cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rewriting tragedy: Understanding the cast of characters in the bullying drama

Bullying presents a significant social distress for students, families and schools. Concerned practitioners and researchers are invested in developing interventions to decrease the frequency and negative impact of bullying. To do so, however, understanding the cast of characters in the bullying drama is critical. This paper reviews selected research on characteristics of bullies, victims and bystanders from a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches. The implications of these characteristics for effective interventions is considered. The role of socio-economic factors is presented, and their relevance for communities and policy makers discussed.
Dietary Intake, Supplement Use, and Survival Among Women Diagnosed With Early-Stage Breast Cancer

Previous studies examining the relationship between micronutrient intakes and survival following diagnosis of breast cancer have reported mixed results. This may be partly due to considerable variance in amounts of micronutrients consumed from diet and supplements across studies. Early-stage breast cancer survivors (N = 3081) completed four 24-h dietary and supplement recalls at the baseline assessment (1995 to 2000) and were followed for a median of 9.0 yr. Mean micronutrient intakes were compared to dietary reference intakes (DRI) to assess micronutrient adequacy for both users and nonusers of supplements. Cox regressions were performed to assess whether intakes of selected micronutrients were associated with all-cause mortality. Four hundred and twelve deaths occurred between baseline and August 2009. Among these women, more supplement users had adequate micronutrient intakes than nonusers for 15 out of 17 micronutrients. Less than 10% of supplement users (<2% of nonsupplement users) reported levels that exceeded the tolerable upper limit for each micronutrient except magnesium. After adjusting for age, tumor characteristics, and health status variables, micronutrient intakes were not significantly associated with all-cause mortality. Dietary supplements may improve overall micronutrient intakes of breast cancer survivors. However, vitamin and mineral intakes were not associated with all-cause mortality.
Successful long-term coumadin anticoagulation of mice with prothrombin time monitoring.

Animal studies involving prolonged anticoagulation have been few in number. In such studies the level of anticoagulation has infrequently been monitored and hemorrhagic complications have been common. A regimen of long-term sodium warfarin anticoagulation was studied in several strains of mice using, with slight modification, the Miale micromethod of prothrombin time determination. The degree and course of the prothrombin time alteration with several warfarin dosages was determined over a 4-week period. The method proved very sensitive to changes in warfarin dosage, and results obtained were reproducible to a degree sufficient to permit the selection of optimal warfarin dosages for normal and tumor-bearing mice. On these dosages the mean prothrombin time remained within the range of 2–3 times the average normal value and hemorrhagic complications were entirely avoided. In studies with small animals these methods could facilitate the use of prolonged anticoagulation, permit accurate monitoring of the level of anticoagulation, and diminish the incidence of hemorrhagic complications.
Understanding component co-evolution with a study on Linux

After a software system has been delivered, it inevitably has to change to remain useful. Evolutionary coupling measures the change dependencies between software components. Reference coupling measures the architecture dependencies between software components. In this paper, we present a method to correlate evolutionary coupling and reference coupling. We study the evolution of 597 consecutive versions of Linux and measure the evolutionary coupling and reference coupling among 12 kernel modules. We compare 12 pairs of evolutionary coupling data and reference coupling data. The results show that linear correlation exists between evolutionary coupling and reference coupling. We conclude that in Linux, the dependencies between software components induced via the system architecture have noticeable effects on kernel module co-evolution.
Myosin II Light Chain Phosphorylation Regulates Membrane Localization and Apoptotic Signaling of Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-1

Activation of myosin II by myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) produces the force for many cellular processes including muscle contraction, mitosis, migration, and other cellular shape changes. The results of this study show that inhibition or potentiation of myosin II activation via over-expression of a dominant negative or wild type MLCK can delay or accelerate tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF)-induced apoptotic cell death in cells. Changes in the activation of caspase-8 that parallel changes in regulatory light chain phosphorylation levels reveal that myosin II motor activities regulate TNF receptor-1 (TNFR-1) signaling at an early step in the TNF death signaling pathway. Treatment of cells with either ionomycin or endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide) leads to activation of myosin II and increased translocation of TNFR-1 to the plasma membrane independent of TNF signaling. The results of these studies establish a new role for myosin II motor activity in regulating TNFR-1-mediated apoptosis through the translocation of TNFR-1 to or within the plasma membrane.
Change of leaf dimensions and air volume with change in water content.

To estimate how the transfer of water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide might be affected by leaf water deficit, we should know how the leaf geometry depends on water status. To study this relationship, I measured the length, width, total volume, and air space volume of leaf pieces in the relative water content range from 1.0 to about 0.65. For each experiment, 40 similar rectangular leaf pieces about 28 X 32 mm were cut from mature, fully turgid leaflets (soybean) or larger leaf pieces (maize), which had been floating on
Treating Women With Children: What Does the Evidence Say?

This systematic review of the literature examines the barriers women, especially women who are pregnant and parenting, experience when they attempt to access treatment for a substance use problem. These barriers impact their rate of entering and successfully completing treatment thus preventing them from returning to full participation in society. A provider of residential treatment for women with substance use disorders wants to develop a program that can reduce or remove some of these barriers. Does the evidence support a practice change to a gender specific, comprehensive inpatient residential treatment program for women who are pregnant and parenting?
Origin of chlorine and bromine in the oceans

Continuous fluxing at a decreasing rate of mantle Cl and Br by volcanism throughout the Earth's history can account for the mass of Cl and Br, and the Cl/Br ratio, of the oceans.
The emergence of new markets, distributed entrepreneurship and the university: Fostering development in India

University-industry partnerships facilitate socio-economic development by incubating innovations and diffusing entrepreneurial capabilities to create new markets in rural areas. Complexity theory based approaches are used to develop a process model of emergence based on a case study of a leading Indian technical institution involved in creating new technologies and markets. The process model outlines three key mechanisms by which university-industry linkages can address the dual challenge of achieving global competitiveness and promoting rural development: The emergence of new markets is contingent on the development and deployment of innovative, low-cost technologies that foster distributed entrepreneurship.
The Way of the Yellow and the Red : Re-examining the Sexual Initiation Rite of Celestial Master Daoism

That Daoists engaged in sexual practices is well known. But what precisely were these practices, and what was their significance? This paper examines the initiation ritual of Celestial Master Daoism as found in the text entitled Shangqing Huangshu guodu yi . I argue that this practice has been misunderstood by earlier scholars who focused on the sexual aspect of the rite and interpreted it through the cosmological model of yin and yang . I suggest that the ritual procedure described in this text should not be read as a sexual manual but must be placed in the context of Celestial Master ritual and mythology as found in contemporaneous texts. Such a reading reveals that this ritual is based on a cosmogony in which the procreative function of yin and yang is a secondary, and not a primary, stage of cosmogony. Rather than a hierogamy, the real significance of this ritual is, in fact, to transcend the mundane realm, symbolized by the sexual act, and to attain the primordial undifferentiated oneness, beyond sexual division.
Flow Rate and Composition of Thoracic Duct Lymph With and Without Cisterna Chyle Ligation

SummaryThe flow rate and composition of lymph from the thoracic duct of rats were obtained before and after ligation of the cisterna chyle. Changes in flow rate after ligation of the cisterna chyle show that approximately 90% of the lymph in the thoracic duct is derived from the peritoneal area and lower extremities. Changes in the composition of the lymph indicate that the lymph from the thoracic area is high in globulin material.
The association of periprocedural hypertension and adverse outcomes in patients undergoing catheter-directed thrombolysis.

Background Peripheral thrombolysis is an indispensible tool in the treatment of occlusive peripheral vascular disease (PVD). However, the use of intravascular thrombolytic agents carries a significant risk of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to review a contemporary series of patients treated with catheter-directed thrombolytics in the treatment of occlusive PVD. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed reviewing all patients who underwent catheter-directed thrombolytic therapy for PVD with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) between 2005 and 2008. Data included clinical and demographic variables potentially associated with endpoints of technical success, hemorrhagic complications, and death. Data were analyzed with univariate and multivariate measures. Significance was assigned with p Results Over the 36-month study, 125 thrombolytic procedures were performed. Indication for treatment was occlusive thrombus in native artery (49 cases, 37.6%), vein (13 cases, 10.4%), or arterial bypass graft (63 cases, 49.6%). Twenty three cases (14.3%) used ultrasound-assisted catheter technology. Mean patient age was 57.9 ± 1.1 years. Technical success was achieved in 82% of cases. Mean rt-PA dose was 47.3 ± 1.4 mg (13.5 ± 4.5 mg with ultrasound assisted catheter technology). Hemorrhagic complications occurred in 22.4% of patients with a 5.6% stroke rate. Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) correlated with poor hypertensive control (systolic blood pressure >160 mmHg; OR, 13.67; CI, 1.59-117.68; p = 0.006) and advanced age (>80 years; OR, 9.04; CI, 1.40-58.57, p = 0.049). Hemorrhagic complications (including minor access site hematomas) correlated with poor hypertensive control (systolic blood pressure >180 mmHg; OR, 3.48; CI, 1.22-9.94; p = 0.021) and in patients with congestive heart failure (OR, 3.26; CI, 1.09-9.76; p = 0.036). Overall mortality occurred in 7 patients (5.6%), 4 as a result of hemorrhagic complications. Correlates of mortality were patients with diabetes mellitus (OR, 8.85; CI, 1.62-48.26; p = 0.003), end stage renal disease (OR, 15.33; CI, 2.07-113.39; p p = .014). Serum fibrinogen levels, pre-procedural hypertension, and rt-PA dosage did not correlate with hemorrhagic complication or death. Conclusion Peripheral thrombolysis with catheter-based technologies has a high incidence of technical success. However, the procedure continues to carry a significant complication rate. This study emphasizes the importance of periprocedural hypertensive control and identifies subgroups of patients at risk of untoward complications. On the basis of these data, the authors advocate stricter blood pressure parameters in patients undergoing peripheral thrombolysis.
Preferential Solvent Partitioning within Asphaltenic Aggregates Dissolved in Binary Solvent Mixtures

The heaviest fraction of crude oils, asphaltenes, has been shown to play a central role in the stabilization of troublesome water-in-crude oil emulsions. In previous model oil systems, emulsion stability was observed to depend notably on the properties of self-assembled interfacially active asphaltenic aggregates. Thus, careful characterization of these aggregates is of great importance for better understanding of asphaltene-stabilized emulsions. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) has proven to be a powerful tool for such characterization. Described here is the application of SANS on asphaltenes from Hondo crude oil dissolved in binary solvent mixtures of toluene with n-heptane, decalin, or 1-methylnaphthalene. A polydisperse oblate cylinder (POC) form factor model was used to fit the aggregate scattering data, and subsequent calculations of minimum error were performed to ascertain the entrained solvent composition within the aggregates. When toluene was paired with either a weak solvent (decalin) or ...
Pulmonary model to predict the effects of series ventricular interaction.

To fully describe the mechanisms of diastolic interaction between the right ventricle and left ventricle, it is necessary to understand how a change in right ventricular output (Qrvo) is transmitted across the pulmonary circulation. This series ventricular interaction is manifest as the temporal response in left ventricular filling (Qlvf) to a change in Qrvo. To quantify series interaction we used a three-element, two-parameter model of the pulmonary circulation. The parameters represented the pulmonary arterial and venous resistance and pulmonary vascular compliance. Using beat-to-beat values of mean pressure and flow measured at the input and output of the pulmonary circulation during the transient response to caval or pulmonary artery occlusion, we estimated the parameters for this model in eight open-chest dogs under control conditions, after autonomic blockade, and after fully opening the pericardium. From 110 separate data episodes, the average values of the pulmonary arterial and venous resistance and pulmonary vascular compliance were 0.14 +/- 0.08 mm Hg.sec/ml and 4.81 +/- 3.17 ml/mm Hg (+/- SD). These estimates were insensitive to the simultaneous effects of autonomic reflexes and direct ventricular interaction, so they uniquely measure the bulk transport properties of the pulmonary circulation. The time constant, which measures the response of Qlvf to a change in Qrvo, averaged 0.26 +/- 0.15 second, which implies that effects of series interaction on Qlvf are manifest within one beat. The model was also able to predict the dynamic response of Qlvf to changes in Qrvo and thus can be used to measure and predict the effects of series interaction in the intact cardiopulmonary system.
Minimum quantity lubrication of M50/M50 and M50/Si3N4 tribological interfaces

Abstract Hybrid rolling element bearings are being considered for use in flight critical aerospace applications. The following work was undertaken to lay the foundation for future work that would permit the recommendation of appropriate quantities of lubrication for these advanced bearing systems. This was accomplished by focusing on the tribological performance of M50/M50 (or AISI M-50) and M50/Si3N4 interfaces with minimum quantities of lubrication at two levels of speed and slide-to-roll ratio (SRR). Ball-on-ring tribological testing was conducted with stepped reductions of lubricant pump rate into the tribological contacts at initial lambda values of approximately 1.7 and 2.5, as calculated from the Hamrock and Dowson film thickness equation and surface finish measurements. Experiments were conducted with 5% and 45% slide-to-roll ratio (or SRR). Starting from these high initial lambda levels, the lubricant flow rate into the contact was reduced until severe damage occurred. Tests were then suspended due to excessive traction (traction coefficient greater than 0.2). The results of this work are in agreement with the starved lubrication literature and the bearing test literature. They provide some solid insight into the minimum quantity of lubrication recommended for M50/M50 and M50/Si3N4 interfaces. In all of the tests conducted there was a clear trend that higher speed and increased sliding both require an increased supply of lubricant to the contact. The M50/M50 interface needed an order of magnitude higher lubricant pump rate into the contact for adequate lubrication as compared to the M50/Si3N4 interface in the initial lambda ∼ 1.7 experiments. At lambda ∼ 2.5 with 5% SRR, the M50/M50 interface needed three times the lubricant pump rate that the M50/Si3N4 interface needed. However, both M50/M50 and M50/Si3N4 needed a similar amount of lubricant at lambda ∼ 2.5 with 45% SRR, in which the interfaces were severely damaged due to the extreme test conditions. These tribological test results are interpreted with an analysis of the wear morphology and surface chemistry of the test articles.
Positive identification of the puberty-accelerating pheromone of the house mouse: the volatile ligands associating with the major urinary protein

Five structurally diverse small ligands, all binding to the major urinary protein (MUP) of the male house mouse, show individually puberty-accelerating pheromonal activity in the recipient females. A recombinant MUP (identical structurally to the natural protein) has shown no biological activity. While four of these ligands were previously implicated in oestrus synchronization (Whitten effect), the same chemosignals now appear responsible for both sexual maturation and cycling in adult females.
CDC20 and CDH1: a family of substrate-specific activators of APC-dependent proteolysis.

Proteolysis mediated by the anaphase-promoting complex (APC) triggers chromosome segregation and exit from mitosis, yet its regulation is poorly understood. The conserved Cdc20 and Cdh1 proteins were identified as limiting, substrate-specific activators of APC-dependent proteolysis. CDC20 was required for the degradation of the APC substrate Pds1 but not for that of other APC substrates, such as Clb2 and Ase1. Conversely, cdh1Δmutants were impaired in the degradation of Ase1 and Clb2 but not in that of Pds1. Overexpression of either CDC20 orCDH1 was sufficient to induce APC-dependent proteolysis of the appropriate target in stages of the cell cycle in which substrates are normally stable.
Enantioselective Synthesis of Schulzeines B and C via a β-Lactone-Derived Surrogate for Bishomoserine Aldehyde

Enantioselective syntheses of the glucosidase inhibitors schulzeines B and C were achieved by employing a Pictet−Spengler reaction of a β-lactone-derived, masked bishomoserine aldehyde. Subsequent Corey−Link reaction unveiled an α-azido acid enabling cyclization to the δ-lactam fused tetrahydroisoquinoline. An efficient synthesis of the trisulfate-bearing side chain featured a Noyori hydrogenation and a Sharpless dihydroxylation. An unexpected reaction of a pendant amine during a Corey−Link process opens avenues for the synthesis of proline and related amino acid derivatives.
Retinoic acid receptor beta 2 mRNA is elevated by retinoic acid in vivo in susceptible regions of mid-gestation mouse embryos.

Many of the biological effects of retinoic acid are mediated by its nuclear receptors (RAR-α, RAR-β, and RAR-γ), and each of these three receptors exist in multiple isoforms. As a first step to identify if any of the receptor isoforms are involved in dysmorphogenesis which is induced in mouse embryos after treatment with retinoic acid (RA), we examined the levels of mRNA of several isoforms of each RAR in the limb buds and other embryonic regions of normal and RA-treated embryos. Within 3 to 6 hr after treatment of mice on day 11 of gestation with RA, RAR-β2 mRNA levels in the whole embryo increased 7-fold while both RAR-α2 and RAR-γ1 mRNA levels were elevated only 2-fold. Since RA treatment of day 11 embryos especially produces limb defects in virtually every embryo, we next examined individual embryonic regions separately. Limb buds showed the highest elevations in RAR-β2 mRNA levels (12-fold) compared to a moderate elevation in the head/craniofacial region (8-fold) and a small elevation in the remainder of the body (4-fold). In contrast, RAR-α2 and RAR-γ1 mRNA levels were elevated in all these tissues to a similar extent, which amounted to only about a 2-fold increase. Retinol, the precursor of RA in the embryo, was also capable of elevating RAR-β2 mRNA levels in the limb bud, but the increase was delayed, apparently indicating that metabolic conversion of retinol to RA preceded the effect on mRNA levels. Finally, treatment of dams on day 14 of gestation, a time when embryos are relatively insensitive to RA, resulted in no elevation in RAR-α2 mRNA levels and a greatly reduced elevation (2- to 3-fold in all embryonic regions) in RAR-β2 mRNA levels. Therefore, the elevation in RAR-β2 mRNA correlates well with regions of the embryo, e.g., limb buds, which are specific targets for RA-induced teratogenesis. These results are consistent with the possibility that specific isoforms of the RARs, in particular RAR-β2, may mediate the effects of RA during abnormal development. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effects of Chlorothiazide on Specific Renal Functions in Hypertension

Oral administration of chlorothiazide depresses glomerular filtration, increases blood urea, maintains sodium output in the face of decreased filtered sodium load, and paradoxically for a diuretic, in these and in tests done shortly after intravenous administration, increases the efficiency of water reabsorption.
A Survey of Requirement Engineering Interactions in Telecommunication Systems

Telecommunication systems are large, distributed, complex, heterogeneous and evolving systems that involve software and hardware components. These traits present a challenge from Requirement Engineering perspective. Telecommunication systems can be abstracted to having infrastructure layer that delivers services and consumer layer where end user devices use these services. As processing power of the telecommunication consumer devices gain more power and demand more bandwidth, it becomes more pervasive, gain importance and the end users will have greater dependencies on it. Telecommunication infrastructure technologies are also evolving on fast pace to deliver to customer needs and level of service expected. A fierce competition exists between new entrants and more established companies to deliver the telecommunication system with the features and constraints at competitive pricing and aggressive scheduling by using new technologies.
Safety of efficiency: Link between operational performance and operational errors in the national airspace system

Safety and efficiency are two of the most important goals of the national airspace system (NAS). However, these goals are typically viewed as competing or independent, rather than complementary. The complementary aspect of safety and efficiency is illustrated from the point of view of human factors and ergonomics. Statistical methods were used to analyze safety and efficiency performance measurements, operational errors, and daily flight time index (DFTI). Factors related to weather and complexity were found to be more likely on days with poor operational performance as measured by DFTI. The results indicate a positive relationship between NAS safety and efficiency and imply that NAS safety performance may be improved by increasing efficiency, and vice versa.
Moisture features of the convective boundary layer in Oklahoma

Data from an instrumented 461m tower and rawinsonde balloons are analysed to determine the characteristics of the moisture field in the planetary boundary layer over central Oklahoma. In the mean, the lowest 94% of the sensibly adiabatic layer exhibits an effectively constant mixing ratio. Inferences as to the effectiveness of downward mixing through the top of the boundary layer are drawn.
First-principles theory of magnetoelastic coupling and magnetic anisotropy strain dependence in ultrathin Co films on Cu(001)

The magnetoelastic coupling and magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) of (i) an uncovered and (ii) a Cu-capped Co overlayer on Cu(001) are determined employing a self-consistent relativistic spin-polarized version of the total-energy full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave (FLAPW) method and the magnetic torque method. Layer-resolved contributions to the magnetoelastic coupling and MAE are obtained. We find surface magnetoelastic coupling coefficients to be positive for the Co layer and negative for the Cu substrate and cap layers. A substantial difference of magnetoelastic coupling coefficients for thin films as opposed to bulk is demonstrated, which causes a negative magnetostriction coefficient (λ001) for uncovered Co overlayer and a positive λ001 for the Cu-capped Co overlayer on Cu(001).
Pass the bicarb: the importance of HCO3– for mucin release

Accumulation of thick, sticky mucus is a hallmark of the genetic disease cystic fibrosis (CF) and has a central role in CF pathophysiology. Mutations in the CF transmembrane regulator (CFTR) ion channel are known to result in abnormally thick and sticky mucus; however, why mucus accumulates in CF is still not completely understood. In this issue of the JCI, Garcia and colleagues show that mucin — the heavily glycosylated protein contained within mucus — requires CFTR and bicarbonate in order to be released from mouse intestine (see the related article beginning on page 2613). The authors propose a model whereby CFTR-mediated bicarbonate secretion must be concurrent with mucin exocytosis for proper mucin release.
Test-retest reliability and interrelation among three locus of control measures for children.

Test-retest reliability was obtained for the Bialer Scale for Children, the Stranford Preschool I-E Scale and a TAT Locus of Control measure. Correlations between measures ranged from .06 to .26. Based on a lack of correlation between measures, high test-retest reliability for the Bialer, a grade effect on Bialer, and the results of previous studies, the Bialer was viewed as an adequate measure of locus of control for children.
Regulation of the vgf gene in the golden hamster suprachiasmatic nucleus by light and by the circadian clock

By using in situ hybridization in the golden hamster brain, we have found that vgf mRNA levels are induced as a response to light stimulation in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), the site of the mammalian circadian pacemaker. The induction exhibits delayed kinetics relative to known light-induced immediate early genes: induction of vgf mRNA occurs over a period of 3 to 9 hours after light exposure. Photic induction of vgf expression does not occur in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus, though this nucleus expresses vgf at the mRNA and protein levels. Photic induction of vgf in the SCN occurs only at circadian times when light also causes a phase shift of the circadian system. The irradiance threshold of vgf induction in the SCN closely matches that of the behavioral phase shifting response. In addition, basal expression of vgf in the SCN, but not in the PVN, exhibits a circadian rhythm in constant darkness. The photic induction and circadian rhythm of vgf expression are anatomically separated in the caudal and rostral portions of the SCN, respectively. These results represent the first example of a delayed response to light relative to light-induced immediate early genes at the mRNA level in the SCN.
THE SIZE OF THE “CRIMINAL POPULATION”: THE PREVALENCE AND INCIDENCE OF ADULT ARREST*

The recent emphasis in criminological theory and research on “chronic offenders” assumes that involvement in crime is concentrated among a small group of offenders rather than being widespread in the population. To address this question, this study employs a longitudinal data base on criminal histories to estimate the prevalence of arrest—defined as the proportion of a population ever arrested—and the incidence of arrest—defined as the number of arrests incurred by those ever arrested—for an age cohort of young adults between the ages of 18 and 29. The results show that being arrested is a relatively common experience for young adults: nearly one-quarter of the entire cohort and one-third of the males in the cohort were arrested at least once. One of six males and two of five black males were arrested for an index offense. The data on incidence reveal the presence of a subset of “chronic offenders” who are responsible for a disproportionate number of arrests. However, defined in terms of three or more arrests for any offense, their numbers are smaller, but the data suggest it may be difficult to distinguish “chronic offenders” from “one-time” offenders because 60% do not recidivate. These findings suggest that the current preoccupation with chronic offenders may obscure the broader social structural factors that cause very large segments of the population to come into conflict with the law.
Texas to Mexico: A border to avoid

Shipping into Mexico by land from the United States is a unique and often expensive process. It is unique for two reasons: the practices of the Mexican customs broker on the southern border of the U.S. and the practices of the drayage motor carrier industry at the border. Both of these factors are quite different from what many shippers expect. Because of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the general image of Mexico as a developing nation with strong ties to the U.S., U.S. shippers and carriers expect that the movement of goods into Mexico should be almost free of barriers, be sophisticated, and relatively inexpensive. Unfortunately, at the core of the Mexican customs philosophy, Third World thinking is still dominant and some border cities and businesses support and practice unsophisticated international commercial procedures which culminate in a border environment antithetical to seamless cargo flows.
DNA repair: A protein giant in its entirety

Purification of the human tumour-suppressor protein BRCA2, which is crucial for DNA repair, has been a formidable challenge owing to its large size. That mission is now accomplished, providing biochemical insight. See Article p.678 The two hereditary breast cancer susceptibility genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, have roles in responding to DNA damage. When they are mutated or absent, the outcome is genomic instability, a contributory factor to cancer development. Studies on BRCA2 have been hampered by its large size, which made purification of the full-length protein challenging. Steve Kowalczykowski and colleagues now report the first in vitro characterization of full-length BRCA2, and delineate the different ways by which BRCA2 facilitates RAD51-mediated homologous recombination.
Cooperative model based language understanding in dialogue

In this paper, we propose a novel Cooperative Model for natural language understanding in a dialogue system. We build this based on both Finite State Model (FSM) and Statistical Learning Model (SLM). FSM provides two strategies for language understanding and have a high accuracy but little robustness and flexibility. Statistical approach is much more robust but less accurate. Cooperative Model incorporates all the three strategies together and thus can suppress all the shortcomings of different strategies and has all the advantages of the three strategies.
Electroweak constraints on warped models with custodial symmetry

It has been recently argued that realistic models with warped extra dimensions can have Kaluza-Klein particles accessible at the CERN Large Hadron Collider if a custodial symmetry, $SU(2{)}_{V}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{P}_{LR}$, is used to protect the $T$ parameter and the coupling of the left-handed bottom quark to the $Z$ gauge boson. In this article we emphasize that such a symmetry implies that the loop corrections to both the $T$ parameter and the $Z{b}_{L}{\overline{b}}_{L}$ coupling are calculable. In general, these corrections are correlated, can be sizable, and should be considered to determine the allowed parameter space region in models with warped extra dimensions and custodial symmetry, including Randall-Sundrum models with a fundamental Higgs, models of gauge-Higgs unification, and Higgsless models. As an example, we derive the constraints that arise on a representative model of gauge-Higgs unification from a global fit to the precision electroweak observables. A scan over the parameter space typically leads to a lower bound on the Kaluza-Klein excitations of the gauge bosons of about 2\char21{}3 TeV, depending on the configuration. In the fermionic sector one can have Kaluza-Klein excitations with masses of a few hundred GeV. We present the constraints on these light fermions from recent Tevatron searches, and explore interesting discovery channels at the LHC.
Trans-neuronal modification of anterior piriform cortical circuitry in the rat

Abstract Long–Evans rats received unilateral naris closure on postnatal day 1 (PN1) or sham surgery. On PN30, brains were processed for anterograde horseradish peroxidase (HRP) labeling of lateral olfactory tract (LOT) fibers in anterior piriform cortex (aPCX) Layer Ia, Timm staining of association/commissural fibers in aPCX Layer Ib, or Golgi staining for reconstruction of aPCX semilunar cell dendrites. The results demonstrate that the width of aPCX Layer Ia was reduced ipsilateral to the sealed naris compared to undeprived controls. No significant change in Layer Ib was detected. Furthermore, semilunar cell dendrites were reduced by unilateral deprivation compared to undeprived controls. The reduction in dendritic tree size was localized to distal dendritic segments, roughly corresponding to Layer Ia. These results suggest an activity-dependent change in both the distribution of cortical afferents and in the dendritic field of their target cells. While these results are similar to those reported for other sensory systems, the relatively simple architecture and laminated organization of bilateral inputs to the aPCX make the olfactory system an ideal model system to examine experience-dependent synaptic reorganization and its functional consequences.
Color–motion asynchrony assessed along the chromatic axes and with luminance variation

Color–motion asynchrony was fist reported by Moutoussis and Zeki (Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 264, 393–399, 1997), who showed that a motion direction change needs to precede a color change by approximately 80–120 ms in order for humans to perceive change as synchronous when a visual stimulus changes its direction of motion and color rapidly and repetitively. This phenomenon was investigated with stimuli with a single change of color and a single change of motion. The stimulus was varied along the L/(L+M) axis, along the S/(L+M) axis, or in luminance at a constant chromaticity. The psychophysical task was either a correspondence task or a temporal judgment task. The results showed that all three of the variations in color or luminance produced similar color–motion asynchronies, but the correspondence task consistently showed greater asynchrony (80–110 ms) than did the temporal order judgment task (45–70 ms). The results indicated that color–motion asynchrony is processed at cortical areas after cone-specific chromatic signals and luminance signals are integrated.
Characteristics of a Shallow River Plume: Observations from the Saco River Coastal Observing System

Interest in the coastal dynamics of river plumes has mainly focused on large rivers, but plumes from the more numerous smaller rivers have important local consequences and may, in aggregate, be significant contributors to coastal circulation. We studied the dynamics of the plume from the Saco River in Saco Bay, Gulf of Maine, over a 3-year period. The transport and salinity in the region are governed by river discharge, tides, winds, and interaction with the Western Maine Coastal Current. The dynamics of the flow field vary with location within the plume and discharge. The far-field dynamics of the Saco River plume are dominated by inertial processes (hence qualifying it as a small-scale river plume), during times of low discharge, with low salinity water present both up and downstream of the river mouth, but are dominated by rotational processes during times of high discharge (thus qualifying it as a large-scale river plume), with buoyant water primarily advected downshelf. Near-field dynamics are governed by weak, subcritical flow during low discharge but strongly inertial, supercritical flow during high discharge. Offshore movement of the plume is not governed by Ekman dynamics but is instead a result of discharge, wind-induced vertical mixing, and the geography of the coastline and adjacent islands.
Free vibrations of a simply supported, rectangular plate: An exact elasticity solution

Abstract An exact, three-dimensional solution for the free vibrations of simply supported, rectangular plates of arbitrary thickness within the linear theory of elastodynamics is given in this paper. The solution, obtained in a semi-inverse fashion as was the solution of the elastostatic problem for such plates, satisfies all of the boundary conditions of the problem in a pointwise manner. It is found that there are two types of modes of oscillation possible which are consistent with the kinematic assumptions made to find the semi-inverse solution. Other modes of oscillation may exist in the three-dimensional theory of elastodynamics for such plates but our kinematic assumptions would not be consistent with such modes. The two types of modes found are analogous to the flexural modes of classical plate theory and the thickness-twist modes, here called breathing modes, of Mindlin plate theory. Some numerical results are given which indicate that the predictions of Mindlin plates are uncannily good approximations to the flexural frequencies given by the present, three-dimensional analysis even for very thick plates. However, the predictions of Mindlin plate theory for the thickness-twist, or breathing, frequencies are not nearly so good. These discrepancies are discussed briefly in an appendix.
Including Students with Severe Disabilities in School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports: Perceptions of State Coordinators

The purpose of this study was to determine how the needs of students with disabilities are addressed by state coordinators of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) during professional development activities on positive behavioral strategies, school-wide systems, and school-wide commitment to the PBIS approach. Particular attention was given to how the needs of students with severe disabilities were addressed throughout training opportunities. Although an overwhelming majority (93%) of the state coordinators believed that students with severe disabilities can participate at least partially in schoolwide PBIS programs, they indicated that this belief was not reflected in their state's PBIS initial professional development activities.
The O2-lnduced transient response of nitrogenase activity in nodules of Myrica gale L.

Summary There is a transient decline of nitrogenase activity in nodules of Myrica gale L. when the partial pressure of O 2 (pO 2 ) in the rhizosphere is increased. To help determine the cause of this decline, nodule respiration (CO 2 evolution) was measured. When pO 2 was increased, there was a transient decline in nitrogenase activity but not in nodule respiration, which increased over a period of about 6 min to a new steady-state rate. Thus the decline in nitrogenase activity was not caused by a decline in respiration. When nodules were exposed to 9 kPa O 2 and then returned to 20 kPa, there was full recovery of nitrogenase activity if the nodules remained at 9 kPa for only 3 min. However, if the nodules remained at 9 kPa for 30 min, about 30% of nitrogenase activity and 6% of respiration were lost upon return to 20 kPa O 2 . These observations suggest that the rate of respiration adjusts over a period of minutes when pO 2 is changed. Thus when external pO 2 is increased, there may be a temporary rise in internal O 2 concentration until respiration increases to a higher rate. This temporary rise in pO 2 may cause a transient inhibition of nitrogenase activity. There was no evidence for changes in nodule resistance to gas diffusion during or following changes in pO 2 .
The New York Bight Jet: Climatology and Dynamical Evolution

Abstract This paper describes the southerly New York Bight (NYB) jet (11–17 m s−1) that develops primarily during the warm season just above the surface offshore (east) of the northern New Jersey coast and south of Long Island (the NYB). Observations from two offshore buoys are used to develop a 9-yr climatology of 134 jet events from 1997 to 2006. There is a seasonal maximum (2.5 events per month) during June and July, with a skew toward the spring months. The wind directions for the jet trace out a nearly elliptical orbit for the 24-h period around the time of jet maximum at ~2300 UTC [1900 eastern daylight time (EDT)] on average. Composites reveal that the NYB jet occurs on days with southwesterly synoptic flow, and the jet is part of a larger-scale (200–300 km) wind enhancement offshore of the mid-Atlantic and northeast U.S. coasts during the early evening hours. High-resolution observations (surface mesonet, aircraft soundings, and a terminal Doppler weather radar) and Weather Research and Forecastin...
Effect of submicrosecond electric fields on microorganisms: experiments and applications

Previous studies on the effect of microsecond pulsed electric fields on bacteria have shown that the lethality increases linearly with pulse duration and exponentially with electric field strength. In order to determine the validity of this law for submicrosecond pulses, we applied pulses of fifty nanosecond duration to two strains of E. coli and to a marine crustacean. The results indicated that even at this short pulse duration, the empirical law not only holds for bacteria, but also for more complicated organisms. Theoretical considerations, however, and the observation of a pronounced difference in the field induced lethality of two strains of E. coli led us to believe that a change in the effect can be expected when the pulse duration is reduced further. The observed dependance of micro-organism lethality or temporary damage on field strength and pulse duration allows us to improve the energy efficiency of systems which make use of the effect. Examples are sterilizers (e.g., for food and water) and electrical filters for the prevention of biofouling in cooling systems.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Concentrations of metals in mink and other mammals from Washington and Idaho.

Abstract From 1981 to 1983, concentrations dfof metals were determined in mink Mustela vison , muskrats Ondatra zibethica , and small mammals at one contaminated site in Idaho and at two less contaminated sites in Idaho and Washington. The highest concentrations of Pb and Cd occurred in samples from the Coeur d'Alene River system near or downstream from an extensive mining—smelting complex in northern Idaho. Maximum concentrations of Pb in the liver of a mink (22 μg g −1 ) and in pooled liver samples of both voles ( Microtus spp. , 5·8 μg g −1 ) and deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus , 10·5 μg g −1 ) were higher than those inducing serious problems, including mortality, in experimental mammals on Pb-contaminated diets. Concentrations of Cd, Cu, Hg, and Zn were generally low. Declines in certain mammal populations have probably occurred in northern Idah as a result of direct toxicity of metals and associated secondary effects on cover and food supply.
Ascorbic acid in steroidogenesis.

THE adrenal glands contain the highest concentration of ascorbic acid of any tissue in the body. Changes in the concentrations of ascorbic acid and cholesterol are related to steroid secretion in the adrenal1. Although it has been suggested that ascorbic acid might play a primary part in Steroidogenesis2, its physiological role in the adrenal has not been established.
Development of absolute thresholds in chickens.

Absolute auditory thresholds were estimated in chickens at 0 and 4 days after hatching. Momentary suppressions of the chicks’ regular peeping, following the onset of a tone, were used as indications of stimulus detection. In the first experiment a staircase procedure was used to estimate thresholds. The absolute thresholds of both ages were the same at low frequencies (250–500 Hz), but at higher frequencies (1–2 kHz) 4‐day‐old chicks had lower thresholds than the 0‐day‐old chicks. The estimates of thresholds at 1 kHz were corroborated in the second experiment with a method of constant stimuli. A more efficient modified method of limits was used to replicate the age by frequency interaction in the third experiment. These changing thresholds are likely to reflect a developmental process somewhere in the auditory system and not some nonsensory artifact for two reasons: (a) similar thresholds at low frequencies show that developmental differences are not due to differences in the sensitivity of the testing procedure at the two ages and (b) thresholds obtained from the 4‐day‐old birds are similar to estimates from mature birds. In conclusion, responsiveness to low frequencies develops before responsiveness to higher frequencies, showing that the development of absolute thresholds is correlated with other measures of functional maturation in the auditory system.
Receptor noise and directional sensing in eukaryotic chemotaxis.

Chemotacting eukaryotic cells are able to detect very small chemical gradients ($\ensuremath{\sim}1%$) for a large range of background concentrations. For these chemical environments, fluctuations in the number of bound ligands will become important. Here, we investigate the effect of receptor noise in a simplified one-dimensional geometry. The auto- and cross-correlations of the noise sources at the front and the back of the cell are explicitly computed using an effective Monte Carlo simulation tool. The resulting stochastic equations for the investigated directional sensing model can be solved analytically in Fourier space. We determine the chemotactic efficiency, a measure of motility for the cell, as a function of several experimental parameters, leading to explicit experimental predictions.
General physiological considerations of catabolite repression in Pediococcus pentosaceus

The general physiology of catabolite repression of l-arabinose isomerase (l-arabinose ketol-isomerase, EC 5.3.1.4) in Pediococcus pentosaceus has been investigated. Particular emphasis has been placed on the regulation of enzyme formation as influenced by pentose or hexose metabolism. The capacity of cells to form the isomerase was found to vary widely with (a) the physiological age of the cultures and (b) the nature of the growth substrates. The early stages of growth on glucose, fructose and mannose, for example, were associated with complete repression of isomerase formation. This repression was released as the substrates became limiting for the growth of the organism. Cultures in a stationary phase of growth, however, rapidly lost the capacity to synthesize the isomerase unless a fresh supply of yeast extract or casein hydrolysate was added to the medium. Although some repression was noted, growth on ribose or xylose did not appear to result in the typical “glucose effect” repression observed when the hexoses were employed as growth substrates. As growth on the pentoses became limited by substrate depletion, a greatly stimulated capacity for isomerase formation was observed. These general observations were also noted during the formation of a galactose-induced s-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.23). These results have been discussed in light of a recently proposed, tentative model for catabolite repression in this organism.