-affected children had significantly more MP than their unaffected siblings, who in turn had significantly more MP than the control subjects. The familial component of MP measured by DCD-Q and GMO was 47% and 22%, respectively. The familial correlation between motor performance measures and ADHD was −0.38 for DCD-Q and −0.40 for GMO. Our data suggested that co-occurrence of ADHD and MP possibly marks a distinct subtype of ADHD, rather than signaling increased severity of disease. Conclusions Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and MP have a common basis that may be due to genetic factors and/or shared environmental factors. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder accompanied by MP may behave like a distinct subtype of ADHD, but more research will be needed to support that hypothesis.
The Practical Consequences of Sociology's Pursuit of “Justice for All”

L'A. etudie l'engagement de la sociologie americaine autour du theme de la justice pour tous. Il examine plus particulierement l'idee de justice telle que la sociologie la concoit. Il evalue les consequences de ce debat en ce qui concerne le developpement de la connaissance sociologique, l'enseignement de la discipline et son influence dans le domaine de la politique. L'A. montre que la connaissance sociologique est concue comme particularisante, que la sociologie, dans le cadre des etudes politiques, se trouve en concurrence avec d'autres disciplines, que l'influence de la sociologie sur la politique doit etre envisagee sous l'angle d'une interdependance avec d'autres systemes de valeurs et doit etre evaluee en fonction de la reconnaissance de ces derniers
Sequential activation of multiple grounding pads reduces skin heating during radiofrequency tumor ablation.

Purpose: Radiofrequency (RF) tumor ablation has become an accepted treatment modality for tumors not amenable to surgery. Skin burns due to ground pad heating may become a limiting factor for further increase in ablation zone dimensions and generator power. We investigated a method were groups of ground pads are sequentially activated to reduce skin heating.Methods: We compared conventional operation (i.e. simultaneous connection of all pads) to sequentially switched activation of the pads where different pad combinations are active for periods of ∼0.3 - 8 s. The timing during sequential activation was adjusted to keep the leading edge temperature equal between the pads. We created Finite Element Method computer models of three pads (5 × 5 cm, 1 cm apart) placed in line with the RF electrode on a human thigh to determine differences in tissue heating during simultaneous and sequential ground pad activation. We performed experiments with three ground pads (5 × 10 cm, 4 cm apart) placed on a tissue phantom ...
Productivity of well-watered Panicum virgatum does not increase with CO2 enrichment

Aims Rising atmospheric CO2 has been shown to increase aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) in water-limited perennial grasslands, in part by reducing stomatal conductance and transpiration, thereby reducing depletion of soil moisture. However, the benefits of CO2 enrichment for ANPP will vary with soil type and may be reduced if water limitation is low. Little is known about CO2 effects on ANPP of Panicum virgatum, a perennial C4 tallgrass and potential bioenergy crop. We hypothesized that if water limitation is minimized, (i) CO2 enrichment would not increase P. virgatum ANPP because photosynthetic rates of this C4 grass would not increase and because decreased transpiration at elevated CO2 would provide little additional benefit in increased soil moisture and (ii) soil type will have little effect on P. virgatum CO2 responses because of high overall soil moisture. Methods Growth and leaf physiology of P. virgatum cv. ‘Alamo’ were studied as plants established for 4 years on silty clay and clay soils along a 250 to 500 l ll -1 gradient in atmospheric CO2 located in central Texas, USA. Plants were watered to replace evapotranspiration, fertilized with NO3NH4 and P2O5 and clipped to standard height during mid-season. Important Findings ANPP increased through the third year of growth. Soil moisture (0–20 cm), ANPP, tiller numbers and leaf area index were 8–18% higher on the clay than on the silty clay soil. ANPP did not increase with CO2 except in the planting year. However, biomass removed with clipping strongly increased with CO2 in years 2 and 3, suggesting that CO2 enrichment increased the early- to mid-season growth of establishing P. virgatum but not later regrowth or that of fully established plants. Furthermore, CO2 enrichment differentially affected two components of ANPP in years 2 and 3, increasing tiller mass and reducing tiller numbers. This reallocation of resources in clipped P. virgatum suggested increased meristem limitation of productivity with CO2 enrichment. CO2 enrichment had little effect on photosynthesis but increasingly reduced stomatal conductance and transpiration as the plants established. As a result, water use efficiency became increasingly coupled to CO2 as leaf area increased during establishment. These results suggest that for well-watered and clipped P. virgatum, ANPP differed between soil types, was not affected by CO2 enrichment when fully established but interacted with clipping to alter allocation patterns during establishment. Soil type effects on ANPP-CO2 responses will likely become more apparent when water is more limiting.
A Plethora of Plant Plasmalemma Proton Pumps

Strongly hydrophobic integral membrane proteins are difficult to purify and characterise using conventional biochemical techniques. Eight years ago my co-workers and I initiated a research programme using molecular biological techniques to help elucidate the structure and function of important proteins in the plasma membrane of plant cells. We first turned out attention to the H+-ATPase, since this enzyme is easy to assay and is one of the more abundant transport proteins in this membrane (Surrowy and Sussman, 1987).
“She goes into character as the lady of the house”: tour guides, performance, and the Southern plantation

ABSTRACTResearch has shown how little tour guides in the American South talk about slavery and the enslaved during plantation home tours. However, most of this literature fails to interview the guides directly and consider their perspectives. This research builds upon this work but ultimately diverges by taking a different methodological approach, interviewing 28 docents working at four Louisiana plantation homes on River Road (Oak Alley, Laura, Houmas House, and San Francisco) in an effort to foreground their voices and experiences. Incorporating the work of performativity, this paper seeks to draw out the nuances of plantation tours and move beyond the reading of the tour as text or script. This paper will challenge the assumption that all tours within a single home, even with the same guide, are the same, adding to the complexity of conducting research on this topic. This complexity is also present in the ways slavery and the contributions of the enslaved are absent or woven within a house tour to vary...
The FDA Guidance on therapeutic cancer vaccines: the need for revision to include preventive cancer vaccines or for a new guidance dedicated to them

Cancer vaccines based on antigens derived from self molecules rather than pathogens have been under basic and clinical investigations for many years. Up until very recently, they had been tested primarily in the setting of metastatic disease with the goal to engage the immune system in slowing down disease progression. Many therapeutic vaccine trials, either investigator initiated or led by pharmaceutical companies, have been completed and many are currently ongoing, following the FDA Guidance on therapeutic cancer vaccines published in 2011. In recent years, the target of cancer vaccines is being shifted to early cancer and even premalignant disease with the goal of preventing cancer. Although some issues addressed in the FDA Guidance on therapeutic vaccines apply to preventive vaccines, many do not. Here, we discuss a set of recommendations for revising the current Guidance to also cover preventive vaccines, or to include in a new Guidance dedicated specifically to vaccines for cancer prevention.
Anesthesia Influence on Recording: Summary

The advancements in various medical fields enhanced spinal surgery and increased the volume of more aggressive procedures. These operations have been associated with altered spinal function and different methods have been proposed to minimize such risk. Among these are local anesthesia, wake-up test, and more recently evoked potentials. Local anesthesia for spinal surgery is not practical and the wake-up test is limited to the time of testing. Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP), a safe, noninvasive, easy, and continuous technique for assessing the functional integrity of the spinal cord, offers a valuable alternative. However, many factors such as anesthesia, pharmacology, physiology, and technical errors can limit the value of evoked potentials. Nonsurgical factors account for 40% of SSEP changes and 25% of these changes are related to anesthesia (16). The yield of surgical monitoring is enhanced by the reduction of nonsurgical factors. The appreciation of anesthetic effects, comprehension of the triangle of anesthesia, and better utilization of such information decrease nonsurgical factors and increase the value of SSEP monitoring. A stable level of anesthesia and hemodynamics facilitates the differential diagnosis of SSEP changes. Intravenous anesthesia supplemented with low concentration of volatile agents offers that level of stability and may be an ideal technique for SSEP monitoring.
Insulin resistance and glucose transporter expression during the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp in the lamb.

Three- to six-day-old lambs infused with 100 mU ⋅ kg−1 ⋅ min−1insulin required greater amounts of glucose to maintain euglycemia during a euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp compared with 31- to 35-d...
An Era of Charter School Expansion: An Examination of Special Education in Massachusetts’ Charter Schools

As charter schools continue to gain influence as a presence in public education reform initiatives, it is increasingly important to examine issues related to the education of students with disabilities in these settings. This study examined two dimensions of the education of students with disabilities in charter schools when compared with the public school districts in their host communities: (a) the population characteristics of students with disabilities and (b) the extent to which the schools are following federal and state special education compliance requirements. The author found that there were notable differences between the population characteristics of students with disabilities enrolled in charter schools and public school districts. Although charter schools were no less likely than comparison school districts to implement special education compliance requirements, there were fundamental areas of special education procedures that need to be improved in these settings. The article concludes with...
Phenotypic profiling of cognitive impairment risk among patients with heart failure: a literature review of the usefulness of cardiac-related variables

Background:Mild cognitive impairment among patients with heart failure can be subtle. Heart failure-related variables such as ejection fraction, low systolic blood pressure and functional status are reportedly associated with cognitive impairment among heart failure patients. The purpose of this literature review was to examine the value of cardiac variables commonly assessed during heart failure-related hospitalizations for a phenotypic profile of the risk of cognitive impairment.Method:A literature review of primary research studies was conducted. Electronic databases (PubMed and CINAHL) were searched using the keywords heart failure, blood pressure, ejection fraction, functional status, and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in combination with the terms cognition, cognitive function, cognitive dysfunction, and cognitive impairment.Results:Thirty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Evidence supports the potential utility of lower ejection fraction, lower blood pressure and functional status and ele...
Printable nanostructured silicon solar cells for high-performance, large-area flexible photovoltaics.

Nanostructured forms of crystalline silicon represent an attractive materials building block for photovoltaics due to their potential benefits to significantly reduce the consumption of active mate...
The Development Paradigm of Smart Distribution Grid

Whether prior to develop the smart distribution grid showing the smart grid characteristics in full is a concerned topic recently.Having presented the features of developing smart distribution grid,the support system,various applications and smart equipments are analyzed and discussed in this paper in order to find a developing paradigm based on current modern power system and leaping forward by future technique innovation.Finally the suggestion on building the smart distribution grid is put forward.
Analysis of the prevalence of carriers of haemophilus influenza among the health population in the City of Shiyan

Objectives To ascertain the prevalence of carriers of Haemophilus influenza(Hi) in the mouth and throat among the healthy population in the city of Shiyan and to provide evidence for effective prevention and control of Hi infection.Methods Throat swab specimens were randomly collected from 202 healthy individuals from five age groups in the city of Shiyan.The prevalence of carriers of Hi was monitored using TaqMan quantitative PCR.Results Of the 202 specimens,110 tested positive at a rate of 54.46%.The specimens that tested positive most often(76.92%,50/65 specimens)were from children ages 3 and up.These children accounted for 45.45%(50/110)of all positive specimens.The specimens that tested positive least often(15.62%) were from young adults age 20 and over 20 years.There are the significant differences(χ2=40.03,P0.01) in the positive rate for different age groups.Of the throat swab specimens that tested positive according to PCR,52.78%(57/108) were from males while 56.38%(53/94) were from females.Positivity for Haemophilus influenza type B(Hib) was 8.42% while positivity for other types and unknown types of Hi was 46.04%.Conclusion The healthy population in the city of Shiyan tested positive for Hi at a relatively high rate.Hib vaccines should be emphasized and research on new vaccines should be enhanced.
CALCULATION AND ANALYSIS OF FATIGUE LIFE OF HIGH VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION TOWER

Transmission towers are always exposed to environment loads such as wind and rain which leads to high cycle fatigue failure.So far,little research has been done in this field.This paper takes a 500KV transmission tower for example,simulating time-histories of wind load,locating the dangerous bar and compute fatigue life of transmission tower based on fracture mechanics and damage tolerance theory.The result shows that fatigue failure of structural element have significant effect on lifespan of the whole tower.So certain measure to protect and reinforce the tower is necessary.
Pork producers' attitudes, knowledge, and production practices that relate to on-farm food safety

A survey was distributed by mail to a random selection of Illinois pig farmers marketing 1,000 or more pigs in 1998 to assess their knowledge, attitude and behavior regarding on-farm food safety. Valid responses were received from 353 of the 946 surveys mailed (37.3%). Pork production accounted for more than 50% of gross agricultural revenues among 65.0% of respondents, and 91.2% were classified as “owner-operators.” Knowledge of food-borne pathogens was mixed, with correct responses to questions as follows: Trichina, 80.4%; Salmonella, 58.5%; Toxoplasma, 19.9%; and Campylobacter, 12.8%. Producers strongly agreed that food safety was a shared responsibility at every level of the food chain, including the farm level, with an average score for all steps in the pork chain of 4.5 on a scale from 1 (not important) to 5 (very important). When asked whether third party verification of on-farm practices was important, 51.2% agreed and 48.8% either disagreed or neither agreed nor disagreed. Associations between de...
Multiple Wavelength VCSEL Arrays with a Record Wavelength Span

The vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) arrays are promising for ultrahigh capacity optical networks using wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) [1-4]. In this paper, we demonstrate multi-wavelength VCSEL arrays with the largest wavelength span using a backside-patterned GaAs substrate to create a growth gradient. An location-resolvable in-situ optical calibration technique is used, for the first time, to control the wavelength limits and span.
Forecasting Ocean Waves

One result of the interaction of wind and ocean is the generation of surface waves. Prior to 1940 a few inadequate empirical rules formed the only basis for the prediction of wind-induced waves. A concentrated effort under the stimulus of wartime demands has resulted in the development of relationships which make possible the forecasting of ocean waves from synoptic meteorological data.
Psychological Empowerment Among Urban Youth: Measurement Model and Associations with Youth Outcomes

Empowerment-based strategies have become widely used method to address health inequities and promote social change. Few researchers, however, have tested theoretical models of empowerment, including multidimensional, higher-order models. We test empirically a multidimensional, higher-order model of psychological empowerment (PE), guided by Zimmerman's conceptual framework including three components of PE: intrapersonal, interactional, and behavioral. We also investigate if PE is associated with positive and negative outcomes among youth. The sample included 367 middle school youth aged 11-16 (M = 12.71; SD = 0.91); 60% female, 32% (n = 117) white youth, 46% (n = 170) African-American youth, and 22% (n = 80) identifying as mixed race, Asian-American, Latino, Native American, or other ethnic/racial group; schools reported 61-75% free/reduced lunch students. Our results indicated that each of the latent factors for the three PE components demonstrate a good fit with the data. Our results also indicated that these components loaded on to a higher-order PE factor (X2 = 32.68; df: 22; p = .07; RMSEA: 0.04; 95% CI: .00, .06; CFI: 0.99). We found that the second-order PE factor was negatively associated with aggressive behavior and positively associated with prosocial engagement. Our results suggest that empowerment-focused programs would benefit from incorporating components addressing how youth think about themselves in relation to their social contexts (intrapersonal), understanding social and material resources needed to achieve specific goals (interactional), and actions taken to influence outcomes (behavioral). Our results also suggest that integrating the three components and promoting PE may help increase likelihood of positive behaviors (e.g., prosocial involvement); we did not find an association between PE and aggressive behavior. Implications and future directions for empowerment research are discussed.
A spectre in Germany: refugees, a ‘welcome culture’ and an ‘integration politics’

ABSTRACTThe German state permitted about one million refugees to enter Germany in 2015–2016, although many were subsequently denied refugee status. Germany adopted an ‘integration’ and ‘welcome’ politics, an important, if imperfect, model for a European refugee policy. The integration of refugees required the joint activity of state, of civil society, of the public sphere and of refugees themselves. Civil society initiated a vast amount of essential care work and solidarity with refugees pursued especially, but not only, by women, yet civil society and refugees had no say in refugee policies. German refugee policy and practice raised many normative issues, producing an intense and vigorous national debate about them, in which philosophers and theorists were active. Among the questions debated were whether Germany had accepted ‘too many’ refugees, the acceptability of the costs of the policy, the risks of harm to the least well off, the purported risks to safety, security and the social order and the purpo...
Abstract 28: Extracellular Matrix Coating Enhances Nanoparticle Uptake by Lung Epithelial Cells

Introduction: Rapid uptake of drug-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) by lung cells is critical for effective pulmonary delivery of therapeutic agents because of the rapid pulmonary clearance mechanisms. W...
Intracoronary delivery of recombinant TIMP-3 after myocardial infarction: effects on myocardial remodeling and function.

Myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury remain significant causes of morbidity and mortality whereby alterations in the balance between matrix metalloproteinase and tissue inhibitor of metallopr...