cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dendrochronological analysis of the canopy history of two Ohio old-growth forests

This study examined the temporal patterns of establishment, suppression, and release of major tree species in two old-growth Ohio forest remnants as a means to determine the past disturbance history of these forests. Increment cores were taken from a total of 154 trees from two well-drained, upland plots and two poorly-drained, bottomland plots in each of the two forested areas. Acer saccharum and Fagus grandifolia exhibited multiple episodes of suppression and release prior to becoming canopy trees, and could tolerate suppressions as long as 84 years. In contrast, Quercus macrocarpa, Q. muehlenbergii, Prunus serotina, and Acer saccharinum rerely exhibited any tolerance to suppression and appeared to have entered the canopy after single disturbances had opened large areas of canopy. There was clear synchrony in the temporal pattern of establishment and final release from suppression among trees from bottomland plots scattered throughout the stands, indicating that relatively large disturbances were important in these poorly-drained areas. In contrast, there was little synchrony among trees from well-drained upland plots, except in a single instance where selective cutting of Quercus trees opened the canopy. Thus, the canopy of upland site was likely subjected only to small disturbances resulting from the death of one or a few trees. At the whole of forest level, there was evidence of episodic recruitment of canopy trees in both forests. Establishment of Fraxinus spp. and Quercus spp. were particularly episodic, and few Fraxinus or Quercus trees alive today established during the last century. These data suggest that large disturbances have affected canopy dynamics of both upland and bottomland areas prior to 1900 and in bottomland forests through this century. In contrast, disturbances in upland areas during this century have been restricted to small, treefall-generated canopy gaps.
Skin Painting Studies in Mice on 11 Fd&C and D&C Colors: Fd&C Green no. 3, Red No. 2, Red No. 4, Yellow No. 6, and External D&C No. 7, D&C Orange No. 4, Violet No. 2, Red No. 17, Red No. 34, and Yellow No. 7

AbstractSkin painting studies in Swiss Webster mice were carried out with a series of 11 coal-tar-derived colors including FD&C Green 3, Red 2, Red 4, Yellow 6, and Violet 1, External D&C Yellow 7, and D&C Orange 4, Violet 2, Red 17, Red 34, and Yellow 7. Mice were painted once weekly in an area that precluded oral exposure with 0.1 ml of the solution or suspension containing 1.0% of the respective color to a depilated 6 cm2 area. Survival, body weight, and palpable growths were followed for the 18 month period when a marked increase in geriatric mortality became evident. Microscopic examination which initially involved approximately 50% of the treated animals was extended to include all tumors and grossly abnormal tissues and organs. There were no significant differenced between treatment and control groups in body weight or survival except for the lesser survival of the FD&C Green 3 group. Lymphomatous findings including neoplasias were widely distributed in the control and treatment groups as is common...
Effects of Exercise Training and Feeding on Lipoprotein Lipase Gene Expression in Adipose Tissue, Heart, and Skeletal Muscle of the Rat

Abstract Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is found in adipose tissue and muscle, and is important for the uptake of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins from plasma. This study examined the regulation of LPI. in adipose tissue and muscle by exercise training in combination with the fed or fasted state. After training male rats on a treadmill for 6 weeks, LPL activity, mass, and mRNA levels were measured in adipose tissue, heart, soleus, and extensor digitorum Iongus (EDL) muscles and corn pared with levels in sedentary rats. Tissue LPL was measured as the heparin-released (HR) and cellular-extracted (EXT) fractions 16 hours following the last bout of exercise, during which time some animals were fasted and others were allowed free access to food. Training led to an increase in HR LPL activity and LPL protein mass in soleus and EDL, but had no effect on adipose tissue and heart LPL. The increase in soleus LPL with exercise was in the HR fraction only, whereas the increase in EDL LPL with training was in both the HR and EXT fractions. All these changes in LPL activity were accompanied by similar changes in LPL immunoreactive mass. However, there were no changes in LPL mRNA levels with training. Feeding induced a large increase in adipose tissue LPL activity and mass in both the HR and EXT fractions; however, there was no change in mRNA levels. In heart, feeding yielded a decrease in HR but no consistent change in EXT activity or mass, and a consistent decrease in mRNA levels. As compared with control rats, trained rats demonstrated different responses to feeding in all tissues, especially in soleus and EDL. Whereas feeding had no effect on LPL in soleus and EDL of control rats, feeding induced a decrease in HR and EXT LPL in the soleus of trained rats. In addition, feeding yielded a significant decrease in EXT LPL of the EDL of trained rats. Thus, these data demonstrate that adipose tissue and heart LPL are highly regulated by feeding and are not responsive to long-term exercise training. On the other hand, skeletal muscle LPL is increased in trained rats, but this increase is blunted considerably by feeding following the last bout of exercise. These changes in LPL activity and mass are mostly unaccompanied by changes in LPL mRNA levels, demonstrating that much physiologic regulation occurs posttranscriptionally.
The Gaza Strip: A Case of Economic De-Development

(1987). The Gaza Strip: A Case of Economic De-Development. Journal of Palestine Studies: Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 56-88.
Long-term changes in cholesterol biosynthesis and the effect of plasmapheresis therapy in a hypercholesterolemia homozygote

Synthesis of cholesterol was measured in a familial hypercholesterolemia homozygote on four occasions from age 1.1 to 9.9 years by the sterol balance technique. Both the fecal neutral steroid and fecal bile acid components of sterol balance were elevated initially. Over the decade of study, neutral steroid excretion/kg declined 61% whereas bile acid excretion/kg was unchanged. Chronic plasmapheresis therapy every two weeks for 3.4 years reduced plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol 54% but had little effect on the rate of cholesterol biosynthesis.
A preclinical review of sunitinib, a multitargeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor with anti-angiogenic and antitumour activities

Sunitinib malate is an oral, multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets both angiogenic pathways (i.e., vascular endothelial growth factor receptor and platelet-derived growth factor receptor) and direct pro-oncogenic pathways (e.g., stem-cell factor receptor and FMS-like tyrosine kinase-3). Preclinical studies with this agent have indicated that it exhibits robust inhibitory activity against these targets. Clinical trial results have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of this agent and have implicated sunitinib targets in the pathophysiology of malignancies such as renal cell carcinoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumour. This paper reviews the preclinical data supporting the development of this agent and its translation from benchtop to bedside. It also highlights the importance of the multiple pathways that may be involved in cancer progression and the importance of these pathways in selected malignancies.
Effect of Dietary Phosphorus on Blood Phosphorus and Leukocyte Levels in Experimental Salmonellosis

SummaryGuinea pigs were fed purified diets containing either 0.4 or 1.0% phosphorus. The basal level was adequate to support maximal growth in noninfected guinea pigs. The higher phosphorus level slightly depressed the growth rate. Animals were inoculated with Salmonella typhimurium and observed for a period of 6 wk. The mortality rate was significantly lower among animals fed 1.0% P. Noninfected guinea pigs fed the higher phosphorus level had both a higher level of inorganic phosphorus and more circulating leukocytes in the blood. After infection the differences between dietary groups were magnified. Although blood inorganic phosphorus dropped in both groups as a result of infection, those fed the higher phosphorus level maintained a significantly higher concentration. Bone marrow response as reflected by total leukocyte counts was greater in animals fed the higher phosphorus level. It is postulated that the protective action of high dietary phosphorus is mediated at least in part by maintenance of a poo...
Linking microtopography with post-fire succession in bogs

Questions: Does post-fire plant succession in boreal bogs vary microtopographically and are successional patterns reproducible among similar microtopographic features? Does succession preserve microtopography post-fire? Location: Boreal bog peatlands near Sinkhole Lake and Athabasca, Alberta, Canada. Methods: We assessed microtopographic variation in postfire plant community succession through stratigraphic macrofossil analysis of bog soil cores collected from high (hummock) and low (hollow) positions. We conducted vegetation surveys and collected soil cores from ten hummocks and hollows in each bog. Pre-fire microtopographic status was inferred based on floral composition and compared to current microtopography. Results: Hollow vegetation was more variable than hummocks, both in present composition and post-fire succession. The successional trajectory of current hummocks was relatively uniform, showing relatively rapid shifts to Sphagnum fuscum dominance, but varied greatly in hollows. Hollows, although compositionally variable, were typically perpetuated following fire, while hummocks had an approximately equal chance of being perpetuated or becoming hollows. Conclusions: Greater compositional variability at lower microtopographic positions, both spatially and temporally, is most likely due to the ability of hollows to support a wider range of species and greater susceptibility to severe disturbance. Likewise, spatial variability in fire severity appears to be responsible for perpetuation or change in microtopographic status, favouring the creation of hollows over maintenance of hummocks.
The Importance of Social Versus Temporal Comparison Appraisals Among Older Adults1

It has been suggested that social comparisons become less frequent and less important to one’s self-evaluation, and temporal comparisons become more frequent and more important to self-evaluation in later life. In this study, the influence of social and temporal comparison appraisals on global self-ratings in 3 domains (health, income, and memory) was assessed among individuals ranging in age from 53 to 90 years. Although social comparison appraisals were significantly related to self-ratings in all 3 domains, temporal comparison appraisals were only related to self-rated memory. There was also no evidence that the effect of social or temporal comparison appraisals on self-evaluations differed with age among our sample of middle-aged and older adults. Social comparison appraisal appears to be a viable mechanism by which esteem can be preserved in old age, despite increasing loss and impairment. Heidrich and Ryff (1 993a, 1993b) have suggested that social comparison processes may be an important mechanism by which older adults report good health and a positive outlook, despite significant chronic illness and increasing loss and impairment. Nevertheless, research on social comparison processes among older adults has been quite limited. Suls and his colleagues (Suls & Mullen, 1982; Suls & Sanders, 1982) developed a life-span model of comparison processes, but the late-life stage of their model has received little empirical examination. According to Suls and his colleagues (Suls, 1986; Suls & Mullen, 1982), comparisons with similar others, dissimilar others, and the self at a different time in life (temporal comparisons) occur throughout the life span; however, the relative frequency of these comparisons and the influence of these comparisons on self-evaluations changes with age. Specifically, they suggest that old age is a time when temporal comparisons become relatively more frequent and more important to self-evaluations than social comparisons. They propose that this
Classical planning in MDP heuristics: with a little help from generalization

Heuristic functions make MDP solvers practical by reducing their time and memory requirements. Some of the most effective heuristics (e.g., the FF heuristic function) first determinize the MDP and then solve a relaxation of the resulting classical planning problem (e.g., by ignoring delete effects). While these heuristic functions are fast to compute, they frequently yield overly optimistic value estimates. It is natural to wonder, then, whether the improved estimates of using a full classical planner on the (non-relaxed) determinized domain will provide enough gains to compensate for the vastly increased cost of computation. This paper shows that the answer is "No and Yes". If one uses a full classical planner in the obvious way, the cost of the heuristic function's computation outweighs the benefits. However, we show that one can make the idea practical by generalizing the results of classical planning successes and failures. Specifically, we introduce a novel heuristic function called GOTH that amortizes the cost of classical planning by 1) extracting basis functions from the plans discovered during heuristic computation, 2) using these basis functions to generalize the heuristic value of one state to cover many others, and 3) thus invoking the classical planner many fewer times than there are states. Experiments show that GOTH can provide vast time and memory savings compared to the FF heuristic function — especially on large problems.
OFF-FARM LABOR PARTICIPATION DECISIONS OF MARRIED FARM COUPLES AND THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT PAYMENTS

The determinants of off-farm work by married farm couples are examined using data from the 2004 Agricultural Resource Management Survey and multinomial logistic regression. Expected government payment is found important in decreasing the likelihood of off-farm work strategies involving work by the husband only or by both husband and wife relative to a strategy of no work by either husband or wife. The marginal impact of government payments on the probability of the wife working off farm alone is found positive suggesting the possibility of nonpecuniary motives for off-farm employment for 21% of farm households in the selected weighted sample.
Renal Hemodynamic and Hormonal Responses to the Angiotensin II Antagonist Candesartan

The development of very specific blockers for the angiotensin II type 1 (AT(1)) receptor made it possible to examine the contribution of angiotensin II to normal control mechanisms and disease with a specificity beyond what ACE inhibitors could provide. In the present study, we explored the contribution of angiotensin II to 2 renal mechanisms: renal hemodynamics and the short feedback loop, in which angiotensin II acts as a determinant of renin release. To make that comparison, we studied healthy volunteers in balance on a 10-mmol sodium intake to activate the renin system. Our goal was to compare the relation between the dose of candesartan, an AT(1) receptor blocker, and the renal hemodynamic and hormonal responses. A second goal was to ascertain the relation between time after candesartan administration and the peak response. Twelve healthy subjects (mean age 33+/-2.3 years) in low-sodium balance were administered candesartan in 4-, 8-, 16-, and 32-mg doses. Candesartan produced a dose-related increase in renal plasma flow, with the maximum vasodilator response at 16 mg (142+/-13 mL. min(-1). 1.73 m(-2)) occurring during the first 4 hours after the dose. Likewise, candesartan caused a dose-related rise in plasma renin activity, with 32 mg as the dose producing the greatest response at 4 and 24 hours after administration. The peak plasma renin activity achieved in this study (15.3+/-1.6 ng. L(-1). s(-1); 55.0+/-5.6 ng angiotensin I. mL(-1). h(-1)) was found at the 4- to 8-hour interval after dosing in a subset of subjects (n=5) who received the 16-mg dose 4 hours earlier than the other subjects. On the basis of the difference in the relation between dose and response and the relationship between time after drug administration and response, the determinants of the renal hemodynamic and hormonal response can be said to differ. The remarkable rise in plasma renin activity after candesartan is substantially larger than that in earlier studies with ACE inhibition, providing additional evidence for non-ACE-dependent angiotensin II generation in the kidney.
Aggressive Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor With Spinal Metastases: A Case Report

ABSTRACT We report a case of a 56-year-old male who presented with several month history of severe low back pain. Physical examination revealed generalized tenderness at his thoracolumbar spine without notable neuromuscular findings. Radiographs revealed a chronic compression fracture of T10 and T11 with anterior height loss. Subsequent magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated multiple lytic lesions in the thoracolumbar spine without canal compromise. During his hospital stay, he developed acute cord compression with loss of motor and sensory levels below T12 and an absence of sphincter tone. The patient was taken for emergent multilevel, posterior decompression and fusion with biopsy of the lesion. Microscopic examination of the tissue in addition to immunohistochemical analysis utilizing CD117-antibody/c-kit revealed gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Further workup revealed the primary tumor to be intra-abdominal and the patient was subsequently begun on adjuvant chemotherapy. Gastrointestinal stromal tumo...
Immunolocalization of sonic hedgehog (Shh) in developing mouse lung.

SUMMARY Expression of sonic hedgehog (Shh) is required for normal development of the lung during embryogenesis. Loss of Shh expression in mice results in tracheoesophageal fistula, lung hypoplasia, and abnormal lung lobulation. To determine whether Shh may play a role later in lung morphogenesis, immunostaining for Shh was performed in mouse lung from embryonic day (E) 10.5 to postnatal day (PD) 24. Shh was detected in the distal epithelium of the developing mouse lung from E10.5 to E16.5. From E16.5 until PD15, Shh was present in epithelial cells in both the peripheral and conducting airways. Although all cells of the developing epithelium uniformly expressed Shh at E10.5, Shh expression was restricted to subsets of epithelial cells by E16.5. Between E16.5 and PD15, non-uniform Shh staining of epithelial cells was observed in the conducting airways in a pattern consistent with the distribution of non-ciliated bronchiolar cells (i.e., Clara cells) and the Clara cell marker CCSP. Shh did not co-localize with hepatocyte nuclear factor/forkhead homologue-4 (HFH-4), � -tubulin, or with the presence of cilia. These results support the concept that Shh plays a distinct regulatory role in the lung later in morphogenesis, when it may influence formation or cytodifferentiation of the conducting airways.
Insights for size-dependent reactivity of hematite nanomineral surfaces through Cu2+ sorption

Abstract Macroscopic sorption edges for Cu2+ were measured on hematite nanoparticles with average diameters of 7 nm, 25 nm, and 88 nm in 0.1 M NaNO3. The pH edges for the 7 nm hematite were shifted approximately 0.6 pH units lower than that for the 25 nm and 88 nm samples, demonstrating an affinity sequence of 7 nm > 25 nm = 88 nm. Although, zeta potential data suggest increased proton accumulation at the 7 nm hematite surfaces, changes in surface structure are most likely responsible for the preference of Cu2+ for the smallest particles. As Cu2+ preferentially binds to sites which accommodate the Jahn–Teller distortion of its coordination to oxygen, this indicates the relative importance of distorted binding environments on the 7 nm hematite relative to the 25 nm and 88 nm particles. This work highlights the uniqueness of surface reactivity for crystalline iron oxide particles with decreasing nanoparticle diameter.
Morphology of flower initiation of brodiaea

The main axis of dormant brodiaea corms (Triteleia laxa) harvested from the field in the summer comprises a leaf sheath, two leaf primordia, and a vegetative meristem. Floral induction, as indicated by initiation of bracts on the flanks of the apical meristem, occurs after corm dormancy is broken. The bracts enlarge and enclose the reproductive dome, which then divides to form floral primordia of different ages. The daughter corm, which forms from the basal portion of the stem, starts to enlarge early in the growing season. Unlike many other geophytes, there is little competition, in brodiaea, for assimilates between the vegetative propagules (daughter corm and cormels) and the developing inflorescence.
Pelagic-benthic coupling in the abyssal eastern North Pacific: An 8-year time-series study of food supply and demand

An 8-yr time-series study of the trophic coupling between a pelagic food supply and its utilization by the sediment community was conducted at 4,100-m depth in the eastern North Pacific between 1989 and 1998. Supply of sinking particulate organic carbon (POC) and particulate total nitrogen (PTN) was estimated from collections made with sediment traps moored at 3,500- and 4,050-m depth (600 and 50 m above bottom). Sediment community oxygen consumption (SCOC), an estimate of aerobic utilization of organic matter, was measured in situ. POC and PTN fluxes at both depths declined significantly from October 1989 through 1996 then increased in 1998. Organic carbon : total nitrogen (C : N) of the sinking particulate matter fluctuated ;10 throughout the study, except for a major peak (84.8) at 50 m above bottom in summer 1995, indicating lateral advection of organic material of terrestrial origin. POC : SCOC declined progressively over the first 7 yr, from a high of 0.99 in 1989‐1990 to 0.22 in 1995‐1996. In 1998, there was an increase in POC : SCOC to 0.43, suggesting that the food deficit was reduced by an increase in sinking flux. A continuing deficit in food supply cannot be sustained without ultimately affecting the structural and functional characteristics of the sediment community. The importance of undersampling by sediment traps, lateral advection of marine and terrestrial organic matter from the continental slope and shelf, and dissolved organic matter is evaluated. These other sources of nutrients for benthic organisms may be important in explaining some of the observed discrepancy between supply and demand in the abyssal Pacific. Decadal-scale climate variations that influence marine primary production and terrestrial discharges into the ocean may be extremely important in understanding biogeochemical processes in the deep sea. The food supply for deep-sea benthic communities originates almost entirely from primary producers in surface waters and is transferred to the sea floor either directly, in the case of phytoplankton blooms, or indirectly, through the pelagic food web. Sediment traps have been employed routinely to measure the passive flux of sinking particulate organic matter (POM) in the water column as an estimate of food supply. Long time-series measurements of POM fluxes
The dielectric-filled parabola: a new high frequency integrated receiver or transmitter front end

A design is presented for a high-frequency front end that can be used as a receiver or transmitter, in a heterodyne or direct detection mode, as a single device or in conjunction with a focal-plane array. The novel feed system combines the simplicity and robustness of a dielectric substrate lens with the high gain of a parabolic reflector in a single structure, the dielectric parabola. The design is easy to fabricate, can be scaled to very high frequencies, and is cryogenically coolable. Beam patterns and antenna input impedances have been measured for a number of different planar antenna elements on the dielectric-filled parabola from 4 to 12 GHz. The results of these measurements show clearly that the system performs well. >
The Nonprofit/For-Profit Continuum: Theorizing the Dynamics of Mixed-Form Markets

A growing body of research has emerged on “mixed-form” markets—markets for goods and services in which for-profit, nonprofit, and government providers coexist. This article seeks to understand the dynamics between nonprofit and for-profit organizations operating within the same market. The authors propose a five-step theoretical framework that includes both nonprofit and for-profit actors to capture what is fundamentally a temporal process: market identification; market growth; increasing cost for goods/services; increasing price for goods/services; and cross-sector competition. The authors use data from extended qualitative investigations in distinct service markets to analyze the unique contributions and capacities of each organizational form, and the transformation of market structure over time. The authors conclude that the dynamic interplay between nonprofit and for-profit forms within markets produces three possible outcomes: stratified, displaced, and defended markets.
Properties of the NAC (nitrogen assimilation control protein)-binding site within the ureD promoter of Klebsiella pneumoniae.

The nitrogen assimilation control protein (NAC) of Klebsiella pneumoniae is a LysR-type transcriptional regulator that activates transcription when bound to a DNA site (ATAA-N5-TnGTAT) centered at a variety of distances from the start of transcription. The NAC-binding site from the hutU promoter (NBShutU) is centered at −64 relative to the start of transcription but can activate the lacZ promoter from sites at −64, −54, −52, and −42 but not from sites at −47 or −59. However, the NBSs from the ureD promoter (ureDp) and codB promoter (codBp) are centered at −47 and −59, respectively, and NAC is fully functional at these promoters. Therefore, we compared the activities of the NBShutU and NBSureD within the context of ureDp as well as within codBp. The NBShutU functioned at both of these sites. The NBSureD has the same asymmetric core as the NBShutU. Inverting the NBSureD abolished more than 99% of NAC's ability to activate ureDp. The key to the activation lies in the TnG segment of the TnGTAT half of the NBSureD. Changing TnG to GnT, TnT, or GnG drastically reduced ureDp activation (to 0.5%, 6%, or 15% of wild-type activation, respectively). The function of the NBSureD, like that of the NBShutU, requires that the TnGTAT half of the NBS be on the promoter-proximal (downstream) side of the NBS. Taken together, our data suggest that the positional specificity of an NBS is dependent on the promoter in question and is more flexible than previously thought, allowing considerable latitude both in distance and on the face of the DNA helix for the NBS relative to that of RNA polymerase.
An adaptive brain actuated system for augmenting rehabilitation

For people living with paralysis, restoration of hand function remains the top priority because it leads to independence and improvement in quality of life. In approaches to restore hand and arm function, a goal is to better engage voluntary control and counteract maladaptive brain reorganization that results from non-use. Standard rehabilitation augmented with developments from the study of brain-computer interfaces could provide a combined therapy approach for motor cortex rehabilitation and to alleviate motor impairments. In this paper, an adaptive brain-computer interface system intended for application to control a functional electrical stimulation (FES) device is developed as an experimental test bed for augmenting rehabilitation with a brain-computer interface. The system's performance is improved throughout rehabilitation by passive user feedback and reinforcement learning. By continuously adapting to the user's brain activity, similar adaptive systems could be used to support clinical brain-computer interface neurorehabilitation over multiple days.
Direct-to-Consumer Marketing of Predictive Medical Genetic Tests: Assessment of Current Practices and Policy Recommendations

Abstract This research reviews the current state of affairs in the fast-growing area of direct-to-consumer marketing of genetic tests. The authors identify the unique nature of genetic tests and the ensuing consumer vulnerability. They also present a comprehensive examination of the current legal environment and an empirical analysis of genetic testing companies' online marketing practices. On the basis of the analysis and review, they make a set of policy recommendations that consists of consumer education, physician intervention and education, and direct regulation of marketing activities, especially as they relate to the online medium.
Transfer of evolved pattern-based heuristics in games

Learning is key to achieving human-level intelligence. Transferring knowledge that is learned on one task to another one speeds up learning in the target task by exploiting the relevant prior knowledge. As a test case, this study introduces a method to transfer local pattern-based heuristics from a simple board game to a more complex one. The patterns are generated by compositional pattern producing networks (CPPNs), which are evolved with the NEAT neuro-evolution method. Results show that transfer improves both final performance and the total learning time, compared to evolving patterns for the target game from scratch. Pattern-based transfer is therefore a promising approach to scaling up game players toward human-level.
Magnetoplumbite‐Type Compounds: Further Discussion

Hexagonal magnetoplumbites are probably more common as minerals than has been appreciated. Over several years, we have synthesized a wide variety of these compounds to demonstrate their flexible cation substitution crystal chemistry, which is of importance for their consideration as potential ceramic radwaste hosts.
Histochemical Variations in the Metrial Gland of the Rat During Pregnancy and Lactation

SummaryDuring pregnancy and lactation the metrial gland is marked successively by the prominence of (1) ribonucleic acid, (2) eoinophilic granules and glycogen, and (3) lipids. These appear to be related, respectively, to growth and secretion, nutrition for the embryo and steroid metabolism.
A microfluidic device for whole-animal drug screening using electrophysiological measures in the nematode C. elegans

This paper describes the fabrication and use of a microfluidic device for performing whole-animal chemical screens using non-invasive electrophysiological readouts of neuromuscular function in the nematode worm, C. elegans. The device consists of an array of microchannels to which electrodes are attached to form recording modules capable of detecting the electrical activity of the pharynx, a heart-like neuromuscular organ involved in feeding. The array is coupled to a tree-like arrangement of distribution channels that automatically delivers one nematode to each recording module. The same channels are then used to perfuse the recording modules with test solutions while recording the electropharyngeogram (EPG) from each worm with sufficient sensitivity to detect each pharyngeal contraction. The device accurately reported the acute effects of known anthelmintics (anti-nematode drugs) and also correctly distinguished a specific drug-resistant mutant strain of C. elegans from wild type. The approach described here is readily adaptable to parasitic species for the identification of novel anthelmintics. It is also applicable in toxicology and drug discovery programs for human metabolic and degenerative diseases for which C. elegans is used as a model.
Muddling Parity of an Energy Efficient Incentive—Through the Lens of “Change in Accounting Method”

ABSTRACT: The Internal Revenue Service issued guidance related to automatic changes in accounting methods for taxpayers taking a §179D deduction for Energy Efficient Commercial Building Property. However, while the accounting treatment of §179D may trigger a change in accounting method for some taxpayers, this is not uniform for all taxpayers. In this paper, we argue that with this guidance, the Treasury Department (and Congress, by initial approval of the tax law) has inadvertently broadened unequal tax treatment between different segments of qualified taxpayers attracted to this important energy efficient building incentive. Further, we suggest that the §179D deduction be modified to achieve taxpayer parity to further incentivize energy efficiency.
The target of the antiproliferative antibody (TAPA) in the normal and injured rat retina.

Purpose: The target of the antiproliferative antibody (TAPA, CD81) is a member of the tetramembrane spanning superfamily of proteins and appears to be involved in the regulation of mitotic activity and the stabilization of cellular contacts [J Neurosc i 1996; 16:5478-5487]. The present study examines the distribution of this protein in the normal rat retina and its role in reactive gl iosis occurring after retinal injury. Methods: An immunoblot was used to define the relative level of TAPA in the normal rat retina. The distribution of the protein was examined using indirect immunohistochemical methods. Both of these methods were used to define the upregulation of TAPA in the rat retina injured with a needle scrape. Results: The immunohistochemical analysis of the retina shows that TAPA is found in all layers of the normal retina with a distinct lack of labeling in the inner and outer segments of the photoreceptors. After retinal injury, a dramatic upregulation of TAPA w as observed. The immunohistochemistry also revealed a pattern of expression similar to that observed in the normal retina with two notable exceptions: (1) small finger-like projections extending down into the outer segments are immunopositive, and (2) the el evated levels of TAPA can be seen outlining cell bodies in the outer nuclear layer and the ganglion cell layer. Conclusions: TAPA is found in the normal rat retina and there is a dramatic upregulation of this protein following injury. The distribution of the protein within the retina is consistent with its expression in retinal glia, the Muller cells which span th e thickness of the retina, and astrocytes found in the ganglion cell layer. These data suggest that TAPA may play a role in the proliferati ve response of non-neuronal cells that occurs following a mechanical injury to the retina.
The Strengths of the N 2 O Bands Near 4.5 μ

The combined intensities at 300°K of the N2O bands near 4.5 μ have been determined to be 1920 ± 50 cm−1 (atm-cm NTP)−1. The measurements were made on a grating, double beam, spectrophotometer. The tests made to estimate the accuracy and reproducibility of this instrument are described.
Nanostructured Amorphous Silicon on Metal Electrodes: Electrical and Optical Properties

We present two distinct methods to nanostructure the surface of amorphous silicon to produce unique, nanoscale surface features. One method is a dry etch process that employs a modified Bosch1 process on an advanced silicon etcher to produce needle-like features of amorphous silicon. Likewise, we also investigated metal-assisted wet chemical etching2 as an alternative method to nanostructure the amorphous silicon to produce porous-like features. The resulting surface topography leads to an optically black appearance over patterned or large areas. This is a result of the interspacing between each needle and pore that leads to a high optical absorption. Thus, we designate it as black amorphous silicon (b-a-Si). We have deposited and formed regions of b-a-Si on variety of insulating films and metal electrodes, including chrome and titanium. In this study, we characterize the electrical and optical properties of as-deposited amorphous silicon and nanostructured amorphous silicon.
A Monte Carlo Simulation for Tolerancing Microbeam Free Space Optical Interconnects

Free Space Optical Interconnects (FSOI's) have been shown to have advantages over electrical interconnects in terms of speed, energy and density for global links.1,2,3. A major class of FSOI's is the microbeam interconnect, which uses a pair of microlenses to connect the optical transmitter and receiver, as is illustrated in Figure 1.
Complete genomic analysis of enterovirus 71 strain isolated in Jingdezhen

Objective To analyze the complete genome of enterovirus 71(EV71)strain(2011JDZ35)isolated in Jingdezhen(2011).Methods The virus was isolated from clinical samples including throat swab from patients with severe hand-foot-mouth disease(HFMD).The EV71 strain was identified by reverse transcript PCR(RT-PCR),and the isolated EV71 whole genomes were amplified by RT-PCR with seven specific primer pairs and were compared with EV71 A,B,C and CA16(G10),which were available from GenBank by homogeneity and phylogenetic tree analyses.Results The full genomic length of 2011JDZ35 was 7406 bp,which contained 5′UTR(742 bp),the open reading frame(ORF,6582 bp)and 3′UTR(82 bp).The ORF encoded a polyprotein with 2193 amino acid residues.It was found that 2011JDZ35 was similar to FY08-C30-P14,EV71/Ningbo.CHN/065/2010 and HZ08/Hangzhou/2008 by means of sequence analysis.The nucleotide and amino acid sequence identity was 97.3%,97.3% and 97.7%,and 99.1%,99.2%,99.2%,respectively,belonging to C4 subgenotype.2011JDZ35 shared lower homology with Cox.A16 and BrCr.The nucleotide and amino acid sequence identity was 77.5%,80.0% and 89.8%,94.8%,respectively.Conclusion The genome structure of 2011JDZ35 strain is consistent with enterovirus.The phylogenetic relationships of the 2011JDZ35 strain with other EV71 strains are different.Ningbo strain is the nearest to 2011JDZ35 strain,and Fuyang and Hangzhou strains are nearer to 2011JDZ35 strain.The 2011JDZ35 strain is different from Malaysia,Taiwan and Xiamen strains,and dramatically different from the standard strain.2011JDZ35 and Ningbo strains probably originate from the same EV71 strain,which is one of the prevalent strains in mainland China in 2008.
Regulation of the Galactose Operon of Streptococcus mutans

Streptococcus mutans is the major causative agent of dental caries and sugar metabolism is known to play an important role in causing this disease. S. mutans possesses different mechanisms for the utilization of sugars and recently the operon involved in galactose metabolism via the Leloir pathway has been cloned and characterized1. It has been shown that one of these genes (galR), which is divergently oriented from the structural genes (galK, galT and galE), specifies a repressor of the galactose operon1. To study the regulatory function of GalR, this protein was partially purified and its DNA binding activity was examined. The protein specifically bound to the galR-galK intergenic region at a sequence which would suggest that GalR plays a role in regulation of the gal operon as well as autoregulation.
Dimensions of US Power, Decline and Overstretch

Conventional wisdom holds that the US’s global stature and impact have decisively, and irreversibly, declined. In much of the world, preoccupation has shifted from an overpowering US “empire” to incapacitating “imperial overstretch.” This chapter argues that no such qualitative degradation in aggregate US influence seems so obviously discernible. Rather, the evidence presented here corroborates Paul Kennedy’s subsequent recanting of his original thesis: “Nothing has ever existed like this disparity of power; nothing ... no other nation comes close” (2002).1
Character Development among Youth of Color from Low-SES Backgrounds: An Examination of Boy Scouts of America’s ScoutReach Program

This study examined character attributes associated with participation in ScoutReach, Boy Scouts of America’s recent program innovation created to deliver Scouting curriculum to underserved populations. Participants were predominantly Black/African American (72.9%; N = 266, M age = 10.54, SD = 1.58) and resided in low-income urban communities. Youth completed surveys assessing how much they embody different character attributes (e.g., kindness, helpfulness, hopeful future expectations), and a subset of youth ( n = 22) also participated in semi-structured interviews examining character-shaping experiences within the program. Results replicated an eight-factor character structure established with youth involved in traditional Scouting programs, and indicated that involvement in ScoutReach may positively contribute to the development in youth of prosocial behaviors, future career goals, tolerance beliefs, and the manifestation of character attributes across Scouting and non-Scouting contexts. Together, these findings have implications for measuring character constructs among youth of color from low-SES backgrounds, and for the conduct of youth-serving character development programs more generally.
Graphene-Metal Composite Sensors with Near-Zero Temperature Coefficient of Resistance.

This article describes the design of piezoresistive thin-film sensors based on single-layer graphene decorated with metallic nanoislands. The defining characteristic of these composite thin films is that they can be engineered to exhibit a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) that is close to zero. A mechanical sensor with this property is stable against temperature fluctuations of the type encountered during operations in the real world, for example, in a wearable sensor. The metallic nanoislands are grown on graphene through thermal deposition of metals (gold or palladium) at a low nominal thickness. Metallic films exhibit an increase in resistance with temperature (positive TCR), whereas graphene exhibits a decrease in resistance with temperature (negative TCR). By varying the amount of deposition, the morphology of the nanoislands can be tuned such that the TCRs of a metal and graphene cancel out. The quantitative analysis of scanning electron microscope images reveals the importance of the sur...
Emotion regulation as a predictor of juvenile arrest

The current study examines emotion regulation as a novel dynamic factor of juvenile arrest as it compares with known static and dynamic risk factors. Participants included seventh graders at five urban public schools (N = 420, Mage = 13, 53% male). The predictive relationship between adolescent self-, parent-, and teacher-report of baseline adolescent emotional competence and arrest at 30-month follow-up was assessed. Stepwise logistic regression analyses revealed that teacher report of emotion regulation strategies, minority status, and lifetime marijuana use were significant predictors of arrest. Findings indicate teacher report of emotion regulation competence in early adolescence may be an important consideration for prevention program development.
Tilting the playing field: ‘Redshirting’ kindergarten boys in the US and the competition for hegemonic masculinity

ABSTRACTThis study examines patterns in the kinds of discourses parents use to think about when to start their children in kindergarten in the US. Parents of three- to six-year olds were interviewed to gain an understanding of how parents make the ‘redshirting’ decision and the extent to which parental concern for sons’ achievement of successful masculinity plays into that choice. Focusing on the parents of male children, this analysis reveals parents employ two gender-related discourses: (1) the ‘failing boys’ backlash debate, surrounding the notion that schools are assumed to favour girls and how girls learn, and (2) a discourse involving the importance of hegemonic masculinity in competition with other boys.
The Role of Neighborhood Characteristics in Late Stage Melanoma Diagnosis among Hispanic Men in California, Texas, and Florida, 1996-2012

Background. Hispanics diagnosed with cutaneous melanoma are more likely to present at advanced stages but the reasons for this are unknown. We identify census tracts at high risk for late stage melanoma diagnosis (LSMD) and examine the contextual predictors of LSMD in California, Texas, and Florida. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study using geocoded state cancer registry data. Using hierarchical multilevel logistic regression models we estimated ORs and 95% confidence intervals for the impact of socioeconomic, Hispanic ethnic concentration, index of dissimilarity, and health resource availability measures on LSMD. Results. We identified 12,493 cases. In California, late stage cases were significantly more likely to reside within census tracts composed mostly of Hispanics and immigrants. In Texas, LSMD was associated with residence in areas of socioeconomic deprivation and a higher proportion of immigrants. In Florida, living in areas of low education attainment, high levels of poverty, and a high percentage of Hispanic residents was significantly associated with LSMD. Residential segregation did not independently affect LSMD. Conclusion. The influence of contextual predictors on LSMD varied in magnitude and strength by state, highlighting both the cosegregation of social adversity and poverty and the complexity of their interactions.
Leveraging multi-channel x-ray detector technology to improve quality metrics for industrial and security applications

Sandia National Laboratories has recently developed the capability to acquire multi-channel radio- graphs for multiple research and development applications in industry and security. This capability allows for the acquisition of x-ray radiographs or sinogram data to be acquired at up to 300 keV with up to 128 channels per pixel. This work will investigate whether multiple quality metrics for computed tomography can actually benefit from binned projection data compared to traditionally acquired grayscale sinogram data. Features and metrics to be evaluated include the ability to dis- tinguish between two different materials with similar absorption properties, artifact reduction, and signal-to-noise for both raw data and reconstructed volumetric data. The impact of this technology to non-destructive evaluation, national security, and industry is wide-ranging and has to potential to improve upon many inspection methods such as dual-energy methods, material identification, object segmentation, and computer vision on radiographs.
Analysis of wireless power transfer (WPT) scheme with connected ground planes

This paper continues further analysis of experimental results of a WPT scheme through simulation. Simulation results have increased the understanding to more fully appreciate the potential impact of this technology. Of particular interest is the configuration, where two identically constructed helical antenna-ground plane combinations that are separated by a distance within the near field of each other. While it has been shown that the system is capable of transferring power at high efficiency, simulation results have been designed to extend the understanding of the system and to allow for additional commentary on potential applications.