cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic changes in sulfate sulfur isotopes preceding the Ediacaran Shuram Excursion

Large excursions in δ^(13)C and δ^(34)S are found in sedimentary rocks from the Ediacaran Period that may provide detailed mechanistic information about oxidation of Earth’s surface. However, poor stratigraphic resolution and diagenetic concerns have thus far limited the interpretation of these records. Here, we present a high-resolution record of carbon and sulfur isotopes from the Khufai Formation, leading up to and including the onset of the Shuram carbon isotope excursion. We document large coherent excursions in the sulfur isotope composition and concentration of carbonate-associated sulfate (CAS) that occur both independently and synchronously with the carbon isotope excursion. Isotopic changes appear decoupled from major stratigraphic surfaces and facies changes, suggesting regional or global processes rather than local controls. Our data suggest that very low marine sulfate concentrations are maintained at least through the middle-Khufai Formation and require that the burial fraction of pyrite and the fractionation factor between sulfate and pyrite necessarily change through deposition. Reconciliation of simultaneous, up-section increases in marine sulfate concentration and δ^(34)S_(CAS) requires the introduction of strongly ^(34)S-enriched sulfate, possibly from weathering of Cryogenian and earlier Ediacaran ^(34)S-enriched pyrite. Our analysis of the onset of the Shuram carbon isotope excursion, observed in stratigraphic and lithologic context, is not consistent with diagenetic or authigenic formation mechanisms. Instead, we observe a contemporaneous negative excursion in sulfate δ^(34)S suggesting linked primary perturbations to the carbon and sulfur isotope systems. This work further constrains the size, isotopic composition, and potential input fluxes of the Ediacaran marine sulfate reservoir, placing mechanistic constraints on possible drivers of extreme isotopic perturbations during this critical period in Earth history.
Parental Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Due to Childhood Cancer and Child Outcomes: Investigation of the Role of Child Anger Regulation

This article examines whether children's anger regulation mediates the relation of cancer-related parental posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) to the psychological adjustment of children with cancer. Children with cancer, and their parents (N = 199; 52.3% boys), completed measures of parental PTSS, child anger regulation, and child adjustment. Parental cancer-related PTSS was significantly associated with child adjustment and anger regulation. Children's anger regulation mediated the relation between parental PTSS and child behavioral and emotional difficulties. This suggests anger regulation as a possible target for intervention.
Kindergarteners' Entrée Intake Increases When Served a Larger Entrée Portion in School Lunch: A Quasi‐Experiment

BACKGROUND The influence of portion size on children's intake and self-regulation of food has gained attention; however, few studies have examined portion sizes in school lunch. This study investigated kindergarteners' intake when they were given different entree portion sizes from the lunch menu. METHODS Plate waste was used as a proxy to measure intake. A standardized lunch of chicken nuggets, rice, green beans, applesauce, and milk was served every Tuesday for 5 consecutive weeks at a Kinder Center. All menu items and the self-selection of 2, 3, or 4 nuggets were served the first week as a pilot. In the second and fourth weeks, trained servers preportioned kindergarteners' plates with 4 nuggets. In the third and fifth weeks, kindergarteners verbally self-selected 2, 3, or 4 chicken nuggets. A Mann-Whitney test was used to determine a significant difference in intake between the 2 days kindergarteners were allowed to select the portion size and the 2 days they were preportioned. RESULTS A significant difference (p < .009) in intake was found between the self-selection of entree portion size and the preportioned entree regardless of sex or whether kindergarteners attended the am or pm session. No significant difference was found in milk, fruit, vegetable, or rice intake between choice and nonchoice lunches. In this study, kindergarteners ate more chicken nuggets when they were offered a larger portion size. CONCLUSIONS Further investigation is needed on the impact of letting kindergarteners self-select portion sizes, and the potential negative outcomes of larger portion sizes on children's caloric consumption in elementary schools.
Confounding Cultural Citizenship and Constitutional Reform in Bolivia

The Bolivian constitution ratified in January 2009 has been hailed as a watershed in the effort to empower the indigenous majority. However, in addition to an entrenched political opposition in the lowland half of the country, some observers have pointed to the constitution’s “Aymara-centric” character, suggesting that it has left some people unrecognized and unrepresented. Examination of associational life in the urban provincial capital of Quillacollo, where what it means to be indigenous is quite different from that which the constitution valorizes and confirms, helps of clarify the challenges of multicultural or plurinational legal reforms based upon cultural citizenship. A central challenge is that of transcending a conception of legal rights and claims inhering in citizenship as mutually exclusively either individual or collective.
The impact of uncertainty in a class of objective functions

Abstract This note analyzes some properties of a class of models involving optimization under uncertainty. Such models are characterized by a specific form of the objective function which is frequently encountered by economists. The discussion presented below generalizes a method which has been applied by several theoreticians [1–4, 8] to the analysis of specific topics in the theory of the firm and the problem of investment under uncertainty. This method makes use of a specific parameterization of risk and imposes some restrictions on decision makers' behavior, thus implying a model not as general as the one presented by Rothschild and Stiglitz [6, 7]. However, the present model is still plausible and affords some definite results where more general models are ambiguous.
In vivo delineation of myocardial hypoxia during coronary occlusion using fluorine-18 fluoromisonidazole and positron emission tomography: a potential approach for identification of jeopardized myocardium.

Previous studies have demonstrated that the positron-emitting fluorine-18 (18F)-labeled fluoromisonidazole is a specific tracer of myocardial hypoxia. Its fractional extraction Is enhanced in ischemic or hypoxic myocardium but returns to baseline levels on reperfusion and recovery of normal function. Thus, this agent might be useful in delineating acutely hypoxic but potentially salvageable myocardium. Accordingly, to delineate the relation between the myocardial extraction of 18F-fluoromisonidazole after intravenous administration and the time of antecedent ischemia in vivo, uptake of tracer was measured with positron emission tomography and direct postmortem tissue analysis in 14 dogs in which tracer was administered within 3 h of coronary occlusion (a time associated with marked potential for salvage on reperfusion); in 4 dogs after 6 h of coronary occlusion (a time associated with minimal salvage of myocardium on reperfusion); and in 8 dogs after > 24 h of coronary occlusion (to delineate uptake in tissue that is irreversibly damaged). The residual fraction (that is, the amount of tracer extracted and retained in a region) in ischemic myocardium in the dogs in which 18F-fluoromisonidazole was administered within 3 h after occlusion averaged (± standard deviation) 23 ± 18%, which was higher than the residual fraction in myocardium subjected to ischemia for either 6 or > 24 h before tracer administration (12 ± 7% and 5 ± 2%, respectively, p < 0.01 for both). Retention of tracer in remote normal myocardium averaged 2 ± 1%. Because marked enhancement of extraction of 18F-fluoromisonidazole occurred in myocardium only early after the ischemic insult, this agent may hold promise for the noninvasive identification of Jeopardized but salvageable myocardium. In addition, it should be useful in enhancing the understanding of the basic role of myocardial hypoxia in cardiac disease and its response to treatment.
Renal Accumulation of Circulating Angiotensin II in Angiotensin II–Infused Rats

Previous studies have demonstrated that low-dose angiotensin II (Ang II) infusion for 14 days mimics two-kidney, one clip Goldblatt hypertension and increases intrarenal Ang II levels. The objective of the present study was to determine whether the augmented intrarenal Ang II is due to intrarenal accumulation of the infused Ang II and/or to an increase in intrarenal formation of endogenous Ang II. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were uninephrectomized and divided into three groups: control (N=6), those infused with [Ile5]Ang II (endogenous form) (N=6), and those infused with [Val5]Ang II (n=8). [Ile5]Ang II or [Val5]Ang II was infused at 40 ng/min via an osmotic minipump implanted subcutaneously. By day 12, systolic blood pressure increased significantly in both [Val5]Ang II-infused rats (197 +/- 7 mm Hg) and [Ile5]Ang II-infused rats (173 +/- 3 mm Hg). Blood and kidney samples were harvested, subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography to separate [Val5]Ang II from [Ile5]Ang II, and then measured by radioimmunoassay. Plasma renin activity was markedly suppressed in both [Ile5]Ang II- and [Val5]Ang II-infused rats. Plasma Ang II levels were elevated in rats infused with both [Ile5]Ang II (121 +/- 24 fmol/mL) and [Val5]Ang II (119 +/- 14 fmol/mL) compared with controls (69 +/- 15 fmol/mL). Both [Ile5]Ang II- and [Val5]Ang II-infused rats exhibited an enhancement of total intrarenal Ang II. Only [Ile5]Ang II (358 +/- 53 fmol/g) was detected in the kidneys of rats infused with -Ile5-Ang II. In [Val5]Ang II-infused rats, a significant portion of total renal Ang II (371 +/- 57 fmol/g) was in the form of [Val5]Ang II (256 +/- 44 fmol/g). Renal [Ile5]Ang II levels were maintained in the [Val5]Ang II-infused rats (116 +/- 15 fmol/g) compared with control rats (116 +/- 11 fmol/g) despite marked suppression of renin release. These results support the hypothesis that infused circulating ANG II is bound to receptor or taken up intrarenally in a manner that protects against degradation.
Normative factors influencing hospitality instructors to teach online

The rapid growth of online learning in higher education has been met with varying degrees of acceptance among faculty and administrators. Although hospitality management instructors recognize the prominence of online learning as the future of higher education, their current apprehensions may hinder institutional strategic objectives. This study examined hospitality instructors' intentions to teach an online course, using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), deconstructing subjective norms into student, colleague, and department chair influences. The findings from this research will be useful to program administrators who seek to encourage hospitality faculty to teach online courses.
Non-Radial Harmonic Vibrations within a Conical Horn

Simple harmonic vibrations satisfying the equation $\ensuremath{\varphi}={(\mathrm{kr})}^{\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}}{J}_{m+\frac{1}{2}}(\mathrm{kr}){P}_{m}(cos\ensuremath{\theta})cos\ensuremath{\sigma}t$ are studied. In this equation, $\ensuremath{\varphi}$ is the velocity potential, $J$ and $P$ denote Bessel and Legendre functions respectively, and $r$ and $\ensuremath{\theta}$ are polar coordinates. The parameter $m$ specifying the orders of the Bessel and Legendre functions is determined so that the vibrations satisfy the boundary conditions for a conical horn. This is possible by means of a new expansion for ${P}_{m}(x)$ which is herein developed. With the assumption of a loop at the opening of the horn and by the aid of an asymptotic expansion for ${J}_{m+\frac{1}{2}}(z)$, numerical values are computed, for horns of various angles (2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 30\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}) and for two types of vibration, of the ratios $\frac{n}{{n}_{0}}$ of several frequencies to the fundamental frequency ${n}_{0}$, and of the ratios $\frac{\ensuremath{\lambda}}{d}$ of the corresponding wave-lengths to the diameter of the horn at the opening. The nature of these two types of vibration is indicated by figures.
Subfractionation of Human Serum Enzymes

Evidence is given for the subfractionation by starch gel electrophoresis of human serum cholinesterase. aromatic esterase, and acid phosphatase. These subfractions and unfractionated leucine aminopeptidase are localized with respect to the protein zones of the Smithies starch gel pattern.
Nation, Nationality, Nationalism and Civil Society

Abstract. This article vindicates the phenomenon of the nation and argues that civil society could not exist without it. The nation, although related to nationalism, is by no means identical with it. Extreme forms of nationalism are generally speaking iniquitous and in many cases severely damaging to the societies in which they occur. The same stricture does not apply to the nation.
Bearing Capacity of Footings Placed Adjacent to c′-ϕ′ Slopes

AbstractConventional bearing capacity analyses for shallow foundations placed on slopes use a modified set of bearing capacity factors based on soil properties, footing geometry, and slope configuration, but are restricted to purely cohesionless or purely cohesive soils. This approach is adequate for establishing bearing capacity on engineered fills with controlled foundation properties, yet does not adequately address design for bearing capacity on soils that have both cohesion and internal frictional resistance—a common scenario for native soils. This role becomes increasingly important in design for mechanically stabilized earth walls, which are often placed on slopes of native c′-ϕ′ soils in which the bearing capacity can often be the critical design constraint. Prior approaches to bearing capacity on horizontal ground for c′-ϕ′ soils utilize principles of limited state plasticity in their formulation, yet the most commonly applied bearing capacity approaches on slopes use semiempirical formulations t...
Discrete-time LQG mean field games with unreliable communication

In this paper, we consider discrete-time linear-quadratic-Gaussian (LQG) mean field games over unreliable communication links. These are dynamic games with a large number of agents where the cost function of each agent is coupled with other agents' states via a mean field term. Further, the individual dynamical system for each agent is subject to packet dropping. Under this setup, we first obtain an optimal decentralized control law for each agent that is a function of local information as well as packet drop information. We then construct a mean field system that provides the best approximation to the mean field term under appropriate conditions. We also show that the optimal decentralized controller stabilizes the individual dynamical system in the time-average sense. We prove an e-Nash equilibrium property of the set of N optimal decentralized controllers, and show that e can be made arbitrarily small as the number of agents becomes arbitrarily large. We note that the existence of the e-Nash equilibrium obtained in this paper is primarily dependent on the underlying communication networks.
Assessment of Technology In Organizations: Closed versus Open Systems Approach

Technology is a multiphasic, multilevel input/output mechanism that is interdependent with its environment. Past research suggests that inconsistent assessments of technology may be attributed to examining different phases of the same transformation process. Past research has generally ignored input and output activities as well as critical energy exchanges between the technology and the environment. Technology can be assessed at several levels (individual job, subunit, and organization), which are interdependent, yet may reflect qualitatively different activities. A framework for assessing technology is derived from these multiple levels. This framework can be used to aid integration of research, to encourage more thorough assessment of technology, and to investigate the relations between the environment and technology.
Piloting a behavioral intervention delivered through interactive voice response telephone messages to promote weight loss in a pre-diabetic population

Abstract Objective To pilot test the feasibility and effectiveness of interactive voice response (IVR) calls targeting physical activity and healthful eating as strategies for weight loss for patients with pre-diabetes. Methods Participants (N = 77) who engaged in a 90-min diabetes prevention class were randomly assigned to receive IVR support targeting physical activity and nutrition weight loss strategies or to a no-contact control. Physical activity, dietary intake, and body weight were assessed prior to and following the 3-month intervention. Results Eighty-five percent of the intervention participants completed at least half of the intervention. Participants assigned to receive the intervention lost an average of 2.6% of body weight during the 3 months while control participants lost an average of 1.6%. To determine the effect of the calls when used we found that those who used the system lost approximately 3% of body weight which approached significance when compared to controls (p Conclusion IVR holds promise for follow-up encounters with patients with pre-diabetes. Practice Implications IVR can be used to provide physical activity and nutrition counseling that can enhance the potential reach and effectiveness of health professionals working with patients who have diabetes while placing a minimal burden on financial resources and staff time.
Intelligent dispatching rules for trip-based material handling systems

The literature shows that the manner in which empty devices in a trip-based material handling system are dispatched affects the overall productivity of the handling system. Existing dispatching rules: (1) do not assign a move request until a device deposits a load and becomes empty; (2) with the exception of one rule do not allow an empty device to be reassigned to another move request; (3) do not consider the status and current assignment(s) of other devices before assigning a move request; and (4) may lead to sizable empty travel (also known in industry as “dead-heading”), which reduces system efficiency. This paper presents two new dispatching rules, modified shortest travel time first (MOD STTF) and bidding-based dynamic dispatching (B2D2), which address the above shortcomings and take advantage of information that should be readily available in centrally controlled systems. The latter rule also uses a new concept for device dispatching in that all the devices (empty or otherwise) are allowed to “bid” on incoming move requests. Simulation results indicate that, compared to existing rules, both MOD STTF and B2D2 improve system performance considerably.
Optimization of selectivity in capillary zone electrophoresis via dynamic pH gradient and dynamic flow gradient

Abstract Two different techniques, dynamic pH gradient and electroosmotic flow gradient, were introduced to control selectivity in capillary zone electrophoresis. These two types of gradients showed dramatic effects on the resolution of organic acids. Dynamic pH gradient from pH 3.0 to 5.2 is readily generated by a high-performance liquid chromatography gradient pump. Electroosmotic flow gradient is produced by changing the reservoirs containing different concentrations of cetylammonium bromide for injection and running. The two gradient techniques are applied to the separation of model anions which are not resolved at constant pH or at constant flow conditions.
Significant other representations activate stereotypic self-views among women

We predicted and found that the extent to which self-views were consistent with prevailing stereotypes depended on the cognitive accessibility of representations of a significant other. Seventy-nine women participated in a two-stage experiment. In the first stage, participants named and described significant or unimportant others who they perceived as viewing them in a stereotypic or counter-stereotypic way (i.e., as having communal vs. agentic qualities). Approximately a week later, one of the significant or unimportant others was made cognitively accessible prior to completing a self-view measure. The results showed that women shifted their stereotype relevant self-views to correspond with the perceived views of a significant other but not to those of an unimportant other.
Room-temperature FT-luminescence analysis of Cu(In,Ga)Se/sub 2/ films and devices

The authors report a rapid, convenient luminescence technique for quality control of polycrystalline Cu(In,Ga)Se/sub 2/ (CIGS) films and photovoltaic (PV) devices. The speed and convenience of the luminescence analyses were realized by using a Fourier transform (FT) Raman spectrophotometer which operates in the near-infrared (NIR) spectral region encompassing the band gap and defect levels of CIGS. With minor modifications to the FT-Raman spectrophotometer, the authors were able to detect both photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL) from CIGS devices at room temperature. The FT-EL technique allows luminescence measurements to be made using this equipment at energies up to 1.3 eV, while the FT-PL technique is limited to energies below 1.15 eV. By increasing sensitivity and eliminating the need for sample cooling, this approach reduced the measurement time by an order of magnitude relative to comparable dispersive PL measurements. They used a fiberprobe accessory to the FT-Raman spectrophotometer to demonstrate that samples can be checked for uniformity at remote locations, e.g. online, using FT-PL spectroscopy. They also used a microscope accessory to obtain the PL spectra of visibly discolored regions some tens of microns in diameter on a CIGS device, and to show that these regions emit PL at significantly lower energy and intensity than nearby uniform regions of the device.
Fabrication and characterization of carbon nanotube–polyimide composite based high temperature flexible thin film piezoresistive strain sensor

Abstract A high temperature strain sensor based on polyimide/single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) composites was proposed. Sensors with different SWCNT contents ranging from 0.07 to 2.0 wt% were prepared. The electrical property of the composites was investigated by direct current (DC) resistance and electrical impedance spectroscopy. A simple equivalent model was used to estimate the resistance of the composite, and percolation theory was adopted to analyze the electrical property transition from insulator to conductor. The experiment results suggested the percolation threshold to be 1 wt%. Several strain sensors with different CNT concentrations in and above the percolation threshold range are characterized, and the test results show the optimum CNT concentration for the sensor to be 1.4 wt%. The strain sensors are also characterized under different temperature up to 265 °C for future high temperature application.
Financing decisions and the investment opportunity set: Some evidence from Japan☆

This paper examines the empirical relation between corporate financing and investment opportunities in Japan. In contrast to the findings in U.S. firms, we find that for a sample of 1,044 Japanese firms with data available on Pacific-Basin Capital Markets (PACAP) database over the period 1986–1990, there is a positive relationship between book debt-equity ratios and our measure of investment opportunities. These results are consistent with the joint hypotheses that the negative relationship found in the U.S. is because of agency conflicts and these conflicts are mitigated in Japanese firms because of their institutional arrangements. We also document that contrary to the common belief of potentially unique behavior of keiretsu firms because of their stronger ties to banks and other financial institutions, there are no significant differences between keiretsu firms and independent firms' leverage, growth opportunities, firm size, and the relationship between investment opportunities and financial decisions.
Puberty and adolescence as a time of vulnerability to stressors that alter neurobehavioral processes

Puberty and adolescence are major life transitions during which an individual’s physiology and behavior changes from that of a juvenile to that of an adult. Here we review studies documenting the effects of stressors during pubertal and adolescent development on the adult brain and behavior. The experience of complex or compound stressors during puberty/adolescence generally increases stress reactivity, increases anxiety and depression, and decreases cognitive performance in adulthood. These behavioral changes correlate with decreased hippocampal volumes and alterations in neural plasticity. Moreover, stressful experiences during puberty disrupt behavioral responses to gonadal hormones both in sexual performance and on cognition and emotionality. These behavioral changes correlate with altered estrogen receptor densities in some estrogen-concentrating brain areas, suggesting a remodeling of the brain’s response to hormones. A hypothesis is presented that activation of the immune system results in chronic neuroinflammation that may mediate the alterations of hormone-modulated behaviors in adulthood.
Pseudoscience and the SpeechEasy: Reply to Kalinowski, Saltuklaroglu, Stuart, and Guntupalli (2007)

Purpose To respond to several of the issues raised in J. Kalinowski, T. Saltuklaroglu, A. Stuart, and V. K. Guntupalli’s (2007) critique of our previous article (P. Finn, A. K. Bothe, & R. E. Bramlett, 2005). Method Information is provided to refute criticisms raised by Kalinowski et al. about the Finn et al. article, including with respect to that report’s methodology, previous research about fluency-inducing conditions in stuttering, and the SpeechEasy device. Conclusions Available data show that delayed auditory feedback, frequency-altered feedback, masking, and chorus reading can result in reduced stuttering for some speakers, and the inconsistencies and variability in available reports suggest that further careful and creative research could be very valuable. Neither the information about the SpeechEasy provided by its developers, however, nor the manner in which that information has been presented and discussed by its developers rises to the standards of a science-based clinical service discipline.
Isolation and Characterization of Burkholderia gladioli from Orchids in Hawaii

Keith, L. M., Sewake, K. T., and Zee, F. T. 2005. Isolation and characterization of Burkholderia gladioli from orchids in Hawaii. Plant Dis. 89:1273-1278. Bacterial diseases of orchids continue to be serious problems. Bacterial strains were isolated from orchid plants exhibiting disease symptoms in Hawaii. Small to large leaf spots with or without water-soaking or soft rots were observed on various orchid genera, including Dendrobium, Oncidium, and Miltonia spp. and hybrids. Bacteria isolated and cultured from the lesions were tentatively identified using analytical profile index (API) strips and standard physiological and biochemical tests, and confirmed by species-specific polymerase chain reaction and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The variation in pathogenic, morphological, cultural, and molecular characteristics of the orchid isolates also was evaluated. In our studies, a gramnegative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacterium that produced pale yellow, opaque, round colonies with entire margins on nutrient broth yeast extract agar (NBY) was isolated consistently from diseased orchid plants. On yeast dextrose calcium carbonate agar, the isolates produced brownishyellow, nonmucoid colonies, with the majority of the strains secreting a diffusible yellow or tan pigment into the media. The bacterium was identified as Burkholderia gladioli. Molecular analysis indicated very little diversity in the 16S rDNA gene. Testing B. gladioli isolates using media containing copper or streptomycin indicated varying levels of resistance (copper resistant = Cu r ; streptomycin resistant, Sm r ), with approximately 75% of the strains resistant to copper and 94% of the strains resistant to streptomycin. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of cupric sulfate among Cu r strains ranged from 50 to 1,000 µg/ml and the MIC of streptomycin was 50 to 100 µg/ml for all Smr B. gladioli strains tested. Field and laboratory data suggest the frequent use of these chemicals in nurseries may have inadvertently resulted in the development of copper and streptomycin resistance in B. gladioli from orchids.
TNFα receptor expression in rat cardiac myocytes: TNFα inhibition of L-type Ca2+ current and Ca2+ transients

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) is a potentially powerful anti-neoplastic agent; however, its therapeutic usefulness is limited by its cardiotoxic and negative inotropic effects. Accordingly, studies were undertaken to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms of TNF alpha-mediated cardiodepression. Single cell RT-PCR, [125I]TNF alpha ligand binding and Western immunoblotting experiments demonstrated that rat cardiac cells predominantly express type I TNF alpha receptors (TNFRI or p60). TNF alpha inhibited cardiac L-type Ca2+ channel current (ICa) and contractile Ca2+ transients. Thus, it is possible that the negative inotropic effects of TNF alpha are the result of TNFRI-mediated blockade of cardiac excitation-contraction coupling.
Pollination ecology of Melaleuca cajuputi, Nypa fruticans and their flower visitors

SummaryThe submerged Melaleuca forests have an important role in the regulation of climate and the protection of wildlife and the environment in southern Vietnam. This paper studies the pollination ecology of the Asian giant honey bee (Apis dorsata), the Asian dwarf honey bee (Apis florea) and other pollinators on the two prominent plants (Melaleuca cajuputi and Nypa fruticans) in the forests. The results show that the nectar of Melaleuca flowers was secreted in the largest volume with the lowest sugar content in the early morning. Then, due to evaporation, the volume dropped to the lowest with the highest sugar content in the early afternoon. The sugar value present in Melaleuca flowers was the highest (466 Mg of sugar per flower) at 10.00 h in the morning. Nypa flowers opened early in the morning, their pollen release increased gradually, reached a peak at 09.00 h and finished at sunset. The study of pollinators on the Melaleuca and Nypa flowers showed the three following forms of partitioning in the Me...
The use of an abrasive in the isolation of cowpea leaf protoplasts which support the multiplication of cowpea mosaic virus.

Abstract Protoplasts were isolated from primary leaves of cowpeas (Vigna sinensis) by a technique that makes stripping of the leaf epidermis unnecessary. Powdered abrasive was applied to the lower epidermis and spread about by brief brushing. Subsequent enzymatic digestion released more than five times as many protoplasts from treated, as compared to untreated, leaves and in less than one-third the digestion time. Only the upper epidermis and vascular tissue remained undigested. Protoplasts cultured in a modified White medium regenerated cell walls over a period of four days. Freshly isolated protoplasts were inoculated with cowpea mosaic virus. Infectivity, as detected by local lesion assay of protoplast crude extracts, increased over a period of 40 hr to a level consistent with >5 × 105 virions per protoplast.
Expert system applications in software engineering

Abstract This paper presents an overview of research in expert systems and artificial intelligence as they relate to software engineering. The paper begins with a review of current thinking regarding the software process. This is followed by a discussion of artificial intelligence (AI) and the paradigms it uses. Six current projects are described: three are concerned with programming in the large and three with programming in the small. These six projects provide a representative sample of the AI research now underway in the software engineering domain. The paper concludes with some observations regarding when and how the concepts represented by these projects will be available for application to operational projects.
A search for missing answers to questions never asked reply to Kosters

Martinus Kosters’ rejoinder to my article, “Tourism and Political Science: A Case of Not so Benign Neglect” really leaves me without any excuse to reply. His appraisal is generous, certainly requiring no rebuttal on my part. His critique of my neglect of European tourism conditions is both accurate and well-argued. I am exercising my opportunity to reply, therefore, not to defend my article, but to continue the kind of dialogue which simply must take place if we are to develop research agenda for exploring the politics of tourism systematically. If Kosters is correct about the even more appalling state of neglect of tourism politics in Europe than in the United States, then the prospects for political research on tourism are more grim than I anticipated. Perhaps naively, I assumed that once the economic importance of tourism was fully appreciated, the political ramifications would be similarly recognized. However, Europe has long recognized the economic importance of tourism, and its several institutes of tourism and tourism journals testify to a longstanding interest in the subject. If the impact of tourism has failed to intrigue the political scientists of Europe, then simply the expansion of tourism within the United States or our growing dependence on international tourism to ameliorate our balance of payments deficit will scarcely suffice. It is easy to appreciate how discouraging it must be for individuals like Senator Daniel Inouye (USA), who spent a decade gently guiding the National Tourism Policy Act through Congress, to see the results of their labor. For years Inouye’s congressional committee heard testimony detailing the staggering importance of tourism to the society, to employment rates, to our tax revenue and balance of payments. One administration after another hardly yawned in reply. Finally in 198 1 President Reagan signed the first National Tourism Act commiting the nation to an attempt to coordinate tourism’s development in conjunction with other sometimes conflicting national policies. A new era? At last political recognition for the nation’s second largest retail industry? Scarcely. In hisnext two budget messages, the President’s recommendations proposed to gut funding for the new U.S Travel and Tourism Administration (USTTA). President Reagan is famous for cost-cutting of domestic programs, but cutting an agency designed to increase revenues, increase employment, and increase foreign trade is scarcely consistent with the President’s avowed desire to stimulate the economy. Moreover, as a busi-
Multiobjective material architecture optimization of pultruded FRP I-beams

Abstract This paper presents the application of micro/macromechanics models and optimization techniques for the optimum design of pultruded glass fiber-reinforced plastic composite I-beams with respect to material architecture: fiber orientations and fiber percentages. The beams are subjected to transverse loading, and beam deflection, buckling resistance and material failure are considered as multiple objectives (criteria) in the optimization process. Assuming a symmetrical laminated structure for the pultruded sections, experimentally verified micro/macromechanics models are used to predict ply properties, beam member response and ply strains and stresses. The Tsai-Hill failure criterion is used to determine first-ply-failure loads. Considering the coupling of lateral and distortional buckling, a stability Rayleigh-Ritz solution is used to evaluate the critical buckling loads for pultruded I-beams, and the results are verified with finite element analyses. A multiobjective design optimization formulation combined with a global approximation technique is proposed to optimize beam fiber architecture, which can greatly enhance the load carrying capacity of a section. The optimization procedure presented in this paper can serve as a practical tool to improve the performance of existing fiber-reinforced plastic without changing the current geometries.
A Convenient Synthetic Route to [CpRu(CH3CN)3]PF6

A new practical protocol that avoids the stoichiometric use of either thallium or silver salts for the synthesis of the title compound is described.
Survival outcomes for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma arising after lymphoma.

OBJECTIVE: Determine onset and survival of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) after lymphoma. STUDY DESIGN: Case-control. METHODS: Cases of HNSCC occurring as a second primary malignancy after prior diagnosis of lymphoma were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database. Survivals were compared with age- and stage-matched control cases of HNSCC. RESULTS: A total of 333 cases of HNSCC after lymphoma (53 Hodgkin's and 280 non-Hodgkin's lymphomas) were identified as occurring on average 70.7 months after lymphoma. Post-lymphoma HNSCC cases exhibited poorer mean (median) Kaplan-Meier overall survival of 57.0 months (29.0 months) vs 84.2 months (42.0 months) for controls (P = 0.008). However, after exclusion of lymphoma-related deaths, post-lymphoma HNSCC survival improved to 63.9 (86.3) months (P = 0.191). HNSCC occurring after Hodgkin's disease exhibited better mean survival (92.5 months) than extranodal non-Hodgkin's (43.5 months) and nodal non-Hodgkin's (50.7 months) disease (P = 0.049). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with HNSCC with prior lymphoma, especially non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, exhibit poorer survival than first primary HNSCC cases.
Multimedia presentation development using the audio visual connection

This paper describes the technology behind the creation of multimedia presentations using a new IBM program product, the Audio Visual Connection® (AVC™). The multimedia approach represents a major innovation in computer technology involving new concepts such as the digitization of audio and video, the involvement of the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI), and the creation of a multimedia story. Two hardware adapters support the AVC: the Audio Capture and Playback Adapter and the Video Capture Adapter. When used with these adapters, the AVC digitizes both stereo audio and color video, performs powerful edit and synchronization functions, defines an interactive user environment, and creates a multimedia presentation using standard IBM Personal System/2® hardware. Additional input is available from MIDI song files, screen capture, and non-AVC image systems. Final results range from passive presentations to interactive applications to sophisticated database front ends.
MRI findings of juvenile psoriatic arthritis

The aim of this study was to describe the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of juvenile psoriatic arthritis (JpsA) in children in order to facilitate early diagnosis and proper management. Two pediatric radiologists retrospectively reviewed in consensus a total of 37 abnormal MRI examinations from 31 pediatric patients (nine boys, 22 girls; age range 1–17 years; mean age 9.4 years) who had a definite diagnosis of JpsA and underwent MRI. Each MRI was evaluated for synovium abnormality (thickening and enhancement), joint effusion (small, moderate, and large), bone marrow abnormality (edema, enhancement, and location of abnormality), soft tissue abnormality (edema, enhancement, atrophy, and fatty infiltration), tendon abnormality (thickening, edema, tendon sheath fluid, and enhancement), and articular abnormality (joint space narrowing and erosion). The distribution of abnormal MRI findings among the six categories for the 37 MRI examinations was evaluated. The number of abnormal MRI findings for each MRI examination was assessed. Age at MRI examination and all six categories of abnormal MRI findings according to gender were evaluated. There were a total 96 abnormal MRI findings noted on 37 abnormal MRI examinations from 31 pediatric patients. The 37 abnormal MRI examinations included MRI of the hand (n = 8), knee (n = 8), ankle (n = 5), pelvis (n = 5), temporomandibular joint (n = 4), wrist (n = 3), foot (n = 2), elbow (n = 1), and shoulder (n = 1). Twenty-eight diffuse synovial thickening and/or enhancement were the most common MRI abnormality (29.2%). Joint effusion comprised 22 abnormal MRI findings (22.9%). There were 16 abnormal MRI bone marrow edema and/or enhancement findings (16.7%), and in seven (7.3%) the edema involved non-articular sites. Soft tissue abnormality manifested as edema and/or enhancement constituted 14 abnormal MRI findings (14.5%). There were ten MRI abnormalities (10.4%) involving tendons. Articular abnormality seen as joint space narrowing and/or bone erosion comprised six abnormal MRI findings (6.2%). Most MRI examinations had more than one abnormal finding (84%). Age at which MRI examinations were performed was not significantly different between boys and girls. All six categories of abnormal MRI findings were not significantly different between boys and girls. Children with JpsA typically present with more than one abnormal finding on their MRI studies. While synovial abnormality is the most common MR finding in children with JpsA, multi-focal bone marrow edema and enhancement at both articular and non-articular sites are also notable findings in children with JpsA. The rate of articular abnormality is much lower in children with JpsA in comparison to adults with psoriatic arthritis. Our findings suggest that MRI can play a useful role in the diagnosis and ongoing assessment of this uncommon, though important, pediatric rheumatologic disorder.
Understanding the causes and consequences of differential decision-making in adaptation research: Adapting to a delayed monsoon onset in Gujarat, India

Weather variability poses numerous risks to agricultural communities, yet farmers may be able to reduce some of these risks by adapting their cropping practices to better suit changes in weather. However, not all farmers respond to weather variability in the same way. To better identify the causes and consequences of this heterogeneous decision-making, we develop a framework that identifies (1) which socio-economic and biophysical factors are associated with heterogeneous cropping decisions in response to weather variability and (2) which cropping strategies are the most adaptive, considering economic outcomes (e.g., yields and profits). This framework aims to understand how, why, and how effectively farmers adapt to current weather variability; these findings, in turn, may contribute to a more mechanistic and predictive understanding of individual-level adaptation to future climate variability and change. To illustrate this framework, we assessed how 779 farmers responded to delayed monsoon onset in fifteen villages in Gujarat, India during the 2011 growing season, when the monsoon onset was delayed by three weeks. We found that farmers adopted a variety of strategies to cope with delayed monsoon onset, including increasing irrigation use, switching to more drought-tolerant crops, and/or delaying sowing. We found that farmers’ access to and choice of strategies varied with their assets, irrigation access, perceptions of weather, and risk aversion. Richer farmers with more irrigation access used high levels of irrigation, and this strategy was associated with the highest yields in our survey sample. Poorer farmers with less secure access to irrigation were more likely to push back planting dates or switch crop type, and economic data suggest that these strategies were beneficial for those who did not have secure access to irrigation. Interestingly, after controlling for assets and irrigation access, we found that cognitive factors, such as beliefs that the monsoon onset date had changed over the last 20 years or risk aversion, were associated with increased adaptation. Our framework illustrates the importance of considering the complexity and heterogeneity of individual decision-making when conducting climate impact assessments or when developing policies to enhance the adaptive capacity of local communities to future climate variability and change.
TU-D-BRC-07: An Online Replanning Technique with Deformation-Based Aperture Morphing and Weight Optimization

Purpose: We have previously proposed a fast online replanning method using contour‐based segment aperture morphing (SAM) and segment weight optimization (SWO), that was shown to be effective in correcting interfractional variations. Here we propose to enhance the replanning method by developing new SAM algorithm using deformation field. Methods: A new software tool was developed to incorporate the full 3D deformation field between the planning and daily CTs to morph the planed apertures based on the daily CT. The previously reported deformable registration algorithm based on a fast symmetric Demons method with the use of masks was utilized to generate the deformation vector field. The vector field was used to generate daily contours and to morph aperture shapes. The SWO was applied to further improve the dosimetry for the morphed apertures. The resulting doses were compared with those obtained with the full‐scope reoptimization (the golden standard), rigid‐body‐registration based repositioning (the current IGRT practice), and the previous contour‐based SAM. The new deformation‐based SAM and SWO process was tested for selected prostate cases with large daily organ deformation. Results: The deformable image registration took 1 minute, and the entire deformation‐based SAM and SWO process was completed within 5 minutes. The plans generated by the new deformation‐based SAM were considerably better than those from the repositioning, and were comparable to the contour‐based SAM. SWO further improved the plan quality, resulting in the final plans that are comparable to the full‐blown reoptimization plan. Conclusion: An algorithm using deformation field for aperture morphing was successfully developed and tested. The replanning process including the new algorithm is effective and can be completed within a reasonable timeframe (5–10 minutes) for practical implementation. The new replanning process can be fully automated and can effectively correct for interfraction errors, even for complex cases with multiple targets and overlapping critical structures.
Application of polarization microscopy for the nonstained determination of myo-lamina morphology in the rat

The remodeling of cardiac tissues has been implicated in the development of congestive heart failure. Therefore, the current emphasis in cardiovascular research is geared toward understanding the underlying processes in order to facilitate the development of better prevention and treatment regimens by improving the early detection and diagnosis of this disease. This paper focuses on the application of polarized light to address a major drawback of cardiovascular biomechanics research, which is the utilization of toxic chemicals to prepare samples for histological examination. To accomplish this without the use of toxic chemicals, a polarization microscopy imaging technique was developed and applied to a non-stained rat septum sample. This imaging technique provided sufficient enhancement of collagenous structures to determine the myo-lamina sheet angle, β, without the need for caustic staining.
Algorithm for solving tridiagonal matrix problems in parallel

Abstract A new algorithm is presented, designed to solve tridiagonal matrix problems efficiently with parallel computers (multiple instruction stream, multiple data stream (MIMD) machines with distributed memory). The algorithm is designed to be extendable to higher order banded diagonal systems.