cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radiation-induced interference with postnatal hippocampal cytogenesis in rats and its long-term effects on the acquisition of neurons and glia

The long term consequences of graduated interference with the acquisition of hippocampal neurons and glia during early infancy were examined with quantitative histology and 3H-thymidine autoradiography. The head region containing the hippocampus was irradiated from day two on with either two (2X), four (4X), six (6X) or eight (8X) doses of 150–200r X-rays. The animals were killed at 30, 60, 90 and 120 days of age. The morphology of the hippocampus was normal in all irradiated groups with the characteristic interlocking folds of the pyramidal and granular layers. While the number of pyramidal cells of Ammon's horn was unaffected, the number of granule cells of the dentate gyrus was progressively and permanently reduced from control levels by the different dosage schedules (2X, 59% reduction; 4X, 77%; 6X, 83%; 8X, 84%). Incidental observations in control animals indicated a 20% increase in granule cells between 30 and 120 days of age in agreement with earlier observations of granule cell labelling after 3H-thymidine injections in adult rats. The time of origin of the approximately 15–16% of the granule cells surviving irradiation in the 8X group was determined by injecting either pregnant females (gestation days 19–20) or pups (days 0 and 1) with two successive doses of 3H-thymidine; the animals were irradiated from day two on with eight X-ray doses. The granule cells surviving in the postnatally injected group were all unlabelled and comparable in number to the unlabelled cells in control animals that were given five successive postnatal injections of 3H-thymidine. This established that the radioresistant complement of granule cells is formed prenatally. In the prenatally injected group, over half the surviving cells were labelled; it was assumed that those not labelled were formed before gestation day 19. In contrast to the permanent reduction in the number of granule cells, there was some reestablishment of the number of cells in the dentate molecular layer and the Ammonic stratum oriens; in the fimbria, recovery in cell number was complete by 60 days. In a supplementary autoradiographic experiment, cell proliferation in the granular layer and in the fimbria was determined at 60 days of age after a single postnatal injection of 3H-thymidine on either day 15 or day 20 in the control, 2X, 4X and 6X groups. The number of labelled cells in the irradiated groups was always well below control levels in the granular layer, but it was either above or at the same level as controls in the fimbria. Tentative interpretations were offered for the differential long-term effects of variable X-ray schedules on the neuronal and glial populations of the hippocampus.
Quantum size effects in the optical properties of small metallic particles

The electric-dipole susceptibility of small metal particles of characteristic dimension $L$ is calculated within the random-phase approximation on the assumption that ${k}_{F}^{\ensuremath{-}1}llLll\ensuremath{\lambda}$, where $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ is the wavelength of the electromagnetic field and ${k}_{F}$ the Fermi wave vector for bulk metal. Electron scattering is introduced in a number-conserving relaxation time approximation, and the optical conductivity of a single particle and the absorption coefficient for a suspension of such particles are determined. The matrix elements for cubical particles are sufficiently tractable that the evolution of the optical properties with particle size may be followed down to a metal-insulator transition demonstrated to occur for particle dimensions ($\frac{\ensuremath{\sim}1}{{k}_{F}}$) consistent with the Ioffe-Regel localization criterion. The far-infrared absorption coefficient is found to diverge as the critical particle size is approached. The surface plasmon is monotonically red-shifted and considerably broadened by Landau damping. Criteria for observing the discrete optical structure in small metallic particles are presented.
Structural basis of preinitiation complex assembly on human pol II promoters.

Transcription initiation requires the assembly of a preinitiation complex (PIC), which is nucleated through binding of the TATA‐box binding protein (TBP) to the promoter. Biochemical studies have shown, however, that TBP recognizes the TATA‐box in both orientations and, therefore, cannot account for the directionality of PIC assembly. Transcription factor IIB (TFIIB) is essential for transcription initiation from RNA polymerase II promoters. Recent functional studies have identified a specific 7 bp TFIIB recognition element (BRE) immediately upstream of the TATA‐box. We present here the 2.65 A resolution crystal structure of a human TFIIBc–TBPc complex bound to an idealized and extended adenovirus major late promoter. This structure now reveals that human TFIIBc binds to the promoter asymmetrically through base‐specific contacts in the major groove upstream and in the minor groove downstream of the TATA‐box. Binding of TFIIBc is, therefore, synergistic with TBPc requiring the distortion of the TATA‐box. Thus, the newly described TFIIBc–DNA interface is likely to be a key determinant for the unidirectional assembly of a functional PIC.
The radius of convergence of power series solutions to linear differential equations

(1989). The Radius of Convergence of Power Series Solutions to Linear Differential Equations. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 96, No. 9, pp. 824-827.
Examining the full potential of the extended school

This paper describes a project aimed at helping children and their families achieve their potential. It is based in an area of high social disadvantage. The authors explain how parenting classes held at a community college (a comprehensive school with provision for adult education), have led to the development of a suite of courses leading to qualification and employment. Most of the participants have been women. Even participants with a history of low educational attainment have achieved success and all have gained qualifications to enable them to gain employment working with children. A description is given of how the Progression Route of courses has the potential to build the community and provide access to higher education. The data from a pilot evaluation, based on interviews with 12 adult participants who are at different stages of the Progression Route, are used to examine the extent to which engagement has led to employment. The data show why, in spite of lack of experience as learners, they becom...
Putting prevention into practice

One of the three broad goals of Healthy People 2000 is that preventive services will be available to all Americans. Although there is professional agreement on the merits of prevention, there are challenges related to implementing preventive health care. Six of these challenges are confusion in terminology, issues related to nursing autonomy and initiative, differing conceptual frameworks, complexity of coordination within a delivery system that does not reward preventive services, prevalent cultural beliefs, and lack of uniform recommendations regarding prevention. The Put Prevention into Practice (PPIP) program is a national strategy to address those challenges. The American Nurses Association and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners contributed to the development of the PPIP program. These organizations are actively disseminating the information through train-the-trainer methodlogy and other educational programs that will prepare nurses to improve the health of the population through the provision of preventive health services.
Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy of the assembly and disassembly of SNAREs: The proteins involved in membrane fusion in cells.

In this study, we report for the first time that both t-SNAREs and v-SNARE and their complexes in buffered suspension, exhibit defined peaks at CD signals of 208 and 222 nm wavelengths, consistent with a higher degree of helical secondary structure. Surprisingly, when incorporated in lipid membrane, both SNAREs and their complexes exhibit reduced folding. In presence of NSF–ATP, the SNARE complex disassembles, as reflected from the CD signals demonstrating elimination of α-helices within the structure.
What is a necessary knowledge base for sleep professionals

Sleep medicine is multidisciplinary, and sleep medicine professionals should be trained to evaluate and treat all 88 sleep disorders. Sleep medicine specialists require a fund of knowledge that goes beyond what is obtained during a pulmonary fellowship. Skills required for a pulmonary sleep professional include: sleep medicine, neurobiology, psychiatry, neuro-psychology, neurology, pediatrics, and even limited exposure in otolaryngology, oral maxillofacial surgery, and dentistry. There is a paucity of publiished information concerning curricular requirements. Required skills for a sleep professional include proficiency in the clinical skills of sleep medicine as well as the technical skills of polysomnography. There is a very large knowledge content area requirement in both the basic sciences of sleep and the clinical aspects of sleep medicine. There are also important clinical skills content areas. As with all medical professionals, sleep professionals should have the highest ethical standards and a strong sense of responsibility toward their patients. A sleep medicine professional also has to be knowledgeable about administrative and legal aspects specific to sleep medicine. This essay reviews a sleep professional knowledge base model with emphasis on the requirements for a pulmonary sleep professional.
Intramolecular alkene cycloaddition via excited donor—acceptor complexes

Abstract The intramolecular photoaddition of 1,4,4a,5,8,8a-hexahydro-1,4,5,8- endo,endo -dimethanonaphthalene to provide a cage isomer is reported. The internal addition of non-conjugated alkene moieties is induced on quenching the fluorescence of electron acceptors or by irradiation of ground state charge transfer (CT) complexes of the diene. Quantum efficiencies for rearrangement are generally high and even exceed 1.0 for irradiation in a polar solvent, indicative of a chain mechanism involving radical ions. A novel dependence of quantum yield on the excitation wavelength for irradiation of CT complexes was observed and is ascribed to dissociation of the Franck—Condon CT state. The triplet sensitized isomerization which proceeds with unit quantum efficiency is also reported. The rearrangement of the electron donor diene is compared with the well-known isomerization of norbornadiene.
Fast visuomotor processing of redundant targets: the role of the right temporo-parietal junction.

Parallel processing of multiple sensory stimuli is critical for efficient, successful interaction with the environment. An experimental approach to studying parallel processing in sensorimotor integration is to examine reaction times to multiple copies of the same stimulus. Reaction times to bilateral copies of light flashes are faster than to single, unilateral light flashes. These faster responses may be due to ‘statistical facilitation’ between independent processing streams engaged by the two copies of the light flash. On some trials, however, reaction times are faster than predicted by statistical facilitation. This indicates that a neural ‘coactivation’ of the two processing streams must have occurred. Here we use fMRI to investigate the neural locus of this coactivation. Subjects responded manually to the detection of unilateral light flashes presented to the left or right visual hemifield, and to the detection of bilateral light flashes. We compared the bilateral trials where subjects' reaction times exceeded the limit predicted by statistical facilitation to bilateral trials that did not exceed the limit. Activity in the right temporo-parietal junction was higher in those bilateral trials that showed coactivation than in those that did not. These results suggest the neural coactivation observed in visuomotor integration occurs at a cognitive rather than sensory or motor stage of processing.
The En mutable system in maize : III. Transposition associated with mutational events.

1. The mutable allele, a1m(pa−pu) of the En system at the a1 locus in maize mutates somatically and germinally to pale, colorless, and purple. 2. Colorless and pale germinal deviants arise at a high frequency. The colorless is more frequent than the pale, and each is more frequent than purple. Frequency is correlated with timing of the somatic mutation event — the earlier colorless sectoring is correlated with the higher frequency of colorless deviants. 3. The regulatory element, En, has been identified at the a1 locus. The origin of colorless and pale deviants is accompanied by the transposition of an En element away from the a1 site. 4. The transposing event may lead to implantation of En on the same chromosome, on another chromosome, or no implantation occurs. Transposition to a linked site occurs approximately 25% of the time. There is a preference for transposition to sites 6–20 units from a1. 5. Secondary transpositions of En occur, and in one test, approximately 12% of the time, to an independent position. Secondary transpositions take place to new linked sites. 6. Preliminary data indicate that transpositions can occur to both distal and proximal positions on chromosome 3. 7. Since differences exist in the behaviour of elements in transposition, it is likely that the transposition event probably is dependent on the elements of specific mutable systems and differing elements within a system. 8. Theoretical aspects of diverse types of impairment of normal gene function by inserted elements is discussed.
230 Is Cumulative Nutritional Deficit Predictive of Extrauterine Growth Retardation in Very Preterm Aga Infants

230 Is Cumulative Nutritional Deficit Predictive of Extrauterine Growth Retardation in Very Preterm Aga Infants?
The impact of tax and reforestation incentives on net returns from pocosin development for sil viculture

Federal and state reforestation cost-share and income tax programs increase the economic incentives to grow timber, including production on pocosin wetlands that must be cleared and drained before planting. Elimination of the capital gains exclusion by the 1986 Tax Reform Act is estimated to reduce by 26 percent the rate of return to clearing and draining pocosin wetlands for timber production. The simulated loss of reforestation cost-share would reduce the rate of return by about 16 percent, while loss of investment tax credit and cost amortization tax incentives would reduce the rate of return by 20 percent. Removing all three programs simultaneously is estimated to reduce the rate of return by 48 percent. Several other factors influence the rate of return, including the amount of marketable timber on the tract at the time of clearing, the cost of ditching and draining, the productivity of the land, timber prices, and the marginal tax rate of the producer.
Phase-concurrent hash tables for determinism

We present a deterministic phase-concurrent hash table in which operations of the same type are allowed to proceed concurrently, but operations of different types are not. Phase-concurrency guarantees that all concurrent operations commute, giving a deterministic hash table state, guaranteeing that the state of the table at any quiescent point is independent of the ordering of operations. Furthermore, by restricting our hash table to be phase-concurrent, we show that we can support operations more efficiently than previous concurrent hash tables. Our hash table is based on linear probing, and relies on history-independence for determinism. We experimentally compare our hash table on a modern 40-core machine to the best existing concurrent hash tables that we are aware of (hopscotch hashing and chained hashing) and show that we are 1.3--4.1 times faster on random integer keys when operations are restricted to be phase-concurrent. We also show that the cost of insertions and deletions for our deterministic hash table is only slightly more expensive than for a non-deterministic version that we implemented. Compared to standard sequential linear probing, we get up to 52 times speedup on 40 cores with dual hyper-threading. Furthermore, on 40 cores insertions are only about 1.3 times slower than random writes (scatter). We describe several applications which have deterministic solutions using our phase-concurrent hash table, and present experiments showing that using our phase-concurrent deterministic hash table is only slightly slower than using our non-deterministic one and faster than using previous concurrent hash tables, so the cost of determinism is small.
Strain-Based Flexure Assessment for the Printed Circuit Board Assembly Environment

Mechanical damage to due to over-flexure is an increasing concern in the printed circuit board assembly environment. This damage can result in part rejection during manufacturing, or may combine with other failure mechanisms to result in field returns. Therefore, flexure control during circuit board assembly is a vital part of overall product quality. A metric has been developed for component-specific strain-based flexure limits using a spherical bend mode and a novel strain metric, along with a detailed method for strain gage measurement in the assembly environment. This paper presents a review of the trends that have contributed to the increased risk of damage, as well as the development of the diagonal strain metric and the use of the spherical bend mode. These methods have been successfully employed to identify excessive flexure and reduce risks to function and reliability. Two case studies that demonstrate the application and effectiveness of the procedures are presented.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
The big pictures

Liberation in America. New York: William Morrow. Hoff-Wilson, Joan, ed. 1986 Rights of Passage: The Past and Future of the Era. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. Mansbridge, Jane J. 1986 Why We Lost the ERA. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Rupp, Leila J. and Verta Taylor 1987 Survival in the Doldrums: The American Women's Rights Movement, 1945 to the 1960s. New York: Oxford University Press. Steiner, Gilbert Y. 1985 Constitutional Inequality: The Political Fortunes of the Equal Rights Amendment. Washington, DC: Brookings.
Approximate Riemann solver for the two-fluid plasma model

An algorithm is presented for the simulation of plasma dynamics using the two-fluid plasma model. The two-fluid plasma model is more general than the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model often used for plasma dynamic simulations. The two-fluid equations are derived in divergence form and an approximate Riemann solver is developed to compute the fluxes of the electron and ion fluids at the computational cell interfaces and an upwind characteristic-based solver to compute the electromagnetic fields. The source terms that couple the fluids and fields are treated implicitly to relax the stiffness. The algorithm is validated with the coplanar Riemann problem, Langmuir plasma oscillations, and the electromagnetic shock problem that has been simulated with the MHD plasma model. A numerical dispersion relation is also presented that demonstrates agreement with analytical plasma waves.
Stabilizing Customer Abandonment in Many-Server Queues with Time-Varying Arrivals

An algorithm is developed to determine time-dependent staffing levels to stabilize the time-dependent abandonment probabilities and expected delays at positive target values in the Mt/GI/st + GI many-server queueing model, which has a nonhomogeneous Poisson arrival process the Mt, has general service times the first GI, and allows customer abandonment according to a general patience distribution the +GI. New offered-load and modified-offered-load approximations involving infinite-server models are developed for that purpose. Simulations show that the approximations are effective. A many-server heavy-traffic limit in the efficiency-driven regime shows that i the proposed approximations achieve the goal asymptotically as the scale increases, and ii it is not possible to simultaneously stabilize the mean queue length in the same asymptotic regime.
Qualities that will infIuence testing and assessment practices with children and youth toward the beginning of the twenty-first century: international perspectives

Conditions that have impacted test development and use, as well as are those that are likely to influence continued test development and practice, are reviewed. Emphasis is placed on test use with children and youth in the international arena.
Hereditary Leukonychia, or Porcelain Nails, Resulting from Mutations in PLCD1

Hereditary leukonychia (porcelain nails or white nails) is a rare nail disorder with an unknown genetic basis. To identify variants in a gene underlying this phenotype, we identified four families of Pakistani origin showing features of hereditary leukonychia. All 20 nails of each affected individual were chalky and white in appearance, consistent with total leukonychia, with no other cutaneous, appendageal, or systemic findings. By using Affymetrix 10K chip, we established linkage to chromosome 3p21.3-p22 with a LOD score (Z) of 5.1. We identified pathogenic mutations in PLCD1 in all four families, which encodes phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C delta 1 subunit, a key enzyme in phosphoinositide metabolism. We then identified localization of PLCD1 in the nail matrix. It was recently shown that PLCD1 is a component of the human nail plate by proteomic analysis and is localized in the matrix of human nails. Furthermore, mutations detected in PLCD1 resulted in reduced enzymatic activity in vitro. Our data show that mutations in PLCD1 underlie hereditary leukonychia, revealing a gene involved in molecular control of nail growth.
A Bundle of Silences: Examining the Racial Representation of Black Founding Fathers of the United States Through Glenn Beck's Founders’ Fridays

Abstract This article explores the discourse on Black Founding Fathers through Glenn Beck's television show, Founders’ Fridays. According to Beck, this 2010 summer television special was an opportunity to present Black American history in a more nuanced and truthful way. The theoretical framework, silencing the past, is used to highlight how the show presented a bundle of silences about Black Founders that changed their historical significance, which favored the show's purpose of silencing racial conflict, institutional racism, Black agency, and Black radicalism. This article extends the scholarship on how Black American history is misrepresented through various educational outlets, in this case, television.
Resist thickness influence on depth of focus - A key question for advanced i-line and DUV lithography

Abstract Motivated by a dramatically shrinking depth of focus as device geometries approach 0.25 um and the increasing importance of resist thickness as part of the focus budget, this paper summarizes experimental depth of focus results obtained at various resist thicknesses with different resist types.
Ontogeny of plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase isoforms in the neural retina of the postnatal rat.

Calcium ion (Ca2+) signaling has been widely implicated in developmental events in the retina, but little is known about the specific mechanisms utilized by developing neurons to decrease intracellular Ca2+. Using immunocytochemistry, we determined the expression profiles of all known isoforms of a key Ca2+ transporter, the plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase (PMCA), in the rat retina. During the first postnatal week, the four PMCA isoforms were expressed in patterns that differed from their expression in the adult retina. At birth, PMCA1 was found in the ventricular zone and nascent cell processes in the distal retina as well as in ganglion and amacrine cells. After the first postnatal week, PMCA1 became restricted to photoreceptors and cone bipolar cells. By P10 (by postnatal day 10), most inner retinal PMCA consisted of PMCA2 and PMCA3. Prominent PMCA4 expression appeared after the first postnatal week and was confined primarily to the ON sublamina of the inner plexiform layer (IPL). The four PMCA isoforms could play distinct functional roles in the development of the mammalian retina even before synaptic circuits are established. Their expression patterns are consistent with the hypothesis that inner and outer retinal neurons have different Ca2+ handling needs.
A complete comparator calibration program

Abstract At the National Ocean Survey, routine comparator calibrations are performed to provide quality control for all comparator measurements. The mathematical model used for the isolation of linear systematic errors constitutes a new exact solution of the general affine linear-transformation problem, from which the calibration parameters are exactly derived functions. Polynomials are applied to define the systematic non-linear errors inherent in the comparator. The adjustment residuals are presented in the coordinate systems of both the measurements and the grid in order to isolate grid errors from random errors. Statistical analysis of all system components is performed to isolate the errors of the pointings, the grid, the comparator and the residual system noise (random errors).
Cyclodextrin inclusion complex formation with butylated hydroxytoluene and its application in polyethylene film

The phenolic antioxidant, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), is added during polymer processing to protect polymers from oxidative degradation. Because of its high-volatility, it is susceptible to loss through volatilization in high-temperature processing. Cyclodextrin (CD) inclusion complexation (IC) with volatile compounds can prevent losses of volatile compounds, because of volatilization. In this study, BHT was successfully included in β-CD and its complex was confirmed using Wide-Angle X-ray Diffraction (WAXD), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films with BHT itself and BHT-β-CD-IC were produced on a pilot plant scale. After extrusion, it was found that 44 and 78% BHT was lost from the BHT-β-CD-IC LDPE and BHT LDPE films, respectively. Hence, the complex proved to be more efficient in preventing loss of BHT, because of encapsulation of volatile BHT. In addition, microscopy studies indicate that BHT-β-CD-IC LDPE film shows small aggregates, uniformly distributed in the LDPE matrix over a large range. The BHT efficiency of the complex in the film was measured using DSC for determining the oxidation induction time. The oxidation induction time (OITtime) was 35 min for the BHT-β-CD-IC LDPE film as compared with 16 min and 26 min values of LDPE and BHT LDPE films, respectively. Hence, the encapsulation of BHT in β-CD maximizes the efficiency and stability to thermal degradation for BHT-β-CD-IC LDPE film. The viscoelastic behavior of the films was also studied using dynamic mechanical analysis. The results indicate increases in storage modulus (El) and loss modulus (Ell) of the complex and a shift in the maxima of tan δ (Ell/El) to lower temperature in the LDPE films processed with BHT, β-CD, and BHT-β-CD-IC. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Nerve blocks of the foot

Emergency treatment of foot injuries can be made less painful by regional block anesthesia. There is limited medical literature on these techniques and many physicians, while familiar with regional anesthesia of the upper extremity, are not experienced with nerve blocks in the lower extremity. Infiltration anesthesia of the plantar structures of the foot and toes can be very painful and may inhibit healing. Regional anesthesia avoids both of these problems and can prove effective and useful. This paper discusses the techniques and possible complications of nerve block anesthesia of the foot.
Interaction of low-energy electrons with silicon dioxide

Abstract Theoretical models and calculations have been combined with experimental optical data to determine a model energy-loss function for SiO2. Sum-rule checks and comparisons with experimental information are made to ensure overall consistency of the model. The model energy-loss function is employed to calculate inelastic inverse mean free paths and stopping powers in SiO2 for electrons with energies ⩽10 keV.
Limitations of Standard Scores in Individual Achievement Testing

This paper considers two major problems related to the Identification of learning disabilities with individually administered achievement tests: the appropriateness of standard versus developmental scores for determining severity of discrepancy and the limitations of existing developmental score scales. The paper also examines the characteristics of the developmental score scales of individualized achievement tests commonly used to evaluate learning disabilities.
Reduced-basis output bounds for approximately parametrized elliptic coercive partial differential equations

We present a technique for the rapid and reliable prediction of linear-functional outputs of elliptic coercive partial differential equations with (approximately) affine parameter dependence. The essential components are (i) (provably) rapidly convergent global reduced-basis approximations – Galerkin projection onto a space WN spanned by solutions of the governing partial differential equation at N selected points in parameter space; (ii) a posteriori error estimation – relaxations of the error-residual equation that provide inexpensive yet sharp bounds for the error in the outputs of interest; and (iii) off-line/on-line computational procedures – methods which decouple the generation and projection stages of the approximation process. The operation count for the on-line stage – in which, given a new parameter value, we calculate the output of interest and associated error bound – depends only on N, typically very small, and the (approximate) parametric complexity of the problem; the method is thus ideally suited for the repeated and rapid evaluations required in the context of parameter estimation, design, optimization, and real-time control.In our earlier work, we develop a rigorous a posteriori error bound framework for the case in which the parametrization of the partial differential equation is exact; in this paper, we address the situation in which our mathematical model is not “complete.” In particular, we permit error in the data that define our partial differential operator: this error may be introduced, for example, by imperfect specification, measurement, calculation, or parametric expansion of a coefficient function. We develop both accurate predictions for the outputs of interest and associated rigorous a posteriori error bounds; and the latter incorporate both numerical discretization and “model truncation” effects. Numerical results are presented for a particular instantiation in which the model error originates in the (approximately) prescribed velocity field associated with a three-dimensional convection-diffusion problem.
Experimentally induced variation in the physical reproductive potential and mating success in honey bee queens

In honeybee colonies, reproduction is monopolized by the queen while her daughter workers are facultatively sterile. Caste determination is a consequence of environmental conditions during development, during which female larvae may become either queens or workers depending on their larval diet. This bipotency introduces significant variation in the reproductive potential of queen bees, with queens raised from young worker larvae exhibiting high reproductive potential and queens raised from older worker larvae exhibiting lower reproductive potential. We verify that low-quality queens are indeed produced from older worker larvae, as measured morphometrically (e.g., body size) and by stored sperm counts. We also show, for the first time, that low-quality queens mate with significantly fewer males, which significantly influences the resultant intracolony genetic diversity of the worker force of their future colonies. These results demonstrate a reproductive continuum of honeybee queens and provide insights into the reproductive constraints of social insects.
MEASUREMENTS OF LUNAR MAGNETIC FIELD INTERACTION WITH THE SOLAR WIND.

Study of the compression of the remanent lunar magnetic field by the solar wind, based on measurements of remanent magnetic fields at four Apollo landing sites and of the solar wind at two of these sites. Available data show that the remanent magnetic field at the lunar surface is compressed as much as 40% above its initial value by the solar wind, but the total remanent magnetic pressure is less than the stagnation pressure by a factor of six, implying that a local shock is not formed.
Arthropods associated with above-ground portions of the invasive tree, Melaleuca quinquenervia , in South Florida, USA

Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) S. T. Blake, the broad-leaved paperbark tree, has invaded ca. 202,000 ha in Florida, including portions of the Everglades National Park. We performed prerelease surveys in south Florida to determine if native or accidentally introduced arthropods exploit this invasive plant species and assess the potential for higher trophic levels to interfere with the establishment and success of future biological control agents. Herein we quantify the abundance of arthropods present on the above-ground portions of saplings and small M. quinquenervia trees at four sites. Only eight of the 328 arthropods collected were observed feeding on M. quinquenervia. Among the arthropods collected in the plants adventive range, 19 species are agricultural or horticultural pests. The high percentage of rare species (72.0%), presumed to be transient or merely resting on the foliage, and the paucity of species observed feeding on the weed, suggests that future biological control agents will face little if any competition from pre-existing plant-feeding arthropods.
Principals' Perceptions of Competition for Students in Milwaukee Schools

Abstract The assertion that choice-driven competition between schools will improve school quality rests on several largely unexamined assumptions. One is that choice increases the competitive pressure experienced by school leaders. A second is that schools will seek to become more effective in response to competitive pressure. In this article, we use responses from a survey of Milwaukee public school principals to examine these assumptions. Our results suggest that there is a substantial amount of variation in how principals experience competitive pressure. Somewhat surprisingly, the extent to which principals perceive competition for students is not related to geographic factors such as the number of nearby schools. However, perceptions of competition are related to student achievement as well as to transfer rates out of a school. Although some schools respond to competition by trying to improve through curricular or instructional changes, a more common approach is to use outreach or advertisement.
Novel biologic therapies for psoriasis.

There has been a recent explosion in knowledge regarding the central role of the immune system in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Originally felt to be primarily a disorder of keratinocyte hyperproliferation, it has recently been classified as a T cell-mediated, autoimmune disease. Type 1 cytokines released predominantly from activated T lymphocytes are now considered to cause the psoriatic phenotype, including the epidermal and vascular changes. Armed with this new knowledge, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies have developed more specific, immunologically directed interventions. These newer agents aim to be both more effective in clearing a condition that is associated with much morbidity and to be more selective, resulting in fewer toxic side effects than current therapies. This article gives an overview of the newer immunotherapeutic approaches from the points of view of safety, efficacy and mechanisms of action. The review also outlines the steps involved in the immune response leading to psori...
Animal personality aligns task specialization and task proficiency in a spider society.

Classic theory on division of labor implicitly assumes that task specialists are more proficient at their jobs than generalists and specialists in other tasks; however, recent data suggest that this might not hold for societies that lack discrete worker polymorphisms, which constitute the vast majority of animal societies. The facultatively social spider Anelosimus studiosus lacks castes, but females exhibit either a “docile” or “aggressive” phenotype. Here we observed the propensity of individual females of either phenotype to perform various tasks (i.e., prey capture, web building, parental care, and colony defense) in mixed-phenotype colonies. We then measured the performance outcomes of singleton individuals of either phenotype at each task to determine their proficiencies. Aggressive females participated more in prey capture, web building, and colony defense, whereas docile females engaged more in parental care. In staged trials, aggressive individuals were more effective at capturing prey, constructing webs, and defending the colony, whereas docile females were more effective at rearing large quantities of brood. Thus, individuals’ propensity to perform tasks and their task proficiencies appear to be adaptively aligned in this system. Moreover, because the docile/aggressive phenotypes are heritable, these data suggest that within-colony variation is maintained because of advantages gleaned by division of labor.
A quasi-equilibrium analysis to predict the dependence of ferrofluid aggregate properties on field ramping rate

When a thin layer of ferrofluid is subjected to an external magnetic field, the particles clump together to form aggregates. These aggregates are approximately uniformly sized with uniform spacing. Recently, experimental results have shown how the ramping rate of the external field can change the aggregate spacing. We have developed an analytical model to predict how aggregate spacing changes as a function of ramping rate. This model is in good agreement with experimental results and provides insight into the dynamics of aggregate formation.
Family Caregiver Satisfaction with Medical Care of Their Demented Relatives

Eighty-eight family caregivers were interviewed concerning their experience with medical care of their demented relatives. Although the majority of caregivers expressed overall satisfaction, they showed higher levels of dissatisfaction than are commonly found in studies of satisfaction with medical care. Greatest dissatisfaction was expressed in regard to receiving insufficient information about dementia; fewest concerns were expressed about inappropriate physician control. Families reported frequently receiving vague diagnoses and insufficient referrals for supportive services.
Child development in the context of adversity: experiential canalization of brain and behavior.

The authors examine the effects of poverty-related adversity on child development, drawing upon psychobiological principles of experiential canalization and the biological embedding of experience. They integrate findings from research on stress physiology, neurocognitive function, and self-regulation to consider adaptive processes in response to adversity as an aspect of children’s development. Recent research on early caregiving is paired with research in prevention science to provide a reorientation of thinking about the ways in which psychosocial and economic adversity are related to continuity in human development.
Shoreface ravinement evolution tracked by repeat geophysical surveys following Hurricane Ike, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas, 2008–2013

We have investigated the impact of Hurricane Ike on the shoreface of the Bolivar Peninsula, Texas, using three nearsurface marine geophysical surveys during a five-year span following the storm, which made landfall in September of 2008. Multibeam bathymetry, sidescan backscatter, and CHIRP subbottom reflection data were collected during each survey. The first survey, in November, 2008, discovered the presence of an erosional, landward-facing scarp across a broad of the barrier spit shoreface at approximately 3.5-m water depth. The erosion incised into a shallow reflection horizon interpreted as the Holocene shoreface ravinement, exposing lag deposits that were truncated at the scarp and forming a thin high-backscatter anomaly. Up to 1.0 m of material was excavated shoreward of the scarp, including up to 0.5 m of shoreface sand above the shoreface ravinement, and another 0.5 m of indeterminate
A semimicro thermomechanical technique for characterizing polymeric materials: Torsional braid analysis

An overview of a nondestructive semimicro mechanical technique–pioneered, developed, and exploited by the author–which is used for characterizing phase transitions and transformations in polymeric materials is presented. Particular attention is given to literature published since January, 1972, which pertains to advances in automation, data acquisition and processing, and application to polymeric systems. The instrument has been consolidated as a powerful and convenient mechanical spectrometer in this short period.
TRAPDOOR SPIDER (CYRTAUCHENIIDAE; APTOSTICHUS) DEPREDATES WESTERN SNOWY PLOVER CHICK (CHARADRIUS ALEXANDRINUS)

Abstract I report an observation of a trapdoor spider (Cyrtaucheniidae; Aptostichus) depredating a western snowy plover chick (Charadrius alexandrinus) in San Luis Obispo County, California.
The Role of the Multidisciplinary Conference in the Evaluation of Bariatric Surgery Candidates with a High-Risk Psychiatric Profile.

Background: Implementation of a multidisciplinary conference (MC) attended by medical, surgical, nutrition, bioethics, and psychology specialists may help identify treatment plans for bariatric surgery candidates with a high-risk psychiatric profile. Methods: Data were assessed for all bariatric candidates evaluated by the MC in an academic center between January 2009 and December 2010. Results: A total of 134 patients of 2798 patients assessed by four different psychologists were subsequently evaluated by the MC. The most frequent psychiatric diagnoses were mood disorders (n = 37, 27.6%), anxiety disorders (n = 24, 17.9%), and binge eating disorder (n = 19, 14.1%). More than one psychiatric diagnosis was observed in 95.6% of the cohort. Substance abuse issues were present in 25% patients. Fifteen patients (11.2%) were eventually cleared and underwent surgery, 35 (26.1%) left the program before completing their requirements, and 84 patients (62.7%) were still working toward their individualized goals in t...
Couple Resilience to Economic Pressure Over Time and Across Generations

Research suggests that economic stress disrupts perceived romantic relationship quality; yet less is known regarding the direct influence of economic stress on negative behavioral exchanges between partners over time. Another intriguing question concerns the degree to which effective problem-solving might protect against this hypothesized association. To address these issues, the authors studied two generations of couples who were assessed approximately 13 years apart (Generation 1: N = 367, Generation 2: N = 311). On average and for both generations, economic pressure predicted relative increases in couples' hostile, contemptuous, and angry behaviors; however, couples who were highly effective problem solvers experienced no increases in these behaviors in response to economic pressure. Less effective problem solvers experienced the steepest increases in hostile behaviors in response to economic pressure. Because these predictive pathways were replicated in both generations of couples it appears that these stress and resilience processes unfold over time and across generations.
Speaker intonation adaptation for transforming text-to-speech synthesis speaker identity

In this study, we propose a new intonation adaptation method to transform the perceived identity of a Text-To-Speech system to that of a target speaker with a small amount of training data. In the proposed method, during training we fit parametrized accent and phrase curves to parallel recordings of the target speaker F0 curves, and estimate the parameters of a mapping between the corresponding parameter spaces. During test, we fit the accent and phrase curves to the source utterances, apply the mapping, and create an F0 contour from the mapped accent and phrase curves. We compare the proposed method with a baseline adaptation method in which the source F0 contour is transformed linearly such that the per-utterance mean and variance of the target F0 contour is left unaltered. Perceptual tests showed that the proposed method was better than the baseline method in two subjective tests that assess similarity to the target speaker and speech quality, respectively.
Hosanna-Tabor, the Ministerial Exception, and Judicial Competence

In Hosanna Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC, the United States Supreme Court confirmed that the First Amendment incorporates a ministerial exception. Rather than hold that civil courts are not competent to decide disputes between religious organizations and their employees, the Court instead suggested that the exception is an affirmative defense. Further, while the Court found that the plaintiff was a minister for purposes of the exception, the Court listed a number of factors for making that determination without prioritizing them or making clear which were necessary or sufficient for such a finding. This article suggests that for a variety of reasons this decision will muddy the jurisprudence for years to come.